Crazy Train

Yes, that's the song (Ozzy Osbourne's) that was playing through my head as I headed out the door this morning at 4:20am to go hit up some of the Black Friday sales at the mall. I really felt like I had become that crazy person that I'd always kind of snickered at before. Because really, what deal is worth getting up that early for? Well, until this year, none.

It all started yesterday when we got the Thanksgiving day paper with all the inserts that showcased all the great deals to be had if only you'd be dedicated enough to get up at the crack of dawn and fight hundreds of others for them. Normally I like to browse the ads but never saw anything tempting enough to lure me out of the house at those awful hours. That or the things on sale just didn't match what we had on our wish lists for that particular year. But this year, there were 3 very specific items on our lists that also happened to show up in the flyers and were advertised for ridiculously low prices. At the regular prices, there was no way we'd be able to get all of them, so I was resigned to just picking one of the three. But when I saw these prices I knew that if I could somehow manage to get to the stores early enough I would be able to get all three of them for the price of what 1 item was at regular price. That alone got me up at 4am this morning. And low and behold, I'm now the proud owner of these 3 fabulous items (which will remain nameless since some are for people who read this blog).

One particular item that I wanted to get for Scott (and had been eyeing since earlier this fall) was normally $140 - I got it for under $50. Another item was regularly $80 that I got for under $20. And the third item was normally $110 that I also snagged for under $50. I am so excited about all my finds. Yes, I got up earlier than I have since the sleepless, bleary-eyed days of newborns. Yes, I will definitely need a nap today - either that or massive amounts of caffeine. And it was all worth it because the sacrifices I thought I'd have to make for Christmas this year didn't have to be made after all and we got exactly what we wanted! :)

I'm not sure how I managed to convince my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law and my two nieces to get up that early with me and brave the cold, the darkness and the rain, but I'm so glad we all went and had a fun experience together. I love creating memories like that.

I'm grateful for having such a wonderful family, both the one I was born into and the one I married into. I love my children, my husband, all my extended family, my amazing friends and my life. I am so incredibly blessed and I have so much to be thankful for, not just at Thanksgiving, but all year round. I am so full of joy and love and happiness that I feel full to bursting. So thank you to all of you who are part of my life. Even if I don't talk to you that often (because like my daddy I'm not wonderful at keeping in touch with people who don't live close-by) it doesn't mean I don't love and miss you, think about you often, and appreciate all the wonderful contributions you've made to my happy life. And though I might have boarded the "Crazy Train" this morning getting up that early, I'm grateful for all of you who know and love me just the way I am.