OUR BACKYARD--THEME CHALLENGE 2026 THIS LAND

Growing up next door to the woman who is now my wife, this box elder tree stood at the center of our world. Its broad canopy sheltered countless meals, birthday gatherings, and late‑night conversations. We played beneath its branches as kids, dreamed beneath them as teenagers, and returned to them as adults with a sense of home that never faded. Every knot and curve in its burl holds a piece of our shared history, a living witness to the memories that shaped both of us. No two are ever the same.