Let's Take A Trip...

So a trip down memory lane reminds us of the first year we were married and standing in the mall on the 21st of December trying to buy gifts for his family, including parents, 4 siblings and 2 nephews for Darek and 2 sets of parents and 5 siblings and 3 nieces for Kari. We were trying to buy with the little bit of cash we had scrounged up and the little bit of credit we had left on our card. It was our first year of marriage and Kari was the only one with a full time job as Darek was a taking yet another year of college trying to find himself. It was an awful feeling just trying to get things for the sake of everyone having something to open and running around with the crowds and crowds of people. It left us feeling tired, empty and disheartened for the upcoming holiday events. It was a pivotal moment in our marriage and our lives. We made a pact then that any holiday shopping would be done with cash and that we would no longer be purchasing for the sake of purchasing and that gifts would come because we had seen something or made something that we felt really reflected the other persons personality. We told everyone that year that being together was more than enough of a gift for us and that in the future we would only be buying for the nieces and nephews. There were some people upset with our choice but we didn't care. We would rather have nothing than several gifts that won’t get used.

We like to get nice things for our parents during the holidays as it is our way to pay them back for all the wonderful things they have done for us over the past year and of course all the free babysitting they do for us. We plan for it and make sure there is money stashed for that. Speaking of parents....they have trouble stopping when it comes to buying for our children. This makes the holidays inexpensive for us when it comes to buying for our children. We just don't! The onslaught of toys that envelop our house is more than enough for them to not even realize mom and dad didn't have their name on a package. 

Instead of more of the same we save up to take a family trip in March. In the past we have gone to Minneapolis for a trip to the Lego store, water parks and this year Chicago is slotted for a fun time of the newish Lego Theme Park and possibly a trip to Medieval Times. This year though we won't be charging the hotel cost so there is a little extra that will need to get saved and if that trip gets expensive well put it off for next year and do something a little less expensive this time around. This is the best gift we can give them -- family fun. We are pretty sure they will cherish the memories of the trips much longer than any toy we could have purchased.

As this is getting typed Cree is looking over our shoulder and is enjoying his reading of this blog...so we will sum this up simply with that Saint Nicholas (aka Santa) knows that we have quite a crowd at our house over the holidays and wants the boys to have some time to enjoy the gift and stocking from him on their own so he stops by our house on the 6th of December....St Nicks Day. This is such a wonderful tradition and gives us time to just do our own little family thing with a small gift and a few stocking joys to get the holiday off to a simple but wonderful start.

We are celebrating that we were doing something right by paying for our holidays in cash for many years already.

Comments

[Kari and Darek]

Rachel good to hear from others on this. At first we felt really guilty. We are over the guilt now but it is funny how emotionally attached we were to buying them gifts.

[Rachel]

There are times that I don't buy Keilah a Christmas/Birthday present, etc. because by the time my parents and her dad's parents give her gifts, she has plenty! I am glad I am not the only parent who does this :)