FAMILY LETTER 12.16.18

  Dear Loved Ones,                                                                                              

Okay, it has been a long busy month since I last wrote and I seem to do this every holiday season. There is just too much fun to be had on Sunday nights to be tapping away on my keyboard. But I always miss recording important moments. Like all the sweet thoughts shared around the table on St. Lucia Day at a candlelit Swedish dinner. Or the absolute delight of the second grade Christmas Program. Or the fact that we got most of the people on our hayride to sing carols with us at the Downtown Christmas Stroll last weekend. But I will try to recapture some moments here as we approach the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Since my last letter, Adeline turned 17 on Wednesday 11/21 and her cute friends came over early in the morning (it was the first day of TG break) and decorated and made her breakfast at 7:30am—it was so sweet!!! We hosted Thanksgiving for 26 loved ones on 11/22. Dinner was delicious and each of us had two siblings and their families with us, which we LOVED—cousin time is always awesome. My sister Sara’s kids stayed the weekend again and we took them to Museum of the Rockies and made Sand Art Brownies and watched movies and played games before we met up with Sara and Rob (who live in Great Falls) at my brother Matthew’s house in Helena on Sunday night 11/25. We also stopped by to visit my sister Laura, her husband Darrin, and her granddaughter, Lilith. Short but sweet visits with all of them, and felt so grateful for family love.

On Tuesday morning 11/27, Heidi had dental work in Livingston, and Addie had her wisdom teeth extracted in Bozeman. It was pretty fun cuz Kristina and Izzi came along to Bozeman to have silly conversations with Addie while she was drugged up. Her recovery went well and she only felt yucky for 3 or 4 days. Within a week the holes in her mouth were fairly closed and she had just enough coverage left on her dental insurance policy to get it done with no cash charges for us, for which we are extremely grateful, especially around the holidays!

On Friday, 11/30, Addie had her “friend Party,” which was a dinosaur-themed party with a taco dinner and a chocolate dino cake (she made it herself and it was so cool), and also included a lot of singing—they even went caroling to neighbors, and not just Christmas songs. Crazy kids. I suppose it’s better than blowing up mailboxes or skateboarding illegally like SOME hoodlums I know used to do. It’s worth mentioning that during the party, former President George HW Bush passed away. He was the president when I graduated high school and when I left on my mission, and the first president I voted for (in 1992—though he lost to Bill Clinton). I think he was the last truly honorable person to serve as president, may he RIP.  

Saturday 12/1, I hosted my CTR 7/8 class for a pizza and cookie party. They earned it by bringing their scriptures to class and by overall awesomeness, so we decorated cookies and took them to “lonely old people” (their words). While we were planning it, Beatrice Jones asked, “After we give them the cookies, can we sing at their door? And then go inside and talk about Jesus? Because then we will be just like missionaries, oh, I am so excited!” This smooshed my heart big time; having an older sister on a mission is clearly influencing her, and I love how earnest and eager this class has been. I am truly going to miss them…teaching them has been a gift to me from my Heavenly Father. On 12/9 I was called and sustained to serve in the Primary presidency with Sadie Reyna (President) and Janelle Bowden (2^nd Counselor). I still get to be with my kiddos every week, but in a different way. Presidency will be so much easier with the new block—less administrating and sharing time, more time for shepherding and loving!

Anyway, back to 12/2—that was the night of the First Presidency’s Christmas devotional and it was so lovely! I loved how much everyone talked about music. I think as we become more of a Zion society, there will be more music. For real. We had the Wilton family over for tortilla soup and got to know them better. They are a really fun family! Monday 12/3 we had Grandpa and Grandma Melin over for dinner and Family Night. I made a ham dinner with funeral potatoes because the past few funerals we have gone to did not have that meal and we have been missing it! ;) We all put together missionary boxes with treats and winter survival kits (cold remedies, vitamins, hand warmers, etc) and hand-made cards. It was a fun night. On 12/5, we learned about Krampusnacht (see photo) and the next morning (12/6), Kristina gave us all advent calendars full of delicious German chocolate for St. Nicholas Day. Her parents sent so many delightful treats for the family; we love sharing her traditions. Friday 12/7 we attended the Downtown Christmas Stroll, starting with watching Adeline and the Chamber Choir perform at the Murray Hotel. We then walked over to the Pickle Barrel to watch some of James’ band friends play in brass ensembles and get some hot cocoa and soup. After that, we went on the hayride a couple of times. The time I went with Heidi, we got our whole wagonload to sing carols! The next day (Sat 12/8), my brother Matt and his family came over for some cousin Christmas fun. We had pizza for lunch when they arrived, and then we made gingerbread houses. Rich took Matt and Ashley on a barn wood hunt while I stayed and played games with cousins and started dinner (Swedish meatballs and dill potatoes), then we exchanged white elephant gifts (early, before dinner because Addie had to attend a concert), ate dinner, and watched “Elf” by the fire, eating cookies and cocoa. We stayed up late and had a parental chat after the kids went to bed, and attended a wonderful sacrament meeting together the next day. It was super sweet to be with Jake, Sam, and Emily again—it has been a long time since the kids really got to hang out, and I really think they need each other more now. So we will for sure be doing that more often. After church I attended the community choir concert, then after dinner we had a nativity skit practice with the Jelli cousins and the Jones family and our accompanist, Rachel Buniger. Kelli and Robyn did an awesome job costuming the kids and getting things organized for the performance the following Saturday (12/15). Rich was a great stage manager and I did my best to direct. The kids were adorable and their singing just pierced my heart right through! Robyn also commented to me how sweet the evening was—“Tonight just made my Christmas. It was everything.” Beautiful chaos!

Monday 12/10, the Christmas fun continued as we attended the high school choirs Christmas Concert, wherein all three of our girls performed. The music was beautiful and the photo session afterward was its own fun event. We love our girls, and their friends, and their friends’ parents, so these events are always pretty joyful. The following night, I hosted a little surprise birthday gathering for a sister I minister to, Adair, who turned four-oh (shhh), at Gil’s Goods. We had a nice dinner and visit and 8 other sisters came and showered her with love and gifts. It was terribly cold and windy, gusting over 100mph, and the smoke from the wood-fired oven at Gil’s was blowing back down the chimney and out into the restaurant, which made it feel like we were at a campfire…so cozy and fun! I think Adair felt special and loved, and we all had such a pleasant time, which was the goal. Thursday night 12/13, we hosted a St. Lucia Day dinner at our house for our Melin Family. Addie wore her costume and we made a Swedish meatball dinner with potatoes and red Christmas cabbage (which was delicious, and Kristina says they eat in Germany, too), plus Lucy Buns and gingerbread cookies. We ate by candlelight and the big kids shared thoughts and scriptures about light and why all civilizations throughout time have celebrated the winter solstice with festivals of light and how that has been a type and symbol of THE LIGHT of the world, Jesus Christ. Such beautiful time spent with family.

Friday 12/14 there was no school and the girls helped me make some Primary Christmas ornaments and Addie baked Clara a birthday cake for her 18^th birthday party that night. While we were working on ornaments Friday morning, I received an email from the church explaining that instead of advancing on their birthdays, the youth would start advancing through their classes on January first as a group, according to birth year, and that 11 year-olds would start attending youth meetings January 1^st of the year they turn 12. So bye-bye Valiant 11s…you get to be with the youth and be ordained and attend the temple (!!!)—amazing changes, which of course threw us a curve ball as we planned 2019 in Primary—WOW! That afternoon we all attended Niles’ second grade Christmas program, which was so cute. Then we picked up Niles and took the whole gang over to the Shane Center to watch James perform with the middle school drama club in a middle school adaptation of A Christmas Carol called “Three Ghosts and a Jock” or something like that. Heidi is the mentor for the club, so she helped with the show. I felt really proud of both kids for getting involved and staying involved and bringing some drama to SGMS.

Saturday 12/15 we attended our beloved Livingston Ward Christmas Brunch and performed our little nativity for the crowd. It was short and sweet and the kids were just delightful. We were exhausted, though, so we went home and napped a little and did some chores and little Christmasy things the rest of the day. Today was our first day as a presidency in the Primary. I did a little musical sharing time, combined with singing time. We talked about the 4 gifts from Jesus (as mentioned in the first presidency’s Christmas message) and sang songs to remind us of those gifts. Robyn is such a great chorister—we are lucky to have her! I think Primary singing time is the most important and most lasting teaching that happens in the church. The value of a good chorister cannot be over-emphasized, imho.  So here we are, watching Christmas movies by the fire, doing puzzles, eating treats people keep bringing us, soaking up all the Christmasiness of December. I’m super excited for my kids to finally get out of school because all I want to do is stay in our jammies and eat good food and play fun games and watch good movies and sing beautiful music together for like two straight weeks. We wish you all the love and coziness and LIGHT of the season. Have a great week and keep in touch!

 Love, Jamie and Rich and Family

FLASHBACK to 2002: Addie's First Birthday,
2 months after we moved to Livingston

Addie's surprise birthday breakfast with her wonderful pals;
Jeanette Jones lettered this lovely sign

Breakfast Club 11/21/18
Ammon, Addie, Heidi, Clara, Jeanette, S
ummer, Brianna, Izzi, Niles, & TJay

Sweet kids-- such a fun morning!

Later that night (11/21)...Rich took the kids to Chico for Addie's birthday
and I got the turkey in the roaster and set up the house for Thanksgiving

We had a joyful Thanksgiving gathering & the food was so good!
Clockwise from six o'clock:  my bro Matt Post, SIL Ashley Post, my sis Sara Hamlin,  BIL Rob Hamlin, Riley (Ashley's), Matthew Jelli, TJay Jelli, Heidi, (at the back table)  SIL Kelli Melin,  Rich's bro Jess Melin (Jelli), Summer (Jelli), Simon (Jelli), Adair Peacock (friend); (in the middle) Lexi (Jelli), James, Kaylee Hamlin, Rich's bro Mike Melin, Addie, Raef Hamlin; (right table) Brady, Ammon, Cooper, Niles, Kristina, Richard /Jamie

Pictionary with Kaylee, James, and Riley 11/24

Museum of the Rockies with Hamlins 11/24

Quick visit with my sis Laura & Darrin &
Laura's darling granddaughter, Lilith

Addie's 17th Birthday Dino-Friend Party 11/30

Amazingly delicious taco bar

Fun Friends

Addie, Brie, Katerina

Izzi

Jeanette & Clara

Erin

Adele

Chase, Antonio, and TJay

Gathered around for gifts after "caroling"

Party Animal

Makin' missionary boxes for FHE with the grandparents

Addie making notes for missionary boxes 12/3

It's nice to have the grandparents with us! 12/3

Celebrating some fun German traditions.

Niles and Ammon watching Adeline sing at the Christmas Stroll 12/7

Addie, Izzi, and Jeanette after the hayride 12/7

Mom, Heidi, Ammon and Sophia on the hayride 12/7

Sacrament meeting good bye selfies with Uncle Matt and Aunt Ashley 12/9

Flashback to Christmas 2008- sweet baby cousins!

Much bigger, still sweet 12/9/18

Nativity practice 12/9... Simon and Niles as Shepherds

Addie Mary, Beatrice Angel, TJay Joseph, Elanor Angel, Jeanette Angel, Lexi Angel

James as a hairy Wiseman (with Matthew and Rex) 12/9

Post-choir concert photo shoot 12/10 at PHS
Kristina, Lexi, Heidi, and Summer

Jeanette Jones, Olaia Connelly, Adele Welch, Addie, Izzi Petry,
Clara Jones, Brianna Pittman, and Erin Petersen on 12/10

Summer, Kristina, Addie, and Heidi 12/10

Addie and Heidi

FRESHMEN! Ember, Ilana, Heidi, Nick, (?), and Molly 

The choir dads want their pictures taken too!
Lope Jones, Gunnar Petersen, Rich Melin

12/13/18: Happy St. Lucia Day!

Lucia Buns, fresh from the oven -12/13

Candlelight Swedish dinner with
 the Grandparents (Lucia Day Royalty) & Matthew -12/13

Matthew, James, Rich and Ammon at dinner -12/13

Addie/Lucia at dinner - 12/13

Aunt Kelli and Summer sharing a scripture after dinner 12/13

St. Lucia and her littlest star boy 12/13

St. Lucia reading tomten tales with Kristina

Lucia dinner tomten

Christmas Brunch Nativity Sat. 12/15

L-R: Kristina, Heidi, Niles as shepherds, James, Rex and Matthew as three kings; Addie and TJay
as Mary & Joseph with Beatrice the angel with the star; Elanor, Jeanette, and Lexi as Angels.