I usually don't decorate til the week before Christmas, but we put up the tree tonight. I told a friend that it isn't the prettiest tree but its ours! My daughter says its the coolest tree. High praise indeed! Most of the decorations are handmade by the kids and me, some were given to us. We use white lights and a green and red bead garland. No tinsel! I know some people who do theme trees, one year mice (it was a very cute tree), one year only red and white, one year only blue. Ours is the same every year with just a few additions. How do you all decorate your trees?

-- Jo (mamamia2kids@msn.com), December 04, 2001

Answers

We cleared out a place for the Christmas tree and put it up yesterday. Over the years, we seem to have accumulated quite a few decorations, many made by little hands. We put up the artificial tree, but once all the pretties are on, it looks nice.

Second Eldest strung lights on some of the outside Christmas trees, then came in and strung some around the living room ceiling, and down the stairs to his room!;) Nice to have energetic helpers!!

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 04, 2001.

We always put ours up right after Thanksgiving. I love Christmas trees! Most of our ornaments are also homemade either by my kids, my mom, or me. My mom loves to make angels so we have a number of her angel creations on the tree. We've been stringing popcorn for the tree the last several years too. It's time consuming but we enjoy it. It's only a theme tree if the theme is homemade eclectic! LOL! The few decorations that aren't homemade do have special memories behind them. To me family and home and special memories are what make the holidays even more special.

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), December 04, 2001.

I usually put my tree up the weekend after thanksgiving but since I was having company that weekend this year, I put it up the week of thanksgiving! It is what I call a "hodge- podge" style. I have ornaments my kids made years ago and I've got ornaments from friends. Two very special ornaments are from friends who have since gone to be with the Lord. I'm a very sentimental person and my tree is sentimental.

-- barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), December 05, 2001.

The day after Thanksgiving ours goes up. Ours is western with bandana garland,western ornaments and a cornhusk angel for the top. A couple of years ago my Dad made me a tree I saw in the western store window. It was 6feet tall and made of barbed wire. It was the coolest tree yet. I lost it that winter in a fire in the barn, but he has promised me another by next year!

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), December 05, 2001.

The tree is up and decorated. But the best part my husband is finally feeling better. He had that cold/virus. So not only did the tree get done, so did other things. Our cow and calf are home and adjusting to not running with the herd. The electric fence is fixed and working. Lots of prayer went up....didn't want the cattle going through the fence. Had to cap off a pipe to our frost free waterer. Keeps wanting to break, So we will have to use a hose to get water to them. More work but at least theres another frost free faucet in the the back yard. So good our Son is here to help.

-- Jo (farmerjo@kvalley.com), December 10, 2001.