Our Christmas Card + The Best Christmas Letter Ever

I wish I could send each of you our Christmas card, but an electronic version will have to do. In November, we set up the little fake tree in our backyard and got the perfect photo of the kids. The design and printing was done by Minted, my favorite card company.

Matthew wrote our letter this year and it is pretty much the best Christmas card letter ever written. He is so talented, that husband of mine. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Merry Christmas!

Twas 20 days before Christmas and I got a text
From Jessica, my wife, who was becoming perplexed.
“Can you finish the letter? Tomorrow perhaps?
CHRISTMAS IS COMING,” she wrote in all caps.

“I’m doing it,” I replied, which was technically true.
I’d started the letter, written a sentence or two.
So I ran to my laptop and like a typing machine
Started thinking in rhyme about two-thousand-thirteen.

Dear family and friends, what a year this has been!
So much hustle and bustle for me, wife, and kin.
There’s so much to tell you, so much to recall,
So pretend like you care and act truly enthralled.

We’ve been remod’ling, how exciting is that?
New toilets, new sinks, and walls finished in matte.
But there’s still more to do, two bedrooms to flip
Nooks to refurbish and crannies to strip.

And just like your kids, ours are growing like weeds.
Elias turned five and Adeline thinks she’s fifteen
They can’t wait for Christmas, for Santa to appear,
Their cute little heads filled with greedy good cheer.

Elias, our thinker, is really quite smart,
He loves learning ‘bout dinosaurs, lions, and art.
He’s completely convinced he’s a heroic crusader
Like a young Skywalker always fighting Darth Vader.

When not using The Force, he’s curled up with a book
Playing dress-up with Adeline or helping Mom cook.
And he played soccer this year, even scored a few goals
He’s a joy-filled kid, his love fills up our souls.

And then there is Adeline, our spirited one
She loves singing and dancing and she bites just for fun.
A bundle of passion, an emotional clump
She gives the best kisses and leaves the occasional lump.

Adeline’s a dreamer, the queen of her own world.
She’s “mommy” to eight babies and a dozen 2-inch girls.
She’s a lovely ballerina or a princess in a gown,
Our life is never boring as long as Adeline’s around.

Jessica stays busy, that’s understatement for sure
I swear my wife’s not stopped since two-thousand-and-four.
As a marketer at Vanderbilt, she’s a social media belle,
She manages their children’s blog, a site called “Wishing Well.”

She’s still the Mom Creative, blogging everyday
On memory keeping, motherhood, and frugal ways to save.
She’s speaking at conventions & has signed a 2-book deal,
What she juggles with life and work is no less than unreal.

She still loves taking pictures and crafting when she can
She’s the glue of our family, the wife/mom with a plan.
I turned 40 this year, and what did Jess do?
Planned a party in the Bahamas, a date just for two!

And as for me, I finished writing a book
To be released next July, this one is a look
At the history of God in our great United States
How our country has changed and shaped God and faith.

Though our life might be simple, just family, work, and fun
It’s the everyday grind, the stuff that has to get done
That seems to remind us of what’s good and what’s true
And fills our hearts up with joy and much gratitude.

Our prayer for you is that this holiday brings rest
That the new year will be most happy and blessed
And may your Christmas be filled with hope and good cheer
May Jesus shine brightly on you and family this next year.

Twas 15 days before Christmas, and I hear a ding
My wife’s texting again, “How’s the letter coming?!”
I reply with a *smile*—“Your timing is sublime.
It’s finished,” I type, “And it even rhymes.”

Merry Christmas!

With love,
Matthew, Jessica, Elias, and Adeline