Virtual Christmas Card 2011

Dear Friends and Family,
(I'm working on that photo header - hopefully I will remember how to get the right sized picture up there soon.)

In the mean-time, we want to wish everyone we know (who reads our blog - all both of you) a very Merry Christmas.

I have debated many times about writing a Christmas letter to put in a Christmas card to send to people.  Frankly, I figure, if you are really that interested in us, you probably either know what has happened to us this year, or you read our blog and have been tortured with every minute detail of our lives all year anyway.  The Christmas letter, seems redundant to me.

However, I did want to make a small note about how I feel about our year in general.  I think one of the things that keeps me from doing a Christmas letter is that they don't seem "real."  Sometimes, I think that happens to my blog too.  We tend to highlight and share the awesome stuff with everyone else and save the unsavory for ourselves.  Who wants to read a pile of depressing Christmas letters about everyone's struggles and trials?  Yet, at the same time, wouldn't it be nice to know that your family isn't the only one that's not perfect and has it's share of disappointments?

So, I think I'll put a little real in here.  We HAVE had an overall incredibly great year.  (You can read the  previous dozens of blog posts to verify that.)  David is doing great at his job and having a fantastic time on his bikes.  I am loving all the different things I get to do from mothering to volunteering to having some down-time, and Grace and Harriet are really flourishing in the things they are interested in and growing up and learning at an alarming rate.  We've traveled coast to coast with many stops in-between (WAY more than should be humanly possible in a year's time;) we've seen nearly every single close family member this year, in person.  We have reconnected with lots of old friends, and we've made some stellar new friends too.  Grace and Harriet moved into their own rooms and are FINALLY going to sleep and sleeping by themselves all night long with few exceptions.  Harriet does not require her pajama pants to be tucked into socks anymore.  Grace has added a few new t-shirts to rotate between the Darth Vader and the tie-dye.  We are loving our home here in Albuquerque and feel very content and happy.

Our "BUT's" include:  trying to have another child, but failing miserably in the reproductive department. The girls have developed intense seasonal allergies and asthma along with it, which have given us monthly struggles in keeping them healthy.  We've poured more money than we care to think about into our aging vehicles, hoping for the day when we can afford a new car but seeing no light at the end of that tunnel yet.  We worry (at least I do) constantly about our geriatric dogs, Shadow and Velvet, and are trying to squeeze as much quality time as possible from their shortening years.  The girls will NOT get ready for school in the morning causing major mommy melt-downs every day at 8:23am.  "Someone" played monkey in the bathroom and pulled the towel bar down and bent it in half.  And, the real kicker - I have broken almost half of our dishes this year.  We have 8 plates, 6 forks, and 7 spoons left in our everyday kitchenware, causing the dishes to have to be done more often than the dishwasher loader would like.  I mean really, it's pretty bad over here.  Well, if you want to feel better about your life, just listen at my door at 8:23am.

I think the bottom line though, at this time of year especially, is to realize your blessings and start the next year wanting to help others more and do a better job.  We are incredibly blessed and lucky.  Our lives are not perfect, but I wouldn't trade any of it.  (Unless maybe you have a new Jeep Rubicon you'd like to trade for a 10 year old Pathfinder.  I will trade you.  But truthfully - I actually love that old beater Pathfinder and I'm super happy driving it.  But, David would definitely trade you.)

Thank you to all of our friends and family who make our lives so great.  We thrive on knowing all of you and can't imagine our world without you.

Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a Happy 2012!
Love,
The Chapman Family