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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

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!

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you again for another great goodie!:-) And also thanks for sharing things about yourself!!! Christmas is a special time for families...I'm enjoying all the grands now.:-)
Hugs
~Nana~

Sharon aka Scrapcat4914 said...

Thank You for sharing another of your beautiful Christmas goodies!
One thing that keeps me going day today is that for Christmas 2000 my husband bought me a belated bithday and early Christmas present that he gave to me the week before Christmas was a little black fur ball pomerian puppy who I named Foxy Bear and has been by my side every since! I believe now that God helped him to decide to get it for me knowing that in the future I'd need him for comfort because in Feb 2001 is when my husband fell down a flight of stairs at the Firehouse, while performing his duties as Chief Engineer, and hit his head on the concrete floor.
Enough Sadness life goes on and with the Lord's help we will make it thru the day's to come!

Lizzerd said...

thanks yet again for a prezzie!

have you tried volunteering? My sister and I do Christmas Eve supper at the church for Inn From The Cold ...

Anonymous said...

Thank you once again for another beautiful gift! The story about Santa's footprints is the cutest idea I have ever heard of! I wish I had thought of that when my kids were little! My SIL's mother used to sprinkle baby powder on the carpet and put footprints in it for the Easter Bunny! :)

Anonymous said...

I love reading your stories and I only found your site yesterday :) You should write a book.
Thanks for another wonderful share.

Unknown said...

I love the lace Jannidee! I love the stories of how you guys did Christmas for your children. I never did Santa footprints, but I did write a note to my son from the Easter Bunny one year, and left little bunny footprints in pink too. He was so excited!
Thanks so much for sharing it all with us.
hugs, NinaJo

Anonymous said...

I *love* hearing about your traditions! I think the three-presents rule is fantastic. Maybe when we have kids we'll do it that way. Loved the bell and fabric and footprints and stuff. :) Thanks for the link!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan,
Thanks for todays goodie. I don't know why you don't consider yourself a designer just because you don't sell your designs. I find your kits prettier than the ones they have for sale in alot of the scrap sites. Anyway Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I always go overboard for Christmas. Even in my "poor" days I would buy from the cheap stores, like the dollar stores of today. It wasn't quality toys but my kids loved them all the same. I've been a single working mom for a long time and when my kids were young times were real tough. But Christmas mornings is what my kids will always remember. I always bought too much and would wrap every single thing, include a chap lips stick. I even wrapped the little thing that fit into the 45's records. I would usually hide the presents down the basement, cause you know how kids are afraid of the basements and would usually be up till 4 Christmas morning wrapping the gifts. Not one present would be under the tree until after they went to bed Christmas eve. When the kids got up they would be so excited, but they could not open a present until I got up to watch. So usually I would only get a few hours sleep that night. I still go overboard on Christmas, but now I start wrapping early and the presents are put under the tree as I wrap. Each year now I tell my kids that it is just too much and I will only get them a few things for Christmas and give them money so they could pick out what they want but they say I can't and it wouldn't be the same, so ho, ho, ho, a shopping I will go. lol. Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the new prezzies :) They are so pretty.
And thanks for sharing your Christmas traditions with us. You've really made Christmas special for your children over the years.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the gift. I read your story and think what you did was great. I know if my mom and dad need that then I would have believed in Santa for longer then what I did. Being the 5th kid of 7 I didn't believe for long LOL my older brother and sisters made it clear to me at a early age that there was no Santa so I guess for me it was trying to sneak a peek to see what mom was wrapping upstairs lol
thanks for sharing your story. I love the footprint idea and if you don't mind I would love to tell me son about it so he can do it for the grandkids.

dianagrind said...

Before I forget, yes we all have as... Christmas seem to bring out the scrooges. lol

Here is one of my Christmas memories. My parents were not big on Christmas traditions but when I was about 5 and we stayed with cousins in San Francisco. They were 3 boys in their teens. They had a fireplace. Christmas morning they had a pair of boots in the fireplace with red cloth stuck in them. I swear it looked like Santa was stuck in there. Scared the bejeebers out of me. It took them forever to get me to come in the living room and open presents.

BTW, the three present rule is priceless. I never heard of that. Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi there Janni!

Getting myself caught up with the sites I visit and I must say I love your gifts!!
Thanks so much, and too it's so nice to read your posts again.
I fnd that to be so true with my site as well, lots of visitors but few comments- good, bad or indifferent.
If they only realized that the more comments that are received, the more it makes one want to create and give.

I lost my parents 32 days of each other 2 years ago Oct\Nov, the year before that one of my brother's tragically died, none of us were over his death before we lost dad .. then mother.
I was so fearful of losing anyone else, I'm quite sure I drove my (grown) kids crazy, checking on them telling them to be careful, etc.
I still feel the loss of all of them but especially my mother, so unexpected was her passing, fine one day, then gone the next, no goodbyes.
My grief was deep, the day after she passed when I realized I'd never hear her infectious laughter ever again, I cried so hard, desperately I needed to hear her voice, her laughter, as I slept that night I dreamt, in my dream she and I were talking and visiting, and something tickled her and she just laughed so hard, her laughter was quite unique, you could not help but laugh yourself.
When I woke up I felt so wonderful, as if I had been for a short time truly with my mother.
Hearing her laughter even in a dream, helped me tremendously to pick myself back up and move on, ultimately coming to terms with her passing.
God knew I was inconsolable and hurting, He knew what my heart needed and to this day I believe He gave me that dream.
I treasure it and I remember it as if it were yesterday.
I know your loss and I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all who have lost loved ones.

BTW, you story of your kids, was very heartwarming, I loved it.

God Bless you and yours! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for another lovely present. It is very much appreciated.
Teresa

Pooh Bear said...

We had a few fun things that we did when we were young. We could get our stockings and take them back to our rooms as long as we didn't wake mom and dad. We'd be up sooo early, 3 4 5am. Grab our stockings and dump them out on the bed. The funny thing after we were grown and on our own. My dad would call us early in the morning wanting to know when we were going to get there. The day was half over... it was 9 am.....lol I miss them both.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for your great gifts. And as long as you hold those people in your heart, they will never really be gone.

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhh what a fun Mum you are. Loved the Santa stories!!!

Thanx for the magic hun.

Oh.. and the gifties are just brill.

Thanx again.

Lise :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the lovely pressies. Your memories are very precious. Clever idea the footprints. LOL.

Katt

Stormy said...

Thank you for the new addition. Love it as always. :) Keep up the great work dear friend. Huggers, Stormy

Anonymous said...

The "Christmas Album" is great!! Leaving the elements separate is so much better than a quick page (flattened). Thanks so much

Unknown said...

Just love all your creations and certainly appreciate you so generously sharing with us. Only problem is, I am not able to download them for some strange reason. Have been trying for a week now. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks so much. Have a nice Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Thank you once again for the lovely gift..:)
and I am pleased to see you are feeling a little better today..:)
Hugs - ljd

Anonymous said...

Just found your page. I LOVE the Christmas pages and (lucky me!) I was able to grab them all. So sweet for you to leave your work up for those of us who are a bit slow to find a great site like yours. I've so enjoyed the reading and can't wait to use the pages. Thanks so much for putting your hard work up for someone like me (no talent, no imagination, but want quality pages for pictures of family and friends). You're a gem!

Anonymous said...

As always, your work is so awesome!
When I was young (over a million years ago), my parents would not let me get up until they were up and the house had warmed up. Now this was the time before global warming, so it was cold. Christmas Eve, Daddy would turn the heat down a little extra so the house would be cooler. I would call to my parents and then Daddy would get up and turn the heat up SOME. As I stood in my bedroom waiting for the house to warm up, I could hardly stand it!
(After I was grown, my parents confessed that they were in their bedroom laughing because they knew I was about to have a cow to get to the livingroom where Santa had been.) When my parents felt like the house was warm enough, they would tell me they were going to the livingroom and I could come after they got there. Oh what joy- I finally got to see what Santa had brought. The thing about it is, I continued the tradition with my kids and they continue it with their kids!

Anonymous said...

Your blog is always such a pleasure to read Janni. And the goodies are just a bonus pleasure indeed. Thank you sweet lady, and have a beautiful holiday season.

Anonymous said...

Always a pleasure to read your blog Janni, and the goodies are just a bonus smile. Thanks so much and enjoy your wonderful family!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you! This is very lovely.
I love lacey goodies :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your lovely scrap elements. They are so pretty!
Kathy

Anonymous said...

I love the color and the frame and
everything about this Christmas
goodie.