My Christmas letter....

Before you sigh and say "Oh good gracious not another Christmas letter to read!", I have decided to put reality back into those horrible things. So instead of saying things like "I climbed Mt. Everest without any oxygen tanks, cause my lungs are just that good. And I ran the whole way up, and the whole way down, it only took 30 minutes!" I give you the following:

My 2013:

1. I finished my master's research! I also, came close to getting a concussion, having my car stolen, and winding up in the looney bin in the process.

2. I'm still writing my thesis! Does this paper never end? How many times have I analyzed my data? 20? 30? Ohhhh and it's still not right?? SPSS will be the death of me.

3. I got to spend the summer with 3 year olds who, bless their little hearts, threw rocks at each other, had daily accidents on the carpet, overflowed the toilets, and consistently made bad choices.

4. I next got to have several awkward encounters with men, that would make even the least squeamish of you, squirm. My favorite song is now this: .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s_hvNFRlXY .

5. I didn't go to jail!

6. I received no parking or speeding tickets!

7. I'm paying back my student loans because I have fallen below being a part-time student, and I don't qualify for a deferment since I am currently not actively job searching. Go figure! Only in Grad school do the poor get poorer.

So there you go: the truth about my 2013. Did it make you feel better about your 2013? I sure hope so! If not, I hope you got a good laugh out of it anyways :-).

The reason I hate Christmas letters is that it seems like a brag fest, and a competition. Shouldn't we be encouraging each other, instead of trying to top on another?! I think a little reality might go a long way to showing love for the brethren.

I'll add a few positives to round out the above:

1. I got to live with a wonderful couple who treated me like a daughter.

2. I have a family that loves me.

3. I was reminded time and again about God's love for me, and how He'll never forsake me.

4. I have some of the best friends in the world.

And so with 4 things like that, it makes the other negative things pale in comparison, and turn them into funny little tales to share.