Life After IVF: 11

Every year Brock and I pick out a new ornament for our tree that represents the past year of our life. Growing up, every year, we got to pick out an ornament each year and now I have those on my tree. I thought that was such a good idea and I loved that I have an ornament from every year of my life. We started picking out ornaments together the year we got married. The first year is a marriage one, the next year is a snow globe with a house in it which represents when we moved back to Minnesota. The following year we went through very difficult unsuccessful fertility treatments. That ornament is a tree with a very dark background swirling around it. The next year, I quit my full time job and started working at a doggy day care. We acquired more time together so a pocket watch represents that year. In 2019, we were starting to become happy with our life and see the light at the end of the tunnel, so we found a lantern. Now, in 2020, our ornament is a microscope, which represents our IVF journey. Next year, we will have a baby ornament! Every year when we set up the Christmas tree, we unwrap all the ornaments and set them out to look at. We look at each one and remember how important that year was for us. That is my favorite tradition during Christmas time. Sometimes it’s important to be sentimental and remember not only the good times, but it’s important to remember those hard times too. I hope everyone this season can find a quiet time to think back on their life. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what is going on right now and how hard it may be right now. When I look at the ornaments, it reminds me that those times were very difficult, and with what is going on in the world right now, it can be difficult now, but because we have each other, we always make it through.

And for now,

Xoxo