Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to the Christmas season. I hope this nice, long weekend was a good one for you and that you had a chance to spend some quality time with your family, friends and loved ones. I also hope you had an opportunity to reflect on the blessings in your lives.
As we move into the Christmas season, I get so excited. I love the sights and smells of Christmas and I just love the excitement in our daughter's eyes. Even at 9, she still loves to see the lights and decorations, and she still believes (although this is probably our last year for that). But, even with all of that, I am finding that this might be a stressful season for many, including myself. The economy has had a deep impact on many in our community and this will change how they celebrate the holiday. It will change it for us as well. We've all had to tighten our belts. We've decided to go back to a simpler time and make some handmade gifts for people. My daughter and I are making candy for the first time this year and we'll give that as hostess gifts or as part of a gift to friends or family. It helps us save a bit of money, but more importantly, it gets her involved in the process of sharing. She is working at something that she'll share with others. She'll also make her gifts for her grandparents and for us.
