Gifts

I have to say that because I love Christmas so much and enjoy the season as well, despite some difficulties that arise, I decided this year to make a lot of my presents for everyone... Not all, of course, some things I just don't have time to make but I managed to find a lot of my crafting stuff and have made some interesting things for my family get together on Christmas Day.

Each year I have made my Grandmother's Gingersnap recipe for my children.  Some years I make lots, other years I make only a batch.  This year, because I can and my family is getting together on Christmas Day at my Aunt's house, I decided to make a few batches and discovered to my delight that my Aunt had all of my grandmother's cookie cutters!  I almost cried when she told me I could use them if I wanted but I had to return them when I came for Christmas.  This just made it that much more special to me! 

My sister asked me if I had a cookie cutter like Grandma's that looked like a scottie dog.  I do, I actually have two of them but even so they do not look just like my Grandmother's, so I'm sorry ML you can have one of mine, but it still isn't like Grandma's.  Not a lot different, but enough that you can tell when you cut them out. 

I have made some hanging ornaments for those who like having neat Christmas ornaments hanging around.  I've made some awesome ones that go on the tree and remind us of the reason for the season. I made something for everyone in the family that will be there for Christmas dinner.  I hope they like them... I put a lot of time and effort into making them.  Abbi and I have had such fun making cookies, you have not lived until you've made my Grandma's Gingersnap cookies with an excited 8 year old.  I think most of the cookies have more sprinkles on them than they do clear spaces... I just let her go at it.  After the first batch she got a little more creative and I look forward to hearing what those who receive them say  :) 

My daughter, Dyanne, introduced me to a wonderful blog called Bloom where I got the neatest idea for a fort building kit!  I have most of one done for Abbi and it will be more fun for her than using all of my blankets and quilts!  Very, very simple, easy to do, inexpensive as most of the extra stuff can be bought at the dollar store.  I simply used flat sheets that we have to go with our fitted sheets but never use... it didn't cost me very much altho I really, really want one of those bias tape folder tools they used on Bloom! I'm going to start looking for one... that would be soooo much easier than what I've had to do... the hard way... uuuuggggghhhhh!  It will be very fun for Abbi and will keep her and the other kids occupied on Christmas Day when we are making dinner, etc.  We are going to have my brother, Dale, his other half and their two kids there so Abbi will have playmates altho Dillon is her age, Joshua is only 2 years old so that could be an issue altho I hope not a huge one...  Seth, my cousin's boy, will be there as well and he's 10 so I don't know whether or not he's going to want to play "fort" with the kids.  I know for a fact the teenagers won't... ;) altho they might want to, they will feel silly doing it so they won't... too bad tho, they'd have a lot of fun.

I think I'm going to make a fort kit for my grandson's but they may not have it in time for Christmas... perhaps for their birthday altho the one I'm thinking of doesn't have a birthday until October... maybe it'll be a "just because I love you and thought you'd enjoy it" present!  Several of my grandson's would love it, I may have to make several... :)

I have yet to download my pictures of the cookie making and all that, but I will and I will upload them to this blog.  You are going to get a kick out of them, Abbi loved every minute of it!  You should have been here Krysti, Abbi would have loved to make fondant with you.  Instead we made shortbread and dipped it in chocolate.  I can't have it anyway, it messes with my blood sugar and I suffer for it, but I love to watch others loving it!  Abbi dipped most of the shortbread so some of them are kind of funky looking.  She wanted to get "lots" of chocolate on them so some are dipped several times!  I have discovered that I quite enjoy just letting her do things... I am a lot less anxious than with the older children at her age and we have a lot of fun!