Fall/Christmas Tradition

I love my mom. I love my hubby and daughter. I love my brother and sister. I love my nieces and nephews. Fortunately this Christmas doesn't have to be any different than years past (despite the economy) as I learned a valuable lesson years ago from Grandma Pearline. The gifts from the heart are the ones that people will cherish the most. I remember very well the crocheted pillows and the other handmade presents Grandma gave to all of us grandchildren as there were simply so many of us. I still have many of the handmade quilts that Mom gave us at Christmas.

Although everyone knows the true meaning of Christmas, there is still that desire to give someone a gift...something that you know they will get joy out of. God didn't bless me with the ability or desire to create needlecrafts or beautiful quilts. However, he did give me a desire to play with pretty papers and photographs.

I've been very fortunate over the years to have a wonderfully cooperative family who help me "make gifts" for Mom (Grandma) and their parents for Christmas. Every Fall we try to have a "photoshoot"; sometimes it is on Thanksgiving day if I'm running behind. Most of the time it turns into a play day with the kids goofing off for the camera...PERFECT for gift photos. Here are some of the photos from this year. I was fortunate and found a great website (www.snapfish.com) to print them for 9 cents a picture (the shipping was free from a promo). A few of them I'll put in some cheap craft frames that I've decorated, some I'll turn into scrapbook pages and some I create into an album. I truly enjoy giving photograph gifts as I've yet to feel it wasn't something someone cherished.