Wrapped with Love!

This weekend we took part in our first ever "Homemade Christmas Gift Exchange." Since our family was leaving to spend the holidays in Georgia, we chose to go ahead and open gifts with our Orlando family! My nieces did took this homemade idea to their gift wrapping (isn't that some beautiful work above)!

Now, one of our homemade projects that didn't fail (because it didn't include an oven or crock pot) was the gift to Annalise's cousins. Annalise and I picked one picture of each of her cousins and printed them in black and white. Then we took colored pencils and personally enhanced each photo. Annalise then spent time interviewing each cousin with questions of their favorite things. Annalise and I both shared typing duties of entering all the info by computer to create a fun info sheet on each cousin. We glued them onto construction paper and made them each their own personalized book!

And my favorite question answered was by my very own daughter...Annalise, what do you want to be when you grow up? Her answer: To work in an ice cream truck! These will be fun to save and read again when they are older!

Morgan reading her page.

Cassie hit a home run with Jarrett's gift! Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies! She even included homemade dough to make more!

Jessica (a sweet friend of mine), made homemade jewelry! I received a bracelet, necklace, and earrings (I'm starting to feel bad about those empty mason jars and bags at this point)! And Annalise and Allison received homemade Christmas P.J.'s from Aunt Cathy and Uncle Kent (Cassie's parents)!

I think Jarrett really liked those cookies!

Allison also received homemade hair bows! She loves bows to put in her "heer." Thanks Jess!

And drum roll .....x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x....it's time for the Apple Butter Gift.....

Kent read the story aloud, laughed a lot, and then got excited to open his Caramel Nut Cheerios! I wish I couldn't have gotten a better picture of his and Cathy's facial expressions. It was so much fun! Kent said I won the crown for most entertaining gift this year! Too bad there wasn't much to show for it. Too see that entertaining letter, read here!

So our homemade Christmas was a success (even in the midst of failure)! Can't wait to NOT bake next year and have something people might actually use. I think if I pull out long letters next year, they won't believe me! I also think that I'll start earlier this year. Making your own gifts sure take a lot of time and preparation!