Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

Someday, I may just surprise everyone by sending out Christmas cards, but this is not the year! I love the idea but never think much of it until the sweet, beautiful Christmas cards start showing up in our mailbox from loved ones. Then I quickly regret not attempting to send out our own!

So consider this a Christmas card/newsletter from us to you!

2022 has been such a wonderful year for us! The highlight was adding another little person to our family! Jethro Dale was born in March at home and it was such a special experience.

In the following weeks and months, we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sibling dynamics play out as Tobias lovingly held and doted on his new baby brother and seeing how Jediah was uninterested until Jethro was old enough to show interest in him! (Typical for 2 year old boys I’d say) Now he talks to and interacts with Jethro and sometimes tries picking him up in a big hug! 😬🤦🏼‍♀️
Seeing how much they all love each other has been the biggest joy! Where the older two are, Jethro isn’t far behind and they truly love their baby brother and welcome him to join! (Until it appears as though he may break the legos they’ve been working on!)

In 2020, I quit my job as a hairdresser at a nursing home to stay home with the kids. Being a stay at home mom has always been my dream and though it can be a challenge, I can’t describe how thankful I am to God and to Andrew for allowing me to be home with our boys!
Andrew is working for the Junk Pirates which has been a fun, new endeavor! Tobias occasionally gets to go to work with him and Andrew’s boss even made Tobias his own business cards! The boys always look forward to seeing daddy’s truck and trailer come home!

In May, we drove to Florida to attend my cousin’s wedding and visit my grandparents! We stayed nearly a week with “Papa Fred” and “Grandma Susie” and it was such a fun, special time with them!

This summer we were able to vacation in Estes Park, Colorado with my family! Anyone who knew my family growing up probably remembers our love for Colorado and specifically Estes Park and the surrounding peaks! It was a special time of being together and introducing our boys to the same places I visited or hiked as a kid! While there, we were able to see elk at the YMCA (which the boys LOVED) and the boys still talk about Colorado and “their” elk often!

This summer the boys participated in a local track program-the same one my siblings and I participated in years ago! It was so surreal going back, being the parent this time and seeing the same coaches and volunteers help my own kids! They still hand out ribbons at the finish line which was a hit!!

This October marked two years since we started our chicken journey! By the time hens are two, their laying typically starts to slow down and ours are no exception. So we ordered 11 more in September to add to our flock! We also took several chicks from a local teacher who hatched the eggs with his class. We were excited for even more eggs, but quickly realized they were a breed of meat chickens which don’t lay well. Through the help of a family friend, we found an Amish woman who butchers chickens and thus started our meat chicken journey! We hope to get more in the future and implement the things we have learned from trial and error.

Something I have felt immensely grateful for this year is being close to family! All of our siblings (my 2 and Andrew’s 5) are in town and we don’t take it for granted! We know it may not always be this way but we are enjoying it while we can!

Tobias really wanted Andrew to take him hunting this year and Andrew made it happen the very last day of rifle season! They got a nice buck! Tobias was thrilled and came home excited to tell us about their adventure!

God has been so generous and gracious to us. We are so grateful for our three handsome boys, friends and family, our home, the animals 😂and so much more!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior this week!

Love,

The Vaughns