The Search is over...

For about 13 years I have been on a search. Well, lets go back to that fateful day......
I was sitting in the laundrymat in Prescott, Arizona. Waiting for my wash to finish so that I could dry my clothes. This was way back when I was newly married, so there wasn't much (compared to now) in the way of wash, so it really didn't take long. I sat in the nice seating area they had there and I was flipping through the magazines they had there. I came across an Eddie Bauer catalogue. I enjoyed Eddie Bauer items, so I browsed through the pages. Then, I saw it. It being my dream robe. Yes, we are talking about a bathrobe here. I fell in love immediately. It was floor length, white, soft terry cloth, and the most important feature, the hood. I had to have one. But as I mentioned before I was newly married. My husband and I were living in one of the highest cost of living areas in Arizona where he completed a very expensive education, and we were each only making minimum wage, which, by the way if you recall, 13 years ago was less than $6 per hour. The robe was not in the budget, but, I tore out the phone # for Eddie Bauer and kept it with me. The next time we went to Phoenix, I checked the Eddie Bauer store at the mall, "Sorry we are all sold out of those". And so, the next holiday season, I found a catalogue, which did not carry the robe. I called the phone # that I had saved and found that they discontinued that item (insert wailing here). I was so sad. So thus began my lifetime search for my perfect robe. Others came close, I found soft terry cloth, floor length white robes, but they didn't have the hood. I found hooded, white terry cloth robes, but they were only knee lenth (really, what is the point of that!!!). For thirteen years I, and my wonderful husband, have been looking everywhere for this style of robe for me. He even at one point said to find someone who could make it for me, he was willing to pay good money to check this off his list. I had all but given up. So now, lets fast forward to October of 2008.......
My sisters and I decided that there was just getting to be too many people in our family for everyone to be buying Christmas gifts for everyone else. The decision was made for the adults to exchange names and the kids to exchange names. This was to be so much cheaper than previous years. We set a price range and exchanged names. My youngest sister got my name. She consulted with my husband and purchased my gift. So now flash forward to just before Christmas......
Since she wouldn't be here on Christmas to see me open my gift, my dear baby sister had me open my gift from her a few days before Christmas. I opened the newspaper wrapping (she doesn't believe in wrapping paper), and found a box. I opened the box and I about fell out of my chair.... She had found the robe! I couldn't believe it! It is absolutely perfect! I received 2 memorable gifts this Christmas and I could not be happier! Here is a pic from online... just imagine it being an off- white color....