A Homemade Christmas

Well it was an idea, you know "Little House on the Prairie style" Home Made Christmas. I think the Engel's gave each other things like homemade dolls, doll clothes, soap and a nice loaf of bread. Rich thought it would be lame and too much work. Well ya, but that was the idea to teach the true meaning of giving at Christmas time. To put our heart and soul in a gift. The blood sweat and tears that the Chinese do to make the things we find at Walmart.

Well let's just say I compromised and did some homemade and some Chinese Walmart style. I have to give a shout out to Amazon, their elves saved the day!

So Santa's Elves leave jammies under the pillows of good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve at the parent's request. Homemade jammies were received indeed (but they were not made by me, some of Santa's Helpers made them and not the one's from China).

The Bonus was my dearest friend Tammy had some jammies made for me to match Rileigh and Nellie's. I WAS SO GIDDY WHEN I OPENED THE BOX.
Rileigh got a sweet skirt that was indeed made by yours truly. It is a funny story that must be told. When my Mom's Mom passed away in 1998 and the family cleaned out her house I requested my Grandpa's ties. Grandpa Rulon Mansfield had passed years prior. They had had four children and 20 grand kids and who knows how many great grand kids, so my Grandpa had tons and tons of men's ties. I remember them hanging on the back of his bedroom door. I'm sure that most were given to him over the years from his huge family. He was a super fun Grandpa and took us Camping lots and always laughed at me when I would cry.

So when I was first married I had come across a Better Homes and Garden Magazine and there was a Christmas tree skirt that was made of men's ties, SO CUTE! So for the first few years of our marriage that was our tree skirt. I remember our first Christmas the year 2000 the tree, a fake from the same grandma, Ilene Mansfield. The tree was literally a quarter of a tree in the corner of our mobile home and the tree skirt was so cute and worked perfectly.

So just recently I came across a blog and the men's ties were used as a girls skirt. So Waaa La I pulled the old tree skirt out the the Christmas Decor boxes and added some elastic band for a waist and sewed the skirt seam closed. I think it turned out pretty cute but the best part is the memory behind the tie skirt.

When the kid's woke Christmas morning they found coal from Santa. They were not so good this year. Ha ha! Chocolate Coal! Funny Santa.So in the words of Sandra Lee, it was a "Semi-Homemade" Christmas!

We got a new addition to our family, her name is Puppy Nellie. She is such a good little puppy. This is her favorite new game to play a puppy, so cute!
I just have to mention nothing was broken in the making of this Christmas celebration. Last year two of Logan's presents were damaged by Rich. One plane ended up on a snowy roof Christmas morning and his remote control car was taken into a snow bank, got too damp and was broke within hours of being received. Sometimes I think we forget who the real kids are at Christmas time. Rileigh thinks we need kid presents for Dads!

Tired Santa!


P.S. This was going to be the Whitemyer 2010 Christmas Card. Titled:
May you find "Peace" this time of year! We will! Love the Whitemyer's


Rich and I thought it was a little creepy and voted not to use it.