Christmas Letter 2021
Dear Friends and Family-
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 gender, and may just let the baby decide their own pronouns in the future (kidding). When baby #4 arrives In February we will have a 6, 4, 2 and new born baby. Pray for us, that is a lot of kids, and in the words of Joe Exotic “I am never going to financially recover from this”.
This year has been a lot of keeping our head down and going to work. After 14 years, 10 on active duty, and 4 on Reserve Orders I left full time Navy work in August. I am now full time at our real estate company Climb Capital. It has been a crazy year as a growing small business, lots of hiring, adjusting, buying/selling, and figuring things out. We are really excited about our future, and have shifted focus to investing in and operating RV parks going forward.
At the beginning of the year, I needed an executive assistant, I hired the most qualified and the cheapest, Heidi. We then hired part time nannies so she could focus a few days a week and she shifted to bill paying, bookkeeping, and any nursing question needs. I am very thankful for her help and only time will tell what next year looks like.
This year saw Lily starting Kindergarten at our local elementary school and we were blessed to have a great first year teacher who we already knew from church. In fact, Heidi and Lily attended her wedding this summer. Lily loves school, and is just starting to learn how to read. I applied on a whim for the School’s Advisory Council thinking that I would never be selected as a kindergarten parent, but only 6 people applied for 6 spots, so I was selected by default. At our first meeting I somehow caused the door to lock behind me and some of the other members were unable to get in, while they were locked out, I was selected as chairman. So, I would say we are crushing elementary school politics.
As a family we put some good miles on the minivan. We went to Texas for my sister Kelley’s wedding in April, to Indiana for Heidi’s grandmother’s funeral in May, and our bi-annual beach vacation in Fernandina Beach with my family in July. The kids also got two weeks in Texas without us for grandparents’ camp. I, being the wonderful husband I am, tried to plan a kid free vacation for Heidi and I during that time, but somehow ended up booking the only kid friendly resort in Biloxi, MS, Margaritaville! ugh.
Max is now a walking and talking germ machine. He had no ongoing issues after his seizure scare last year, but he does find a new virus from preschool just about every other week. He wants to be wherever his siblings are, wants to do things himself, is a really happy guy, and is obsessed with Mommy. He has no idea how much his life is going to change in February, but he will roll with the punches.
Dexter continues to be our sensitive guy. He loves his Hot Wheels, hates loud noises, and fluctuates on his thoughts about Lily. He picked up riding his bike this year, has started to swim but hasn’t committed, and still likes playing catch. He also has found a way to do anything as slowly as humanly possible. I think he will be our sarcastic jokester when he is old enough to actually understand sarcasm, but until then everyone is just a “silly pickle”.
Lily continues to talk, ALL THE TIME. She loves to be helpful, loves to learn, and loves to ask questions until Heidi and I go crazy. We are working on not talking back, but to be honest we aren’t doing real well yet. She went from scared to swimming this year and loves being adventurous. I can still beat her in a foot race, but I’ll retire from racing in a few years when she has a few more inches.
Heidi and I have now been married for 13 years. We still like each other. We plan on buying a RV this year, I am sure that will go about as well as all the boats we have owned (see previous Christmas Letters). However now that we are focusing on RV parks, it makes sense to visit them once in a while. We both are still serving at church and take every advantage to have lunch together while the kids are at school.
Though I work a lot, it has been nice to pick my own schedule and be home for dinner. That should continue next year and we hope to take advantage and travel more (maybe even in a RV!). We hope we can see more friends and family after we settle into life as Hans Family, party of 6.
Stay in touch and if you want to visit the beach, come join the mad house!
Sincerely
Jeremy, Heidi, Lily, Dexter, Max, and baby #4
