Day 1071 -- Toy House

Tonight, Colby and I emerged from the Toy House in downtown Jackson feeling victorious.

Triumphantly, we placed each and every one of our final Christmas gifts into the back of our Saturn.

You see, we didn't just finish Christmas shopping, we were able to buy every single Christmas gift from a small, family-owned business this year.

We found it appropriate that our final destination for our shopping challenge was one of the biggest family-owned independent toy stores in the United States -- a store that has been bringing joy to children since 1949.

Colby and I are thankful to have crossed everyone off our collective lists.  And as an added bonus, we are thankful that, as patrons of the Toy House, all of our kids' gifts are already wrapped.  The Toy House offers free gift-wrapping of all its toys and has since I was a kid.  It's amazing how seeing that perfectly-wrapped Toy House paper could bring an instant smile to your face.  I'm hoping it has the same effect on my three kids.

Thank God for the Toy House!

Lord, thank you for giving us the time, energy, and financial means to buy Christmas presents.  Thank you for the ability to support family-owned businesses.  Thank you that we are done.  Most importantly, thank you for your gift of love, which is the reason for this season.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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