Our Christmas Card

Merry Christmas! 

You are reading this letter, not because we have something profound to share, but because we value your friendship and want to nurture it! 

Our family life is at a point in time when much of our focus is directed inward… on each other, our own little family unit, and our home. It has been years since we had an abundance of “free time” to fill with motorcycle rides, fancy dinners out, crafty home projects and Pinterest finds, camping trips, and social gatherings. We occasionally miss those days, but know they’ll return again all too soon. Right now our reality sits within a much narrower focus... Marriage, Kids, Family, Farm and Work. I will turn 40 this next year and although that is only a number, it does carry a lot of meaning. It makes me think long and hard about what is important to me. 

This year, Cliff has dedicated an enormous amount of his energy to running our farm and creating the right balance between his roles as Dad, Husband, Farmer, Son, and Businessman. The kids are growing and changing from week to week and at times it feels like I can barely keep up and they were just babies yesterday, but then at other times I wish away these trials in hopes of a time when the kids are mature enough to be reasoned with. I’m working with great intention toward living in this moment and just loving on this family I’ve been blessed with. 

Gavin just turned 7 and he melts my heart. He is creative, thoughtful, intense, active, witty, artistic, mechanically-minded, loving, adrenaline-thirsty, introspective, and a little too smart for his own good. He loves drawing tiny complicated drawings and making up recipes in the kitchen. He loves creating and building gadgets and machines and systems. He loves riding his bike, roller-skating, and running up and down our road to and from Grandma and Grandpa’s. He loves building forts in the woods, helping Cliff on the farm, and hunting and bow-fishing with Cliff. He is really enjoying his new-found fluency in reading and recently started spending his down-time with his nose buried in a book. He loves riding his dirt bike, driving the lawn tractor, and virtually anything with a motor. He also loves giving back-rubs, making me a cup of coffee in the morning, and sharing love by serving.

Addison turned 3 in November and she is our little fireball. Everything she does, she does fiercely. She has a wild heart full of love, wonder and excitement. She has a voice that even at a whisper could still be heard over the sound of a thousand angels singing. She hugs with all her might until you nearly turn blue and she covers your entire face in kisses until she is satisfied that she has kissed you just right. If you ask her, she is never, ever, ever tired and she is almost always hungry. She holds her ground with the boys and plays tough with the best of them, but she loves everything that glitters, sparkles, or twirls! We are working toward her doing a few things more independently, and at the same time, wanting her to let us help her with some other things that she always insists on doing herself! She loves to play with her dolls, swing, play outside with us, “help” Cliff on the farm, color, play with play-dough, make her own sandwiches, and dress-up. She is opinionated and strong-willed, but there is still a bit of our little baby girl left in her too. 

This life we have chosen - these kids, this farm, our jobs, our parents, and our extended families… they keep us busy. Sometimes our laundry and our dishes pile up. Sometimes our gardens get overtaken with weeds. Often, we wish we could spend more time with friends. Sometimes we dream of a beach vacation (yeah!). But, beyond all those wishes, we find we are living a dream. We are blessed beyond measure with family who support us, friends who wait patiently for a window of time that we can spend together, a farm that is prosperous, and most of all, each other. So, from our crazy little piece of the world to yours, we wish you a season of celebrating what is important to you! 

With Much Love, Erin