(A copy of the Christmas Letter I sent out this year–because it’s tradition to keep a copy of it on the blog.)
December 12, 2014
Dear Family and Friends,
So guess what. You may not be as surprised as I was to find out that stores are no longer carrying Christmas stationary. You know–like the kind you print Christmas letters on. Correction: the kind I used to print Christmas letters on. It seems that Christmas letters have gone out of style. I know, I know. They went out of style a long time ago. But you know what? I still like them. I look forward to writing to you every year because it makes me feel close to you. Because words are my thing. Remember? Anyway….
A few hours ago, I sat down at my computer and read the Christmas letters I sent out over the last few years in hopes of getting my Christmas-letter juices flowing. So here’s an update: Brian has once again loaded up his green back pack with socks and weird energy chewy things in preparation for another chilly half-marathon (plus a couple miles). True to my word in last year’s letter (and for the first time ever), I put my Christmas trees up before Thanksgiving (and I’m so glad I did). Yesterday, I had a huge blow-up with a couple of the kids, during which I told them it was an ever growing possibility that they would be getting nothing for Christmas. Aaaannnddd my eyelashes are actually making an appearance on the bigscreen face. Have you ever heard of that RapidLash stuff? Good news, people. It works.
And this Christmas season has already brought a number of sweet experiences that have warmed my heart and soothed my soul. After a super sleep-deprived first week of December working my fanny off with Becky to get my house spruced up for the season (cause that’s important, right?), we went over to the church for the Nativity Festival. Becky and I sat in the second pew from the back and listened to the Presbyterian Choir from Reedsport perform a medley of Christmas songs. As the buzzing of my frazzled nerves slowed, I glanced behind me periodically to check on the kids. And you know what they were doing? They were being angels. They were coloring, and enjoying cookies, and admiring nativities and dressing up in nativity costumes–as angels. The music was beautiful, and the whole thing was just such a gift to me.
The next day, Brian invited us all to join him in putting up the Christmas lights of our favorite neighbors who were out of town. We gathered in their yard as the sun went down and all busied ourselves with a different section of lights. Camp was Brian’s wing man up on the roof, Becky and I were replacing bulbs and lighting bushes, Jane and Danin took control of the snowman lights, and Skip pedaled around the street on his Radio Flyer tricycle in a short sleeve shirt and elf hat yelling, “Merry Christmas!”
Tomorrow, Brian will run his race and the kids and I will attend the library’s annual family Christmas party; and then later we will all hike to The Lighthouse with friends and enjoy a campfire with hot chocolate….
Life is good, and I am sooooo grateful for mine. I love you all so much. Seriously. If you are getting this letter, you have contributed significantly to the happiness of my life and I owe you….a Christmas letter. 🙂
Merry, merry Christmas. Love,
So guess what. You may not be as surprised as I was to find out that stores are no longer carrying Christmas stationary. You know–like the kind you print Christmas letters on. Correction: the kind I used to print Christmas letters on. It seems that Christmas letters have gone out of style. I know, I know. They went out of style a long time ago. But you know what? I still like them. I look forward to writing to you every year because it makes me feel close to you. Because words are my thing. Remember? Anyway….
A few hours ago, I sat down at my computer and read the Christmas letters I sent out over the last few years in hopes of getting my Christmas-letter juices flowing. So here’s an update: Brian has once again loaded up his green back pack with socks and weird energy chewy things in preparation for another chilly half-marathon (plus a couple miles). True to my word in last year’s letter (and for the first time ever), I put my Christmas trees up before Thanksgiving (and I’m so glad I did). Yesterday, I had a huge blow-up with a couple of the kids, during which I told them it was an ever growing possibility that they would be getting nothing for Christmas. Aaaannnddd my eyelashes are actually making an appearance on the big
And this Christmas season has already brought a number of sweet experiences that have warmed my heart and soothed my soul. After a super sleep-deprived first week of December working my fanny off with Becky to get my house spruced up for the season (cause that’s important, right?), we went over to the church for the Nativity Festival. Becky and I sat in the second pew from the back and listened to the Presbyterian Choir from Reedsport perform a medley of Christmas songs. As the buzzing of my frazzled nerves slowed, I glanced behind me periodically to check on the kids. And you know what they were doing? They were being angels. They were coloring, and enjoying cookies, and admiring nativities and dressing up in nativity costumes–as angels. The music was beautiful, and the whole thing was just such a gift to me.
The next day, Brian invited us all to join him in putting up the Christmas lights of our favorite neighbors who were out of town. We gathered in their yard as the sun went down and all busied ourselves with a different section of lights. Camp was Brian’s wing man up on the roof, Becky and I were replacing bulbs and lighting bushes, Jane and Danin took control of the snowman lights, and Skip pedaled around the street on his Radio Flyer tricycle in a short sleeve shirt and elf hat yelling, “Merry Christmas!”
Tomorrow, Brian will run his race and the kids and I will attend the library’s annual family Christmas party; and then later we will all hike to The Lighthouse with friends and enjoy a campfire with hot chocolate….
Life is good, and I am sooooo grateful for mine. I love you all so much. Seriously. If you are getting this letter, you have contributed significantly to the happiness of my life and I owe you….a Christmas letter. 🙂
Merry, merry Christmas. Love,
Ann
