Yep. Its the middle of January and I’m still talking about Christmas cards… But if we know each other personally and you didn’t get one from me, I wanted you to know why. Because I really did send some for the first time in years!!!
I begin each new year with such thoughtful plans for our family’s Christmas cards… then the months roll by… then Thanksgiving comes… then I blink and it’s Christmas… and we’ve gone yet another 365 without sending our salutations. I don’t think we’ve actually sent cards more than once since 2008.
Well… this year, I was going to beat my own belated system. Before Christmas I ordered “New Year’s Cards” – relieving myself of the pressure to get them addressed and mailed out in a timely manner. So far, so good. I placed my order. Check.
Then {and this really isn’t my fault…} when they were delivered, it was pouring down rain, and the package got soaked. Some envelopes were ruined – which wasn’t a terrible hurdle – but I couldn’t address the usable ones until they completely dried. I also had to separate all of the cards so that they could dry, too. Delay number 1.
Once everything was dried I addressed the envelopes. Feeling pretty confident in my progress, I began to stuff said envelopes… Only to find out that I was missing almost half of the cards I ordered! Seriously! [The company is kindly making restitution for this, btw.]
It was too late to order more cards, so I had to do some serious sorting and praying over the envelopes. In the end, only family and a few long distance family friends (mostly those that I don’t keep up with via social media) are the only ones who made the soggy card and envelope cut. 🙁
My best laid {Christmas Card} plans, once again, went awry.
But, since you and I are friends, will you accept this completely dry,though belated e-version of our family’s “New Year’s Card?”
The back tells the same things that you already know… Nathan’s Senior year, Abigail’s Junior year, James working on his doctorate, me trying to cherish these last days with everyone at home… blah, blah, blah…. and praise the Lord. 😉
I sure do love you and thank God for your presence in my life and blogworld. Happy New Year from my family to yours!
Literally chuckling to myself on this one. Tim kept asking when I was going to get our Christmas cards out! I realized I wasn’t. So I ordered New Year’s Cards too…. Now I keep getting comments like — oh I got your Christmas card…. it was nice….. Everyone missed that they were NEW YEAR cards…. NOT late Christmas Cards!!!! agh! 🙂
I literally laughed out loud when I opened your card! Mine were still on my table, but it tickled me to no end to know that you and I had the same brilliant idea! Ha ha! 😉
Jen
Thank you for being so real. You make me feel “normal”. In the world we live inwhere we are watching everyone’s ‘Life highlights’ via facebook where only the best bits, and no doubt if anything like me carefully staged are shared it seems like everyone has it together and in the midst of everyday problems like those you faced and we all face it can feel like “well person a got their cards out” “person b’s just posted a pic of their lounge and it isn’t covered in soggy bits of paper” etc etc etc…. I really appreciate that you can be real, through the highs and the lows, frustrations and joy. We shouldn’t judge ourselves against others but its hard not too and I struggle so much with not feeling good enough, like I haven’t got it together and everything in between!! So thanks for making me feel ‘normal’ with the my day to day challanges and a timly reminder that just cause things don’t always go to plan its ok. Happy New Year to you and yours from me in New Zealand.
Oh Andrea, I am so glad to read your reply, and to know that I, too, am not alone! I believe that is one of the dangers of social media snippets and in summing up our lives in 140 characters or less, or by one beautified photo at a time. 😉
Many blessings of the Lord to you in this new year, and may he use all of our weaknesses and imperfections for his greatest glory into thousand 15. Love to you in New Zealand from me in Mississippi. ❤️
Jennifer