This year for Christmas shopping has been a little different. It all started when my mom decided to go to North Carolina for Thanksgiving, thus throwing a kink in our tradition of shopping together on Black Friday in Chattanooga. So I felt a discombobulated going into Thanksgiving.
Then, I got to spend Turkey Day with Brent's family, trotting back and forth to the restroom and ultimately upchucking multiple times before night's end.
So when 4am on Black Friday rolled around, I was no where near appropriate condition to hit the stores for amazing deals. I slept in. First time in several years and it felt so strange. So strange in fact, I managed to peel myself out of bed around 8:15 and hit a few stores close to our house. I felt like a zombie so I headed back home and slept.
Needless to say, I got zero Christmas shopping done which is completely out of the ordinary for me - in years past, I pride myself in getting all of my shopping wrapped up (no pun intended) on Black Friday.
So this meant I had to venture out throughout the month of December to finish shopping. And for the first time in history, Brent went with me. On a Saturday. What was I thinking?
We ventured out to the mall area last weekend and ever since he has said nothing but how terrible it was. Granted, it was busy. Packed. Crazy. Full of people. However, I always judge how bad it is based on parking availability and we got a parking spot about 10 from the front. That's fantastic! Better than in the off season.
When we were on our way home, however, the traffic was horrendous! Cars were at a standstill on the ramps off the interstate and when we looked back over the parking lot, cars were snaking through the spots, no availability.
Note to self: Don't get food poisoning on Thanksgiving again. Don't miss the opportunity to finish all shopping on the first official day of Christmas shopping. Don't take husband and child together to the mall on the last weekend before Christmas.
So...moving on....
I was wrapping all of our gifts last night and started thinking about what it's going to be like with Gabbie this year. This is going to be a fun Christmas with Gabbie - she might not quite understand, but she is going to love opening gifts on Christmas morning. We've been determined not to overwhelm her with gifts - especially having a conversation with our neighbor's kids a few weeks ago. I asked them what Santa was bringing them and they really didn't have an answer. These guys are preschool, 1st grade and 2nd grade - old enough to fully understand what is to come, yet they didn't really see the value in all the stuff that is Christmas. Wow. I would love to think Gabbie will be the same way and have been looking for ideas for keep Christ in Christmas and simple - focusing on Jesus' birthday versus the over-commercialization of the holiday. Don't we all want to do that?
So last night on Facebook, our Family Pastor from church posted this little poem their family uses to keep Christmas simple, "Something you want, Something you need; Something to wear and something to read." WOW that was perfect.
We pretty much followed this for Gabbie this year, but what a great standard to establish for years to come. Love it.
I wrote this entire blog post just so next year I can hopefully come back and read this and remember our new little poem....
I hope you enjoy and hopefully this little poem will help you and your family as you establish traditions in your household for Christmas!