Christmas Letter 1995

Over the past decades, I’ve always tried to write an annual Christmas letter to family and friends summarizing our family activities and highlighting our proudest moments. TODAY’S CHRISTMAS LETTER IS FROM DECEMBER 1995, word for word.

“It’s been a while hasn’t it! Where have all the years gone? Last year our greatest Christmas blessing was the birth of our little 11 lb. 5 oz. Melvin Ross on December 19, 1994. Melvin was a very high need baby for the first six months but now has settled happily. He’s working hard on his ‘transportation skills’ – almost walking and getting into everything.

Right at the beginning of the new year our Nellie turned 3 – she’s a lively, independent little rascal who lives to paint, colour, and more recently, cut up paper.

Darin turned 18 January 16th – he’s in grade 12 now and living at Dean’s in Ottawa. He’s working hard at playing sledge hockey, keeping his car on the road, working part-time, and keeping his grades high.

Taylor turned 15 on February 19 and was a cashier at a local grocery store for a year. A month ago, he suffered a concussion after being assaulted in school. He has since transferred to a smaller school where he seems much happier. Presently his hair (Mohawk) is blond and his greatest interests are his girlfriend Tina and playing guitar in his band.

In June, Chris and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary and Chris’ 35th birthday. And July, I realized I’d lived here for 14 years already! Again this summer, we raised our own meat chickens – there’s nothing like your own grain-fed, tender chickens – YUM!

August 4th brought another milestone – Kristi turned 13 – a teenager!! In June, she went to Quebec City with her French Immersion class and loved it. Kristi enjoys school – she’s an excellent student – bowling, skiiing, swimming, etc. In her ‘spare’ time, she babysits. In the midst of 5 brothers, her and Nellie are glad they have each other.

Rob turned 20 August 15 and still lives with Natasha in Ottawa. He’d love to hear from you. He’s in second year at Carleton University, loves to play guitar, and play Star Wars with Marty. Rob and Natasha get home once or twice a month for ‘refueling’.

Marty turned 9 August 18th. This summer he played on a soccer team again. He still loves to fish, makes forts, wade in the river, and take care of his pet Newts.

Labour Day weekend, we hosted a ‘Craig girls’ family reunion. All the kids were able to make it too – the older ones are all grown up and living away from home so we had to ensure our continued close ties. We had a great time swimming, eating, and making Bonfires.

This Christmas, all the kids will be here celebrating the season and skating on the river – we’ve had 156 cms. of snow already and winter has just begun!
I hope that many of you will come and visit us in ’96!”

 

 

Long Distance Grammom

I just returned from British Columbia where I took my daughter Nellie and two teenage granddaughters, 14.5 year old Kalia and 12.5 year old Livi. We spent time on my son’s farm on the Sunshine Coast getting to know my two baby granddaughters, 2 month old Clare and almost 2 year old Elsie.

 

Clare and Elsie

Nellie, Kalia, and Livi had never met Clare and Elsie before but I had spent time with them recently when Clare was only a few weeks old. We had a grand time playing with Elsie and holding Clare.

Kalia, Livi, & Clare

 

Kalia, Livi, and Nellie also helped with some farm chores like feeding the goats, chickens, and rabbits as well as helping Rob install some gate posts. We picked cherries at a neighbour’s farm too and enjoyed them fresh and in a homemade pie. And of course we went to the beach every day looking for driftwood and beach glass!

Elsie, Kalia, Livi, & Nellie on the beach

It wasn’t easy saying good-bye.

Kalia and Livi (and my other 4 grandchildren) live near me so I’ve seen them often for their entire lives. We’ve spent birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Christmases together and sleepovers in between. It’s taking some getting used to being a long-distance Grammom.

Email, Facebook, and Skype have all helped me feel like I’m participating in Elsie and Clare’s lives. Pictures are a big help too. But nothing is better than holding your grandchild in your arms and watching them sleep or smelling their sweet new-baby smell or reading the same stories 10 times in a row. I feel like their Gramma when I’m with them.

Grammom and Elsie on the beach

 

I’m grateful that I’ve been able to travel across the country to spend time with them even though it’s only been a couple of times a year.

As my wee granddaughters grow, I hope to be able to visit them as often as possible and stay in touch through the latest technology.

……. because I love them as only a Grammom can.

Rob and his girls