a new tradition...

i'd forgotten how tightening the belt demands creative thinking.
i'd forgotten how good we are at working as a team.

more than one of us needs to budget this year.
which pushed me over the edge to change things this time.
but, the real big budget causer is me.

and i gotta tell ya, i've been struggling pretty big time with this.
anyone who's ever seriously had to face financial restrictions
will tell you that it brings up a lotta beasts. the holidays can do
a number on you.

and the beasts have been rampant.

but this weekend they quieted down.
and i think they're settled down for a bit here.
and i'm feeling pretty relieved.

there were multiple reasons for this.
but a big one was watching what the gift technique we adopted this year
showed me.

we all picked one thing we wanted.
we put a price ceiling on it.....couldn't be above a certain amount.
we picked a time to gather.
we were gonna shop for the items together on the internet and make
a party of it. each gift that was bought would be the present from the
others, the others would split the cost between them.

we all realized it wasn't the gift that would end up being the present,
but the actual picking it out together.
everyone of us knew that.
so everyone was on board for a festive night of shopping.

the time arrived and we gathered.
i walked in to the smell of home baked cookies.

i smiled. it was gonna be a good nite.
we all gathered in the kitchen and made dinner together.

while it was cooking we set up the guys' tv in the living room by the fire
and the tree. christmas music was playing.

we put the tv up close and scrunched in together so we could all
see what was goin' on. there were legs and shoulders everywhere.

and the fun started.
the banter was tremendous. the completely different tastes even surprised
us who already knew we all differed a lot. there was laughter and teasing
and truly trying to pick just the right thing for each other. there was the
'there's no way i'm helping pay for that!' and vetoes and ohhhs over things
that looked just right. there were people trying to tone down their gifts,
and others egging them on to get just the right thing.

it took forever.
we learned we're gonna have to start earlier next time and load up on
caffeine.....it's a marathon!

we also decided it was the way to shop. and that if one of us needs something
special ever, we all gotta help pick. 'it's better than watching a movie together!'

it was festive, it was fun, and it was something i'll always remember.

and.....
it brought me right back to what mattered.
no one cares about the stuff.

everyone knows that.
i know that.

but it's taking me some getting used to that idea as it's hard when you're kinda
forced into that thought.

it's easy enough to say it nobly and nod knowingly, but when you really don't
have a choice, it doesn't feel quite so easy.

i learned a lot this weekend.
and remembered a lot.
and had a ton of fun.

and somehow it blew me right outta that darn victim mode and right back
into believing i can create my life how i want.

and i'm determined to do that all over again......
i'm hoping this is the last christmas i have to budget like this.
but i'm thinking it won't be the last christmas i do the holiday shopping as a group.
i think we just started a new tradition.

i'd forgotten how tightening the belt demands creative thinking.
i'd forgotten how good we are at working as a team.

and i certainly remembered yet again what a gift this family is.