Decorating my Christmas tree is a nostalgic time for me. Each special ornament, wrapped up so carefully, is like a piece of my history and as I open them one by one I am reminded of so many wonderful moments in my life.

There are ornaments I made when I was a little girl, popsicle stick snowmen and painted clay stockings complete with glittery trim. I now have treasures my kids have made, the newest being a beautiful foam Christmas tree with sequin ornaments which my stepson created at school last week.

Once I get through the box with all the Christmas-y type decorations, I move on to my NASCAR ornaments. For as long as I can remember I have been a hardcore race fan and the best part of being such an enthusiastic, some might say obsessive, fan is the ability to showcase the multitudes of NASCAR memorabilia I have collected over the years.

The holiday season is no different.

My tree would not be complete without my NASCAR bulb ornaments and the miniature replicas of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

While many people go for a beautiful matching theme for their holiday décor, I prefer my way; a tree adorned with representations of me, my life and my family. With NASCAR being such a large part of my life, my tree would not be complete without it.

Now, I know that Christmas is about giving and not getting, but being such a hardcore race fan makes me incredibly easy to shop for.

My father, also a racing fan, and I have always enjoyed exchanging NASCAR-related gifts. Over the years it has been a wonderful bonding experience for me and now that my kids have discovered racing I’m sure it will extend to them in the future.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was the Dale Earnhardt Sr. ceiling fan my dad gave me when I was roughly 10 years old. What 10 year old girl would want a ceiling fan for Christmas? Me! And it still hangs in my bedroom at their house to this day.

Now that I live in Race Country USA, Mooresville, North Carolina, my dad is beside himself that I get to have all the NASCAR fun. So, this year I bought him a race-used Jeff Gordon tire, “Jeffy” as he is called in my dad’s house, has been his favorite driver since Bill Elliott retired.

My dad has been unable to make the trip to my new home so far, but he will finally be here during Speedweeks in May. As an early birthday gift, I am going to let him pick out a matching rim to go with his new tire while he is here.

As you can see, NASCAR is a huge part of my life and over the years it has created thousands of wonderful memories that I will cherish for the rest of my days. It has given me a unique bond with my father and in turn, something special to pass down to my kids. My 4-year old little girl can recognize Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and, her favorite driver, Kasey Kahne, while my 2-year old son is an aspiring driver who loves to get behind the steering wheel of any vehicle and knows how to turn the TV channel to SPEED.

The holiday season is a special time of year for all families and for hardcore race fans like me, NASCAR gives us a way to make it even more special.

Merry Christmas to my fellow hardcore race fans. May you have a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous, NASCAR-filled, New Year!

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