Merry Christmas!!!

This post is especially for my loyal blog readers...that's YOU! Because you are so special (and my lovely husband forgot to add the people that he works with, to whom he must do a little derriere kissing, to the Christmas card count) my creative solution is to give you a very special blog Christmas card. Since I know that you are all the coolest people in the universe, I am confident none of you will feel that I am rude or cheap. (Well, I am cheap, but that isn't the reason for your digital greeting.) So, without further ado, your Wilkins Christmas Greeting...



The Wilkins Family Quiz - 2008

1. At this time last year, we received an unexpected phone call including a very loaded question. Who was it from and what did they ask?
a. Publisher’s clearinghouse. Wondering when we would like to receive our winnings.
b. The US Attorney’s Detroit Office. Requesting that Barrington take a position with them ASAP. After all, they needed an answer quickly since the interview was two years ago.


2. The family’s reaction after the call was:
a. Why, yes, we would love to move away from all of our family and friends.
b. Not over our dead bodies, they should’ve called two years ago.
c. The most dangerous city in the country, we’ve ALWAYS wanted to live there.

3. After much discussion, prayer, debate, and two trips to Detroit we decided to take a chance. In May we said goodbye to our loved ones, packed up our belongings, rented our house and drove ten hours north to Troy, Michigan all because:
a. It is Barrington’s dream job.
b. There will be an opportunity to transfer to any state in a few years.
c. The US Attorney of Michigan had so much faith in Barrington’s abilities. (He promptly left the position three months after our arrival.)
d. All of the above

4. Some of the things we like about our new home are:
a. The bees that mysteriously enter our family room several times a day.
b. The broken garage door that forces us to carry our trash through the house on collection day.
c. The fact that all of our neighbors’children are grown.
d. The city was voted as the safest city in Michigan.
e. The summer and the city pool where Denise and the boys spent much of our time.
f. The housing prices are so much lower that we pay the same amount for a home three times as big.
g. Our neighborhood school is wonderful and Jackson’s class has only 14 students in it.
h. It snows nearly every day and we haven’t seen the sun or the blue sky in weeks...and it’s COLD!

5. Jackson is now five and loving his Kindergarten class. He has had fun this year:
a. learning to swim
b. going to basketball camp
c. watching Canadian PBS
d. chasing and tormenting his little brother.
e. being the star soccer player on his first official sports team.
f. learning to read and write
g. finding and devouring his father’s junk food stash within one day even if the stash is moved periodically.
h. missing play dates and having young friends close to our home.

6. Luke, who is 16 months old, spends his free time:
a. splashing, and even once bathing, in any toilet he can get to.
b. walking
c. standing in air vents.
d. crawling around the house with shoes on his hands.
e. being chased and tormented by his big brother.
f. standing on tables and chairs.
g. All of the above

7. In October, Denise’s routine doctors visit revealed:
a. That her pants wouldn’t be getting so tight if she would just stop eating so much.
b. That her emotional outbursts were due to a mental illness issue.
c. That she was “probably” close to three months pregnant.
d. That her mother was right. She did grow up, and will now get a taste of her own medicine having two children in under two years.
e. That the baby will probably be born in May but that it could be April, or even March.

8. At church, Denise is serving in the primary supporting a young man who has Autism. Barrington is in the Young Men’s Presidency. He declined to go to one of the most recent activities, which was:
a. Collecting canned goods for the homeless.
b. Playing basketball.
c. Skinning a dear.

9. What we love most about this time of the year:
a. The fact that in Michigan people start celebrating the season by putting their lights up and playing holiday music on the radio 24 hours a day before Halloween.
b. Being able to stay in touch with people that we love...YOU.
c. Celebrating the birth of our wonderful Savior.

Answers: 1. B; 2. B; 3. D; 4. D-g; 5. A-g; 6. G; 7. C-E; 8. C; 9. B&C

Thanks for understanding. I love getting comments from you all and reading your blogs about your wonderful lives and adorable families. Have a very happy Christmas!