A Christmas Miracle

Yes, we've had one here, a Christmas miracle.  It's December 4, and we've already ordered our Christmas cards.  I know some of you already have yours out in the mail already, and an elite one percent of you even got yours out in November.  (You know who you are, Loretta!)  For us, though, this is downright miraculous.  Usually I'm trying in vain to get a good picture of Sam until at least December 26 or so.  There are lots of scenes reenacted over and over again, fake smiles, and eyes not looking anywhere near the camera.  

The next step is me scurrying in and out of Sam's Club from December 28-30, trying to get the dang card finished.  Oy vey.  One year they got printed wrong three times.  It was so insane that they eventually gave them to me for free.  As much as I do love a bargain, it just wasn't worth it.  And the final and perhaps most excruciating step is procrastinating for a good week or so in addressing them all and actually getting them out the door and mailed.  We've got until Epiphany, right?

Not this year, though!  We expedited matters and took our huge allotment of really bad pictures over the Thanksgiving Weekend when we were up in Bedford Springs, PA.  The place was already decked out for Christmas before Thanksgiving, which is still kinda cheating in my book.  Moral objections aside, we joined into the fray of the Leapfrogging-Over-Thanksgiving phenomenon.  Hey, if Black Friday can start on Thursday, then Christmas card pictures are fair game as well, right?  

So here's a token not-looking-at-the-camera shot.  Got it -- check.

Then here is a left-hand-too-far-to-the-left shot.  

And here is a leaning-too-far-to-the-left shot.

Here is another location, pretty cute.

And yet another.  Meh.

OK, three time's a charm, right?  No, definitely not.

As it turns out pretty much every year, we decided to use the very first shot.  However, we made some changes.  We decided to order them online AND have them shipped to us rather than schlepping to pick them up somewhere. Supposedly they've already shipped.  

We're on the verge!  It could happen -- it really could -- we could actually get them out BEFORE the first day of Christmas!  Oops - forgot all about the stamps!  How did I forget that crucial step?  It's time for a detour to the post office.  I think I can, I think I can.

Hey, I just had an epiphany of sorts!  Doesn't posting it here count as it being officially "out there?"  So here it is, December 4, baby.  Woo hooooo!  I mean, HO, HO, HO!  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!