A Homemade Christmas

(Photo courtesy of Pretty HandyGirl.com)

 



Christmas is fast approaching. Over the years we have battled to not turn our kids into selfish monsters during this festive month, but rather to somehow attempt to portray that the season is really about being givers. To take the focus off of ourselves, because really, looking around this old farmhouse, we are not in want of anymore material possessions, we try to focus our gift buying mostly outside of the family. For years the kids have all chosen gift box presents for Operation Christmas child, and this year we plan to spend a good amount of our Christmas savings to buy a gift from Compassion International. 

So, in light of the "thinking of others" mentality we are trying to impress upon our kiddos, and "it is more blessed to give than to receive" theory, we have (to the horror of some certain young folk around here) reinstated the ever popular homemade gift theme. Everybody got super creative when we did a homemade Christmas a couple of years ago.  There was a hand carved replica of the Narnian Dawn Treader ship, homemade board games and puzzles, chicken roosts, gift certificates for construction work, and hot chocolate and movie coupons.

There is a lot of whispering and hiding going on after chores and school these days. It will be exciting to see what everybody is creating. My own finished creations have included a jean quilt that Grace has desperately been wanting and some custom soap with Rob's favorite cologne scent. And now I'm off to forge a track through the snow to the wood shop to find some scrap lumber to attempt making a matchbox car track for Micah following the directions found here.