Lydia's Guide to Gift-Giving

I know what you're probably thinking.

"Gift-giving guide? Christmas was just two weeks ago--I've got eleven more months before I have to being thinking about gift-buying, and then I've got another month beyond that before the actual buying begins!"

And you're right...sort of.

You see, I've known for a long time that my love language was gifts. I love receiving gifts. I love looking at a gift received and thinking of the giver every time. I love being surprised by someone thinking enough of me to present me something. But even more than that, I love giving gifts.

I grew up with a mother who is an expert in the gift giving field, namely because she loves giving gifts, too. It gave me a great example to watch, and I thought, instead of waiting until right before Christmas when everyone is scrambling around trying to find that last-minute purchase, why not share what I've learned and observed along the way now?

Maybe next Christmas, you, too, can enjoy giving more than receiving! :)

1) Always be on the lookout. I've bought wedding gifts from Kroger and Christmas gifts at Cracker Barrell. No store is off limits.

2) Think practical. Most people don't need another snow globe lying around. That's why, with such a large family on Kevin's side, we've opted for some food options the past two years--everybody loves food!

3) Budget. I confess--this one is hard for me. I like shopping; I like spending money; I like buying things for other people. But if you decide on a dollar amount or even set aside a specific amount all year leading up to Christmas, you won't be in post-Christmas debt.

4) Keep a list. I tend to do this about two weeks before Christmas. I gather all the items I've been collecting throughout the year, and I write down who's getting what. That way, I won't chance that we forgot nephew number one when gifts are being exchanged (and, yes, before he saw his gift under the tree this year, he did come up and ask if we'd even brought one for him :).

And last...

5) Begin shopping now! I learned this one from my mom, and I must confess, it's my favorite. The day after Christmas was always when she would get a head start on next year's gift buying--fabulous sales and markdowns on items that won't be out of season when next Christmas rolls around. It also creates great stories to share with those you love about how when you saw their gift in the middle of June at a Lavender Festival in the hills of Tennessee, it just spoke their name to you.

Now, I realize that the true meaning of Christmas isn't gifts and stocking up on piles of loot. I do, however, relish the opportunity we have to bless our family (and sometimes friends) and share with them through gift-giving some of the bounty the Lord has allowed us.

May your 2010 bring the joy of the Lord!!!

Who Says Teaching is a Thankless Job?

Well, for most of the year, maybe it is. But, let me tell you, come Christmas time, Kevin sure cleans up (ahem, see above image)! And the best part is I get much of the benefit of the gifts, seeing as how many of them are girly note pads and post-it notes that he has little interest in. :)

And then, of course, there are other benefits of this time of year, like the encouragement to keep going.

My favorite one (currently lighting up the coffee table he's sleeping next to so that its luminescence can softly pull him from his slumber).

Teaching (whether personally or professionally) is no easy task. I'm very proud of my husband, who is a qualified, hard-working, dedicated, passionate, gifted man. At times, though, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way. :)

The Blessing of Zero!

$32,938.11 (not counting interest).

25 months of payments.

Discovering Dave Ramsey this summer.

Cutting back to live off of one salary.

$22,000 paid off since the end of July alone.

And it all comes down to one last interest payment of $8.75.

Lord, may we continue to be faithful with the resources You have allowed us.
We are humbled by your provision.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt;
Open your wide mouth and I will fill it."
~Psalm 81:10

Playing Catch-Up

It's been quite the time in the Fowler household. We're very grateful for those of you who have hung with us through this sparseness of posts. :( Lord willing, time will return for blogging, but for right now, I'm having to rely on "catch-up" posts.

First off, the Lord is returning health to our household! Amazingly, Kevin, though a public school teacher, is sick very rarely. This past week, however, it hit him hard--no voice, sinus pressure, the works! He's healing, though, and it's great to have him back to normal--whatever that may mean. ;)

Also, as some of you know, I've been sick with chronic tonsillitis since roughly August. I was given the option to continue a barrage of antibiotics, but when I thought about that, coupled with the multiple times I've had strep and tonsillitis in the past year or so, Kevin and I decided that surgery was the best option. Last Thursday, I underwent my first real surgery since having my wisdom, teeth removed in 10th grade. I wasn't nervous about the surgery; it's routine enough. I was nervous about the recovery. Tonsillectomies in adults bring with them incredibly difficult recovery processes. But, friends, the Lord has been merciful! A mere four days post-op, I was eating spaghetti with a little ground beef, and the next day I was eating chicken stir fry! There have been some rough spots, but it's humbling to think that the Lord would protect me from having to go through weeks of pain before healing.

Along with that, my parents drove down and spent 9 days with us to serve, care for, and manage our household while Kevin was at work and I was recovering. I think we were all a little anxious to see what would come of it, since that amount of time with anybody can be a bit of a strain under a tiny roof. But, again, the Lord was gracious, and we had one of the best visits with them. Funny enough, they're turning around and coming back in just 2 short weeks for Christmas.

And now we're busily set about getting things ready for Christmas. We've got our tree up.

Do you like the tree topper?

And I'm wrapping presents like mad trying to get it all done before I go back to work on Monday.

But in all things, friends, may we never forget who this season is truly about.

May you have a wonderful, safe, happy time of celebrating all that Christmas is truly about!

The View from the Top!

For my one and only's birthday,

I took him somewhere far, far away.

I took him somewhere exotic.

I took him somewhere only nerds like us would go.

I took him to Chicago.

But, not just to Chicago. I took him to a live taping of NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" It's probably one of the last surviving radio programs out there that isn't purely news, and it's probably THE only one filmed before a live studio audience. Needless to say, the audience was filled with people just as hopelessly nerdy as us! It was bliss!

If you're not familiar with "Wait, Wait..." you're missing out. Those two podiums on the left are for the judge/score keeper, Carl Kasell, and the one on the right is for the host, Peter Sagal. The table on the right is for the show's three panelists, who vary week-to-week. This week's panelists were Paula Poundstone (Kevin's favorite), Roy Blount Jr. (my favorite), and Faith Sailee (new to the show). We figured two out of three ain't bad!

As I said, the recording is live and the panelists, who are all comedians, answer questions on the week's news. In between those questions, listeners can call in and be on the show live.

After the show, which was incredibly fun and enjoyable, the hosts and the panelists stay around to answer questions, sign autographs, take pictures, and just generally chat it up. We didn't do much chatting, but we did meet Peter, Carl, and Paula. Needless to say, I scored big on the birthday gift! ;)

Since we took all day Thursday to drive down and watch the show that night, we didn't want to drive back the next day, and why should we--it was Friday! So....we stayed an extra day and saw the sights of Chicago.

For starters, the weather could not have been more beautiful! I mean, can you see that sky?! And it was mid-50's--cool enough to walk; warm enough to not freeze.

Of course, you can't make a trip to Chicago without visiting the historic, record-breaking Willis Tower! Never heard of it? Well, you probably have, but didn't know it. It used to be called the Sear's Tower, but when the building was sold, the contract stated that the largest tenant could rename the tower in 2008. The largest tenant was--you guessed it-- a company named Willis and they renamed it last year. I agree, though, it is a little unimpressive to say, "We got to see the Willis Tower!" Doesn't quite have the punch that the Sear's Tower has.

And there's a new addition to the Willis Tower--retractable glass encasements you can step into and look down...103 stories! Are you brave enough!?

I thought I was doing well just standing there, but...

Kevin took it a step further!

This is the only picture we've got of both of us in the Tower. It's a shame you can't see any buildings, sky, birds...flying saucers....anything! It was crystal clear that day, but the sun was also shining too bright for good pictures, and, well, there's only so many pictures you want to ask complete strangers to take! :)

So, friends, that was our visit to the Windy City. Hope you've enjoyed this little taste. There was actually much more involved (Pizza! The Field Museum! Lake Michigan!), but I've got a birthday boy to tend to!

Happy Monday! :)