When I was a kid, my sister and I loved to decorate the tree together. We were pretty consistent as to how many ornaments we liked, tinsel or no tinsel, how many strands of lights....with one exception.

I had made a sock angel for my parents one year for x-mas and every year following I INSISTED that we put my angel on the top o f the tree. My sister wanted one of my grandma's lovely lace angels on top instead. I'm pretty sure this came to blows EVERY YEAR. ;)

I'll admit it -I love home-made ornaments - home-made things. During this time of the year, when not everyone is able to make it home for the holidays, it makes me think of those far but dear to me. The x-mas ornaments made out of Popsicle sticks and have pictures of us in 3rd grade, not always looking the best, keep some of the best years alive (and serve as wonderful tools of embarrassment in when I was tiny, for my sister and when I showed them to her boyfriends! :) )