Merry Christmas 2016!!
Thank you for stopping by my blog for an electronic version of a Christmas letter. I do like sending them out with my cards but I also like having my archive on my blog so this is for this year! I know it seems a bit old fashioned to do an actual Christmas letter in this day of blogs, facebook and instagram, but there is still something to be said about sitting down and reflecting on your year as a family. I love reading letters from others (even if I know what they are up to every day!) so feel free to share in the comments or an email if you want!
As I looked back through our year, I could not believe how fast it went. It was a blur! Every day is so busy, special, and we are loving the joy our children bring to our lives. It is a truly a new adventure with twins as each little stage brings about its new challenges and surprises (both good and bad!).
Michael turned seven in October and is loving 1st grade. He is learning a lot and his teacher says he is smart as a whip and he picks up everything very quickly. Every day he is getting faster and stronger as a reader and we enjoy reading nightly together. Reading books was always a favorite of mine growing up, so it is fun to see him love it as well. Of course, he still loves to be read to at night by yours truly and this year we read through the first three books in the Harry Potter series. It was a treat for me as well as I had never read them and it was really special to experience them right along with Michael. We made it a special event to watch the movie after we had finished each book (which really was a reward as it took us months to get through each book...mostly because the reader was usually very sleepy at the end of a long day!).
Michael loves to play with Legos, watch his favorite YouTube channel videos, play minecraft (both on the ipad and in real life) and has recently gotten into Pokemon and Skylanders. I know...I can't keep up with it all either. He also had his first friends birthday party this year at our house. He is our cheerful boy, always with a smile on his face and ready to make a friend.
Brynn (above) and Anna (below) turned two in September and have been going a million miles since. They are learning new words and phrases every day and love to sing little songs to themselves. They are little mommies and love to take care of their baby dolls as well as read lots of books daily. They started a new daycare this fall and have been doing well there with their new friends and teachers. They love each other and are confused if "sissy" isn't around (even if one is still napping in their room). We are working hard on learning our own names (I'm Brynnie! No, I'M Brynnie!") so hopefully they can help people tell them apart because it is hard! They got 2nd place in the twins contest at the State Fair this year, losing only to a pair of twins whose moms were also twins!
Work continues to go well for both Scott and I. We realize that is an incredible blessing to have such gainful and steady employment for the number of years we have had. My days are busier than ever at Boone Middle School and I look going forward to school each day to work with my fantastic students. Each year I think it will be less busy or easier, but it gets busier every year as my number of students continue to climb (a good thing!). I am thankful that even in my 12th year of teaching, there are still surprises out there and I am quick to remind myself that these challenges are just opportunities for continued personal development. :o) Scott is also busy at work with State Farm in Johnston and is doing a great job with his big end of the year goals. He is thankful the girls new daycare is just a few blocks away from his office, making drop off in the morning a bit smoother for him.
We are so thankful every day for our beautiful family and the grace that God gave us in blessing us with two special baby girls after losing Trace. Every day is truly new as I never imagined this would be my family or this was what in the cards for my life. We still miss Trace every day and pray for him every night. It is especially hard at Christmas that he can't be here with us but we know we will meet one day again.
Here is a little of what we've been up to this year in photos:
Halloween! Michael was a white pumpkin head from minecraft story mode and the girls were Minnies!
This fall Michael turned seven and the girls turned two!
We managed to get the boat out this summer and Michael loved swimming in the lake. No luck on getting him up on water skis yet! Scott had to take some time off because of a knee surgery but we are happy he is back to feeling 100%.
Scott and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary by taking a trip to Cancun, Mexico. We are forever thankful to my mom for watching the kids for a week (a really big job!!) so we could enjoy the wonderful adult time. It was a dream!
In July we celebrated the 4th and also made our annual pilgrimage to Adventureland, where Michael swam in the wave pool for about five nonstop hours. He loved it and even took a second trip back later in the summer just with Scott (to do more non stop wave pooling).
April was Easter time.
In March we traveled to Florida with Scott's parents and spent a few days at Walt Disney World as well as Cocoa Beach, Legoland, and Sea World. It was really fun and again are so thankful to my mom for watching the girls while we were away. It was a big job for her but it was nice for us to not have a stroller or try and wrangle two toddler twins onto an airplane. The girls' day will come for Disney- we are holding out hope for when they are in kindergarten and we are finally done paying daycare bills!
And finally, our little loves at Valentine's day.
My hope for you is that you find some peace this Christmas season among the hustle and bustle and remember the best present you can give is your presence.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12
With love,
the Kundels
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