Special Christmas Joys

You may have seen this nativity ornament below in one of my older posts (Click HERE)

Well, at least you may think you've seen this ornament before...and yes,  you would be right, and then again, you could be wrong!  You see, this particular nativity ornament is not the same one at all...but it sure looks like it, doesn't it?

 Here's the story.  This particular Nativity Ornament (well, the other one) always was on my parents' Christmas tree when I was growing up. It was the only ornament that I could honestly say that I remember, because it was so special. It always was front and center, at a height where I could see it as a young child, and every Christmas is would be right there in the same spot. It was very special to me, and to all of us.  When my parents died and we finally settled their estate, my sister became the recipient of this beloved nativity ornament.  Every year since then she has posted a picture of it on her tree, which I have enjoyed seeing on Facebook from a distance. 

My parent's Nativity ornament

This year, the same story. But when I commented on her picture that I wished we could "clone" this ornament so we could both have one, my cousin Becky chimed in with a comment that perhaps I should check on ebay and see if I could find it.  Now, I am not an ebay shopper. I've done very little there and really don't know the routine.  And I didn't know the brand name or anything for particular ornament, so I really wasn't sure if I could find it.  But I thought it was worth a try!  And after I typed in my description of a vintage cardboard Christmas nativity tree ornament...this popped up! It was the exact same one! It even came with the original box! (below)

The price wasn't exorbitant, but I was a little reluctant to order it.  My sister and my cousin encouraged me in their comments, and so I asked my hubby if it would be okay for me to order a totally nostalgic gift for myself for Christmas, and without hesitation he said, "Yes! Order it! And when it comes I'll wrap it up and put it under the tree!"  Well, order it I did, but when it came in the mail today, I showed it to him (he hadn't even looked when I ordered it), and asked if it would be okay if this gift could go right on the tree instead of under it...and he totally agreed.

And so it is there, on the tree, right in the same spot where my parents would have put it.

Can you find it?

And I wanted to point out something else special...Do you see the little garnet jeweled angel on the left, and the greenish colored angel on the right? Well, those two angel ornaments represent my mother (on the left) and my father (on the right), and those are their birthstones.  Also, the little angel above is playing violin, which also represents my mother, as she loved to play the violin and I try to find angel ornaments playing a violin in memory of her.

Let's sing a favorite childhood Christmas carol to go along with this story tonight:

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus, laid down His sweet head;

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,

The Little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay."

"The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,

But little Lord Jesus,

No crying He makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, 

look down from the sky,

And stay by my cradle 

till morning is nigh."

 (Sunset tonight and early morning reflections 

beside "Still Waters Pond")

Amen.