About Christmas cards this year...

Just wanted to let our dear family and friends know that they aren't going to come. I shouldn't make excuses, but it has been a bit crazy in our household for the past few months. Right now we are in the closing stretch of 2 1/2 weeks sleeping in our own beds ~ the longest we've been ANYWHERE since early October. (We had Ian working here, Kylie and I making "scouting trips" to find a place to live, moving in and starting to settle, four hotels over two weeks in China, and several trips back home since our return for Thanksgiving and weddings and we're headed back next week for Christmas...)

And despite a lot of "this and that," when we finally managed to get our tree up, we DID TRY to get the ever elusive great photo of our kids, but our kids, and eventually our camera, failed us...

**Be sure to click on any of the photos to catch priceless expressions from my sweet clowns!**

(L) "Did you say we could have some egg-nog if we smile? AWESOME" (Yes, she really does like it...)

(R) Caleb's version of Whack-A-Mole

(L) "Hey, check out this Oar-Na-Mint!"

(R) "Give him a hug like this?"

(L) "Um Kylie? I can't breathe! Let me loose and I promise to hold still!"

(R) Slide on in!

(L) Caleb practicing for his Muppet audition.

(R) We finally get both kids to smile (a real smile) and the camera fails us? I'm so done!

So from our family to yours, know that we wish you a Merry Christmas! May Jesus be the reason for your season!

And just so you know, I've set a goal ~ if I start trying now, I should be able to get a good picture of Kylie and Caleb to send out Chinese New Year cards! This serves three purposes, celebrating part of my children's rich cultural heritage, buying a little time, AND beginning to justify the money I spent on silk outfits in China...