Early Christmas
My first thought when I opened my eyes this morning was….”I have to do this, and I don’t want to.” Since Charli was sick yesterday, all the final Christmas shopping got pushed to today. I knew it would be a zoo out there, and I was not loving the idea of braving the lines, the traffic, the scarcity of parking spots, the crowds, and such. I prayed, “God, give me the energy to do what I need to do today.” I was at my first shopping destination by 9:30, no traffic, parking spots right up front, and only a handful of people in the store!
Charli was home recuperating, so she didn’t join me, but I NEEDED her! She’s such a good gift picker! So I walked around the store with her on Facetime asking, “What about this one?” She helped me pick some good stuff, as usual.
Long story short, I was able to get all my shopping done and everything wrapped (with Charli’s help) and under the tree by 6:30 tonight when we were to begin our family’s early Christmas celebration.
Chip made dinner — beer can chicken, stuffing, salad, and guacamole. Then we opened gifts by the fire. Chip gave each of us a black beanie embroidered with a white silhouette of Chandler on his bike. We will wear them proudly.
One thing I learned tonight…when you print a certificate for a gift, make sure your spouse hasn’t put expensive mailing labels in the printer. For a couple of the gifts, I gave coupons and printed out pictures of those items. When I pulled them off the printer, I thought, “What the heck is wrong with the printer! There are lots of lines across these pictures.” Then I realized it was because the paper was actually a sheet of mailing labels Chip had put in the printer unbeknownst to me. When the kids opened those gift coupons and commented on their sheet of stickers, Chip asked “Are those my mailing labels???” I will check the printer next time, babe….promise. But at least now, Charli has stickers of Harry Styles’ nose, eyes, hair, etc.
Today’s Chandler-ness:
10/15/98 - I was doing my Bible study and asked you, “Who are some important people in your life?” Your reply — “Everybody, cuz God made them.”
