A cold, cold day--one in which you just don't want to brave the elements considering the work we do. We made it to the nursery by 9, where I took care of a bank deposit and some phone calls while Terry gathered and burned some boxes and other trash.
Then the girls and I headed to town to make the deposit. I had been given 10.00 by one of my Sunday School members as a gift, and I planned to give it to the girls so they could buy a few little trinkets for their mom and popo. I'm trying to teach them that it isn't the dollar amount of the gift, but the thought that counts.
So, after dropping the deposit off, we head to the first of 3 Dollar Stores in town. The girls found a birthday glass bear with a birthstone in for their mom and a votive candle cup with a cross on it. I talked them into getting popo a pack of socks as he can always use those. Of course Ana found me a beautiful faux porcelean (how do you spell that?) egg which opens up to hold trinkets.
Then Ana found a set of pocket pups...little tiny dogs with a dog house. Shandi wanted one but there wasn't another one to be found. So we head off to the 2nd dollar store.....but still no pocket pups to be found. However, Shan found a Barbie doll she wanted, which was more than the pups cost for her sis, but these girls don't count the dollar amount--they count how BAD do you want it, which is truly the right way of looking at things. So here we go with Shandi hugging the Barbie doll, to look at pillows. Terry desperately needed a new second pillow and so did Shandi. I found 2 satin covered ones, just the size and fluffliness they like for 5.00, so grabbed them. Then Ana spotted a long, velvety pillow that she wanted last year at Christmas; had asked her dad to get it for her, but he didn't. So I got that.
As we leave heading home, Ana says: Oh wow, finally, I got just exactly what I wanted, even though it took a whole year. In fact I got two things I really, really wanted....the pillow and the pocket pets.
Shandi says: So did I. I love this Barbie doll.
How simple does it get?
So this brings up the topic of getting what we want. I share with them just how much I would love to be able to buy them Wii's, DS Nintendo's, digi camera's, etc, etc; and the fact that we don't has nothing to do with our love for them, but the amount of dollars to spare we have.
They both say they know this.
Then I ask them....what would you rather have? I family that loves you, treats you well, does what's right by you and fewer expensive toys
or
a family that is always busy working, stressed out over bills, yelling and fussing but who buys you whatever you want just to get you to be happy.
They both say--The family that loves us and treats us right....cause that's what we have.
We talk about how having the newest latest device doesn't make us loveable people, doesn't make us less than or better than.
Later today, I called the bike place to order the sprocket for Shandi's bike given I had ran over it last week. There are no bikes shops close by, so I called the manufacturer of the bike. When I placed my order the guy asked when I bought it, and I told him. Then he asked what happened and I told him I drove over it with the truck. He said he'd send this one out, but try to be more careful next time. I told him that I intended to pay for them, but he said...no, it's ok. So her bike will be fixed free of charge. Thank you Lord.
Next we're sitting here in the warm house, just being lazy, I'm helping the girls put their clean sheets on the bed when Terry says he has to go to the nursery. He comes back shortly with a dozen red roses and a gift bag with a bear, chocolates and such, topped off with a balloon for Stacie. Whooo Hoooo!!!!!!! Won't this just make her day and cause her to step a bit lighter????
Another thing I'm so moved by today is that it has occurred to me that when we go to town, even at Christmas--the girls do not beg, plead, bug, worry or otherwise harrass me to buy everything they see they like. In fact, they don't do much of that at all. We look, they may say....oh, I like this. This is pretty, or wow--but it seems as though they have less wants than some kids their age.
Is this because they are happy, secure children, who are being taught that 'things' aren't the source of happiness? Is it simple training since I've never bought them something every time we went in a store?
How can one woman be so tremendously blessed? My life is so full of wonderful blessings.
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