Merry Christmas to Our Dear Family and Friends!
Last year we took our first crack at the fashionable and en vogue “Christmas Letter.” We made the conversion for the least noble of all reasons: “everybody else was doing it.” Our blind buckling to peer pressure has now become a full-fledged Morrow Family Tradition. It’s not quite on par with reading the Christmas story out of Luke on Christmas Eve; but certainly above our tradition of dressing the dog up like Rudolph and gargling wassail to the tune of “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer.” So, here’s to family traditions:
For those left in suspense from last year’s Christmas letter, rest easy. Our new home was completed and we moved in March. We are very happy with it, and we are officially open for visits from friends and family. Building the house, we had occasional disagreements, but once Matt remembered that Rachael was the one with taste, we were fine.
In January, it was off to Las Vegas, where Matt worked and Rachael played. Actually, we both played some, taking a day trip to the Grand Canyon while there. In May, we went with Rachael’s family to Orlando, where we took in the amusement parks, beaches and sites. We ran ourselves silly but thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We are so thankful to have such great family on both sides of our marriage. It is a true and rare blessing. In August, we trekked to Vancouver, British Columbia where, again, Matt worked and Rachael played. This time, however, Rachael didn’t play all that much because she wasn’t feeling well for much of the trip (more on that in a minute). While in Vancouver, at the National Association of Home Builders Executive Officers Council annual awards banquet, Matt was recognized as the top new chief executive (three years or less) for builders associations throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2003. He got a video jumbo-tron tribute and a shiny medal and everything! Kinda like the Oscars, except nobody cares much who wins.
Rachael is nearing five years of service as Human Resources Director at Southwest Baptist University. She also serves on the board of directors for the Missouri College and University Personnel Association, Springfield Area Human Resources Association as the Education Partnership Committee Chair, and the Workforce Investment Board. As for Matt’s job, he does more than just travel (he plays some golf, too), but he made business trips this year to Las Vegas, NV; Washington, D.C.; Vancouver, B.C.; and the crown jewel of them all: Wichita, KS. Other than that (and the shiny medal), Matt’s third year as Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield was filled with the usual: trade shows; public relations and marketing; speeches and editorials, private and public skirmishes over building regulations; and of course, lots of lobbying.
Let’s see. What else? Rachael’s 10-year high school reunion (insert “Matt’s a cradle robber” jokes here)… saw Billy Joel and Elton John and Walter Cronkite live (not all together)… took a ballroom dance class… celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary… Matt’s nasty case of the Shingles… oh, yeah, one more little thing…
Baby on the way. You heard us: we up and made us a baby! Remember earlier when Rachael wasn’t feeling so great in Vancouver? Well, it turns out there was a really good reason for that. We’re expecting our first child, a little girl (Anna Christine Morrow), on or around April 13, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
Matt is long in the tooth (31); and Rachael will be 29 before Annie’s birth. To some (ourselves included), that’s not so old. But to our dear mothers and much of our family, news of our surprising fertility (for people of such advanced years) came as something of a shock. They had pretty much resigned themselves to seeking grandchildren elsewhere. After all, after “six long years” of marriage and with our aged bodies already breaking down (see Shingles note above), a grandbaby from Matt and Rachael seemed about as likely as our being hit on the head by a ten-pound turnip. But behold! We have received an Old-Testament, Abraham-and-Sara level miracle, and shall receive a child… Okay, enough kidding around. We’re happy. The family’s very happy. And we know Annie will be well worth the wait.
Notice we refer to Anna Christine as “Annie?” That’s our plan for the early years. We’ll see. The Lord is loving and gracious but we are convinced He also has a marvelous sense of humor. If “Annie” is born with red, curly hair, no pupils, and a penchant for spontaneously bursting into show tunes… we may have to re-evaluate.
Merry Christmas. We are thankful for the chance to reflect this season on our wonderful blessings of family and friends. Most importantly, we are thankful for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and his ultimate sacrifice for our salvation. May God bless you and your family this Christmas, and best wishes for a great 2004!
Matt and Rachael
