O Christmas Tree!

I love Christmas trees.  The way they smell and the warm fuzzy childhood memories they bring back.  I remember decorating our tree each year as a child and rocking out together as a family with the kiddos in their jammies and with Christmas music & snacks.  We each had our own box of Ornaments that we got to put up.

While Ben didn't really show much interest in doing ornaments this year, he surely enjoys looking at our tree (lucky for us, it is only looking and he understands not to touch it). 

Since we've been married and in our home, we have pretty much gotten an ornament each year to help us remember something big that has happened in our lives in that year

2006-a pine cone marks are move to Oregon, along with the purchase of our home & getting married!  A big year!

2007-we got our beagle Porter

2008-a little Penguin to mark the crazy snow storm in Portland (this was nothing for any town that is used to snow but 18" shut down Portland for almost 2 weeks) that led to our flight to Los Angeles being cancelled and us deciding to pack up the car late at night and drive to Los Angeles in order to make it home for Christmas

2009-we don't have an ornament yet for 2009 but in '09 we found out that we were expecting a little man and we also took an amazing adventure to Peru

2010-Ben's arrival; a little owl as his room is decorated with owls

2011- [entire satire] a mouse to hallmark our battle to get them outta our house; not funny now & even kinda creeps me out but I hope I will look at this next year and be able to laugh

Next year I would love to figure out some fun, inexpensive ways to spice up our tree!  I bet Ben will be creating all sorts of fun craft items to put on the tree by then :)