Let's make some Christmas ornaments

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Last weekend two of our grandkids stayed with Pops and me. On Saturday they helped us decorate the Christmas tree... and they were actually a big help. I was amazed!

As I sat on the floor and gave ornaments to the grands, my mind wandered back to my childhood. We always had our Christmas tree in the living room. Mom would sit on the couch, add hooks to the ornaments, and then hand them to my brother, three sisters, and me. Dad's specialty was hanging the lights and helping us place the long, silver icicles on the tree—one by one.

Pops told me that his family just threw the icicles on their Christmas tree. I think that's because there were just two kids in his family. With five kids, my parents must have wanted decorating the tree to occupy us kids for as longgggg as possible.

As the grands decorated the tree last Saturday, I spotted ornaments that their dad and uncle had made long ago. There were pictures of little boys with big smiles, immortalized in plastic. Toothpicks framed parts of old Christmas cards, and small wooden wreaths hung that were touched by little hands. I couldn't help but smile.

There's just something about Christmas. It brings us back to what's really important: our faith and family and friendships.

For today's Friday's Fun idea, I thought I'd explain how to make some of those little toothpick ornaments that are now hanging on our tree. They are very easy to make!

First, cut some old Christmas cards into a shape similar to a small house (see above picture). Then glue two or three layers of toothpicks along the perimeter, making a "frame." After this dries, slip a hook or paperclip through the toothpicks and the masterpieces are ready to be hung on the Christmas tree. Grandkids could date and sign the back of these handmade ornaments, making one more memory, for one more Christmas Day.

What childhood memories do you have of decorating your Christmas tree? Are you continuing (or beginning) any Christmas decorating traditions with your grandkids?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
www.grandconnection.org

You may want to read: Making Gingerbread Houses

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Post and picture © 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux.

Looking back and looking ahead

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and were able to spend some time with your family! Our grown kids and grandkids came to our country home this year to celebrate Christmas ... on Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful time! On Friday night the kids decorated gingerbread houses; it's an annual tradition in our family. As our grands made roofs out of pretzels and Sweet Tarts and peppermints, I couldn't help but remember their dads doing the very same thing—a long, long time ago!

And as New Year's Day approaches I'm reminded that it's time for me to choose a Bible verse to focus on for the new year. I've decided on a portion of James 1:19: " ... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak ... "  I want to really ponder what I will say, before saying it. I hope that I will listen to others' hearts before I jump in with my words. And I plan to share my verse for the new year with the older grandkids and encourage them to choose a verse for 2012 for themselves.

What about you? What were some of your favorite Christmas memories? 

And have you thought about focusing on a particular Bible verse in 2012?  If so, which one did you choose?

Have a wonderful week,
Mary
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com/

 Photo © Mary May Larmoyeux

Celebrating the simple things

Tuesday’s Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

One of my favorite books is Let’s Make a Memory by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson. I love what Gloria says, "Special moments don’t just happen; they have to be planned on purpose! In this hectic world when the pace at which we all live is so frantic, we as families must make a covenant with each other to make time for simple things. … We have no guarantees of tomorrows, but we do have this moment."

As a grandmother, I’m so aware that there are no guarantees of tomorrow, and I'm realizing how quickly the grandkids will grow up. I hope that you and I will both heed Gloria’s advice and take time for the simple things with our grands: walking in the rain, picking flowers, looking into the clouds together—marveling at the great God who created everything.

Speaking of making moments count, I'd like to share some of your wonderful memory-making ideas over the past months. Elaine once commented that she wrote a prayer for each grandchild and sent the prayers to the adult children to pray for each particular child. She also said that on one of her granddaughter’s birthdays, she and husband made a list of "10 Reasons we appreciate Kelli." Elaine added, "She was thrilled. We put it on poster board and then laminated it."

Sharon B. mentioned an age-old favorite memory-maker that I had forgotten about—catching lightning bugs. And Sharon T. reminded us of how much fun it is to take a grandchild to a local parade.

Karen has sweet memories of identifying shapes in the clouds with her grands. She said, "I enjoyed listening to my grandson, Ethan, talk about the shapes he could see in the clouds. We even found Spiderman—can you believe it!"

"With siblings and cousins," Rita said, "we’d take turns, one at a time, climb inside a big rubber tire, roll down cousin’s ten foot high terrace across the entire side yard and crash into the pasture fence, or a tree, get out all wobbly legs and go for more."

When you and I make the effort to capture everyday moments with our grandkids, it's like we're tying our hearts together with a great, big invisible red bow over our priceless gift to one another, unconditional love.

Let's make a memory ... today,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com

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© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © 2008 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Memories from a Christmas Tree

Tuesday’s Thought

As Jim and I decorated the Christmas tree this past weekend, we were reminded of how time flies by. We pulled out ornaments from yesteryear and saw some small handmade decorations adorned with pictures of little boys and girls who are now grown … and have Christmas trees and children of their own.

Dated satin balls are hanging on our tree. Jim's parents gave them to us when each of our children were born. There’s a construction-paper star covered in glitter that dangles from a red ribbon. And a paper angel, that must be two decades old, faithfully crowns our tree. It’s surrounded by various cross ornaments and miniature nativities that remind us of the real meaning of Christmas.

Resting on the tree skirt is an ornament of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. My brother and his wife gave it to us a very long time ago. Who would have guessed that the New Orleans they knew then would not exist today. As I held the small replica I was reminded that things don’t stay the same … that it’s important to value today, because tomorrow is not promised.

When Jim and I hung the silver icicles, I remembered my own dad telling us kids to hang them one by one—no “throwing” of icicles allowed. (How I’d love to see Dad today!)

And with each handmade stocking, I recalled a yesterday when our house was filled with the sounds of children 24-7.

Ah … Christmas! It’s filled with so many hopes and dreams. And it overflows with sweet memories of times … and places … and people … who will always live in our hearts.

He is able,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

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