Christmas in November

Tyler and I are literally THE WORST at giving presents on the actual day of celebration. I think it's becoming more of a tradition than a faux pas. Who knows, we may end up celebrating Valentine's Day on February 1st or something equally ridiculous. I gave him his birthday present (originally designated for June 18th) around June 10th and he reciprocated by presenting me with my birthday gift weeks before my twentieth year of life.

I had been working on his Christmas present since October and that's a really, really long time to keep such an epic secret. So I knew I wouldn't last much past Thanksgiving, when I completed the project. My gift to him was also time sensitive so I told him I needed to give it to him before Christmas. He caved to peer pressure and agreed to exchange gifts at the beginning of December.

The plan was to decorate the tree at his house on November 29th, switch presents, and then watch Elf. We did all of that, except we opened presents on November 28th. Oops.

That thoughtful boy handed me THREE packages. My one box for him looked a little measly and I instantly began to panic. Would he think my gift was dumb? I was blown away by the thought he put into the frame, OU basketball tickets to the TCU, OSU, and UT games, and the Corrie ten Boom devotional book I found beneath the festive Christmas wrapping.

I handed him my silver-wrapped box and cautioned him, "Okay so...this is nonreturnable. Pretend to like it if you don't."

I shouldn't have been concerned.  If the concept is unclear, I made him 12 ornaments that represent different aspects of him or our relationship.

1. Batman because that's his favorite superhero.
2. A Thunder themed globe with KD #35 in paint pen to represent a favorite player, Kevin Durant.
3. Macaroni because we cook pasta A LOT. It's easy.
4. I fit as many of the movies that we had gone to see together as possible on the white painted one.
5. A mini jack-o-lantern represents the pumpkin carving that took place in October.
6. I destroyed the book of Psalms in an old Bible to modge podge verses that we had read together.
7. My inner sorority girl needed to make something monogrammed and sparkly.
8. We attended the Life Church series of "Strapped" and learned so much.
9. "Je t'aime" because I like him, obvs.
10. Cut up Phase 10 cards to emphasize one of our favorite games. That I always win. 
11. We share a mutual love for the great University of Oklahoma.
12. Blue beads resembling water to commemorate the fun we had at Lake Eufala last summer. 

Seriously, A Very Lucky Girl's boyfriend has the best-decorated tree in Norman.