Christmas Tree Additions this Year

Last year I did a post about the stories behind a lot of our Christmas tree ornaments.  We have a couple of new ornaments this year, so I want to record why they are important.  Last year I mentioned that I didn't have an ornament for the year 1991 but this week I was out shopping and found this ornament that looks like a large diamond ring:

 

(Not the best picture--sorry!)  Since 1991 is the year that Frank and I got engaged, I thought this would be the perfect ornament to help us remember that year.  It's especially appropriate because my real engagement ring actually hung on the Christmas tree (briefly) that year.  Frank and I got engaged in October and at that time he gave me a beautiful blue topaz ring that he had purchased in Hawaii.  (He was living in Hawaii at the time and we got engaged on a week end visit).  He didn't intend that ring to be my permanent engagement ring, though.  He wanted to pick one out together, but that was hard to do when I was in Utah and he was in Hawaii!  So he got me the topaz ring to wear in the meantime.  (I think his real motivation was to let all the boys I encountered know that I was already claimed, so "hands off"!)  Frank had to return to Hawaii until mid-December but when he got back we picked out a ring.  We weren't sure if it would be done in time for Christmas, but it did get done on the 24th.  They called Frank to let him know it was done, and he went to pick it up without telling me.  He hung it on my parents' Christmas tree and when I got home, we were sitting on the couch in front of the tree.  Frank kept saying things like "It sure is a beautiful tree!"  I thought he was acting strange and then I finally caught on!  We removed the ring and put it on my finger.  It was the perfect Christmas present! :)

 The other addition to our Christmas tree this year is this ornament:

(Again, not the best picture.)  It says "Annapolis MD" on it.  This summer I went with my friend Jeanine to Annapolis for a day and I purchased this ornament then.  Jeanine and her boys have been dear family friends ever since we moved here in 2000.  We've kept in touch in spite of the fact that they moved an hour away (and into another ward) several years ago.  Jeanine is like a sister to me.  She is one of those people that I am sure the Lord placed in my path as a tender mercy (and she says I have been the same for her).  I am so, so grateful that our paths crossed when they did!  Jeanine has been through some very difficult things and she is a great example to me of faith and endurance.  I have never known anyone who relies on personal revelation the way that Jeanine does.  She is just amazing!  Jeanine and her boys moved to California last month so we probably won't get to see each other much anymore, but I know we will always keep in touch.  This ornament will always remind me of her and her family, and of all the many wonderful times we have had together, particularly our fun "girls day" in Annapolis!

I'm hoping to add a BYU Idaho ornament to our tree this year, too.  If we do, I will post a picture of it later!