When I write our Christmas letter I get in a zone. My family can tell you that I'm very intense during the writing phase and get kind of obsessed with tweaking it and making it as different as I can from the average letter. It's a process that I enjoy very much, but after I start sending them out, I invariably notice something I don't like about them. Sometimes it's a weird word I used. Or something about the design that I don't like. Or whatever. This year it was both of those.
Besides the weird word issue and the design that didn't look quite as good on paper as it did on my computer screen, this year I felt like some details were lacking. So I decided to take to the blog to issue a more informative update on our family. The one I might have sent if I didn't suffer from Christmas card induced OCD.
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Glen: Glen was hoping that the sale of his company (not that it's actually "his" company, but the company he works for) would herald in a less demanding and stressful work environment for him, but alas it has not. He still works more hours than he ever has in his life and we are both really hoping for some changes this upcoming year that will help him to find a better family, self, spiritual, work balance. He works with the deacons at church and enjoys that a lot. His goal is to lose 45-lbs by his 45th birthday in June.
Lara: I am still YW president (and have been for 3-1/2-years). I absolutely love the calling and know that it will be a tough adjustment when I do get released, which almost certainly will be sometime this upcoming year. I am still homeschooling Emma, Adam, and Ellie and am enjoying our first year to not have any kids in public school. I love to go on long hikes whenever possible and am constantly badgering people to join me on my hiking adventures. I
Spencer (20): It's weird having Spence home again, but we really like being able to see him on a regular basis. He keeps himself pretty busy between work and friends. Right now he's looking into some growth options (including travel) that he could potentially pursue this upcoming year. His health remains good, however both of he and I retain an increased anxiety about his health this time of year, since Christmastime was right in the zone before his diagnosis (4-years ago) when he was so sick. Kudos to Spence for choosing the coolest Make-A-Wish ever and letting his family accompany him on a once-in-a-lifetime dream trip to New Zealand.
Cami (18): Cami graduated from high school with all sorts of honors and scholarships bestowed upon her and is now absolutely loving BYU life. We are really, really excited for her to come home for Christmas next week. She has done very well in her classes and has enjoyed being on her own for the first time. She is having some major dental work done right after finals, because doing it in Utah, rather than here in Virginia, is going to save a few thousand dollars. (alleluia!) She's already let me know that she really hopes to do some babysitting while she's home, not necessarily because she needs the extra money, but because she's really missed spending time with kids while she's been away at school. Her plan is to head on a mission this summer.
Emma (15): Emma is our only true morning person in the family and, ironically, she's the first one who's gotten the benefit of the later early morning seminary start time (since our district delayed the start time of high schools this year). She absolutely loves seminary and wakes up early to give herself plenty of time to get ready, read the scriptures, and to make a wholesome breakfast. We love her daily singing performances and her ability to stick to the things she sets her mind to. She has taken a few cupcakes orders since Cami left, but most recently she's taken a job cooking meals a couple times a week for a local family.
Adam (13): Adam's schedule has gotten significantly busier this year and he seems to really thrive on the busyness. Besides Rubik-ing, he loves to ride his bike, play soccer with his friends, and do practically anything to avoid having to write his weekly essay. He's become quite adept at strategy games and is always looking for opportunities to wrangle someone into playing with him. His current favorite games are 7 Wonders
and Dominion
. Lucky for me, he is the kid most game for joining me in my hikes, which is great since I very much enjoy his informative and scientific conversations! Adam and Emma have both been recently called as family history consultants in our ward, which has lit them both on fire doing their family history, but especially Adam.
Ellie (10): Ellie has recently taken a job as a mother's helper. She's naturally very nurturing and she loves that she's getting paid to do something she enjoys so much. She has plowed through and finally finished all the Harry Potter books, which was a relief to me, because they served as a huge distraction for too many months. She is now contemplating what books to start reading next. I consider her the only true extrovert in our family and it's a delight to watch her natural ease with connecting with people of all ages.
And on another note.....
Here's the family picture that did NOT make the cut onto our card this year. It's not the best picture of us as a family, but I designed a hobbit-themed card with it and really liked that it showed we were somewhere cool. Unfortunately every person I showed it to before ordering thought that it was a nativity scene, rather than a hobbit house, which pretty effectively made my hobbit references look sacrilegiously out of place.
**************************************
Why did I write and publish two blogposts on the same day?
It's because I set a goal for myself back in August to publish three times a week and I stuck with that goal religiously until last week when I was in the throes of Christmas carding. I didn't want to let another week go by without reaching my goal, so today is getting two!
**************************************
Besides the weird word issue and the design that didn't look quite as good on paper as it did on my computer screen, this year I felt like some details were lacking. So I decided to take to the blog to issue a more informative update on our family. The one I might have sent if I didn't suffer from Christmas card induced OCD.
************************
Glen: Glen was hoping that the sale of his company (not that it's actually "his" company, but the company he works for) would herald in a less demanding and stressful work environment for him, but alas it has not. He still works more hours than he ever has in his life and we are both really hoping for some changes this upcoming year that will help him to find a better family, self, spiritual, work balance. He works with the deacons at church and enjoys that a lot. His goal is to lose 45-lbs by his 45th birthday in June.
Lara: I am still YW president (and have been for 3-1/2-years). I absolutely love the calling and know that it will be a tough adjustment when I do get released, which almost certainly will be sometime this upcoming year. I am still homeschooling Emma, Adam, and Ellie and am enjoying our first year to not have any kids in public school. I love to go on long hikes whenever possible and am constantly badgering people to join me on my hiking adventures. I
Spencer (20): It's weird having Spence home again, but we really like being able to see him on a regular basis. He keeps himself pretty busy between work and friends. Right now he's looking into some growth options (including travel) that he could potentially pursue this upcoming year. His health remains good, however both of he and I retain an increased anxiety about his health this time of year, since Christmastime was right in the zone before his diagnosis (4-years ago) when he was so sick. Kudos to Spence for choosing the coolest Make-A-Wish ever and letting his family accompany him on a once-in-a-lifetime dream trip to New Zealand.
Cami (18): Cami graduated from high school with all sorts of honors and scholarships bestowed upon her and is now absolutely loving BYU life. We are really, really excited for her to come home for Christmas next week. She has done very well in her classes and has enjoyed being on her own for the first time. She is having some major dental work done right after finals, because doing it in Utah, rather than here in Virginia, is going to save a few thousand dollars. (alleluia!) She's already let me know that she really hopes to do some babysitting while she's home, not necessarily because she needs the extra money, but because she's really missed spending time with kids while she's been away at school. Her plan is to head on a mission this summer.
Emma (15): Emma is our only true morning person in the family and, ironically, she's the first one who's gotten the benefit of the later early morning seminary start time (since our district delayed the start time of high schools this year). She absolutely loves seminary and wakes up early to give herself plenty of time to get ready, read the scriptures, and to make a wholesome breakfast. We love her daily singing performances and her ability to stick to the things she sets her mind to. She has taken a few cupcakes orders since Cami left, but most recently she's taken a job cooking meals a couple times a week for a local family.
Adam (13): Adam's schedule has gotten significantly busier this year and he seems to really thrive on the busyness. Besides Rubik-ing, he loves to ride his bike, play soccer with his friends, and do practically anything to avoid having to write his weekly essay. He's become quite adept at strategy games and is always looking for opportunities to wrangle someone into playing with him. His current favorite games are 7 Wonders
and Dominion. Lucky for me, he is the kid most game for joining me in my hikes, which is great since I very much enjoy his informative and scientific conversations! Adam and Emma have both been recently called as family history consultants in our ward, which has lit them both on fire doing their family history, but especially Adam. Ellie (10): Ellie has recently taken a job as a mother's helper. She's naturally very nurturing and she loves that she's getting paid to do something she enjoys so much. She has plowed through and finally finished all the Harry Potter books, which was a relief to me, because they served as a huge distraction for too many months. She is now contemplating what books to start reading next. I consider her the only true extrovert in our family and it's a delight to watch her natural ease with connecting with people of all ages.
And on another note.....
Here's the family picture that did NOT make the cut onto our card this year. It's not the best picture of us as a family, but I designed a hobbit-themed card with it and really liked that it showed we were somewhere cool. Unfortunately every person I showed it to before ordering thought that it was a nativity scene, rather than a hobbit house, which pretty effectively made my hobbit references look sacrilegiously out of place.
**************************************
Why did I write and publish two blogposts on the same day?
It's because I set a goal for myself back in August to publish three times a week and I stuck with that goal religiously until last week when I was in the throes of Christmas carding. I didn't want to let another week go by without reaching my goal, so today is getting two!
**************************************
I loved, loved, loved your Christmas card. I look forward to it every year! I liked the in-print version and also the blog version. I enjoy getting to know your wonderful family better!
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