Our Year.

I ain't going to lie. I cannot wait for this year to be over.

Funny how a random Tuesday night in Vernal, Utah can change your entire life. Physical address. Jobs. Schools. Sleeping habits. My feelings on gun control. Entire life - I tell you.

Never even saw it coming.

I am over the anger. The frustration. The fear. I am over the dreams lost-my dream of where and how I would raise my family. I have accepted changes that have come this year. It has taken me all year to get here.

I am Braver. Stronger. Poorer. Lonelier. Better.

2010?

Bring it.

Our changes this year could also have a little something to do with wadding knee deep in this bull crap economy. And a little something with the fact the Baums are incapable of having a plan A or B. Let's not give Beau Peterson all the credit- just 75.8% of it.

So you didn't make the list?

Well, we didn't have your address.

And we ran out of stamps.

And they only came in packages of 12.

And, ..... there's always next year.

And well, if you must know it was sabotage on behalf of Noah and Ezra.

(They held a secret meeting before Jessica starting snapping photos and decided they would each take a turn looking cross eyed, smiling like a Grinch that stole Christmas, watching the clouds, and such.)

(More fine print: The temperature was something freezing degrees. And the photos were taken when Jace made a mad dash home for a 36 hour period with one clean shirt. I'm glad it was a cream colored thermal and not a White Mountain Plumbing t-shirt or such. That would have proved a little more difficult to coordinate with. And for those of you keeping track, it's been almost two weeks since I have layed eyes on my friend. Life gets lonelier, sadder, and emptier with every passing day. Can we make it to Christmas Eve, babe?)

Please take a look now:

And the winner was..........

Did I pick the right one? I know Ezra's thumb is in his mouth but that is usually where it is. Just be glad the blue blanket didn't make the photo. Now just imagine it is personally addressed to you and imagine reading:

Merry Christmas from our Family to Yours!