Some of you have already received this Christmas letter. For those who have not, Merry Christmas. For those who have, I give you the gift of the 10 minutes you would have spent reading this. Enjoy a cup of coffee.
If I were a DJ, this is how I would spin the year . . . .
January: “Dooley” by the Dillards (Back Porch Bluegrass). It’s not the words of this song that are meaningful, as it would take someone with much greater depth than I to draw lessons from “Dooley, sittin’ by the holler; Dooley, tryin’ to make a dollar.” Rather, we played the song to remember the fun of Grandma and Grandpa Waggener’s visit, which included watching the Dillards on The Andy Griffith Show. We also celebrated Luc’s 12th birthday this month with a treasure hunt party.
February: “Unafraid” by Amy Grant (Somewhere Down the Road). This is what we tried to be, with varying degrees of success, as we slid down the slopes of the Jura Mountains in nearby France. What the kids like about skiing: Challenge, danger, adrenaline rush. What the parents like about skiing: The peaceful ride up the mountain on the télésiège, the beautiful view from the top of the run, the relief at having reached the bottom of the hill unbroken.
March: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by Cecil Francis Alexander. We saw the first crocuses and flowering plums of spring in our neighborhood. We also had a fancy-dress mystery dinner party to celebrate the 14th birthday of our own bright and beautiful Johanna.
April: “Wonderful” from the musical Wicked. The title describes not only the show, which we saw in London’s West End during Easter break, but also our whole experience in that city. We saw some friends from Cincinnati, walked through the city’s beautiful gardens, and rode the London Eye. We also enjoyed the opportunity to speak English, and eat Krispy Kreme donuts and Chipotle. Our favorite thing, though, was probably the Sherlock Holmes Museum. It’s not that it’s so impressive; it’s just that we’re such fans!
May: I chose “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” by (take your pick) Big Joe Turner, Bill Haley, or Elvis Presley for the soundtrack to our trip through Northern Italy, which included miles of rolling along the confusing Italian motorways and the rattling and shaking of an earthquake in Padua. Eric (clearly more heavenly minded) chose “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (a traditional American spiritual) to remind us who made and upholds all creation: whether it is the earthquake and the sinking of cities or the beauty of the Mediterranean at Venice, the lake at Como, and the mountain as we waited (interminably) to pass through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy
June: “Try to Remember,” from The Fantastiks. Try as we might, we can’t think of a single interesting thing about this month. No vacations. No milestones. No disasters. Even our family member who had a birthday (Eric) turned a ho-hum 41.
July: “Ohio” by Over the Rhine (Ohio). We spent most of July back in the U.S. (Michigan and Indiana, too, but those states don’t have as cool songs). It was great to b If I were a DJ, this is how I would spin the year . . . .
January: “Dooley” by the Dillards (Back Porch Bluegrass). It’s not the words of this song that are meaningful, as it would take someone with much greater depth than I to draw lessons from “Dooley, sittin’ by the holler; Dooley, tryin’ to make a dollar.” Rather, we played the song to remember the fun of Grandma and Grandpa Waggener’s visit, which included watching the Dillards on The Andy Griffith Show. We also celebrated Luc’s 12th birthday this month with a treasure hunt party.
February: “Unafraid” by Amy Grant (Somewhere Down the Road). This is what we tried to be, with varying degrees of success, as we slid down the slopes of the Jura Mountains in nearby France. What the kids like about skiing: Challenge, danger, adrenaline rush. What the parents like about skiing: The peaceful ride up the mountain on the télésiège, the beautiful view from the top of the run, the relief at having reached the bottom of the hill unbroken.
March: “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by Cecil Francis Alexander. We saw the first crocuses and flowering plums of spring in our neighborhood. We also had a fancy-dress mystery dinner party to celebrate the 14th birthday of our own bright and beautiful Johanna.
April: “Wonderful” from the musical Wicked. The title describes not only the show, which we saw in London’s West End during Easter break, but also our whole experience in that city. We saw some friends from Cincinnati, walked through the city’s beautiful gardens, and rode the London Eye. We also enjoyed the opportunity to speak English, and eat Krispy Kreme donuts and Chipotle. Our favorite thing, though, was probably the Sherlock Holmes Museum. It’s not that it’s so impressive; it’s just that we’re such fans!
May: I chose “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” by (take your pick) Big Joe Turner, Bill Haley, or Elvis Presley for the soundtrack to our trip through Northern Italy, which included miles of rolling along the confusing Italian motorways and the rattling and shaking of an earthquake in Padua. Eric (clearly more heavenly minded) chose “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (a traditional American spiritual) to remind us who made and upholds all creation: whether it is the earthquake and the sinking of cities or the beauty of the Mediterranean at Venice, the lake at Como, and the mountain as we waited (interminably) to pass through the Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy
June: “Try to Remember,” from The Fantastiks. Try as we might, we can’t think of a single interesting thing about this month. No vacations. No milestones. No disasters. Even our family member who had a birthday (Eric) turned a ho-hum 41.
July: “Ohio” by Over the Rhine (Ohio). We spent most of July back in the U.S. (Michigan and Indiana, too, but those states don’t have as cool songs). It was great to be back at our home church, to spend time with beloved friends, and to see our dear families. Okay, going to Costco was pretty outstanding as well.
August: “Celebrate” by Mika (Origin of Love). From the decadent fun of spending hours on the couch watching the London Olympics to visits from several friends and relatives, to finally getting to know our Swiss neighbors, to basketball camp, soccer coaching, and cooking classes, August was a month filled with energy and joy.
September: “(What a) Wonderful World” by Art Garfunkel (The Singer). The song that begins “Don’t know much about history, don’t know much biology . . .” aptly sums up our dive into homeschooling in Switzerland. It’s not so much the academics about which we felt so ignorant, but rather the Swiss system, which is, predictably, rule-driven and inflexible, but ultimately, full of quite pleasant and helpful people. Drew remains at IIL, where his knowledge is his own. This month also brought his 16th birthday, celebrated with a “Mom, can I have a few friends over” get-together that turned into a 25-guest fiesta. Good thing his friends are polite and like to help clean up!
October: “Barnatro” by Ejnar Westling, popularized in the 1930s by Swedish folk singer Lapp Lisa. We visited the frozen North (the southernmost section, at least) this month. We loved seeing the country and reconnecting with relatives, including some of Lapp Lisa’s great-grandchildren. The Swedes are friendly, coffee-and-sweets-loving, and almost completely anglophone. Good thing, as our Swedish standbys of “tack” and “hej” will only get you so far.
November: “Run On” by Cantus (That Eternal Day). Yes, we do realize that the song has nothing to do with our early morning jogs or competitive race efforts. Nonetheless, it’s a great song to listen to while running, and this month was full of that. The Trans’Onesienne was the 17th and the Escalade on Dec. 1. It makes it into November, though, because of the Cours du Duc. This run began on Nov. 30, in France, and followed the route that the Duke of Savoy took in 1602 when he came to attack Geneva. He was repelled with a pot of hot soup, and the Genevois have celebrated the event ever since.
December: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas O. Chisholm. The past year brought literal (and figurative) mountaintop experiences, some thorny valleys, and quite a bit of monotonous trudging along familiar paths. We’re thankful to God -- in every situation -- for his unwavering faithfulness.
May he bless your Christmas and New Year with his unending love. e back at our home church, to spend time with beloved friends, and to see our dear families. Okay, going to Costco was pretty outstanding as well.
August: “Celebrate” by Mika (Origin of Love). From the decadent fun of spending hours on the couch watching the London Olympics to visits from several friends and relatives, to finally getting to know our Swiss neighbors, to basketball camp, soccer coaching, and cooking classes, August was a month filled with energy and joy.
September: “(What a) Wonderful World” by Art Garfunkel (The Singer). The song that begins “Don’t know much about history, don’t know much biology . . .” aptly sums up our dive into homeschooling in Switzerland. It’s not so much the academics about which we felt so ignorant, but rather the Swiss system, which is, predictably, rule-driven and inflexible, but ultimately, full of quite pleasant and helpful people. Drew remains at IIL, where his knowledge is his own. This month also brought his 16th birthday, celebrated with a “Mom, can I have a few friends over” get-together that turned into a 25-guest fiesta. Good thing his friends are polite and like to help clean up!
October: “Barnatro” by Ejnar Westling, popularized in the 1930s by Swedish folk singer Lapp Lisa. We visited the frozen North (the southernmost section, at least) this month. We loved seeing the country and reconnecting with relatives, including some of Lapp Lisa’s great-grandchildren. The Swedes are friendly, coffee-and-sweets-loving, and almost completely anglophone. Good thing, as our Swedish standbys of “tack” and “hej” will only get you so far.
November: “Run On” by Cantus (That Eternal Day). Yes, we do realize that the song has nothing to do with our early morning jogs or competitive race efforts. Nonetheless, it’s a great song to listen to while running, and this month was full of that. The Trans’Onesienne was the 17th and the Escalade on Dec. 1. It makes it into November, though, because of the Cours du Duc. This run began on Nov. 30, in France, and followed the route that the Duke of Savoy took in 1602 when he came to attack Geneva. He was repelled with a pot of hot soup, and the Genevois have celebrated the event ever since.
December: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas O. Chisholm. The past year brought literal (and figurative) mountaintop experiences, some thorny valleys, and quite a bit of monotonous trudging along familiar paths. We’re thankful to God -- in every situation -- for his unwavering faithfulness.
May he bless your Christmas and New Year with his unending love.
Merry Christmas one week late!
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