Merry Christmas Eve!

We go to church with the nicest lady who made Grace this quilt. On Sunday, this lady sent gifts home with me: a little tree decorated with handmade ornaments and a gift for each of our kids. I was touched by her thoughtfulness. It is really special to see people at our church love on our kids. Here are a couple of the ornaments on the tree.

I love them, but my favorite is the pear.

The little balls with sequins reminded me of this one I decorated when I was in first grade...

and inspired me to do some ornament decorating with Jonathan next Christmas. I bet I can find some silky-wrapped ornaments after Christmas to save for next year and collect some sequins and straight pins, too. Not that I would trust every little kid with straight pins, but I bet he'll be ready for it in a year, and he's such a detail guy that he might enjoy the intricate work.

A couple of other things you might enjoy:

These posts by Design Mom about her kids' Christmas tradition. They make gifts for each other. And she has several kids! My favorites: embellished gloves (which I can see myself doing next year, with Jonathan) and potato print clothing.

And this post by Money Saving Mom: A broken tea cup, a humble manger, and the best deal I've ever gotten.

Merry Christmas!