Thankful for family

Thanksgiving has always been a time for family, and I was thankful that this year, Brent and I were able to spend it back in Michigan and Ohio with our families.

Brent's family tradition has always been to spend Thanksgiving at his grandmother's house - his mom's mom - and I am thankful that I had been able to experience that tradition with him in the past. But his beloved grandmother, who I loved dearly, passed away earlier this year. So though we couldn't be with her, his family took some of the traditions they had there and transported them to his parent's house. Though it of course wasn't the same, it was still so great to spend that time with family.

Not so great was the morning after, when we decided that it was a good idea to participate in Black Friday. Now I know it's supposedly so-named because stores bank on that date as the starting point to get their books back in the black, but I think it's quite appropriate because it can then be in the same category of the Black Plague and other such horrific terms.

Brent and I started our morning at 4:45 a.m. in the line at Target. Normally, we would have gotten in line at Best Buy or Circuit City, but since I told him he wasn't allowed to buy the 50-some-inch plasma TV he wanted, there was nothing else at either of the stores we were dying to get on sale this year. So, we ended up at Target so Brent could look for a Nintendo DS to give me for Christmas, we could get a few new DVDs to enjoy all winter, and we could find some toys on sale for his nieces.

But unbeknown to us at first, when we got up to the doors, we accidentally got in line toward the front (it snaked around a few times and around to the other side of the building). But since no one called us out on it, I quietly convinced Brent to stay where we were. Sure, sure, it wasn't quite ethical, but it was Black Friday, so rules go out the window! Besides, everyone got in - we just got in more toward the front, and even with the madhouse of people who are grabbing everything in sight, we actually ran into Brent's mom and aunt, who had gotten up an hour earlier to make it to Kohls at 4 a.m. So the four of us tag-teamed the rest of the way, which was necessary among the madness.

But I will hand it to the stores. Though it was Black Friday, they were surprisingly well organized. Signs were posted, areas were roped off, and shopping carts were lined up facing the electronics so people could grab them as they ran!

The sales were great this year, and after going to Best Buy - AFTER the early rush - Petco, Bath & Body Works, Kohls, Old Navy, and Bed, Bath & Beyond, all before 8 a.m. we ended up getting all of our Christmas shopping done. And on Nov. 28. SCORE!

The rest of the day was spent with my family - including my Aunt Carol and Uncle Tom - at my parents' house, where we had a blast playing Taboo and just hanging out together.

And since my parents were heading on vacation on Saturday morning, the rest of the weekend and Monday morning were spent with Brent's family, which is great because we got to spend time with our nieces, who are growing up too darned fast.

Gotta love the holidays!