Confessions of a Scrooge

I've never done Christmas cards before.

It's always been one of those things.. You know, the plastering only picture perfect photos of your kids all over Facebook, the Pinterest Perfect blogs highlighting the finest decor for every season, the bragging of your kids skipping ahead a grade, getting 1st in the overall Science Fair, begging for more homework, loving to clean their room, and building handmade recycled wood crafts for homeless orphans...

It just doesn't seem real. People do not look like that all the time. Families are not always smiling. They are not always freshly showered and cleanly clothed and not trying to hurt each other. The weather is not always perfect. The lighting is not always accentuating your highlights and the scenery is not always ideal.

Don't get me wrong.. I'm not a total downer.. I absolutely LOVE receiving Christmas cards from our friends and family. I LOVE checking the mail this time of year and instead of seeing piles of bills, there are a few handaddressed envelopes that I know will make my day. Look at all these people that have never before received a letter in return from me, but think of us every year and send a card anyways..

Thank you! I've just never been able to bring myself to do it before..

But this year is a little different. Maybe it's because I reveal so many bad/embarrassing/REAL secrets of our family on this blog, that I finally feel like I can post a picture of us all clean and smiling and happy looking at the same time (thanks Photoshop!) without feeling like I'm putting on a show.

Although I did seriously consider sending this out..

But I didn't.

Because looking back on the year, of course there were messy times. Of course there were crabby times. Of course there were sick times. Because that's what being a family is about. It's not about having it all together all the time to put on display for the world to see. It's not about organized closets and toothbrush scrubbed floors with Pinterestingly tantalizing meals on the table every night. It's about life. It's about getting down in the trenches, getting dirty and grimy. And getting through it. Together. It's about loving each other. And learning. It's about this crazy journey we're on and the memories we make along the way.

Overall this was a good year. Overall, there were smiles. And laughter. And togetherness. And overall, that's what I want to remember. So..

Merry Christmas from our Family To Yours!