Today’s blog is part of the Comfy Cozy Christmas, hosted by Lisa and Erin. Their blogs/websites can be found in the above graphic. By going to their sites, you will be able to read Christmas themed blogs by other participants.
I have probably mentioned in past blogs about this tradition, but have never devoted an entire blog to it. At the encouragement of one of our hosts, I am doing that now.
If you were to do a search on ‘things to do when visiting Michigan,” it is often recommended that you stop by Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. The world’s largest Christmas store.
It truly is an amazing place. You could easily spend a few hours there finding the perfect Christmas ornament. We are lucky that we don’t live very far from there.
Our tradition was actually started by Sam before we were even dating. She and I do the same work (sleep technologist) and that’s how we met. When she graduated from the program, she bought an ornament for her tree. There are no real “sleep tech” ornaments, so she went with one that had scrubs on it.
The idea was that she wanted to have an ornament on the tree that was a reminder of the “big event” of that year. The following year was the year that she bought the home we currently live in.
Sam and I were just friends when she bought her house. Soon after, we began dating and fell in love. She changed my life and I couldn’t imagine life without her. I proposed Sweetest Day weekend while in a horse drawn carriage in Frankenmuth. She said yes less than a mile or so from Bronner’s! That year’s “event” was our engagement.
It goes without saying that when we were married a few months later, that was to be the big event of that year. There were plenty of wedding themed ornaments, but we liked this one best.
The bigger bulbs like that make it so easy for them to personalize.
Our first year of marriage brought about our first fur baby. A cat that sadly is no longer with us named Moe.
We’ve talked about getting some sort of ornament with the other pets, but each year after had bigger events. At some point I suppose we’ll get around to it…
In 2019, Sam was expecting. She was 7 months pregnant at Christmas. One of my favorite pictures is of her standing in front of the tree showing her baby bump. I just loved the “You, Me and Then Baby Makes Three” ornament.
The year 2020 brought COVID to the world. The world shut down and almost every Christmas tree had some sort of ornament that had surgical masks or toilet paper on it! For us, however, we welcomed our first child together, our daughter Ella.
I loved this ornament because they were able to put her name, birthday, weight, etc.. on it. One Christmas later, when Andrew was born, we went back and got the same ornament… In blue.
We try to go before Thanksgiving to get our yearly ornament. After that, it tends to be extremely busy at Bronner’s. When we went last year, there really hadn’t been any “big event.” We decided to get a plaque to hang on the main entry door.
After our trip to Bronner’s, tragedy struck as Sam’s sister Grace passed away. Her presence is missed daily. I decided that I wanted to do something for Sam and her parents. So I went to Bronner’s on my own and had a memorial ornament personalized with Grace’s name for both of them. Ours hangs near the top of the tree.
We’re a bit behind this year. We’ve had so many medical appointments and such with Andrew that we have yet to go to Bronner’s. I suppose the big event is getting our puppy, Daisy. I would imagine that they have some sort of ornament that will fit that event.
Sam and I will probably take our tradition and change it up a bit next year. I’d guess we’ll continue to get that one “event” ornament, but we think next year, we’ll have each kid pick out an ornament for themselves to hang on the tree. I have a feeling that will be something they will always remember.
I’d love to hear about your annual traditions!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 
I used to take my daughters every year and they would each pick out an ornament, such a magical place
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It really is!
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What a fabulous tradition you have created! 🎄
It’s impossible for me to wrap my head around the fact that it’s December 11th already!
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I’m with you! I feel like it was just October! Someone pushed the Fast Forward button!
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Our tradition, before my sons got married and flew the coop, was to buy each other an ornament while on vacation that summer so we’d have a reminder of places we’ve been. Now that we’re empty nesters, my husband and I give each other an ornament that speaks to us (not literally, that would be strange!) … just one with a special meaning. We’re putting our tree up today.
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I love that! I’m not sure I’ll be around long enough to be an empty nester! I’m 53 now, which would make me almost 70 when Andrew graduates.
I will be blogging about my gift to my wife later this week….
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This is such a heartwarming post! I love this tradition, of commemorating a big event with your yearly ornament. The memories that you all must have when decorating the tree.
Bronner’s is like a mini-city!! When I went this fall my friends and I were a little nervous about getting too far away from each other in case we got lost! LOL. We all did find the perfect ornament for our trees though.
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And it is early! I forgot to thank you for linking up with us!
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Glad to have been able to figure out how to link it! Lol.
Thank you for hosting. I may share a few more
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I have an ornament on my tree that I received back in 1977 from the church I was attending. It is a ceramic baby Jesus. It still hangs on my tree.
I think that is one of the great things about that yearly ornament – the memories that come with each one. My wife’s grandma is in her 90’s and in hospice. There is an ornament she gave to each grandchild made from a cookie cutter. It goes up every year. I imagine the emotions that will flow in the years ahead.
Bronner’s is really a mini-city! I get so turned around in there!
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Very nice! I like that idea, especially adding a personalized one every year – I’ve heard of people adding one special one to the collection every year (we did that for a few years here) but never had known of anyone putting a custom message on there, so that’s a great twist on it. Here’s to happy ones to choose from for your 2024 tree!
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Oh my goodness I loved this post. It is so touching that you do that. This is the second time reading about Bonner’s in a blog post and before the last couple of weeks I had never heard of it.
I was in literal tears at the end with Grace’s ornament. So terribly sweet.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful post on your blog and with our linkup. I’m truly not kidding when I say it brought tears to my eyes.
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My husband and I have been married for almost 48 years. Our Nativity set is from Bronner’s. We bought it the first year we were married…I think that makes it a collectible or at least vintage! Bronner’s is such a wonderful place. I do wish we lived closer! Visiting from Boondock Ramblings!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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That’s an amazing story!! Congratulations on 48 years. If you ever get over this way, please let me know :). Would love to say hello
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We have many, many old tattered ornaments on our tree, and it’s fun every year to unwrap them and remember where they came from. I love your tradition of getting an ornament every year for your tree.
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This is such a wonderful tradition. When my kids were young, I bought them an ornament every year, and now they grace their own trees. I try to pick up a Christmas ornament from places I go on vacation. I have several of them. Bronner’s is such a wonderful place. I haven’t been since my husband passed 7 years ago, but we used to visit every year or so.
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I love the idea of Christmas ornaments from vacation spots. They mean so much more than a magnet or key chain
I love that your kids have those ornaments. I hope that they wind up with their ornaments when they get their own tree
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What a lovely tradition and so great that you have Bonner’s right there to implement it.
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We are so lucky to be that close to Frankenmuth! :-)
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