More...

I have been reading your comments and I did not mean to make you ladies that comment frequently feel bad! I understand that there are some times when you do not comment. After living years on dial up and slow connections, sometimes commenting meant waiting for the page to catch up to what you were thinking, and some days, well, there could be lots of reasons. And, for those that "admitted their guilt" (LOL), I hope I didn't offend you and I hope that it is just not here that you have seen "the errors of your ways". I hesitate to call myself a designer since I am not selling anywhere but for lack of a better word, designers that do freebies do what they do because we love it and just a thank you, comment or even a critique, is welcomed. I am sure that I am not the only one that feels this way, maybe just the one with the biggest mouth who happened to be in the foulest of moods!

On a lighter note...

I only have a few more presents to get and those are for the people that are so hard to buy for! My daughter and son are very precise with their lists. My daughter goes so far as to search for the cheapest place you can get what she wants and gives you location, price and dates of the sales! She is big into Vera Bradley so that makes up most of her list. My son needs more "stuff" for his computer so he can run all his CAD programs so he is just getting the funds for that. Of course, there will be other goodies for them but with them being older it is so much easier to just give them what they want, surprise or not.

I think they are so precise because of a tradition that I started when they were kids. They were told that they could only ask Santa for 3 gifts. I explained that the Christ child received 3 gifts and they could not expect more. So they made their lists, put stars next to the ones that they really liked and left the rest to Santa! Part of my reason for doing this was to keep Christ in Christmas and the rest was financial and so that Mommy and Daddy could get credit for some presents under the tree. Santa's presents were never wrapped since I remembered Santa and my Mom having the same handwriting!

Some other things that I miss doing now that they are older....Santa's footprints. We had a stencil of a footprint and Christmas Eve DH and I would use cornstarch (no perfume-y smell) and do footprints from the fireplace to their rooms where Santa would check to see if they were sleeping and then to the tree. We told them that they couldn't get out of bed until they saw the footprints so, of course, this was the last thing we did before climbing into bed for the usual hour or so sleep before they got up! There was also glitter sprinkled at the fireplace that was Santa's magic that made him go up the chimney and I can remember many years of not being able to vacuum for weeks to protect the footprints and magic dust! One year, we took a piece of red velvet and snagged it on the flue for them to find and another we found a big brass bell, tied some rawhide to it and put it out on the porch roof for them to spot. Both are now ornaments of the tree every year. Needless to say, my kids believed for a long time...longer than most of their friends! And, many parents were upset because their kids would come home and ask why Santa didn't leave signs at their house! There is also a house down the street from us that always puts a life sized Santa in their front window on Christmas Eve. We would pass it on our way home from the MIL's and we would always point it out and tell the kids that they had to hurry and get their stockings hung, put out the cookies and carrots, and jump into bed because he was so close! I really should find out their names and send them a note of thanks since they eliminated a lot of hassles for us! You never saw 2 kids get into bed so quickly!

I would love to hear some of your traditions! So come on, share them!

I have another page for you. I think it is dwindling down or I am just having a block and can't think of anymore. A few things left but I think this Christmas Album is almost finished!


Sorry! This download has been removed

And, thank you for all your kind words about dealing with loss at the Holidays. This time of year is about family and we all can't help but miss those loved ones that are no longer here to share in the Joy. But, sometimes family can be so difficult, I guess because we care so much what they think and feel. I did go to the cemetery and have a long talk with my Dad and Grandma, both of who were my rocks, and I do feel some better. Still think my brother is being an A-- but I guess every family has to have one and he is ours! And, as far as my poor husband's family, well, let's just say they have an abundance of them! I am probably more upset with his family because I can see the hurt in his eyes and feel it in his heart and I cannot take it away. That maternal instinct, ya know?

Hugs to you all. And thanks!