When You're On the Same Page

We celebrated Christmas with my family over the weekend. It was a relaxing and fun time. The cousins could not have been more thrilled, as they rarely all get together. It was enjoyable to see them interacting and playing. Vivian was particularly thrilled to have a real baby around to play with. We were missing one family member, but that is another story I suppose.

This morning I was thinking about our weekend. It really was a simple family get together. Our meals were simple. Not all of them were exactly frugal, thanks mom for the seafood stew, but most meals included items that were prepared ahead or easily put together. Everything was delicious, and no one was stuck in the kitchen with lots of cooking or cleaning up.

We opened presents on Sunday. We all kept it simple and frugal this year. Less gifts were purchased. Many gifts were homemade, second hand, or purchased on clearance,but this did not dampen the joy of opening presents one bit. Everyone had a gift that they were extremely pleased with. Several of the kids even did the happy dance around the living room after discovering their gift. My sister-in-law and I compared our thrift store and clearance bargains afterward, "She loves that and you only paid a dollar," and "Can you believe I found that at the thrift store for only three dollars?"

Sometimes you feel like a fish swimming upstream when choosing a simpler and more frugal lifestyle. It is nice to see some reward from your choices. It certainly helps when your family is on the same page with you.