We gathered tonight, little cousins in pajamas, parents with cameras and wine glasses, to trim the tree with ornaments collected over the years starting when my sisters and I were babies ourselves.

Ornament from my sister’s first Christmas.

One of my favorite childhood ornaments.

The collection has grown over the years as our mother diligently added one or two every Christmas.

Sometimes the old ornaments are joined by newer counterparts.

And then there are just the ones we all love without remembering when or how they appeared.

For the first time, this year C added her own ornament to the mix. She carried it all the way to Chicago, clutching it in her feverish hand on the plane even as she slept off the effects of her 24hr stomach bug.

When all the ornaments are jumbled in the box it never looks like much. But as they come out one by one a magical transformation takes place. All the stories and memories come together and weave a tree that’s worthy of another year of Christmas memories.