We were super late in getting our Christmas cards out the door this year. So late that many on the list may not have even received their card yet (but they should by today I would think)! Nick tried to talk me into skipping the card and letter and when I said “no way!”, he tried to talk me into just skipping the letter. I told him his adoring fans would be crushed if he didn’t write a letter this year. 😉
Here’s the front of our card:
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And the back!
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And behold, the annual letter, written by Nick (as always)!
Dear People reading this letter,
“Small things can have big results†I yelled to my wife as I read the newspaper and sipped my coffee while relaxing in my Lazy Boy. Helen, not fully listening to what I was saying as she was fully engrossed in the bread she was making, responded: “Sounds like a great topic for the 2012 Christmas letter†she said as she furiously typed her 10th facebook status of the day on the computer. “Well by George I think you are on to something†I said as I hurried to the den and pulled out my pen and paper. This is what I came with up that quiet night in a small den in Missouri. (Well, sort of.)
Small Thing #1-Vomit
It was early spring and the Ransom house was filled with excitement as we were going over to a friend’s house to spend a few days while our floors were redone to a beautiful finish. The great Groupon had given us a fantastic deal, and after 5 years of children doing it’s best to destroy the carpet, this day couldn’t come soon enough. Then all of sudden Chase began walking towards his mother complaining that his stomach hurt; no sooner had he finished the sentence than a continuous stream of vomit came flying from his mouth all over the floor.
Big Result-Memorable Summer Vacation
Needless to say our floors did not get done and our Groupon fell through, however with the money we did not use on the floors we were able to take a very memorable road trip to New England to see family and friends along with the ocean. The kids still talk about it today, almost 6 months later. It was a great 10 days despite the insane amount of time we spent together in a van (50+ hours).
 Small Thing #2- Hole in Pants
“In Jesus’ name, amen†Nick has just finished prayers with Chase and as he stood up from kneeling beside the little toddler bed, all of a sudden a loud tearing sound came from below. Looking down we noticed a big hole in his brand new pants. That was the last straw with these beds, as Helen came up with the great idea of getting the boys new beds, however they would have to earn these beds by staying in bed and going right to sleep for 25 out of 30 nights. 60 days later they had completed the task and Nick was sentenced to spend the next 2 months in our basement.
Big Result-Bunk & Loft Beds
On October 26,2012 Helen and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary by giving our 3 adorable children our master bedroom complete with bunk beds and a loft bed that was built from scratch thanks to our friend Ana White. It’s amazing how grown up our boys looked after the big move.
Small Thing #3-Unlocked vehicle in your driveway
Saturday nights are a big rush in our house after church to get everyone home, fed, and into bed at a reasonable time. This particular Saturday was no exception as we raced home and got our kiddos fed and into bed by 8:00 p.m. with just enough time to clean up and watch an episode of Modern Family. However, in our rush to do this we had left our van unlocked in our driveway (we think).
Big Result-No more yellow car
Sunday morning I woke up bright and early ready for a great day at Church. As I skipped out of the garage singing “You Belong With Me†by Taylor Swift I noticed that our bright yellow car was missing. Actually, it was stolen. Come to find out during the night someone got into our van found the hidden spare key to the neon and took off driving it. 1,000 miles and 10 days later the car was found and in a complete state of disrepair. 30 days later our saga ended with a nice new car becoming a member of our family. Never had Taylor’s song meant so much to our family.
The final small thing that has a big result is the birth of Jesus. In a world that can sometimes seem dark and hopeless we are reminded at Christmas that a small little baby has brought hope and light to a world that is dark. John 1:5 reminds us that light shines in this world and darkness can never overtake it because of Jesus’ birth. It is this small thing, this light, that we celebrate this time of year.
Merry Christmas!
Helen, Nick, Jackson, Tyler, Chase, & Lily