Ornaments and Memories

Hello and happy Thursday!

I always enjoy getting the mail this time of the year because of all of the festive holiday cards we receive and packages with gifts I’ve ordered (that I can check off my list!). This year, one of my packages that arrived is a gift I gave myself…

I think I shared in a previous post that last year, I decided to make a few ornaments with the kids’ pictures that we’d used for holiday cards or their pics with Santa through the years. I used Shutterfly which is my typical “go to” for holiday items, but the over $30 for shipping stopped me in my tracks!

This year, when I got on Shutterfly to click around for cards, I saw the ornaments still in my cart. I decided to go ahead and finish this project because the ornaments were half off again, and the total price meant free shipping! I did put a year on each side of some ornaments. Other years, the kids were too cute in their holiday outfits and Santa pics, that I had to add both.

Anyway, the ornaments arrived this week, and I decided to put them on the tree in our bedroom. They are so cute.

A look at the ornaments:

I’ve had the first ornament since 2009. That Christmas, with two one month olds, I really leaned in to online shopping, and we gave these ornaments to family members.

2010- The kids would barely sit still for a photo under the tree.

2011 – We contained them in a laundry basket while Hadley hugged Hayden. (awe!)

2012 – The kids sat by the tree before we headed to Trav’s work Christmas party.

2013– I think Pinterest became all the rage (for me?) in 2013. Christmas lights on the kids in their Christmas pjs by the “Merry and Bright” sign…why not?

2014-My brother snapped this pic of the kids with his fancy camera. Hayden is missing his bottom two teeth.

2015- Again, my brother took the pic of the kids on the left, and then this was the first year of visiting the really fun Santa at our favorite place.

2016- I took the kids’ pic (with my phone) this year…Hayden was out playing football with friends, and came in the house with a fat lip right before we left for these photos. The red blanket they are sitting on is still in our living room during the holiday season. We saw Santa again that year, and I remember him guessing which kid was the naughty one…and he guessed Hayden. haha

2017- Sweet moments with the same Santa and then our friend hosted a kids’ Christmas party, and the Santa who was there was so sweet. The kids looked at him with such innocence in their eyes. So precious.

2018- We went to “Cookies with Santa” at our club, and the kids had a great time. Ms. Claus was there too!

2019– I’m glad we got one last visit with our favorite Santa because, as we all know, the next couple of Christmases looked a bit different…and my kids “aged” out of some of the special traditions of Christmas.

2020- Our club hosted a visit with Santa…outside… in 2020. I remember that we almost didn’t go, but I’m so glad that we did. I think the kids were just obliging for me, but it was a fun visit, and they still got cookies out of seeing Santa.

2021- We went to KC for Thanksgiving in 2021, and we made a visit to Union Station. Santa was there! Even though the kids were older, it was still a fun surprise to see him.

For 2022, I used a family beach photo for our card…

…but I might add it to an ornament with a photo from this year because it’s fun looking back on the kids through the years.

I’m so glad I went ahead and had these ornaments made. I know I will look forward to putting them on the tree every year.

Moms of littles: learn from me…and go ahead and order the ornaments every year rather than play “catch up” when your kids are 14!