• Home
  • About
    • Our Family
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Beliefs
    • Our Family Christmas Letters
    • Other FAQ’s
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Flanders Family Homelife

Living, Loving, & Learning Together

  • Home
  • Love
    • Respect your Husband
    • Love your Wife
    • Keep the Peace
    • Get Along with In-laws
    • Find Time for Intimacy
    • More on Marriage
  • Learn
    • Why Home School?
    • Occupying Toddlers
    • Kindergarten Plan
    • Choosing Curriculum
    • Report Cards
    • High School Transcripts
    • CLEP/ Dual Credit
    • High School Diplomas
  • Parent
    • Tips on Potty Training
    • Wipe Out Whining
    • Stop Sibling Squabbles
    • Chore Assignments
    • Computer TIme
    • Adult Children at Home
  • Eat
    • Appetizers
    • Breads
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Breakfast Dishes
    • Main DIshes
    • Desserts
  • Celebrate
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Summer Vacation
    • Independence Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Save
    • Kids Eat Free
    • Budgeting Tips
    • Secrets to Garage Saling Success
    • Earn Cash Back w/Ebates
  • Read
    • Recent Reads
    • Books We’ve Authored
    • Reading Rewards
    • Free Books!!
  • Travel
    • Vacation Planning
    • We Flew FREE to Europe
    • Sample Itineraries
  • Organize
    • General Tips
    • Goal Setting
    • Mom’s Notebook
    • Kitchen
    • Bedrooms
    • Toys
    • Garage
  • Print
    • Calendars
    • Chore Charts
    • Coloring Pages
    • Math Drills
    • Prayer Guides
    • View All >
You are here: Home / About Us / Our Family Christmas Letters / Christmas 1993

Christmas 1993

The 1993 Flanders Family Update

What a busy, busy year this has been for our family! Doug got free tickets to see the Dallas Cowboys play in January. He and our brother-in-law Jeff cheered them on at Texas Stadium just three weeks before their super-bowl victory. It was a bit chilly, so the guys had to bundle up well to stay warm. Doug was grateful for an excuse to wear a cap, since Jennifer had slipped cutting his hair a couple days before and left him with a terrible bald spot above his left ear (it took six months for his head to fully recover!).

The following month, we learned Jennifer was expecting. Jonathan began thanking God for “little Hannah or Samuel” a couple of weeks before Mommy even started to suspect, but a test February 5 proved him right. David celebrated his first birthday February 20. He learned to wave bye-bye this month and took his first step. Within a few weeks, he was walking everywhere!


Bethany had tubes put in her ears in early March. The surgery restored her hearing to a normal range and brought a welcome end to the chronic ear infections she’s suffered the past couple of years. She was a real trooper for this procedure — even offered to let the doctor operate again if she could eat another donut afterwards…. Jennifer had a sonogram mid-month when, at 11 weeks, the baby’s heartbeat could not be located. The ultrasound, which was completely normal, indicated this baby is another boy. When Bethany heard the news, she protested, “I love my brothers, Mommy, but I’m just a little bit mad at you that I don’t have any sisters!”



Jonathan decided it was time he found a job this month, so he posted a sign in our front window offering to sell advice for two cents. Unfortunately, this little business venture was not extremely profitable — he did much better during the summer months peddling original artwork and grape Kool-Aid. We spent the last weekend in March at Pine Cove for our Couples Class retreat. Jennifer and the kids rode down Friday with another family from the Chapel, and Doug met us there Saturday afternoon once he got off call. The weather was beautiful, and we all had a great time.

We bought tickets to fly to Corpus Christi for a visit with Doug’s grandparents the first weekend of April, but Jonathan and David both took ill the night before we were to leave, so Jennifer stayed home with the sick boys while Doug and Bethany went on alone. (Throughout the entire trip, Bethany kept repeating, “I love you, Daddy. I like getting to go places with you, Daddy. You’re very nice, Daddy.”) David weaned this month, added a couple of words to his vocabulary (for a grand total of five), and learned to follow simple instructions. Jonathan learned to ride a bike without training wheels, which has been a great source of exercise for him. He was soon riding so much that his insulin requirements were reduced by almost 40%. As has become our annual tradition, we attended the Mesquite Rodeo when it opened in April. Jonathan was determined to win the calf scramble this year, so he got a pair of new running shoes and practiced for weeks in advance. When the time came, though, he forfeited the race in order to help a younger child who’d fallen on the field. Winning isn’t everything — he passed the more important test.

By May, our new baby had grown big enough that Jennifer could feel his constant kicking. With this reminder that we’d soon exceed even further our apartments’ limit of two-children-per-room, we began browsing for a bigger place to live. We spotted a house May 5 that suited us perfectly and signed a contract on it two days later. One of Doug’s classmates from Southwestern got married in Tulsa on May 22, so we decided to drive up for the wedding and visit Jennifer’s grandmother and a couple of her aunts on the trip there and back.We had almost made it to Oklahoma City when our Voyager broke down. A clog in the oil pump burned up the engine (note to self: never keep driving when the engine light’s on), and it had to be completely replaced. We ended up leaving the van in Norman for repairs and renting a car to get back to Dallas. We could have flown to Europe for what that trip to Oklahoma cost us once we’d paid for the tow truck, taxi, car rental, gas, engine repair, and one-way airfare (so Doug could drive the van back home once it had been fixed) — and we missed the wedding, to boot! Jennifer’s high school graduating class held its 10-year reunion in June. We attended, had a wonderful time, and even won an award for having the most children (the baby in utero served as a tie-breaker). Jennifer’s parents celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary on June 25, the same day we closed on our new house. We had already gotten Molly, our little Lhasa Apso puppy, in anticipation of having a yard in which to keep her, so it’s a good thing the contract went through. We spent the last week of June getting things ready for our move: we painted the master bedroom teal green, Bethany’s room pink, and the den white; had the vents cleaned, the carpet steamed, the new appliances delivered, and the house exterminated inside and out. It was hard work, but we were happy to do it.

Having finished his internship year at St. Paul, Doug began Parkland anesthesia July 1. Two days later, we packed up our belongings and began moving into our first house. It has three bedrooms, two baths, one living and dining area, a galley kitchen, a separate utility room, and a double car garage. By the time we moved over the last of our stuff in mid-July, that garage was so cram-packed with boxes that we wondered how it all ever fit in that little two-bedroom apartment which had been our happy home for the past five and a half years. We were eager to sort through the mess and put it in order, but other responsibilities slowed our progress. In the midst of every-third-night call, Doug had to take the eight-hour anesthesia boards this month. (He scored 91st percentile! Don’t you know we’re proud of him?). Jennifer and the kids took a break from school work, but continued their summer reading. When the library held its awards ceremony July 30 for the “Read-to-Me” Club, Bethany came in first place having read 420 books in eight weeks, Jonathan took second with 396, and David got fourth with 236 (he was still taking two naps a day and couldn’t stay awake through as many books as his older siblings).

August was our month for mishaps. We bought a set of bunk beds for the boys’ room, but within 30 minutes of our getting them home and assembled, David fell from the top and broke is left arm! He wore a splint for ten days, then a fluorescent orange cast (his color choice) for three weeks. The accident brought an abrupt end to his finger-sucking habit — the cast prevented his getting the fingers of his preferred hand into his mouth (and, you know, the fingers on the right side just aren’t the same). A few weeks earlier, he chipped his front tooth while climbing off his dad’s weight bench, so we made an appointment for him to see the dentist at the same time his brother and sister had their check-ups. David’s tooth was fine, but the incisors Jonathan damaged three years ago had become abscessed again, despite a root canal and multiple caps. (It’s a small miracle such a diagnosis was even possible, considering the fact it takes six adults to pin Jonathan down for an x-ray. Those bite-wings and lead aprons elicit quite a gag reflex in this boy). He had to have the teeth pulled, but was fitted with a partial plate once his gums had healed. Jennifer developed a painful kidney infection this month, and David endured two and a half weeks of chronic diarrhea.

We were kept so busy hopping from doctor to doctor, there seemed to be little time for anything else. We did manage to plant two pecan trees in our back yard and to hold a garage sale. Jennifer and the kids went to Fort Worth to ride the Tarantula Train with two girls form the Chapel and their children (one of many delightful field trips we enjoyed with these friends through the summer), and our entire family (including Nana and Papa, Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Jeff) attended Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus while it was in town. Doug’s parents (recently retired and living in Bandera again) came up for a four-day visit mid-month. They kept Jennifer company on our sixth wedding anniversary while Doug was on call at Parkland.

Jonathan (five) and Bethany (four this month) began kindergarten at home in September. We are concentrating primarily on the “Three R’s” this year, although we do read a variety of science and history books from the library (Jonathan considers himself too mature for children’s picture books anymore and insists on making all his selections from the junior non-fiction section). The children have developed a real love for Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, so we’ve been reading several of those, too. We finished the fifth in her Little House series this month.

September was also a great month for finishing home projects, as we raced the clock to get as much as possible done before the baby was born. We painted the kitchen walls, tile, and counters white to match the cabinets Jennifer had painted back in July. In the front flowerbeds, we planted new boxwood shrubs and set out two dozen red begonias. Jennifer’s Aunt Irene brought her machine and spent three days sewing things for Bethany’s room. She made the bed skirt and ruffled pillows in pink gingham while Jennifer stitched the curtains and comforter from a Waverly print of large pink and yellow roses on a wide, dusty blue stripe. Doug built two sets of free-standing bookshelves and a fabulous workbench for the garage. Then, after emptying the last of the moving boxes (hallelujah!) and tearing down the existing piecemeal shelves, hooks, and miscellaneous boards, we sheet rocked the exposed studs, then painted the garage walls and ceiling white and the floor Victorian blue. With those projects completed, we took a break, as did our air-conditioner. The temperature was 90 degrees indoors and we didn’t feel like working up much more of a sweat until the AC was repaired (blessings upon Jennifer’s father, who coaxed enough life back into our old unit to keep it running a few more weeks until we could have it replaced)!. The only big job left to do was wallpapering the hall bathroom (mint green stripes with a lavender and pink floral border). After Jennifer prepared the walls, her dad came over to show her how to hang the paper. Of course, the bath is so small, he finished the job before he finished the demonstration. Still, she learned a lot by observing his meticulous attention to detail and was able to paste up a border the next morning without incident, thereby completing our list of projects and the month of September. Thanks be to God for the time and strength He gave us to get it all done!


Doug had requested to take his vacation the first week of October, knowing that the baby was due at that time, but Parkland scheduled him for every-other-night-call that week, instead (!). He was on duty when Jennifer’s contractions began, got off just in time to drive her to St. Paul’s and witness the birth, then worked another 24-hour shift before bringing wife and baby home from the hospital.

God blessed us with another healthy son, Samuel Christian Flanders. He was born at 2:55 Saturday afternoon, October 2, weighed 9 lbs. 3.4 oz, and measured 21 inches long. He is a beautiful baby and so very sweet! He is also very well-loved by his family. Jonathan is becoming an old pro at caring for younger siblings. Even David has been surprisingly gentle with his new brother. He has recently learned to kiss and delights in so expressing his love for Samuel. Whenever he sees Samuel awake, he runs to fetch a pillow, then sits patting it in his lap, waiting for his turn to hold the baby. If Bethany were still disappointed at not getting a sister, she certainly didn’t voice it. Her only complaint now is that she’s not the mommy (“that way I could hold Samuel whenever I want!”).

We really had to shift gears after Samuel’s birth, but by November things were beginning to settle back into somewhat of a routine. The baby was a little fussy in the evenings, so we held and cuddled him, and used that time to read some of the books we’d neglected in the months following our move. We finished Larry Burketts’s The Coming Economic Earthquake within a few days of each other. In addition to stimulating some interesting discussions, the book prompted Doug to accept a moonlighting job in For Worth practicing general medicine at a primary care clinic (in his “spare” time). He also took a second moonlighting job working six-hour shifts at a Dallas radiology clinic. READERS’ DIGEST sent us a $400 check this month for an item Jennifer submitted to “Life in These United States” almost two years ago. The story is printed on page 82 of the December issue. Doug and Jeff ran in “The Human Race” at the Dallas Zoo November 13th (Doug’s first 10K — part of the marathon training he began this fall). Doug got his wish for a “real dog” mid-November when we rescued a friendly black Lab named Midnight, which our neighbors were taking to the pound (a fate we postponed for a few weeks, at least — just long enough for the dog to demolish a couple of pillows and potted plants and to dig up the flowerbeds). He was bad about jumping our fence, but the neighborhood children always brought him back. Those kids weren’t the only ones watching out for our dogs — a neighbor lady we’d not yet met showed up barefoot in the freezing rain one night to warn us thatMolly might get sick if we left her out in the cold.She came back the following day and dressed Molly in a sweater, then the next day she brought Molly a windbreaker, a blanket, and a brand-new, fully carpeted dog house!

Doug had Thanksgiving Day off, so we flew to Corpus Christi to spend it with his family. It snowed in Dallas while we were gone; our plane was one of the last allowed to land before DFW shut down. December promises to be a full and joyous month for our family, if we can manage to survive Doug’s augmented work schedule. Christmas is such a glorious time. We pray God’s richest blessings and most abundant joy for each of you as we celebrate again the birth of His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace be to all of you and a prosperous New Year!

With love from the Flanders –
Doug, Jennifer, Jonathan, Bethany, David, and Samuel

<< last year                             next year >>

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

meet the parents

Doug & Jennifer Flanders - www.flandersfamily.info

We love Jesus, love each other, love our 12 children, and love the life God's given us. We started this blog as a way to share resources with others who want strong marriages, happy families, & healthy homes.

Read more

looking for something?

freebies in your inbox

Subscribe for immediate access to our library of 350+ free printable resources.

connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

most popular posts this week

  • Christmas Word Scramble (Free Printable)
  • How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols?
  • Who Gets What? Christmas Matching Game
  • Christmas Ice Breaker BINGO (Free Printable)
  • Who Wore It Best? Party Game
  • Name that Line Christmas Quiz
  • Christmas Timeline Challenge (Free Printable)
  • Party Preparedness Pop Quiz (Free Printable)
  • Merry Christmas Word Find Puzzle
  • 12 Days of Christmas Sing-a-Long Labels

Readers' Favorites

Age Appropriate Chores for Children | a free printable chart from flandersfamily.info

Age-Appropriate Chores for Children

Shares: 92373

Make Every Month More Memorable

Shares: 47126

start your day right

make over your mornings

If your mornings don't run as smoothly as you'd like, this course can help. Good for night owls & early birds alike!

join the conversation

  • Jennifer Flanders on Elf Trivia Christmas Quiz (Free Printable)
  • Jennifer Flanders on Mailbag: What Do You Tell Your Kids about Santa?
  • Cory on Elf Trivia Christmas Quiz (Free Printable)
  • Amy on Mailbag: What Do You Tell Your Kids about Santa?
  • Jennifer Flanders on Mailbag: What Do You Tell Your Kids about Santa?
  • Amy on Mailbag: What Do You Tell Your Kids about Santa?
  • Jennifer Flanders on Christmas by the Numbers Quiz
  • Valerie on Christmas by the Numbers Quiz

earn free books and bibles

Tyndale Rewards Club

This is a great program, and it's FREE! Bonus: when you sign up through this link, you get 25 points (& I get 10 -- so, thanks!).

Christian Family Blogs
  • Home
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Food
  • Fun
  • Freebies

visit jennifer’s blog

Jennifer Flanders' Blog: Loving Life At Home Loving Life at Home

visit doug’s blog

Doug Flanders' Blog: All Truth Is God's Truth All Truth is God's Truth

privacy policy | disclosure statement

shop our books

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband 25 Ways to Show Love to Your Wife
Sit Down & Eat Get Up & Go

thanks for dropping by

Thank you for visiting our website Let's Get Social
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

looking for something?

recommended resources

as seen on:

America Tonight ABC Australia BBC Tyler Morning Telegraph

Instagram post 2191587894455845906_212311080 Newest grand baby. Hours old. Precious beyond words. #childrenareablessing #themorethemerrier
Instagram post 2185654846572903875_212311080 A couple of these guys were ready to quit choir just two or three weeks in. I insisted they stick with it for one full semester and told them if they still wanted out after that, I wouldn’t sign them back up in the spring. .
By concert week, they were all in agreement. They LOVE choir and want to keep singing. Their change of heart makes me so happy. .
I don’t necessarily believe we need to finish everything we start. Sometimes I get two chapters into a book or 10 minutes into a movie and realize I’d be better off devoting my time to something different. I don’t have a problem with shelving the book in favor of another or walking out of the theater in search of more wholesome entertainment. .
But quitting something just because it is challenging? Because it is hard? Because it doesn’t come easily? That’s another thing entirely. .
If we give up (or let our kids give up) every time the going gets tough, we will miss out on many of life’s greatest blessings. .
And, speaking of blessings, hearing the beautiful voices of these seven young people and all their friends lifted in song at their concert last Friday night was a blessing that warmed my heart to its very roots.
.
#voicesoffaith #voicesofhope #makeajoyfulnoise #hallelujah
Instagram post 2153983756247330319_212311080 Yesterday was a beautiful day to set up camp and enjoy our first s’mores of the season! 
#familycamping #roastingmarshmallows #makingmemories #flandersfamilytravels
Instagram post 2153452271476053779_212311080 New chicks! #balloffluff #cheepcheep #farmboys
Instagram post 2146112561992788310_212311080 Our family set a new record at the East Texas State Fair this year: THREE top competitor awards in three different age groups. Abby and Gabriel (pictured) AND Isaac. #waytogo #teamflanders
Instagram post 2145384025925487322_212311080 I throughly enjoyed reading Lisa Jacobson’s 100 Words of Affirmation Your Husband Needs to Hear. It was a good reminder of the power every wife has been given to encourage and build up her husband with her words when she chooses them wisely and seasons them with grace and gratitude. her husband, Matt Jacobson, has written a companion book for husbands. The pair would make a nice project to work through as a couple. #100wordsofaffirmation
Instagram post 2124304389502846017_212311080 These two just celebrated their 3-month anniversary yesterday and wanted to spend it on a double date with Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, I only found out about their initiation after I woke up from a nap and learned Doug turned them down, because I was asleep and needed my rest. 😢#raincheck #prettyplease #loveyou #newlyweds
Instagram post 2121228992624161917_212311080 This just happened! Now I have another licensed driver to make grocery runs for me. Hooray! #waytogo #proudmama
Instagram post 2120779130585694984_212311080 Grayson is such a goofball, but he comes by it honestly. He is wearing almost the exact expression my husband used to assume every time I tried to take his photo back when we were dating. Do you have relatives with a penchant for photobombing family pictures?  #funnyface #familypics
Instagram post 2120660504259905797_212311080 I fell in love with the characters in this book, especially Ally. A young girl who struggles with dyslexia, Ali feels stupid until a new teacher opens her eyes to her unique strengths. 
As a homeschool mom, I found the teacher’s example inspiring. Isn’t that what we want for all our children? For them to recognize and appreciate the wonderfully diverse gifts God has given each one and to develop those gifts to their fullest potential?  FISH IN A TREE affirms what my parenting experience has demonstrated time and again: Great minds don’t all think alike.  #backtoschool #booksarebrainfood #flandersfamilyreads

Copyright © 2019 · Market theme by Restored 316