Christmas Cheer and Little Letter

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND…

Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But I have had several people say they like my annual letter. So, I have a little time right now, and I’ll relive this year and tell you about it, too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Noah turned 18 in January and is now “out in the world.” He is working full-time at a large retail establishment and has a learner’s permit, so he’s been learning how much fun traffic is. He doesn’t plan on staying there forever, but it’s good experience. He had been working minimal hours in child care at a church and had to resign when he was hired in retail. He’s had a lot of interesting incidents working there. He’s also had a girlfriend since the spring. He’s expecting to get his GED completed and look into some college courses in the New Year.

Jonah turned 17 in March and is in the throes of his Senior year. He just completed his senior Capstone project and presented it before the judges. While he isn’t sure what he really wants to do with his life, he chose Accounting as the profession to explore. I was very pleased with his finished project. He is quite funny most of the time. I know he’s looking forward to getting out of school, and we are talking with him about college and working.

 

NOTE: Moving into the adult world is not easy, but I hope we are equipping them for what they will face.

Caleb turned 15 in July and is in his Sophomore year of high school. He is thoroughly enjoying the social aspects of school and having his Dad as his teacher. With his middle school years being so heartbreaking with being a target of bullies, we are grateful he’s having a different and better experience. He’s been involved with the theatre department and is having a great time with it. He is taller than Jonah, and that is a little shocking.

Jesse turned 13 in March and is in the 8^th grade. He is also involved in theatre and choir. He has been talking lately about getting a guitar and learning how to play. On September 1^st, he and Isaac had been at their friend’s house swimming, and when they returned home, I asked if they cleaned up their trash. Jesse said they hadn’t, so I sent him back over there to clean it up (BOYS!)… A little while later, his friend’s mom brought him home. Apparently, instead of walking down the street, he decided to climb a wooden privacy fence, got to the top and tripped on his flip flops (!), and landed on his arm. Broken arm. So grateful it wasn’t more serious because we wouldn’t have even known where he was. First day of new insurance year and flexible spending. LOL! Gotta laugh sometimes at the irony.

 

Isaac turned 13 in March and is in the 8^th grade. (Is there an echo in here?) He started playing tennis this fall and is a natural. He’s already destroyed one racket, so it was a good thing it was inexpensive. My brother advised to not spend a lot of money on them because they will get bent. He was right, and I’m glad we listened!

Jim and I celebrated 22 years of marriage in August. It seems like we've been together forever, yet it seems like just yesterday we met and got married 4 months later. 

Jim is in his 3^rd year at the high school. He’s still having a great time, and the productions they’ve put together have been nothing short of fantastic. The musical they performed in the spring was “Singing in the Rain,” and Jim developed a way for it to rain on stage. The man is, hands-down, the most creative person I’ve ever met. He can do anything! 

 

As for me, well, I’ve had a very interesting year. After graduating last December, I was hoping that it would be less difficult to find a full-time job. I was wrong. I had been looking for quite some time, but fortunately, in January, I saw a listing on my college job-board for an Administrative Assistant for a CPA, so I applied. I had an interview quickly, and I was hired on the spot. Right in the middle of tax season, I was learning a new job. I knew it was temporary when I applied, but I still did the best I could. I told her several times, “I’m having a really good time!” She’d say, every single time, “You’re CRAZY!” Maybe.

After April 15^th had come and gone, my hours were cut to one day a week until I could find something else. It didn’t last long, though, maybe 4 weeks, and then I was in the ranks of the unemployed again. I had been looking for a job for a year at that point, and it was getting discouraging. I did have a couple of interviews, and at one of them, I was told there were over 300 applicants for the position. I didn’t get it. You start wondering if there is something wrong with you, and it can get you down.

In May for my Dad’s birthday and Mother’s Day weekend, my family let me go to Wichita and spend it with my parents. Mom, Cheryl, Sydney and I did some shopping, and I bought work clothes for the job I didn’t yet have. But I was still hopeful.

 

One good thing about being unemployed for the summer is that I got to spend it with my family. We had a good time together, and I have to say it went so fast.

My parents were here for July 4^th weekend, and it zipped by. That’s the only time they’ve seen the rest of the family this year.

 

A couple of weeks later, I was on my way back to Kansas to attend the funeral of my great-uncle. He was the last of that generation in our family. Being a Veteran, the graveside service was very moving. 

 

That night, Mom came into the room I was sleeping in and asked me to look at her legs, and she had a bunch of red welts/bites all over. I had no idea what they were, but the next morning, we all had them. The cemetery is in the country, and chiggers had gotten on all of us. They were the worst chigger bites I’ve ever had, and I have scars. Unbelievable!

And then there was the incident in July where our beloved Sophie had a back problem and couldn't move her back legs. Fortunately, Jim can build anything, as I mentioned, so he built her a little wheelchair to get around in. And she did get better, which was a blessing.

Shortly after I returned home, I had an interview for a Technical Services Associate position (almost exactly what I had been doing before), and I was hired. I still have great aspirations of being an accomplished author and working in a nonprofit organization someday, but for now, I know it’s where I’m supposed to be.

The weekend before I started my job, three of my good friends came to Texas. I hadn’t seen Debbie or Julie since we left MO in 2006, and I hadn’t seen Laura since 2009. We spent the weekend laughing and crying and eating and laughing and swimming and shopping and laughing. I had a hard time when they left because it was seriously one of the best parts of my year. It’s so nice having such good friends that, even though many years have passed since you’ve been together, when you do see each other, it’s like no time has gone by. I’m grateful to have a few friends like that.

 

I started my job on August 7^th, and it’s been going nonstop since.

 

Shortly after that, our old 2001 Chevrolet Venture was on its last leg. So, we traded the poor girl in for a 2013 Ford Flex. Jim has wanted one since they first came out. It’s a lot of fun to drive, and it actually accommodates our family, though there isn’t even one extra seat anymore, like we had in the van. I had mixed feelings about leaving the van because it had been with us since 2001 when it had less than 3,000 miles on it. It’s funny about change, even when it’s a good change. It’s still hard.

 

In October, I made another trip to Wichita for Dad’s bank opening. It was a lot of fun, though it was so hot that day. One of the blessings was that I was able to spend the whole afternoon with my sister and brother. We hadn’t done that for probably 20 years, just the three of us. I had a great time.

We had planned on going to Wichita for Christmas this year, but it seems that everything is against us. Noah asked off for the weekend, but he didn’t ask for approval, so he’s scheduled to work. Isaac got sick and ended up coming home from school early on Wednesday. I haven’t been feeling well… and the big reason is the dangerous ice storm in Oklahoma. We had a one a couple of weeks ago, and it was a mess! (That looks like snow, but it is ice and sleet.)

We have two surgeries in our future with Jonah getting his wisdom teeth out and Isaac getting his tonsils out (finally!) sometime next year. And tax season is right around the corner, so if you don’t have your information together, do it! (That’s a piece of free advice from one who works in the industry.)

As for our Christmas, it’s going to be low-key this year. We had an unexpected expense of almost $1,000 on the car this week, so looks like this next week will be like any other week for the Hammers. I never found a Christmas tree, either, so if you walk into our house, you can’t even tell it’s Christmas. There are no decorations or fanfare, but we all know the real reason for Christmas. Not having Christmas gifts is NOT a tragedy... there are people out there who are homeless, don't know where their next meal is coming from, and kids who don't have parents. We have food, a nice place to live, and each other. What more could we really ask for?

Noah, though, went all out on Christmas presents for his brothers. They will be excited because he listened to them throughout the year and chose gifts based on what they said they would like. I can’t wait for them to see! What a sweet and giving son/brother he is.

Whatever circumstances you find yourselves in this Christmas season, we hope that you will remember your blessings and accomplishments. Don’t let your failures and disappointments discourage you from being who you were created to be. We only have today!

2014 is on our doorstep, and we pray that you will be blessed beyond measure.