Father's Day

I realize Father's Day was more than a week ago, but I am just now having time to post.

We started Father's Day at church.  When we got home, my parents brought over home-cooked breakfast.  After breakfast, my dad and Doug opened presents.  Weston, the dogs and I got Doug splatter screens for cooking, a DVD he wanted and made him a candy card.  We got my dad a movie theater gift card.  He really enjoys seeing movies.

When we finished opening gifts, we all took a nap.  It's our thing.  Ha. 

When we got up, we headed to an early dinner.  We then came back to the house to play games and then went out for dessert.  It was a very restful and fun day.

Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend, Doug, Weston, I and my parents went to south Georgia.  There we met up with my in-laws and went to an amusement park/water park.

We thought we'd get into the hotel around midnight, but it was actually around 3am when we got there. :-(  It made for an early morning when we needed to get up a few hours later.  Surprisingly, Weston was in a great mood all day.  

On Saturday, we went on a few rides at the amusement park, but it was 100 degrees and between my pregnant self and Weston's little body, we couldn't stay in that heat too long.  We ended up spending the entire afternoon in the water park area.  Weston LOVED the lazy river and the kids water area.  He didn't want to get out of the water.  It's not all that surprising, since his mom and dad are huge water people too.  Saturday evening, there was a concert in the park, so we stayed for that. The Band Perry was performing and even though he had swam all day, only had a short 20 minute nap and about 3 hours of sleep the night before, Weston danced through the whole concert, cutting up and entertaining the people around us.

On Sunday, we went back to the park.  When you buy a ticket at the amusement park, you get in a consecutive day free, so we figured why not go back?!  It was a little cooler on Sunday because Tropical Storm Beryl was heading in our direction.  We went on the few more amusement rides and then headed over to the water park area again.  We spent the entire time in the lazy river.  The only reason we got out of the water is the sky seemed threatening and we were getting cold since there wasn't any sun.  After we got dried off and changed into our clothes, the sun came back out (and stayed out).  Isn't that the way it always is?  Doug's parents and brother left to head back to Florida since they had work on Monday.  The rest of us wandered around the park a little longer, but as soon as we put Weston in his stroller, he fell asleep.  Doug went on a roller coaster and then we headed towards the gift shop to get Weston a souvenir.  When we left the park, we went looking for dinner and spent about 2 hours hunting down a non-chain pizza place.  There weren't any open, so we ended up at Pizza Hut.  While we were in there, it got very windy and started pouring.  Beryl had arrived.

On Monday, we headed back to Alabama.  We went through Atlanta and met up with my uncle and aunt.  We ate at the Varsity, which is so fattening, but so yummy!  We ended up getting home in time to go to our Monday night trivia game, where our team took first place for the 3rd week in a row.  

We had a fabulous weekend and hope you did the same. :-)

Mother's Day

Yesterday was my second Mother's Day (although I was pregnant with Weston for Mother's Day 2010).

Doug and Weston did a really good job of loving on me yesterday, as they do every day. 

*A disclaimer: I think that Mother's Day is another holiday thought up by retailers to make more money.  I feel that children are a huge blessing and there doesn't need to be a day set aside for mothers (or fathers).

We started the morning at church and then met my parents for breakfast.  Afterwards, we went home and all three of us took a nice nap.  When we got up, we started getting ready to go to dinner.  We decided to go early so that we could beat the dinner rush.  We pulled up to the restaurant before 4:30 and we were told it would be an hour wait (which it was).  Guess we didn't beat the rush. 

While we were waiting to be seated, I opened presents from Doug, Weston, the dogs and my parents.  We also gave my mom presents as well.  Doug got me a book I've been wanting to read, Weston got me the Beauty and the Beast DVD because I want to collect all of the Disney movies, and the dogs got me a new iPhone cover.  My parents got me a fan to help combat the hot Alabama summer since, lucky me, I will be pregnant until the end of August (or that's the plan).

We got my mom a picture frame from Weston that says "I love you Mamma".  I saw a deal on the frame and since we can't find anything with Mamma on it, I decided to order it.  And then it occurred to me that I should have waited until Grandparents Day in September.  Oh well, she enjoyed it.  We also got her a chaise lounge for her back porch so she could sit outside and read.

Mother's Day 2012 was a very nice day and I felt celebrated, even though I don't deserve it.  I'm just doing what I've always dreamed of doing- being a Mom.

Telling Doug

The October after Doug and I got married, I bought a Christmas themed scavenger hunt for me to send Doug on to find a gift with.  The first year, his gift at the end was a Mouse Trap game from the baby on the way.  

Since I really didn't have a gift in mind for this year, I decided I would take a pregnancy test after he left for work and that would be his final gift.  I wasn't going to wait until Christmas Day to let him do the scavenger hunt, so I thought about when a good time would be.  We got engaged on December 21, so I decided that would be a good day to test and give him the news.

The night before, I was so excited about taking a test that I didn't sleep. The next morning, I needed to go to the bathroom pretty badly, but I wanted to video the test result, so I didn't want to take the test until Doug left for work.  When Doug's alarm went off, he didn't get up.  When the second alarm went off, he still didn't get up.  I gently woke him up and explained he needed to get going. I then went and fed the dogs, let them out.  I basically did anything I could do to get him out of the house ASAP.

When he finally left, I RAN to the bathroom and took the test.  I then videoed the test until it turned to 'pregnant'. That afternoon, while Weston was napping, I set out all the scavenger hunt clues.  The final clue was on our bathroom mirror.  It said:

"Three years ago today, you gave me a ring

I wonder what THIS December 21st will bring.

Go get Weston for your gift."

I had put a "Big Brother" shirt on Weston and I figured right before Doug went in to his room, I'd hand Weston the pregnancy test, sanitized obviously.  Doug usually gets home at the end of nap time, so I thought the timing would work out well.  Of course, wasn't that the day that Doug got out of work late.  I made Weston stay in his crib until Doug got home, so needless to say Weston wasn't the happiest or most cooperative camper when Doug finally went in there.  I don't have pictures either.

Since we had been trying, Doug sort of suspected I was pregnant, but had no idea that was the gift at the end of the scavenger hunt.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day y'all!  I've had a rough month (+), but hopefully I'm on the mend.

Doug and I went out to dinner.  Weston stayed with my parents.  It was a very nice evening.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm going to fill out a survey.  Boring, I know, but at least I'm posting.

How long have you and your significant other been together?  3 1/2 years

How did you meet? (What’s your love story?) We met through a mutual friend. Doug was in town for Labor Day weekend and the friend invited both of us to go to trivia night.  We enjoyed each other's company and ended up going out 3 more times that weekend.  Shortly after, I got a job closer to where Doug lived and that was it. Here's the full story.

If married, how long have you been married? 2 1/2 years next month 

  

If you are married, where did you get married? Big or small wedding? We got married at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, FL.  Our wedding was medium-sized.

  

Do you have any nicknames that you call one another? Not really

. 

Name 3 things you love most about your honey. #1 His love for his family #2 His work ethic #3 His ability to be incredibly laid-back, in turn keeping me calm (or trying to).

 

Tell us how he proposed.  After recreating our first weekend together, he took me to the park where we sat for many hours talking and proposed to me by the dolphin fountain.

Is he a flower and teddy bear kind of guy, or strawberries, champagne and rose petals? He brings me flowers (not always roses and not always red) on occasion, not just Valentine's Day, but otherwise, he thinks outside the box.

Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or a pop a movie in and relax on the couch? Definitely a movie and couch type of girl.

Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere? I'd like to take our child(ren) to all the baseball parks in the U.S. (and the one in Canada).  This would allow my hubby to share his love of baseball with the children and allow me to see the U.S.

Tell us what you plan on doing this Valentine’s Day. We will try to go out to dinner, exchange gifts and spend time with Weston.

Are you asking for anything for Valentine’s Day? Nope, I'd be perfectly happy with sitting at home staring at each other, no gifts exchanged, if it means spending time with my husband and son.

Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love. Always remember why you fell in love with the person.  Date nights and being silly together help too. ;-)

Mother's Day

Yesterday was my first official Mother's Day.  Doug and Weston got me a picture frame and a Willow Tree figurine.  When Weston was born, I had gotten Doug the "New Dad" figurine.  We had a relaxing day and then had Mexican food (my favorite) for dinner. 

My mom was here with us as well,  so we gave her slippers and a gift card to a bookstore.

It was a very nice, enjoyable day.

Easter 2011

The Easter Bunny definitely showed up at our house yesterday!


Weston is a very blessed little boy.  The Easter Bunny left him many goodies including Special Agent OSO and a Special Agent Wolfie plushes, a blue bunny, blocks and books.

His biggest gift from the EB was a redneck swing set.  It is just a few pieces of wood constructed to hold his new swing.  He loves swinging in it!

My parents got him a pool and pool toys, so that will be a lot of fun to play in as the weather warms up!

Weston is a very blessed little boy.

Happy Easter!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter and enjoying the Lord and the feast.  :-)

Christians Turning Away Their Own...and Others

With Easter coming up soon, I have a gripe with some churches and their way of handling Easter services.

The church I attended in Florida, a church in Austin, Texas and I'm sure many others around the nation are requiring tickets for their Easter services.  Although I understand the fear of overcrowding, I have a few issues with requiring tickets.

• It has been proven that non-believers and casual church-goers most likely attend church at/around Easter and at/around Christmas.  If you turn away those who are wanting to learn about the Lord, you are not only doing a disservice to these people, but also making a bad name for Christians.
• I know for a fact that the church in Florida can accommodate many, many people by holding their services outside.  While they were building the church buildings, they held services outside using speakers and such.  Easter in Florida is generally a beautiful time to be outside, so why not make the services unlimited capacity?
• Wouldn't "standing room only", accommodating everyone who chooses to attend, be preferable to requiring tickets, thus turning people away from God?

Just some things to ponder during this Easter weekend.

If Only I'd Known

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Six years ago today, my grandmother, Amie, and I went out to dinner.  It wasn't really for St. Patrick's Day, but because we were hungry.

We saw several restaurants advertising corned beef and cabbage.  I am not at all a fan of this meal, so when my grandmother suggested we go somewhere for corned beef and cabbage, I selfishly told her that perhaps next year she and her very Irish friend Kay could go out for this meal.

Had I known that she would only have two more dinners on Earth, I would have found something on the menu at one of the Irish restaurants so that Amie could have had corned beef and cabbage for her final St. Patrick's Day. 

I feel horrible that I denied my grandmother a meal she wanted, simply because I was too picky to eat at one of the Irish restaurants.

Sorry Amie!

Happy Pi Day!

When I was in middle school and high school, I remember going into math class and the teacher would make a big deal out of March 14th.  I also remember thinking how nerdy people that celebrate Pi Day were.

Aaaand then I married an engineer, someone that enjoys math...and Pi Day. 

I thought about making a pie for Doug to "celebrate" this (un)remarkable day, but since he's not a fan of pie, I decided not to waste the money on something I'd probably end up burning anyway.

Anyway, to any of you out there that enjoy and/or celebrate this day, Happy Pi Day!

V-Day Wrap-Up

When Doug came home we celebrated Valentine's Day instead of waiting until dinner.  This was mainly because, although Weston is really well behaved, he is still a baby and therefore unpredictable.  We didn't want to try exchanging gifts at dinner if Weston needed our attention more.  I was a little leery of taking Weston out to dinner on this "couple's" holiday, but I was more reticent to leave him with a babysitter.

I gave Doug an iTunes card for his new iPhone and a magazine subscription so he can read about all the baseball happenings.

He came in with a dozen 11 roses (one broke when he was cutting the stems to put them in the vase). 

He also bought me 3 calla lilies.  Calla lilies are what I carried on our wedding day. 

Recently I mentioned that we have never been to any professional sporting events together.  Therefore, he bought me (which is a gift for him, just as much as it is for me) tickets to go see the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals play in April.  We will drive over to Atlanta to see family, go on a stadium tour and make a weekend out of it.  I'm very excited about going to the baseball game and everything else for that weekend.

We gave Weston a car that moves when the ball on the top is spun or when he shakes the "finish line" flag.  He immediately figured out how to make it move.  Unfortunately, a car that moves seemingly by itself is a little scary to a 7 1/2 month old.

Doug surprised me as to the dinner location.  We went to Grille29, which is a steak and seafood place.  Doug got steak and I ordered soup and salad.  The food was very good and both Doug and myself left very full.  Weston was an absolute angel.  He didn't make any noise and he looked SO handsome and grown up.

By the time we got home, the evening was gone, but tonight we are making Valentine's cake.  I'm excited whenever we make cake because when Doug and I first started dating, we used to make cake a lot and it was always fun to bake together.

Resolutions

I am going to expand on a few of the resolutions I made yesterday that I absolutely plan to stick to.  Y'all need to hold me accountable.

• I am going to enjoy each and every day of having Weston in my life.  I'm not going to wallow in self-pity that my baby is growing up so quickly, but rather enjoy watching him discover the world and seeing things through his eyes.
• I am going to be a better wife to Doug.  I think because we went from very newly newlyweds to expectant parents, we didn't have time to focus on making a solid foundation for our marriage.  We were constantly focusing on our upcoming baby and never on "us".  This year, I am going to take time to specifically give to Doug and to work on our marriage. 
• I am going to get involved in a church.  Additionally, I'm going to make friends here so that I can get out more and meet other moms and Weston can have friends.
• I am going to eat healthier so that I can be a good role model for Weston, since he will begin eating "real" food soon.
• I am going to try my best to not focus on baby #2.  I REALLY want to be pregnant again and to have a little girl.  However, like the first resolution said, I need to enjoy Weston's babyhood and let him be the one and only for awhile.

I can't wait to see what this year holds!

Happy New Year 2011!

It's a new year, which means resolutions and a clean slate.  I will post those tomorrow.


To tie up last year, I figured I would start the year off reviewing the past last year. I saw this Year in Review on other blogs, specifically Kelly's, and decided to participate.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Gave birth to an amazing little boy (June 30th).  Played in snow with my HUSBAND (Feb. 12th) and then with my husband and SON (December 25th and 26th).  Moved to a city where I knew NO ONE (except my husband and son).


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any resolutions, except to be a great mom.  I didn't do as well as I would liked to have.
Resolutions for 2011:

• Be a better wife
• Join a church
• Put down the iPhone and be a more “present” mom
• Make more personal time for me, whether I go out by myself, take a warm bath, etc.
• Lose the rest of my baby weight
• Eat healthier

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I did!  Weston is a 2010 baby.  A lot of people I know are having babies in 2011 though.


4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.  Thank goodness.


5. What countries did you visit?
None


6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
I would like to have a closer relationship with my brother.


7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 12th: First snow day in the South.
February 22nd: Ultrasound that showed our baby was healthy and on track.
April 10th: My baby shower.
June 30th: Weston's birth.
September 2nd: First time my brother met Weston.
December 25th: First white Christmas


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Becoming a mother. 


9. What was your biggest failure?
Being a good mother and wife.  I need to learn to balance the two better in 2011.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.  With the exception of morning sickness, I was healthy all year. 


11. What was the best thing you bought?
The baby's crib.  I love it and am so excited to use it with Weston and future babies.


12. Where did most of your money go?
Preparation for the baby, but it was all totally worth it.


13. What did you get really excited about?
Having a baby, becoming a family, becoming a mommy, and playing Santa and Mrs. Claus.


14. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Anything by Michael Jackson.  When Doug and I first found out we were pregnant, we went and saw "This Is It".  It seemed like that was a perfect title to our life- this is it, we're having a baby.  So, this year, every time I heard a MJ song, I was reminded of that first weekend that we found out we were expecting.


15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? Sadder.  Last year, I was filled with the possibilities of the baby I was carrying.  This year, I realize my baby is growing up so quickly and I miss the newborness of him. Maybe this time next year, we'll have another baby on the way.  Only time and God will tell.
– thinner or fatter? heavier.  I still have baby weight to lose, but I hope that it will be gone soon.
– richer or poorer? Financially richer.  We don't have a baby to prepare for and Doug got a new job which included a raise.


16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent time with Doug before Weston got here, enjoyed Weston's newborn stage, spent more time with Weston, talked to my brother.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spent time on my iPhone instead of communicating with my husband and baby.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
At home, with family, and playing in the snow.


19. What was your favorite TV program?Just one? I love Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House, Law and Order: SVU, Modern Family


20. What were your favorite books of the year?
I read a lot of Mary Kay Andrews books.


21. What was your favorite music from this year?
Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Country and Top 40 in general.

 22. What were your favorite films of the year?
We took Weston to see Toy Story 3, his first movie and I also liked Valentine's Day.


23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26 and I just hung out with Weston during the day, but Doug, Weston and I went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and then we met my parents for dessert.


24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I felt like I did a good job being a wife and a mom.  I had such high hopes for how motherhood would be.  Also, I thought I knew how to balance marriage and motherhood, but it turns out I need to work hard on it.

 25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
For the first half of the year, I was in maternity clothes.  Actually, let's not lie, until about September, I was in maternity clothes.  Haha.  The remainder of the year has been just trying to fit into pre-pregnancy clothes.


26. What kept you sane?
My husband.


27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
I'm borrowing this from Kelly, because she said it best. 
“Whatever you are, be a good one.” ~Abraham Lincoln. I may be “just a mom” but my work is valid, important, and priceless to my “employers” (my husband and son).  I don’t need to be perfect, but I must strive to do my best at whatever I do.  Whether it be mothering, being a wife, a daughter, a laundry-folder, a butt-wiper, a food server, or whatever.  I am the architect for my family’s life, for better or for worse, and everything I do will shape the life we lead.  A huge responsibility, yes.  But oh what a privilege.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Since Doug and I grew up in Florida, neither of us ever had a white Christmas.  I think I am a northern girl at heart, so I have always wanted to live where is snows and have a white Christmas.  One of my complaints about Florida is that it is always warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt on Christmas Day, so it doesn't feel like Christmas. 

Yesterday, we woke up to this:

I told everyone that they could have not gotten me anything for Christmas and I still would have been THRILLED!!  I guess I'm excited by the little things in life.

Weston's first Christmas was also yesterday!  Santa definitely came to our house.

Since he is still small, Weston didn't really play with much of anything, but as he grows, I'm sure he'll become more interested in the things he got.

He did stay awake most of the day and while we opened presents, but by last night, he was overtired and quite crabby.  We put him to bed about 9 and he didn't wake up until 8:40 this morning.  He needed the rest!

My parents, brother and sister-in-law came from Kentucky to spend Christmas with us.  It was very special to me to have them here, because my brother will be deploying soon.  We had a nice time opening presents, seeing what everyone else got and just laughing and having fun.

It snowed all day today too, but we needed baby food, so we braved the snow.  It was fun to see the city all covered in snow.

When we got home, Doug and I had a colossal snowball fight.  Even Hattie and Waveland joined in.  It was a very nice day spending time with my little family.

I'm so glad Doug has the week off so we can just hang out.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone! 

I hope you are enjoying Christmas and getting plenty of family time in.  I know I am.

Love each other and remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate CHRISTmas.

Final day of Advent (#25) in special Christmas Eve pajamas:

Weston's First Christmas Eve!

One year ago this evening, Doug and I sat on our couch as just a couple.  We had a baby on the way, but it was just he and I (and maybe the dogs).  We looked forward to our first Christmas as a married couple, but also wondered what a year from then would be like.  We'd have a six month old baby to play Santa for and it wouldn't be about us anymore.  (I also hoped I wouldn't be nauseous like I was then, but due to the dinner mentioned last night, that doesn't seem to be working out for me.) 

It was because of the miracle that was growing in my belly that we started a tradition that hopefully we will continue for many years to come.  As we sat on the couch, we watched Polar Express, sipped hot chocolate and nibbled cookies.  We gazed at the twinkling lights on the tree and talked about how blessed we were to have presents under the tree and a family that loves us. 

Tonight, before we put out the cookies and milk for Santa and  the carrots and apples for his reindeer, we will sit on our couch with Weston and watch the Polar Express and, if we're feeling better, sip hot chocolate and nibble cookies.  We will also tell Weston that he is a very lucky boy to have presents under the tree and a family that loves him.  Just before bed, we will read him 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  In the morning, we will take him to the living room to see what Santa brought, fully realizing he's far too young to understand any of this. 

But in a few years? In a few years, these traditions will mean something to him and he will look forward to our Christmas Eve routine.  Maybe he'll even have siblings to share the joy of Christmas with...

Advent day 24:

Dinner Was a Mistake

Tonight, Doug and I ate at a national chain Italian restaurant that will remain unnamed.  However, both he and I have felt sick after eating there.  I won't be eating there or having Italian anytime soon.

We finished our shopping today and it only took until 30 minutes before Christmas Eve to do so.  We will wrap tomorrow, since neither of us feels like wrapping tonight.

We also bought Weston 'Twas the Night Before Christmas tonight and I can't wait to read it to him tomorrow evening.

Weston didn't choose to eat much before bed, so I suppose either Doug or myself will be beckoned by our little guy in the middle of the night looking for more sustenance.  Such is parenthood.

I'm going to go to bed since I don't feel all that well.

Advent day 23...almost there:

6 Christmases

My family and I are getting ready to spend our 6th Christmas without the matriarch of our family, Amie.  Amie's real name is Nancy, but when grandchildren began being born, she decided she'd be called "Grammy".  I, being the eldest grandchild, couldn't (or didn't choose to) pronounce Grammy, so she became "Ammy" or "Amie".  Everyone- uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family- all called her that.

She was more than just the matriarch to our family.  My grandfather died in 1984, before any grandchildren were born and just after his youngest child's 19th birthday.  This left Amie to be a father and a grandfather, along with being a mother and grandmother.  She went on field trips, climbed in tents and fixed cars and plumbing.  She fixed boo-boos, dried tears and went fishing.  She was the greatest person I've ever known.

Amie has missed so much in the past almost 6 years.  My brother and I have both gotten married, I have had a precious little boy, I graduated from college, my cousins have began driving (watch out!) and my youngest cousin is a beautiful tween.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her and wish she could be here to see how her grandchildren are turning out and to meet her great-grandson.  I do, however, know that she is watching over all of her family and likes what she sees.

On a lighter note, Advent day 22:

Buying for Christmas

Buying for Christmas should be somewhat easy, right?  I mean, usually people tell you what they want and then you go buy it.  All that you have to do is come up with a couple creative gifts that they either didn't ask for, will surprise them, or they mentioned earlier in the year and then they forgot about.  Except, some people in my family, ahem, Doug, my in-laws, my brother don't feel the need to produce a list of what they want.  You ask and the answer you receive is "I don't know what I want" or "I don't want anything in particular".  You and I both know that neither of those statements are true.  Everyone wants something.

Doug gave me a list of a several things he wanted, however, a lot of it is stuff he needs to buy/pick out for himself, my in-laws don't know what they want and my brother, well, he's a procrastinator and it's now December 21st and I still don't know what he wants.  This makes it very hard to buy meaningful Christmas gifts that don't disappoint.  I have looked at my list of items I have purchased for Doug and to be quite honest, it's pretty pitiful!  I have a feeling he's going to be slightly disappointed on the 25th. 

Buying for Weston, my parents, my sister-in-law and my cousin have been a lot easier.  They made lists and/or told me directly what they want, so it was very easy to go purchase those items.  I hope that they are all happy with their gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.

My only other gripe is gift cards.  I don't necessarily mind buying or receiving them.  In fact, there are stages in life in which giving or receiving a gift card is a lot less stress and hassle.  When you are buying for a teenager, it is so much easier to let them buy items for themselves.  It is far too hard to buy for most teenagers because their tastes are quite eclectic.  I also feel that gift cards can be helpful to supplement a main gift.  That said, I feel like buying gift cards as the main gift is taking the easy way out, by being impersonal and by not shopping for what you think the person would really enjoy having.

Hopefully I can finish my shopping and wrapping very soon, seeing as Christmas is now in 4 days.  EEK!

Advent ornament addition day 21.