Monday Listicles: Ten Ornaments and the Stories Behind Them

It’s time for another Monday Listicles– the Christmas Eve edition.  This week’s topic comes from a suggestion by @Kelsey_bar.  She suggested ten ornaments on the tree and the stories behind them.  Alright then… read on.  Make sure you also go check out the other lists too!

Let me apologize ahead of time… I forgot to type up this post and when I finally remembered, it was 11:30 at night.  So, my cell phone pictures aren’t going to win any photography awards… but, you get the idea.

Growing up, every year my brother and I were allowed to pick out an ornament for the tree.  When the Hubs and I got married, we continued this tradition.  Each year, it was a huge deal to find the perfect ornament.  Some years it was a hobby of ours or a favorite movie… whatever represented us that year.  I detest Christmas trees that look like they belong in a magazine… I like the different ornaments and colored lights that make trees unique.

These were the first two ornaments I bought for the twins.  It was for their first Christmas.  As you can see as you read on, I’ve gotten hooked on this personalized ornament thing… everyone has to have a quirk, this is mine.

These two bone ornaments are nothing more than wood shapes with my dogs’ names on them.  Killian went to the Rainbow Bridge a few years back.  Deuce is 15 years old this past July.  What makes these ornaments so special to me is my grandpa painted them not long before he died.  So, they always get a prominent place on the tree.

Every year, mom and I take the kids to Amish Country in Northern Ohio.  In Berlin, there is a Christmas store where I always buy our personalized ornaments.  They have this huge room with different ornaments and in different sizes… for the various number of people in the family.  This was the ornament for this year.  Its hard to see, but it is a hammer with the elves peeking over.  When I saw it said “Will Work for Santa!”  I bust out laughing and knew this was the one for this year.

This was another Christmas store purchase.  (Man, do they see me coming!)  Each year, I purchase a family ornament for me to keep and then one for each of the twins that they will receive when they get married or move out on their own.  I HAD to get these because this year the kids were (finally) potty trained… the little boy and little girl are sitting on toilets reading a book.  Absolutely adorable.  And hilarious.

These are the Hubs’ ornaments.  I had to include these because we were at Sol’s Craft Mall in Berlin, Ohio and Mo and Bo came running down the aisle toward me with these in their hands.  They stopped right in front of me jabbering a mile a minute.  They finally calmed down enough that I could decipher that these were daddy’s teams and we had to buy them.  So, of course we did– because they ARE daddy’s teams.  It is amazing how much a three year old picks up.

This is my last picture.  I know it isn’t an ornament, but it is one of my most favorite Christmas decorations.  I collect nativities.  Each year, along with the ornament purchase, I buy myself a new nativity.  I have about 10 currently.  I purchased this one (yes, in Amish Country) and it is one of my prized nativities.  So, even thought it isn’t an ornament… I am including it anyways.  It’s funny… after writing this list, I never realized how much going to Amish country with Nana and the kids meant and how much fun we really have.  We are always so exhausted when we get home and swear we aren’t doing it again… but, every year we go back.

So, with this picture of my favorite nativity, I am wishing you a very Merry Christmas.  Remember what Christmas is truly about.