Need help translating a letter

LindaHawley2

Can anyone translate this letter from my great-great grandmother Marit Haugseth to my great-grandmother Ida Sorensen? It was written at Christmastime, a few months before Marit's death, several years after she moved from the South Dakota homestead to live with her son Arnt in Idaho. Any help would be wonderful!

AudMarit

@LindaHawley2

I have tried to transcribe the letter, translate it into modern Norwegian and then into English. I hope you get the meaning of it.

"Dear Sorensen Ida

Now it's already Christmas.

I am very grateful for the large Christmas present that I have received from you. It was very welcome, as times are very expensive now for what you have to live on. So we can probably use them. I've gotten very old so I've lost a lot of my strength. It's coming to an end. I can barely do my housework now, so I'll be happy when I can let go. But lying on the bed helps.

I congratulate. Lovely with wife.

I wish you all a happy new year.

I thank you for the kindness and love you have shown me. It is good that we meet in Heaven where there is no separation.

Loving greetings from grandmother Marit Haugset

Live well everyone."

I was first a bit confused at the end, but I belive that she wrote grandmother, because she was expecting that there would come grandchildren. I have discussed this with someone having knowledge of the language and the way of expressing themselves at that time. And she said it was common to use expressions like this.

Aud Marit

AudMarit

@LindaHawley2

An edited translation after understanding a couple of words a bit better.

"Dear Sorensen Ida

Now it's already Christmas.

I am very grateful for the large Christmas present that I have received from you, which was very welcome. It is expensive to live now, so we might as well put it to good use.

I've gotten very old, so I've lost a lot of my strength. It's coming to an end. I can barely do my housework now, but I have to be happy that I can walk so I don’t have to lie in bed.

I congratulate. Lovely with wife.

I wish you all a happy new year.

I thank you for the kindness and love you have shown me. It is good that we meet in Heaven where there is no separation.

Loving greetings from grandmother Marit Haugset

Live well everyone."

LindaHawley2

Thank you so much! I had not checked recently, figuring this was a big request unlikely to be fulfilled. The reference to grandmother fits, because Marit's daughter Ida had four children who would have been old enough to share the letter. The line "I congratulate you. Lovely with wife" makes sense in the context that Ida's eldest son had recently married, and Ida probably sent a photo.

This is a wonderful gift! Thank you again!