So, I've been thinking that this Chrismas is a very special one. Not that every Chrismas isnt special but this year has been a tough one for us which is why this Chrismas is very special. Along with the trials we have had this year as a family and individually, we have also had many blessings which have not come by way of things but by way of awakenings and a realization in our lives of what is truly inportant and how blessed we really are. Which is what made me think of this music box. This year Mike has had a tough time with employment as many people have had. Mike is a craftsman. He loves to create and build. He has built homes in one way or another for most of his life. From the time he was little and stood by his Dad's side swinging a hammer, to working in Montana in the dead of winter earning enough money to go on his mission, to building homes among other things on and off over the past 20 years. So, it is just in his blood and has been a part of who he is forever. Well, the other night someone decided to open his tool box in the back of his truck ( unfortunately he had accidentally left it unlocked that night) and they stole some of his tools. Well, Mike is not a big whiner nor is he a negative thinker so I didnt realize til the other day just what it meant to him to have those tools stolen, till yesterday, and boy did I FIND OUT how much it bothered him. So, back to this music box. This music box is probably the most special Christmas gift I ever recieved. Mike designed it and made it for me our first year of Chrismas together. I was 7 months pregnant with Michael. Anyway, I was surprised to see it when he gave it to me that Christmas. It was uniquely handcrafted with beveled glass framed in beautifully crafted oak wood, and a musical peice set into a marble surface that played Canon in D measure. It is a treasure and will always remind me of the love Mike has for me and for his craft. He is quite a perfectionist when he creates and always puts his heart into everything he makes. I love my Carpenter!
