As if there is not already enough joy to go around this holiday season, we became "Auntie and Uncle" once again last night! Phil's brother Eric and his wife Reya welcomed the first little one into their family last night -quite unexpectedly! Four and a half weeks early, but a healthy 4pounds 14ounces, Clarence Michael decided he just didn't want to miss the Thanksgiving festivities. Eric is in the Coast Guard, stationed in Honolulu, so we can't pick up and hold the little guy, but we are SO thankful he is healthy and that mom is doing well, too. So many blessings...
I started making Christmas stockings about two weeks ago, and I am glad that Thanksgiving is over so I can put up the finished product without getting virtual glares from my mom, who is an avid "Wait until it's time" Christmas decorator. This morning, until we can call and talk to the new mama mentioned above (we are four hours ahead out here) we are listening to Christmas music, putting away fall, and ushering in the holiday season.
This year also marks the first year since I have been married that I have not had to work on Black Friday. We have missed most of the holiday shopping frenzy because of the blatant lack of media in our house, and as a result I was quite content to sit at home -do no shopping and resist fighting the crowds today. That was, until a cousin brought out the ads yesterday at Thanksgiving. Suddenly items that I had never before coveted were now on my "oooh THAT would be fun to have" list. So, all day my poor husband has had to listen to "Well, maybe we SHOULD go to Target...I mean, I know I don't need anything, but what if there is a good deal?"
Because he is the steadfast one in the family, and because we are really trying to keep our holiday low-key this year, he keeps reminding me that we don't need anything, and therefore should not go out looking for anything. So, in that spirit, I have resisted. Then I got a phone call from my sister- out in the trenches of Kohls, telling me about the DVD player she got for $130 off, and the kids clothes that were discounted 70%...oh the pull of retail. And then, I read this article http://www.kcci.com/money/10389831/detail.html and remembered just how crazy black Friday really is. No, we don't really need a garden gnome...even if it is only $1.99.
1 comment:
Good job Phil! Way to hold the course! :) Sonja and I, too, were almost lured in (that media blackout thing really helps curb the excessive consumerism), but we stayed strong, too. We went to Best Buy around 9:30 to see if they had a camera we wanted to get for someone...the guy just chuckled and said, no, there were none left. We knew there was no hope, though, when driving home Thursday night at 10:30pm we saw huge lines already forming at Best Buy and Circuit City. Crazy.
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