Annually, I write a Christmas Letter to wrap up our year as a family. Over the years, these letters have been shared through email and social media—often with a little more honesty than you'd expect. Now, I’m archiving them here for posterity (and probably a good laugh down the road). It’s our way of reflecting on the highs, the lows, and everything in between.
CHRISTMAS LETTER
This year someone asked the kids what I do for work, after thinking for a few seconds they responded, “He goes to lunch”. That is a good way to sum up the year. After nearly 18 months in Texas, we are still searching for a business, still putting down roots, a…
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Listen, we aren’t getting any younger around here. My hairline knows it, my arthritic shoulders know it, and my kids definitely know it. With that in mind, we packed up this summer and moved from Florida back to Texas. In 2013 Heidi and I moved to Pensacola wi…
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So, when you have four kids aged 7 and under your desire to travel is greatly curtailed, as is the desire to eat in restaurants, or leave your house, or stay in your house. This was our 2023. I love my kids, but I have often made the joke that I do wish I stil…
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“Hans Family, party of six” Growing up as the oldest of four siblings I vividly remember hearing this when we went out to restaurants, I guess for some reason I thought that was enough to be ready for having four kids ourselves. That was a lie.
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As has become a somewhat consistent theme over the last six years, our Christmas letter again starts with Heidi being pregnant. As baby number #4 will fill out the seats in the van I feel pretty confident in saying this is the end of an era. We don’t know the…
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In 2020 our kids got taller and I got wider. I really took that COVID-19 to heart, or should I say stomach.
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How do I wrap up our life for the past year? Well we drive a minivan now. I think that says enough. Also, we love it. Sliding doors, low floor height and cupholders for the win!
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Every time Heidi and I have moved in the last 10 years we have broken a grill. Weird flex, but ok. The last few years I have not bought a replacement in anticipation of a probable move. We still haven’t moved, and we finally decided it was time to put down roo…
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In 2017 Heidi and I went from “having a baby” to “being parents”. We are totally nailing it. Lily has about .010 batting average for using the toilet, can count to five if two & four are not required, and her favorite thing to carry around is Dexter’s dirty di…
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Let’s start with an apology. Last year’s Christmas letter was basically a series of lies. I told you that Heidi was expecting in 2016, then Lily made her arrival on December 29th (she beat the tax deadline, and it is probably the last time she will save me mon…
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In a world where we move almost as frequently as we buy new shoes, it seems to get harder and harder to stay in contact. We have met so many awesome, fun, or otherwise “interesting” people and families in our short lives that we want to stay in touch with (if…
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I know you were probably waiting all year for a picture of Heidi a year older and one of me a year more distinguished, but it didn’t happen. It won’t either. I know some people will take a picture with their dog, but we don’t roll that way, on principle. We ca…
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