Reindeer Games

Dixie is so happy to not have to wear the antlers this year.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Last Delivery

When I was a sophomore in high school, I was a member of the Exchange Club which was a service organization and that's all I can really remember about it.  I can't tell you how it came to Ritter or why, but I showed up for a meeting and walked out a member.  I know we did service projects but I can only remember two.  The first was sorting cans in the basement at Little Sister's of the Poor in Indianapolis and I only remember it because the nun we worked for took us down to the basement left us down there for hours with no choice but to work because no one knew the way out of the basement.  (Well played Sister, well played.)  The second project was delivering Christmas baskets.

As a junior or senior (I can't remember which, all I know was I had a drivers license), we partnered with the local Westside Exchange Club of Indianapolis to provide the manual labor for their Christmas baskets.  We showed up on December 22, in a cabinet shop somewhere off Washington Street in Indianapolis and we were quickly put to work assembling baskets with food and toys.

The following day, I borrowed my mom's green minivan and we went back to the cabinet shop to deliver the baskets we had prepared the day before.  

Stop and think about this for a minute.  There was no GPS in 1997-1998.  I didn't have a cell phone, and if I did, I was told to only use it in case of emergency.  And getting lost and calling for directions didn't constitute an emergency.  And since we only had dial-up internet at home, I couldn't have called home for someone to MapQuest them (Google wasn't a verb then) because that would have taken forever.  We had a paper map of Indianapolis and my mom's green minivan.  I'm not even sure where I could get an updated paper map of Indianapolis today.

I know we delivered several baskets that day but I only remember one delivery.  The last delivery of the day.

The paper said 11 people lived in the house, 4 adults and 7 children ranging in ages.  So we loaded up the minivan with the basket and since it was the last delivery, any extra food and toys were thrown in as well.

We found the house and knocked on the door.  The men that came to the door had no shirt on (its a strange detail to remember, I know) and the inside of the house seemed dark.  We told them we were here to deliver their Christmas basket and from out of nowhere, kids start rushing the door jumping up and down and screaming, "now we can have Christmas!".  We handed everything over and wished them a Merry Christmas.

The ride home was quiet.  I think we were all pondering the same thing, those kids would not have had a Christmas at all without that basket.  No presents, no stockings, nothing to wake up to Christmas morning.  And here we were, three girls from good middle class families whose biggest concerns were what dress to wear to the dance and making curfew.  Talk about geting slapped across the face with perspective.

I think about that family every Christmas.  I wonder if they think about us.  I wonder how their next Christmas turned out and if they received another basket or not.  I wonder about the kids in that house.  How did they turn out?  Did they pay it forward to another family who needed help when they got older?  

It was a five minute interaction that will stay with me for a lifetime.

  

Cheating On Thanksgiving

I can't believe I am admitting this as I am a firm believer that you should celebrate one holiday at a time but my Christmas decorations are out.  I used to berate my mother for playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving and couldn't believe it when I learned my friend Brandi would start listening to Christmas music around Halloween.

I feel like I've cheated on Thanksgiving.

This past weekend was the first weekend in a long time where we didn't have to do anything and it was the best and only time to get the decorations out.  We also hoped it would help us enjoy the holidays more and find our Christmas spirit.  I usually get so overwhlemed with everything that I have to do to prepare for the holidays that I usually turn into Scrooge.  I'm hoping this year is different.

I'm not ready for Christmas music yet but there's something about white lights and garland that makes everything feel a little bit more cozy than usual.  And the tree isn't up yet, so we haven't full embraced Christmas yet.

I'm hoping Thanksgiving will forgive me.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

A Few of My Favorite Things

I recently watched the Oprah episode where she gives everyone in her audience a few of her favorite things.  While I won't be giving you, dear reader, any fabulous prizes or 7 day cruises, the show did get me thinking about what I wanted for Christmas this year.  Unlike Daulton who gets to shop in the stack of toy catalogs my mom and I collected, I do my shopping on the internet.

Skybar One Wine Chiller & Dispenser

A device that aerates and chills my wine to the appropriate temperature and then dispenses it straight into my glass?  Yes please. This would look great on my kitchen counter and I can see it filled with malbecs and merlots in the winter and rieslings in the spring.

At $399.99, this is probably not going be showing up under the Christmas tree but a girl can still dream.

If you are looking for a wine related gift for me, I am currently obsessed with malbec wines from Argentina and Chile.  (Try The Gaucho Club Malbec, its amazing!)  If you love red wine, you have to try malbec.  Its red deliciousness in a bottle.  Buy a bottle for yourself and one for me!

Frame the Date

I came across this site a few months ago and have been lusting after it ever since.  I would love to have this with my wedding date (4/24/2010) in the black frame.  I like the idea of adding a picture but I think I would love it just as much without the picture, so I can go either way with it.

And, if we have this hanging up in the house there is no reason for anyone to forget our anniversary.

Key to the Perfect Locket by HannaKinsey

This necklace is from my friend Hanna's Etsy shop, HannaKinsey.  I love that it looks like a family heirloom and I would always wonder what it unlocked.  Is it a key to an old trunk filled with treasures or to a safety deposit box filled with money.  Who knows?  But I do know I would spend many hours daydreaming about what the key would unlock.

Kinsey Necklace by HannaKinsey

Another favorite from the HannaKinsey Etsy shop.  Normally, I am not a bird person but this necklace reminds me of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  If you haven't read the Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) yet you are missing out.  Run, do not walk, to the book store, library, internet, whatever and get your hands on these books and read them immediately (and then call me to discuss).  I promise you its an amazing series and well worth the read.  Its also interesting that it was Hanna who suggested the Hunger Games to me and then created, in my opinion, the perfect representation of those books.  This necklace reminds me of the Mockingjay pin Katniss wears.  Talking about the Hunger Games and looking at this necklace makes me want to read the entire series again. 

Kylie Messenger Bag

Years ago, pre-Matt, I had a major purse problem.  (If you ever saw my mother's shoe collection you would understand that it wasn't my fault.  I inherited these genes!)  I bought new purses constantly and was physically unable to walk away from a cute bag.  And then I signed a 30 year mortgage, met my husband and step-son, and I realized I had to stop buying handbags like they were candy.

I have since gotten rid of a few purses and I haven't bought a new one in years.  I would love to have a bag that would allow me to shop "hands free" since I could wear it messenger style.  There would also be room for all of my stuff, my Nook if I ever get a chance to read for fun again, and whatever else I need to carry.

I am also considering the Beverly bag from the same shop.

Can you tell I have been window shopping on Etsy a lot?

Initials & Wedding Date with Pearl & Wedding Ring Charm

This speaks to my newlywed heart.  I love the simplicity and the personalization.  And if you know anyone else who got married this year, this would be a great gift for them as well.  But if you are only going to buy one, buy one for me!

The Vintage Pearl also has a similar styles.  And I would love to have the dainty drops necklace with Daulton's name and birthstone.

My last Etsy store, I promise.  I am also loving the LapDeskLady's shop and since I love to work from my recliner I am sure I would get great use out of her lap desks.  I also love the customized stationary and address labels. 

iPad

Yes, I admit it.  I want an iPad.  I love the apps and how it fits in my hand.  I love that I could use it for work and for home.  I can see myself handing it to Daulton to watch movies on it during long car rides. 

I don't need the 3G version, wi-fi only would suit me just fine.  But I am going to need the 64GB model.  And maybe an iTunes gift card to buy a few apps and movies for Daulton.

If money were no object, I would buy 2 iPads.  One for me and one for the boys.  I know how we are and we won't want to share.  Having 2 would allow me to take one to work and still leave one at home for the guys to use.

As the holidays approach, its always fun to look through the catalog and internet for the "I would love to have that" items.  Its also a great time to appreciate the things you already have.

For me its a husband who loves and supports me, a step-son who makes me laugh and teaches me patience, parents who love me and have helped shape the person I am today, siblings who taught me to fight for what's important and let the little stuff go, and friends who accept me for who I am.