The weekend after thanksgiving is normally the held traditional put up the tree. With all the plastic blue and silver sparkling balls, silver and blue tinsel, blue lights there comes last the ornaments of yearly celebration. These ornaments are hand picked and special. These are special because each of our children receive an ornament on Christmas of something they personally accomplished that year or liked. It is grandmas job to hand select the item to become an ornament and place the name and date on the ornament of the child and pass it on as a gift.
Since last Christmas (2013) was the first Christmas for my twins these are the ornaments they received. Grandma hand painted Elizabeths’ to pink and white as they were originally a boyish color.
Xanders first ornament was this little frame, in which I placed his newborn photo (2012). The second ornament is special because Xander loved riding in his Cozy Coupe little tikes car that year as he began to walk (2013).
Nevaeh received a princess ornament last year (2013) and a ballerina in 2012 because she took dance.
I even received an ornament the year my hubby and I were dating/engaged (2009). After a child gets married the tradition breaks with that child and begins again with their children. Now since my hubby and I are married his grandmother no longer passes ornaments on to him, but my hubbies own mother (grandma) give ornaments to our children (her grandkids). Here are my hubbies years worth of ornaments since the time he was born in 1982:
Each of these ornaments tell a story about my hubby and I am so proud of all his accomplishments from soldier, handy man, dog owner, camper, weight lifter with a few of his favorite Disney characters thrown in as well.
I can’t wait to see what ornaments my children get as gifts this year. I thank the efforts of my mother-in-law (grandma) and great grandma for continuing this special and thoughtful tradition.
What traditions does your family do during the holidays?
This post is part of a Holiday Blog Hop with 7 of my other favorite blogging friends. All of us are mommas with Christ in the center of our parenting, marriage and life. So please check out their blogs below.
Holiday Crafts~ Abiding In Grace
Our Holiday Travel Decisions~ BYBMG
Keepsake Ornaments~ Almond Place
It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas~ Simply Free Blog
Ornament Traditions~ Garay Treasures
UnStuff Gifts for Hubby~ All Kinds of Things
Saving Money on Christmas Cards~ Teressa Jane
Favorite Holiday Crafts~ Living In This Season
Garay Treasures 
I love this tradition. My mom did the buying for me when I was younger, as did Russ’s mom. We get ornaments for the boys each year. I’ve been doing Hallmark ones the past few years just because I like them and often have a coupon, plus they usually have one that captures Henry’s interest, like the year he was obsessed with Buzz Lightyear. I can’t wait to decorate our tree this year and bring them all out again.
Such a sweet tradition. My husband’s mom has passed and he still has an ornament she had as a child. It is a paper mache ornament and there is a small toy in it if you break it open. She never broke it open and so we have it on our tree now. I can’t help but wonder what is inside that ornament. I always buy my kids ornaments every year, too, as does their Grandma… they are getting quite a collection!
Love all the special ornaments!! We do the same thing and it is always so exciting for the kids
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So pretty! i was just thinking that I need to make sure and get some sort of “baby’s first ornament” for this Christmas! I can’t believe we are going to start filling our tree with kid ornaments!
So fun! We did the same thing growing up 🙂
Love your collection! It’s amazing how quickly they add up! I hope our kids love them as much as I love buying them 🙂
so special!
Irene
http://www.thedailylace.com
Those ornaments are so cute! I especially love the boy and girl baby shoes! Adorable!
What a great holiday tradition. We do something similar with ornaments in our house. Each year my mom purchases a Christopher Radko ornament for my brothers and I, so that when we start our own families, we are gifted those ornaments for our own family tree. And of course we have our bell that hangs from a branch on our tree too.. “Every time a bell rings an Angel gets it’s wings” (My mom’s favorite movie) :):)
Xo Amanda | http://sansscrubs.blogspot.com
Love all of your ornaments and such a great tradition! My parents gave my sister and I an ornament every Christmas when we were growing up and it was nice to have them when I got my first tree. Now we are doing the same for our daughter.
Jill
http://www.dousedinpink.com
I love this tradition! My daughter will be 2 in Feb. and we are having so much fun starting new traditions with her. Our tree used to be all matching blue, silver, and white but I am looking forward to changing that and making new ones with her
Such a fun tradition!