Ella was getting ready for Christmas with her family.
She was stringing brightly colored beads with her brother, Danny.
"Guess what?" Grandma called from the kitchen, where she was baking cookies. "It's snowing!"
Howls of delight came from the children as they raced to look out the window.
"It's going to be a white Christmas after all!" cried Ella.
"Hey, look who's here!"
said Danny, as Dad entered the room.
He was covered with snow, holding up a tree.
"Now who is going to help me decorate this?" Dad asked with a grin.
Just then, Mom came downstairs carrying a big box of Christmas decorations.
"I think we're going to need these," she said.
Soon, everyone was in the spirit, helping to decorate the tree.
"It looks beautiful!" said Ella.
"Yes, I agree," Grandma said, "but I think it's missing something extra special."
"Like what, Grandma?" asked Ella.
"Well, I've got some old ornaments, from when I was a little girl.
I've been saving them to share with you, and I think the time has come."
Then she brought out a very old-looking box.
"In here are my treasures from Christmas past.
I have a story to tell about each ornament."
Everyone excitedly gathered around Grandma as she began.
"I remember the first time I walked into my hometown department store during Christmastime.
I was amazed at the beautiful display trees, all different sizes and colors, all brightly lit.
I felt as if I were in a magical fairyland.
My mother asked me to help her pick out some ornaments for our tree.
I picked out these,"
said Grandma as she held up two golden balls.
She twirled them between her fingers.
"I still love the way they sparkle."
"They look like little twinkling stars," said Ella admiringly.
"And here's my sweet little angel,"
said Grandma, reaching into the box.
"My grandfather gave me this one Christmas.
I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
See her little wings?
I asked my grandfather if she could fly.
He said, 'Yes, but only at night when we're asleep.'" Grandma chuckled.
"So I would sneak downstairs in the middle of the night, trying to catch her flying.
I never did see her flying, but sometimes in my dreams I did!"
Ella laughed. "So you did see her fly! What's next?"
"Now this one . . ."
Grandma held up a blue dog with a bone in its mouth.
"My favorite teacher gave me this.
She was always making things and giving them to her students.
Look at the way she painted the dog's face, and on the back, she painted her name, Mrs. Beatty, and the year, 1944."
Ella looked thoughtful.
"Your ornaments really are treasures, Grandma.
How can you give them up?"
"Because I know you will treasure them as much as I do.
Now this is the last ornament.
I made this when I was in kindergarten.
I remember how carefully I made it, gluing the wooden sticks together, letting the glue dry, then painting the whole thing white.
It's held up pretty well all these years, I must say."
Grandma held the snowflake ornament in front of the window.
Snow was falling gently outside.
Ella suddenly spoke up.
"I have an idea!
Why don't we make our own ornaments?"
"That's a wonderful idea, Ella," said Dad.
"But how are we going to make them?"
"I know a recipe for making clay ornaments," said Grandma.
"All we need is some flour, salt, and water.
Then we cut the clay into shapes, bake our ornaments, and paint them."
So everyone got busy making ornaments.
Dad made a car, Mom made a shoe, Danny made a football, and Grandma made a gingerbread man.
Ella took the longest, but when she was finished, she surprised everyone.
"This is for you, Grandma," said Ella, "because you gave us your special ornaments."
Ella made a snowflake with wings, put gold sparkles on it, and on the back, she had painted "Ella 2008."
Grandma was moved to tears.
"Ella, this is the most beautiful Christmas ornament I've ever had.
I will treasure it forever."
Ella gave Grandma a big hug.
"And we will always treasure yours."