Merry Christmas 2017

Welcome to the 2017 Hedlund Happenings!

As I sit down to write my annual family Christmas letter, I’m struck by how much drama and adventure can be packed into twelve months.

This was definitely an adventurous year for us in many ways both big and small! While I’d love to share ALL of the adventures we had, I’ve narrowed down the top ten (in no particular order):

Adventure #1: Taking a trip to Washington DC

In April we were able to travel to Washington DC with our two youngest children. We enjoyed visiting popular landmarks and museums including the Museum of Natural History, the Capitol Building, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Zoo, and more.

Adventure #2: Winning the Superbowl

My husband is probably the world’s biggest New England Patriot fan. To say he’s a die-hard is an understatement. So this year’s Superbowl comeback and victory was certainly a heart-pounding adventure in our household.

Adventure #3: Graduating from High School

In June, our lovely twin daughters graduated from high school. We were thrilled to walk with them through such a special milestone. Family came from near and far to be a part of the celebration.

Adventure #4: Experiencing Sciatica

Over the summer, I developed a very painful case of sciatica in my lower back that radiated down my leg. With many sleepless and painful nights, I was reminded that life is short and not to take anything for granted. And it made me all the more grateful for the many opportunities of the year including: leading a workshop at the women’s retreat at our church, going on a writer’s retreat, and publishing 3 more books.

Adventure #5: Flooding in House

One of the toughest adventures of the year was when our town flooded, and we had almost two feet of water in our finished basement. We lost a LOT of stuff. But in the process learned that stuff is just stuff. It helped us clean out and simplify, which was long overdue anyway.

Adventure #6: Rebuilding our Basement

Of course, after the flooding, we spent weeks cleaning and drying out our basement along with rebuilding it. The new basement is simple but classy.

Adventure #7: Vacationing with Extended Family

Every summer we love getting together with extended family at a fun vacation spot. This year we congregated in Holland, MI and made the most of the beaches, ice cream, Dutch history, and more.

Adventure #8: Losing our Beloved Dog

After months of sickness, our faithful family dog, Annabelle, left this earth. We have many wonderful family memories involving our sweet dog, like her birthday celebration in January of this year.

Adventure #9: Taking Oldest Son and Twin #1 to College

In August, we crammed our mini-van (and the car top carrier) from floor to ceiling with everything college related and drove five hours to central Ohio to drop off our oldest son and twin #1 at Cedarville University.

Adventure #10: Taking Twin #2 to College & Half-Empty Nest

A week after we took two kids to college in Ohio, we packed up the van again and this time drove a shorter distance away to take twin #2 to Saginaw Valley State University. Now the nest is over half-empty. The two left in the nest are still keeping us busy with their school and activities.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

The Hedlunds