This Year’s Christmas Card: Only the Blurbs

It has been A Year. Please note that I don’t mean it’s been a year. I mean A YEAR. Apply whatever appropriate type face is needed so that you get the emphasis I’m intending.

Pre-AF Ball—for the record, the kids did not come with.

2022 was our last year without a teenager. Our first year with all five doing legit school (well, legit homeschool—you know what I mean). It was the Man’s midway point for his second command (as we gird up our loins for his third)—and a promotion to LtCol. It was completing the manuscript of my second full length novel (which will probably go as far as my first did, which is to say: nowhere), teaching multiple co-op classes, and helping to lead a neighborhood Bible study.

In her happy place.

It was basketball and soccer and football and swimming (and Christmas yoga—but we’re trying to forget that ever happened—it was very awkward—brain cells were lost). Teaching and writing and painting and music. So. Many. Growth Spurts. (Seriously: why, children, why?) So. Much. Money. For. Groceries. (These are possibly related.) Math tests and read-alouds and presentations and spelling lists and Latin exercises.

This picture isn’t mine. Just for the record. In case someone mistakenly thought I suddenly became an amazing photographer.

It was busy. (Seriously: why was it so busy? Oh, wait, possibly the whole command thing + co-op teaching + five kids + everything else.) It was learning where to cut back and where to push harder and where to have grace and where to renegotiate with the terrorist that is sometimes my own brain.

This whole nearly adult thing is killing me, Smalls.

It was a lot of laughter. It was some tears, too. It was apologies given and received. It was also a couple times (at least) of forcing myself to stick to my guns and say the hard thing instead of going with my usual modus operandi, which is to make everyone happy if it kills me.

That’s not my child. It’s just the one I steal for snuggles while I’m teaching.

It was many opportunities to serve…some of which I know I flat out missed and really wish I hadn’t.

Pre-piano recital. I mean, shut the front door. How adorable are they.

It was some excellent books (Once Upon a Wardrobe, The Biggest Bluff, Atlas of the Heart, The London House, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Bomb Shelter, Everything Sad Is Untrue, A Curious Faith, Other Words for Home), some decent ones, and some that would’ve been better off left unread.

I can’t even with this kid.

It was a lot of running—481 miles of it and the year’s not done yet—some with friends and many by myself. It was a lot of snuggled babies. It was a lot of folded laundry. It was a lot of cleaned up hair balls and dog barf and broken glass. (That is just the reality.) And some days it was just a lot. Of everything.

Heading into LA for a USC football game together.

It was breaking up fights and talking kids off ledges. It was unexpected conversations and unexpectedly answered prayers. It was UNO and Rummikub and Phase Ten and family movie night. It was more pet sitting than we’ve ever done before in our lives (and probably will ever do again—but I’m not ruling it out).

San Diego sibling shenanigans.

It was coffee and samosas and golden winter squash soup (you want this recipe) and lemonade and dark chocolate and Thai food picked up and brought home. Oh, and pizza. Always pizza. I can’t even be mad about the fact that it’s always pizza.

My favorite family picture from this year. Doesn’t even matter that I’m not in it.

It was trying new things and going on fun adventures and staying home when we needed to (and sure, I needed to more than just about everyone else—sue me).

It was doing the work, day in and day out.

It was showing up. Even if we showed up with wet hair or ripped jeans or stained shirts or tired eyes.

Thirty-six after running a new course record on base. Getting older never felt so good.

2022 was A Year. And chances are 2023 will be too.

What an opportunity.

Signing off until next year (unless something really important occurs to me before then). Selamat Noel and Happy New Year!