Christmas Presents!

On Christmas morning, Stein and I exchanged Christmas gifts. As usual, Stein went overboard. We always set a dollar limit, and he manages every time to go over the limit. Not that I mind, of course, but I always stick to the limit, and he seems to come out short of presents in the end.

I received some really thoughtful gifts this year. He gave me a beautiful jewelry box that will now contain all the random bracelets, earrings, and necklaces that are strewn on my dresser or are still in cardboard boxes. Don't get me wrong, you know I don't have a ton of jewelry, but what I do have is in a mess on my dresser. The new jewelry box will definitely help to contain the mess.

In the same vein as jewelry, he got me a necklace that matches a bracelet that he gave me a couple years ago. It has pieces of tumbled sea glass surrounded by sterling silver. I like the pieces because they're colorful and pretty unusual. Since sea glass is randomly tumbled into its shape, there are no two bracelets or necklaces alike.

I also got a Marquette license plate holder to replace my old, faded one. You can barely read "Marquette" on the old one, so I guess it's time for a new one.

My favorite gift is pictured here:

Stein commissioned our niece Claire to make this quilt for me. She made one for her brother this year when he graduated from high school which was double the size! I couldn't believe it when I opened the box and this was inside. It was a group effort by Stein and Chris to get this together. They both donated shirts to make it possible. I know what a sacrifice it is to give up old favorite t-shirts, so this is truly a precious present. In case you can't see it clearly, I'll explain the quilt by row:

Top row (from left): 1.)The Avalanche Bar that was near Marquette but was torn down shortly after we graduated. (This was a landmark for Marquette students who made it famous with its beer slides. No, I never did one, but Chris Farley did when he attended Marquette.)
2.)Marquette Warriors. (This was the Marquette nickname prior to and while I attended Marquette. After I graduated, the university decided to change the name proactively because of the Native American connection. However, it was never a condescending image (like other teams) so alumni are still upset about it.) 3.) Coldwater Triathlon. (This was the triathlon that we participated in twice. Before you get all impressed, I have to tell you that it was a MINI triathlon. But, we finished, which was a major accomplishment.)

Second row (from left): 1.) A dog howling at the moon. (This was a t-shirt that I bought in Madrid when we went to Spain a few years ago. That was a memorable trip for both of us.)
2.) O'Donoghue's Pub. (O'D's as we called it, was another Marquette institution, and our hang-out for most of senior year. It too was torn down shortly after we graduated. We even roller-bladed in that bar once, and spent more hours there than I care to remember.) 3.) Chicago Cubs. My baseball team. I can't even count the times I have been in the bleachers at Wrigley, or the opening days I have attended, or the losing seasons I have watched. Eh, it's all in the life of a Cubs fan.

Third row (from left): 1.) Eastern Michigan University. (This is where I just finished my teaching program, and where my teaching certificate is from.) 2.) Yak-zie's bar. (A bar in Wrigleyville that holds so many memories for me. This was our hang-out for most of my post-college years, including the first time I met Stein, countless 6am opening-day mornings, and many Friday nights when Chris and I were roommates and had no plans for dinner.)
3.) Mama's Fish house. (This is a restaurant on the island of Maui, where Stein and I had the pleasure and fortune of going to twice. The first time we went on Thanksgiving night, which is one of my most memorable Thanksgivings. The second time we went with my Mom and Rich, which was another great time. They have, hands down, the best fish. It's caught daily, and they even list the fisherman who caught the fish on the menu.)

Fourth row (from left): 1.) The Bears. My football team. Being a Bears fan is kind of like being a Cubs fan, except that the Bears have gone to the Super Bowl and even won one! Growing up we had season tickets, so we would be out in the cold and snow at Soldier Field until the bitter end. 2.) Michigan football. (You already know that I like Michigan football, not only because we live blocks from the stadium and attend the games, but because we didn't have football at Marquette. Football games are a whole new experience for me.) 3.) Marquette. Need I say more?

You can probably see why this was my favorite present this year. Every time I am snuggled under it while I'm sitting on the couch, I look down and instantly memories go racing through my head. What a great gift.