A LETTER TO JOSEPH

Dear Joseph,


First off I want to thank you for the handsome nutcracker you gave Grandpa and me for Christmas. He is the finest of them all. I will be sure to put your name on the bottom so--when we are not here any more--he will come back to you.As you can see, he is the most handsome of them all.The nutcracker Christmas Tree Ornament you painted for us is hanging right next to one of the White Santa's.
Now Joseph, I'll tell you a secret...I think the ornaments have parties after we go to bed. I hear tiny noises in my bedroom and I wonder if all the ornaments are having a good time. I think the White Santa has been whispering to the little Nutcracker stories of Christmases past.This is what the tree looks like when we go to bed. In the morning, sometimes an odd ornament or two seem to be in different places. Cool Moose is near the top, I think he whizzes down and gives rides in his handsome pink Cadillac.Baby Jesus is the star of the tree. We all know he is the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Here's another Baby Jesus ornament. He is watched over by The Candy Cane Kid.
A good friend brought me this ornament from Jerusalem. When all the fun and games are over each night, Joseph and Mary tell the story of Baby Jesus and how the star shinned in the night and the angels sang and the wise men came to see Baby Jesus. The angel told the shepherds where to find the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.We have several Baby Jesus ornaments that look exactly the same because I love him so much. Here one of our gentle reindeer watch over him. Can you see the little glass bell, right next to Baby Jesus. I think I can hear all the bells tinkling and ringing in the night. There are all kinds of bells on the tree and they all sound different. If you bump into the tree it makes a tinkling sound. I think I hear that sound in my sleep. The bells are probably having ringing contests.

This little angel is one of the many we have on the tree. After we have gone to bed they have singing contests, I think. But, from what I hear from my bedroom, they all are beautiful singers. I would have to give them all blue ribbons.

This little ornament is 22 years old. It was Elizabeth's first ornament.

A Wise Man sits right next to a Mouse House.

One year your Aunt Hillary decided she didn't like this ornament that she picked out, I might add. So, I traded her. Ever since then the Merry-Go-Round has had fun spinning and playing music at night. Too bad for Aunt Hillary.Candy Canes are all over the tree. Houses too. I don't know what the Candy Canes and houses do at night but something, for sure.

This house has a lot of towers. Some of the houses on the tree have a hole in the back and when you put a tiny light inside the windows glow. Remind me to show you the next time you are here. There are birds all over the tree. You can see a few if you look closely.The little birds are as important as the big ones. They all sing.

The Eskimo's always have snow ball fights, I think.

The Snow Men probably even have snowball fights.The mouse in this little house have a squeaking good time.

This little "Jumping Jack" Dolly from Germany was given to Elizabeth along with a baby gift from a neighbor when Elizabeth was a brand new tiny baby. I saved it until Christmas and then I put her on the tree. So, actually, I guess this was her first ornament.

We have all kinds of balls. This one your Aunt Hillary and Uncle Taylor fought over one year and so they got different ornaments and I kept this one. Aunt Hillary was here today and she says she doesn't even like it any more and so I guess I will put Uncle Taylor's name on the bottom. Although, it seems Elizabeth may have a claim. She said she hid this ornament in her room for about ten years. I think those were ten lonely years for Snoopy and his Woodstock reindeer. Maybe even your Uncle Bentley and your Dad will decide this ornament really should be theirs. Who knows why this ornament has such charm. It's not my favorite. (Shhh. Don't tell Snoopy.)

This was Elizabeth's ornament this year. I thought it was very clever, with white beads inside the ball to represent Santa's beard. Elizabeth thinks I am lame. This ornament has the Salt Lake Temple inside. Remind me to tell you about the time I met a little old lady in the Salt Lake Temple. All the balls have races I think. Even the Salt Lake Temple one. He likes to have a good time too. No one really cares who wins, the fun is in the game.

This little lamb, who watches over another Baby Jesus sometimes joins the balls in races because he is made of a puffy white ball.This Santa has lost a ski. He manages fine without it and every year I find the ski in one of the ornament boxes but I never remember to give it to Santa.

We have more than one Candy Cane Kid. He overlooks bunches and bunches of "pencil" Santa's.

Your cousin, Kate, was here one day, helping me decorate the tree and she thought putting all the pencil Santa's together made a lot of sense. I think they visit all day, they are so close they can whisper when we are awake and we never hear them. At night I think they are like pole vaulters, jumping all over the place.

Mother Goose gives a ride to an elf and I think she zooms all over the living room. Grandpa and I both have a Mother Goose ornament and I think they have flying races. The cat jumping jack ornament has lost part of his "oomph." Maddy was here today and she pulled his string and only one arm went in the air. She called him the Disco Dancer. I think I will call him that too. He is one of the oldest ornaments on the tree.

Today was Mother Goose day. She brought Elizabeth a whole 5 pound tub of licorice. Honestly, what was Mother Goose thinking?

Christmas is officially over when Mother Goose comes, but our tree is still up and the house is still decorated and I want to sit in the darkened living room some more and look at all the lights and ornaments on the tree and think about why we have Christmas.

Your Daddy should have lots of ornaments that he got when he was a little boy and not such a little boy too. Are they hanging on your tree? I hope so. If not, they are in a box somewhere, whispering to each other and telling stories. Once they are packed away that is what they do. Tell stories to each other and laugh and have a good time all through the Spring, Summer, Fall and when Winter comes they know they will soon be on the tree. And when night comes...well, all I can say is I think they all have a good time.