Christmas 2006
Green Family Letter
Welcome to the 2006 Green Family Christmas
Letter! You will not see political correctness in this
letter, so there will be no “Happy Holidays,” although we do hope you
will have the joy of the season. It is Christmas time, and that means
the celebration of Christ’s birth, along with the usual crush of
activities, shopping and most important, being with friends and family.
So . . .
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
By the way, have you ever thought about what it
must have been like to raise Jesus as a child? Did his diapers ever
stink? Can you teach a perfect God to stay in the lines while coloring?
Did he take a bath without walking on water? Did he turn his milk into
chocolate milk? I need answers! Actually, I’m sure Jesus must have made
his earthly parents proud.
When someone is in a tight spot, you go to what you
know or do best. Well, I’m no exception. In an effort to defeat a severe
case of writer’s block, I’m going to my best pitch, so to speak – use
past letters for my inspiration. So . . . it’s back to a multiple-choice
quiz. Use a No. 2 pencil with eraser so that you can correct your
answers. There are no prizes for a perfect score, other than the
satisfaction of a job well done.
1.
How many U-Haul trucks does it take to move a family and
business?
a.
One . . . at a time.
b.
Too many.
c.
Three, with many pickups and trailers.
d.
All of the above.
2.
In April, a family gathering was called for what purpose?
a.
To announce that Ginger received her Wonder Dog
certification.
b.
To decide what color to paint Haley’s new room.
c.
To announce that a granddaughter was on the way.
-
Which business was featured
on The Today Show?
a.
Ruralite Services
b.
MyPreciousKid.com
c.
H&M Motorsports
d.
Wells
Fargo
e.
Coffee People
-
FEMA declared a natural
disaster for what reason?
-
 There
was a flood on
Oakcrest Drive
-
There was a windstorm on
Oakcrest Drive
-
They saw the condition of Allison’s room
-
a and b
-
a, b and c
-
July was a busy month
because . . .
-
Russell was at summer camp
-
Jordan and Katie got married
-
Russell went fishing
-
Russell had a business trip
-
a and d
-
a, b, c and d
-
An apology will be issued to
Allison’s (future . . . way in the future) husband for what reason?
-
For setting her expectations so high that only Donald Trump
could meet them.
-
For allowing her to keep her room so messy
-
For her stunning looks
-
The staff at Emmaus Christian
School got to know
which six-year old in record time?
-
Haley
-
Ginger the Almost Wonder Dog
-
Bart Simpson
ANSWERS
1.
D.
Give yourself partial credit if you said a, b or c (you decide what
partial means). The Green family imposed on its family and friends yet
again, making three round trips with an extra large moving van – not to
mention numerous pickups, trailers and cars – for a move from beautiful
downtown Buxton to Hillsboro. Our new digs provided us with a
place closer to friends and church. The house also gave Kay ample
office, production and storage space for her child safety business (www.mypreciouskid.com).
The half-acre lot has nearly 40 trees (some of which found their way on
and into our house in December – this is a clue for a later question).
There is also a year-round creek and lots of opportunities for my yard
work “therapy.” We pray this is the last move for many, many, many,
many, many years. If you don’t have our new address, it is:
2197 SE Oakcrest Drive, Hillsboro,
OR
97123. Our phone number is
503-693-2806.
2.
C. Although Ginger is nearing completion of her
Wonder Dog apprenticeship, and Haley’s new room did require numerous
meetings and many reversals of color schemes, the BIG news was Matt and
Melissa’s announcement of their pregnancy. It took me a while to realize
exactly what Matt did to my daughter to cause this (I may be slow, but
I’m not stupid). I soon forgave him when I realized I got to be a
grandfather – although I’m not sure I’m old enough to qualify.
Madison
arrived on December 13 at 8:33 p.m. (men, you can skip the rest of this,
unless you are reading it to your wife). She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces
and measured 20.5 inches.
Madison’s arrival immediately qualified Matt for
the Dads with Daughters Club, as evidenced by her ability to wrap him
around her little finger.
3.
B.
This is not a trick question. One of the products Kay carries on her Web
site was featured on a segment of a recent airing of the Today Show. Her
business continues to grow, beating 2005 sales by May. When she isn’t
filling orders from her new downstairs office, Kay reinforces her title
as “Queen Mother” as the leader of a church small-group called “Mommy 2
Mommy.” Her ministry to young mothers is amazing, and the royalty status
bestowed upon her by her mommies is well deserved.
The other companies listed represent the sources of
income for our other family members. Matt, with his newly-acquired MBA
in hand, continues to move up the corporate ladder at Wells Fargo Bank,
leading a team of “bad guy catchers” who sniff out fraudulent banking
practices. Jordan is
a service writer/sales rep for car dealership, and was selected by his
boss to attend a recent trade show in
Las Vegas. Katie works at Coffee People in
between her classes at PCC, and plans to return to
Western Oregon
in the spring. Allison moved from her sandwich designer job at Subway to
being a “personal finance assistant” at US Bank.
4.
 D
(and maybe E). Kay cringes any time I leave town, as my departure may
signal the onslaught of a natural disaster. One recent adventure
included a torrential rainstorm in November (I was in
Phoenix
golfing, err, I was attending a board meeting). The plugged street
drains pushed water down our driveway. This wouldn’t normally be a
problem, as our own drain system whisks the water away. Unfortunately
our drain was blocked as well, causing Matt and Kay to find buckets and
start the bailing process to avoid flooding our garage. I am happy to
report my Corvette suffered no ill effects, thanks in large part to Matt
believing that I am leaving him the car in my will (he doesn’t know that
isn’t the case). On
December 14 we had a major windstorm, causing slight damage to the
house, including a limb that impersonated a spear and punctured the roof
(I was home for that one). Allison’s room is in a disastrous state, but
a full course load in school, the aforementioned job at US Bank and
playing keyboards in a band keeps her very busy. She plans to move into
her own apartment with friend Amanda in January.
5.
F. I was privileged to serve as a director at
our church
 high
school camp. It is so much fun to hang out with our young people. I also
took my father on a Deschutes River
fly fishing trip, and went to
Arizona
for a business meeting. More important, we celebrated the marriage of
Jordan and Katie. The wedding went off without a hitch . . . okay,
almost without a hitch. Kay’s mad dash into the church kitchen to
retrieve the communion elements during the ceremony and Pastor Chris’
prayer only served to cement her Queen Mother status. A honeymoon in
San Diego followed the ceremony.
6.
Any of the three answers will work here, but A
is probably the best answer. Allison obtained a new car this year, after
totaling her Audi. There wasn’t much damage, but it wasn’t hard to total
a car of little value – an ongoing jab based on a father’s distain of
the Audi. It was replaced with a 1994 Lexus in pristine condition.
Allison’s new road bling may have set expectations too high for a young
man to attain. One can only hope.
7.
 A.
Ginger is not quite three, and we don’t do Bart Simpson around here, so
Haley has to be the correct answer. It didn’t take long for our little
Miss Congeniality to make her mark on her new school. The staff and
students know her very well. Whenever Kay introduces herself to a staff
member as Haley’s mom, they respond by saying “Oooooh, so you’re Haley’s
mom. We just love Haley.” Or something like that. Haley leaves no person
unmet. In fact, our little bundle of charm and independence recently
decided to introduce herself to her new neighborhood . . . without mom’s
permission. Kay found out she was gone when a neighbor called to tell
her that Haley was at her door, saying “You can come to our house for
tea any time you want to.” Needless to say, Mypreciouskid.com donated a
door alarm to give us an advance warning of Haley’s adventures.
That’s what is new with the Green’s. We hope this
letter finds you and your family well, and that in this Christmas you
find the true joy and happiness of the season. As always, our door is
open to all visitors, and we would love to hear from you.
To view other Christmas Letters go to
2003 /
2004 /
2005 /
2006 /
2007
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