Merry Picture

I've started receiving requests for our address from my kind and organized friends who send out Christmas cards. When I get such a requests I think, How nice. I really hope they don't expect a card from us. Because if they do they are going to be disappointed. But I figure, if they are truly my friend they know this already.

I would like to send out a Christmas card one day, in the way that I would like to one day own a house and have a retirement savings plan. It's what respectable American middle class folk do. But I'm not sure if I'll ever make it into that category. For several reasons.

But as for the Christmas card the major obstacle is trying to get a decent family picture. We are NEVER together. Any of us. Here's an example.

The lights at the temple are gorgeous. We live a mile away. Perfect picture taking opportunity. All this has me thinking maybe this year might be the year. We'll get a family photo and I can make that into a card and send it out to all our lovely long lost friends.

It's Friday evening and I think we can go to the temple grounds and have some Christmas fun and take a picture together.

Strike 1 : Aaron calls and says he can't come home.

I rally: Well, too bad. We are going anyways and we are going to have Fun. Wether people want to or not.

And what do you know? It's a Christmas miracle. I get Reuben AND Miriam into a picture and they are both looking at me and almost smiling (Miriam) and fake smiling (Reuben).

Strike 2: Reuben never actually stops moving so the picture is a little blurred. But I start to think that maybe I could get into the picture too and I could hold Reuben still and we'll just photoshop Aaron in. As I start to look around for someone who can take the picture for me, Reuben reads my mind and runs away. Far far away.

I think it's funny how Miriam follows Reuben with her eyes. I know she wants to run away too. But too bad. She's still under my control for now.

So here's a picture of eskimo Miriam sweetly smiling.

Strike 3: Then Miriam takes revenge and has a HUGE diaper which goes everywhere. So I give up and we wander around smelly and unpresentable. But it was a good enough time. The nativity scene and lights were fun to look at. Reuben was mesmerized by the life size outdoor nativity. After staring at it for a good five minutes he loudly exclaimed "Those people are stuck!"