Christmas Surprises

One of the fun parts about Christmas is the element of surprise. Maybe there is some gift you've tucked away that a person isn't expecting. Maybe a person is surprised because they actually got something they wanted. Or the giver is surprised how much the receiver likes it. I just love the smiles that surprises bring -- especially on Christmas morning.

Our first surprise today is that we started our day later than we expected. Nice. We had told Carter last night that no matter how early he got up, he could not wake the older boys (naturally late-sleeping teenagers) before 8:30 a.m. What a surprise that Carter actually slept past 8:30, too! That was a nice surprise for all of us.

Now the older boys are tough to surprise. We take them shopping and they pick out what they want so they know what they are getting and are happy with it. Sometimes they might forget one thing but that's about it.

Last night at Grandpa and Grandma Austin's they were drooling over some new jackets that both Daddy and Grandpa got from our aunt and uncle's bar called Austin's Pour House. Very cool black jackets with their names (Jimmy and Johnny) stitched on the front. I heard both Casey and Clay mention they were going to put that on their list for next year. So we were quite pleased to see their looks of surprise and delight this morning when they each got one, too. (Of course, I got one for me, too. How could I not?) Carter did not get one because he would outgrow it too soon. We told him it was because he didn't have a Y in his name. Whatever works, right?

Carter was surprised at some of his gifts, but really only had one item on his list -- a Nintendo DS (handheld video game system). He got that and was thrilled. But not really surprised. He thinks his new Vikings shirts and T-shirt from Pepe's in Texas are cool, though.

I got a big surprise around 3 this afternoon when Daddy and Carter remembered a gift they hid under Carter's bed when I was gone on my Sisters Weekend in early November. (So it was kind of a surprise to them, too, once they remembered.) That same weekend Jim took Casey down to UW-La Crosse (my alma mater) for a campus visit. They didn't dare leave town without a UW-L sweatshirt for me. Yay.

Jim and I got a wonderful surprise from Carter, who is getting pretty good at keeping secrets. We received a special hardcover book, his autobiography, which looks back over his life (as it says) and shares some of his thoughts and goals. Very, very cool. I will be sharing that with anyone who will look at it! That's the best kind of surprise. The kind that makes you so happy, you cry. Nothing tops a gift that truly says, "I love you, Dad and Mom," and, in his words in the introduction, "Thanks for always being there."

I hope everyone had just enough surprises to make your Christmas merry, too!