A Forest of Memory: Our Four Christmas Trees

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Heron house… and yes, we have four trees.

 Four!

🎄🎄🎄🎄

 Each one has its own personality, its own rhythm, and its own story to tell.

The three taller trees are especially dear to me. Their branches hold more than ornaments—they carry memories. Many of the decorations are handmade, stitched or shaped by my own hands, or yours, or gifted by friends who know how much I treasure craft. Some were gifts from my children and others are souvenirs from our travels through Europe, angels from Hamburg, and hand painted bells from Vienna, to name just a couple, each a tiny reminder of the places we wandered and moments we tucked away.

Each tree has its own collection: silver bows and angels, blue baubles and garlands, red and gold sparkle. Together they form a chorus of color and memory, each branch a page in our family’s story.

And beneath them? Patchwork tree skirts, of course. Quilted with love, they catch the sparkle and ground the magic—like seasonal quilts laid out to cradle the trees in warmth.

The Oldest Ornament

Atop the tree that carries only handmade ornaments sits the oldest decoration of them all: a soft stitched angel. She was made for my lovely mum by a dear friend, and she has watched over many Christmases since. Her wand still glimmers, her stitched eyes still rest gently closed, and she remains a quiet guardian of our celebrations.

The Fourth Tree

The fourth tree is a tiny one, but it holds its own charm. Perched with those Hamburg angels flying from it's branches and topped with a cheeky penguin acquired from a cracker somewhere in Christmas past, it reminds me that joy doesn’t depend on size. Even the smallest branches can carry delight and plastic whimseys can bring cherished memories. 

A Forest of Memory

Together, these four trees form more than decoration—they are a forest of memory. There is silver and sparkle, feathers and bows, angels and penguins, and even a few cheeky surprises. But more than anything, there’s love—woven into every ribbon, every stitch, every branch.

Christmas in our home is not just about lights and ornaments. It’s about continuity, craft, and the stories we carry forward. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.