But, anyone who knows me knows that there's another reason that I love this time of year. My mom and her sisters started a tradition in our family when I was a little girl that I'm sure they never saw it going as far as it has. They would all meet at my mom's house and go shopping. Not a big deal, everybody does that, right? Well, every year it grew. They decided they were going to start wearing Christmas shirts. then they decided (as my mom is known as "sparkle sister") that they needed to glitter up the shirts. I'm not sure of all the different things that happened at the beginning, because I was not allowed to go. There were no men and no kids allowed. Since everyone met at my house, I would have to get up and get ready to go to school while they were getting ready to go shopping... KILLER!! I remember I used to beg my mom, asking if at least she could call me off school and my cousin could just come hang out with me at our house. Nope, no kids allowed! At least, not back then...
In due time, my cousin and I grew up. We were the first "non-sisters" allowed to come. I was 18 my first year. By that time, what was now known as the "Sister Shopping Trip", has become a huge deal. Everyone wears sweat pants (because we do A LOT of eating, and I mean A LOT!!), our shirts all match (with the same theme, it's a new theme every year) and we all wear a fanny pack. Now, let me make this very clear. I never liked the fanny pack!! Always kinda thought they were for "old people" and I was only 18 years old!! But I wore that thing proudly once a year. Never even considered it any other time of year, it was still goofy, but it was a part of this tradition that I fought so hard to join. We decorate the room at my mom's house called "the shopping trip room" to go along with whatever the theme for the year is. We bring gifts and we make up games to play, with prizes, of course. We all make certain foods to keep at my mom's house while we're there. Especially my mom's chex mix and my Aunt Barbie's butter cookies!! A must-have every year!
The day we meet, we all stay at mom's and eat and laugh, then we eat and laugh some more, and then... you guessed it, we eat and laugh some more. Then, we finally pass out and go to sleep and prepare our bodies for the next day. Then, let the shopping begin! We get up early and hit the town! Shop all day until the stores close, and then we visit the stores that are open 24 hours. When we just can't take any more, we go back to my mom's house and go to the Shopping Trip Room and play more games and eat more snacks. Finally, we go to bed and get ready to do it all over again the next day. By the final day, we are beyond exhausted. As much as we hate to, it's time for the fun to end and we pack up and head home. Let the countdown begin for next year!
Through the years, many "newbies" (or as we affectionately refer to them as "babies") have joined us. It started with sisters, grew to nieces, and now includes great-nieces. I was very proud to have my daughter join us last year for her first year, even though she is not yet 18. The new age, I guess, is 13. Normally, I would complain, seeing how such a big deal was made that I had to be 18 to attend, but I love having the babies with us. Oh, and everyone's first two years of the shopping trip they are "in training" which means they have to carry everyone's bags and get picked on a little bit too, hee hee. We tell them in training means that they have to buy everyone's lunch, but we don't really make them do that. But they do have to have "shopper in training" written on their shirts. It was a very proud moment for me last year, when we found my very first Shopping Trip shirt and my daughter wore it. We scraped my name off and added hers to it, and it already had her "in training status written on it so she was good to go!
Obviously, the Shopping Trip is about so much more than shopping. We were once a very close family, but now we all live spread apart. We don't get to see each other very often. I miss my family and love them very much. I hold this tradition very dear. Some people say it's great and some people just don't get it and say we're nuts. But I feel very lucky to be able to take part in such a great tradition. I wish everyone could have such an awesome thing to look forward to!
The Sisters, Founders of this great tradition!
This is the whole gang that went in 2008.
You forgot to add that you have "sisters and cousins" coming all the way from Alabama to join in. :) Of course, I can't come this year. Boo!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I was sick when I typed this out. That was the point I was making when I said we are all spread out but I should've been more specific.
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