Last week, as I waited for a certain photo for my Christmas card, I wrote a Christmas letter.

The year 2009 has been a bountiful year of good news even if the financial world and our pocketbooks took a large hit. What was truly great about this year were all the celebrations in our family. A little deviation from the letter, I know. I touched on them in my letter.

 In February, my niece gave birth to a little boy whom she and her partner named Jack. The baby’s big sister, a university sophomore, was happy to be home for reading week to spend time cuddling her little brother. That was good news and we celebrated with a baby shower.

In June, my parents reached another milestone—their 60th wedding celebration. They planned a dinner, invited remaining siblings and attendants from their wedding party.  We, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren took care of the entertainment with photo collections in a slide show, storytelling and memories.  That was good and it seemed like most everyone enjoyed the celebration.

In August my niece was married. Paige and Adam planned their wedding down to an outdoor ceremony that thankfully was blessed by sunshine, yet not before her parents thought they might have to hold it in the drive shed instead. A few more gray hairs perhaps, but the day was a beauty after that and everyone seemed to enjoy the celebration.

In September, our daughter gave birth to a baby girl, our first grandchild. Evy was the second new baby in the family for the year, and by this time her cousin Jack had grown quite a bit. Her shower would have to wait.

In October, my nephew Jay was married. Jay and Sarah had chosen an indoor wedding in the church that Sarah and her family attend in Etobicoke. The reception was held at the golf club, and everyone  who attended helped the young couple celebrate. We ate and laughed and danced.

The baby shower for Evy was scheduled in November, meaning another family gathering. The baby and wedding showers, once just for the women and girls,  became  a good reason for a whole family get together. Everyone celebrated another baby in the family while the slightly tired new mother and father opened the gifts  to find some pretty special clothing and toys for their wee one. One gift required assembly, but not before they got it home.  If a table could groan under the weigh of food that day, I’m sure my sister’s table did. We ate, talked and celebrated again.

Also in November,on the very last Sunday, is another family tradition, a whole extended family gathering on my mother’s side of the family, where we get together for an early potluck Christmas dinner. There’s skating for those who wish to work off their dinner, games of euchre, cookie decorating [this year], pinata bashing by the young children… and more food. No one goes away hungry unless they choose not to eat, and we all have a good time.

Christmas will be here before we know it, less than a month away as I write. My parents will join us on Christmas Day at my home. In January, near my father’s birthday, my parents, siblings, partners, nieces and nephews, and on into the greats, will gather again for our Christmas celebration. We joke about running out of food, but it never happens.  We look forward to that day when we gather again.

Back to the Christmas letter. I write to people I do not see very often: friends and more distant cousins, aunts and uncles who live across the country, in the country to the south of us, and folks who are not so far away, but whom we rarely see.  I write what I know they’d be interested in hearing. If I were to write a letter for my family, I’d really have to dig up good stories that few of them know.

Today I got my Christmas card photo. The cards are printed, thanks to the photo kiosk at a local grocery store. You probably know what I was doing this evening.  My list is pretty long. This year, on account of the photo, my siblings and parents will get a card. 

If you [my family] are reading my blog today, you’ve got to wait to get it, cause I’m not telling. There’s got to be some secrets around here.