Holiday Greetings!

I was in a pondering state last night (as I always am), and I thought through all the funny and weird and adorable things my kids are into these days.  Because of this lovely, amazing, and peaceful “break” we are getting from crisis drama, it would be so nice to send our Christmas Cards out right about now.  Who knows just what will transpire from now until the good ol’ glistening season of good tidings and festive yuletide?  Our “Peace on Earth” is now, and we need to grab it and stick it in an envelope while we can.  Would it be so bad to do this laborious yet obligatory project now?  I mean “Merry Merry” might be “Weary Weary” and “Silent Night” may be “Asthma Fright”.  Who knows what the future holds?  Would you rather get a lovely warm and cheery update from a loved one, or a dreaded “pray for us on this Sacred holiday…”

I say we should do it!  I am gonna start writing our glorious news and get a snapshot of our somewhat healthy and joyful family asap!  I am feeling the urgency!  I will have my hubby touch up the photo with snow and tinsel and I’ll dress the little cherubs in red and green to boot!  It will be sent on the first of November so it looks like we really have our act together!  Oh yeah!  I’m likin’ this idea!

You see, we didn’t get around to sending anything last year because we had just survived the three-month nightmare of a move into a foreclosed home that had been sitting ignored and neglected for two long years.  With that lovely adventure came relentless illness for all three of my asthmatics, and a sinus infection kept that kept me hostage for months.  The misery and stress came to a celebratory close in December.  Just in time for the wonderful, yet non-stop family visitors through out the holiday season and thereafter.   There would be no efforts to send cards and deal with that project.  I was done.

The year before that, I spent the fall season at various doctor’s appointments dealing with decisions of a lifetime.  I then embarked on relentless paperwork and pre-operation appointments and procedures all the while dealing with a very sick daughter with an asthma flare up for weeks.  This lead up to my three-in-one surgery pulling out pieces and rebuilding parts of my womanhood.  By Christmas, I was a few short weeks post-operation, with the entire house sick and all festivities cancelled.  Merry, Merry.  On Christmas Eve, full of cheer stuck at home,  I decided to write our Holiday Letter and just send it to all.  It went something like this:

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

All creatures were stirring with colds and coughs and whining and crying

Fighting and boredom and the house slowly shrinking…

Because all were sick, knowing all too well

That Christmas at the Carter home is another day in… Heaven!

No cookies or dips to snack on at all

It’s all we could do to not let the house fall…

I in my PJ’s, and hubby in his cap

Can’t settle down for a long winter’s nap…(sigh)

The house is a mess through the days of our plight

No wipe for the sink that got puked in last night

My boobs are steal plates as my head crashes like thunder

Will Santa manage to crawl through the pillage and plunder?

Another Christmas it seems is our Carter tradition

Of sickness and stuck-ness in our life’s rendition

Of “Miracle on Bunting Court…” 

May we petition?

But we don’t loose our sight on people we love

They give us so much

We thank God above.

Is it Wonder or Wise Men that share Christmas Cheer?

Well I wonder in our wisdom if it will come this year…

But for now I must work to make something feel right

Maybe some mac and cheese will help us tonight.

I’ll read from the bible

Of the Christ child’s birth

And we’ll sing songs that remind us of

What it’s all worth.

We’ll find the spirit if it brakes all our backs

And hope that St Nick will follow our tracks…

‘cause as bad as it gets, it can get even worse

So we better move on from our stage of remorse.

The kids will be happy with gifts they will shout!

Because we are broke, mom and dad are without.

But the love of our family is deep and for good

So Christmas will rise in His Love, as it should.

Oh Christmas Oh Christmas….all cancellations are done

Just praying for New Years to be much more fun!

And by New Year’s eve, I ended up with an intensely painful infection in my right breast….so much for New Year’s to be much more fun!

Yep.  Getting’ on those cards now…