{"id":35718,"date":"2022-12-06T15:56:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T21:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/?page_id=35718"},"modified":"2025-12-23T16:11:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T22:11:55","slug":"christmas-2022","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/about-us\/our-christmas-letters\/christmas-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2022 Flanders Family Christmas Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2022 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

\"2022<\/p>\n

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The Flanders Family Update: 2022<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

December 2021 Happenings<\/h3>\n

We updated our zoo membership last December. As a frequent-road-tripping family of 14, we\u2019re longtime fans of the free admission and reciprocal benefits granted to zoo, garden, or museum members and their minor children. But Caldwell Zoo allows us to bring up to 100 free grandchildren each time we visit, as well\u2014a feature we\u2019ve \u201cmilked like a borrowed orangutan,\u201d as Doug is inexplicably fond of saying. Even with #20 grandbaby now on the way, we\u2019re nowhere near full capacity\u2026.<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

Most of our grandkids joined us for our annual trek to San Antonio last Christmas. In addition to making many sweet memories together, Jennifer got a refresher on the importance of staying alert to one\u2019s surroundings when she found herself alone in an elevator with a big burly dude built like a linebacker. He seemed friendly enough as they made small talk, but she grew increasingly nervous when he stepped off the elevator behind her and followed her to the far end of the hallway. There, still chatting away, she fumbled with her key and found it had quit working. \u201cUmmm,\u201d the linebacker hesitated, perplexed, \u201cI think that\u2019s my room.\u201d And so it was. Jennifer had accidentally gotten off on the wrong floor! \u201cWell,\u201d he laughed good-naturedly once she explained her mistake, clearly relieved to learn he wasn\u2019t being stalked by some crazy lady, \u201cthanks for seeing me safely to my door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

\"2021<\/p>\n

January 2022 Happenings<\/h3>\n

In January, Doug entered what Nana dubbed \u201cthe vest phase of his life.\u201d He wore these sleeveless, quilted layers with everything \u2013 jeans, scrubs, khaki shorts \u2013 and bought new ones like they were going out of style. Maybe they were. That would explain why he found so many of his latest acquisitions on the clearance rack….<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

We took our three youngest to Florida this month, stopping in New Orleans on the way to tour the National WWII Museum and listen to live jazz music in the French Quarter (less enjoyable at 2:00 AM when a big brass band began jamming just outside our bedroom window).<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

Other memorable moments included visiting a tabasco factory on Avery Island, taking a tasting tour of Whetstone Chocolates, spending a day at Sea World, learning the art of axe throwing (our guys were naturals)…<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n

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\"2022<\/p>\n

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