Happy Birthday Tom and Julie

Tom is Matt's older brother and before we got married 12 years ago this June, he sent me this letter. He put so much time into writing this story and taking pictures of Matt's family (all dressed up) that I thought I would share it with Caleb. I think Tom was trying to scare me out of marrying into the family but I guess it didn't work too well! Caleb will be the next one to marry into the Griffiths' family. He is marrying the oldest grandchild, Alicia this August. Caleb, you still have time...

(btw, this is typed word for word..spelling and all)

Nat and Matt,
Howdy! Remember us? Yep, you guessed it. It's ol gloom and despair. We were hoping to give youn's these pictures when you was here but didn't happen. O well, this way we can tell you what each piture is. and your folks can meet your new kin. Here we all are on New Years Day 1996...
Did you tell your folks how perty the Red Brush country was? They probly never even heard of it. We're just tween Hay Holler and Blue Crik. We don't do big things good or bad, so nobody takes much notice of what goes on back in these hills. Well, long as they let us alone to live our own way it suits us. Makin a livin to keep body and soul together and makin music to keep life worth livin takes up our time, an the rest of the world kin take care of itself! It's always been called the Red Brush but why nobody seems to know. Some say twas from the dead leaves hangin all winter long on the scrub oaks; that gives the hills a reddish look an specially when there's snow on the ground. Maybe that's why.But to one who's seen the flamin fall colors of the coalin lands there's another answer, an it's a good one. After the cordwood was cut off, the coalin lands growed back up with sourwood, sassafras, an sumac. That kind of Brush takes a high color when the frosty nights come. I've seen whole hillsides ripplin in the October wind an lookin like walls of fire spreadin over them. All the hill country in Southern Ohio is perty in the fall, but here in Jackson County an some of the others around it is where ole nature spills her pertiest paint pots an then runs around mixen them all up like mad. These two pictures don't show the flamin fall colors cause it's Janary. That's me after a ruff nite of Repo'n. They call me Uncle Fester now! Why?

Change is slow comin to the Red Brush, but our sis has all the new designer clothes. Some thinks she's lost her marbles the way she takes care of that stick doll as if its her own. She's doing much better now. She get's to come home purt neer every weekend now! Sis's real kids (Alicia, Blake and Brooke) are growin like weeds. Her man (Marc) is teachin Blake (he's 6) to hunt, an Brooke (she's 4) is learnin to cook, an Alicia (she's 9) is doin real well in school. She kin already spell her name! I've told her she's not aloud to court til she's 16! An Marc, we harly ever see him tween huntin and workin. He seems to love his job, he's just a glowin green every day he comes home!
Ma and Pa are doin just fine. Me and Julie are keepin their freezer full of Deer an Grouse meet. Sundy feasts are like Thanksgivin! Lil' Bub, you are missin some gooood food! Some folks ask us how we kin kill such cute things like squirrels, rabbit, grouse and deer. Well, Julie tells em how it is "It's, just the way things is!" I hate to admit but when the trees got all covered in colors like they was now, I did kinda hate to kill them vermints. Their blood on the leaves looked like some of the reddest fall colors an sonehow it made me fell bad. See here what I mean...
Well, tell lil Bub that I got my passport photo and am all ready for the big weddin in Salt Lake. We'll all be there in are Sundy Best's!
Your next of Kin,
Tom, Julie, Greyson and Everbody!
Now what would you think if your soon to be brother in law sent this to you?


Julie's Birthday was in March and Tom's Birthday was last Friday and so we wanted to wish them a Happy Birthday! Tom and Julie in Holden Beach, NC with Greyson, Gabe and Baron.