2015 . . . The Christmas Letter Version

If you receive a Christmas card from me there’s a good chance you received this in letter form in your card. If not, I’m giving you the official 2015. . . The Christmas Letter Version update here in blog form.

It’s December again. I can’t believe it . . . I’m pretty sure it was just December last month. They say the older you get the faster the time goes. They (whoever “They” are) are right. But, because I’m past the half century mark, I can hardly remember last week so let’s see if I can remember enough to fill a page for a Christmas letter!

There are a few things from 2015 that stand out:

My daughter Jennifer’s wedding for instance. She married Aaron Sharp, whom she met at a church function and the rest, as they say (There “They” are again), is history. It was a lovely wedding and reception. I have to commend Aaron for taking on the responsibility as Step-Parent to my two granddaughters, Brooke and Kierstin. Blending families together can be challenging but they’re making it happen.

My daughter, Jilena, and her two children, Hannah and Alex, moved back to the Quad Cities from Missouri this summer. I’m happy to have them close again. As luck would have it, Jilena was able to get her job back at Illini Hospital.

Molly, my youngest, is still at Iowa State University. This time next year I will be writing that she will have officially completed her Bachelors in Psychology and freaking out about the cost of the Master’s degree she plans to get. I’m sure the Mommy Dearest book will be a best seller at your local book store soon.

My parents are well at the moment. There are good days and more challenging days. As long as there are more good than bad, we are thankful.

Tommy is well and continues to assist the needs of others by driving a handicap bus to the Handicapped Development Center in the area. This is the kind of work a retired nurse does. Once a nurse, always a nurse at heart.

For now, I am still working in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Trinity but, as always, looking for the next great job. It’s a good thing nursing is so versatile for job hoppers like me!

While it goes without saying I am thankful for family, friends and the means to fulfill our basic needs, but other things to be thankful for this year would include:

Although the aches and pains are more evident every year, at least I didn’t break or injure anything this year, and I didn’t require any surgeries. Even after falling over the garden fence and hanging upside down from a steel post by my pant leg. I’m especially thankful I didn’t have to remove my pants in the back yard to get my leg unhooked.

The fact that my identity hasn’t been stolen yet. The good news about that is that I’m getting so old no one would want to be me.

Tommy didn’t give up on me after the building of the backyard pergola. But has vowed to never partner with me on a project like that again for the sake of our relationship. Thank you to both my ex-brothers-in-law for helping with the final touches when the going got tough.

Our dogs. Abbey, at age 98 in people years, is still chasing squirrels, rabbits, and the cat, Montoya, who hates her. And Maggie, a mere babe in her 70’s who can hardly get her hinder off the ground but will follow you to the ends of the earth.