{"id":23796,"date":"2021-12-07T20:07:24","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T02:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/?page_id=23796"},"modified":"2022-12-07T12:21:29","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T18:21:29","slug":"christmas-2019","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/about-us\/our-christmas-letters\/christmas-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2019 Flanders Family Christmas Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2019 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters<\/a>. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link<\/a>. In the meantime, enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Flanders Family Update: 2019<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

\"Flanders<\/p>\n

December 2018 Happenings<\/h3>\n

Doug came up with a novel way to ring in the holidays last December. He scheduled side-by-side screening colonoscopies for himself and his wife. As unromantic a date as that proved to be, it did promote a sort of battlefield camaraderie and underscored the truth of the old adage about marriage doubling joys and halving sorrows. Only, in this instance, it halved the dread leading up to the procedure and doubled the relief when it was over! <\/p>\n

\"Doug<\/p>\n

With that health-check behind us, we headed south to The Woodlands. There we attended Bekah Joy\u2019s graduation from the Occupational Therapy program at Texas Women\u2019s University. <\/p>\n

\"Samuel<\/p>\n

A week later, we traveled east for some family fun in the Goober State. We hiked Amicalola Falls, visited the fish hatchery… <\/p>\n

\"Grandpa<\/p>\n

\"Jon<\/p>\n

sampled sodas at Coca-Cola World… <\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n

then drove up to North Carolina to tour the Biltmore Estate (even more glorious at Christmas time).<\/p>\n

\"Abby<\/p>\n

\"Biltmore<\/p>\n

\"Greenhouse<\/p>\n

David and Bonnie flew in from Germany the same day we got home from Georgia. They tasked Mom with keeping their arrival hush-hush from the rest of the family. <\/p>\n

\"David<\/p>\n

She succeeded, but found it nearly impossible to wipe the silly grin off her face once she spied our world travelers tiptoeing up behind their unsuspecting father, who was presently recounting something he\u2019d read about Hitler and seemed miffed by his wife\u2019s lack of gravitas regarding the subject matter. <\/p>\n

Abigail found exactly what she was hoping for under the tree last year: new roller blades. Those, coupled with the broken arm she got less than 24 hours after unwrapping them, made for a Christmas she won\u2019t soon forget! <\/p>\n

\"Abby<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t get to skate a second time until after Valentine\u2019s Day. And then only when clad in proper knee, wrist, and elbow protection, per Dr. Dad\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n

\"Roller<\/p>\n

January 2019 Happenings<\/h3>\n

We started back to our homeschool co-op in January. Jennifer led a women\u2019s group and taught Algebra 2 and Essay Writing. And the kids took everything from Spanish, Biology, and Worldviews to Art, Keyboarding, and Graphic Design. It\u2019s been a joy to have Jon and his boys at Cottage Garden again this year. Jennifer gets lots of sweet hugs as she passes them in the hall on Mondays.<\/p>\n

\"Boys<\/p>\n

\"Isaac<\/p>\n

Rebekah registered for a film class at TJC this semester. The experience convinced her to stick with nursing rather than pursue a career in media arts. Developing those interests as a hobby is one thing. Being forced to meet deadlines and work on projects that don\u2019t personally resonate is another.<\/p>\n

\"Crazy<\/p>\n

\"Abby<\/p>\n

February 2019 Happenings<\/h3>\n

February found Doug sick and unable to work. Good news is, his short-lived illness hit during a week of scheduled vacation time. Bad news is, it forced us to cancel a family trip to San Antonio. Sadly, canceling, postponing, and rerouting travel plans has been a recurrent theme for us in 2019.<\/p>\n

Jennifer went to see her OB\/GYN this month for the first time since Abby was born. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health. But the visit did shed some light on why she\u2019s gone nearly a decade without getting pregnant. Secondary infertility means a couple has trouble conceiving baby #2. To our knowledge, there\u2019s no medical term for the inability to conceive baby #13 (probably because the condition is so rare).<\/p>\n

\"Teaching<\/p>\n

March 2019 Happenings<\/h3>\n

Our family got its first lesson in swing dancing in March before cutting the rug to a live band in a local church gym. Mom and Dad would benefit from a few follow-up lessons — an idea Jennifer promptly put on her empty nest list<\/a>. But the kids were quick studies (and not nearly so prone to becoming winded). Before the evening was out, even Jon\u2019s 5-year-old Easton was twirling his little redheaded dance partner like a pro! <\/p>\n

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A post shared by Jennifer Flanders (@flanders_family)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n