If you have read our blog long, you might remember that three years ago, Steve and I began gifting our granddaughters, Abigail (12), Bethany (10), and Christina (8), with Hobby Lobby gift cards for Christmas. As part of the gift, we provide the trip to Hobby Lobby (about 35 minutes away) and a light meal after shopping. That gift proved so successful for two years that we continued it for Christmas 2020, and it now feels like a tradition.
This year, we scheduled our trip for the Monday after Christmas, but Grandpa had a cold so that date didn’t work out. Then we postponed it until February because the girls’ family was on an elimination diet for the month of January to experiment with some health issues.
Monday, February 1st at 2:30, we picked up the girls for our shopping trip. This year the girls were all interested in card making supplies with Christina also wanting some modeling clay. In addition to cards, envelopes, and stickers, each girl bought a package of multicolored pens.
We tried something different this year—eating at our house rather than out. Lots of eat-in fast food places aren’t open for dining in so we did take out and ate at home. That allowed Steve and me to eat with the girls. Last year, we sat with them while they ate, took them home, and then Steve and I ate back at our house because of Steve’s restricted heart-healthy diet.
With our new plan, we had enough time in the late afternoon and evening, after the shopping trip, to not only eat together but also to play games and have Bible time. The girls are doing the chronological read-through of the Bible that our church has a schedule and reading plan for and has encouraged people to do this year. We are also doing that during our family Bible time so it worked out well.


“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having
this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And,
Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”
(2 Timothy 2:19).