I guess I’m still a kid at heart! I love Christmas and I love receiving boxes in the mail! So, when I received my box from my “Secret Santa”, I couldn’t wait to open it!

Thanks to some lovely ladies, my second year of participating in the Christmas In the Country was a success! These gals certainly know how to organize and create a fun activity during the Christmas season! Thank you Laurie, Jamie, Robyn and Erin! You gals are the best! And…Merry Christmas to you – all of you! It seems like the holiday was a year ago already but my Christmas tree and decorations remind me that it really wasn’t THAT long ago (no, I still haven’t taken any of it down)!

So, to give you a bit of an idea of what this is all about, I agreed to be a part of the gift exchange in November. Those gals that I just mentioned gathered names of people wanting to participate (from all walks of life) and then matched us with another blogger. The name I was given was Amber whose blog is, “A Gentle Word“. I, of course, had to visit her blog when I was trying to figure out what to send her and realized that she is way younger than me, has way younger children than me and yet we share some same similarities and life experiences. Her blog was something I needed at the time. Her writing provided my crazy soul with a bit of peace that it needed! I didn’t take any pictures of what I sent to her. However, I did send her an angel like the ones I had made for my girls and for some of my close friends:

This is my angel.

Some, including me, like to leave the  snow angel up all year-long. I also sent her some items that are made in this area – a candle and some hand cream made by a local gal, candies from Baker Candies (which are to die for!) and a couple of fun things for her little kiddos to open. In my head, I could just picture those sweet little faces gathered around their mama as she opened up her gifts and I thought maybe it would be fun if they had a couple of items to open too. I hope she and her family had a wonderful, memory filled Christmas!

Now…what did I receive? Well, I did take pictures of that to share! My secret gift bearer was Melinda of Farm Livin Is My Life…”My journey as a cattlewoman, wife, mother & teach following after God!” I can honestly say this is a part of agriculture I don’t know much about so following her blog will be something of an education for me, I’m sure. The one thing I know about ranchers and farmers who own cattle and other livestock is just how much they LOVE their animals! For this, I appreciate what they do!

Christmas can sometimes be so full of stress and anxiety. Trying to do all that needs to be done and still feel like it’s a season of love and joy can sometimes feel like a bit of a stretch! Receiving my box, though, provided me with a time which I was forced to stop what I was doing to sit down and see what special goodies someone had thought of just for me. Here’s the result:

Melinda, did you make this? I’m guessing you made everything you sent me!

What a great, simple idea for an ornament!

Melinda didn’t send the Santa Claus but I wanted you to see how cute the burlap tree is that she did make!

Bells tied on a long piece of twine. I’m thinking maybe next year, this would make sweet garland for my pasture cedar Christmas tree! 

And last, but not least, a homemade table runner.

Melinda made my day! I hope she reads this to know the gifts she thought of and created and packed in a box and sent to my home were so appreciated and loved! Thank you so much! Every time I hang the ornament on my tree or get the table runner out to use, I will think of you.

So, here’s my commercial…I know we’re ALL guilty of being too busy and running like crazy – especially at Christmas! However, if you’re spurred by the chance to be involved with this great little project (that isn’t so little anymore), you should do it! It really does put a different feel to what Christmas and giving is all about! And, it has given me more blogs to read and people’s lives to be a part of.

Have a blessed 2015!