Away in the Manger

Nativity sets are a Christmas staple in the Christian world.  Heck, even Santa has visited baby Jesus in the creche.

This is very much like one my mom has.  Or had, we played with it a lot.

Everyone I know has at least one, if not many many more.  And they are, one and all, beautiful.  There are Crystal ones, and porcelain, wooden, both hand carved and machine.  There are flat ones, round ones, square ones, and 3D.

Many Groups celebrate our Saviors Birth, from:

Charlie Brown, to

 Precious moments, to

 Willow Tree, to

Random Bears.

I love all of them, and often stress over finding the right one for my house.  Until this year.  You see, I've actually had one for years, but in my immaturity I didn't think it was good enough.  Because I made it when I was between 12-16, and it was a craft project my amazing Aunt had creatively come up with.  I don't remember the circumstances under which they were created, because I am the only one in my family who has one. Which is ok.

Apparently they are somewhere very cold, hence the random ice cube.

I have put these little people out every year, along with my billions of snowflakes (I may not have that many for reals, but if you ever saw my bedroom in high school or my house this year, you'll know I have a LOT)

But always considered them my "stand in" nativity, just waiting for the real one.  My, Adult nativity, if you will.

But during my freak-out when I found the box they belong in and discovered them not in it, I realized how much they mean to me, and how much I love them.   

Sure, down the road I may buy another one, or even two. 

 But they are the real one, and will always be apart of my familys Christmas. 

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Nothing is wrong with a little "white trash"

But there is something totally wrong with kamikaze gingerbread men. So, very wrong.

That's why this year my tree is Barbies Christmas getaway, again:

There is nothing wrong with this picture, move along.

This season I'll be sharing other family traditions. The first one is a childhood tradition.

When we were all very little we had one tree, and it was festooned with all the glitz and glitter that we young'ins could put on it. It had no glass bulbs, nothing sharp, or accidentally edible, and nothing my mother didn't want destroyed.

Which left her with all the "beautiful" ornaments the public school system inevitably sent home with us excited Littles every year. The upside to this, is that even if it was edible, or destructible, because the we made it, it wasn't going anywhere. (unless a certain little has an ever littler little sibling that has no respect for all the time spent glitterfying that gingerbread mass that looks almost like a person.)

Our family tree grew with each additional year with more and more globby glittery goodness until the last of us was out of Elementary school, because ornament making didn't catch on in Jr. High and High School, not entirely sure why.

Somewhere in between those years the "pretty tree" showed up, the one we weren't allowed to touch. It was, alternating years, green and gold or red and gold, and it was my mothers pride and joy. As we were older we liked it too, and left the bulb breaking to our cat.

The only problem with this new "pretty tree" was that there was no room for our decorations!! The family stuff that we had poured our blood sweat and tears (literally) into. Even at our mature ages we still wanted to see our bulbs, our hand prints our STUFF. So, my mother set up two trees, and has ever since.

Last night I was privileged to join in the decorating of this tree, each time I held an ornament in my hand a million memories began to pour out of it... it took a long time to decorate the tree..

So for your viewing pleasure, I have picked a few of my favorites to show.

My parents got married in december, every christmas since then they have bought some type of christmas item.  Some ornament, or statue, but mostly awesome music box statuette things.

My mom made all of us one of these when we were really little, and we love them dearly still

It was my father who trapped this little guy in the stained glass house, it's a heavy sucker and has taken a nose dive or two, and yet it's still intact.

I don't know where this teddy came from but I remember him from way back and love him, the birds *there are more RUN FOR YOUR LIVES * I don't touch them, but they used to be on my grandmothers tree, so here they are now.

My mothers grandmother made this beautiful little angel. I love her and lay claim on her RIGHT NOW!

This is another dated ornament, they got this the year Lolligog was born :D he's one of my favorites.

Someday my tree will be as full of memories as this one, and I'll love to look at it for more than just it's beauty.

Throwing in the Blogspot Towel - EDIT

Ok seriously people this is getting ridiculous. I can't maneuver pictures around without ruining my entire blog, and for each picture I add, the spaces grow exponentially. So I have to go around deleting spaces with increasing frustration. Or I have to upload the pictures IN THE RIGHT ORDER (cause try moving them afterwards and you're in for a real treat.. not.) and then write my blog around them

I CAN"T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!

I know I've been here for around 3 years, but I can NOT stand it any longer, Blogspot has done something with their system and I don't like it.

Just letting you know, I'll be hopefully moving to a new address. Or doing SOMETHING to save my sanity.

If any of you know how to fix this, please let me know, cause I really don't want to go through the hassle of moving and changing everything.

Thanks.

EDIT -

Ok, thanks to my awesome Sister-Inlaw Angie (I owe you babysitting) I've updated my editor, and now it looks new and shinny and didn't add a billion spaces to this post just because I wanted to edit it.  So far so good, hopefully this means I can stay.  We'll see.

Truth is stranger than fiction

Here's a conversation I had with a my charming cohort, who basically keeps me sane while at work. Though from the convo below I don't think sane is the right word..

Susan: I always say god and jesus have senses of humor..just lookit the platypus

Amber: So true. Just imagining what went behind some of the creatures..like me playing with clay! I have this awesome idea and then... what they heck did I make? Oh well, we'll put it somewhere no one goes a lot.

Susan: roflmao

Amber: thats why all the freaky looking fish are at the very bottom of the ocean

Susan: omgosh ROFLMAO!!!!!! X A BILLIONTY