Christmas Notebook

We had a very good Christmas Day. Our son’s family came over around 1:00, and we enjoyed watching the grands open gifts. I told DDIL that it didn’t look like so many gifts when I ordered them… :-}

As our family tradition dictates, DH opened the gathering with a reading of the account of Christ’s birth from the old pulpit Bible from the Mud Creek Presbyterian Church (established in 1838 and sited where the Old Salem Cemetery is located in Washington County, IL).

Twin2 couldn’t stand it. She wanted to open presents NOW!

Stockings are always fun. Thanks to DD#2 and DD#3 for doing my stocking shopping for me this year. And I still managed to slip a few surprises into their stockings.

During the afternoon, we skyped with DS#2 and his wife. Love technology! We watched them open our gifts to them and they were able to watch us open their gifts to us.

Twin1 loved her magic wand. She walked around saying “presto!” to everything she waved her wand at.

We stopped for a “bread break.” When it’s time to form the rolls you need to stop and do it. The twins LOVE to help Ma make rolls and buns.

The twins wrapped this package for DD#1. They couldn’t agree on paper, so they used both kinds.

New situations don’t bother Amy. She was very interested in what was going on.

Anyone else get a knitted Dalek for Christmas?

All those wonderful toys and they like bubble wrap better.

We had a nice leisurely day. I enjoyed it. The grands ended up staying overnight and we were able to enjoy their company on Monday, as well.

Most of all, we rejoice in God’s great love and provision on our behalf. Thanking Him for the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

~~Rhonda

My sister found this great box at a thrift store. I plan to fill it with Christmas items. A lot of these are thrifted. Some were picked up around the house from Christmas trees or from the boxes of Christmas decorations we have on hand. The tiny copper cookie cutters were in the kitchen pantry with my other cookie cutters. The picture for the little frame was cut from a Christmas card.

It’s always such a joy to put together meaningful, personalized gifts from things you’ve found over time—especially when they’ve been thrifted or repurposed. Thrift stores are full of treasures waiting to be rediscovered, whether it’s a vintage ornament, a beautiful piece of fabric, or even a small item like the copper cookie cutters I found in the kitchen pantry.

Each piece tells its own story, and when combined, they create a thoughtful gift that reflects not only the season but the effort put into collecting these special items. It’s this treasure hunt aspect of thrift shopping that makes it so fun, as you never know what you might stumble upon—whether it’s a unique find at a local thrift store or something that gets a second life from your own collection of decorations and keepsakes.

In addition to traditional thrift stores, there’s another place to find hidden gems: the amazon return store. These stores, which specialize in reselling returned and overstocked Amazon products, often feature a wide array of items at deeply discounted prices. From home decor to kitchen gadgets, you can uncover all sorts of items that can add a special touch to your home or holiday projects.

Whether it’s a beautifully crafted bowl for cookies or an unexpected holiday trinket, these stores offer an affordable way to shop while supporting the sustainable, second-life cycle of products.

I expect to add to and edit this display over the years, making it better every year. This is just the first step. It will be fun to keep an eye out for little things that will work in this box.

~~Rhonda