Hello, Friend!

Well, if I don't get this subscriber letter out today, I'm going to miss it altogether. And that would be a shame, since sending Christmas newsletters is the theme of this week's link list!

The reason it's so late? Because I've been preoccupied with getting our Christmas cards addressed and in the mail -- a major undertaking that involves a substantial number of family members.
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Except for the cards I'll be dropping with gifts to neighbors and a few waiting for new address from friends who've moved, we are finished for the year. Whoop! So now I can turn my attention back to sending virtual letters... to YOU!
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Free resources for you this week:

• ​How to Write a Christmas Letter - Includes free samples and templates for different kinds (and lengths) of Christmas letters.
• ​Our Family Christmas Letters - For those who are interested, you can find all our past updates (through 2020) online.
• ​Christmas Card Assembly Line - Ideas for getting your own family involved in seasonal letter writing.
• ​Christmas Envelope Seals - Use these free printables to spruce up all your holiday mailings.
• ​How to Write a Thank You Note - Don't forget to send a note of thanks for all the gifts you receive this season!
• ​Grace and Greeting Coloring Page - If it weren't for letter writing, we wouldn't have huge portions of the New Testament!
• ​December Holidays - Ideas for celebrating lesser known holidays this month. Did you know, for instance, that December 7 was National Letter Writing Day (which was the day I meant to mail this one)?

What we're reading this week:

Every year my husband re-reads our old Christmas letters aloud to the family. We laugh and grieve and reminisce and marvel over all God's brought us through thus far. We finished the first 25 years (published in a paperback called Glad Tidings) this Thursday; the last 10 online we'll have to read online.

What we're eating this week:

I noticed Hello Fresh is running a fantastic special this month and decided to give it a try. Now that I only have 3-4 children at home with me most days at lunch time, their family meal plan is just the right size. And my! are the meals ever delicious!

Our favorites this week: Pub-Style Sheppard's Pie, Sausage Kale Soup, and Mushroom Lover's Gnocchi. Interested? Sign up with my referral link to get the same great deal I got. And if kale or mushrooms aren't your thing? No worries. They have dozens of mouthwatering recipes to pick from.

What we're watching this week:

We stopped in Johnson City on our way through the Texas Hill Country last night and watched a wonderful live nativity at First United Methodist Church.(You can watch a short excerpt in my Instagram stories).

Tonight is their last performance of the year, so if you're in the area, mosey on over and don't miss the impressive collection of creches on display indoors, and enjoy some free hot cocoa and cookies Then walk across the street and take in the fabulous light display at Pedernalas Electric, too.

Progress on last week's goals:

As already noted, we ✅ assembled and mailed our Christmas cards. But I also accomplished last week's other two goals: ✅I planned our trip to San Antonio, and ✅ I completed six more pages in my Christmas journal.

My goals for this week:

• post my 2021 Christmas update online (along with lots of family photos)
• finish the last of my Christmas shopping (via online shopping)
• enjoy a festive few days in Texas Hill Country

Another poll for you:

Last week's questions on favorite Christmas movies yielded some surprising results. Lots of you love the old standards: It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Home Alone, and A Christmas Carol were all well-represented among the replies. But the movie that got the most votes was one I never knew existed: Love Comes Softly Christmas (I'm not even 100% sure that's the right link).

This week's question(s): Share your thoughts on Christmas cards. Do you send them? Prefer getting photos or letters (or both)? And what do you do with the cards you receive? Display them? Save them? Toss them? Recycle them in some way? Hit reply and let me know!

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