Christmas 2011

It seems that every year there is one Christmas gift I am particularly proud of. There was the year I found wooden ornaments for the girls and had a picture of their favorite horses from horse camp burned on them. And there was the year I made a scrapbook for my sister of the trip the two of us took to Europe when she was graduating from high school. This year it was my hubby's gift.

First, a little history: My grandmother made Christmas stockings for each of her eight grandchildren. I've had mine ever since I can remember.


I've carried on the tradition by making a stocking for each of my own children (although they usually have to wait until their second or third Christmas before I get it done).


Filling the stockings is Santa's job, so we have to have the biggest stockings available ... 28" diagonally. After The Baby was born, I couldn't find any that size anymore. So I waited, hoping the company that made the other three would start making the Jumbo size again. This past October, I decided to try my luck on eBay. Not only did I find a Jumbo stocking for The Baby, I found a kit to make the exact stocking my grandmother made me thirty-some years ago!

I was able to sneak in time when my husband wasn't at home to work on the stocking, and I was able to finish it in time for Christmas. I was even able to get my mom to write his name on it for me to embroider, so the handwriting would match the handwriting on mine. Christmas morning I sneaked into the living room while my hubby was making the coffee and placed his filled stocking in between the kids' stockings on the couch. And you know what he noticed first? The Brachs Stars peeking out of the top ... he wondered why someone else was getting his favorite candy. It was priceless.


Now to get to work on The Baby's stocking before next year, which will be her fourth Christmas already!


What was your favorite Christmas 2011 surprise, either given or received?

By the way ... I've missed you.