Wow. What a year! Is it just us or has 2022 zipped right on by?

This Christmas, we are feeling abundantly thankful for our family and friends. We hope you are ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior with happy hearts, clear minds, and full homes.

This year we have seen some of the very tops of the mountains where the hand of God was evident. We’ve also experienced some of life’s valleys where we have been reminded that we have a Lord who is always faithful, present, and always the same. It has been a comfort in both experiences to see Him at work!

Here are the moments from 2022 we hope to never ever forget <3

• Visited family in Waynesville, MO for New Year.
• Checked out Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, MO
• Got a library card and visit often
• Mom learned to make sourdough bread and ate it alone all winter (and gained a little weight in the process LOL)
• Got another big snow that we quickly fled from
• Booked a last minute trip to Seaside, FL for February
• Road tripped to 30A
• Bucket-list photos of the boys on the beach
• Pit stop at Wetumpka ( Hometown Takeover town)
• A STL Blues game for mom and dad
• Grayson learned to ride a bike with no training wheels
• Silhouette photos of our boys <3
• Grayson impressed us with some awesome drawings
• We celebrated SIX YEARS of marriage
• The boys’ first Cardinals Game
• Grayson played his first season of coach pitch baseball
• Illinois Baptist Women’s Conference for mom
• Grayson graduated Pre-K and was KG Bound!
• Daddy got a Blackstone
• A hotel stay in Paducah, complete with swimming and a putting green at the hotel
• Uncle Dyl + Aunt Meg got MARRIED
• Grayson turned FIVE
• Hudson fell in love with his balance bike
• Road tripped to Waco, TX for the 4th of July (Magnolia, an up close lion encounter, The Branch Davidian Compound, 4th on the Brazos,)
• We gained 3 new cousins, Walker, Kaden, + Reagan
• Lots of Golf…and ice cream
• Dog sat for grandma Marilyn.
• We moved
• Gray started Kindergarten at Coram Deo Classical School (his BFF William is in his class)
• Huddy started Pre-K with THE Ms. Tiffany
• Business launches x 2
• Flag football Champions
• CDCS Pumpkin Patch Field trip
• Hudson’s first horseback ride
• The best Halloween costume duo (Tiger + his caddy)
• Hudson turned 3
• Brunch Charcuterie for Thanksgiving
• All 4 of us were able to be a part of the Christmas Parade with our church
• We visited The Lights with the whole family

Hudson continues to stay true to his nickname of our little Sour Patch Kid. He is funny, serious, matter-of-fact, and such a boy! He is loving his time at TLC Pre-school. He prefers to ride his balance bike even though he COULD ride a normal one. He is a snuggly movie-watching machine. He plays wonderfully on his own and tends to be our more bashful one.

Grayson has had a big year. He graduated pre-k and had to say goodbye to dear friends that our family had grown to love. Thankfully his 2 besties played baseball AND football with us. Baseball proved to be a humbling experience but we made up for it as flag football champions this fall! He was beyond excited to hear he would be attending Coram Deo Classical School with his cousin and best buddy, William!

Matthew tackled, yet again, 2 busy seasons as a “single dad”. He is such a trooper. He got his money’s worth of golf at the Country Club. He got gold lessons for Father’s Day. He and I launched a stand alone business with our selfie stand photo booth. Moving into town meant high speed internet which meant gaming is now an option again! We checked off 2 of our bucket list travel destinations in one year. He took a new job as a paraprofessional at Summersville School. He celebrated his 29th birthday… can’t wait to plan something fun for his 30th next year!

As for me, I am thankful to have got to spend so much time with my 3 boys. I have too many favorite parts of the year to narrow them down. I turned 30 in September and didn’t feel like the world was ending…so I guess that is a plus. LOL A big life change was adding a permanent jewelry business to the mix. I have been blown away at the response and can’t believe the provisions it has created. I always adore the time Matthew and I get to spend just the two of us. As the years go on, our friendship, love, and commitment to each other becomes stronger and stronger. For that, I am so thankful! Reflecting on the year, I can’t believe how much the boys have grown and matured. Just today they were giggling and wrestling in our bed all over their daddy and I thought this is the greatest Sunday morning ever. I am beyond blessed.

We are blown away by the changes that took place this year and can’t even begin to imagine the changes to come. God is surely good!

All our love,

Matthew, Alaina, Grayson, and Hudson