JOY!!!!!!

What a Christmas!  The last few weeks have been crazy, a bit scary at times, but now with everyone home and resting, it has been a time to reflect on my many blessings.  I am so grateful for my family and for the JOY I feel this Christmas!  Most of you should recieve our Christmas card in the coming days, my Christmas letter never made it into the cards...  But I wanted to share it with many of you who enjoy a "dose" of our CRAZY gang!!!  It is fitting that our Christmas photo card says "Joy" - it is exactly how we feel this Christmas!   So here is the Alford's Christmas letter 2010! 

Well, after taking a break from my Christmas letter last year, I am back, better than ever, ready to have you grabbing your tissues and taking a quick journey with our family as we reflect on 2010.   We are real.  No jazzed up details to paint the perfect picture, but brutal honesty with details that will have you feeling like you have walked with us through each interesting step or glad you stayed in your own world!  We are still crazy, loud at times, and Ashley and I are still trying desperately to figure out this whole parenting thing.   So pull up a chair and enjoy the many moments that have brought us such JOY this year!

“Abs“….  Abby has blossomed into a free - spirited five year old with a vivid imagination and a lack of good judgment!   Abby finds pleasure in the simple things, never forgets to enjoy the small details, and adds humor to every situation.  Her favorite foods are sushi, pinto beans, and raw onions dipped in ranch.  Her smile is contagious, her giggles are heart - warming, and her breath is well… toxic!   Life is an exciting adventure for Abby with lots of twist and turns that have Ashley and I holding on for dear life!   

Haley, on the other hand, is a very disciplined, hard - working 7 year old who is wise beyond her years.  Her constant opinion, exhausting drive, and teen like attitude keeps Ashley and I on our toes!  She finds joy in knowing she has excelled in every talent and responsibility that God has given her.  Her independence and drive makes for sleepless nights and extra tasks, but the joy that comes with knowing she has taken the ordinary to extraordinary is priceless!  She will always choose the path less traveled, she
 will always climb the highest mountain, and she will always find joy in knowing she has done her best!

Ashley is the same ole Ashley!  Despite my constant nagging, he remains true to himself!  He still loves fishing, all things UNC, and works hard for his family.   He still feels outnumbered in this house full of estrogen and keeps finding new ways to plan more and more fishing trips!  I am guessing by the time we hit the puberty years he will be fishing more than he is home!  ;) 

As for me, my mood changes daily, hourly, minute by minute….   Motherhood is tough, maintaining a cool spirit is exhausting, but the joy I feel when it all comes together is priceless!  Being a mom is a difficult balance of so many ingredients, managing different personalities, and helping combine each item to make a perfect family recipe full of JOY!  

And there is no way I could end our “year in review” without touching on Adriana Nicole Dove!  From the moment I heard my sister’s voice on that mother’s day Sunday announcing her pregnancy, to hearing Adriana’s first cries just days ago, I am overwhelmed with JOY!  For that one word, joy, has enormous depth with its true meaning taking hold of my heart this year in the form of a precious miracle named, Adriana!  Joy can touch a chord so deep, it can heal a hurt so raw, and it can spread to all around you! I hope this Christmas, you will let JOY take hold of your heart and experience the blessings it brings!  Merry Christmas! We love you!

Ashley, Amy, Haley, and Abby