Family Never Goes Out of Style

Part of me feels like I should write about the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that aired last night, but I didn't watch it. That, and you all already know exactly what I think about that show. I felt that there is something a little bit more important than the fashion show.

I spent 11 years of my childhood in Montana and lived only an hour away from my grandparents. We went to church and had lunch with them every Sunday. Even though we moved away, I've done my best to stay in touch with them. I try to call once a week and I know it really makes them happy. It makes me happy because I get to stay in touch with people who helped shape my childhood.

My grandmother had surgery last week to remove a cancerous tumor from her colon. She's 88 and my grandfather is 86, so of course, we were a little bit concerned. She is fine, thank goodness! It really made me think about my family, though.

My fiancé and I visited them in Montana this last summer and they gave us copies of all their genealogy stuff: letters, family trees, transcripts of tapes, birth records from family Bibles, etc. My grandma was tired of having to spread the family tree out over the whole living room floor to see it, so I said I would work on it to make it so it could fit where she could see it. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

I've been working on this for a few weeks now and I thought getting five or six generations on one piece of paper was going to be the hard part. But then I started trying to find some of my ancestors' birthdays and places they'd lived and actually traced one line back to 1492 in England! So now I have a giant problem, because there is no way to fit that on one page. And I haven't even started my grandfather's side of the genealogy; or my mom's parents' sides!

But it's been absolutely fascinating to see who is in my family, what they've done, what their traditions were, and where they come from. I'm (distantly) related to five U.S. presidents just in my grandmother's line! I'm most closely related to General Grant and the other presidents are FDR (!), Lincoln (!), Pierce, and Taft. One of my ancestors helped found Dorchester, Massachusetts. One of my ancestors was an apprentice to one of the men who came to Plymouth Mass. on the Mayflower. One of my ancestors was the Secretary of State to Queen Mary of England. And one of my ancestors is my grandmother.

She is amazing; an absolute rock. She raised four children as a stay-at-home mom. She hand quilted dozens of quilts. She had a huge garden that she cultivated herself every year. She made doll clothes for my sister and me. She canned fruits and vegetables every year. She cooked amazing meals that I can only dream of recreating. She is a fantastic grandmother. I have been truly blessed to have her and my grandfather in my life, both during my childhood and for many years to come! I told her last week the day before her surgery that in our family, if you don't make it to at least 90 years old you're not really trying! It's true, though; my family lives forever.

I can honestly say that the genealogy work I've been doing is the best gift I could have gotten this holiday season. Living so far away from my family out West, it's easy to take them for granted. This has made me really connect with my family roots, which, in turn, makes me really appreciate my current family! It also makes me incredibly excited to start our new family in a few years. Family is the one thing that never goes out of style, no matter what role you play in it.

2008 Christmas Dinner (L to R) Grandpa, Aunt Kate, Grandma, and Me

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

5 Low-Budget DIY Gifts

This year I am making gifts instead of buying them. I am on a very tight budget, so these are just some of the things I'll be making this year I haven't finished them yet, but I'm working on all of them. Family members, if you're reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're getting. :)

1. Stockings. This is my fiancé's and my first Christmas living together. We both have stockings from when we were kids, but they don't match. I'm headed to JoAnn's today to find fabric to make matching ones that we can use for the next 60 Christmases together.

2. Genealogy. My dad's side of the family has pages and pages of documents from our ancestors. There are stories typed on a typewriter by my great-grandmother, old photos, and family trees that almost line up if you have a big enough living room to lay them out on the floor. I know there has to be a better way to see the family tree, so I'm going to make one and send copies to all my relatives on that side of the family. My grandparents on that side spent an afternoon this summer with my fiancé and me telling stories and sharing memories. I think that this gift will mean a lot to my family, especially my grandparents.

3. Scarves. If you know how to knit or crochet, this is always the go-to thing if you're in a pinch! I've been making scarves for the victims of Superstorm Sandy, but I found some yarn that I think someone in my family will really like, so I'm going to make that scarf for them.

4. Memory Stories. This sounds almost too easy, but my dad has always said that all he wants is a page or two telling a favorite memory we have of us growing up. It doesn't have to be crazy, it doesn't have to be long, just something we want to share with him from our childhood.

5. Scrapbook. A few years ago I made my little sister a scrapbook of photos of us growing up. She absolutely loved it! I also made a scrapbook for my fiancé of our first road trip together from Kentucky up to North Dakota and back. It's a really sweet memento we can have on our coffee table.

These are just a few low-budget ideas that are tried and true. It's ironic: growing up I always wanted to have more money, but the best thing about not having a lot of money is that you learn to be creative. Now that I have more money, I'd rather make the presents that mean so much to the people who receive them. They take so much time to make, but it's worth it, because they are fun for you to make and you know the recipients will love them.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi