Wrapping up 2016

Hey friends!
It's a testament to the demands of life as to why I have been absent for (gasp) almost an entire year!  Life has continued to be full of blessings and fun, but sadly, not documented as well as I would have hoped.  With that being said, 2016 was another year that didn't disappoint.  We welcomed a little fella to our family on November 28th!  Max joined us at 12:46 pm at a happy, healthy (and very big!) 9 pounds 6 ounces.  He came quickly and smoothly, which I was happy about, especially because he was running out of room, and was several days late!  He has been an easy addition to the family so far, with a very good disposition and "go with the flow" attitude.  We surely think he's great, and so do his big sisters!

Shortly before Max arrived we faced some incredible sadness when we were faced with the passing of our big sweet Great Dane, Bella.  She went to doggie heaven on November 19th, after falling very ill.  She was our first "baby" after we were married and it was a crushing loss for all of us, including the girls and both of our families.  Of course everyone thinks their dog is the best, and we thought so too!  It was a true blessing adopting her and having her with us for 7 years.  We miss her loud bark and wagging tail!

Jeff is still the head varsity wrestling coach at one of the local high schools, so that is keeping him busy (and tired!)  Claire and Anna seem to be quite happy to be home with me for the time that I am off with Max.  We are trying to work hard on some letters, words, and other educational items, but we're still having fun making crafts, painting pictures and baking cookies!

I would like to make the blog a priority in 2017, especially so Max has something to look back on.  I pray that your December has been happy and full of blessings so far.  Check back soon to see some pictures from Max's newborn shoot.  As soon as I get them back, I will share some here!