Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The Dreaded Christmas Letter

Well, according to the votes in the comments section, the vast majority of you love to receive holiday letters from family and friends, although a few of you did admit not sending them yourselves. I have a sneaking suspicion that Marcia from Ontario is right, and the people who hate the letters (including my very own sister) just didn't leave a comment. Makes sense, right? People who enjoy reading blogs would most likely enjoy reading letters as well, and be more apt to leave a note letting me know.

So, if you're a letter-hater, just skip over the rest of this journal entry, because that's what it is .... our 2006 Holiday Letter. Posted here a day late, and a dollar short, because that's what happens when you fall asleep on the sofa at 8pm on Christmas night. Stupid Benadryl.


MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE ESCOES, THE 2006 VERSION

Greetings to all our family and friends this holiday season; I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and completely finished with your Christmas shopping! As you can see, I’m going once more with a “one-size-fits-all” group form letter to include with our Christmas photo, and I’m even hopeful that they’ll be mailed before the 24th of December. Depending on when you’re reading this, you’ll be able to tell for yourself whether I was successful or not. :)

Also, once again, I hesitate at the beginning of this note, wondering where to start and how much to share. But of course, like always, I’ll share everything, both the good and the bad, because Lord knows I can’t ever keep my big mouth shut and I blab everything I know. I’d like to think it’s one of my more endearing qualities but something tells me otherwise.

2006 was the fourth year in a row that cancer has been the prevailing theme for our family. I’m sick of it, Blaine is sick of it, Blaine’s doctors and co-workers are sick of it, our friends and family are sick of it, and I’m pretty sure those of you that receive this letter are sick of it, too. But like the proverbial elephant in the living room, maybe if I just acknowledge it and get it over with, then we’ll be able to move on to bigger and better things.

Excerpt from our 2005 Christmas Letter: “Regarding reconstruction, it’s funny how ‘getting rid of his cancer’ wound up being the easiest, least-stressful part of this whole process.”

And less than a month later, that sentence came around to bite us right on the butt, when we found out in January of this year that Blaine’s cancer had indeed returned. He was **this** close to finally getting teeth when his surgeons found two tumors that had recurred, one in his cheek and one next to his carotid artery. They were not able to remove them surgically, so Blaine spent five weeks in Seattle this spring having neutron beam radiation … not one of the more cheerful highlights of his life, that’s for sure. In a nutshell, it was really rough going. Summer and fall were spent recovering, and then in November we returned to Seattle to have (what we hope will be) his last “big” reconstructive surgery. Now, he’s down twenty pounds, recovering once again, and waiting to see if it was the success we all hope it will be. His first set of post-radiation scans showed no new tumor growth, which is good news, and although this is the fourth annual Christmas letter – IN A FREAKING ROW – where I’ve said this, I’ll repeat it once more this year …. “We’re really hopeful that by this time next year, this cancer experience will be all but a distant memory and Blaine will be totally healed and recovered, forever and ever, finished, done, amen.”

As for me, I plugged along pretty much like normal, staying continually busy in my role as chauffer-mediator-maid-laundress-homework-advisor-chef-social-director-caregiver, and volunteering at the kids’ school. I also tried to scrapbook whenever possible and got away for three weekends this year with some of the best girlfriends on the planet. I’m not sure where the rest of my “lost” hours go, but I suspect the black hole that is the Internet has something to do with it. One highlight of my year was my third surrogate journey, which culminated in the delivery of a beautiful baby boy, Nicolas C, on May 18th. Weighing in at just over 10 pounds, if I keep it up, at the rate I’m going, I should be giving birth to kindergarteners soon. On a sad note, my father passed away in July. We miss Dad terribly, even though he was an ornery old soul, and I know this holiday season won’t be the same without him. After all, who else will lay back in his recliner at Christmas lunch, close his eyes, and “pray for the astronauts” all day long? :)

Brayden continues to alternately baffle us and amuse us by one moment having the kindest, most generous heart on the planet, only to turn around and sulk or gripe or pout about something we have no idea we’ve even done. She has no patience and is easily frustrated (“Hello? Mirror? Spitting image of Kristie!”) and Blaine and I have been known to draw straws; loser has to help her with her homework. Then she’ll rotate and be the sweetest, most loving, most helpful little girl in the world. It’s certainly enough to keep us on our toes. She is nine years old and in the fourth grade. She takes ceramics class one afternoon a week, which she loves, and enjoys Girl Scouts. We’re pretty sure she’ll someday major in law, since arguing and debating are hands down her two greatest skills and favorite past-times.

Kellen, well, he’s a hoot, plain and simple. He does very well in school, but still claims recess and lunch are his favorites. He played basketball this year, and two seasons of baseball, but says he wants to go back to soccer in the fall because “sitting in the dugout is boring.” He’s rather play defense all the time, then wait his turn to bat! He practices daily his warrior skills and fighting maneuvers, usually in the living room (much to the chagrin of mom) and is working closer and closer to realizing his life-long dream of becoming a CIA ninja, and has renamed himself “Agent K”. It’s good to have goals, I guess. He is eight, in the third grade, and still wants me to pick out his clothes every morning because getting out of bed to do it himself “is too much work.” I’m so proud to know we’re raising such a go-getter!

And Kendrie, well, she pretty much cracks us up, every single day. When she’s not whining or throwing a tantrum, that is. I don’t know if all seven year olds still do those things, or if she’s just special. As you know, she is fast-approaching her one-year anniversary mark of finishing her leukemia treatment, and it’s a milestone we’re pretty excited about. She’s really blossomed this year; physically, she’s grown almost four inches since ending treatment; she’s in the first-grade gifted program at school, relished her first season of soccer, is currently missing her two-front teeth, and she’s much more outgoing and self-confident than ever before. On the downside, she still insists on wearing boys swim trunks in public, refuses to sleep in her own bed most nights, and has recently begun talking in a totally obnoxious Forrest Gump voice … what on earth is **that** about?

But obviously, we love all three of them dearly. And even love our old dog Lager (fifteen and a half!) although he’s deaf as a post and stinks to high heaven.

In between my pregnancy and delivery, and Blaine’s radiation and surgeries, we kept a pretty low profile and didn’t travel too far from home this year. We did spend a few weekends away; Camp Sunshine Family Camp in Atlanta, meeting the infamous Clan Banana in Florida, and a long family weekend this fall at Callaway Gardens in Georgia. I took the kids to OKC for a vacation this summer, and just a few weeks later, we returned as a family for my dad’s funeral. We’ll be headed back there for the Christmas holidays, and are looking forward to seeing the cousins again. But next year we’re hoping for better health, and more opportunities to travel ‘round the country, harassing friends from coast to coast. (Quick! Lock your doors! The Escoe family is coming!)

Until we have time to show up on your doorstep, most likely uninvited, and greet you properly, consider this letter our gesture of friendship to you. We wish you well this holiday season. May your stockings be full, your fires burn bright, your hearts overflowing with holiday cheer, and all that other cheesy stuff we say this time of year. We miss you all!

Merry Christmas!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kristie,

Thanks for sharing your family's Christmas letter...it was getting another gift!

Hope the vacation is going well. Enjoy family, friends and maybe even take in another movie just so you can sit and sip Diet Dr Pepper from Sonic.

Much aloha,
Jeri

Anonymous said...

Kristie, I love Christmas letters, too, and I thought yours was outstanding! I love hearing about what my friends and their families have been up to. I don't find them impersonal AT ALL, on the contrary, I admire those who take the time to put it on paper! I hope your Christmas was wonderful, and can't wait to read your next update.
Stephanie in KCMO

Anonymous said...

Ohhh... what a GREAT letter. You must have been a famous writer in a past life.

Hope you are enjoying your trip and family.

Jeesh... you're scarey. We will be locking our doors in July !

Hugs,
Kathy (in Alaska)

Anonymous said...

Traveled over here from Kendries site, and I love your blog.. you are just so funny.. I also love Christmas letters, love to hear about the family, animals, trips etc. - and must remember to refer to my hooligans as pearls in the shell next year. Here's hoping for continued good health (and some great news for Blaine) in your household .. and thanks for keeping us laughing!!!

Anonymous said...

Duh....how many days does it take me to realize your rantings...ummm I mean updates...have moved to a blog? Old dog-new tricks. I am to be commended for finding you!

Love the letter. I so totally did not do Christmas cards this year but your letter has given me the inspriation needed to send out maybe MLK Day cards....to inform everyone of our antics. I am sure they will appreciate a little "pearl" amongst the bills ;o)!

Okay, now I see that my next step is to choose an identity. Damn. Why isn't super model listed?

Hope you all have a great rest of the vacation! Come back safe and sound please....

Lynie aloha, oregon

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristie,
I love getting the annual Christmas letters, although given some of my children's annual antics I don't dare send one out myself. And really, another problem is that for some reason I cannot fathom I would be so tempted to write things that aren't even true, such as "Well, Cousin Jerry finally got out of prison last month, and he sure was upset to find out his wife Betty had run off with the juggler that came through with the county fair this year. He couldn't take the stress of being on the outside any longer so he held up an adult bookstore just to get arrested. No matter what you hear, that AK-47 was NOT real, and we all think he looked real nice in Betty's blue dress that day..." I think half my family would actually believe it, too. Best to stick to reading normal people's letters, and yours too!
Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Sherri in North Carolina

Anonymous said...

Loved the letter! However, the photographer in me wants to see the Christmas PHOTO! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Anonymous said...

love the christmas letter!! Minus the cancer part! Cancer stinks!!!

Love from Long Island,
Erin
(lilfishie98@aol.com)

Anonymous said...

Okay so I really liked your Christmas letter (especially when it came in the snail mail,) because it is funny and, well, "real." The Christmas letters I cannot stand to get- but enjoy making fun of- are the ones that brag, gloat, brag and brag some more.

This is the first year I did a semi-letter/card, (that should have arrived to you via snail mail,) because I did not have time to write a personal note in my cards...I usually do the writing while waiting for a basketball game to start but this year I wrote on plates instead.

Wishing you a Happy New Year with many Diet DP's to enjoy :)

Anonymous said...

Kristie,
I loved receiving the Christmas letter...Great idea..now share the tips on creating one as funny as yours and I will start sending mine every year..I hope you had a Merry Christmas, needless to say I have the cold from hell..Love, Marci

Elle said...

Great letter, Kristie. I enjoy Christmas letters. I agreed with your previous post that maybe some of the enjoyment comes particularly when you have far-flung friends from so many moves. Thanks for sharing. And I pray that the phrase you repeated re:cancer will indeed be your family's reality!
Lisa from Macon

Shannon said...

What a great letter. Talk about honesty. Even though I have read EVERY SINGLE post you have written this last year I think I was able to get an even better insight into your family. Your love (and irritation) of your family shows through perfectly.

Here's to a cancer free letter next year!!!

~Shannon
www.caringbridge.org/tx/ethantf

Anonymous said...

Kristie..........You have one of the few Christmas letters I have ever seen that is completely enjoyable. I have an Uncle that sends out one that I enjoy reading but have a distant weird relative that always has weird ones written by their house or their dog......the only things my dog understands is the word treat and licking herself whenever there is company over so I am sure she couldn't write a christmas letter.

Anonymous said...

Kristie,
Loved the Christmas letter. Love all of your updates! You are hilarious. I was going to do one of those really gaggy letters where the kids can do no wrong for this year. It started out that way and then went completely downhill and turned into Redneck Christmas letter. My husband squandered his million dollar salary at the bar and casino, my son bought a motorcycle, dropped out of school and is touring the country on the bike, daughter is doing velvet paintings and her first showing will be in the Walgreen's parking lot in the spring. I myself quit my middle school job and have gotten sucked into Texas Hold'em tournaments with other stay-at-home moms and I'm doing very well with my winnings, thank you very much. It threw quite a few relatives off when they read it, but they should know better. A couple years ago, our Christmas picture included someone else's baby, and we included news of the baby in our letter. Made a lot of people wonder what our family had been up to. Gotta keep 'em on their toes!

Keep up your awesome writings, I will keep checking in on the Escoes. I am glad Kendrie is doing so well, and keep Blaine in my prayers that he will completely recover. Actually, your whole family is in my prayers. Have a great 2007!

Anonymous said...

I love letters, too! Enjoyed getting yours and hope we can get together soon!

Anonymous said...

Kristie,
I'm just amazed with your writing abilities! It takes me forever to just sign a guestbook or write an email. I'm always fumbling over my words and I can't ever get out what I really want to say.
Of course I love your Christmas letter. I'm going to write one next year, I'll jusy use your as a guide. Hopefully next year cancer will be a thing of the past.
I've got my MySpace site up and going. I'm working on my first blog entry. I'm pretty excited about my fundraiser with KSF. Check it out!!
Enjoy the rest of your Holiday!!
Love,

Anonymous said...

Kristie, Glad to see I didn't miss your letter. I too love Christmas letters ... that's why you get one from us each year. Being in the military and not close to family it's the only way that everyone gets a little bit of our lives interjected into theirs! :-) Happy New Year!!!!!

Always~ Rhonda