Riding the Monkey

So I love that my children have listened to council about keeping Christmas simple this year. We have been blessed with so many miracles this year and each one has been more fulfilling than we ever dreamed of. We decided to draw names this year and keep it to a $20.00 limit - that might seem small to some, but to us it's.... just right. There are many people in need this year and so we decided to tuck some Secret Santa's aside for some friends, and also to contribute to the Road Home in downtown Salt Lake City. When you see those without, it's easy to go without - so it's a year of a fun gift and tons of food and hours of love and laughter. I put out an email to my children because right after we draw names - I get the calls - Mom? What should I get so and so? The email simply stated each of our 5 wishes for a gift. I started the process and I titled the email, "Let's ride this Monkey". To which I received the following responses - each with a new rendition of "Riding the Monkey". Here are some fun ideas if you ever have to draw names with members of the psycho ward.

Pretty much anything, Gift card to Olive Garden - (or any place that serves food and does the dishes for you), Any nice solid colored shirt (probably one that will hide the stains from Olive Garden), Choose from any of the following DVD's: Grumpy Old Men #1, Transformers, The Simpson's Mogvie, James Bond movies, Mission Impossible 2 or gift card from Wallymart to get any of these, Linkin Park's Road to Revolution CD, DSW gift certificate; because in case you didn't know I'm a sho-a-holic, Rod Works gift certificate because my house is going to look empty after I put my Christmas stuff away, Buckle GC because I'm a shop-a-holic also, A baby, Blogging lessons, scarfas that have the old-school-looks-like-yer-grandma-knitted-them kind, World Peace, A pony, Get Smart DVD, A fitted Jazz Hat with no flaps in the back, Season of House or the first'second season of Arrested Development, New headphones - mine suck rocks, Nooodles and company GC- that place is the fritz, Mamma Mia, Something about Catholic Masses (we couldn't find this in any store), Wall-E widescreen, Oceans 11,12 or 13 (they must already have 1 through 10), GC to Ross, Children's books to build my library, McDonalds CG for coke only, Scrapbooking stuff, Barnes and Noble - not the books just the smell of the store in a bottle, Someone stole my ice scraper that would be nice one with an extension cord and a heating device built right in, Another request for World Peace, Black socks - everytime one of our kids jump ship my socks disappear, Casual sweats because someone doesn't like my current ones, GC to Harley Davidson, GC to Chevron diesel prices suck, GC to Olive Garden, Something to eat with my wife, something to dress my wife in, somewhere to take my wife (movies), a way to have fun with my wife, or some bullets.


Well there it is.... Eat, Drink, Be Merry, and shoot guns for World Peace, and a Gift Certificate in a Pear Tree. What's on your list? I know you've all been nice! Merry Christmas!!

PS - I love you kids - you are the light at the top of every tree for me! (not necessarily angels - but close!)

PPS - Remember that the animals talk at midnight!

Gotta go wrap my $20.00 purchase..... now where did I put that Monkey....