Tuesday, December 24, 2013

One Christmas Eve Changed Our Lives Forever

Forty Five years ago today the way we looked at Christmas Eve changed forever. We would go out to dinner, look at the Christmas lights in our town and then attend midnight services at Church. Well, in 1968 our plans changes.
I was up at 6 am baking last minute cookies, getting ready for our big family dinner the next day. Our baby was due on December 20th but that day came and went and we thought she would arrive when she was ready. Well...at 1 pm that day, she announced she was ready. Having had a baby boy 17 months before, I knew I was in labor. Off to the hospital we went. We left our son Dan at our friends Pam and Ken Beach's house.

At 5:45 pm Pamela Jane Giggy came into the world. She was healthy and so beautiful! Back then, there was no way of knowing if you were going to have a boy or girl. We had to wait until the doctor said, "it's a girl"!
It was a beautiful night. Snow was falling softly and slowly from the sky. Our church which was next door to the hospital was ringing their bells from the early Christmas Eve service and the parking lights made the snow sparkle like diamonds. But best of all I had our baby girl in my arms. We were so blessed to have a healthy real live baby doll that Christmas!

Here is Pam's birthday card this year. When she was a child we would celebrate her birthday the week before. Otherwise it was too overwhelming for her. Too much excitement.


Here is the card for our daughter in-law, Maria Giggy. We had no idea when Dan first brought Maria home that she shared her birthday with Pam.

 Over the past 20 years we have had some fun times with the girls celebrating their birthdays together at our home. One year after opening their birthday gifts, the girls put their heads together and came up with the idea we should all open our Christmas gifts that night. After several minutes of discussing or should I say voting, we all opened our Christmas gift that night. There was wrapping paper, ribbons, and gifts all over the living room floor. We had a blast. Both of the girls had felt so different from the other kids in their school classes and friends because they had been the only one with a Christmas Eve birthday. Now they didn't feel different anymore.

I first saw the idea of using cupcake lines for cards at Pattystamps   
I fell in love with the idea. Having six granddaughters, I am always looking for new and fun ideas to make them cards or 3-D projects for them.  I went to the Dollar Store and picked up some liners and decided to fold them in half and then fold them 1/4 more so the skirts looked more 3-D. 

Products I used to make these cards
Whisper White, Garden Green and Real Red card stock
Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper
Dress Up Framelits Die
Big Shot Cutting Machine
1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon
3/8" Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon
Snail, Mini Glue Dots, and Stampin' Dimensionals
Large Basic Rhinestones



Thank you all for visiting my blog, leaving me comments and participating in my Blog Candy Give-a-Ways!

Wishing you and your families a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Jane
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5 comments:

  1. I loved this story as well, Jane. You are such a loving mom and mother in law. I hope this time my post shows up. Not sure what I do wrong! LOL. I love the cards by the way!!

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  2. Thanks Kathy. You are just as loving to your children and in law children!

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  3. Love, love, love it! Already went and pinned it! Merry Christmas!

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  4. What a lovely Christmas Eve story. The cards are fun and festive. Seems amazing to have a daughter and DIL with Christmas Eve birthdays. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  5. I just love your story Jane!!! And what a blessing to receive on Christmas Eve. And I love your idea for using the cupcake liners for a skirt -- this is going to be a CASE hopefully at my next class!!!

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