Dear Grandkids,
I know most of your communication today is through short texts and emails. You probably do not like to read something as long as this letter, but please do! One day, the gifts you get for Christmas will be gone. This Christmas letter to each of you will last forever.
As you continue your journey on this earth, remember to keep God first, family second, and all other things third. Let that be your guide, and you will have a good life.
You will make mistakes. You will have problems. But, those things help develop your character. Morality to always do what is right, not just what is convenient, is important.
Never get too old to give your parents and grandparents a hug. Tell them you love them. We were always there for all your school activities and other things going on in your lives. If it were not for their sacrifices and guidance we all made for you, none of you would be the fine young people you have turned out to be. Someday, you will have your own family. Always hug them and always tell them you love them. That is important.
I hope, as you all get older, you will continue to discover the many wonders of nature you have through the early years of your life. God created this amazing place for us to enjoy. It is worth much more than wealth and all the problems wealth can cause. It is also a wonderful place to escape and get away from the pressures of the world we live in.
Our wish for each of you is that the great outdoors and all its wonders will always be an inseparable part of who you are. I hope you will always be amazed at all you see, hear, and smell.
May you always be thrilled with the beauty created by magnificent sunrises and sunsets, the tapestry of colors in the fall, fields of wildflowers in spring, beautiful sights from a hiking trail, and camping out under a million stars in a night sky.
Our wish for you is that you are always thrilled by the sounds of geese in the sky heading south for the winter, a turkey gobble on a spring morning, the haunting sound of a loon, the majestic bugle of an elk, bird songs filling the air, the sound of water as you quietly paddle a river or lake.
May the smell of decaying leaves in the woods and campfire smoke around a tent or your backyard, always bring back memories of happy times. I hope that the tug of a fish on the end of your line will always thrill you more than anything you could ever buy in a store or online.
Hunter, I hope you always remember catching crawdads, your first turkey hunt with Dad and me, time with your papa in a treestand, how proud Dad and I were for you when you got your first deer and an unforgettable fishing trip with Dad and me to Canada. Now you are married. You, Molly, and your special dogs are making memories of your own.
Anna, I hope you always remember you and your papa riding the ATV and singing songs, your first turkey, your first deer, and the day I handed you my camera. You loved taking pictures of wildflowers, butterflies, and other things. You loved being on the water in our boat with your family and dogs. You also are married now. More memories are being made with Drew and your special dogs.
Ty and Sam, I hope you always remember riding ATVs, fishing in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and at the Missouri cabin. Grandma and I loved our trips to Wisconsin to bring you archery equipment, BB guns, pellet guns, deer rifles, hunting clothes and fishing equipment. I wish you had not been so far away and we could have done more things together. Like Hunter and Anna, the time is coming when you both will be married and have your own families to make memories with.
I pray all of you will remember all the memories you have made with Grandma and me, your other grandparents, Mom and Dad, and each other. I hope someday you will teach your kids and grandkids to enjoy all the outdoors has to offer and make more memories.
I know you are all busy with your lives now. Grandma and I are getting old but always ready to make more memories with you. Call us, text us, Instagram us or whatever you do. You could even write us a letter. LOL!
We pray daily that God will watch over all of you. Whatever you face in life, as our Kelly always says – Take it one day at a time and put it in God’s hands.
Grandma and I are always here for you if you need us. So is Mom and Dad. So is God.
We love you all, Papa and Grandma
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