Christmas SHOPPING UGH!!!! no more!!!

I have to admit that I am a terrible gift giver. I offer to you that I am not sensitive...or thoughtful. It is always a struggle for me to come up with gift ideas. "Gifts" is definitely not my love language. And on top of that...I have never ever liked shopping even for myself...unless my mom or sister are there to actually pick out the items for me at Ross to try on and then I actually come out of the store with a multitude of coordinating outfits, shoes, and even jewelry. I think the last time this happened was pre-children during my teaching days when I would make a going back to school shopping trip every year. What fun! That was back in the day when I actually intentionally bought items that were dry clean only so I didn't have to launder them. Oh, how my life has changed. Since then I only go shopping on a "need" basis.

I am the type that goes into a store with exactly what I want to buy on a list and if they don't have it I move on until I find it. Basically I am a guy when it comes to shopping. It can make for a very frustrating shopping trip.

So this year with protruding belly, I was particularly dreading going shopping. I had already checked WalMart and the relatively inexpensive items that I wanted to purchase for my kids were not there. If the "St. Cloud mall" didn't have them I figured I was up a creek. But thank goodness for Amazon.com. Tonight I went online and got the exact toy...well almost exact items that my kids wanted...one for each of them. Elijah's exact item was a bit above my price range so I got something in the same genre. And the shipping is only going to be 7 dollars. Well worth it, I think. I don't have to get out and drive in Orlando Holiday traffic or bump into people or shelves with my big belly or go to the bathroom in every store we enter or waddle around aching while searching blindly for each item.

So now the kids have one toy and a pair of shoes (which they actually tried on but have been stored away for a few weeks in hopes that they will be excited to get them at Christmas.) A couple of years ago at a ladies event hosted by Joy Chambers, I was inspired by some of the Christmas ideas to get our kids three gifts each year. I mean baby Jesus only got 3...one from each wise man. Why in the world should they get more than the birthday boy. So that would be a fun one, a practical one and a spiritual one. So we have two out of three right now. I think I can make a stop at the Christian bookstore without too much trouble and finish them up. Woohoo!!!
Or maybe even John could do that. And I guess he can fill their stockings too. What is a trip to Dollar Tree?

Now I just have to come up with something totally awesome and cool for my amazing husband...any ideas? UGH!!!!