Christmas

Our Christmas was simple, like it always is, but we had chosen to make homemade gifts this year for our family, and if we bought something, we worked hard to buy from small local stores. I found that some of the local stores had great customer service and a couple….not so much.

Everyone got involved! The house was bustling after catching up after basketball with making gifts after we finally got ideas for them!

I made a set of laundry drawers for my mom…
with locally made chocolate bars, chocolate covered almonds and a book from the local used bookstore owned by a neighbor.

I baked a lot of goodies to share for tea parties, get togethers and as part of gifts.

The ginger cookies turned out so good!

T. made a homemade game for part of his gift.

It was laminated, which took a bit of work and the lady at the copy shop worked and worked and worked on it. I bought little train markers and dice at the local Imagination Station store, and made up the game on a board I downloaded.

Working on making a doll blanket to go with our homemade cloth doll for my niece.

Christmas Eve we spent time with my BIL’s family, having a fun White elephant gift exchange. It was bittersweet as it was the first year without his mother.

The boys did not wake up too early, but I was up making breakfast, and woke them up for gifts!

Despite being sleepy, they enjoyed their gifts

Our Breakfast casserole vanished quickly…

Two pans of it!!

Then the gift exchange began!!

The floor, the couches and everywhere was covered in people!

We read the Christmas story and all participated with sound effects, which was very fun!

The children enjoyed seeing how everyone liked their gifts and all the creative people we have!

That beautiful wall hanging was one of my gifts that my sister made me!

Happy smiles all around!

What is it???

Oh my!!

We enjoyed having my sister with us, she doesn’t always get to be with us…and we love it when she is there.

L. enjoyed making E. a cloth doll and blanket…and she was thrilled too!

Thankfully my mom could be there for gifts, but had to leave quickly to go and deliver a very special little baby. It was a very fast paced and enjoyable Christmas. We missed a lot of family members who could not be here, but the homemade raviolis were amazing!