December? Already?

Tomorrow marks the beginning of December and the start of a very crazy month for our household.  We have Christmas choir concerts to attend (two of them), tickets to a Minnesota Timberwolves game, "Little Man's" basketball practices (and starting next weekend, games), a black tie event to attend, and last...but certainly not least..."Feisty Girl's" next surgery, which is scheduled for December 17th.  Then, of course, there are the Christmas and New Year holidays quickly approaching.  True Chaos!

However, as the days pass and the year inches ever closer to being over, our family has so much to be thankful for.  The roof over our heads, well-running vehicles, a consistent supply of food on our table, our health, and probably the biggest thing to be thankful for -- each other.

Tomorrow we will be spending a good portion of the day together; something I always enjoy!  We have a full schedule tomorrow, beginning with "Shop With Santa" at 8:00 a.m.  This is a wonderful event sponsored by a local church and 4-H club.  Weeks and months prior to this event each year, local 4-H'ers spend time making hand-made gifts for young children in the area to purchase and give as gifts to those that they hold close in their hearts.  Children in grades six and under are paired-up with an older 4-H volunteer and then they can spend time Christmas shopping for their loved ones.  The gifts are unique, cute, fun, and inexpensive.  We generally give each of the kids $20.00 and they tend to purchase 4 - 6 gifts each year for that amount.  The money raised during the event is then funneled back into the community through, I believe, the church and our local 4-H club.

Santa and Mrs. Clause are on hand each year in the "secret shopping area" (no parents allowed!) and the children each get a small gift from Santa and Mrs. Clause at the end of their shopping spree.  While the children are doing their shopping, parents can sit in the lobby area and enjoy an ice cold juice, milk, or even coffee and a doughnut.

Once the children are done shopping, the 4-H volunteer returns them to their parents (along with any left-over money!) and, generally, then each parent helps their child or children take all of their presents out to the vehicle.  Our kids, well, they are normally smiling from ear-to-ear and are simply dying to tell us what they have purchased for us and everyone else!  (It is hard for them to keep their presents secret all the way until Christmas).  Nonetheless, it is a wonderful time.  Generally we are there about 2+ hours and we all have a blast...the kids with their shopping, and us watching their faces light up once they are done and are returning to us with all of their "goods!"

After the Shop With Santa event tomorrow our daughter has a birthday party to attend and I am going to get a long-overdue haircut, color, and wax.  I'm not sure what the "boys" have planned for later in the day but I'm sure they have a couple of ideas/options that they have already brewed up.  Tomorrow evening we may try to take in "Rise of the Guardians" at our local movie theater...it should be a very fun and exciting day for all of us tomorrow!

Again, I'm reminded of all that I have to be thankful for -- I am truly blessed.