This Page

has been moved to new address

My Favorite Christmas Ornament...

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#aba; margin:0; padding:20px 10px; text-align:center; font:x-small/1.5em "Trebuchet MS",Verdana,Arial,Sans-serif; color:#333; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } /* Page Structure ----------------------------------------------- */ /* The images which help create rounded corners depend on the following widths and measurements. If you want to change these measurements, the images will also need to change. */ @media all { #content { width:740px; margin:0 auto; text-align:left; } #main { width:485px; float:left; background:#fff url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_main_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:15px 0 0; padding:0 0 10px; color:#000; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } #main2 { float:left; width:100%; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_main_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 0 0; } #main3 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/rails_main.gif") repeat-y; padding:0; } #sidebar { width:240px; float:right; margin:15px 0 0; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; background:#fff; } #main2 { float:none; background:none; } #main3 { background:none; padding:0; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Links ----------------------------------------------- */ a:link { color:#258; } a:visited { color:#666; } a:hover { color:#c63; } a img { border-width:0; } /* Blog Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { background:#456 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; margin:0 0 0; padding:8px 0 0; color:#fff; } #header div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 15px 8px; } } @media handheld { #header { background:#456; } #header div { background:none; } } #blog-title { margin:0; padding:10px 30px 5px; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; } #blog-title a { text-decoration:none; color:#fff; } #description { margin:0; padding:5px 30px 10px; font-size:94%; line-height:1.5em; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ .date-header { margin:0 28px 0 43px; font-size:85%; line-height:2em; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#357; } .post { margin:.3em 0 25px; padding:0 13px; border:1px dotted #bbb; border-width:1px 0; } .post-title { margin:0; font-size:135%; line-height:1.5em; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_arrow.gif") no-repeat 10px .5em; display:block; border:1px dotted #bbb; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; color:#333; } a.title-link, .post-title strong { text-decoration:none; display:block; } a.title-link:hover { background-color:#ded; color:#000; } .post-body { border:1px dotted #bbb; border-width:0 1px 1px; border-bottom-color:#fff; padding:10px 14px 1px 29px; } html>body .post-body { border-bottom-width:0; } .post p { margin:0 0 .75em; } p.post-footer { background:#ded; margin:0; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; border:1px dotted #bbb; border-width:1px; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; font-size:100%; line-height:1.5em; color:#666; text-align:right; } html>body p.post-footer { border-bottom-color:transparent; } p.post-footer em { display:block; float:left; text-align:left; font-style:normal; } a.comment-link { /* IE5.0/Win doesn't apply padding to inline elements, so we hide these two declarations from it */ background/* */:/**/url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } html>body a.comment-link { /* Respecified, for IE5/Mac's benefit */ background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } .post img { margin:0 0 5px 0; padding:4px; border:1px solid #ccc; } blockquote { margin:.75em 0; border:1px dotted #ccc; border-width:1px 0; padding:5px 15px; color:#666; } .post blockquote p { margin:.5em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments { margin:-25px 13px 0; border:1px dotted #ccc; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:20px 0 15px 0; } #comments h4 { margin:0 0 10px; padding:0 14px 2px 29px; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; font-size:120%; line-height:1.4em; color:#333; } #comments-block { margin:0 15px 0 9px; } .comment-data { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 2px .3em; margin:.5em 0; padding:0 0 0 20px; color:#666; } .comment-poster { font-weight:bold; } .comment-body { margin:0 0 1.25em; padding:0 0 0 20px; } .comment-body p { margin:0 0 .5em; } .comment-timestamp { margin:0 0 .5em; padding:0 0 .75em 20px; color:#666; } .comment-timestamp a:link { color:#666; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } .paging-control-container { float: right; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; font-size: 80%; } .unneeded-paging-control { visibility: hidden; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #profile-container { background:#cdc url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_prof_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 15px; padding:0 0 10px; color:#345; } #profile-container h2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_prof_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 15px .2em; margin:0; border-width:0; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#234; } } @media handheld { #profile-container { background:#cdc; } #profile-container h2 { background:none; } } .profile-datablock { margin:0 15px .5em; border-top:1px dotted #aba; padding-top:8px; } .profile-img {display:inline;} .profile-img img { float:left; margin:0 10px 5px 0; border:4px solid #fff; } .profile-data strong { display:block; } #profile-container p { margin:0 15px .5em; } #profile-container .profile-textblock { clear:left; } #profile-container a { color:#258; } .profile-link a { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_profile.gif") no-repeat 0 .1em; padding-left:15px; font-weight:bold; } ul.profile-datablock { list-style-type:none; } /* Sidebar Boxes ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .box { background:#fff url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_side_top.gif") no-repeat left top; margin:0 0 15px; padding:10px 0 0; color:#666; } .box2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_side_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 13px 8px; } } @media handheld { .box { background:#fff; } .box2 { background:none; } } .sidebar-title { margin:0; padding:0 0 .2em; border-bottom:1px dotted #9b9; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#333; } .box ul { margin:.5em 0 1.25em; padding:0 0px; list-style:none; } .box ul li { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/icon_arrow_sm.gif") no-repeat 2px .25em; margin:0; padding:0 0 3px 16px; margin-bottom:3px; border-bottom:1px dotted #eee; line-height:1.4em; } .box p { margin:0 0 .6em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { clear:both; margin:0; padding:15px 0 0; } @media all { #footer div { background:#456 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 0 0; color:#fff; } #footer div div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 15px 8px; } } @media handheld { #footer div { background:#456; } #footer div div { background:none; } } #footer hr {display:none;} #footer p {margin:0;} #footer a {color:#fff;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { padding:0 15px 0; }

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

My Favorite Christmas Ornament...

Go back in time with me for a moment, please. It's 2001, I am 25 weeks pregnant with our first daughter, Ash. I have been on strict bed rest since 20 weeks and have been in the hospital more times with this pregnancy that I could (or would want) to keep track of.

I lived about an hour away from my family. A hop, skip and a jump during any other time in my life but with bed rest I was not allowed to be that far away from my doctor's office or hospital.

I spent the week of Thanksgiving in the hospital and was not looking forward to not being at "home" with my family for Christmas. If I was even going to be at "home"...I would most likely be in the hospital. I didn't want people to feel like they would have to wait on me hand and foot. I didn't want to be the center of attention and ruin the holiday. I know people have it and have had it way worse than me and I am thankful I was (am) alive to be even able to celebrate a holiday but it wasn't feeling like a holiday.

I was on a few different medications that made me feel awful. I had to lay on my left side 24 hours a day. I was lonely, tired and scared. This was my first baby and nothing was going how it should be in all of the baby books I had read.

I didn't want Christmas to not feel like Christmas though. That's hard to do when you are in a hospital 5 out of 7 days of the week and your husband is either at work or by your side taking care of you. He didn't have the time to turn our home into the North Pole.

One of my brothers did though...he arrived and brought Christmas with him. He showed up one Saturday morning that I thankfully was home, brought a real tree, tree stand and all of the Christmas decorations one could need. He did all of this without us asking for help. He did all of this without asking us if we needed anything.

He even gave me a special ornament that he bought because he said he couldn't pass it up because he knew I would love it. He was right...to this day, it is my very favorite. It reminds me that he loves me. That he loved me enough to take the time to give my husband and I a Christmas. That he loved me enough to not only buy all of the "usual" things one needs to decorate but the "unique" things to make it feel thoughtful.

I love Woodstock from The Peanuts!
This ornament made one miserable girl on bed rest
very, very, very happy!

What is your favorite ornament and why?

I'm linking up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

Labels:

posted by The Preppy Girl in Pink @ 1:54 PM   13 Comments

13 Comments:

At December 6, 2011 at 2:33 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

It's the little things in life that mean so much. Your brother sounds like an amazing guy Kristen. I loved reading this post. It shows true character to me to know that you went through that hard time and yet still were able to see all your blessings despite the hardships. Great post my friend! xoxo

 
At December 6, 2011 at 2:41 PM , Blogger Caitlin MidAtlantic said...

What an awesome brother!!

My mom had a silver bell music box that plays "Silver Bells." I always loved winding it up to hear the tinkling little song from the tree. I was moved to tears when my mom gave it to me for my first married Christmas!

 
At December 6, 2011 at 5:32 PM , Blogger Robbie K said...

You have a wonderful, thoughtful brother! That ornament is adorable and the memories of it even more meaningful. Beautiful post!

 
At December 6, 2011 at 7:05 PM , Blogger Heather said...

I love this. This is the kind of relationship I want my children to have as adults. They don't need to be each other's day to day best friends, but when something is going on they would know the exact right thing to do.

So sorry you had such a rough time with your first pregnancy- I can only imagine how scared and alone you must have felt

 
At December 6, 2011 at 10:10 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

So sweet! Stop by my blog Thursday, I'm giving you an award! :)

 
At December 7, 2011 at 1:22 AM , Blogger Michelle aka Naila Moon said...

Very sweet! We have something in common...I adore Snoopy!
~Naila Moon

 
At December 7, 2011 at 6:33 AM , Blogger Maren said...

This is a great story. Your brother must love you very very much. :) What a blessing :)

 
At December 8, 2011 at 6:50 AM , Blogger Jenners said...

I could see loving this ornament even without the wonderful back story ... but the back story makes it all the more special and amazing! And who doesn't love Woodstock?

Visiting from Mama Kats.

 
At December 8, 2011 at 7:41 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Tremendous story! Tremendous brother -- thank you for sharing this memory!

 
At December 8, 2011 at 11:14 AM , Blogger Arnebya said...

This is probably the sweetest thing I've read in a very long time, honestly. Just imagining how this must have made you feel brings tears to my eyes. I'd bet your brother and your daughter(s) also have a wonderful relationship.

 
At December 8, 2011 at 12:33 PM , Blogger KMServino said...

What a special story to tell. Sounds like a wonderful Christmas.

 
At December 8, 2011 at 3:47 PM , Blogger Tiffany said...

That is truly a beautiful story. My Sister would laugh at the thought of doing something like this for me, yet I would totally do it for her in a heartbeat. I'm so glad to hear that your special relationship led to something so magical.

 
At December 8, 2011 at 8:36 PM , Blogger Jackie said...

Who would have thought it would be the brother that stepped up and decorated?
It most defintely sounds like a memorable Christmas and I can only imagine the memories that rush back with each view of that Woodstock ornament.

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home