Jolley Christmas Letter 2021

 

November 27, 2021

Friends, Romans, Countrymen:

Lend me your ear. Don’t be concerned. Lest you think this entire letter shall be written in iambic pentameter, be assured that it will be written in the same highbrow Mom-of-four-kids prose I have used in previous years, complete with half-complete thoughts, jumbled sentences, intermittent fits of yelling, and calling my children by the wrong name.

I think the youngest kid is named Beck. Beck is two and the two-iest two-year-old that ever two-ed.  Perhaps my favorite Beck memory this year was when we went on a family tour of an Amish village, and he would only stop screaming if he could lie down on the pavement and pull the double stroller on top of himself. It was a special moment for me to explain to passersby that “No, he’s fine; the feeling of a stroller rolling over his body soothes his disturbed soul.”

Harris is at that great age (4) where he loves to learn about the alphabet and adding and subtracting but just when you think he’s really getting into it, he abandons it for something much more important like running around the room at high speed or digging a hole in the backyard. He loves to go anywhere in the car with Mom or Dad, except for when church clothes are involved. He would stay in the same dirty clothes all the time if he could. One morning, I told him it was time to get dressed for the day, to which he responded, “Why, are we going somewhere?” which is just a little clue as to the tight ship we are running over here.

Gwen (7), like her dad, is what I term a “joiner”. She loves joining in on whatever is going on, trying a little bit of everything. Currently, she sings, draws, dances, and plays the piano. Her preferred kitchen chore is washing the dishes, which is fantastic news for me. If she gets joining from her dad, she gets sass from her mom. She often has a witty comeback and gets the last word in an argument, leaving me speechless. The student surpasses the master.  

One of many great June (9) moments this year took place during the children’s annual program at our church. June was assigned a lengthy part, which I pushed her to memorize and was swiftly met with resistance. Finally, I decided to back off and wouldn’t you know that that girl did a fabulous job? I felt myself realize that I need to just get out of June’s way, and she will do just fine. Of course, on the way home from the aforementioned program, June was playing with her seatbelt and got herself so tangled up in it that I thought we would have to call the jaws of life to get her out. So, you know, maybe get out of her way but be on standby.

Dan loves the Hershey Company and scoffs in disgust when the children so much as look at M&M’s. He loves giving a good lecture on the history of the company and its positive contributions to our town, state, country, and world. Dan has taken on many house projects this year. For some, he used the free labor of his children, and the half-stained deck in the backyard will tell you what free gets you. He still takes loving care of the lawn and knows each blade of grass by name but has welcomed a new love into his life—a meat smoker. In other words, Dan is dad-ing it up big time, all of the time.

And then there’s me (age not listed). We are on our second year of homeschooling, and I’m feeling about one math flashcard short of a full deck some days. However, most days are great, and we have really enjoyed the community we have found at our co-op and children’s choir. When those hard days come, I reward myself by throwing away the little legos I find in my sweeping pile instead of picking them out. What a rush!

This year, we have felt the love of our Savior Jesus Christ by reading and studying the scriptures as a family. I’m encouraged by the words of a living prophet, Russell M. Nelson, who encourages us to attend the temple, share the good news of the Gospel, serve others, and to “let God prevail”. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Jolleys