hanson family christmas letter

 Merry Christmas from the Hanson family!

What a wonderful year 2023 has been; we are so grateful for how our family has grown - in many ways. 

This year, Nate has continued working at Buffer, heading up the Billing department in customer support. He got us through the project of transforming half of our garage into a master suite - it was stressful, but so worth it! But his favorite parts of the year were things we did as a family: waterpark trips, picnic dinners, date nights with the girls, puzzles at the kitchen table, and welcoming our little Johnnie boy. He makes us smile and laugh every day, and we couldn’t be crazier about him.

I (Shelby) have had a wonderful year. I’ve continued working with Nate on our podcast Almost Heretical (and second subscriber-only podcast, Utterly Heretical). I loved summer break, where the girls and I got to go on so many adventures - going to the river, parks, splash pads, long walks, libraries, and anywhere that has ice cream. Being pregnant was such a special experience for me. Johnnie’s birth was hard and scary, but we’re all grateful to be healthy and healing well. Becoming his mom is one of my greatest honors! 

Lucy turned 8 this year and is in 3rd grade! She played her second season of soccer and learned how to boogie board with her cousins on family beach trips. She loved going to Great Wolf Lodge again with her cousins and grandparents. Her favorite color is purple, her favorite animals are cats, and her favorite food is Annie’s white cheddar macaroni and cheese. She loves having her best friend Ellie over for sleepovers and playing with the neighbors in our cul de sac. She’s been blowing through chapter books, and is currently on book 8 of her favorite series called Unicorn Princesses. She amazes us every day with her intellect, humor, and creativity.

Zinni turned 4 this year and is in her second year of preschool, trying out a new preschool this year. She loves playing with Lucy, building with magnet shapes, blocks, or play-dough, and doing puzzles. She’s starting to read with Bob Books, and loves changing her outfit many times a day. Today, her favorite color is dark blue, though it changes regularly. Her favorite animals are zebras because they start with Z, and she also loved going to Great Wolf Lodge this year. She is a joy to watch grow! 

On November 19th, we added a new member to our family: John Nathaniel Hanson. In the few short weeks we’ve known him, we have loved his sweet sounds and sleepy smiles. He hates having his diaper changed, but loves staring deep into the eyes of those near him. He’s a great sleeper and eater, and we couldn’t love him more!

Lastly, our family has grown on the pet front! We finally figured out how to keep a fish alive, Lucy’s beta fish Swish (accompanied by the snails Goldie and Maze). In February, we welcomed a half-beagle half-lab puppy, Lily Belle! While having a puppy was a lot more work than Daddy and I remembered… she is the sweetest and snuggliest little dog, and we’re so glad we found her. We re-homed three kittens that wandered into our yard this summer, and we continue to love our sweet and silly tuxedo cat, Oreo Cookie.

Life is beautiful with so many wonderful members of our family. There’s so much love to go around, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Wishing health and happiness from our family to yours. Merry Christmas!