Dearest Friends and Family,

We moved into our dream home in Old Town Alexandria, this year. Built in 1847, it just drips with historic splendor, majestic moldings, and the kind of craftsmanship you simply can’t buy anymore. We had to rip out the kitchen, of course (can you even imagine the mess?), but now it’s so beautiful that it’s being featured in Charming Homes Magazine!

We Babineauxs know how boring these Christmas letters can be, so this year we’re including one fib about each of the five of us. We’ll let you guess what’s true and what’s not!

Bethany adores her new room. We built a special study nook for her, which turns out to have been a brilliant idea. She’s so far ahead of all the other tenth graders in her prestigious nationally ranked private school that we’ve been advised to homeschool her so she can move at a faster pace. She’ll miss being a cheerleader, of course, but she’s so involved with her nonprofit company that makes shoes for underprivileged children in third-world countries that she barely had time to be on the homecoming court or edit the newspaper anyway.

Little sister, Katrina, is already being called an art prodigy and sold a painting for a thousand dollars! We’re told she has incredible abilities. Can you believe that she’s starting school next year? She works part-time, too, testing toys at a local store.

Bradley has been the most valuable player on the football team this year. He’s the school’s track star, as well. They’re begging him to play basketball, but he’s taking so many college-level courses that we can’t see how he can make the time for it, especially now that he reads to children at the library. This year he painted low-income housing units, collected winter coats for those in need, and spearheaded the planting of cherry trees along the river.

Baxter barely has time to use the movie room we outfitted with a popcorn machine and candy dispensers. He is living proof that what goes around comes around. All those years of hard work are really paying off now, if you know what I mean! Baxter has broken all the sales records at Scroggins Realty, and has been made vice president! But he found time to take me to Paris for nonstop partying. We even had dinner with Kenny G and Liza with a Z, who couldn’t keep her hands off Baxter! Ooh-la-la!

Baxter’s brother, Elvin, is on a cross-country trip with his new girlfriend, Sugar (a professional ballet dancer!), to promote healthy eating and fight childhood hunger. If he comes through your town, I hope you’ll turn out and support these important causes.

In between herding the kids, I wrote a cookbook, lost twenty-five pounds, had an affair with a yummy neighbor, was president of the PTA, and won the Mother of the Year award. (They must have known about Katrina’s impetigo. The poor child looked like a leper with all those blistery sores. No one else would touch her.) But the highlight of my year had to be the invitation to decorate the White House. Yes! That one! The First Lady selected humility, harmony, and hope as the theme and for a few glorious days, I had the honor of preparing our nation’s finest residence for the holidays. I was even invited to eat lunch at the White House! What a fabulous experience. I am truly humbled by the opportunity to serve my nation in this way.

The enclosed photo was taken at the mountain cabin Baxter bought me for our anniversary. Now that we’re in our fabulous and huge historical house with so many extra bedrooms, we hope you’ll stop by for a visit.

May you all have as wonderful and magical a Christmas as the Babineaux family!

Baxter, Gwen, Bethany, Bradley, and Katrina Babineaux