Christmas Lists

(he used her grocery list... lol)

So I don't know if this is a common tradition or not, but it's something we do.

Everyone in my family makes a list of what they want for Christmas. Everyone. Which now includes Josh, although it took him awhile to realize we were completely serious about actually making one and handing it out.

The lists include items, prices of the items, stores where the item can be purchased, pictures of the items, website links to order the items online, catalog page numbers of where item is located, etc. Any and all information needed to aid the purchaser of the items.

I can't tell you what a wonderful tradition this is... not only does it take the guesswork out of what to buy for everyone, but everyone also gets exactly what they wanted. Additionally, it's a great feeling of accomplishment to find something on someone's list that no one else could find, or find it for a fraction of the cost. It's like a big game that starts right after Thanksgiving. Mom and I start on Black Friday, of course.

Our tradition seems to be evolving into an actual event itself as well - The Great Christmas List Swap After Thanksgiving Dinner. This year the kids in my family (my cousins) all brought down their lists and gave copies to everyone after dinner, proceeded to read off everything on their list... and subsequently explain what everything was or why it was indeed "cool". Yes, there were even things on their lists that I was not familiar with. I felt strangely old. lol. The whole thing was fun and funny and something we want to repeat, and expand next year.

Josh and I had been planning on bringing copies of our lists as well, but there is a severe printer ink shortage at the Touchton Residence which made it impossible. No, I don't want to talk about it. That's definitely a story for another time... =)

Next year I am planning to become the Christmas List Nazi, in that I will make sure everyone has their lists done, not just the kids (Josh and I are still considered kids until we have our own kids), and brings it to Thanksgiving Dinner so that everyone can participate in the Christmas List Swap.

By the way, we also do lists for Birthdays. And it's been known to see lists that appear to have been copies of previous birthday lists with "Birthday" crossed out and "Christmas" written in. One guess as to who that was....

My husband thinks he's so funny.

Josh, Kim & Abby