With our tree chopped, I’ve been more than thrilled to continue our annual tradition of adding a handful of over-the-top blown glass ornaments to our collection. Each year, we find a few new baubles that tell the story of big things that happened. Sometimes, we buy them mid-year. Sometimes, I place a bajillion Amazon orders and we collect boxes for weeks leading up to the chop.
This was definitely an Amazon year.
Here’s what we’re adding to the tree:
Sunflower
This year was a huge experiment in the garden and it kept us busy for most of the spring and summer. Complete with sunflowers, the much-too-much garden taught us a thing or two about how to change it up for next year.
Mama bear
Not only did I really figure out some things about mommin’ with Isai in 2020, but we also found out we’re adding a new little nugget to the family in 2021. This momma bear, especially with two cubs, really resonated with where I’m at in life this year. She’s my 2020 spirit animal.
Chicken, donkey and goat
The farm and it’s animals have sent us on plenty of adventures this year. Mostly to Tractor Supply – but we’ve made new friends, covered quite a bit of ground across Kansas and learned a ton about raising livestock. It’s been so cool.
Jeep and backpack
We legitimately had an unbelievable trip to Moab, Utah, in June. We typically load our holiday ornament additions with travel-inspired picks. This year, with limited travel, our road trip to the Red Rocks is the winner. Off-roading in our rented Jeep and hauling Isai through canyons with the baby backpack will forever be amazing memories made.
Sold sign
This one holds a few meanings in 2020. First, we sold our first house together in Hyde Park around February. It was the kick off to moving to the countryside. Then, despite the chaos of the pandemic, Aaron continued to make the most of real estate. He helped tons of friends and new acquaintances buy and sell houses this year. It was impressive.
Rifle
Aaron added quite a few guns to his collection this year, so I figured it deserved a spot on the tree. Enjoying the shooting range in the back pasture was a fun summer past time. He also set up deer feeders, tree stands, trail cams and more. With the abundance of wildlife around here, I imagine there will be a few hunts in the future.
Sloth
By far the coolest ornament we ordered, the sloth is Isai’s annual addition. He has a singing sloth toy that has been his #1 since he was tiny. He was also obsessed with the sloth we saw on his trip to the zoo. Those things combined, we obviously had to have this.
S’mores
We’ve made them over the firepit. We’ve made them in the fireplace. Heck, we’ve even made them in the microwave. Whether it was just us or a handful of family around the fire, we snacked hard on some s’mores this year. Looking forward to some more, you know?
Toilet paper
Finally, there’s toilet paper. This whole year really did go right to $#!+ with the whole pandemic and all. That can’t really be ignored. So, we opted for a tasteful roll of TP to commemorate it all on the tree.