Holiday Letter 2011
Wow, what a year it has been! With the craziness that is going on around here, we nearly decided to take Christmas cards out of our schedule. But keeping in touch with our friends and family around the holidays is a priority we simply can’t write off! So we hope our greeting finds you all happy and healthy, awaiting the peace and joy that only the Christ child can bring.
Our year started off in full force with the sale of our beloved home of ten years.
We were sad to leave behind such an important part of our lives, but our family had since expanded and we needed a little more space! So in early March the whole herd picked up and moved a mere 2½ miles southwest. We love our new house, the bigger, fenced yard, the quiet (and safer!) cul-de-sac, and the friendly neighbors!
We chose not to take a “real” family vacation this year so we could focus on getting settled and save some cash. Instead, when school let out in May we packed our bags for a few days in Minneapolis to attend a wedding and spend some time with Steve’s family. Though we didn’t call it “vacation,” the boys had a blast playing with their cousins, visiting with Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, and uncles, and exploring the Mall of America.
When we got home, summer was in full force already, and what a summer we had! After record-setting low temperatures and lots of snowfall this past winter, Wichita experienced the HOTTEST SUMMER EVER with 53 days above 100 degrees. It was a hot season at the ball diamonds for Joseph’s first year of machine pitch, but he and his brothers didn’t mind too much because they spent nearly every day at our neighborhood pool! Little Sammy, who was afraid to go in the water at the end of May, was swimming on his own and jumping into the pool just two weeks later. Even Baby Zach couldn’t be held back, and he would run and jump and splash his way around the pool with his little inner tube. Alex, David, and Joseph spent most of their summer in the “deep end” playing for hours on end and developing a beautiful bronze tan despite our best efforts to keep them covered with sunscreen.
In June, Steve reached the ripeold young age of 40 and we had a surprise party to celebrate! We felt blessed that Steve’s parents could make it down for the event and so many friends, family, and colleagues were able to stop by and offer their condolences congrats.
We were just starting to feel like we were getting settled into our new place and getting a grip on the chaos we call life when big changes came again. We soon found we are expecting Little Blessing #6, and the timing couldn’t have been better! But with a new baby comes a difficult pregnancy, and Michelle spent late summer and the better part of fall sick and SLOW. The unpacking, organizing, and decorating had to go on hold (for probably another year) and we are simply trying to stay on top of the basics such as feeding and clothing the boys and schoolwork. Fortunately our 20-week sonogram of Baby revealed a beautiful four-chambered heart, so we are very hopeful that this time our child won’t have to undergo the agonizing surgeries that Zachy endured.
As the weather turned cooler this fall, Steve kept himself busy planting trees in our backyard and trying to breathe new life into our lawn that the heat and the dog had somewhat destroyed. Alex decided to give Tae-Kwon-Do a try, and he has plans to someday soon test for black belt.
David decided to give the sport a go as well, so our latest challenge is separating the two when they get into a kicking-and-punching martial arts dual.
Joseph is doing well in the second grade and has the unique ability to relate well to both the older and younger set of brothers.
Sammy is in Pre-K this year and enjoyed his first official soccer season!
Zachary turned three in early December and behaves just like any other child his age! We are thankful that his heart condition doesn’t seem to slow him down the least bit, though I sometimes use it as the excuse reason as to why he is still in diapers.
We have certainly had our share of challenges and sorrow this year in addition to the excitement and incredible joy that come with raising a household of little boys. It is definitely a juggling act where we often drop the balls. But we feel incredibly blessed to be entrusted to their care, and at the end of the day the only regret we have is how fast time with our children seems to fly.
Our wish for our family and for each of you this Christmas season is to slow down a bit, to be thankful for what we have, and to enjoy the time we have with each other. Our thoughts and prayers for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Much love,
The Hagerotts
Our year started off in full force with the sale of our beloved home of ten years.
We were sad to leave behind such an important part of our lives, but our family had since expanded and we needed a little more space! So in early March the whole herd picked up and moved a mere 2½ miles southwest. We love our new house, the bigger, fenced yard, the quiet (and safer!) cul-de-sac, and the friendly neighbors!
We chose not to take a “real” family vacation this year so we could focus on getting settled and save some cash. Instead, when school let out in May we packed our bags for a few days in Minneapolis to attend a wedding and spend some time with Steve’s family. Though we didn’t call it “vacation,” the boys had a blast playing with their cousins, visiting with Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, and uncles, and exploring the Mall of America.
When we got home, summer was in full force already, and what a summer we had! After record-setting low temperatures and lots of snowfall this past winter, Wichita experienced the HOTTEST SUMMER EVER with 53 days above 100 degrees. It was a hot season at the ball diamonds for Joseph’s first year of machine pitch, but he and his brothers didn’t mind too much because they spent nearly every day at our neighborhood pool! Little Sammy, who was afraid to go in the water at the end of May, was swimming on his own and jumping into the pool just two weeks later. Even Baby Zach couldn’t be held back, and he would run and jump and splash his way around the pool with his little inner tube. Alex, David, and Joseph spent most of their summer in the “deep end” playing for hours on end and developing a beautiful bronze tan despite our best efforts to keep them covered with sunscreen.
In June, Steve reached the ripe
As the weather turned cooler this fall, Steve kept himself busy planting trees in our backyard and trying to breathe new life into our lawn that the heat and the dog had somewhat destroyed. Alex decided to give Tae-Kwon-Do a try, and he has plans to someday soon test for black belt.
We have certainly had our share of challenges and sorrow this year in addition to the excitement and incredible joy that come with raising a household of little boys. It is definitely a juggling act where we often drop the balls. But we feel incredibly blessed to be entrusted to their care, and at the end of the day the only regret we have is how fast time with our children seems to fly.
Our wish for our family and for each of you this Christmas season is to slow down a bit, to be thankful for what we have, and to enjoy the time we have with each other. Our thoughts and prayers for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Much love,
The Hagerotts
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