Annual Christmas Letter 2020

It has been so long since I've written a post, I can't remember what the last post was even about without looking back. I do know it has been far far too long and just because it is 2020 isn't an excuse to neglect the things I love to do. Writing is something I enjoy and I've just "let it go" this year and I regret it. So much has happened this year and I'm sad I didn't take the time to write it all here. This blog was started as a means of therapy to help me through the lowest point in my life and then it turned into therapy PLUS a journal of sorts of my life's happenings and adventures. 

 I love mailing out Christmas cards. In 1991, I started writing a family Christmas letter to send out to our friends and family. It was a collection of thoughts on what I'd learned that particular year or thoughts on the Christmas season or just as a way to share what was on my heart when I wrote the letter. I also wrote about each child and we included a lot of pictures of our years' happenings. I have sent a Christmas letter every year since. During those heartbreaking years when I was separated and then divorced, I didn't have the energy or the desire to write the letter. I asked my daughter if she would write it for me. She wrote our Christmas letter 5 years in a row and then when I could feel again, I got my job back. :) So for the last 29 years, these letters have chronicled our family's journey. I treasure them and love going back and re-reading the various years. 

I have made 5 notebooks of the letters and the pictures. One notebook for each child and one for me. Each of my children will get a notebook of their own one day; I just keep adding to them every Christmas. They will have a book of memories at their fingertips--treasured memories--things they may have forgotten had I not written them down. Sending out Christmas cards and writing the letter, brings me joy. If it brings me joy, then I'm going to do it. We don't need a messed up year like 2020 to remind us of that fact!

  This year's Christmas letter: 

                                                                                                                           The Year of 2020

  Dear Christmas, 

 I am so happy you are here… 

 It’s been an awfully rough year. 

Christmas is my favorite time of the year…always has been. This year the decorations came out much earlier than usual, but somehow it just felt right to get the spirit of the season started as soon as possible. Having my house decorated for Christmas makes me feel so peaceful and calm and cozy, and after the last 10 months, who of us couldn’t use some peace and calm and cozy? 

 I moved again and this time it was a really big deal. Around April I began swirling thoughts of a move around in my head. I was tired of being in Winston all by myself. I was driving back and forth to Fayetteville to see my kids and grandkids a lot. I started quarantine with Katelyn and family from the beginning of this global pandemic and we just kept being together off and on throughout. I loved being with the kids and I thought if I can find a job in Fayetteville, I’m going to move. God had His hand in the whole thing from the start. I found out there was a virtual career fair at the end of April. I redid my resume and sent it on ahead of the Fair. Within a couple of days, I started getting emails from principals asking me to “stop by and see them.” Long story short, I had 6 principals contact me; I had 2 online interviews and I accepted a job at a year-round school before the Fair even started. I have always heard good things about “year-round,” so I decided I would give it a go. The moving process then went into high gear. Everything seemed to be working out so great initially. My house went on the market and was sold in two days. Then things went from “Wow Stage” to “Nightmare and Beyond Stage.” This was undoubtedly the absolute worst and hardest and most stressful move that I’ve ever been a part of. It would take me an entire page to tell you all the things that went wrong or “what didn’t happen,” but the bottom line is “It’s Ok now.” I found a house I love in a pretty neighborhood. I have a job teaching 3rd grade (all virtually right now), and the best part is being so close to the Grands and 2 of the 4 kids. It has been a very big adjustment and I am still getting used to things, but I am enjoying my new surroundings. Life is different here. I lived in WS for 23 years and I miss it and I miss my friends and all the familiar things, but I know this is God’s plan for me at this time in my life. Decisions, big ones, are never easy, but I am thankful for this journey and where God has placed me. 

 The kids have been living their lives, doing things they want to do, and all are healthy and doing well. John Robert (32) has been in Texas for almost 4 years and is growing and advancing in the plumbing business. He works harder than any human being I know. I don’t know how he does it, but thankfully he is young and his body can still do that type of manual labor. I’m not sure if his body really can but he pushes through. He is very good at what he does. He will be here in NC in just a few days. Katelyn (31) has been working two jobs and being Mom to three kids—being a mom already elevates you to “Wonder Woman status” but she is SuperGirl! She has a promising career with a medical device company (cryo machines) that keeps her running the roads. She let go of the online job in November because it was taking up too much personal and family time. Katelyn and Nick bought a house this year and they moved in May. There’s been a lot of moving going on this year! Nick finished language school and was assigned to a Team to be deployed sometime in 2021. Unfortunately, he was injured in a “traumatic blast” while doing a training exercise. His right hand was badly injured. He has had surgery and 3 skin grafts. He basically has a bionic hand/wrist now. He goes on the 21st to have the pins removed from his hand and hopefully, PT will soon follow. His path may have taken a turn as far as timing goes, but God is good. He still has a hand and will recover in time. Jared (27) is in training/class to become a Combat Medic. A job in the field of medicine has always been his desire. Thankfully he is now on that path and at the same time fulfilling his passion of being a soldier. He was in field training at the beginning of the year and was even out in the field when Covid hit. He continues his love of Crossfit and working out, but 90% of his time is spent in class or studying these days. He is living with me instead of the barracks. I am happy he is here! Jacob (24) made the decision to leave the PNW and come back East. He lived and worked in Spokane this last year. He had a job with Alaskan Airlines. One of the perks was free flights to wherever Alaska flew. He made day trips to San Francisco, San Diego. He visited Vancouver, Couer d’Alene, Idaho, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, and places I can’t remember. He left WA in October driving across the country. This is when he really went on an adventure. Let’s see if I can remember all of his stops along the way… Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City, and Zion National Park, Albuquerque, NM, to visit a friend, Dallas to see where President Kennedy was shot, and then on to Austin to visit John Robert for a week. After all of this driving, when he left TX, he drove to NC without any fun stops along the way. He was tired of driving. Jacob has definitely been the one to adventure, go, see, and do. For now, he is living in Winston-Salem w one of his friends and looking for a job. I have a feeling his adventures are not over yet.

 My 3 grands are a delight and it is my great joy to see them often. Cannon (7) is in 2nd grade and very much into Nintendo Switch and Roadblox. Ella (6) is in Kindergarten and just got a beautiful bedroom makeover for her birthday. Both of them are great with baby Caroline (15 months) and Caroline loves her big brother and sister. Caroline just recently learned to walk at 14 months and now just toodles around all over the place. She is funny and sweet and full of temper as well. Her facial expressions are the best. To be honest, she is the real reason I moved to Fayetteville, but Shhhhh, it’s a secret so you can’t tell anyone. :) Babs, as we call her, has been the star on top of the Christmas tree, the icing the cake, and the sunshine in the sky for all of us. The 3 uncles are over the moon with her and she already has them all wrapped around her tiny little fingers! Oh, and Cannon and Ella have special names for each uncle… John Robert is Uncle Sloth Bear, Jared is Uncle of the Corn (Jared started this by calling them “children of the corn” and it has taken on a life of its own now), and Jacob is Uncle Pooty Pebbles (I know you aren’t surprised with this one) haha Children and grandchildren make life better that’s all there is to it. 

 So that’s it. This letter could be so much longer but I know you are all busy and don’t have time to read novels during Christmas, but I wanted to get something out to my friends and family. I wanted you to know a little something about me/us. I don’t need to repeat it because you all are in the same mind frame about this year…the wackadoodle year of 2020. I hope YOU are ok. I hope you have all of your needs met and you are healthy and happy and surviving these days by counting your many blessings. Even when the days are the darkest, we really do have much to be thankful for. All any of us can do is pray this craziness will be over soon and to remember to allow grace, show kindness, be patient, love and appreciate the people in our lives, give what we can, do what we can, be present, find joy, and above all, have faith. Christmas really is a special time, but we need the special to continue into the other 11 months as well. Take care, stay well, and please stay in touch. I miss you and love you. 

 From my family to yours… MERRY CHRISTMAS and may 2021 be better than 2020! 

 Love, 

 Dawn~ 

 xoxo