Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Merry Christmas 2011!


This is the letter we send to our family and friends in the mail...I thought you all may like to see it as well.

Once again I am late in writing our Christmas letter.  In fact, it is the 26th and we are sitting in the smoldering aftermath of commercialism run amok.  Not really.  Seriously, we had a very nice Christmas, and apart from mom feeling a little under the weather, it was one for the books. 

I don’t want to be one of those families who, in their Christmas letter, stretch the truth, exaggerate accomplishments, and try to outdo.  I will give you the clear and unvarnished truth:  Following Sylvia’s win of the largest lottery in the history of the world she decided to give it all to charity in what the media said was “the single most generous act of recorded history.”  Kristiana won American Idol at her very first audition but they are keeping it quiet to continue their ratings and not discourage the other 50,000 people auditioning.  

Jake, with his 8th grade science kit and a bag full of peat moss, has solved the world’s energy crisis.  And me, I was promoted and received the title “America’s Best ___________” where anyone can put in any profession and it still applies.  All right, so that isn’t exactly the whole truth.  Jake also had to use some orange peels. 

Actually, as a family we have been plugging along and doing what we can to remain sane amid a flurry of schedules and responsibilities.  Sylvia is still home schooling the kids and has started watching a baby for a teacher friend of ours.  What a cutie! (Sylvia and the baby both)  She continues to do her ministries at the church and is hoping to grow the one group that she has been leading into multiple groups.  She has a heart for helping people who have been abused.  And, unfortunately, there is a definite need. 

Kristiana is still enjoying singing in several choirs and was able to travel to New York (without the family…sniff) to sing in a showcase for highly skilled choirs.  She is studying the piano and guitar and is planning to use her talent in her career working with kids following college.  For now she is thinking that high school has much more schoolwork than junior high.  (We haven’t had the heart to tell her that when she starts to work she will look back at this stress as ‘the good old days.’) 

Jake has gotten a hold of the book “How to Be a Teenage Boy!” and is studying it very carefully.  He is paying special attention to the chapter, “Clever answers that may or may not get you into trouble.”  He is also learning the piano and guitar and amazing people at his knowledge of all things scientific.  He is still participating in sports of all kinds, when he isn’t sporting a cast, and we are starting to get recognized by the staff at the ER.  He even had a broken arm when the whole family went with the church to work on the Ganado Mission in the Navajo reservation this summer.  It was such a rewarding time that Kristiana is going again over spring break and we are in the process of seeing if the whole family will be able to go. 

As for me, I am still teaching kindergarten and enjoying it ever so much more than last year’s very challenging class.  I have learned some new teaching techniques that are making this well behaved class excel, and it is exciting to be a part of.   Other than teaching, I am still enjoying writing in my blog, “Do I Really Live in this Sitcom” at (http://klarkwgriswold.blogspot.com/) and occasionally people tell me that they are still enjoying reading it, so I suppose I will keep plugging along.  I have also been given the inspiration to write a book that is centered on Sylvia’s ministry.  I think it could be an important and meaningful book once I get the time to sit and write about it and postpone writing about the funny things that happen in the family.  I have purchased five lottery tickets for the mega prize so once I win that should afford me more time to write (as long as Sylvia doesn’t give it all away to charity). 

Overall we consider ourselves blessed every day and hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a prosperous and terrific new year.  God Bless!                                      

Love,    The Garretts

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