Thursday, December 14, 2017

Girl Chat - The Greatest Gift I Ever Received

Happy Thursday!  It’s time for another edition of Girl Chat, and today we are going to be discussing the greatest gifts we’ve ever received. 

There are many different ways you could go with this post – the greatest gifts I’ve ever received are obviously Brian and the babies, but today I’m going to discuss the greatest Christmas gifts I’ve ever received since it is, in fact, the Christmas season.  I’m also narrowing it down to the best Santa gifts I’ve ever received, because goodness gracious I have received some pretty great things in my lifetime from many different people and if I mentioned them all this post could go on forever.

When thinking back to my favorite Christmas gifts as a child, several things came to mind so I couldn’t narrow it down to just one.  Instead I’m going to focus on five different ones that I’ve received over the years.  And if you look very closely in each of these pictures, you can see each of the gifts!

Also, get ready for some seriously awkward pictures of me.  

Christmas 1990

When I was eight years old and in third grade I had the very best teacher of all time.  She was so beloved to me as well as many others and I’m actually still in touch with her on Facebook to this day!  She was so wonderful that she inspired me to want to be a teacher, too.  I held on to this dream for many years, but during my teenage years I realized that I probably didn’t have the patience for it, and therefore, that’s why I never pursued it.  But anyway, that year all I wanted was school supplies and teacher supplies for Christmas.  And Santa delivered!  He brought books, a stapler, a hole-punch, a Sanrio Surprises pencil box filled with pencils and erasers, and my very first “computer.”  And by computer, I mean a little battery operated one… not a computer by today’s standards, obviously.  ;o) 

Along with the school and teacher supplies, Santa also brought a hot pink and turquoise luggage carryon and a three-pack of Lipsmackers chapstick in Watermelon, Strawberry, and Orange.  If there’s one thing that could have made me even more excited than the school supplies, it was some flavored chapsticks!  Lol. 

I know it may sound weird that school supplies were one of my favorite gifts ever, but those of you who know me personally understand why I was so excited.  I still get excited about paper goods and office supplies to this day.  Like seriously, they make me giddy!  #SomeThingsNeverChange





Christmas 1993

When I was eleven years old all of my friends had TVs in their bedrooms and I begged and begged all year to have one in my room.  My parents told me all year long that I would absolutely not be having a TV in my room ever, so I had pretty much just accepted the fact that it would never happen.  Well, what do you know on Christmas morning there was a 13 inch TV on the couch just for me!  I.  Was.  Shocked.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised and excited in my entire life!

Oh, and also, you see that alarm clock next to the TV?  That was also a gift from Santa that year and guess where it is now?  Sitting on my current bedside table!  I have used it every single morning since I was eleven years old.  I will never use my phone alarm as long as that old alarm clock holds out.  I freaking love it still, 24 years later.  Talk about getting your money’s worth!

Also, can we talk about how tiny my littlest brother was?!  I used to carry him everywhere on my hip like he was my own baby.  It’s still hard to believe that he is bigger than me now.





Christmas 2000

Another favorite gift of all time was my hope chest that my parents got for me when I was 18.  My boyfriend at the time had an older sister and she had a hope chest in her bedroom filled with wedding magazines and other stuff for the future, and the second I saw hers I knew I wanted one, too! 

I filled mine with lots of wonderful things over the next couple of years while I still lived with my parents, and it was awesome to have all of that stuff ready to go when I finally moved out on my own!  It was also chock-full of wedding magazines and ideas so when the time came to plan our wedding in 2007 I pretty much already knew exactly what I wanted.  Hope chest = the original Pinterest.  Haha.

That chest still sits in our master bedroom to this day, but it has served its purpose as a hope chest and it is now a window seat/laundry holder when I’m too lazy to put the clean clothes away.  Lol.



Christmas 2001

When I was 19 “Santa” brought some things for me to put in my hope chest for my future house, and he also brought a wicker clothes basket and matching waste basket.  I LOVED those wicker baskets!  In fact, I loved them so much, that I used them until I had Olivia and they are now in her room.  :o)



Christmas 2009

On December 17, 2008 my childhood dog had to be put down and I was a wreck.  He had been with us since 1995, and he was my constant companion from the age of 13 until I was 26.  He died one week before Christmas Day and it pretty much ruined my whole Christmas that year.  I was so sad that Christmas that I didn’t even take any pictures… that goes to show you just how little Christmas spirit I had that year.  One year later, for Christmas 2009, my parents gave me a blanket that they had made with a picture of Bill and me on it.  My mom said since I could no longer snuggle with Bill in person, that I could still snuggle with him via this blanket.  :o)  It was one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone could have ever given to me.  And guess what?  I’m currently wrapped up in that very blanket as I type this post.  It has a permanent spot draped over the back of my office chair and I use it almost every day.



So there you have it!  My very favorite childhood gifts of all time! 

*Linking up with Home of Malones for Thoughts for Thursday.



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14 comments:

  1. what great gifts and the memories behind them make them that much more special!

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  2. What awesome gifts!!! I love that you wanted school supplies and got them, plus the flavored chapstick :) How sweet is that blanket?! Love all the old pics!

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  3. That picture of your brother at the beginning of the post looks SO MUCH LIKE JACOB!! Wow!! I about did a triple take! Haha! This was a fun post to read through. :) Fun to see pics of you growing up too!

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  4. I love how you remember so well the gifts that meant a lot to you!

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  5. This was super fun to read! How cool about that alarm clock and oh-my-gosh, I would've looooved a tv in my bedroom! You're so lucky! And that Mama of yours making you that blanket of you and Bill. That is the kind of Mama I want to be. So, so sweet. Oh and I get ya' with the school supplies, my favorite thing to play when I was little was "school" and I was always the kid asking for school work during the summer!

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  6. I love the stories behind all these gifts!!! School supplies would have been an awesome present in my mind, too! And that blanket is so thoughtful!

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  7. These are just soooo sweet. I love the blanket. I love the school supplies ones. I was obsessed with flavored chapstick as well!

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  8. I love the throwback photos! The 80's and 90's were not stylish times, lol! Office supplies were always my fave at that age too. What a sweet gift of the blanket!

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  9. Loved reading this with the throwback photos.!! Thats so cool you keep in touch with your former teacher..a great gift that is.. I am a teacher, so that warmed my heart!


    Valerie

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    1. She was just incredible and I'm so fortunate to still be in touch with her!

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  10. These stories are so sweet:) I've been reading them and trying to think of my favorites and it's so hard...too many good ones throughout the years!

    Laura
    Black Coffee Beautiful

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    1. Thank you! And yes, it was definitely hard to narrow it down!

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  11. When I was 8 I wanted to be a teacher too! All I asked for was teacher supplies for Christmas! My dad made me a podium and I felt like I'd won the lottery. I also got the same Highlights sticker box my teacher had, and an actual teacher planner book. I was in HEAVEN!

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  12. I love that you took it back to your childhood and have those amazing pictures for it!! That is awesome that you are still in touch with your teacher. It's so good to know there are those out there that make such an impact.

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