A Special Christmas Tradition

This year's Christmas tree has very special memories 

On September 11, 2001, we were living on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.  As the events of that day and the following weeks unfolded it was an especially tense time to live on a military base.   I didn't leave the base for two weeks and when I finally ventured out it was an amazing sight.  Flags were flying from overpasses, cars, trucks, and just about every building.

With Christmas approaching I decided it was time to express my feelings with a twist on tradition.  And so that year we created our first stars and stripes tree.  The ornaments represented our nearly 27 years of Air Force life -- gifts from friends and family,  and some collected on our travels.  The addition of flags and red, white, and blue lights completed the effect.

We made a flag and stars of lights for the outside of the house and became a popular stop on the base tour.

It was also the year of our 25th wedding anniversary and we had been considering an overseas vacation.  That was immediately off the table and in December we headed to Asheville, North Carolina, a beautiful, romantic city within driving distance to celebrate.


In a few weeks we will celebrate our 35th anniversary.  What better way than with a look back through the years.