This year, I am determined to do better than be a Christmas card no-show. Especially after hearing from numerous people how they missed reading my 'fun' letter last year; they felt like we'd lost touch.
So, I may be a bit late--being as I'm just now printing out the letter and realizing I need to go buy more stamps--but I'm going to get a letter and card into the hands of all our dear and distant loved ones this Christmas season.
With a few changes to keep this blog as anonymous for my family as possible, here is a copy of my 2016 holiday letter:
2016
You
might have noticed that this year's card is signed "DH and
Kris". If so, you might have said
to yourself "Wait, didn't their signature line used to take up half
the card? What happened to their
kids?"
It's
for that reason that this letter is written.
And, well, because we didn't get a letter or cards sent out in 2015, so
you might be wondering what has been going on in our family for the past two
years.
"What happened to their kids?" They grew up and moved out,
every single one of them! (If you think you hear slightly maniacal laughter,
you're probably right.) This nest is
empty! After 26+ years of having kids at
home, it's finally just DH and I. Talk
about culture shock!
So
what are the kids doing now? Well. . .
DS1,
K2 and their two kids (K3 and Toad) lived with us from late September
2014 until early February 2016 when they moved into their own place about six
or seven miles away. DS1 and K2 are both attending college, and both also
work. As you can imagine, that keeps
them incredibly busy. Add in a 4 year
old and a 2 year old, and, well, yeah, what else is there possibly time
for? They did manage to squeeze in a
wedding on May 23, 2015; it was a gorgeous day for their small outdoor wedding
ceremony and reception.
DS2 graduated (summa cum laude) from (name of his college) on May 2, 2015 with a Bachelor
of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He
had a job waiting for him with (a member of the Big Three), and he has been living in
the Detroit area since leaving the U.P. (when (his member of the Big Three) doesn't have him traveling
to places like Kentucky, Arizona, or Mexico, that is!) When he's not working or on business related
travel, he likes to take off into the wilderness; he's hiked and backpacked in
the Adirondacks, the Smokies, and on Isle Royale since graduating college.
DD1 is working her tail off finishing up her degree in Elementary Education with a
certification in Early Childhood Education. She has two semesters to go. She
has been living in Grand Rapids and attending (name of her college) campus
there for the past couple of years. When
not in class, she has been working at a childcare center, and this fall she
took on the lead teacher position for their infant/toddler room. (For those of you who might be wondering,
yes, she and Honorary Son are still together.
Honorary Son just graduated from (name of his college) earlier this month with a Bachelor of Science in Film and Video.)
DD2 graduated high school in May 2015 (that was a super busy month for our family--two
graduations and a wedding). She is now
in her second year at (name of her college) where she is NOT studying
engineering. (name of her college) is well known as an
engineering school, but they also have other programs, as she likes to point
out every time anyone says "oh, what
kind of engineering are you studying?" when they hear that she attends (name of her college). DD2 is majoring in Wildlife Ecology and
has also declared a minor in International Spanish. She absolutely loves life in the U.P., and
typically calls home about once a week with something exciting to share about
her classes. This past summer, she
worked for the DNR at one of the state parks near home, and was able to
transfer to the state park near (name of her college) when it was time to go back to
school; so she had not only a memorable summer, but also was able to keep
working part time for a large portion of the fall semester. Next time you see her, ask her about manning
the check station during bear hunting season!
And
that is what happened to all our kids.
Meanwhile,
DH and I are starting to get the hang of being 'just the two of us' after all
these years. He is still kept very busy
working for (a member of the Big Three, different from DS2) (you should hear the ribbing that goes on at the
dinner table when DS2 comes home to visit).
If he's not at work, he's typically out in the woods either cutting firewood
or hunting deer, depending on the season.
He took a really nice 8-point buck with his crossbow this past October.
I'm
still working with horses, although this past August I left the farm I had been
working at when you last got a Christmas letter from us. Currently I do morning feed at a local
eventing barn, as well as clean stalls at the dressage farm where I have been
boarding and taking lessons since April of this year. I'd shelved my riding aspirations in the
frenzied years of getting kids through high school, and now I'm more than ready
to focus on achieving my riding dreams. I
might end up being the oldest rider to ever reach the Grand Prix level, but
darn it, I'm gonna get there someday!
So,
that's pretty much what's been happening with all us (our last name here) for the past
two years.
Being
as I'm rather a bit late getting cards out this year (better late than not at
all, like last year, eh?) I'm guessing it after Christmas as you are reading
this. We hope your Christmas was a
joyful one. May the New Year be filled
with blessings.
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