thirty days with a grateful heart - day nine

day nine - deck the halls

I never met Big Johnny's grandma Helen, she died just before we started dating.  But even though I never had the chance to know her in person, each year at Christmastime, I think of her and my heart overflows with gratefulness at the incredible gift she has given us. 

Take a look... 

Almost every ornament on our Christmas tree was made, with love, by grandma Helen.  They are incredible, truly.  Sequins and pushpins and ribbon and pearls.  I can't even begin to imagine the time and patience it took to make them all, and believe it or not - she made four full sets - one for herself and one for each of her children.

Over the years, we have slowly started adding our own additions to our tree, the crafty ornaments the littles have made in school, a bit of ribbon here, a few candy canes, and the ornaments my father passed along to me after my mother's death.  And each year, our tree becomes more and more a blend of both the old and new, a visual metaphor, if you will, of our lives.