1. Tickle Me Elmo. For most of middle school, a backwards Elmo hat was my signature, every day accessory. Don't mock it, I still know it was awesome. Anyway, the Christmas that Tickle Me Elmo was the hot item and people fought over them in toy stores and sold them on ebay for hundreds, I had the flu. I felt like crap. That night, when Grandma had convinced us all to leave the dinner table to rush to the presents, everyone was instructed to watch me open my first gift. Weary and confused, I sat in a chair while my cousin grabbed her camera and handed me the gift she had purchased for me. And it was...Tickle Me Elmo! I realize I was technically way too old for a toy like that, but MAN was it exciting. And it gave my great-grandmother the giggles, which made it entertaining for the whole family.
2. An Insurance Deductible. The Christmas before Jeff and I got married, he got in a wreck that required thousands in repairs. Fortunately, Jeff had insurance to cover most of it. Unfortunately, his deductible was super high. This was rather crushing for us. We were at my aunt's house a week after the crash, and she pulled me aside and told me that God had told her to pay the deductible. She ended up splitting it 50/50 with Grandma, and this gift blew me away. Not only was it super generous, but it was something we never would have considered asking for and gave us such peace and glorified God. BAM! Awesomeness.
3. A Military Pin. For my 16th birthday, my Grandma Bradshaw gave me the pin and compact set that Grandpa Bradshaw had given her when they first started dating. They have such a beautiful love story, and I was utterly honored to get this heirloom.
4. A Children' Book. For our anniversary this year, Jeff wrote a children's book, incorporating pictures of us and hilarious fictional names. I love it. It's thoughtful, creative, and funny. (For the record, my engagement/wedding ring was probably the single best gift I've ever been given, but that feels like cheating.)
5. A Wedding. Sometimes I am dumb and forget what an amazing gift my parents gave Jeff and me. I guess our American culture makes us girls feel all entitely, which is whack. Not only did they finance the whole shindig, they were also super supportive and helpful through the whole thing. Obviously that is a gift I will never forget.
This is just a sampling. Other favorite gifts that pop into mind: a photo collage with a brain teaser incorporated into it from Zoe, tickets to see Jimmy Fallon from Sissy, a surprise short family vacation at the Disneyland Hotel from my parents, a homemade quilt from Grandma Bradshaw, a maternity sweatshirt and mini celebration from my friend Tabitha (it was the exact right amount of hoopla for a freaked out unexpectedly pregnant me), a surprise party with a spy theme from Zoe and our friend Nathan (we were really into Alias then)...the list goes on. I'm blessed. And I'm leaving out tons of other examples.
What are some of your favorite gifts?
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