Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Here is our Christmas letter, which I wrote after I sent out 1/4 of the cards without it. {Sorry if you were among that first quarter and received a letterless card!}
***
It’s December again, and this
year Duncan’s riding his skateboard barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt, and we’re
hoping the daffodils don’t come too much further out. I think we’ll see the
Smokies capped in snow yet, though.
2015 was another year of
changes for the Smalls. Laurel graduated from high school, went to college, and
turned 18. Putting all those major events into one small sentence seems
inadequate. In a family that homeschools, graduating a child is especially
exhilarating—and life-changing. Graduation brought all kinds of festivities for
Laurel, including a trip to New York City with her boyfriend and a trip to
Hilton Head with her girlfriends. {I got to go on both the trips, too.} After a
summer of relaxation and preparation, Laurel headed to Lipscomb University in
Nashville and then turned 18 a couple weeks later. She loves it there—loves the
college, loves her suitemates, loves Nashville. We miss her, but we revel in
her happiness.
Jesse, 22, lives across town
and is still working for US Air while figuring out what to do with the rest of
his life. He’s been volunteering as an ESL teacher to adult students for
several months, and right now he’s weighing teaching overseas vs. going to
graduate school. We’re all staying tuned. In the meantime, we can expect a
weekly text from him asking, “Dinner tonight?”
That leaves Duncan, who is
enjoying having his parents, all snack food, and the entire house to himself.
Duncan is full of adventure, Doritos, and, as always, candy. This summer he and
Randy and over a dozen others from their Scout troop went to Philmont Scout
Ranch in New Mexico, where they backpacked over 80 miles and had 10 days of
amazing adventures. Duncan will turn 15 on Christmas Day, and he’s hoping to
get his driver’s permit as soon as possible. We think studying the book might
be helpful, but he’s pretty sure he can just go in and take it.
Speaking of driving, Dad, at
90, still is. He’s also still experimenting with apple trees, maintaining a prolific
garden, and making daily trips to the supermarket. Oh, and he and Mom flew to Ithaca
(NY) in June to meet their 11th grandchild, Maxwell,
born to Stephen, Jen, and Kollman. Dad and I also had an amazing opportunity in
October to fly to Washington, DC as part of HonorAir Knoxville, which takes
veterans of WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars to see the memorials built in
their honor. Spending the day in DC with my Dad and 125 veterans was a truly
humbling, exhilarating, and unforgettable experience.
Other experiences have not
been quite so exhilarating this year. Randy’s mother’s husband, Ben, had a
stroke in June. The next many months brought a steady procession of hospitals,
nursing homes, and copious paperwork that kept Randy and his mom, Pat, mired in
stress. Ben’s health continued to decline, and he passed away in November. They
are still working signing forms and sorting paperwork, but Pat is doing well
and breathing a little more freely now, as are we. Christmas break comes perhaps
more needed than ever this year.
On a brighter side, Randy
made full professor this year, so he’s now Dr.
Dr. Dr. Small. He also became Scoutmaster of Duncan’s Boy Scout troop in the
fall, so he’s swept up in either filling young minds with biology or with adventures.
Either way, he’s pretty great. And while he’s doing all that, I’m teaching four
high school classes at our homeschooling co-op program, helping Duncan navigate
his high school classes, and sending care packages to Laurel. Also, I really
like yoga.
With Laurel and Jesse gone, we
have way more rooms in our house than people now. We like visitors. Merry
Christmas and a happy 2016. Thank you for being part of our lives.
***
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2015!
