Our Annual Christmas Letter

McGregor Christmas Letter 2014

I have about 10 minutes until the kid are racing through the door to drop their coats, hats and school bags and will invade the pantry.  I find myself wishing for more hours in the day to myself but by the time they get home, I am very happy to see them.  It seems with each passing year we become more thankful than ever for our health and happiness.  Being busy is a blessing and we are BLESSED.

Looking back on this past year, it seems mostly uneventful.  We were away last winter to Florida, as we have been doing for many years.  That trip included some unfortunate events, such as blowing a tire on the freeway, illness, cold weather and leaving our passports in Florida but overall we are happy we were able to go and enjoy some time away with our family.  The winter was long but we had fun spending much of our time inside hockey rinks and on outdoor rinks.  We had to wait patiently for spring to arrive so our farming year started off slowly (which is challenging) but in the end, our produce season was very successful.  Our field crops didn’t fare out as nicely but as they say, there is always next year.  We welcomed a new niece, Madison (Sarah and Randy) and nephew, Victor (Ben and Marieve) into our family…there can never be enough babies!

Grace is now 10 years old and in grade five.  She is still dancing for the Arnprior School of Dance Competitive Team; last year she performed in three dances: tap, jazz and ballet and had three competitions all within the Ottawa area.  This year she is in four dances:  tap, jazz, lyrical and a large production and she is also an assistant teacher for a ballet class (Jean’s class).  Grace is having an amazing school year; she has a teacher who I would consider a kindred spirit to her.  They “click” in so many ways and therefore Grace rises to her challenges and is excelling.  I know Grace will never forget Mrs. Miller as she gets older – there is always that “one” teacher and she is it for Grace!  In her spare time Grace can be found looming with yarn, rainbow looming or chatting with friends on her ipod.  Our phone lines are never tied up!  This past summer Grace worked with Grandpa Jim on Saturdays at the market and earned herself a nice paycheque.  They seem to love working together… it’s a nice bonding experience as well.

Alex just turned 8 years old in October.  He is also having an amazing year in school so far; he is in grade three and has a teacher that is wonderful and he rises to her challenges.  He works hard and plays hard… he doesn’t want to stay in for recess because then he misses the “big game” of whatever is going on outside.  His pants come home muddy and he doesn’t like wearing winter boots – he just can’t run fast enough in them!  Alex is playing hockey again this year and loves it even more than he did last year.   He plays for the Arnprior Packers which keeps him (and us) busy with practices and games all over the upper Ottawa Valley but we love being a hockey family!  We enjoy time with our other hockey families and Alex has a great team of buddies and coaches. 

Jean turned 6 years old just a few weeks ago.  She likes to role play “teacher”, “mom and dad”, “librarian” and whoever else makes an impact on her.   She also loves to sing and dance.  Right now the movie “Frozen” is a big deal in our house with Jean loving “Elsa” everything.  She is hoping Santa brings her an Elsa dress.  She is in grade one, has a very sweet teacher who she loves and is also having a good year so far.  Jean has joined the competitive dance team in Arnprior as well, dancing in ballet and the same production dance as Grace.  She has met some nice friends in her dance classes and enjoys class but finds it “hard”… her dance teachers find her adorable.  She is still a very, very picky eater which we have no clue how to conquer but hope that someday it changes.

After describing what our kids are up to it almost seems like Ian and I are taking a backseat on this family ride right now.  We are happy with that!  Ian, his brother and dad work hard to make our business successful and living and breathing McGregor’s Produce for a few months is all worth it when we can spend more downtime together in the “off” season.  Ian plays hockey and basketball on a weekly basis.  I am thoroughly enjoying my quilting habit and find my fabric is taking up more space in our house all the time.  Our days go by quickly – it seems like I send the kids out the door and the next thing I know they are back in the house after school.  I conquered one goal last spring to run my first 10K race.  I am so proud that I did it and plan on doing it again next year.  I am slow and steady but the main thing is that I am moving!  Ian and I have been fortunate to take some big and small trips – Ian goes hunting in November for a week every year and this fall I went to Vancouver for a few days to meet up with some good friends.  We also went to Eagle, Colorado this past August, with Ian’s parents, for a friend’s wedding.  That was definitely a highlight in our year!

As we head into the Christmas season, we have never felt more thankful for our health and happiness.  Lately it feels like we need to live more intentionally; making time for ourselves, being kind to others and to each other and making moments count.  It’s easier said than done but trying is important.  We wish all of our friends and family peace and love – CHEERS!

Deb, Ian, Grace, Alex and Jean