A Creative Gift

My brother-in-law Davey always gives thoughtful, often self-made, gifts. This year I got Davey for Christmas, and I wanted to do something meaningful. I wanted to give him his own kind of gift. After thinking through a few ideas, I decided to create a simple story book, much like the one I made for Ceci during our last General Conference. His wife Erica helped me brainstorm things he does regularly with the kids and I went to work. Here it is:

A Dad and Four Kids

For Davey, Kate, Eli, Emma & Hannah

There is a lot of LOVE in this book. See how many hearts you can find on each page.

Once upon a time there was a dad and four kids.

They liked to go on hikes and explore.

They liked to make music together.

They loved to swim and play in the pool.

They liked to look for shells on the beach.

They liked to look for birds.

They watched movies.

They really liked to be silly together.

The dad would hold them when they were sad.

Sometimes the dad would read chapter books out loud.

At night the dad pulled out his guitar and sang a song before the four kids went to sleep.

It didn't matter what they did, as long as they were together.

The End.

This was a really fun, creative project for me. I don't sit and create very much. And it was an easy project because Davey really is this great of a dad, and they are always reading books together. I wanted those kids to have images of the amazing father in their lives. But the best part was being thoughtful about what to give. This caused me to slow down and really think about the receiver. 

Geoff and I decided this year to give "favorite things" as gifts. His work colleagues got our favorite book of the year (Beneath the Scarlet Sky). Our family members are getting one of our favorite things that we use all the time. This at least causes us to be a little thoughtful. And when it works, I would love to be like Davey and create something unique and personal. I'm grateful this was one of those years.