Oh, Christmas tree!

*Update: Please read the section at the bottom of this post! If you like my tree, please consider going here to vote for me (#28) in an online Christmas tree decorating contest. Thank you!*

Welcome to my home! This is the first time I have participated in BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes, and I am so excited! This is the earliest I've ever gotten my Christmas tree up, and I can't tell you how much my children and husband appreciate it. Plus, I have the added bonus of not hearing, "Soooo...Have you thought about putting the tree up?" every other day.

The first (and easiest) of the Christmas decorations to go up was the wreath, with the beautiful bow given to me last year by my friend Brenda:



I brought out the nativity scene my parents gave us...I think it was the Christmas I was pregnant with Robert. No broken pieces...yet...despite the persistent efforts of Robert and Josiah.


The tree was decorated with a lot of help from the younger two. :) I tend to want to put every ornament we have on the tree, but I left many in the boxes this year. I just ran out of steam.


Do any of you group your ornaments in any way, or is it just me? I did this unintentionally for several years...now I don't fight it and do it on purpose. :) Certain ones have a magnetic pull towards other certain ones.



Anyone care to guess how old the Santa in the green suit is? Or the Santa in the hot air balloon (whose face you can't see very well)? My mom made the red Christmas tree and the pink ball ornaments, probably when I was a toddler. Somehow most of the pins and beads stayed in all of these years, despite my persistent efforts as a child.


Here is the Georgia section:


Here are our three White House ornaments as well as the Olympics ornament my mom bought in 1996 when the Olympics came to Athens.



The Olympic flame "flickers" and there is a small button at the back that, when pressed, plays the theme of the Olympics. This has been a kid favorite for all of the years we've had it on our tree. Josiah currently holds the fascination with this ornament, and plays it "for Grace." Guess how many times I hear that little tune every day? And, no, we don't have connections to the White House. You can find these beautiful ornaments on eBay. :)

My aunt painted the Santa (in the 1980s?), and my mom painted the cute little dalmation in 1974. (I had a dalmation named Lady at the time.) The Holly Hobby ornament is from my elementary school days.

The angel that tops the tree:



Isn't it beautiful?

Awww...






Just for fun...OK, not just for fun--I really would like to win and receive a Zune MP3 player. ;) I am participating in a Christmas tree decorating contest! Please vote for me! :) Tell your friends to vote for me! :) You can click on the new button on my sidebar or the link above for more information about the contest. Voting starts on Saturday, December 13th, and runs until Friday, December 16th. You can vote once daily through Friday. Thank you so much!

* You have to vote over there within the comments section, not here at my blog. Thanks again! And I apologize for all of the shameless begging! :)