We had a two part Christmas again this year and so Christmas was twice as fun! Let me tell you about Christmas Eve first. We always spend Christmas Eve with the Kids. Amara is lucky to have all of her grandparents close by but on holidays, it is a lot of work for Mommy & Daddy. They spend Christmas Eve at our house; they have brunch on Christmas Day with Justin’s family and Jenna fixes Christmas dinner for her Dad that evening. No wonder they are exhausted when it is all over and as I’ve mentioned before, I am glad we get them first! While they are still fresh!
Dinner was wonderful and the gifts were spectacular! Amara made me a cute ladybug using her 3D pen! Jenna and Justin are both very creative and over the years, some of the best gifts they have given us are ones they have made.
The first year we were married Jenna created this amazing photo for Richard. It looks like a map of the world and you can’t tell well from the photo but it is made up of tiny little pictures of Amara. Richard has always loved maps and globes and it hangs proudly over the television. I would love to have her redo it someday. (If you click the picture it will become larger and you can almost see the little photos.)
Last year Justin made Richard this really cool clock from a plastic globe! Making that clock was not easy either. Justin had a very difficult time cutting the globe in half but it was worth it. It is certainly unique and hangs in our dining room.
Then there was the year they gave us the freezer that lives happily in the garage. OK, they didn’t make it but what a great gift! I don’t know why I didn’t get a picture of it but for months afterwards, I used to proudly announce to Richard, “I’m going out to the garage to our new freezer!” I love that freezer!
So knowing that my children are creative, I sent Justin an email a few months before Christmas asking him to build this house for Shebee. Shebee just will not sleep all night in the house and I worry about her being outside at night when it is so cold.
I had completely forgotten that email. I don’t even remember where I got the picture! And on Christmas Eve, the Kids gave us this!
Isn’t it amazing? Justin insulted it, put in a cat door and even installed a vent for extra air! They got a little cat bed and a towel to make it extra comfy! Amara did the painting – I love the brickwork around the door!
We don’t know if Shebee has slept in it yet but she has been in it. The first night we brought in the front room to try to get her used to it. Richard even lured her in with some cat food. Now we have it on the patio. I haven’t put the lid on, as I want her to get comfortable with it first. I really hope she comes to like it!
It was a great Christmas Eve! I will be back to tell you about the day after Christmas.
UPDATE: The software that Jenna used to create Richard’s amazing map is called AndreaMosaic and it is free!
It sounds like a great Christmas Eve. I thinks Shebee will learn to love the box 🙂
It really was a wonderful Christmas! Thank you for stopping by AmaraLand.
That is so true about the value of home made gifts! And it’s especially true when you are a grandparent who probably has everything you need that can be purchased. To have these personalized treasures – Amara’s tiny photos, dozens of them! – is out of this world! What great kids you have!
Shebee just cracks me up! “The apartment is for YOU! Get inside of it! Be warm! Be happy!” Oh, well, I’ve been a “crazy cat lady” all my life and still can’t figure out even my own six! Did you try putting a shirt worn by one of you inside the little house? She might want to snuggle up with the scent.
Happy New Year, Kc! Loved your Christmas story and can’t wait for part 2 !
Never thought about adding a shirt! Just did that, thank you very much! Twursula has a thing about she HAS to lay on something of Richard’s. It is so cute. The entire bed can be made and cleared but she wants a shirt to lay on! SO we give her one of course! WE are crazy cat people, too!
Gifts made with love are always the best! Justin really hit a home run with the kitty house!
He really did good! Now if I could just get him to make me that Margarita!
Awe… what awesome gifts… I love that idea of all the pictures creating a map… and how cool is the globe clock… they are such creative ideas for gifts… also like you I’d love a freezer as a gift xox 🙂
That freezer really was an amazing gift. I admit I used to be jealous when Jenna went to Costco and good buy huge hunks of meat on sale. Now I do it, too! That freezer has saved us some money, that is for sure.
Truly a family of artists. What great gifts…but that map made of tiny pictures is my favorite.
They really are a family of artists and Amara got the gene. I will have to ask Jenna what software she used to do the map — I just can’t think of it but I’ve used it and it is very cool but it will take your computer out of commission for a few hours while it does it. I’ve never had any turn out as good as Jenna’s do.
Okay, I’m truly impressed with these gifts, and home made is always so much better than store bought. This is quite a creative bunch. Love them all but really like Amara’s painting on the new little house. 🙂
I keep telling her she needs to sign her work! That house could be worth a lot of money someday — an Amara Original!
What fascinating gifts. Love.
I never imagined that the cat house could turn out so cute!
It looks like everyone had a great Christmas Eve. I love the map with pictures of Amara and the globe clock. Although I’m not a lover of cats, the house is cute. Amara has great painting skills. Hope you had a great Christmas and a Blessed New Year.
Thanks Rhonda, I hope you have a wonderful New Year, too!
Those are some amazing gifts, both the older ones and this adorable cat house! 🙂
The Kids do spoil us! And I love it.
All our Christmases together have been wonderful but even better since Amara came along. Love you honey!!
I love you, too! We really have a great life.
That is so cool! (Or, more accurately, WARM… for Sheba)! I love that. I should try something similar for my cats but just for the heck of it for indoors. (I don’t let them outside because my two previous cats DID go outside, and a very bad thing happened to one of them. Too many raccoons, coyotes and skunks and other scary critters in our neighborhood.)
How the heck did Amara make that fabulous photo??
You do, indeed, have some creative kiddos in your family. How wonderful!
Twiggy and Twursula both sleep in the house at night. We have a doggy door that they all use during the day but at night I bring them in and close it. Shebee just will not sleep all night in the house. She gets up and cries and wonders around until I get up and let her out so I’ve given up bringing her in at night but I wanted her to have some place warm to go. I know she has other houses she sleeps at but still I worry. This was a perfect solution! Now if we can just get her to use it!
I really enjoyed seeing the gifts you received. Thanks for the link to AndreaMosaic! We are getting ready to purchase a new home. I have been wondering what to place on the wall behind the couch. Now I have just the thing- a mosaic!
Take care.
If you make a mosaic I want to see pictures. I’m going to do another one just as soon as I upgrade this computer — I am almost out of memory and it is just time.