2016 Williams Christmas Letter, the long version.
December 2016
Dear Family & Friends, (Unabridged Version)
Know that you are loved and that we wish you a
Merry Christmas and a productively happy, and/or happily productive, New
Year. As I am just starting this epistle
a few days before the postal service goes on vacation, there is a chance this
will come after the holidays. Just think
of it as an opportunity to keep on being “merry,” per my belated letter’s
request.
At the moment we are all healthy, and are being
kept that way thanks to the magic of vitamin C, and luck. With the many opportunities given kids for
collecting infections to be brought home for the sharing, I am amazed we don’t
all have variations of colds, flus, bacteria, and viruses, not to mention lice
and fleas. There are times when I wish
my kids would just keep all contact with the rest of the world to the
elbow-to-elbow tap (see the movie “Young Frankenstein”).
I, Becky, am going to give you some sort of an
update on our family. As a kindness, I did ask my kids to write a paragraph’s
worth of their favorite events, or experiences, of the year. I will also share what I can from my
perspective. I will fill in the blanks
in their narratives as I see fit (a scrivener’s prerogative). As it so often
happens, most things worth remembering happen in the warm flexible days of
summer.
I’ll start with Reed, he being the oldest by 2
minutes or more (I was pretty medicated and didn’t get an accurate count
between baby removals). He is 14 now,
but will be 15 on the 10th of January. He still has blond hair, blue eyes, and is
starting to make me feel very short; he’s “almost” 6 feet tall. The most memorable part of the summer for him
was when, for 3 weeks, one after the next with maybe a day to shower and sleep
in his own bed, he attended 3 different camps starting June 20th and
ending July 8th. In his own
words he writes, “First was scout camp which included: climbing, repelling,
running, hiking, fishing, rafting, kayaking, shooting, swimming, and snacking
with joy. The next week was Yellowstone
which included chilling with the relatives, getting driving lessons from aunt
Jodi, canoeing down the river, snacking and doing the many of the other things
one does while up there. Then, the next
week after that was track camp at BYU. I
was able to meet a lot of people from everywhere, as well as work on my
athleticism. A final trip, separate from
the camps, was our trip to Capital Reef, but we stayed in a hotel so it can’t
be called camping. To summarize, it all
came down to snacks, work, and lots of fun.”
Next, Douglas, the second born. I’m not sure how the Dr. decides who to pull
out first in a C-section. Is it the one
sticking a foot out? Actually, I don’t really want to know, gross. He is also 14, almost 15 and is now just as
tall as me, which is 5’9”, when we stand up straight. He has dark blond hair, dark blue eyes, and
like his brother, now has to shave. Not
often, and not much, but I have threatened to wax their upper lips while they
sleep if they don’t use those razors. I
don’t think Douglas realized how much I’d share about his life before he gave
me his “paragraph,” or else he would have written more in his own words. However, this summer we were very happy and
proud of him when he, at the age of 14 1/2, earned his Eagle scout rank. As he says, “This summer I had the wonderful
opportunity to earn my Eagle Scout rank.
With the support of my amazing scout troop, I completed my projects and
all the other requirements. This was one
of many highlights of the year.” The
Hill Air Force base near us, has a lot of old aircraft that they mean to use
for different purposes. Douglas and
those in his troop, cleaned out an old C-130 in order for it to be fitted out
as a classroom for teaching kids.
Douglas also participated in those camps and vacations Reed
mentioned. I’m so glad they have a love
for the outdoors and camping. The love
of camping was inherited from my side of the family, for Chris has absolutely
no love for it.
Isaac, I-Man or, as aunt Jodi has nick-named him,
“Socks.” He is now 11 but is the size of
a 13-year-old and, according to his doctor will most likely hit 6’5” or
more. He still has blond hair, and big,
innocent-looking, brown puppy dog eyes.
I can’t prove it, but I think he gets away with a lot more mischief than
he should, because of those eyes. At my prompting, he took more seriously the
definition of a paragraph of info when he shared his favorite experience of the
year. “I liked when we went up to Jodi and Dave’s cabin at Island Park. One of the best parts was when we floated
down the snake river and my dad hurled up his breakfast into the river. Another time was when we went to see the
geysers. Also, when we saw the wolves,
bears, and birds. Lastly, the summer was
epic!” I’m always interested to learn what
one or another person finds of interest in shared experiences. Maybe the episode of Chris getting sick while
canoeing wasn’t as “epic” to Chris, but unfortunate. I didn’t even remember it until Isaac brought
it up (no pun intended) again. I was in
the canoe ahead of his and my view of the river was quite glorious.
Elizabeth, another twin also born approximately 2
minutes before her roomie, is now 6 yrs. old.
She is tall for her age, has dark blond and very curly hair. She has also inherited the big brown,
innocent-looking eyes that her brother Isaac has, but with long curled
eyelashes, and the power to tear up on command.
She too manages to get away with more than I suspect she should. She has
a wonderful imagination and an honest perspective on life, always trying to
puzzle out how things are and work. She
has the biggest heart and gives great hugs and kisses. When I asked about her year, which seems to
have only existed, like the others, in the summer months, she too talked about
our trips. Quote: “I liked Yellowstone
the most and liked watching the buffalo cross the road. I liked canoeing on the river and watching
the squirrels on the trees next to the water.
I liked sleeping in my aunt and uncle’s cabin and eating the breakfast
uncle Dave made. We went horseback
riding. My horse ran fast and I thought
it was nice of the horses to give us a ride.
My horse kept bonking me into the branches of the trees. I liked the cowboy who was teaching us how to
ride the horse.” As I transcribed her
words, I thought what do you mean you “liked” the cowboy? I’ll have to see if this liking of her cowboy
(the college student working a summer job) leads her to an interest in
Wranglers and boots, I hope not.
Our second daughter is Miriam, technically our youngest
child, though differentiating between a couple of minutes seems somehow unfair
and maybe to some, insulting. At this
point she doesn’t care, other than having the novelty of being able to use the
superlative when referring to her age.
Being the “-est” at something can be quite a big deal for a
6-year-old. With Miriam, we have another
blond, but with hazel eyes this time (Eyes that look blue one moment, green
another, and gray most of the time.
Whatever that’s called). She does
NOT have that knack for appearing not-guilty.
I think if she could figure out how to tame that high pitched scream,
she might start appearing more innocent at the end of a bout with her
siblings. Never the less, she’s still a
sweetheart and can give a hug like a sloth clinging to its favorite tree. Now, to continue with her first person
narrative of a memorable time in 2016: “This summer I got to ride a horse and
the cowboy said I was pretty good at riding.
I like summer and playing in the water at Capital Reef with my family,
Grandpa Hartvigsen, and grandma Debbie.
I like the summer so much that I would like to be in the water all the
time and be a mermaid. I also like my whole entire family; my brothers Reed,
Douglas, and Isaac and my sister Elizabeth. I love this whole world and Jesus
and he always love us, and that’s nice.”
Yes, that is truly nice!
Chris didn’t give me a written paragraph of his
most memorable moment of 2016, so I get to decide for him (can you hear my
wicked laugh?). Actually, if I could
guess, I’d say he liked our trip to Yellowstone and the surrounding areas the
most. Unlike Isaac, the memory of his
bout of boat sickness will be suppressed, and replaced with the awesome views
of waterfalls, incredible geographical and geological sites, and of the time
spent with a family that loves him to bits.
Chris works really hard and takes such great care of all of us. He’s a wonderful husband and friend and we
are blessed he is ours.
I say amen to all of the great memories shared by
my family. My memory is currently
attached to the wall upstairs, and is at the moment labeled, “December.” Many of my own goings on seem to be contained
in digital social media. I love, love,
love my family. They are my joy, part of
who I am, the people who make me laugh, and give me the most smile lines. I know I am so blessed to have them, as well
as all of you. Christmas is the perfect
holiday and is celebrated right when many of us are committing to make better
choices and to live them. Christmas is
celebrated because it’s a time to remember the Savior. To remember who he truly IS, why he was born,
why he willingly atoned for our sins, why he died and was resurrected. Christ loves me and you and he is here for
us all, to comfort and to save. I hope
we all will remember this fact and go forward with the comfort and hope this
truth offers. Have a Merry Christmas
all!
Love,
The Williams Family
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