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Sarah's dad has been telling us for years that "things will get easier as the kids get older," and this is the first year where that finally felt true :) We’re able to do things as a family of five that would have felt downright foolish a few years ago—like attend the state fair, ride bikes in the street, do a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, go hiking, ride kiddie roller coasters, and see a movie in theaters. Throughout the year, we found ourselves embracing Pokémon, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and Gabby's Dollhouse while still cherishing classic childhood fun: climbing trees, coloring, reading books, and playing with a menagerie of stuffed animals. Our children enjoy our weekly trip to the pool and have honed their playdate-persuasion skills!
NLW remains an animal lover and has recently taken to sitting on our front porch with the Merlin app open, ready to record and recognize birds. The twins started Pre-K in the fall, and EDW has a deep affection for coloring unicorns and mermaids. Following in his mother's footsteps, CCW may be addicted to board games, most notably Machi Koro. Sarah still loves blogging, reading, thrifting, and regularly rearranges the furniture in our home haha! Mr. Fleece is slowly learning a new water sport (look up wing foiling) and is excited to teach the kids how to ski this winter.
Aside from daily adventures, this year took us back to some of our favorite spots: Camano Island, the farmhouse in Missouri, and Connecticut—all visits with grandparents! We also road-tripped to the peninsula and spent our 13th wedding anniversary at Olympic National Park (see family photo on front). Overall, we've had a wonderful year and hope to set up a playdate with you soon ;)
Merry Christmas!
