Is It Naptime Yet

Besides putting up lights today I went over to my in-laws house to help with an Internet problem and give them their Christmas present a little early.

We gave them speakers to use with their computer. Poor mom as only been able to view our videos, but not hear the music if it’s a picture video, or more importantly hear what it being said, like in Lilah’s instructional video on how to make a sandwich. It seemed strange to buy the speakers now but not give them till Christmas, when they could use and enjoy them now.

I set up the speakers while there, which was a miracle in and of it’s self because I never touch the computer, but Jon said it was easy, and it was. After getting set up the girls wanted to show grandma all the interesting videos on my site and I mean all the interesting videos. We watched several before I said we needed to go. Lilah gave narration though all of them and distracted grandma from what was on the screen, though I’m sure it was no distraction for her.

It’s hard to think of gifts to give my in-laws, hence why shopping for Dara and Jason is usually our gift to them at Christmas. Most of what they need would not be considered gifts, like help shopping or organizing,  but they don’t need the usual trinkets or things and honestly I wouldn’t want to give them trinkets or things because they’re trying to downsize and get rid of things and giving fluff gifts would just be a burden on them. We want to give them something they can use and need, which means it’s not always the conventional gift.

Even though we gave them a physical gift, I still plan on shopping for Dara and Jason’s gifts this season. I like helping and giving service since it’s harder for mom to get out since she has so many other things to do and people to take care of. (She takes care of my aging FIL and helps my BIL Rawlin who has Parkinson’s not to mention herself in there.)

I admit it’s hard to think of gifts for most people, but I’m so happy that my in-laws take our tokens of service as gifts from us.

I hope we all can give gifts of service and accept service that is given towards us this Holiday season.

Really what is more useful than someone giving of themself, rather than giving of their wallet, especially at this turbulant time.

I put up the outside Christmas lights today and the fuses on two strands blew out, so I had to replace them. It took me a little bit to figure out why the lights worked and then would not work when I was messing with a light bulb but I figured it out and we have almost all working lights. A few light bulbs shorted for some reason when I took off the plastic hook thing that I was using to hold them up, it rubbed the wire or something so we now have four unlit lights on a  brand new string of lights, that I bought last year on clearance. I’m pretty proud of myself, except the whole blowing through two fuses thing, but I’m also pretty proud that I figured out the problem and fixed it all by myself.

We’re suppose to decorate the tree tonight, but I think we’ll be fixing it because a vital plastic piece that holds some branches in place broke, so the branches now just hang there because they are attached because of the pre-strung lights on the tree. I wanted to buy a new tree on sale at JoAnn’s, but Jon wouldn’t let me because we had a tree at home, but now it’s broken and we’ll make it work this year, but guess who’s going clearance shopping after Christmas for a new tree?

Anyways, we’re getting in the Christmas spirit and I’m loving it.