A Place We Call Home: Christmas Cards

Greetings

Next year we're going to get organized ~Here it is Christmas week, and the family pictures I bought the film for in November ~ didn't get taken 'til December, that's par but, then the the flash wouldn't work, the printer couldn't ~ anyway Christmas is here, 2 weeks early again this year.

The whole trouble is Rae Marie's fault.! In past years she'd start hinting about Santa right after Labor Day ~ Now that she's a sophmore, on the honor roll and working at the library we only see her on Sundays & holidays and her hinting is for cars and college, rather than Christmas or candy.

LouAnn, the freshman speech major could have told me even if Rae was too busy ~ all she has to do is stay on the honor roll, babysit, help mom, serve on the youth council and take organ lessons while she dreams of horses, or is it cowboys? I don't know.

Say Scott, our 4th grader has got the spirit. He's making Christmas decorations and gifts for the family in Cubs this year. 'Course it's a secret.

Now you take Barbara, please. She's sweet, sassy, seven with a heart of gold and a sense of logic that'll keep you awake nites. The good tooth fairy finally gave up after finding the same front tooth under her pillow 5 nites in a row.

Over the protests of his teenage sisters, Kelly had his haircut. At 2 1/2, Joan's got him trained to do two things: clean up spilled milk and wash the windows. He does them in that order with the same milk-wet sponge unfortunately.

Speaking of Joan, she's upstairs addressing your Christmas card right now, so I best close. Let me just add that the Lord has blessed us real good this year, with health, happiness, and a deeper understanding and empathy for our fellowman.

I'd go on and tell you about my new job selling blacktop, but I hear reindeer paws on the roof....

Merry Chistmas, Rollie & Joan

By the year 1970, the family pictures were finally put aside and the family poem became the norm.