Dear Friends and Family:
This letter is going to seem crazy to some of you. I have always been an ardent Christmas letter writer but the last couple of years have found me faltering. I have not sat down and written or sent Holiday greetings to our choicest friends and family.
It isn’t that I think you need to know about “the Fontanos” but rather that I need to think about you! I have always felt a special spirit as I have gone through lists of names each year and renewed feelings of love that we have for each of you. I always treasure the thoughts I have – “oh I remember when we went to girls camp”, “oh she makes the best desserts”, “yes, he was such a great bishop or scout leader”, “our kids had such great fun together”…. You know, those feelings that have just enriched your life.
Well, last year I at least got around to sending out some quickie email notes at Christmas time 2010… then during this year, I got hacked and lost all of my email addresses and consequently all of my other addresses as well. (I thought I was so smart by putting them all on the computer email list). I am not savvy enough to know how to regain that information. I have gone through some old lists and have found some of you there. I also realize that many addresses are lost now forever and I have to say that hurts my heart.
I hope you will enjoy this letter. I hope you will respond by perhaps letting me know your physical and email address. It would mean so much to me and to Jim as well. We cherish our memories of times with you and with your families.
Best wishes to you. We hope your life is good and you are healthy. We hope your family is happy. We especially express our gratitude for the goodness you have brought into our lives and for the memories we have of you. Have a great year and know that you are loved by The Fontanos!
*if you are receiving this via email then Jim had you on his email address list – however there is a good chance I don’t have your physical address, so I’d appreciate it if you would send it to me!
Dear Friends and Family:
This is our (my) after Christmas, after Valentines letter. We have not disappeared, we have just relocated yet again and I have lost access to my email accounts as well as misplaced most of my addresses. So if you receive this letter via the US Postal service, then let it be known that I found your address. If you would be so very kind, please return email me at my current email and let me know your email address!
I am not meant to live in this technological world. It seems like we are constantly changing accounts (business, banking, telephones, computers… you name it and I am always playing catch up. Last fall, my email account got hacked and so I lost all of my information that I so brilliantly put into yahoo including my friends and family addresses and phone numbers etc. I have felt so alone… literally. I miss knowing about all of you and how you are. I hope you will have a minute to respond to this letter and tell me some things about you and your family.
So here is our yearly update for the Fontanos… Jim and I are living in Cedar City in a cute house that is just the perfect size for us (at least that is what I think). Jim has in mind to move to a condo so don’t think we are done with our moves yet.
Mid 2010 we started an antique and oddity business in a little house here in town. We called it “The Little Brick House.” I thought it would be a fun “hobby” for me. John was also looking for a job at the time and got involved. It was fun to decorate this shop and we also made baskets and fudge. About 8 months into the project we knew that we either needed to move and expand or close down. There is an old bakery in Cedar that actually has approximately 4500 square feet and a large basement. It also had a kitchen or at least the beginnings of a commercial kitchen. We put up some walls, knocked down a few, scraped doughnut grease from the ceilings and walls, painted, did some plumbing, wired and rewired, and by the first of June we opened a much larger Antique and Craft mall. We have consignors and renters who bring in interesting and wonderful items for the store. We still do gift baskets and about 12 different flavors of fudge. Jim is thinking to process his own jams and sauces as well.
By the first weekend in July we were able to open our restaurant “The Brickhouse Café”. We make all kinds of fattening and delicious sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and desserts. Just getting started, our budget is tight and so we are doing most of the work. Dave and his wife Dani came on board as well as Amy. We are pretty much a family run business with me watching the store and John, Amy and Dave working the café. Jim runs all of our errands, takes care of advertising and whatever else we need.
We have done very well and we are so hopeful for this year. We were worried about January and February being slow and cold months but they have been great. We seem to be doing well in both the store and the café.
Because this was such an eventful Christmas season, I didn’t get around to even thinking about Christmas letters. Being that we had moved again, I realized that most of you had no idea where we were or what we were up to. Here is an update on each of the kids and their families:
Jim and Clorinda are still in North Las Vegas where Marien is a freshman in High School, Clayton in 8th grade and Kathryn in 5th. We are glad they don’t live too far away and they are great about coming up for holidays and spending time with the family.
John and his 3 kids live in Cedar too. Natalie is in 6th grade, Jack in 2nd and Andy in kindergarten. John has a full time and more job keeping up with the kids and running the café.
Pete and Tara are in Houston TX and love it there. Jeremy, Abbie and Ben are darling children – active in sports and dance. We don’t see them often but we did have the greatest of surprises when last summer they came walking through the front door of the Little Brick House!
Jay and Sara and their six children: Mack, Tara, Jayson, Jaykob, Anna and Tom are all doing great. Jay has been taking an animation class and when he finishes this spring they anticipate moving away from Cedar to a place where Jay can work with the skills he has been learning.
Mike and Liana live in Laramie where both are going to school and working. Mike works as a bus driver and tells some great tales about what he does to those poor kids. We shared a fun trip with them after Christmas to Disneyland (don’t ever go to D-land during Christmas Vacation) and Newport Beach. As always it was a delight to be with them.
Laura and Nigel Bloomfield are attending the University of Utah where Nigel is finishing up his MBA. They have two children: Sheylani almost 6 and Donovan 16 months. We get to see them quite often when we go on buying trips to Salt Lake or when they come down for a visit.
David and Dani live here in Cedar where Dani works for a local Dentist and Dave goes to SUU and works with us every day at the shop and Café. Dani also has a Zumba studio and has lots of energy. I keep thinking I’ll get back to exercising with her but haven’t been there since Christmas.
Amy works at the café and still does hair as well. She lives with some roommates her in Cedar and attends the University stake. She has a new boyfriend and although he lives up in Orem and goes to UVU – they seem to see each other several times a month.
Jim is still serving in a bishopric at the University. He should be there until April when his time is up. He loves the kids and the opportunity. I was just called in my old age to go to girls camp again… I am pretty excited about that again!
Well, that is our story for now. We have had some great experiences this year… took a cruise up the coast of California to Victoria for our 40th anniversary, went to Salt Lake for an adult family reunion, made our yearly move and have enjoyed seeing so many friends and making new friends at the shop.
We are feeling our aches and pains but for the most part, life is good. We hope this letter finds you well and happy and hope that we can do a better job of keeping up with you!
The Fontanos 1348 S 860 W - Cedar City UT 84720 - 435-590-5415 jimfontano@gmail.com kathleenfontano@yahoo.com
