We had a good time out at Grandma's where I made Brad's cousin cry because the gift we got her wasn't what she wanted. She's like 10 or something and we got her some books that my nieces like. Apparently she didn't want books and sat there and cried over it. She not even once said thank you for her gift and her mother never made her say thank you. This is exactly what I was talking about with my friend the other day. Kids these days can be so spoiled. I know there are parents out there that don't spoil their kids but Brad and I had already discussed not being part of the gift exchange this year because all the kids in the family have enough toys and get enough presents from their parents for Christmas what is the point in doing the exchange out there except to feed the greed. So next year I don't think we'll participate in it. If they are worried that Lego Boy is going to feel left out we'll bring a present out there for him to open but this is the second year in a row that the present we have taken out there has been looked down on by the receiver and I refuse to allow ourselves to be put in that position again. So that is my in-law rant for the day.
After grandma's we came home and Lego Boy opened his gifts. We didn't have an extravagant Christmas but that was by design. We were planning on a very low key Christmas this year to focus more on the spiritual aspect of the holiday but then my parents decided to help us get a TV for Christmas. So our low key Christmas turned into a pretty big one. :) It's ok though. We really appreciate the gift. Lego Boy got a cute Webkin in his stocking and Brad got a book from Lego Boy and I got a book from Lego Boy. Lego Boy also got, of course, Legos and a small digital camera, a Star Wars comic book, a Star Wars Coloring book, and a Star Wars game from my parents. In the picture you can see a few of the gifts we got.
The green arrows are pointing to the new TV, the red arrows are pointing to the drumset for our Rock Band game that Brad and I got each other for Christmas, the Blue is Lego Boy's Webkin (he named it Jackey), and the purple is his Tub O' Lego's as I like to call it. The anniversary set we got him had 700 various pieces in different colors. It's like those old school sets we had back in our child hood where you had to come up with stuff on your own to make not these new fangled sets that show you exactly the one thing you're suppose to make with the legos that came in the box.After the present opening we sat down with The Boy and read some scriptures that go along with the nativity set we have. We have scriptures in the Bible and Book of Mormon that speak of the prophecies of Christ's birth and then verses that show the fulfillment of those prophecies. It was actually my favorite part of the day :) Brad's parents came by for a visit and we had some lasagna then we played some games and now everyone is in bed (the boy) or getting ready for bed (us).
All in all and interesting day. I got to speak to my family over the phone and see how they are doing. I miss them but we'll see them again soon. I don't know why it seems so different but this year Christmas has been so much more of a spiritual journey more than anything. We've done our usual traditions of making cookies, and buying gifts for an Angel tree child, Lego Boy gets to pick out the gifts he really enjoys it :) ) but for some reason my thoughts are constantly straying back to the true meaning. A meaning that all too often I think gets lost in the midst of the shopping and craziness. I'm starting to understand people that shop year round for Christmas. Having our shopping done early certainly made this year much better. And we still have one more we have Christmas with Brad's immediate family tomorrow. Since I have to work tomorrow I better get headed to bed myself. I hope everyone out there had a joyous Christmas Day! I wish I could show the love in my heart I have for all my family and friends both those I'm still in contact with and those I'm not. Tonight I truly hope and pray they are all at peace, blessed, and happy with this day that the Lord has given us. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as good and perhaps even better.
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Just a thought that might work for the gift exchange, because I know exactly what you mean! Every year the same girl at the Hostler dinner always comes back and says she doesn't like the gift she received from Santa (Mamma and Daddy) and wants to trade. Just ridiculous!! Dave and I talked about it last year and were just appalled because in "our day" we would have been overjoyed to just receive a gift at all!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway to the idea. In my Mom's family, the families got too big to do the exchange, so Grandma and pa came up with a different idea. Instead of doing a gift exchange with the family, they have everyone donate what they would have spent to a gift fund. This fund rotates through the brothers and sisters so that the money can go to different people who are in need. Whenever it is their year, the person gets to decide how the money will be used and the rest of us just know that it is going for a good cause.