It's Beginning to Look and Feel a Lot Like Christmas...

Yes folks, it's finally time for it to start really looking like Christmas! It's not August anymore, so it's actually acceptable (at least in my book) to see Christmas trees and decorations starting to pop up.

Black Friday was awesome! Although Hubby and I didn't get our super early start on shopping like we have in the past, we still got out there nice and early and scored all of the items we wanted to get. I'd tell you some of the killer deals we got, but since I know that Bear, AJ and Pickle occasionally browse through my blog, I'll have to keep that to myself. Suffice to say, "we done GOOD!"

After a break from the shopping to visit the hospital with Kona for our regular visit, it was back out to brave more crowds. (While I was gone at the hospital Hubby and AJ put up all of our outdoor decorations. Sweet!) This time when we headed out to shop though, we took the kids with us. Everyone was off of work and school, so it was fun to do a little something out of the ordinary. We bundled up, and headed out to the Viejas Outlet mall, about 30 miles or so east of where we live. It was a brisk evening, in the low 50's (which, you know, is like FREEZING for us Southern Californians!) and it felt nice and wintery. They had a gorgeous Christmas tree set up, surrounded by an outdoor ice skating rink. It made for a mini winter wonderland!

The kids are at ages now where they actually enjoy getting new cloths for Christmas, especially if they can pick them out, and make sure they fit. We had a really fun time, scoring great deals at the Tommy Hilfiger store, the Gap store, Nautica, etc. We stretched every dollar and didn't buy anything that wasn't on sale. And, boy or boy, did they have some great sales! I got a pair of Gap jeans for myself for 70% off - only $15.99! What a bargain! I'm going to wrap them up and put them under the tree!

Saturday was a fun day too. The kids got all of their home work caught up while Hubby and I finished off a little shopping, and a few errands. We've been him-hawing around about getting a new refrigerator too, and finally gave in and bought one last night. Our current one (13 years old) is still hanging in there, but we both have the feeling it won't last much longer. With the current great sales that were going on, we felt that it was the opportune time to get it. (But when in the heck did refrigerators get SO dang expensive? Holy Moly!) I would have rather have had a new couch I've had my eye one....but a couch can't keep the milk cold. Oh well. The new frig gets delivered on Wednesday, and I'll consider it an early birthday present.

We had a great family night last night, and played several different games, which we haven't done in a very long time. After the expenses of the last couple of days, (especially that frig!) we wanted to do something fun and FREE! We all had a really good time, and it was nice to remember that sometimes just doing simple things can make for the best times together. After games we made some popcorn and settled in to watch a silly, quirky movie, called "Death at a Funeral." It came out in 2007, but I'd never heard of it before. It was on HBO for free and we gave it a try. Other than the raunchy language, it was a pretty mild movie, with a funny plot. You might want to give it a try if you come across it, but it's a dark British comedy - so just keep that in mind...

Also on Saturday, we experienced something really out of the ordinary...RAIN! It had been 164 days since there had been any measurable precipitation in San Diego county. That's a long time with no rain! Needless to say the news stations were in a frenzy, finally having something to put in the weather report. Flashes of "Storm Watch 09" filled the airwaves...gimme a break! We had about a half inch in our part of town, and in the nearby mountains they got about an inch. Whoopee! Sure it was better than nothing (although I did have to cancel a scheduled Golden group meetup, which was a bummer) but it certainly wasn't worth getting into a tizzy over.

All in all, it's been a great couple of days. I've enjoyed having everyone home and spending the time together. Even Hubby had 5 days off, which has been great! Bear had a few days off from her salon, and we've all gotten the chance to spend some quality time together. Sure it's fun to shop, and give and receive gifts over the holiday season, but in the long run, spending time with those you love is the best gift of all.