Snow, Christmas and Giving

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and all your loved ones are safe and happy.

I was able to get out to spend Christmas with my youngest son and his family but because of record snow fall haven’t been able to see my oldest yet this holiday season.  Northwest Pa, Erie in particular has received 90 inches of snow, and temperatures reaching negative numbers, in the month of December with 30 of that coming on Christmas day.  So far they have been lucky that the snow hasn’t caused power outages that would cause them to lose heating so all are safe.

Baking For Santa

Thanksgiving is by far my family’s favorite holiday, but Christmas with children is a close second. I spent the night at my son’s to be able to see the children open their gifts. This is the first year that Little Guy really understood the whole concept of presents which made this year extra fun.

I didn’t have gifts for the children on Christmas day because I did something very different this year. Instead of toys or clothes I put together small packages for the 12 days before Christmas. Each day the children found something to make in preparation for Christmas or a craft to busy themselves with. Although one day  there had to be a book for each child or it wouldn’t feel right.

One example of their gifts was a gingerbread man kit.

Their mother loved these. She had tried to make a gingerbread house but it was too difficult for Little Guy to help much.  With this kit the children got to decorate their own set of cookies, Little Guy even mastered a frosting piping bag when decorating his, at just three years old I found that pretty impressive. Here’s the results of his efforts with the piping bag.

Their parents planned gifts well in advance for the children.  They didn’t receive much as their big gift is a trip to Disney World next month.  I found one idea genius.  The children love to play dress up. It’s easy to find outfits for girls but not so much boys.  After Halloween when all the costumes went on clearance they picked up one for each of the children to play dress up in. They were able to purchase each for less than five dollars.

 

The gifts I received were just as thoughtful.  I received an electric blanket to help me warm up after going outside to prevent hypothermia from setting in, something I can slip into quite easily. Another surprise gift was a case of pint-sized canning jars to use to store foods in the kitchen drawers since I’ve had a bit of a problem with mice this winter.

My son then purchased me six books, one by a client of his.

 

If you enjoy suspenseful books you may want to check this author out, I couldn’t put it down and had it read in one day.  My son purchased his first novel for me two Christmases ago and had it autographed.  When I expressed what a talented writer his friend and client was and how I couldn’t put it down he bought me this, his second book.  J.D Barker won the Bram Stoker award for his first novel and has been retained by the Stoker family to write the Prequel to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

The Fourth Monkey has a movie already in the works but the title is expected to be changed so as not to confuse it with Brad Pitt’s movie 12 Monkeys.

My son also gifted me with a Learn to knit kit giving me one more chance to master this skill.

And my daughter-in-law gave me two cross stitch books. I’m told all my gifts were intended to keep me busy so cabin fever wouldn’t set in too badly this winter. 🙂 They know me so well.  There were so many lovely patterns in these books but these are the ones I will probably do first.

 

Love that amaryllis!

 

Finally my youngest granddaughter made a drawing at school she wanted to give me. Her mother had it made into a 12 by 12 quilt block. I see a quilt being made this winter. I can already picture how I want the finished quilt to look.

I have been wanting to make a new quilt as one I use regularly has come to the end of its life. This square was such a surprise and it once finished it will be a special treasure for both my granddaughter and me.

With snow coming down and more expected I stayed just long enough at my son’s to watch my Steelers win their football game then we braved the ice (it was too cold for the salt my son put down to work) with the manual wheelchair, let me tell you that was one scary ride on the hilly drive at my son’s house, and safely headed home.

 

How was your Christmas? Do you have special plans for the New Year?