Well now that the big day is over, what was your favorite gift????

I got a few I really liked. A big home-made quilt from my Dad and Step-Mother, and a really neat garden tool kit from my Mom and Step-Father were two of my favorites. I really received an almost embarrassing amount of stuff. No matter how much I try to get my family to cut back, it seems impossible for them to do it!

What were your favorites? Let us know...

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 26, 2001

Answers

My absolute favorite gift was my pillow and poem from Johnny. He sent it to me and tormented me with what was in the box for two weeks. The poetry was beautiful and 10 pages long. He also made me a box to keep our letters in. We have been writing for 16 years and his art and poetry is awesome.

-- melinda (speciallady104@hotmail.com), December 26, 2001.

I guess it has been 16 years. Way back when I remember his being a good artist, guess he's improved.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), December 26, 2001.

Well, this is so NOT homesteady.... but my favorite gift was the DVD player my hubby and I got for each other. We've both been wanting one for some time now, and this one was on sale cheap. It plays DVDs CDs and MP3s. I think we watched Shrek 3 times yesterday! LOL! It was great fun.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 26, 2001.

My favorite gift was to see the sunrise one more time; to get out of bed by myself; to be able to still prepare my food; to drive to the store and get a pin cable to attach my new printer and to have the capability to remember this.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 26, 2001.

I got a big Rival Roaster from my Dad and his wife! I was totally suprised by this as I had looked at them but never even mentioned it to anyone. (I have plenty of other kitchen gadgets and just couldn't justify getting one!) They both know I love cooking! (my Grandma said I am the only one of the younger generation that could cook for a farm crew!) Now I am trying to decide what to fix first! Merry Christmas and God's Blessings to all of you. Denise

-- Denise K. (Rabbitmom2@webbworks.com), December 26, 2001.

My new digital camera. I will post some pictures on the back up forum soon!I have taken pictures of everything and everybody! I also loved these work gloves my mother got me. They have the finger tips cut out and mitten tops that fold back so you can grab things and get your chores done!!God BLess

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), December 26, 2001.

Lance is not given to shows of sentimentality very often, so my presents this year were a real surprise. He got his parents to go in with him and they bought me a beautiful sapphire and diamond necklace to go with the dress he bought me last year, then took me shopping today to look at earrings and see if I wanted some to match! (my favorite because of the value HE places on ME which he doesn't often express). As if that wasn't enough, he took the boys and they bought me a stainless-steel gardening tool set with every tool I could possibly ever want! They will last forever, if I can keep the guys from borrowing! (my favorite because they show thought into what I enjoy)

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), December 26, 2001.

Okay, I had another thought. Not the best present I received, but the best present we GAVE. We went to Lance's Grandma's house and did our Christmas there on Christmas Eve. We have gotten into the habit of giving his grandparents on both sides of the family meat for Christmas, because we butcher our own and they all love our beef.

Anyway, this year I ventured into making homemade jam for the first time. I hate blackberry bushes, by the way! Mean, ornery things they are! I made blackberry, peach, plum, and then took the leftovers and made a "mixed fruit" that some friends of ours just drooled over (I haven't tried that one yet!). So we gave the grandparents this year some fresh picked pecans, a roast, and some peach and blackberry jam in a bag made of Christmas fabric I picked up at the local variety store.

Lance's Grandma called me about 10:00 on Christmas morning to tell me how I had made her day, they had peach jam with their biscuits and it was delicious, about 1/3 of the jar was gone already! She wants me to show her how to make it, said it was better than any jam or jelly she ever made! (Ha! couldn't believe that one!)

Anyway, aside from the best present I received, that turned out to be the best present given this year, and an ego boost to me besides!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), December 26, 2001.

Very nice christine, it sounds like we got the same type of garden tool set, mine is stainless steel too and in a carry case that doubles as a small bench or stool. I really liked your story about the jam!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 26, 2001.

Well , my favorite gift was the next Joshua Harris book called Boy Meets Girl, i'm almost done it. It'll leave the most impression on me. I also really liked the candles and skates i got. It was a wonderful time around memories and our three ft christmas tree. I have never seen my five yr old sister soo huggy.

-- jillian (daffodil_skunk83@hotmail.com), December 26, 2001.

Yup, sounds like it, Melissa! I can tell you mine came from Sam's Club, as we thought to buy them for my mother-in-law, but when we went back to get them, they were more expensive than we remembered, and we decided against it! I was REALLY surprised when I opened that box, but can hardly wait for the new garden plot to get started (we're moving it to a different location for the upcoming season)!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), December 27, 2001.

My 21 year old son (second of 4) got me a Foodsaver!! I was shocked and can hardly wait to vacum pack everything. He really spoiled us this year!

-- Jenny (Auntjenny6@aol.com), December 27, 2001.

My husband gave me a beautiful diamond necklace. It is the first jewelry he's gotten me since the simple gold band when we got married. I guess I had quite the look on my face because he blurted out that it was more than 60% off. I gave him a big hug and kiss and thanked him for the cool glass cutting tool.

For his present, he got a plane ticket to fly back to Wisconsin for a week for his brother's wedding. He's pretty excited!

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), December 27, 2001.

My favorite gift? I got so many, it would be hard to pick! I love the book Cindy sent me! My favorite 2 things my husband gave me were a Atlas noodle maker and the German green bean frencher from Lehmans! He knows I don't like diamonds or furs. I'm a practical girl! He gave me a Foodsaver last year and I have enjoyed it!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), December 27, 2001.

Melissa, I'd fit into your family quite well. I really tend to overdo on Christmas but this year I did cut back some as my kids are older and I now have a son-in-law in the mix, too. As to what I recieved I liked the most, I'd have to say it was a new electric razor. My other one died last month so the timing was good. Another one I like is one I got myself-a big Maglite flashlight. I liked it so well I got one for each of my kids, my son-in-law and my Mom, too. I figured it's something people (OK, people besides me) just don't buy for themselves. They are wonderful lights that can last forever and come in various sizes from penlights to six 'D' cell models.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), December 28, 2001.

Funny you mentioned flashlights Gary, lst year I put the word out that a new flashlight would be a nice gift. We are always in the barn after dark it seems. And guess what, we received enough flashlights to throw them away after we used them!!! Just kidding of course, but I think we did get 10 for Christmas last year. I really like the rechargable ones.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 29, 2001.

That is supposed to say "last" year.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), December 29, 2001.