For the past couple years I’ve spend a considerable amount of December hand making and writing our family holiday cards. I bought supplies and made a plan for this year as well, but about halfway through the month I realized I would never be done in time, and besides that there were so many other things calling my attention. Learning to let go and prioritizing has been a theme of our year since Baby Forager made her appearance nearly four weeks ahead of schedule (and thankfully with no serious complications).

All of that said, I missed sending the cards for the point of connection they create. So many of our friends are spread out all over the world and sending a tangible note to show how much we value them was a big part of why I made a point of sending out cards each year. It’s a small gesture, but one I felt was important to continue in some way. A dear friend I know shared her Christmas letter on her blog, and it suddenly clicked that I could, and should do something similar!

As I alluded to earlier, this year has been quite an adjustment now that our little family has grown by one. We also spent the year settling into our new rented apartment. That was quite a big change that brought some great things (a planned, intentional living space, not just a randomly configured basement retrofitted as a suite!) and some challenges (where to put all the plants and the massive piano?). In a lot of ways we still feel like we’re settling in since there has been so much change in such a short amount of time.

Along with the new baby, and newish house, this year also brought a newly minted Master’s degree for Mr. Forager. He’s been working toward this goal for the past five years so having that finished is a huge weight off all our minds! We’re so proud of him, and he’s looking forward to having more time to work on some other projects that have been sidelined these past years (new Abram’s Epilogue album is in the works!).

Little Forager is enjoying his last year at home before heading off to school next fall. I was warned how quickly littles grow up, but I still can’t quite believe it! In some ways we’re so ready for the change, but in others not at all!

As for me I’m looking forward to more music teaching, and obviously working further on this blog. It’s been a great year of exploring my city and the surrounding area, and I’m excited for even more amazing adventures next year!