An Ornament Exchange

It's getting to be that time of year again...

Christmas is just around the corner...

One of the highlights of the Holiday season for me is the ornament exchange I'm a part of...

Some friends and I started the group about 12 years ago...

The idea came from my mom who was in an ornament exchange group at the time...

There are 9 girls in our group and we get together the first Mon. or Tues. night in Dec. We have food and fellowship and each hand make enough ornaments for all the ladies in the group.

That's 9 ornaments a year for 11 years...

You do the math...
We have some talented ladies in our group but we don't take things too seriously...

Now if you're thinking you may want to start something like this, it's good to be mindful of group size because you'll be making that many ornaments from scratch.

I have to have 8 made by the night of the exchange...

I also like to make extra to give as gifts and for my kids...

And our church has a ministry to single moms and so we all usually makes an extra to decorate a tree for a single mom who may not be able to afford one.
Above was one of the ornaments made for our 10th exchange. See the 10 hanging off the bottom. So cute. There are several in the group who stick with themes. The girl who made the above snowman out of a terracotta pot...makes a snowman, of some kind, every year.
The above sweet little Christmas tree was made from paper...by a girl in the group who makes her ornaments every year out of ...paper.
Above was a 4 year long series...so funny, I laugh every time I get them out.
My current theme is buttons...see the snowman with the HUGE carrot nose...

Above is a felt purse...how cute!!! Each one was different.
Santa...heeheehee Goofy cloths pin soldier...and of coarse that Santa made from buttons...
Above are a simple set of chopsticks painted with some ribbon and jingle bells. My sister in law made those the year the started the process of adopting their daughter from China... That was 2005. Lord willing they are going to pick her up next month!!!!!
This poinsettia flower was made by her too, the year her husband was out of work. It reminds me of how God provides for His children every year when I get it out.
These two stay up all year in my kitchen...
See...
And this wooden "B" covered in buttons stays up all year long in my bathroom...
But for all the ornaments I've gotten over the years...

And for the memories of how they got made...

It's more about the ladies and the fellowship than anything...

Some of us have gotten married over the years...

Some have had children...

When we started we all went to the same church...

Some have moved to different churches...

But we can always count on getting together that one night a year to reconnect...
Share some good food...

Fun stories...

Fantastic crafts...

And friendships that give us great...

Joy...