Christmas Shopping

Last Friday, Jeff had the day off from work and we went to do the Christmas shopping. I mean the shopping for all the out of town relatives. We have for the most part finished our shopping for the kids, each other, and Chad. All of our family lives far away and we both have good sized families. This year I decided to cut down the list from my side of the family. I am feeling a bit guilty, but I have two brothers, and they have kids etc. These lovely brothers have never sent me even a card, no gifts, no thank yous, no cards. We spend hundreds of dollars every year to give everyone in their family a gift, and mail it to them, wrap it etc. It is a lot of money and a lot of work and I am thinking that perhaps they would feel less guilty if I like them, just sent good wishes via prayers. Those two never even email or call me...

So most of our list was Jeff's family although he has some members who are like my brothers, but it is his choice to send so we send. Jeff is not a scrooge like me. He had this great idea to go to a really cool souvenir store in our town. It was the coolest store ever, I wanted just about everything in the store. We arrived with a list of all the relatives that needed presents, a list of about 25 people. We did a cursory walk through of the store, it is big, we decided what to get and we started loading up. I was doing the picking and the crossing off the list, Jeff was doing the holding. Lily was doing the bull in a china shop. She is not the stand still keep your hands to yourself type and this store was dripping with breakables.

The owner, a little old man came by and asked Jeff why he was doing all the holding. Jeff told him that I had the list. Is it emasculating for a man to hold things in a store for his wife? Anyways, Jeff asks the man if we can have a discount if we buy in bulk, like buy 10 get one free...The man answers, HELL NO. We all have a good laugh.

Once we get all the stuff up to the counter, we are sure that every name on the list has been accounted for, I take Lily to the car. We successfully made it through the trip without breaking anything or having any screaming fits, it was time to get her out, because that window of grace is not very big. I buckle Lily into the car and the owner comes out and is asking where is the little princess. I open the window next to Lily and he hands her a present. A beautiful snow globe, a big one. He winds up the music and tells her she is a beautiful princess and wishes her a Merry Christmas. No discount but we did get a cool parting gift. The snow globe contains bison, two bison, do you think that the gulf coast of Mississippi is famous for bison? Seemed weird but we are grateful.

Jeff went and got presents for the girls while I went home and wrapped all the out of town gifts. We got them in the mail Saturday, so all is well. Sunday, I went shopping for the girls early in the morning as to avoid the crowds. I got everything on my list but the cold I which had been percolating came on full force, I almost collapsed in the store. I thought I was going to die. I am finally feeling a bit better today, still coughing but no longer do I feel like I am about to slip into unconsciousness. Our to-do list seems to be going pretty well, I am attempting to do Christmas cards today. I have never before been industrious enough to actually send one, I will try, just a card and a love, us. No pics or anything to make it more complicated than I can handle. I have to bake cookies for the neighbors who don't acknowledge my existence, because I am going to get in good with these people if it kills me, and stocking stuffers. Otherwise I think I am good. And the cold is almost gone, bonus.