24 December 2007
Last evening we went to my grandparents’ house for a Christmas gathering. We enjoyed a simple dinner, which was accompanied by lots of chatting. After we fed our faces, we gathered around the living room and Daddy read aloud the passage about Christ’s birth in Luke 2.
Subsequently, we exchanged gifts with one another. The first to open their gift was the youngest, in other words, me. I received two bottles of squirty cheese (American and Cheddar) along with a box of Chicken in a Biscut crackers. The opening continued on, each unwrapping their present according to their age. Presents ranged from $20 gift cards, candles, and movies. My uncle (who had drawn my name at Thanksgiving and gave me the crackers and cheese) was sitting with two boxes in front of him. One was quite small and the other the complete oposite in size. When it came to his turn, he opened the small box, but not the large one.
After everyone was done, my uncle called my name and said he had a deal to make with me. His proposition was that I could keep the present that I had previously opened (the most lovely crackers and cheese which I conceive to be the most delicious little snack), or trade with him (my crackers and cheese for his imensely large box, of which I had know idea of what it contained).
I wasn’t sure what I should say. Tori, his daughter, leaned over and said, “If you do choose the box, you need to sit in the middle of the room so everyone can see the expression on your face.” That made the situation a bit more awkward. Now I supposed that whatever was in the box would be a big joke, and I would either be frightened or embarassed.
After a bit of hesitation, I went to the package that was now sitting in the middle of the floor, sat down, and began the cautious unwrapping. He had sealed the box with duct tape. I ripped this off, opened the box, and removed the newspaper (which ended up amounting to about 2 weeks worth of paper).
No one but I could see inside the box, and all I could think of was “How is this going to sit in my room?” I was stunned with excitement, but still a bit troubled. Thankfully my uncle quickly arrived with a post, and I removed the object from it’s previous home, and held it up.
TA-DAH! A parking meter!!!
“Antiques” was on the list I made out to the person who would draw my name, but I never expected to receive such a breathtaking gift! My uncle made the base for it to stand on, which makes it even more special.
With many, many “thank yous” the evening went on, and I even received a few donations to put inside the contraption.
Later we had a white elephant*. Our family acquired a nice little DVD player, a tripod, strawberry magnets, a caller ID gadget, a box of 90s style wallpaper, and a set of poofy gloves.
We had a very wonderful time, and I hope you have just as much excitement!
*Whte Elephant : : everyone brings one or two packaged gifts of items from around the house (either goffy, practical, or special), and everyone gets their turn to either open a gift or steal someome elses.
May God Bless!
