~Christmas Pins~

When Mike and I first separated and divorced. I did not have alot of money to give the boys to buy me Christmas (mom and dad always chipped in to help them and take them shopping)( THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE), so they started buying me a Christmas Pin each Year. I could never decide which one to wear, so I began wearing them all on one shirt, I have continued that tradition now for many years, Some of them have had to be retired (put away for safe keeping), because they began to wear out. The reindeer lost his horns and his red nose, the sleigh lost its sleds, the wreath lost all its greenery, the pin back broke off an angel and I could not get hot glue or super glue to hold another one one. I love them each and every one. Even in their adult years, they have continued that tradition. I get a Christmas Pin each year.

I have some that have special meaning to me, they all do but these really stand out to me. The double bells on the dress of the angel pin were given to me by Grandma Brown when I was about 7 or 8, it was inside a wallet that she sent me for Christmas. The Bells just below it is the pin she always wore on her coat at Christmas Time, thanks mom for giving that to me.

Then there is the candle, that one was when my dad had his wreck in Dec 14, 1991(Tony's 21st Birthday). We were at the hospital and James and Amie took the boys to get my pin. When they returned they had gotten the candle and told me "this is our light at the end of the tunnel", you see dad was in a coma and the doctors had told us earlier that they were going to have to drill a hole in his head to releave the pressure on his brain. Just minutes after they gave me that , the doctor came in and told us Dad was awake (no drilling, Thank you Jesus). We got to take him home on Christmas Eve and all he wanted for Christmas Dinner was some Black Olives and he got them. They are all different, there are Angels, Snowmen, Teddy Bears, Santa, Santa Bears, Candy Canes, but they are all very special to me. Bruce just walked through and told me I was going to have to get a bigger shirt, that one was kinda full.

This years pin is a jointed Showman, sorry mom, I know how much you like snowmen, but you can't have this one... Everyone at work waits to see what pin I get each year. I always wear my shirt once right after Christmas so they can see the new addition. So that is our little Christmas tradition in my family. Now the girls join in picking out the pin for each year.

SO MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!