oh christmas tree pt 2 and VICTORY!!!!

(this is the second part of my christmas tree post, see above)

When one of my favorite cousins passed away after a courageous battle with breast cancer, I found this ornament at hallmark, and decided to get it and honor her every year. A part of the proceed from the sale of the ornament go to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer center, so it was also a way to do a good thing.
I miss her.. and cry every year I put it up.


We have assorted other little fun ornaments, like the one that looks like our other dog..


and of course, ornaments that have been handed down to us by our parents, and butter's godmother, who started getting her silver crosses as presents wen she became too old for dolls, so we have quite a few of those around the tree as well. and of course new ones that we pick up every year.
Here is the finishing touch.. the angel...


in other news, the office decorating competition took place last week... and I am more than happy to announce that WE WON!!!!!!!
oh yeah, what's that smell? oh yes, it's the smell of victory.
Our theme was christmas under the sea. (kind of a play on the fact that they just opened this huge aquarium here this past year.) apparently we weren't the only ones to think of that, cause a couple of other departments had the same sort of idea.
we turned a long windowed partition into the side wall of an aquarium, hung many fish from the ceiling inside said aquarium, had a boat bottom attached to the ceiling so that it looked like there was a boat above the water. fish nets, shells.. lights.. photos coming soon.. but the main competition was a department who chose "teddy bear land" as their theme.. I have to say, adults with fish and aquariums are calming and soothing, adults with literally hundreds of teddy bears around....kinda creepy.. not only were there hundreds of teddy bears, and a christmas village, but on the day of the judging, they had someone dress in a teddy bear costume.. ya know.. like a team mascot looking costume.. this person then did a little choreographed dance to try to win the judges favor.
we "borrowed" one of their smaller bears, and created a stir when a shark in our aquarium was swimming around with the back half of a teddy bear stickin out of it's mouth.
We were quite pleased with the win! the trophy will now be prominently displayed for the next year!
I will post some pictures of the competition to my flickr account in the next few days.. will make a note when they are up so that you can take a look for yourself....