Friday, November 25, 2011

Christmas Joys: Black Friday

It is easy this time of year to get bogged down in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  I often find myself more stressed than joyful as we finish Thanksgiving and begin the Christmas season.  My husband often gets so overwrought at the materialization of Christmas that he gets rather blue.  For this reason, years ago I determined that I would spend from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day making as many memories and joyful moments as possible.  I desire to make the gift giving as little a part of the holiday as possible, not because it is evil, but because it so easy for it to overtake the true joy of Christmas.

The first Christmas Tradition in our family is Black Friday.  Yes, we do go shopping while it's still dark!  Many years ago, my husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law and I and whichever children we had at that time, first began joining the insanity.  For many years we got up at 3:30 or 4:00 to be at the stores at 5:00.  More children joined the family, but we kept going, seeming a little crazier each year.

Then came the year when we just had no reason to go, no great deals, no desire to venture out.  That year, when I had nearly decided listening to the crying and whining (mostly the kids') was not worth it, I overheard my kids talking about how excited they were!

"We get up at like 3 in the morning, go get Krispy Kreme donuts, and go shopping!"  I knew that we had to go, even if we didn't want to .

Since then, the last 3 years, we have done Black Friday only for the kids.  Truly.  They begin talking about how much fun it is weeks before Thanksgiving.  I don't have the heart to not go.

So we kick off each of your Christmas Seasons with the official Black Friday.  Now, however, we leave in the dark (7:00).  Krispy Kreme is closed, so we have to get donuts elsewhere.  We shop until shortly after lunch, come home and nap.  It's really about the fun, not about the shopping.  The kids whine much less, and we all seem to enjoy the day gearing up for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. 

Merry Christmas!

Please share some of your Christmas Traditions.  Check out other interesting posts at Raising Arrows where I have linked this post. 

1 comment:

  1. LOL - this would be the ONLY reason I would do Black Friday! You are a braver mama than I am!

    ReplyDelete

Holiday World 2011!

Holiday World 2011!

Baby # 6

Baby # 6
Welcome to the world and welcome to our crazy family!

Fort Benning

Fort Benning
We finally made it to Georgia!!!


Just a day at the park!

Just a day at the park!

My Hero!

My Hero!
I don't do dead things. Fortunately for me, God gave me boys!

Much awaited 2009 PJs from Daddy!

Much awaited 2009 PJs from Daddy!
Daddy and Grandma make Jammies every year for the kids, They love it!

Christmas in PJs

Christmas in PJs
Don't I just have the cutest kids?

2010 Jammies

2010 Jammies
Once again Daddy pulled it off. They look cute!

Round 2 birthday parties

Round 2 birthday parties
Cake number 1 of 3 done. I am so not an artist, but I think it came out pretty well!

My Girls

My Girls
Borrowed dance clothes, my girls sure look cute.

Couped up

Couped up
More images below showing the children feeling a bit "couped up" from the long winter!

Chickens: Take 2

Chickens: Take 2
Cute chicks!

The robot cake. I am glad my kids' standards aren't as high as mine!

Tree Climbers

Tree Climbers

Summer Fun!

Summer Fun!
Hi Daddy! Hope you are having fun at work!


This one is so bad, I had to label the cake so you would know it's not a cow!

Dressed for Church!

Dressed for Church!
Come as your favorite Bible character night!

Too cute for words!

If the boy wasn't so tall, I could get a picture of his face!


Establishing the pecking order!

Babies!