Walgreens Saves Christmas...

Each year we travel to St Louis and celebrate Christmas with my wife's family. In the last few years, we've opened presents before the trip. This year, we decided to follow our tradition and open presents early, but to leave the stockings for Christmas day in St Louis (we like to have fun with stocking presents).

To our shock, Christmas morning, we found we had left my son's stocking stuffers at home. Yikes! We felt terrible (yep, we had remembered all the other presents).

Thinking quickly, but not so clearly, I jumped into the car and ran off to Walgreens (the only opened store) and tried to work some Christmas magic.

Understanding his real stocking stuffers were at home, he seemed to enjoy his make-shift stocking.

He got Ramen noodles, beef jerky, lots of gum, cool stickers, his favorite candy bars and a deck of "kitty" playing cards. :)

Thanks Walgreens.

Christmas Lights and Music

My nephew (on my wife's side of the family), Ken Franke, grew up loving Christmas lights.  Ken  went  on to get a major in theater and now teaches in the St Louis school district. Ken is married, has his own home and hasn't lost his love for Christmas.  He shows his enthusiasm and creativity each year through a very nice display of Christmas lights (I don't recall the number) put to music.  Enjoy.