It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yes, I am one of the nutty ones who gets out and starts shopping at 5:00am the day after Thanksgiving. I have done it for years. It is a tradition. Me and my BFF Christie begin strategizing Monday prior to Thanksgiving when the stores make their Thanksgiving Day sales flyer available for viewing online. We call each other and talk about what we like and who has the best price. Then on Thursday she sits at her house with her flyers and makes her list. I sit at my house with my flyers and make my list. We call each other one last time to finalize our meeting time and place. Lights out.


3:40am~my alarm sounds

I jump in the shower then get dressed in the clothes that I laid out the night before. I quietly tip toe out into the black of night and take off. “Oh what fun it is to shop on the day after Thanksgiving” (My car was packed with flyers, coat, and shopping purse before I went to bed. I make less noise in the morning if all this is already done.)


This year was just as wonderful as I ever. Did we get everything we went for? No. Did we get upset? No. Did we see things we were not expecting and delighted with the price? Yes.

We have been doing this for years. The secret to enjoying the day is not to take things too seriously. For us, it is really about being together. The moments we share are precious, even after 40+ years of friendship.

What happens the day after Thanksgiving?
The Pope family tradition is to put the Christmas tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It is so much fun! We open the ornaments slowly and talk about each one. (This year we missed it by one day. We put it up Sunday.)

Signing off to go experience another Pope tradition: Extreme Makeover Home Edition while snuggling in Mom and Dad’s big bed.

Share some of your family traditions, Thanksgiving, Christmas or other.