Christmas Shopping

Have you ever gotten to go shopping with someone's money??? That's what I was doing a year ago today. Mom had been telling Donna and I that she wanted to get everyone some nice piece of jewelry for Christmas, and for us to be looking when we were out and about. This particular day, we had to take mom to have a brace fitted for her foot. Outings were hard-mom had two broken hips, a wheelchair, and little energy. Donna and I were ready to go home after the trip to the brace place, but mom wanted to stop by Pennys first. Well, think about it, she had hardly been out of the hospital in two months, hadn't been able to go shopping long before that! Now she had a chair to sit in while shopping, and two girls to reach everything she couldn't! We said she was like a two year old in a stroller-reaching and grabbing and wanting everything in sight! We were worn out before she ever made it to the jewelry counter! And that little jewelry lady had NO idea what had rolled up to her counter and was going to make her Christmas commission a real nice one! Mom picked out something for all her kids and their spouses, and for all the grandkids that would be with her for Christmas. She didn't care about the price, she just wanted what she wanted. We would think we were done, check out and write a check for her to sign, and she would think of someone else she wanted something for. Before it was all said and done, I think we had checked out three times, each time writing a check. We finally made it to the car, got her in and the wheelchair put away and she remembered someone ELSE she needed to get something for! So, I got out and went back in, picked out something else and wrote yet another check! Funny thing was, my brother was already taking care of her business, and he thought it seemed a bit strange that SHE had written all these checks for large amounts, and she had to answer for it!!! My sister and I knew how important it was to mom to get something special for everyone, and we knew it was because she didn't know if she would make it to see another Christmas, but we never had the slightest notion that we only had another month with her. Mom loved to give, but she was always very careful with her money. That day she spent a wad and loved every minute of it, and I think she knew she couldn't take it with her. This picture was when I opened my jewelry on Christmas and she insisted that I look surspised!