You know how some people stuff those inserts into their Christmas cards that go on and on about all the amazing things the family has done each year?  I write those too only mine are much more truthful.  Here’s our 2009 brag rag, hot off the press that I’ll, hopefully, mail out December 21st.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I’ve edited the names to protect my witness protection program family members.

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Greetings from the Gillians

Geesh has it been a year already?  Have we done anything different this year than in prior years or should I just recycle a prior year rag and do a search and replace on the date with Word?  How depressing.  But let’s see what I can scrape up first before I stoop that low.

Son #1 made the Select soccer team (Go Fire 95!) this year and played in several tournaments.  His skills are much improved from the exposure to such talented players.  These 13 and 14-year-old boys can really kick the ball hard too.  I know because I almost got beaned several times in a single game recently.  Son #1 has quite the left foot and made some truly awesome shots with it.  He’s also learning French so he and I enjoy exchanging a few words and phrases that no one else understands.

Son #2 continues to be our little drama king charmer.  I wish he applied his social skills with equal fervor to his studies…sigh…enough on that topic, she says, tucking his report card out of sight.  He played recreational soccer again this year but when the coach at the end of season party gave him the Mr. Entertainer award, Husband and I could only roll our eyes and sigh.  He gets more phone calls and visitors than the rest of the family combined times two.

Hubby bought a motorcycle–his birthday present to himself that apparently was also my birthday gift to him as well.  That was on the heels of his BB gun purchase…to keep the moles from destroying our newly landscaped backyard, he claimed.  He’d already set off smoke bombs without any success a la Caddyshack, that same glint in his eye that Bill Murray had.  I told him he’d shoot his eye out.  He didn’t appreciate the humor.  Do you sense a theme here?

I’ve drifted away from my fitness fanaticism and gained ten pounds but written three novels and umpteen short stories, one I’ve submitted for publishing.  Cross your fingers for me.  I participated for the first time in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this November and won by writing 50k+ words before the end of the month.  I’m currently devouring all I can about the publishing biz and trying to polish up my novels for submission while outlining ideas for new ones.

So that’s that best I could do at this late date.  Sorry none of us climbed Mount Everest (though we did go to wild and woolly Montana for our summer vacation), ran a marathon, backpacked through Europe, or did any charity work so selfless it’d bring a tear to your eye.  Next year, though, watch out!

We hope you all have a very merry holiday season and send your our best wishes for an inspired new year.

Claire, Carl the “molekiller”, L’homme de futbol and Little Stinker Gillian