Ornaments

I got this idea from my friend and fellow-blogger, Heidi. (o: I have a lot of sentimental ornaments and wanted to post a few favorites and why... Believe it or not, this is a condensed number - I had pictures of even more! Sorry if this trip down memory lane is a little of a yawner for everyone, but me! (o:

Each year, the girls pick their own ornament to add to our collection. I encourage them to choose something that represents a memory from the previous year. The above ornament was from the year Sarah turned 4. That was the first year she was able to write her own letter to Santa. I liked the vintage look too - so I encouraged her to pick this one. (o:

One of our first Christmases Mo* and I were married, we bought a set of these little wooden ornaments. I picked them because they reminded me of the ornaments my grandma had on her tree. They're kind of old fashioned looking and I like that.

Sarah and I made this together at the Jackson craft make 'n take last 2007 Christmas.

A fun new addition to our ornament collection this year. Thanks Michelle! (o: Love it.

This one was made by my grandma when she and my grandpa were serving a mission in Nauvoo Illinois. I believe that was the year she knit us all hats too. I think, because they were serving in a church history area, grandma learned this cool ornament making skill using fabric and straight pins as maybe a "pioneer-ish" craft. I love it and the story behind it. Thanks grandma!

I have a group of friends that I made when we first moved to the northwest. We bonded quickly as we helped each other adjust to our new surroundings. This Santa came from an ornament exchange with these good friends a few years ago. I LOVE that the Santa is also a lighthouse - it goes well with a northwest theme.

This was the very first ornament I bought for myself back in college at the U of U bookstore. I hung it proudly this year - my University of Utah ornament. (o:

This large and rather flamboyant ornament always makes me smile. Natalie picked it two years ago - love the feathers. (o: It is still one of her favorites.

I rarely buy ornaments for myself, but this one was too cute to pass out. I love the whimsical look.

An ornament given to Jeb* and I our "first" Christmas (we were married two days after Christmas) This one is very sentimental.

Another fun ornament from an ornament exchange. The friends I mentioned above held these yearly for 3-4 years. Lots of people fought over this one and I won! (o: It's made of metal - sooo cute.

Ahh, another very sentimental one. I got this one back in college from my good friend Kori (we had been good friends in jr. high - attended different high schools and reunited at the U of U in the same sorority! By chance or destiny?) We have both always been HUGE Muppets fans. We even did a memorable number at our Miss Alpha Omega pageant/talent show. Using Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog puppets, we did a "lip Sync" to "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (Neil Diamond/Barbara Streisand). We were both crowned Miss AO that night - one of the proudest moments of my life. (o: We had the audience in tears. I think Kori's mom hand painted this adorable Kermit. This is one of my very top favorites.

Fun little homemade ornaments with a picture of little Sarah and baby Natalie. An ornament hand painted by a former co-worker from Franklin Elementary - where I worked during my college years at BYU. Good times. I LOVED that job and my friends there.

I bought this the year we went to Tolovana at Cannon Beach for my mom's side family reunion in 2004. Awesome memories. One year, the little playgroup some friends and I did when Sarah was little - we decided to have a little Christmas party and to make homemade ornaments for each other. (Heidi is was so fun to see the one we made for Zach so many years ago) This one was made by Rebecca. I love the darling little pictures. Sarah is top left. There are four more pics, I think, on the other side. Those were fun times. Thanks Rebecca! (o:

This was the set of ornaments that Angela picked at Fred Meyer. SpongeBob is very fitting for her this year! We love SpongeBob! (o: The snowball fight is also very fitting with all the snow we got this winter.

This giraffe and another clothe lion are some top favorites that I found at the Discovery Channel Store when Sarah and Natalie were itty bitty. It was a year we went to the zoo a lot, so I thought it was fitting.

I bought this TinkerBell ornament at Disneyland two years ago. Again, wonderful memories...

And last but not least a moose ornament for the year that we went to Yellowstone with Sam*'s parents during sabbatical. it has a broken leg so I got it for less than a dollar.