My good friend Andrea decided that she wanted to do something a little more special for her friends around where she lives now, and came up with a great idea. She decided she wanted to have a special night where we all wrote thoughtful notes to each other, expressing our love for one another and things like that. So Sunday, that’s what we did. It was great! She had some really good food, and then we played a really fun game called Things. Her home was all decorated so festively, she had music on, everything was perfect! No one took pictures though. I had my camera even, but was having so much fun that I forgot to take any that night. Oh well, here’s what you get. 
I decided that I wanted to start doing the same thing with my family. I will probably buy everyone an 8×8 binder/scrapbook album, and we can write each other notes each Christmas and then I’ll just put it in the binder so we can look at it each year and add to it. I’m excited! I thought I would do boxes, but I think I would like to keep it organized in some way, so the binder it will be:).
Tonight was the Relief Society Christmas program, and we had a yummy progressive dinner. It was full of great company and great stories to get you in the Christmas giving mood. I loved the stories about hand-made items, because it saved money and really came from the heart since it took more time and effort. It’s not very often that we get hand-made items anymore, but when we do, it just seems to remind me of all the great stories you hear about way “back in the olden days” when they’d make wooden toys and make their own clothes and stuff like that. I love it! Kami told us how excited her little girl was while making their family’s presents, how she was so excited and kept saying how much they would love it. It really helped me get in the right mood for Christmas, so thank you Kami! It made me realize how much I want my kids to feel that way. Carson made us a present from preschool, and he is so excited about it. My thought tonight was that I definitely should be letting them just make presents to realize that giving your time is a great thing and the thought and effort that goes into it is the best part.
I was reading Elder Maxwell’s The Christmas Scene little book, and the best part to me was this quote: “We gladly shower so much on each other and then feel guilty amid our comparative abundance. Yet more presents were likely put under the tree than there were gifts placed in others’ storehouses of self-esteem. More bright wrapping may have been scattered about than bright words of good cheer.”
Don’t you just love that? I realized that my little picture card I send each year is so impersonal, I used to be good and write a message in each person’s card, and I feel like I’ve just made life so complicated that I haven’t been taking the time to do those important things, like actually write a letter to someone with “bright words of good cheer.” It seems this Christmas I’ve just heard a lot lately about sharing words of love and admiration rather than giving gifts just to give a gift, know what I mean? I’m determined to do better!
Thank you Andrea for setting such a great example and being so thoughtful!
UPDATE*: I’ve since made some presents with my children for their grandparents, and for whoever else they wanted to. They had such a fun time, saying how much they’ll love it and that they felt happy and good inside. What a good thing to have them put some effort into the present and be so excited to give!