Better than Chat GPT: Our 2024 Year in Review
Dear friends and family,
Our Christmas letter tradition began the year we were married (1988), and since we’ve only missed a few, there are now over 30 iterations of what was once called the “Hanstra Herald.” (Here’s last year’s in case you missed it.)
I was recently chatting with a friend and moaned about this yearly task. She said, “...you could decide to just not do it.” (Maybe that was a hint to stop, LOL!)
“I know,” I said. “But I do it for myself as much as anyone else. I like to go back and read them—it’s fun to see how far we’ve come.”
Still, a part of me would love to call it quits, or at least find an easier way.
Then it hit me. What if I had AI write the letter for me? It was worth a try, so I copied and pasted our list of 2024 highlights into Chat GPT. In less than twenty seconds, it cranked out a letter. (Scary, right?) I admit, I was tempted by the hours I could save. However, what AI spit out sounded sappy and “canned” and included several hilariously mixed-up details.
So, no. I did not use artificial intelligence to write this letter. (That doesn’t mean I used real intelligence either—you be the judge.) Rest assured, the 2024 edition of our Year-in-Review comes to you from my fingers on the keyboard, my mind, and my heart.
Pour yourself your yuletide drink of choice, snuggle under your favorite comfy throw, and enjoy our annual “Christmas Letter”, a.k.a. Year in Review, which is to say: LOTS of photos and news you can’t use. (But I promise, no artificial intelligence.)
To sum up our year in one word:
F-A-M-I-L-Y!
“F” is for FUN!
Tom and I kicked off 2024 with a winter weekend getaway to Chicago to see Hamilton (finally!), and in April, we celebrated our 36th anniversary at a lovely B&B in West Michigan, complete with a brisk walk on the Lake Michigan shoreline and a couple of winery visits.
In May, we rented an Airbnb near Madison (WI) and the whole family joined us for a celebration-filled weekend. Besides Chloe’s graduation (see “M” below), we also celebrated Mother’s Day and our May birthdays: Maddie, Oliver (4), and Eloise (1). Whenever the grands are around, there’s no shortage of fun and laughter.
Ollie’s interests have evolved into imaginative play, music, arts, and crafts. He sings and dances to Encanto, builds blanket “tents” and Duplo structures, plays with Paw Patrol and Bluey figures, and does “Olympic tricks” (including break dancing). He has no trouble inventing “fun”.
Ellie, often in his shadow, is catching on quickly to the art of making mischief. She’s taken after Uncle Jared as her favorite pastime is climbing—on everything, including her brother! When not shadowing Ollie, her favorite sidekick is her baby doll.
The big kids had fun this year, too. Jared—still in Denver—spent many weekends camping and hiking in the mountains. In September, Jared, Seth, and Tom had their first “guys only” trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Highlights included a kayak tour through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the boys’ cliff-jumping into Lake Superior. (Tom opted out of that “fun” activity.)
Garrett was sorry to miss the guys’ trip because of work, but a few weeks earlier, he and Leah spent four days in Indianapolis at Gen Con—a game lover’s extravaganza—where Garrett was in his element.
Big fun was had up-north at our cabin in Minnesota. Seth, Maddie, and the grands joined us for the first time in August, while the other four kids spent a week with us in July. We also spent “lake time” with our friends Brian and Jill, my sister Phyllis, and niece Kathryne. While we’re at the cabin, fun equals biking, swimming, kayaking, fishing, puzzling, relaxing, reading, and more!
Chloe’s fun this year involved the many friends’ and family weddings, bachelorette parties, and bridal showers she took part in. In August, she stood up for her best-neighbor-friend Emily, and her friend Kara from her St. Olaf days. Then in November, she sang at cousin Nicole’s wedding and attended another friend’s nuptials. Chloe passed the time between weddings with her own love interest—BF Sam, hanging with Madison and Minnesota friends, and going to several concerts.
Leah also got in on the wedding scene as a bridesmaid (and singer) for Nicole and Trent’s wedding. The day was a beautiful celebration of their love, and fun for the whole Kingma family!
“A” is for Awe-Inspiring.
In April, I wrote “Feeling Tiny in the Cosmos,” as I reflected on the upcoming eclipse. In a last-minute spontaneous move, Tom and I drove a couple of hours to a little Indiana town to see it in totality. Just about anyone who experienced it will tell you they felt a sense of awe as the moon completely dimmed the light of the sun. It was breathtaking, and a perfect reminder of our awesome God and his creation.
On our return home from the cabin in October, Tom and I took the long way through Michigan’s U.P. First, we stopped at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, and then, like the boys, I got to experience Pictured Rocks (both by boat). The water, rock formations, dunes, and trees—showing off their autumn colors—were all spectacular! We drove for miles with eyes wide open to Mother Nature’s awesome display.
Although Jared lives near the Rocky Mountains and sees them every day, a highlight of his year was summiting Mount Rainier in Washington with a couple of friends. Afterward, he posted, “I will never forget the way the early light of sunrise hit the snow at 13k feet.” Reaching the summit—an awe-inspiring experience—and going back down (over 40 hours) was his biggest day yet in the mountains!
“M” is for Momentous!
After the eclipse, Tom and I rushed home to watch our beloved Purdue Boilermakers play in the NCAA basketball championship game for the first time since 1969. Although it was a momentous night, sadly, the Boilers came up short for their “one shining moment.”
In May, we witnessed another momentous occasion as Chloe graduated from UW-Madison with her master’s degree in library and information studies. What an accomplishment for our little librarian!
And finally—in the “momentous” category—Leah and Garrett took the prize! On a camping trip in early September, they woke early and went for a walk near Lake Michigan. As the sun rose on the horizon, Garrett turned to Leah and said, “It’s the dawn of a new day and the leaves are turning for the start of the new season. I can’t think of a better time to start the next chapter in our lives.” (Pulls out the ring.) “Wanna get married??” 😄 Leah, of course, said, “YES!” And the chapter of “Engagement and Wedding Planning” has begun. We are all looking forward to next September’s momentous celebration!
“I” is for Industrious.
We’ve been a family of busy beavers this year. Here’s a quick list of the work and projects we’ve tackled:
Tom & Linda: completed (through contractors) a deck expansion and landscaping project that added form and function to the cabin.
Tom - still supports the computers behind Notre Dame’s library; he finished up his deacon term at church.
Linda - works as a virtual speech therapist (part-time) and writer (the other part of the time); she attended the Festival of Faith and Writing (a dream come true!) and a Treasure Island (FL) retreat for empty-nest creatives.
Jared - Works full time on his own, accomplishing the long-time goal of publishing his very own app for organizing recipes, errands, and life: Jot (Note: it’s still buggy as he prepares for it’s official release); he’s also collaborating with some buddies on the Teebox app (for scheduling golf tee-times).
Maddie - Continues as a middle school special education teacher at a Grand Rapids charter school; she helped design and oversee an attic remodel project at home, complete with her own private reading nook.
Seth - Works from home in their newly remodeled attic/home office, as a designer for Davey Tree.
Leah - Is building up her piano teaching studio as she transitions from full-time music therapy to full-time piano teaching; she regularly volunteers with our church’s youth group.
Garrett - works as manager at a lovely venue (which we’ve reserved for their wedding reception!); he helps Leah with the youth group, especially when it involves games.
Chloe - Loves her boss and coworkers at the bakery that helped put her through grad school, so she’s stayed on as Events and Wedding Coordinator; she leads book clubs at the bakery and keeps an eye out for library jobs in the Madison area.
Oliver - Loves writing letters and words; creates birthday cards for us (whether or not it’s our birthday).
Eloise - Talks, observes, and learns; It was discovered she has a significant visual impairment, so she now wears cute purple glasses and is taking in her world in wide-eyed wonder.
“L” is for…Losers?
With all the fun, awe-inspiring, momentous, and industrious memories of this past year, you might think 2024 was just peachy for us. It has been a good year, but not every moment was a winner. Here are some “losers” that stand out:
Tom- while kayaking with the boys, dropped his iPhone into Lake Superior. Kerplunk!
Linda - lost a few months of mobility as she recovered from hip surgery. All healed now!
Jared - Lost his job at Indeed during their latest round of layoffs. With his extra time, he’s been training for a 5-minute mile and is losing seconds, already beating his High School personal record with a 5:14.
Leah and Garrett - lost their single lives. 🥰 (They don’t seem to mind.)
Seth and Maddie - with two toddlers, they’ve both lost their sanity at times. 🤪
Chloe - lost a little blood and skin whenever her crazy cat Cookie attacked her. Still her best buddy, he’s slowly mellowing out with age.
Ollie - frequently lost his patience with his little sister.
Ellie - lost her new glasses regularly at first, so Maddie wisely attached a tracking device to them. Now they can find the glasses (and Ellie!) whenever either wanders off.
“Y” is for this Year’s end and what we Yearn for.
Even though December 31st is just another Tuesday and January 1st is just another Wednesday, there’s something about a new year that makes us look backward and dream forward more than we do on “ordinary” days. As we review our family’s year, we acknowledge it’s been pretty good. Still, we’re keenly aware of hard times and those who are hurting, suffering, or lost in our broken world.
Just this week, the school shooting in Madison halted any thoughts of this being “the most wonderful time of the year.” As I wrapped presents, I skipped the Christmas music and put on my Advent playlist instead. The very first words I heard, from the song Have Mercy, Lord, expressed precisely what I was feeling:
How Long O Lord will violence fill our land?
And people war against their fellow man?...
…Have mercy Lord! Dispel the deeds of night.
And shine on us your Saviour’s light.
As we celebrate our Savior’s birth and look toward the dawn of a new year, we pray his light will dispel the darkness.
We yearn for peace on Earth, kindness between strangers, and love among families.
Through his mercy, may you and yours experience love, kindness, and peace this Christmas and throughout the new year.
