Shopping Tales

Ah, Christmas is almost here. I love spending time with my family, singing 'Silent Night' in candlelight, reading the Christmas story, celebrating the birth of our Savior, hanging stockings, looking at lights as they glow on the Christmas tree and I truly enjoy seeing the happy expressions when children (or adults) open something that they really like and sometimes have been anticipating! What I DO NOT enjoy at all is shopping for those gifts.
Every year I feel the pressure of those not yet found, not yet bought and not yet wrapped gifts. I admit that I am not a shopper by nature, and when I do shop I am thrifty and do not like to go to more than two stores. I avoid the mall, hate finding parking spots in crowded lots and dread standing in long check out lines. That said, every year I put much thought and ask many questions of my extended family to make my 'List.' Once the list is made, I look online and at the ads to plan where I can shop to get the best price. Then I get excited over things like being able to buy several gifts at just one store...or finding items online with free shipping. But when I went to the store this morning, very early morning...in an attempt to miss the crowds, I was almost giddy. You see, if I found the last three things I needed then my Christmas shopping would be done. I was ecstatic to find everything left on my list, at decent prices and did not have to wait in line. Ahhhh....now all I have to do is wrap them up and I am really ready to enjoy Christmas. I admit that I only shopped at two stores and two online sites and was able to get all the gifts my family will love (I hope). So perhaps my animosity towards shopping, and the pressure I feel to get those gifts pays off, as it precipitates intense planning and strategy on my part - leading to only two outings for all my shopping to be completed.