Gifts from the Heart

About 5 days before Christmas, the kids watched the Boz Christmas movie where the family gives gifts (they did not purchase) from the heart to other family members. Each person draws a name and does or makes something for that person to give them on Christmas Eve. We decided to have the kids do this for this year to really think about their sibling. As it worked out, each kid drew a "new" kid's name. Emily and Elizabeth knew right away what they wanted to do, but the others didn't and I wasn't sure if it would work out. We are averaging about 2 meltdowns a day from different kids, so this blessed me to see them show unselfish love to one another. The giver was truly just as blessed as the receiver! It turned out to be my favorite Christmas memory and will start a new Hamstra tradition. Check it out...

Phoeby gave Elizabeth a picture frame that said "Sisters" and had a picture of all 4 sisters on it.

She loved it! Then, Elizabeth gave Christian her penguin pillow pet 

since he liked the penguins at the zoo when we went.

It brought smiles to both and us too!

Christian and I worked on his gift for Stephen for over an hour. He printed out pictures of different airplanes, cut them out, then we laminated them. He cut them out again and we tied yarn to them. 

Stephen can now hang above his bed like an airplane mobile. Pretty cool and all homemade. 

Christian was pretty proud of his gift to his brother!

Stephen and I also worked on Phoeby's gift for a while. He printed out coloring pages of Dora and Disney princesses from the internet. We then put them in a binder and made a cover page. 

Phoeby started coloring right away and was thrilled to have her personal own coloring book. 

She said it is her work for school!

Emily knew exactly what she wanted to give Duan and was the first to get it ready. 

She gave her the jewelry box that she had that Duan always wanted to play with. It has a ballerina in it that twirls and plays music. 

I think Duan was pretty happy. See Craig trying to move out of the picture?

Duan drew Emily's name and she helped me make a special gift for Emily, 

who has been having the hardest emotional adjustment time lately.

Emily likes to go in her bed and be alone when she is sad, angry, etc...and seems to do it often lately.

So, we created a special paper with Emily's name on it and pictures.

Duan helped me think of making an acrostic with Emily's name and 

writing special things about Emily so that she can remember 

that she is wonderful and very loved by us all! The pictures show Emily with 

different family members to remind her how important she is to our family.

Emily wanted to hang it up in her bed right away...success!

So, if Christmas stopped right there...that would be enough...maybe it should have because the next day with the overwhelming toys and gifts brought meltdowns and lots of busyness for Craig and I. We need to remember to keep it simple and that Christmas really is about giving gifts from the heart.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever 

believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16