The Ross Family Christmas Letter

We’ve been getting Christmas cards in the mail, offering Christmas wishes from people we love. Friends and family expressing their thoughtfulness as Christmas approaches. 

My family used to send cards. The key part of that sentence: used to. I’m not sure why we stopped, but I can speculate: we’re too busy.

I know that excuse sucks. But it’s the reality we live with. Just today, I thought of a couple friends in Des Moines, reflecting on how much they mean to me. In all honesty, sending a card would not have occupied my mind as long as my reflection was. 

I told my wife tonight that in a world of perfect posts for Instagram and Facebook and SnapChat, we have no reason to not send a Shutterfly created Christmas card. No reason, only excuses. 

Some of the cards we received came with the aspiring, or dreaded, “Christmas Letter” detailing and accounting for what our friends and family have been up to for the last year. These offered another level of connection to people we hold close but live far from.

So, what would my Christmas Letter look like? We are not mailing one! But consider this the Ross Family Christmas Letter, 2024 Edition…

Happy Holidays!

It seems everyone is busy this time of year, but our entire year has been a full one. We do not brag when our schedules are full, but it does contribute to why you are seeing this here instead of your mailbox.

Every year starts out with a lot of activity, as Lily does competitive cheer. She is at the gym at least three times a week, and then travels about every other weekend to competitions from California to Florida. This year, her team was invited to the national competition in Orlando, where they were top ten finishers in the nation. On top of that, Lily is an A-student and is on student leadership at her Middle School.

Sally is just as active with cheer as Lily is, functioning as the team mom. She plans activities, schedules events, and runs fundraisers for the cheer program. So, when Lily is working out, Sally is planning and setting the girls up for success.

Rhett and I go to some of those cheer events, but we find our own thing to do. During the Las Vegas cheer competition in February, Rhett and I went to see U2 at The Sphere. It was a massive show! Breathtaking and once-in-a-lifetime. We went to another show in November, taking in The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus & Mary Chain in San Francisco. But he’s more into gaming than rock and roll these days. He tried (and loved) lacrosse for the first time this spring. And during the summer, he’s on the golf course competing in Jr. PGA tournaments here on the Central Coast.

Audrey and Travis are busy with Harvey, who is a year and a half now. A little one keeps their lives full, too! Audrey is killing it at the property management company she works for, taking on more responsibility every year. And Travis is a top student at a motorcycle mechanics school out of state. So, Audrey is a “single parent” of sorts and makes her dad proud at how well she is managing it all.

Travis being out of state made it difficult for them to join us in Hawaii this summer, but they’ll get their own trip just for the two of them soon. The rest of us went to Hawaii this summer to celebrate Sally’s folks. 50th anniversary. IT was incredible to unwind and disconnect for ten days! Next time Sally and I go…no kids. 😊

This fall, I wrote my first novel, and hope it finds a home with a publisher in 2025. Speaking of publishers, I took a few business trips to the Midwest, allowing me to visit friends and family and coworkers whom I don’t get to see often. I also took in a lot of concerts, seeing some bucket list bands. Reading, writing, and records; that’s how I spend my time.

Well, that and helping Sally with whatever she needs. This holiday season, that has been an office move, a massive cheer fundraiser, and some party planning. We look forward to just having competition cheer coming up after the new year, getting us all back onto a routine.

While there were many wonderful occasions in our year, one of the sweetest was being able to spend a couple of days with my uncle Gene before he passed away in November. He will be missed as we aspire to lead a life like he did, serving those around him until the end.

That’s our 2024, and we look forward to a full 2025, too. Who knows: maybe next year we’ll send a card instead of a post! We hope that your Christmas is filled with joy, peace, and wonder that lasts throughout the new year.

Merry Christmas!