WHO REMEMBERS AUTOGRAPH BOOKS?

Becky and I each got one just like this one year for Christmas. We love them. I'm sure our friends wrote many silly things in them and we were so proud! My grandkids would think it crazy to get one of these today. Technology has taken over.

ANOTHER FAVORITE ORNAMENT

This is another of my ornaments that hang on my tree every year. This ornament reminds of one of the best group of Sunday School kids I ever taught. It was a combination class of kids from the church and bus kids. It was a large group of 5th and 6th graders. The bus kids had very little knowledge of the Bible and the church kids were very helpful to them. This ornament was given to me by one of the girls in the class from our church. The year was 1991. Her mother was a precious friend who is in Heaven now. I am still in touch with some of the kids from that special class.

A SPECIAL ORNAMENT

I know is just a cheap little ball ornament but it has a special place on my Christmas tree every year. Mom and Dad gave me a ball ornament every Christmas. You can see this one is dated 1988. That is the last one from both Mom and Dad. Dad died in April of 1989 so while this may not look special you to it is very special to me. I sure miss celebrating holidays with my parents. We had a lot of great Christmases together.

This ornament also reminds me of my Indiana childhood Christmases.

GRANDMA'S ANGEL

I love pictures of beautiful 'House Beautiful' Christmas trees but that is just not me. I have been putting my tree up this afternoon and with every ornament that goes on it there is a Christmas memory. From my childhood to last year, memories are all over the tree. Here is a picture of my favorite ornament. Just seeing this little angel takes me back to my happy childhood Christmases. We lived in an old three-story farmhouse with very high ceilings. My dad would go out into the woods and come back with a tree everyone said would never fit in a house. But they always did and my sister and I loved them. And this angel was always on that tree. I am so glad my parents allowed me to take that angel with me after I had a family of my own. I have always called Lauren "Grandma's Angel". When I can no longer use this little angel I want it passed down to Grandma's Angel.

Young Chad at Christmas

Love this picture of a very young Chad on Christmas morning at our house on Northwood Dr. in Bedford, Indiana. This was Christmas 1979 when he was three-years-old. Seeing this picture brought back some great memories of Christmas with our families when the kids were young.

The Wilson Girls

Christmas Eve 1972. Steve's mom crocheted these sweater ponchos for Steve's sister Becky, Christy, and Cindy. Becky and Cindy are having a little trouble getting Christy to stand still. She was 10 months old and wanting to get to mommy and the camera. I love looking back at these old pictures as we celebrate birthdays each month. Happy Birthday month Christy!

Another Special Ornament

Getting ready to take down the tree and coming across another ornament that is special.  1995 was quite a year. Started out with Lauren being born on Christy's birthday in February.  That was a very exciting day except she was born a month early and had lung problems.  Seeing her in the NICU made the occasion bittersweet.  A few months later Chad graduated from Southlake Carroll High School then left for the Army in July.  It was our first Christmas with both a grandson and a granddaughter. It was a year of highs and lows. Thankful Lauren grew to be a healthy baby and Chad finally returned home from the Army in 2001.

Samantha and Santa at Bass Pro 2010-2013

Santa and Samantha pictures at Bass Pro Shop have become a tradition. This is our fourth year and Samantha was quick to gather all the pictures and look for changes over the years.  She has changed a lot yet she still looks a lot the same. She quickly pointed out that the 2010 Santa is a different Santa!

2010

An Unhappy Lauren in 1999!

Rodney with his lap full of his girls, Lindsay and big sister Lauren.

Looks like Lauren was having an unhappy moment during Christmas at Grandma's house in 1999!  Must not have been a big deal as I don't remember her being unhappy that evening.

Another Special Tree Ornament - My Three In The Early 1980s

My three special children in the 1980s ready for church on Christmas Sunday. Cindy, Chad, and Christy.

First Two On The Tree

I often refer to Lauren and Dustin as the first two.  Dustin was the first grandchild and Lauren, the second. Since she was a girl that made her a first, too, in one way. So here are the first two hanging side-by-side on our tree.  My mom gave me these little plastic frames and suggested I put these pictures in them.  These ornaments are very special!  Lauren is now 18 and Dustin is 21! Hard to believe time has passed so quickly! (Yes, I see the tag.  I have since removed it!)

Sunday School Christmas Memories

Another of my favorite ornaments on my Christmas tree.  I taught Sunday School classes for years and had some excellent students.  Earlier I posted the bell ornament on my tree from Ryan Warren, who is now a children's pastor in Houston. This cute little bear was from April Bardin in 1991.  Hanging these ornaments on my tree each year reminds me of the Happy Birthday Jesus parties we had every year in class.  Each child brought an empty box wrapped in birthday paper.  We decorated a chair and pretended Jesus was sitting in that chair. Each child would bring their gift to Him and tell Him what they were giving Him.  It was such a special time.  When I would order the birthday cake and ask them not to decorate it "Christmasy", they would always question me like I was crazy.  That would give me a chance to explain what we were doing.  I got to have some very good conversations with bakery workers and clerks at the check-out stands. It was interesting to see the kids, especially the bus kids who did not come from Christian families, understand what Christmas really is.

Lindsay's First Christmas

Another one of the very special ornaments on my Christmas tree.  This is Lindsay's first Christmas.  I just love my tree and all it's special ornaments.  Makes Christmas a trip down memory lane!

Chad - Christmas Morning 1984

Chad Christmas morning 1984.  He's looking pretty happy and he hasn't even gotten into that stack of presents yet.  He must have gotten what he wanted from Santa!

Chad at Guard's Toy Drive

Today is the guard's annual toy drive day when they present gifts to the children at Cook's Children's Hospital in Ft Worth.  This is an annual ritual Chad thoroughly loves doing.  However, he will miss this year because of his work.  Here is a picture from a previous such day. May God touch and bless each of the sick children during this Christmas season. (Yes, of course that is Chad with his hat standing straight up.  He tells me he never intends to grow up and I believe him!)

My Last Christmas Ornament From My Dad

My mom and dad always bought us a Christmas ornament every year.  This is the one they gave us in 1988 before he died 3 months later.  This ornament always has a special spot on my tree.

And Then There Were Two!

In 1995 our Christmas fun grew with another grandchild.  Lauren joined Dustin making two grandchildren in our family!  1995 was also our first Christmas as military parents with Chad stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas.

Steffinee and Samantha Ornaments

More of my special Christmas Tree Ornaments. Steffinee wearing reindeer ears and Steffinee and Samantha at Samantha's second Christmas.

Grandma's and Grandpa's Rocking Chairs

A couple more of my favorite "Grandparent" Ornaments on my tree.  Love my grandkids!

My First Christmas as a Grandma - 1992

Working on putting up the Christmas tree. I always decorate it with my "heirloom" ornaments so it takes forever as I go over my remembrances of each ornament. Will finish it tomorrow since school is cancelled again tomorrow. Here are my two ornaments from my first Christmas as a grandma in 1992.