New Ornaments

Warning: I'm resorting to doing a post about my Christmas tree ornaments...  Can you tell we are a little bored this week...no Wellspring, no preschool, etc  (I'm sure I dream of these weeks when things are too hectic...)  I just took the ornaments off the tree.  I usually do it before now but I was enjoying the extra festiveness in blah January and we put it up late, plus I got new ornaments that I just LOVE after Christmas!

I've never had great ones... here's the evidence...

I do love some of these sweet ones with P&L's names, special events/trips, etc

 Last year before Christmas, I got tubes of these colorful balls from Target... exciting, huh?!

 and our special picture ornaments!  We got fun ones this year of Peter driving the firetruck that came to preschool (in the center, upside down) and one from Wellsquirts (love his sweet face!)

 BUT... here's the exciting part, if anyone is still with me!!!...

This year, after 4 years in this house, I finally decided to give up RED.  I don't love the color and we have a PINK dining room that isn't changing (unless there is a fairy painter out there) so red just clashes in our house.  I finally decided that I am going to make PINK my Christmas red... isn't that more fun?!  I have slowly gotten rid of reds over the years but this year I finally got rid of all of it.

After Christmas, Mom and I went to a 75% off sale on all Christmas items at a gift shop in L'ville!  I am a cheap skate so I would never have splurged on nice ornaments, esp while I am not working.  I was SO excited about my finds!  I got a TON of stuff for $25... so $100 worth of new ornaments!! (plus some for gifts for next year!)  I've enjoyed looking at them for the past 2 weeks and was sorta sad to pack them up...

I got these cute kid ornaments for P&L (aren't they cute!)...

 and these nice, big green & gold balls (& 2 pink trees) plus a bunch of smaller pink balls... they look more sophisticated than my lame Target balls ;) 

 I found this antler ornament that I loved so I decided to make it an ornament to remember Alvin & Charlie... and God's faithfulness in a year of loss.

And remembering that they so quickly went to be with the Lord is such a sobering reminder to treasure & love the ones we have while they are with us.  We are not guaranteed endless Christmases with loved ones.  We also know its our loss, they rejoice in Heaven even today.  And we trust God's plan.  We know He is for us in Jesus & has provided for our ultimate need.