Today's the day!

Today's the day that I look forward to

ALL YEAR LONG

and Kent dreads

ALL YEAR LONG!

What are we doing today?


Aren't you just beside yourself with curiosity?


...


This is the first day of the

Annual Beachy Women shopping weekend

extravaganza!

Every year in November or early December the women on my mom's side of the extended family

get away from home and

get together

and go Christmas shopping for the whole weekend. When I say that it is the women on one side of the family, that actually means that it's my mom, my 2 sisters and sister-in-law, my aunt, and her daughter if she's around and not in college. Now that a few of my nieces are old enough to take part in this yearly ritual, they join in the fun too (plus a few friends of the girl's.) It's a weekend full of
laughter,

eating,

laughter,

shopping,

laughter,

and more eating!

We take our shopping very seriously, but fortunately we don't take ourselves very seriously!

I could share with you from our journal that we add to every year...the journal is full of funny things that people say during the weekend - mostly taken out of context. Of course, I can't share from this journal since it is a

sacred tradition

(or, because there are too many stupid things written that I have said!)

Anyway, think of me while I'm busy buying Christmas presents this weekend. And more importantly, think of Kent and the rest of the husbands as they are

stuck at home

with all of our kids!