Christmas 2010

Bill, Mardy, Jon, Sally & Jack, James & Amy, Kate, Daniel

Stephen & Caroline, Patrick and Joel

Once upon a time long, long ago there was a mommy who wrote a Christmas newsletter each year.  She took time to make it funny, add stencils, include family photos and saw to it that every man, woman and child within reach of glitter and glue personally autographed each one (while music played and angels sang in the background).  Oh, for those days when all she was doing was homeschooling seven children.  But more on me later.   

This year I find myself wondering, as I have for the last few years that I haven’t written a newsletter, what on earth I could possibly write about our family that you and Mark Zuckerberg don’t already know.  In up-to-the-minute status line and photographic detail.  Alas, I don’t think I’ll be able to blame FaceBook for not getting a Christmas out letter again.  So here goes – and late as usual.

The absolute highlight of our year was James’ wedding to one of Kate’s good friends, Amy McConn.  I was floating on clouds of mommy-happiness gaining a lovely new daughter as well as having all our kids – and of course one perfect grandson – home at the same time.  James and Amy have settled in Gainesville where James runs his plumbing business and Amy teaches music.  I think I waited all of 5 minutes after the honeymoon to give Amy James’ company books.  I’m not sure if I was happier to have gained a daughter – or a bookkeeper. They are staying busy living happily ever after.

Another joy this year was Stephen’s engagement to a former classmate from CIU, Caroline Charles.  I must say this new trend of collecting daughters is fun!  Stephen is pursuing a BA in English while charming customers into more dessert at Olive Garden, while Caroline is working toward a BA in Education and enjoying her life as a nanny. The wedding is set for Wisconsin in July, and they’ll settle in Jacksonville for a couple of years while finishing up their degrees.

Jon, Sally and Jack are happy and healthy.  Jon stays incredibly busy with work, and Sally with all things Jack and Jon. I actually got to meet up w/them and Kate on a whale-watch in California in March.  Honestly, I found the tour guide annoying, repeatedly interrupting my stares at the long eyelashes and soft cheeks of a certain grandson for another look at a silly ol’ whale.  Whales-schmales; there’s only one Jack.  Sally keeps grandparents well-updated on FaceBook on all his adventures, which makes tuning into the Jack-Channel for the next photographic or video episode a highlight of our week.

When Kate realized she could finish her studies online, she ran with the idea (literally) and applied for E.R. travel nursing.  She’s worked E.R.s this year in California (her favorite I think), Tucson (definitely not her favorite – think desert, cowboys and not California), and Maui.  Can you guess which location she was in when the realization came to me that Bill and I needed a Kate-fix?  Yes, Maui is now her parent’s favorite.  She graduated w/a BS in Biology, and we’re not sure where her next adventure will be, but you can bet your cowboy boots it won’t be Tucson. 

Daniel stays very busy at school and work, and graduates in the spring w/a BA in Psychology.  He just informed us that he’s thinking about shooting resumes off to the Virginia or DC area.  He was there for a semester a few years ago and decided he liked it.  Sigh.  This mama-bird can handle her birdies flapping their way out of the nest, but must so many fly so far?  J  I guess Bill and I will just have to stay well-traveled to keep up w/everyone.

Patrick stays crazy-busy like everyone else around here, going to school full time and working at Kohl’s.  He is now in the throes of college applications for next fall, UF or FSU being at the top of his list.  Neither would be far I’m happy to say, unless, of course, Bill gets his wish and we move closer to the east coast. 

And last, but not least, Joel now boasts the title of being our only homeschooled student.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find I have anything left to think with after nearly 25 years at it.  He’s also the only Freeman who doesn’t have a FaceBook page. (He just read this and said, “Hmmm, the only person…”).  Maybe next year, Joel.  He put in a very fun summer as a camp counselor this year, and splits the rest of his time between studies, speech club, volunteering, and driving me absolutely mad (both definitions of the word) as my very last (YAY!!) driver training student.

Keeping up w/Bill has been quite the challenge for me these past two years since I became his full-time bookkeeper, office administrator, order clerk and Gal-Friday.  I am truly and completely out of my comfort zone/skills level.  I never dreamed I’d be staring at QuickBooks tutorials on payroll and tax filings until 2 in the morning at this stage of life, but that seems to be my new pastime.  I constantly feel stretched and challenged, while Bill, on the other hand, is thoroughly enjoying the challenges of business ownership.  He would very much like for us to move closer to water (as he is dreaming about owning a sailboat one day), so our house is on the market and we wait to see the Lord’s timing for us. 

We miss so many of you that we no longer get a chance to see now that life has sped up from crazy-busy to wild-and-crazy-busy.  But, our door is open and we will always cherish a visit from friends and family.  Well, our door isn’t open today – it’s 21 degrees, a record low for today.  But, we’d still love a visit!

 We hope your Christmas was blessed, and that the new year finds you ever more tender-hearted toward the Lord and even more convinced of Christ Jesus’ return.

In His love, Bill & Mardy