Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to one and all, and many blessings to you in the New Year!

I am feeling well— not quite my normal self yet, and I still get tired easily, but my bald spots are re-populating and I survived a very nauseating encounter with the flu and I’m definitely on the up and up.  Thanks to everyone for your well wishes, especially over the holidays.  It was so fun for us to receive Christmas cards from so many loved ones over our first married Christmas.

NOVEMBER

Early in November, my mom leaked an image of a t-shirt she designed for our family to wear at the Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day Race in Long Beach, California.  I knew the whole family worshipped our Baby Gwen, so our Thanksgiving running team was to be called Gwennie’s Gobblin’ Gang, but to my amazement, our team shirts had me written all over them…literally.  The text was in our wedding colors, the shirts had a Philly LOVE statue replica spelling out “CURE.”  The shirt itself was gray which, like its pink breast cancer cousin, is the color representing brain cancer awareness.  And then in great big letters it read as follows: Gwennie’s Gobblin’ Gang runs for Brain Cancer Awareness and LINDSEY.

 

Here's Miss Gwennie herself with her sweatshirt saying "Go Aunt Lindsey!"  What a doll she is!

And Gwennie's Gang spanned the entire US-- from Long Beach, CA, to 35 degree weather in VA, and states in between!

Whoa.  There is something about having your name all over people’s chests –not against their will—that feels…powerful/awkward/humbling.  Seeing the gray-clad runners and walkers really made visible the fact that so many people think of me, pray for me, and love me.  It was an unexpected jolt of support, so THANK YOU to Gwennie’s Gang for making me feel so supported!  Once again, I have the greatest family in the whole world.  And my mom even collected donations for The Breathing Room Foundation in Pennsylvania which gave me a grant while I was receiving radiation.  So great!

December I

You probably heard about our disastrous experience at our home…picture this: a single-family house in New England that is near the ocean, not insulated, and has no fireplace and no working heater, IN WINTER.  Really, really bad.  So we had the great pleasure of moving (I HATE MOVING!!!!) to avoid freezing to death.  But we are really happy with our new place and Mom and Dad even helped us put on the finishing touches because…

December II

Mom and Dad came from California to stay with us for Christmas!  We went to New York City because, according to Clarence, “There is nothing like Christmas in New York!”  We saw the big tree at Rockefeller Center, had a smashing meal at 21 Club while a brass band played carols in the restaurant, and marveled at the bustling shoppers down 5^th Avenue—especially inside Tiffany’s and FAO Schwartz.  Because who can resist toys and diamonds in Christmas Eve?

We also popped up to Boston for a day to complete their Eastern tour.  So glad to have some extra Price’s on the Right Coast this year!  Please come back!  And that means you, Evan, when you are back with us in the USA!  We had a little error in calculating the time change, so Evan called me on my iPad during church from Argentina and I basically disturbed every last Sunday Schooler by running around the church trying to get the best internet reception.  Sorry, not sorry.

December III

Since we got married this summer, we have been meaning to go down to Georgia to get me acquainted with more of the Jackson Family.  We wish it had been under happier circumstances, but we made the trip sooner than expected to attend a dear uncle’s funeral.  Our only mistake was driving to Georgia…that is one heck of a long drive…  But the family was so kind to me and I got to meet tons of cousins, aunts, and uncles I never knew I had!  Get this—both of my husband’s parents had FIFTEEN children each born into their families while growing up!  FIFTEEN!!  I could NOT believe this when my sister-in-law told me!  So, yeah, LOTS of cousins!  And we got some real gems from Uncle LeRoy: old family photos that we are restoring and using as we work on putting together Clarence’s complicated and expansive Family History.  Of course we will post them when they are restored!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!