I didn't get a Christmas card sent this year.
Last year, I put my little boy in a Christmas sweater at the end of October, handed him some Christmas lights and took some cute pictures. Closer to the holiday, I wrangled my entire family, dogs and all, to pose for a family photo.
In years past I've written letters, sent out updates, sent pictures.
Not this year.
Instead, you get a (late) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year... and an apology. An apology for not taking the time to share cute pictures of my kid, or letting people know how we are doing. Those cards and letters are always appreciated when we receive them, and I know there are a few people who have invested in our lives that would like to know how things are.
The condensed Christmas letter for us is that we are fine.
Josiah is great. He knows his ABC's and the lyrics to many different songs. He speaks clearly and understands quite a few things. He likes cars, pointing out cars, telling me the color of cars, and playing with toy cars. He likes running, going to Grandma's house, playing with legos and "toy-yo" (play dough) and wrestling with his buddy, David the German Shepherd.
Jim continues to work as an Electrical Engineer. We are grateful for his job and the community it has placed us in. He is still cycling and enjoying the time it gives him with friends when they can get together.
I'm still working two days a week at the music store and giving private lessons a couple of days a week. I have some amazing students-- from those just starting to audition for honor bands to one traveling to Australia for a prestigious performance. I enjoy my job. I am still running and completed my first (and probably only) 50K with Danielle.
My parents live in our little Nebraskan town and we love living near them. Friday nights we spend with them watching re-runs of Ninja Warrior. My mom is "grandma daycare" for Josiah which has been awesome. Josiah has a special adoration for his grandpa. I love having my parents close.
We still have the three dogs. Gray, our oldest male, went blind this year, but he is still happy and sweet.
We started with a new adoption agency and nothing has happened. It has been hard, watching pregnancies and births and other adoptions while we rely on the system for Josiah's sibling-- even as joyful as those events have been. It's all in God's timing but that doesn't make the wait any less painful.
My running partner of the past few years, one of the few people Josiah calls "Aunt" and one of the few people who has been consistently and intentionally involved in Josiah's life and my life, moved to Texas. I don't make close friends easily, being as awkward as I am, so it was hard to see her go.
A few other things, the details of which aren't something I feel the need to share with anyone, also made this past year a hard one.
And so I don't end this post on a downer, our biggest events of the year started with a little leak in the back of our fridge. We are now walking on a beautiful new floor and enjoying brand new kitchen appliances. Sometimes soggy floorboards and tiny leaks bring about fun and exciting changes.
We are blessed, and every time I get a hug or a sweet "love you, mama" from our curly haired boy, I know this to be true. Life has been hard but it's also been beautiful. Without these seasons of waiting and pain perhaps I wouldn't fully grasp the joy of the lighter seasons.
I do hope you had a blessed 2017 and your 2018 is beautiful and bright.
-Kristin
