Christmas Letter 2023
Season's Greetings from the Holden Family! We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones well as we approach Christmas and the New Year. 2023 was a momentous year for our little family, full of special occasions, milestones, and new adventures.
We celebrated Jamie's 50th birthday on May 18th with a small gathering of friends for disc golfing and a pizza party. Soon after, we sold our little red house and started packing up to move in with Jamie's parents for the duration of our new build! June was a whirlwind of bank meetings, paperwork, packing, and moving. On June 16th, ten days before our 25th Wedding Anniversary, we closed on the sale of the Powers Road house and officially settled into my in-law's home in Hamburg, NY. We weren't there for more than a week before we were on the road to spend two weeks with my family and slip away to the ADK for a little anniversary trip. At that point, Jamie's hip pain was bad enough that we couldn't hike, but we still enjoyed the beauty of the area and our charming Bed and Breakfast.
Jamie had found out in March that the pain that had been gradually increasing over the years was a symptom of advanced arthritis in both hips. He was referred to a surgeon, Dr. Nodzo, who determined that surgery on both hips was necessary. Jamie decided to hold off until we got through our move (which we were only able to do because so many of our amazing friends jumped in and helped with the physical labor) and an August trip to Colombia that was already scheduled. Jamie was a real trooper dealing with the discomfort during this very busy season of our lives.
We returned from the Matamoras, PA area, where Heather's family is now located after a July 7th celebration of Kim and Pam Klein's 50th Wedding Anniversary. We returned to Hamburg on Saturday, July 8th, set up FANA's Colombian Culture Camp on Sunday, July 9th, and launched directly into our second year of co-directing this week-long camp and performance experience for our son and the other children in our local Families of FANA group. We spent a fantastic week with our 30 campers who experienced full days of Colombian-inspired dance, art, music, and cooking sessions along with a soccer day and a creative writing session. The week culminated in a Friday night Fiesta performance and reception with the families attending. The camp experience is a summer highlight for Eli and Jamie and I enjoy this work immensely.
Eli spent the rest of July swimming and taking tennis lessons with friends at our local swim club, Hickory Hill. Meanwhile, Jamie and I started working with our builder (and dear friend), Eric Honan, to secure all the permits needed to begin the construction of our new home. Before we knew it, August 1st had arrived and we were boarding a plane to Colombia for our first return trip since Eli's adoption. FANA was celebrating its 50th Anniversary and our WNY Families of FANA group had several families traveling to attend the anniversary celebration at the orphanage. We planned our trip with another family, The Pogodzinskis, whom we've become close to. We spent five days in Bogotá, where FANA is located and where Eli was born, and another five days in the beautiful coastal city of Cartagena. I cannot succinctly express the impact of this trip. The meaningfulness of being in Colombia with Eli, the joy of connecting again with our Colombian friends Jorge, Patricia, and the Cuesta family, and the time spent taking in the culture, people, and natural beauty of this country will forever be remembered. We can't wait to go back again!
We returned to the States on Saturday, August 12th, to find an excavator on our property! That Tuesday, August 15th, we broke ground and the next morning, Jamie and I headed to St. Joseph's Hospital for his first hip replacement- the left hip. Never a dull moment in this overflowing life of ours!
Jamie was home recovering for his first two weeks of school and then was able to return, moving a little slower than usual, but ready to dive into directing his school musical which was scheduled for November. Eli and I started another school year at Ellicott Elementary. Eli switched to my school for his 5th grade year, since the new house was zoned for Ellicott and having him go to school with me made the morning and afternoon routines a little easier for our family. He immediately made friends in his class and we all love his 5th grade teacher, Mrs. DellaNeve, whose husband just happens to also be adopted from FANA! God continues to amaze us with the way he puts the right people on our path and provides for us more than we could hope or imagine. Eli has been having a wonderful school year and is really thriving at Ellicott.
Eli turned 10 in September. He is a voracious reader, loves football (watching games and trading cards), sings constantly, plays percussion in the school band, takes piano lessons, and he just started wrestling! He had the opportunity to play two child roles in the Orchard Park High School play this fall and he will be playing Marlin (Nemo's father) in our school musical, "Finding Nemo, Kids!" He's a bright, creative, funny, spunky kid who continues to make us smile and laugh out loud every day.
Jamie had his second hip replacement (the right side) the day before Thanksgiving and has been home from school since, recovering. He is making good progress, but still needs the ice machine here and there to ease the discomfort. We are hopeful that a full recovery and return to physical activity such as hiking and yoga is coming soon!
Throughout the fall, we've watched our dream home slowly take form. We "hosted" a small gathering after church one October Sunday in the framed shell of the house. Friends and family were invited to write blessings and scripture on the frame of our walls. We "broke bread" together (pizza!) and sang a hymn in the cold, wet open space. But, the whole event warmed our hearts in a lasting way. The house is already full of love and memories that are dear to our family. We currently have walls and windows, rough plumbing and the electric wiring is underway. We are holding the timeline for all of it with open hands, trusting that God's timing will prevail and all will work out for the best. It is an incredible experience to see our house being built from the ground up. Our builder, Eric, is a friend who has been a part of Jamie's men's group for several years. We trust him completely and we love that we can talk to him so openly and without any pretense. We are getting to weigh in on every aspect of the build and often shopping for our own materials-finding deals wherever we can, and prioritizing the aspects of our home that mean the most to us. 2024 will certainly see us moving into our house on the hill- 5565 Chestnut Ridge Road, Orchard Park. We will keep everyone posted and send out an official change of address once we are settled there.
Living with the Holdens has been a blessing in so many ways. We are so grateful for the hospitality and generosity Dick and Cheryl have shown us. While it certainly comes with some inconveniences for all of us, there are unexpected gifts we all have noted: family dinners together, a growing and deepening of our relationships and connection to one another, more time for Eli with his grandparents and built-in babysitting for Jamie and I, shared work in the kitchen, conversations we may have never had otherwise...I think we will look back at this time fondly, despite the challenges of sharing space. The Holdens have given our little family a blessing, financially and emotionally, by taking us in and sharing their home with us these past six months. We aren't sure how much longer we will be in Hamburg, but we are thankful to be there while we wait for our new home to be finished.
We wish the same for you, our family and friends. May the blessings of good health, spiritual wellness, lasting joy and deep peace be upon you in the coming year. We would love to hear from you and connect. We anticipate hosting many porch gatherings in the near future!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love,
Heather, Jamie, Eli and Obi the dog
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV
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