New Tradition.. and some crazy stuff

Well its that time of the year, you know when you have to run around shopping in crazy places with TONS of people who have forgotten how to drive and common courtesy no longer seems to exist, all so you can buy the newest craziest gift for the people you love... or maybe not love so much. That to me is the not nice part about the holiday, for me the chance to be home and with my family is the true reason for the season. That is even more true this year with my Dad being home and my brother being away in the Army. I am now also blessed to have someone new in my family, in fact we are starting another off shoot here in CT, Samantha and I are starting our own family here ( don't worry no one is a grandparent..... yet.......... or anytime soon).

We decided last night that we needed to start some our own traditions, so we talked about the ones we both had in our own family's ; presents on Christmas eve, PJs to sleep in, the Christmas mouse present... and we decided that we needed one of our own-So we have now decreed that Dec 21 is , "Give the gift you think the other person will get the biggest kick out of" day. It's kind of a way to stop waiting and give that gift you know they will love and the one you can't wait to give them!

So.. I gave Samantha a Lego set, for you all know that Sam's so crazy about money that she would never buy some stupid toy for herself when we could be saving. Even if its really cool and has a fish with glow in the dark teeth, no matter how much she wants to play with those toys and arrange them on her desk, she would never get it-but you should see the way she looks at them ever time we are in the store. Its a good gift to her from me, it's a way for me to remind her to lighten up and enjoy, everything does not have to be practical.

Time for a little back ground before this story continues. For Christmas we set a limit on how much we were going to spend on the other person, in fact Sam asked me all the time how I was doing and reminded me not to go crazy and get anything big and to track the spending and how we really should pay off bills and on and on and on. I can tell you to the cent how much I have left to spend and why I have to wait until right before Christmas for it to go on sale and get ink for the printer to print out coupons to get a few more things. Well I, me the crazy spender stayed in budget and was not over at all. So when I asked her about her budget she said she was 2 dollars over. No big deal now she can't get mad that I was not counting shipping costs or tax. So she gave her gift to me that she thought I would get the biggest kick out of.......
THE KINDLE!!!!!

http://www.kindle.com/

OK some of you may not know, but this is the new hot topic for readers everywhere, its a e-book reader that you can get books straight to the kindle from Amazon.com. It also holds a ton of books, and surfs the web in text and all sorts of things, check it out on the web site, or in Newsweek (http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983) . Anyway I have been talking about getting one since I first read the article on the plane home from Aruba. Only problem is that they are sold out, in a big way. They retail for $395.00. Because they are sold out and not available until after Christmas... they were going on e-bay for $700-1300!!!

Sam had been trying to get me one and had told me that she just couldn't do it, she told me she was sorry she wanted to get me one but couldn't spend that kind of money, which I agreed with. Though secretly I wanted one bad. Well she found a way to get one, and I am truly amazed by it. It is one of the most thoughtful gifts that I have ever received, and while the device itself is a modern marvel and I know I will get lots of use out of it, that is not what I feel most about it. The fact that she went though all the trouble to get it and that she cares so much for me to do that amazes me. Every time I am underway or deployed(the reason she claims she was able to go over the limit) and use the Kindle, I will be thinking of her, and knowing how much she cares. In the act of giving she has distilled what is so important about the holidays, that spirit of love, togetherness and belonging that can only come from family. Caring for each other the best we can everyday. We have our ups and downs but at the end of the day no matter where we are, we are still family.

-Joe