Favorite Gifts EVER!!

Yesterday evening, I asked Brian his favorite Christmas memories, and when he returned the question, I realized that all of my favorite Christmas memories sort of revolved around the memories I had of certain gifts. Guess I am very materialistic at heart. Boo.

Anyhoo, I have three favorite Christmas gifts ever. I can't decide between the three, so here they are, in random order.

1) Charm bracelet. One year, I wanted a charm bracelet more than I wanted anything else!! Early on in December, I was snooping under the Christmas tree and found a James Avery box. I knew what this meant!! I knew that I was getting the bracelet, and I told my mom that I was so excited b/c I knew I was getting what I asked for!! The next day, the box was gone from under the tree. I waited in anguish for three weeks to see if the box would reappear. It didn't. After all the presents were unwrapped, and Santa had come and gone, no bracelet was to be had. We only had stockings to go.... I emptied my entire stocking with no avail, and found, buried in the very tippy toe of the stocking, a charm bracelet!!!! What a memory....



2) Chemistry set. I have NO idea why my parents got me this, but I loved this thing!! It came with experiment books, chemicals (I'm not kidding), and test tubes!! Kristin Berry and I almost blew up her barn with this thing, but we had SOOO much fun creating experiments and seeing what stuff would do when you put it together. Not surprisingly, this year, I asked for a microscope. Maybe there's hope for me becoming a doctor after all....



3) A horse. When I was in the sixth grade, I got up early on Christmas morning, like we did every Christmas morning. Under the tree was horse-y stuff- brushes, hoof picks, etc. This was not unusual- it's what I'd asked for since my mom and I both rode horses. Getting ready to go to my grandparents house to have Christmas with them, I will never forget the excitement that my daddy had. He was beaming from ear to ear, hurrying everyone along, so excited to leave the house (which is odd- he's never really in a hurry unless he's hungry....) So we head to Gran and Grandad's house, but I notice we're headed in the wrong direction. Mom says we have to go feed the horses, so we have to drop by the barn (this was when we lived in Fairview, and didn't have a barn in the backyard.) As we pulled up to the barn and we hopped out of the car, out from behind a trailer trots a beautiful bay gelding, with a GIANT bow on his blanket. Officially named "Lord West", I called him "Rocky". What little girl DOESN'T dream of owning a horse!?!? I felt like, and still do feel like, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.


(This isn't Rocky, but a picture of a bay horse... Will have to find some pics of good 'old Rocky....)

I am so blessed to have wonderful childhood Christmas memories! What are your favorite Christmas memories/ gifts?