Donald's Broken Legs

I have been going through a lot of the Christmas decorations lately and I came across this little photo of J and I from our very first Christmas as a married couple.

This little paper frame was leftover from the Christmas cards we sent out that year with this photo in it.

That's how you did things 10 years ago, you had photos from film, you printed them out, and if you wanted a photo card you didn't upload and order them you just made them yourself. It's such an ancient ritual. I will enjoy pestering my children with these stories.

Speaking of children, Z broke an ornament we got the year we were married. It's a Disney 2000 collectible.

When I discovered it I asked Z what happened and he told me "His legs got broken, and that makes Donald bery sad". In some weird mommy way I was excited to have my first broken ornament because it means there is life and energy in this place and we have a family now!

The ornament was a gift from one of J's former coworkers. The office that he worked for at the time threw a wedding shower (he worked with all women) and the theme was stuff to trim the tree. When you get married in November you kind of luck out on getting a head start in Christmas decorations. Like this St. Nicolas Square bride and groom I got from J's mom, which also go with a little house and gazebo that light up.

I love all of these cheesy Christmas things. They bring me back. Sometimes I don't even want to go back, but it's good because I can see how far we've come.

I know I have talked A LOT about our 10 year anniversary (for example, here, here, here, and here.) But it was a day of significance. I think it's a big thing for anybody, especially these days, but add to that the fact that I was 18 and I had never lived on my own. I was marrying a guy that was 6 years older that I had only been engaged to for 3 months. I was risking it all. Of course when you are in love it doesn't feel like a risk at all, it feels like you are at risk of suffocation at the thought of being without that person. You romantics know what I am talking about.

Well, needless to say it hasn't always been romantic. Yet here we are 10 Christmases later and as I go through all of our decorations I am looking back, but also looking ahead. I am going to glue Donald duck's legs back on so that it can hang on the tree again and I can only hope that maybe someday many, many anniversaries and Christmases from now it will get broken again, hopefully by my grandchildren.