Each year we get to take a look back and are reminded of our travels and life together when we take our Christmas ornaments out to decorate the tree. This December is our tenth wedding anniversary, the twentieth Christmas we've known one another, and our last Christmas as a family of three!
Over the years, whenever we traveled somewhere new, we tried to find ornaments for our tree and it makes me smile to hang them up each year and remember the people and places associated with each one.
When we were first married we lived in San Diego and the purple grapes ornament was from a trip to the Thornton winery in Temecula.
When we lived in Switzerland and took trips to Prague we picked up the sun and wooden nesting ornaments that have smaller pieces inside.
I love our collection of wooden ornaments from Christmas markets in Germany and France. They come in handy for lower branches that little hands can reach because they're sturdy.
The Eiffel Tower Santa was from an anniversary trip to Paris and reminds me that we had plenty of dinners out before we had to carry a diaper bag with toys, crayons, and sippy cups.
The Beefeater is from a trip to London filled with museums, shopping, and so much walking.
All of the kids love to pull the string and watch this wooden toy soldier's legs and arms go up and down. We picked him up on a trip to the black forest in Triberg, Germany to find our cuckoo clock.
Another one of my favorite wooden ornaments is the two tone harp I found in Killarney after driving a rental car there myself to go shopping (on the opposite side of the road) while Steve was working.
Another one of my favorite wooden ornaments is the two tone harp I found in Killarney after driving a rental car there myself to go shopping (on the opposite side of the road) while Steve was working.
When we were moving back to the states from Switzerland, a friend gave me these Swiss cow bell key chains to hang on the tree each year and I have ever since.
The fleur-de-lis is from the trip to New Orleans where I first found out that we were going to have a baby. That's all I'm reminded of when I see it even though that trip was filled with so many sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that could come to mind.
From that point on most of our new ornaments looked like these:
All of our travels and experiences led to the biggest adventure of all. Next year when I unpack the ornaments we will have another tiny face to frame in a baby's first Christmas ornament, another little hand to print, and (another moose to add to the moose family.)