Mom & Dad's Christmas Present 2011

My mom and dad can be kind of difficult to Christmas shop for. It's not that they're picky or have expensive taste or anything like that. But they literally have everything they need. And if they don't, they'll build or make their own.

They built the beautiful house they live in, and it's out in the country surrounded my fields and forests. My mom has a hobby room where she can sit and make whatever crafty stuff she can think up. My dad has a shop to keep and use all of his fancy tools when he needs to make or repair something. They have a hammock on the back deck for gorgeous, slow days, and lovely furniture inside the entire house. They have a Camry, Jeep, and a little farm truck. Annually, they raise a summer vegetable garden and frequently plant more fruit trees as space and seasons permit. My mom cans or freezes 85% of what they grow so they have delicious, home-grown food year-round.  My mom is a fantastic cook and really knows how to make a house a home. They have 4 grown-up kids who are all married, and 8 grand-kids with a 9th on the way. They have a steady, decent income. They've got a fun and healthy marriage, and laughter is a part of every-day life.

So how am I supposed to give them anything they could possibly want or need for Christmas?

When I was 7, it was easy because they'd adore whatever I made with paper and glue and sequins and glitter. I still prefer making them gifts, because they're far more personal and one-of-a-kind. But these days my skills have increased from those basic glued crafts into serious works of art made from whatever medium I'm in the mood for. I know they could care less about what I give them, and they'd prefer to sit and talk and get a hug from me. But I don't live close enough to them to have that option. I live in California and they live in Tennessee. I want them to have a reminder of how much I love and appreciate them. I want them to have something they can see or touch when they need a pick-me-up. So that's what I attempt to do when I embark on making their gifts.

As I was walking through a a huge bead and jewelry warehouse a while back, I noticed some pretty little decorations toward the back on some shelves. There were trees made from wire and natural stone. I'd seen things like that before, but these ones cost between $150 - $350. I think they were quite overpriced. However, I do know wire-wrapping techniques and have made some relatively intricate jewelry in the past, so the gears in my creative brain began turning.

I bought a few spools of copper wire, searched for the perfect color and shape of natural stone beads, and got to work.

I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.

Then I felt like the tree needed an explanation. I wasn't going to be there when they opened it, and I wanted them to know the materials it was made it from as well as the symbolism that turned up in it. Plus, they probably will want to frame or set whatever written description of it with it on display. So I typed and printed something up to go along with it.

Here's what I wrote:

Our Family’s Foundation

copper, Russian jasper, and yellow jade

handmade by Janae L. Pettit

    “And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

                                Helaman 5:12

Mom and Dad, you established Christ as the foundation of our home, which gave us all the faith and ability to do the same in our individual homes & families. Here is a gift to show my gratitude for the immeasurable and priceless gift you have given me--my testimony and understanding of how important gospel centered living is. 

 We have been through the storms and trials that have come with living in this world. Like this tree, our family began growing from the “rock of our Redeemer,” and each of us have taken root in a firm place and continued growing and building ourselves upon it. We haven’t fallen, regardless of the ferocity of the adversary’s winds and hail. 

This tree is a symbol of our family’ strength and extraordinary uniqueness, as it was carefully created and there is no other quite like it in existence. There are 8 branches, one for each of your 4 children and one for each of their spouses. 

They were visiting my grandma in Utah for the holiday, so they needed a way to take it safely back to Tennessee on an airplane afterward. I found a sturdy box that fit the tree perfectly, gift-wrapped the outside, punched some holes in the bottom, and zip-tied the base of it into the bottom so it wouldn't move. I included a couple of extra zip ties so that after opening it, they could take it out, admire it, and then secure it back in the box for traveling.

My mom called me on Christmas morning, and it didn't take long for her to get past the well-wishing formalities so that she could talk about how much she loved the gift. I'm so glad both she and my dad like it. It's another unique treasure they can display in their home, and it has far more meaning than if I'd simply bought and quickly wrapped anything else.

And the quest for next year's gift begins...