memories – The (Not-So) Newlywed Lefebvres

Y’all. We made it! Today is our Friday, because tomorrow is Day #1 of our trip to the beach!!!

I cannot TELL you how needed this trip is! We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off for months now, and to have a few days on the horizon with nothing to ‘worry about’ except for our ~~sunburns~~ tans…is a dream come true!

I spent last night doing all the laundry, and packing for the both of us. Craig may think we ~~finally~~ have sold our house and are ~~finally~~ moving with all of the luggage that is packed and ready to go! 🙂 I think, in the back of my mind, maybe I’m hoping we can just stay at the beach and never come back – provided we got to pick up the furs! 😉 Ah, wishful thinking!

I am probably more excited about our beach trip because of WHERE we are going than anything else. It will definitely be a stroll down memory lane! Panama City Beach was the beach to visit when I was a child. I have fond memories of visiting with my grandmother and adventuring at the Miracle Strip Amusement Park. I remember going with my parents and another set of grandparents as a child, and being amazed with the sugary white sand, and going crabbing on the beach at nighttime.

This is the definition of “the beach” to me. I have lived in Hawaii; visited Grenada, Jamaica, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast. Hands down, my favorite beach will always be the Florida Gulf.

We are looking forward to sharing our photos on our return, and who knows – While we are away, you may even get an update or two…

But if you don’t hear from us until Tuesday of next week – we are just fine…Relaxing by the waves!

Good Morning and What’s Up??

As I’m sure all of you have, Craig and I have been BUSY this Thanksgiving – Christmas season…Recently, it seems to start even earlier actually. I’m thinking about what our Christmas cards are going to look like as early as September, and we place the order by Halloween…

I realize this is news to absolutely no one. We are all busy and have a million things going on – especially this time of year. And one of the things we are all busy with is buying gifts, and then wrapping them – and in our case, shipping them to their ultimate destination (Note: Do not open said package when it/they arrive!!! :-).

Craig and I finished our shopping early this year – like extra early, which has been hard for us, in the ‘keeping what we bought each other a secret’ kind of way – and we have spent the past few nights in a sea of ribbons and bows and wrapping paper. As we were sitting on the floor the other night, I was making a bow from burlap wired ribbon and polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, and Craig was watching me pretty intently. He said, “Where did you learn to do that?!?”

I replied, “My mother.” And really, you should see her wrapped gifts. They are worthy of the pages of a magazine, and bring to my mind childhood memories and family traditions…

My husband has tons of great stories and memories of he and his father and grandfathers. Most of them involve International Harvester, working outside, and cows. His face lights up when he tells me about his childhood.

When I think about growing up, nothing about tractors really comes to mind, but when I think about my parents’ house at Christmastime, I think of helping my mother wrap presents. I felt special because it was something I, alone, got to do with my mama, while my dad and my brother were doing something manly. I learned all about creating bows out of ribbon, creasing the edges of the paper just so to make sure designs lined up and symmetry was straight, and I got to place my finger in the middle of the ribbons she was tying to ensure the knot was tight and centered…

Now this is part of our holiday tradition. Finding pretty ribbons and coordinating wrapping paper and gift tags, creating artful packages…Just a plain old gift bag and store-bought stick-on bows won’t do. It all came from my mother, and now here I was (have been) on the floor in the guest bedroom, creating bows out of ribbon, while my husband puts his finger in the middle to make sure the knot is tight, and helps me crease the edges of the paper just right.

Add in the Christmas music and a glass of wine (or Ol’ Santy Eggnog with brandy) in a Spode Christmas Tree glass (courtesy of my grandmother), and you have a lasting holiday tradition, passed on from one generation to the next.