The End Of An Era

I am being a bit biased when I say this, but we all think it, my mom was (and still is) the most amazing mom ever. Not only did she have four children, but three of them were boys, my dad was typically out of state for work (commercial fisherman) at least 50% of the time, my oldest brother and I were 10 years apart so she had kids in her house for 28 years, and now, with 5 grandchildren it just hasn't ever ended for her. Although there are numerous things that made her the best, in honor of Christmas time and the recent ending of an era I am going to talk about stalkings. Growing up with my mom, we received the absolutely best Easter baskets and the best stockings (loved those lottery tickets). One would think that maybe around the age of 18 the Easter baskets and stockings might end, but not in the Sturgell household. Finally, when my oldest brother was 35 and I was 25 my mom decided maybe it was time to call her Easter bunny and Santa Claus duties quits. My first thought was how unfair. Dennis Jr. got those things until he was 35 and I am getting cut short at 25, that's a whole ten extra years!!! I know, pretty bratty of me to think that, but as the youngest child I am all about fairness. Luckily for me, my mom agreed and I "secretly" still got an Easter basket and a stocking...until this year.

So getting married has numerous perks but the things that your parents start to cut you off of when you get married is definitely a negative. Cell phone, insurance, gym memberships, the list goes on. Also on that list, getting married ended the era of amazing stockings from my mom! So Christmas 2008 was Jeff and I's first ever Christmas morning spent together and our first time ever filling each others stockings. I chose for him all of the things that my mom would have traditionally put in my stocking and he too chose for me all of the things that his mom would have put in his. Not surprisingly, they were very similar. Although it was hard to be away from my family on Christmas - I only cried twice - it was exciting to start new traditions with my husband.

With that I would like to say thank you to my mom for 26 amazing years of Easter baskets and stockings, as well as thank you to my husband for making my first stocking from someone other than my mom an added bonus of my Life As A Wife.