Hand made gifts.

Even though Christmas is over, I wanted to write a bit about our hand made gifts this year. We've been teaching our girls about the importance of hand made gifts and how much more special a hand made card could be for someone they love. It has finally started to pay off.

For years now since Ivana has learned to write (and Leona is quickly catching up) they've made tons of "thank you" , "happy B-Day", "missing you", etc. cards and sent them to friends and relatives. And this Christmas our seven year old really surprised us with her special gifts she thought up all by herself. She wrapped a ball for Milana, not a new one, but the one she thought her little sister might enjoy playing with. She thought up a game for Leona. And since she didn't want to ask for help to wrap it, she was creative enough to wrap it into a burping cloth, which Leona didn't really appreciate (I don't think I would've either!). For Mirek she made a paper sleigh with Santa and his deer. And I think I got the most precious of all the gifts from both of my beautiful daughters... With Mirek's help I got a rose from Leonka. They dipped the dry rose into white paint and let it dry in the basement. I thought it was such a great idea, and I am planning on taking a step further by spray painting it.

And Ivana made a "My Prayer Book" for me. There are only a few pages, but the words in them are priceless. Those words she wrote for me at the age 7 I want to remember and keep in my heart forever!
Page 1: "Morning Prayer". Thank you Jesus for the good morning sun, for the singing birds and for the yummy breakfast that Mom makes! Amen.
Page 2: "Lunch Prayer". Thank you Jesus for the good lunch that Mom makes and how good it is! Amen.
Page 3: "Dinner Prayer". Thank you Jesus for dinner, and that it is good and that Mom made it. Amen.

And in addition to all that tear jerking first gift I got something else. It is a box from cream cheese with dried flowers in it mixed with some herbal teas that she had torn from the tea bag (I was wondering what she was going to do with it when she had asked for the tea bags earlier, but I promised not to ask too soon). When I was presented with this gift, she told me that whenever I feel down or sad I should smell the inside of the box and it would lift my mood and spirits up almost instantly! Honestly, I was ready to cry... it was so special to hear those words and get those gifts!

And from us , finally, the girls received Noar's Ark that took us a few years to complete! When Ivana saw the ark she said, "Wow, you finally finished it, Tata!Thank you!"

Better late than never... Plus it taught Ivana that sometimes it takes a very long time to make something, but if you really want to make something special for someone you love, it is all worth the effort. I hope our grandchildren will be playing with the Ark one day!