Our immediate family has been doing a “Secret Santa” grab bag for the past couple of years.  With help from Santa’s helpers, Julie and Karen Pietch, we are all assigned someone and then send out emails to let our Santa know what we want.  Here is this year’s correspondence.

November 1 (Original email goes out to the group of 8)

Hi everyone!  It's that time again! I just sent an email to Karen and Julie asking them to choose names for us so we can do Secret Santa again this year...fun, fun, fun!

So, once you get your name assignment, it's up to you to shop for the best gift possible for your person!

If you want to send a "wish list", just reply all to this email with your list and hopefully Santa will be good to you!

The price limit is $50 (is that okay with everyone?)

Love you all!  Mom

November 2  (First “reply all”)

Hi Family!

Here's my wish list:

-Balboa Baby nursing cover in "Suri"...I found it here for the cheapest price, but you can also find it on diapers.com, and if you use the code PARENTSSEP10 you can get 15% off, so it's actually a little cheaper that way.

Actually, that's pretty much it :). Thanks Secret Santa!     

Lindsay

November 3

Here's my list:

Penn State clothing.  I'd like a jacket, but I'm sure that's outside the price limit.  I could use a new sweatshirt.  I have two blue ones, so gray would be good.  The simpler the design the better.  Hooded or unhooded makes no diff.  T-shirts are OK too.  White or gray.  I'm sure if you google Penn State Bookstore, you'll be able to find lots to choose from.    

Dad/Bill

November 15 (a friendly reminder from LindsayJ)

Sooo, people need to reply with their gift requests! So far I think only Dad and I have responded...Otherwise you're getting Tupperware! :)   

Lindsay

November 17 (almost everyone gets with the program)

Here are a few things I like:

A charm bracelet with a watch and keys on it.  I looked online but didn't really find anything.  But, you never know what you can find.  Robyn Brown has a friend who makes beautiful bracelets so perhaps she can help you.  Her email is robynstuppteam@aol.com.  She is one of my Directors in case you don't know.

I also like books and two of my favorite authors are Lee Child and Harlan Coben.  The most recent hardcover by Lee Child is "Worth Dying For" so that would be great or "Caught" by Harlan Coben.

I could also use a piece of luggage that is a rolling backpack type that will carry my laptop.

Or, anything else you find that you think, Mom would really like that!

Thanks Santa!!

Mom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Santa,

Some suggestions for me,  I am not set on these as gifts. 

I would like something Scott Pilgrim related.  I have the first two books, but there are 4 more and the movie should be coming out sometime soon.  I would be happy with any clothing gift (Sweater, button down shirt, shoes).  I like gardening tools (bulb planter attachment for a drill, a scuffle hoe, cool seeds).  

Love Justin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Santa,

I'm not too picky.  Also, not too specific.  I like jewelry, accessories, super-cute shoes (9.5), books (mysteries, historical fiction, something interesting), music (NOT experimental, ahem, Devin) anything plaid or Scotland related (you know how I am about Scotland), music books for Tenor Sax (or those books with two parts that you can buy for any instrument for T. Sax and Trombone - we have the "Movie Duets for All" and that's super fun)...pretty things for the home... neat stuff...whatever!  

Hope that's helpful...

Merry Thanksgiving!

Liz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Santa,

I guess it's my turn now. Well let's see, I like super cute Penn State apparel (preferably hoodies, T-shirts and/or sweatpants, but not the ones with the elastic band at the ends of the legs because that's sooo 2009). OMG, I also enjoy downloading music online on awesome sites like Amazon or iTunes! I can't wait to see what kind of uber-sweet gifts I get from you Santa! TTFN!

Adam

November 21

Hi Santas,

I think I want this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Savvy-Musician-Building-Earning-Difference/dp/0982307500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290360240&sr=1-1

These things could also be very handy:
(Wireless usb internet adapter thingy)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833180017&cm_re=usb_wireless_adapter-_-33-180-017-_-Product

(PCI to FireWire Adapter thingy)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124032&cm_re=pci_firewire-_-15-124-032-_-Product

I also kinda want a fire pit like this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Outdoor-Living-Outdoor-Heating-Fire-Pits/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xj1Zbtm1/R-202207372/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

But one review says the legs fall off easy, so maybe I should wait until I can get a decent one later.  Does anyone have fire pit knowledge/experience?  Do the charcoal burning ones vary from the wood burning ones significantly?  Well, they don't ship.  Let's not worry about a fire pit, but it'll be something to talk about when we see each other again :D

-Devin

November 28 (the last to reply)

Ok, being stuck on the PA turnpike for next few hours is forcing me to think about what I really want, so here's my list:

-Mexican train dominoes
-The new Nicholas sparks book, "Safe Haven"
-"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas sparks (can probably find a cheap used one on amazon)
- a cute scarf that would go well with my cute Kelly green peacoat or one to go with my super cute fuschia peacoat
-chapstick (now i'm just thinking of things i'm almost out of. Haha)
-land-o-lakes raspberry hot chocolate packets

I think that's good. If I think of anything else, i'll add it later. Ah who am I kidding?! I'll forget. I'll leave it as is and take what I get and won't get upset. =)

Happy shopping Santa!
Katie

Stay tuned after Christmas to see what everyone got.  I’m excited to see!

This photo is less than a year old but it's already a baby and a half short.

Welcome to our blog

I thought I would start this blog to help keep friends and family updated as to what we are up to.  We live a crazy life and sometimes I can't even keep up....Here are a few facts to get us started:

We are from Western PA but have lived all over the USA with Air Force moves.  We have three adult children who are all in the AF too...they are all happily married (last I checked) and we are blessed with 3 grandsons and another due in March.

Bill and I love the Steelers, Penn State and Hawaii in no particular order.  We also LOVE being with all our kids but that is becoming more and more difficult as they begin to have families of their own and we have to share them with the in-laws...boo!

In fact, it looks like this will be the first year that we won't be all together for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.  That totally sucks...oh what to do.