In anticipation of my impending holiday letter, I thought I would post some of the holiday letters from years past, to show a bit of history for the Smiths.
HOLIDAYS 2003
December 2003
Dear Family & Friends,
Happy Holidays! We’ve had some changes this year.
Our biggest change was our move from a small house in The Heights to a bigger house “outside the loop” but not in the ‘burbs. Twins and twin accoutrements grew to occupy over 83% of the last house. The new house has more space, more storage, more yard to mow, and is on a nice cul-de-sac with nice people.
When we walked into the new house for the first time, it was in significantly different shape than it is now. It was built in the 1970’s and had a very distinct 1970’s flavor. To be more accurate, it looked like a dark cave with mustard-yellow appliances. We knew we had to have the house and bought it quickly. So, we picked a contractor, set a solid two-month timetable for all work to be complete, and six months later had exactly what we envisioned.
The girls have grown and blossomed. They are delightful, charismatic individuals. It is wonderful to be able to hold conversations with them. As they grow, their very different personalities are emerging. Abby is outgoing, active, and sings a song that only she knows. Alexis is more shy, more sensitive, and likes to pretend she’s a puppy dog. Russell calls them Tigger and Pooh.
Alexis renamed George the cat “Meow.” Since he is at the very bottom of the Smith food chain, I have accepted the new name and have advised him to do the same. Since I am unclear about where I fall in the Smith food chain, I am hoping that she does not decide to rename me. Or at least that she comes up with a cool new name.
Kaileigh has grown into a wonderful, intelligent, caring young lady. She acts in plays, is active in Girl Scouts, gets straight A’s, and loves her little sisters. They call her “Kay-Loo.” She spent the summer in Houston and went to a Drama Camp where they put on a condensed version of “Les Miserables” in three weeks. Jill and I got to see her act and dance and sing for the first time. Kaileigh is coming down for Christmas and we are all driving to New Mexico.
Jill surprised me this year and booked a cruise for us over Spring Break. Since we both work for school districts, we both have an actual Spring Break. We spent a week in the Caribbean, and it was wonderful! (Grandmommy stayed with Alexis and Abby for a week by herself! Thank you Grandmommy!) We were closing on the old house sale at the same time and learned much about ship-to-shore faxing.
Our neighborhood is very serious about Christmas lights and decorations. Each street has a different theme. Ours is “Christmas Around the World,” and each house has a wooden sign with the name of their country. Apparently, it’s customary for home owners to leave the signs to the next people if they sell their house, but the sellers of our house chose to throw away the sign that was made to match the neighbors’ 15 years ago. So we had the arduous task of buying all of the lights and decorations for the outside of the house and trying to recreate “The Yard Sign.” The next door neighbor’s sign says “Christmas in Czechoslovakia.” A plea to cut the Czechoslovakia sign in half – we even said we would be “Czecho” to their “Slovakia” - fell on deaf ears. (By the way, yes, Russell is still Jewish.) Our yard has two polar bears and a snowman, in addition to lights and luminarias. It was a hefty initial investment, but we feel the $5,428.19 worth of lights, cords, and garland will be a nice starting point for next year.
I hope that this letter finds everyone happy and healthy. The Smith family wishes you a wonderful Christmas, Hannukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, and a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Russell, Jill, Alexis, Abigail, Kaileigh, and Meow the cat
Smith Family Holiday Letter 2005
Dear Family, Friends and random people who open this because the forwarding address order expired and this looked interesting,
It has truly been a year of change for the Smith Family. We picked up and moved to Austin! Kaileigh and her mom also picked up and moved to Austin. All the Smith girls live in one place for the first time. Russell got a good job…but a bad boss. Now Russell has more free time than he anticipated. Jill got a good job, and then a promotion about two months later.
After several years of impasse where Russell wanted to move to Washington DC and Jill wanted to move to Austin, we struck a compromise and moved to Austin. Russell got a job very quickly (first warning sign) and moved to Austin while Jill worked, raised two children and worked to sell the Houston house. Russell moved into the small room under Grandpa Sid’s house and listened to CNN through the ceiling at volume level 93. Russell really did appreciate Grandpa Sid’s hospitality.
The house sold quickly, and we put a contract down on a house in Austin. And then it all fell through (but only after Jill quit her job!). We cleaned the house up, put it back on the market, and it sold again. We decided this time to get a rental house in Austin instead of buying. And then it all fell through. The third time was a charm. On the third sale, we closed, the check cleared, and we moved Jill and the girls to Austin.
Kaileigh moved in with us while adjusting to a new city, high school, and a new step-family, and recently moved back in with her mom. It is great to have her in town with us!
Russell is currently doing consulting work, teaching a class at UT, volunteering, looking for a job, and shuttling children around. It’s been great, but unemployment is not really a viable long-term strategy. He is going with the family to Vegas late December to celebrate Grandpa Sid’s 95th birthday, and is fooling himself about his earnings potential there.
The twins are growing and learning. They pick up and incorporate words and phrases they hear into their play. Apparently, Russell is a redneck, as Abby has taken to saying “that’s a chunk of stuff” to describe any large quantity of items. She also has the best description of why Russell’s job did not work out. On a particularly exasperating day, her mother told her, “Abby, you are trying my patience.” Abby’s response was “I tried it and I did not like it!”
We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Stacy Smiths and Mom and Tom Grayson, and look forward to seeing Jill’s family and the Austin family for Christmas and Hanukah in Austin.
Happy holidays to all! Yes, we are not afraid to say “holidays.” We will not participate in the politically correct “War on Solstice.” Please enjoy a multitude and variety of holiday celebrations, including but not limited to Kwaanza, Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukah, Boxing Day, Winter Solstice, and Chinese New Year’s (2006 is the year of the Ferret).
Love to all!
Jill, Russell, Abby, Alexis, and Kaileigh (and Meow the Cat)
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