Oh Christmas

Are you friend or foe this year? This year has no doubt been tough. It started off with my dear aunt passing and though nothing has happened quite so bad since it still has no redeeming qualities. Speaking of Sister, she is filling my thoughts more than ever these days. I think of her every day, but lately the frequency has reached an almost constant. I suppose the holidays remind us of those we have lost because holidays don't seem quite right with out them. Mine do not anyway...

Sister shined wherever she went, but it seems like she prepared for Christmas year round. A champion shopper, every sale was/is always an opportunity to mark a name off your list. For the past twenty some years I have received a Barbie Christmas ornament from her. I love getting them out. I take them all out and arrange them by type & then evenly distribute them on the tree. It is incredibly dorky, but I love them. I haven't put them on the tree in the past 2 years, mainly because we cut down our own trees & there are just not enough branches. I haven't been able to even get them out this year. I am really tired of being sad about this, but the pain is lodged in my chest with no chance of dislodging any time soon. fart.

Some things are looking up though. Rob's brother, sister-in-law, & niece are coming up for Christmas & I am so STOKED. Christmas gifts are purchased and wrapped!!

Rob selected and cut the Christmas tree for the last two Christmases, so this year my brother, Chloe, Jack & I found the tree. I took Chloe & Jack to my parents and we took a short walk to this tree. Chloe even posed proudly for a photo over the weekend- she "smiled" with her teeth showing!

Both dogs ran like wild animals out in the field at my parents' while we cut down the tree... Chloe did roll in some sort of poop though... it was both terrible and funny. She had it on her head down to her curly tail and had to be sprayed down with the hose. She smiled the entire time. Ha.

Christmas Shopping & other bits

This will be the first year ever that I complete my Christmas shopping early. Come Black Friday and I will be snuggled up in my bed with each & everyone crossed off my list. So far so good. I wish I was more anonymous so that I could share the gifts I have recently purchased.... I am about to bust wanting to tell someone... anyone...

I made an excel spreadsheet and set a budget. Thankfully a few gifts were purchased this summer and put away. Having the spending months apart helps my budget work. Having everything purchased ahead of time also frees my schedule for baking items for the guys I work with that repeatedly make my life easier.

Pretty much everything has came from online shopping. Etsy & Amazon are both truly amazing when it comes to finding something for everyone. I didn't really realize how many gifts I purchase from Amazon until I started using the gift organizer. After I add my recipients I am able to add personality traits & sort through past purchases by person. Then Amazon starts recommending items the people on my list may enjoy.

I feel like a pretty good gift giver most of the time. There are people who just flat out stump me, and I try my best to purchase or make something that best represents their personality to me. And after listening to a This American Life broadcast about Christmas gift returns, it turns out everyone thinks they're good at gift giving. Ha. But it's Christmas ... in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. I am happy with whatever token I receive from someone & I would hope that others feel the same way. It's supposed to be fun. Though I do enjoy receiving things I need, I really like opening something that I don't need and would not normally spend money on.

I never got around to taking my last week of vacation this year. So I'm taking the week after Christmas. I will end up with 11 days off! I am really looking forward to spending time with my family & the dogs. This will be my family's first Christmas since my aunt passed away in January. I have already came to terms with the fact that Christmas will forever be altered, but I will not give up on making this coming and every Christmas from this point great.