Morrow Family Christmas Letter #6: Christmas 2007

Let's confront the elephant in the room. It is entirely possible that you are receiving the Morrow Family Christmas LetterTM after Christmas Day. Or, perhaps, due to uncharacteristically herculean efficiency on the part of the U.S. Postal Service or a genuine, one-of-a-kind Christmas miracle, you may be receiving yours days (or even mere hours) before the blessed day.

Either way, you may be tempted to wonder what happened. Was the Morrow Family Christmas Letter recalled for potential lead contamination? Was it lost with Britney Spears' parental instincts? Is it me? Was I moved to the Christmas B-team and placed on "send-only-if-sent" card status?

The truth is we are in the midst of a writers strike in this country and the Morrow Family christmas letter is just one of the many casualties. Listen, crossing that picket line could mean some hostile, but unusually well-written letters of complaint to our local newspaper editorial page, a pen to the neck or a roundhouse kick to the head from Chuck Norris (he loves the writers guild almost as much as he loves Mike Huckabee). Yes, the stakes are that high. Dare we don the scarlet S ("scab writer")? But after careful consideration, we decided the fans' needs should come ahead of our own. We created this cycle of dependency, and like so many recipients of government chees, our Christmas letter friends have come to expect nothing less than the very best... and for free. so come what may, the christmas Letter must go on.

If, when this year's MFCLTM arrived in the mail, you immediately rushed to your file of back issues of the MFCLTM to whet the palate (you know who you are), you'll recall that last year's cliffhanger had Rachael at 7 1/2 months pregnant awaiting the birth of our son. The last month of pregnancy brought with it added adventure as the worst ice storm in our area's history hit, leaving houndreds of thousands of people (including us) without power, playing hostess to fellow refugees when our power returned, and hosting a Superbowl party a week after the lights cambe back and a couple of weeks before - in the midst of the flu and labor pains - Alexander Matthew Morrow arrived.

Alex was born February 7, and we've been so blessed all year. He now is cruising around furniture, pointing and grunting at everything that interests him (especially the ladies), and eating like an undernourished horse. He's definitely a Morrow. He also loves wrestling, and he laughs at almost everything. It may be premature to make any predictions, but he seems to use his left hand quite a lot. Just in case, we've been teaching him baseball grips for a curve and a slider, and stretching his fingers. We have to plan ahead in case we get blacklisted for crossing the picket lines.

Only occassionally do we turn and find his big sister, Annie, trying to kill him. Mostly she loves him and takes good care of him. In addition to getting the best baby doll ever in her brother, Annie's year has been filled with all kinds of escitement. She loves all things Cinderella. She even cries for Cinderella anytime things are not going her way. Since Cinderella works so hard, we have taken full advantage fo the infatuation and taught Annie to mop and dust. She's not as good at it as Rachael, but already way better than Matt. Annie turned three in April and started preschool at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in August. She loves it. Annie likes to color (but only with orange, pink and black), sing, and play with her friends. She also likes wearing shoes that click when she walks and having "smackdown" with Daddy.

After Alex was born, Rachael made the decision to trade her job with Adsmith Communications for sticky fingers and baby moisture. Independently, she still will do some market research projects, strategic planning and consultation. But being her own boss (as much as anyone with a 3-year-old is their own boss) has allowed her to take only the jobs she wants. That means a lot more time with her greatest joys, the kids and Matt.

Matt's seventh anniversary at the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield will arrive in January. He continues the 'green' charge. He has switched to two liters of Diet Coke instead of cans. In the last year, the HBA has managed successful political campaigns and marketing campaigns, captured numerous national awards for association excellence and broken all previous membership records... making the other assocations 'green' with envy :) . Whatever it takes to be green. You know no one loves the earth more than Matt. His new motto is: "Berkenstocks, granola, and houses made of twigs and poop."

To all of our dear friends and family who may be lacking in Christmas cheer after the recall of their Easy Bake Oven for causing child entrapment and burning, or after the Fukudome signing by the Cubs (for non-baseball fans, yes, that is the spelling)... we have crossed the picket line to wish you a Merry Christmas.

We feel so blessed to have an abundance of loving family, wonderful friends, and most of all a Savior whos arrival amnog us we celebrate this season. He is the reason we celebrate adn the greatest gift of all. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.