Our family is so fortunate to have a “best friend” family. My BFF Jill and her family make up our extended chosen family. Together we are the McHendy Family (a combination of McKinney and Henderson). 🙂
Our kids have grown up together. We have spent Christmases and New Years and many other holidays and celebrations together through the years (as well as a few trying times, tragedies, changes, and everything else life throws at all of us!).
This Christmas, even though are kids are grown – – with a few married and a few moved away to other states – – we were able to all gather together the day after Christmas to celebrate our family friendship.
I like to share small, but hopefully meaningful gifts with our McHendy family.
This year, I was excited to find The Giving Keys for the girls. If you haven’t heard of it, I urge you to check out their website and their mission. Per their website, “The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then send us the story of their key being paid forward.”
I ordered a key bracelet (The Never Ending Bracelet) for each of the girls and had the word “Grateful” engraved on it, because I am grateful for each one of them in my life. After they wear it for a while, they are to pass it on and express their gratitude to someone in their life.
For the boys, I painted “McHendy” in gold sharpie on a shot glass for each of them.
To try to get them all to look relatively the same, I chose a font I liked and printed the word “McHendy” out on a sheet of white paper. I cut it out to fit into the glass and simply drew over it while it was inside the glass.
Once opened, we filled each shot glass up with a “Mini Beer.” Have you ever had one? They actually taste more like a creamsicle than beer, but they look like a little glass of beer, so are fun to make. (To make a Mini Beer, simply fill a shot glass 2/3 full with Licor 43 and top with a splash of heavy cream)
Here’s a picture (sorry a bit blurry) of our McHendy “Kids” who I love so dearly (including a few new members!)
Here they were what seems like about 10 minutes ago…
Cherishing memories then and now!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 
How gorgeous are the girls and how clever are you with your crafty mind. I think the keys are a beautiful idea. Families, friendships that last are so precious, you and they are very lucky hun 😊
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Thanks Jenny – I loved the key idea, and even more I love all these girls! My BFF Jill is a soulmate and we are so fortunate to share these girls! I am very lucky to have them in my life.
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I love this blog post. 😊
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Thank you so much Glaiza. I so appreciate when people take the time to share so I know that it is being enjoyed. 🙂
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I love the idea behind the key bracelets! What a beautiful family. I love how you share special parts of your life. The shot glasses were a great idea too! You have so much love in your heart Jodi that you are not able to contain it. And, that is a beautiful thing. 🙂
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I know – right PJ? – I fell in love with it when I found it and thought it fit so well into my friend, Jill’s Pay it Forward Gift we all did. I am so blessed to be so surrounded with so much love. Sending some your way my friend! ❤
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Thank you Jodi! I will certainly cherish it. 🙂
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What a beautiful idea…..BTW……I love the apricot bread toasted!!!!!
Sent from my iPad
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Thanks Aunt Gwen! Was so good to see and spend time with you. I told you that you would love it toasted! 🙂 xo
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Great photos! Thank God for family…. 😌
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Yep – and especially chosen friend family 🙂
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How very special! What a treasure friendship is!!
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One of the greatest treasures 🙂
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What lovely bracelets.
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Thanks Fi! They are such a great idea I think
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I should do this with my Marcher family. Martin & Archer combined. Over the years we have become one big happy family. Love to you and yours.
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Love it Julie!!! 🙂
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Hello, Jodi! A whirlwind of a day but wanted to drop by and let you know how wonderful I think every bit of this is. How very lucky you are to have had this terrific friendship for so many years. So many of our friends have divorced and/or moved away that a lot of our dearest friends are now long-distance. Loved the bracelets and the shot glasses. And that last picture….taken ten minutes ago…..well, that’s a tear jerker for sure.
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Thanks for taking the time to visit and write, Barbara. I know it is a very busy time of year. I always appreciate hearing from you. We are so very fortunate to have these long-time friends! It is wonderful to have old and new friends alike! 🙂
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Just saw this post from your heros post. Love the 10 minutes ago picture with the hand decorated sweatshirts. A story you must share with that artwork! Key bracelets charming and the beer glasses cute too. I have to look up licor 43, now!
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We share so many wonderful times together. Our children have grown up together and now they are beginning to have children. ☺️
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