Thursday, May 29, 2014

Hey, Mary!

Chris always asks me what I want when it is present-giving time, and I am always very helpful by saying, "I don't want anything," which can truly mean that ... but it can also mean, "I want you to know exactly what I want without me telling you that I want it." And sometimes, it can also mean, "I want to you get me something that I want that I don't even remember or know that I want." 

(I just read that to Chris and he said, "You should just say what you want"). 

Tell me I'm not the only one.

Gifts are not even my love language! I am a quality time kind of wife. And we are not even big gift givers especially for things like St. Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. I am sincerely happy and content with not making dinner and a crumpled piece of construction paper with one scribble on it. Maybe Chris is always trying to make me forget about one of the first gifts that he ever gave me, which was a book on California Impressionism because I told him that I like Impressionist painters (read: I'm a typical girl who loves water lilies), and he was in California. I thought it was sweet! He says I have never read it.  

But I have looked at the pictures! 

Well, this year after we got home from my brother's wedding (which will be blogged about!), a box was waiting on our doorstep. I was very surprised and very flattered because I really did not want anything. But. Chris hit the grand slam of gift-giving when he got me something that I wanted for a really long time, but it wasn't even on my possible gifts radar at the moment and I was not expecting a gift at all. Welcome to the Harrington lawn, Chris' magnum opus of gifts: 

I've always wanted one  since I grew up with my mom having one at our house. I feel like a real homemaker now. I hope someday when Ryan and Conor are older and out of the house and they see a Mary statue, they'll also think of home. 

9 comments :

  1. Way to go Chris!! We have a Mary statue at home in Maryland, and I hope one day Bradley and I will have one at our home. So wonderful, Katrina! You are a fabulous homemaker :)

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  2. I'm with you there... I'm not a huge fan of receiving (let alone asking for) gifts. This is so sweet, though. :) Props to Chris!
    Country Girl's Daybook: Jesus, Photography, Fashion, & Food

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  3. I'm just like you! We're not gift givers (more because were savers) and I never know what I want or need.

    I LOVE the Mary statue!!! What a truly thoughtful gift. I really should get one for our front yard. I feel like it's the mark of a Catholic family :)

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  4. I relate to every single thing about this post! Except that Michael never gave me a book about art, haha. BUT - the gifts. I'm with you. And I really want one of those Mary statues for our future house! What a beautiful gift!!! Way to go, Chris!

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  5. I'm quality time and acts of service, totally. But my husband likes to give me gifts that make me happy so I try and come up with some ideas. I'm always thrilled with his choices and it makes him SO happy when I'm thrilled. Usually, for Valentine's or Mother's Day, he just makes dinner or we go out, and I love that. The big "gift" comes for my birthday or Christmas.

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  6. Once I asked for a cuckoo clock for our fifth anniversary. My husband bought me a cuckoo clock. And five years later it's the only present I've received since because I never know what I want. Or in reality the thing I want is far too expensive for me to actually ask for it!

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  7. Ha! I mean the exact same thing when I say "I don't want anything" He gets frustrated everytime.....I don't understand why it is so hard for them to just know what we want! ;-)

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  8. Love this! And I bet Ryan adores it, too :)

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  9. That is the best present ever. :)

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