The following is our annual family Christmas letter, conveniently posted on the internet where postage is very reasonable:
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from our family to yours! We’ve had an exciting and rewarding 2008 in the Reese household. I noticed a few semi-amusing entries reading through my journal that I thought I’d share:
January 10, 2008: The girls went to bed really early last night (about 7:30pm as opposed to 10:30pm). Mel said that when they were saying prayers Kylee prayed that their stomachs would get big so they could have babies.
January 14, 2008: In the afternoon we played for a while and read books. Jackson asked if we could go to the park again to play basketball. I said “Jackson, do you remember how cold and windy it is outside today?” He said “It’s not windy.” I said “Yes it is, be quiet and you can hear the wind blowing.” At the exact instant I finished that sentence, Kylee let out what was at least a seven-second fart. Then, to top that off, Danica, who happened to be sitting on my lap, ripped one off too. It was so funny that those two rippers came precisely after I said “Be quiet and you can hear the wind.” Good times, good times.
January 22, 2008: A few days ago Rachel brought over a cake she had made and Jackson asked if it was for Martin Luther King’s birthday. She answered that of course it was, so we sang happy birthday to Martin Luther King. It was funny. After that we came home and everyone helped make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They all had a blast helping to add the ingredients and mix everything. Unfortunately, none of them liked the cookies. I admit that they weren’t as good as I was hoping either. Hence there was a plate full of cookies in the break room today which went quickly. You could almost put a plate of bloody boogers in our break room and people would devour them.
April 11, 2008: I went to Jackson’s school for lunch. I was standing in line talking to Mrs. McCombs and another teacher came up to her and said “Oh, you have a high school student with you today?” Mrs. McCombs smiled and said no. Then the other teacher asked who I was then. She said “He’s this little boy’s dad.” It was pretty funny.
October 16, 2008: Mel went on a walk with Jackson last night. They were getting some warm clothes on and Jackson started to put Mel’s gloves on. Mel said “Jackson, why don’t you put your gloves on?” Jackson said “They’re just so damn hard to put on.” Mel said “What did you say?” He casually said “They’re just so damn hard to put on.” Hmmmm. There was another funny thing that happened a few days ago. The girls were upstairs and Dani scared Kylee really bad to the point that Kylee came down screaming and crying because she was so scared. She was also really mad at Dani for scaring her. She said to Mel “Mom, should I go scare Dani?” Mel said “I don’t care, go ahead.” So Kylee waited by the stairs until she heard Dani coming down, then she jumped out and screamed which scared Dani to death and she started screaming and crying. I wish I could have been there to see that one.
November 26, 2008: Jackson looked at my tongue after the biopsy yesterday and got a horrified look on his face. He didn’t understand why a doctor who is supposed to make someone feel better would do something so mean to someone. He said “I bet you’d like to go give him the red neck. You should tell him you want to trade tongues.”
January 10, 2008: The girls went to bed really early last night (about 7:30pm as opposed to 10:30pm). Mel said that when they were saying prayers Kylee prayed that their stomachs would get big so they could have babies.
January 14, 2008: In the afternoon we played for a while and read books. Jackson asked if we could go to the park again to play basketball. I said “Jackson, do you remember how cold and windy it is outside today?” He said “It’s not windy.” I said “Yes it is, be quiet and you can hear the wind blowing.” At the exact instant I finished that sentence, Kylee let out what was at least a seven-second fart. Then, to top that off, Danica, who happened to be sitting on my lap, ripped one off too. It was so funny that those two rippers came precisely after I said “Be quiet and you can hear the wind.” Good times, good times.
January 22, 2008: A few days ago Rachel brought over a cake she had made and Jackson asked if it was for Martin Luther King’s birthday. She answered that of course it was, so we sang happy birthday to Martin Luther King. It was funny. After that we came home and everyone helped make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They all had a blast helping to add the ingredients and mix everything. Unfortunately, none of them liked the cookies. I admit that they weren’t as good as I was hoping either. Hence there was a plate full of cookies in the break room today which went quickly. You could almost put a plate of bloody boogers in our break room and people would devour them.
April 11, 2008: I went to Jackson’s school for lunch. I was standing in line talking to Mrs. McCombs and another teacher came up to her and said “Oh, you have a high school student with you today?” Mrs. McCombs smiled and said no. Then the other teacher asked who I was then. She said “He’s this little boy’s dad.” It was pretty funny.
October 16, 2008: Mel went on a walk with Jackson last night. They were getting some warm clothes on and Jackson started to put Mel’s gloves on. Mel said “Jackson, why don’t you put your gloves on?” Jackson said “They’re just so damn hard to put on.” Mel said “What did you say?” He casually said “They’re just so damn hard to put on.” Hmmmm. There was another funny thing that happened a few days ago. The girls were upstairs and Dani scared Kylee really bad to the point that Kylee came down screaming and crying because she was so scared. She was also really mad at Dani for scaring her. She said to Mel “Mom, should I go scare Dani?” Mel said “I don’t care, go ahead.” So Kylee waited by the stairs until she heard Dani coming down, then she jumped out and screamed which scared Dani to death and she started screaming and crying. I wish I could have been there to see that one.
November 26, 2008: Jackson looked at my tongue after the biopsy yesterday and got a horrified look on his face. He didn’t understand why a doctor who is supposed to make someone feel better would do something so mean to someone. He said “I bet you’d like to go give him the red neck. You should tell him you want to trade tongues.”
We went on many trips throughout the year. I went to a conference for work in Dallas, and went to the grassy knoll where John F. Kennedy was shot. Our flight home ranked as the scariest thing I have ever experienced and we nearly didn’t make it back alive. I almost needed a clean pair of underwear after we landed.
Mel and I went to Mexico with her mom, sister Renee, and brother-in-law Matt. We stayed at a luxurious timeshare near Cancun. We made stops at many ancient ruins such as Chichen Itza and Tulum. We saw a googillian huge iguanas. We did lots of snorkeling, ate some good Mexican food, and went parasailing. Fortunately for other beachgoers I left my Speedo at home.
A few days after Mexico our whole fam drove to California and spent four days at Disneyland. We ate our weight in churros and cotton candy. I talked Danica into riding Space Mountain with me and she screamed in terror during every second of the ride. This may be a topic of therapy sessions when she is older.
I am still working as a social worker at a few dialysis centers and Mel still works as a nurse at the hospital one night a week. 2008 also brought a few side projects. Mel became a consultant for Scentsy Wickless Candles. It has gone so well for her that she probably thinks about Mulberry, Hawaiian Paradise, and Vanilla Walnut in her sleep.
I opened up my own counseling private practice called Red Rock Family Services. I have done a lot of contract work with Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) and Sky West Airlines which has been a good experience. For the eighth year in a row I released a new piano album called “Believe” which again includes accompaniment from absolutely amazing cello player Steven Sharp Nelson.
In health-related news, Mel got braces to correct some problems she has had with TMJ and headaches. She’s more than a little excited that they should be off in December. Jackson and Danica apparently inherited the trait that both Mel and I have of horrible vision and we got to shell out 600 bones (dollars for those of you born after 1990) for their glasses. OUCH! I wish that money tree in the backyard would sprout.
We know we have been tremendously blessed and are thankful to have such close friends and family. We hope 2009 will be as great year for you and your family. Sincerely, the Reese Family
Mel and I went to Mexico with her mom, sister Renee, and brother-in-law Matt. We stayed at a luxurious timeshare near Cancun. We made stops at many ancient ruins such as Chichen Itza and Tulum. We saw a googillian huge iguanas. We did lots of snorkeling, ate some good Mexican food, and went parasailing. Fortunately for other beachgoers I left my Speedo at home.
A few days after Mexico our whole fam drove to California and spent four days at Disneyland. We ate our weight in churros and cotton candy. I talked Danica into riding Space Mountain with me and she screamed in terror during every second of the ride. This may be a topic of therapy sessions when she is older.
I am still working as a social worker at a few dialysis centers and Mel still works as a nurse at the hospital one night a week. 2008 also brought a few side projects. Mel became a consultant for Scentsy Wickless Candles. It has gone so well for her that she probably thinks about Mulberry, Hawaiian Paradise, and Vanilla Walnut in her sleep.
I opened up my own counseling private practice called Red Rock Family Services. I have done a lot of contract work with Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) and Sky West Airlines which has been a good experience. For the eighth year in a row I released a new piano album called “Believe” which again includes accompaniment from absolutely amazing cello player Steven Sharp Nelson.
In health-related news, Mel got braces to correct some problems she has had with TMJ and headaches. She’s more than a little excited that they should be off in December. Jackson and Danica apparently inherited the trait that both Mel and I have of horrible vision and we got to shell out 600 bones (dollars for those of you born after 1990) for their glasses. OUCH! I wish that money tree in the backyard would sprout.
We know we have been tremendously blessed and are thankful to have such close friends and family. We hope 2009 will be as great year for you and your family. Sincerely, the Reese Family
