Christmas Letter 2019

Merry Christmas all!  Written by my husband.

Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas and welcome to the 2019 edition of the McVal Family Christmas Letter.  The week of Thanksgiving is over and with it the marathon of survival shows on the Discovery channel.  I never made the connection of Discovery survival shows to Thanksgiving before now.  That connection being that I’m thankful I have something other to watch than Hallmark Christmas movies.  Since I have subtly hinted of my open hatred of Hallmark and their practice of starting the Christmas movie palooza in March, people have falsely accused me of being anti-Christmas.  I am not.  I’m simply against the crass consumerism and fake romanticism expressed in both of the plots of the 500 hallmark Christmas movies.  Christmas is about the love God first expressed to us with the gift of our savior Jesus, and us reflecting that love to our family and friends.

With multiple game systems, Ryan and Leon have unlimited options for being entertained and spending their free time.  Ryan is a good dad to Leon and schedules his screen time along with reading, drawing, and other activities.  Leon is seven years old and in second grade.  His two favorite “classes” are lunch and recess.  While he is a good reader and does well in math, actual classwork isn’t at the top of his list.  The top of his list currently is the video game fortnite.  This is a combat game where he can battle with hundreds of his closest friends.  Unfortunately, this game takes lightning quick reflexes.  The one time he tried to teach me ended quickly and left him shaking his head.  Ryan continues to date his longtime girlfriend Jen.  Jen has worked as the lead teacher for a classroom at a local daycare for several years.  In her leisure hours she enjoys art and painting.

Maddy and Matthew are still in Wisconsin.  Maddy is in her third year of teaching kindergarten at a Lutheran school in xxxxxxx.  Matthew is attending graduate school for library science and working at two libraries part time.  They are both involved in church choir and Matthew is playing tennis in a local league.  They still have their twelve-year-old golden retriever Duke.  They spent much of the summer spoiling him and going on regular walks.  Duke soon got their pattern down and knew the way to the local custard shop and back home again.  With fall and winter approaching, Duke has started slowing down and showing more of his age.  Twelve is old for a golden retriever, but we hope to have him around for some time to come.  We have made the trip a few times to visit them, and they have made the trip to visit us about as often.  In November we attended a musical involving Maddy’s kindergarten class.  Adorable doesn’t begin to describe it.

Meri was the busiest person of all this year.  In February, Meri and Val traveled to the Los Angeles area for Meri to audition for America’s Got Talent.  While the producers obviously can’t recognize true talent, Meri and Val had a good time going through the process, seeing the sights, visiting our niece in the area, and driving in LA traffic.  At the last minute, Val was convinced to audition also.   In April, Meri started a new job at the Menards in xxxxx.  One of the first days on the job, her aged Ford Escape stopped running and due to dealing with this issue, stepped in one of Menard’s hidden landscaping pit traps and broke her foot.  She was able to get by with a boot instead of a cast.  Menards was helpful in accommodating her limited abilities and with workers compensation.  In May, we had the Ford Escape put down and Meri bought a Nissan Rogue.  In June, with Meri’s apartment lease ending in July, Meri decided to buy a house.  The main purpose for this was to never have to live with her father again.  The house she bought is in our own town, about 7 blocks from our house.  Close enough that I can see it on the way to Casey’s and wonder why she left so many lights on.  In September, Val and Meri went on a cruise in the Bahamas, along with several of Val’s sisters, brother-in-law, and multiple nieces and nephews.  Meri’s highpoint of the trip was learning to make sushi.  Val’s was winning a disco dance contest with one of her sisters.  Junior high hustle lessons paid off.   In October, Meri left Menards and opened a daycare out of her house.  It is going well with a mix of several full-time and part-time kids.  You would think this would be enough for Meri, but you would be wrong.  She has stayed active in the local community theater.  She has had parts in the musical, “Children of Eden”, the Shakespeare play “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, helped to direct the children’s theater production of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, directed the summer one act plays, and helped with other productions.

My mother Margaret continues to live with us.  She isn’t able to drive anymore and sometimes gets bored of the house.  She still makes it out for Church and the occasional shopping trip.  She has had visits to my sister in Kansas City and my brother in Des Moines.  In March she had complications from the flu and was hospitalized for a few days.  She still dotes on her small dog Teddi.

2019 has brought us sad times and reminded us to trust in God and lean on Him for comfort and strength.  In early March, Val’s mom, completed her long-term battle with cancer and reached her heavenly home.  In May, Val’s dad followed her after complications from heart surgery.  It was sorrowful but also reassuring.  God comforts us in all our affliction.  Val has an amazing family that did an admirable job pulling together and supporting each other through these hard times.

Val continues telecommuting for a company in California.  She is active as a Sunday school teacher and various sewing projects.  I continue to work at XXX, and play the bagpipes.

Have a merry and blessed Christmas.

Love the McVals