It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Turkey day has come and gone and now it's Christmas Time. Woohoo!!!Before Thanksgiving was here, I already had up our Christmas Tree and some other Christmas decorations. I did this early b/c I know when our referral comes, decorating will be the last thing on my mind. I love Christmas - my favorite Holiday. This year will be even better and next year will be the best yet with Madelyn here. Children in our home definitely makes this Holiday exciting.

I did something so stupid. I still can't believe I even did this. I felt the effects of it too from doing it. So, what was it? I went midnight shopping - Black Friday. This was after not getting a good nights rest the night before AND having traveled to my mom's and back and having Thanksgiving meal and no rest. Concord Mills opened the night after Thanksgiving at 12:01am. The first 1000 shoppers in received a tote bag that had coupons and gift cards in them for a few stores inside. Some of my friends called me up and said they were coming down to go midnight shopping and wanted me to go with them. Since I hadn't seen them in a long time, I decided to go. I jumped on the chance of shopping without a stroller and kids but shopping during my sleep time was just plain stupid. The mall also had a contest if you shopped in flannel pj's, you could enter to win a $500 gift card. So, I pulled out the flannel which was definitely a more comfortable way to shop, but I didn't win this contest either.

So, at 10:30pm the night of Thanksgiving I get to the mall before my friends to find out everyone in the surrounding area plus other states had came for this. I was definitely too late for the first 1000 shoppers but I stood in line anyway. My friends arrived around 11pm and decided to step in line with me. This of course ticked off several people. My friends kept telling them, "we're just standing here talking and we will not get the tote bag." I thought a fight was going to break out right then b/c of this. I told them I would leave the line and get in the back but my friends kept insisting I stand there b/c I was there first. I just stayed quiet while all the arguing was going on with the shoppers determined to get in that building first. It was definitely an interesting night from seeing fights, people crusing with low riders and hydraulics, one lady running down the line of folks trying to get the wave started, drunks coming out of Dave and Buster's, and my friends singing and dancing outloud in their pajama's.

We didn't buy much. We DID enjoy the company though. I was so glad to see them and hang out with them again. It had been such a long time since we had done anything together. The friends I hung out with are actually sister's. They "adopted" me into their family and even when they call my house, Tony even refers to them as my sister's. These two wrote recommendations for us when we first needed them for the original homestudy. One of them is even going to watch the twins for us while we're in China as long as there's nothing else going on at the time we plan our trip. Aren't friends wonderful?

I got home around 4:30am. I got a little sleep before the twins woke up and I had the worst headache. Tony took over after I fed the twins and I got another 1 1/2 hour nap. Then later on in the day I took another nap. I have no plans on doing this again when there are small children in the home that will not let me rest the following day to recuperate.

I'm still not done Christmas shopping. I was hoping to have it all done before referral but maybe, just maybe, our referral will come this upcoming week and whoever doesn't get a gift that I usually give a gift to, oh well, I did my best. RQ says it could be possible for our referral this week with the rumors going around.

It's my bedtime (past it) so I'll leave this note with a good laugh. (Nate was in a really good mood after meal time tonight.)