Nailing It: Christmas Cards

My friends. It was a couple weeks ago when my dear husband casually mentioned he thought it would be good for us to send something out (i.e. a Christmas card) this year.

"Yes, that would be nice," I said, "I'll see what I can do."

Well, now we know.

I ordered pictures and pounded out a little notecard of family updates. The pictures arrived, of course, a day after I needed to send out the out-of-town gifts (but that was okay, since I was a day late in getting those packages ready anyway).

Task: Print the notecard of family updates.

One side printed fine. Upon attempting to print the other side, our printer jammed and basically died an immediate and painful death.

So, out-of-town family, sorry that your Christmas card has only one side printed. (No names of boys for you. No update about each of their charming, developing personalities. Bummer.) But you have a picture and half a card. Could be worse.

Task: Find new printer.

Task: Request Ben to print the notecard of family updates, double-sided.

I did not specify that the sides should be facing the same direction, so I guess it is really my fault that the back is upside-down.

Task: Find envelopes. It is an amazing thing that this Christmas card will probably just about exhaust our supply of envelopes purchased for our wedding thank-you's 11+years ago! But since they are brown envelopes, we need labels in order to read the addresses.

Task: Make a list of recipients.

Task: Trim list of recipients, since I did not order enough photos.

Task: Find addresses. What, have an address list? Why no, no I don't. Eventually, list of addresses is compiled.

Task: Make mail merge and print labels. Wait, our printer is dead.

Task: Go to the office, use hubby's computer to print labels.

Now, I have worked as an administrative assistant virtually my entire adult life. I have used these copiers, computers, and programs before.

So I should have expected that, of course, the labels print out fine (the 2nd time) with the top line of print 2 cm above each label divide. There is nothing like printing labels to make you feel like an incompetent nincompoop. But I face the labels undaunted, chop them with the office paper cutter, (well, yes, it is a little conspicuous that each label contains parts of 2 labels, cut at a slightly uneven angle...) and affix them to my envelopes.

Task: Stamp, return address, label, and stuff envelopes.

Finished product, proudly sitting in the office outgoing mailbox:
Brown envelope, crooked-double-label address, photo, and family update (upside-down) for some portion of our family and friends.

So, dear people, if you do not receive a Christmas card from us this year, please do not think it a reflection on our affection for you. And feel free to message me your address.

And if you do receive one, by all means feel a swell of gratitude rising in your heart that--whatever you did or did not send out this year--it most likely wasn't that.

With joy in the perfect Savior who uses nincompoops and cracked pots,
Amy