Goshen Christmas: The Gifts

I love gift exchanges. One of the many reasons I love Christmas is the gift giving. And I do mean giving. As much as I love getting gifts, and watching my boys get gifts, I get just as excited about giving gifts. I love getting something for someone else that they want and will enjoy. I love the watching others unwrap gifts. This year I felt very uncreative in my gift giving. I stuck mostly to want I know people wanted and nothing (with the exception of some dry soup mixes Ian helped put together) was homemade. But then again I had a new baby, so I guess I get a pass on being overly creative.
The boys got some great gifts this year. But especially some great handmade gifts.
Aunt Rachel, made this cute little elephant for Aiden,
And this awesome puppet theater with two animal puppets for Ian and Cai. My sister-in-law always amazes me with her creativity. Starting last Christmas she started making cloth gift bags for giving gifts. They are all very simple bags, but that fact that she takes the time is what I find impressive.
Above is one of the many bags she has sewn. And every time I see one, I think I should do that. But right now there seem to be other things on the list. Oh well, prioritize, that's how things happen, right?
As for Mark and I, we got some great gifts too. I was giving House of Testoesterone: One Mom's Survival in a Household of Males by Sharon O'Donnell and The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. Both of which I'm very excited about. Mark got the book Shop Class as Soul Class by Matthew B Crawford. I've heard good things about this book and plan on stealing it from Mark as soon as he finishes it. (I'll be nice and let him read it first) I also got a gift card to Ten Thousand Villages which I think I'm going to use on a tea pot. I so want a teapot and they has a great one that will go nicely with my Blue Willow china. As per usual, I'm so grateful for the generosity and love behind the gifts we received.