Christmas letter 2014

As I sit down to write our yearly letter - all I can really think of is how lucky we are to have our little family. We have kids who still want us to tuck them in at night and cuddle them to sleep. While some parents might find it an inconvenience to lay down with their kids every night- we get to have conversations as they get sleepy and lots of great cuddles. 

The years just keep flying by and here we are at the close of 2014- already. In all, it was a good year. We suffered one major injury- Wyatt broke his wrist two days after he turned 7. They were able to set it and we avoided surgery and it has healed well. I slipped and fell down the stairs while carrying Maris in February and hurt my back and pelvis while trying to protect her. I still have some pain but massages and the chiropractor are helping. Other than a few bouts of colds and allergies we were mostly healthy!

Mike traveled a bit, hunted a few times, did some fishing and worked a lot this year. Integrity (his business) is busier than ever and we are blessed with a good group of employees and steady work throughout the busy and slow season. 

My year has been busy. Three kids, a sometimes very busy private practice and coordinating the art program at Maddie and Wyatt's school is enough. Add in knitting, writing, laundry and time for friends and family and I have very little free time!

Maddie had a huge year in 2014. Our girl is growing up so fast. She won the Future Chef competition for our county and then went on to be one of 35 kids in the whole country whose recipes were recognized. She won a kindle fire prize package including a $100 amazon card - which she used to buy Legos. She also won the calendar contest for Evening of the Arts at her school. Her painting of a bird of paradise flower was chosen to be part of a calendar. Early in the school year she also won an essay contest. She is in fourth grade. Her class is an all gifted class and it is a tough class. It was a huge learning curve this year with much higher expectations. She is a crazy, awesome reader, too. She has read more than 688,000 words since school started just on her accelerated reader program. She has finished 20 novels (including the Hunger Games series). I love that she loves to read so much!

Wyatt is having a great year in school in second grade. First grade wasn't so great. He had a class that wasn't a good fit for him and there were some very disruptive kids in his class. After trying to find a solution that helped him feel better about school, we decided to finish first grade at home. He returned to Plew in August and has one of the best teachers ever. We were so lucky to have Mrs. Leighton for Maddie and now Wyatt gets to have her, too. He is doing much better in his class this year. Wyatt is really good at math and also loves to read! He is really starting to get into chapter books and currently is working on a 39 clues book. For comparison, Wyatt has amassed 30,000 words on his AR program- we are impressed with his reading too! He loves Pokemon, throwing the football, shooting his rifle and hopes to go hunting with his dad for the first time this year. 

Maris is three now. She sailed through her two's as a pretty sweet and easy going girl. Somewhere on the way to three, though, she was switched out for a persistent, obstinate yet possibly still sweet preschooler. She goes to school twice a week and absolutely loves her program. Anytime we drive by the church she says- "that's my school!" She had to say goodbye to her first best friend, Sammy, in August. She still asks if she is done on her trip and if she will come back to her house soon. Sammy and Maris were just 1 week apart in age and grew up together literally. I really miss her momma, too. She has found a new best friend or two, though and seems to be coping fairly well. She loves to play with her dolls, cook us food in her kitchen and has an amazing imagination. She plays really well on her own and sometimes I stand outside her door and listen to her playing with her toys. The conversations are so interesting.

We had a new addition to our family in 2014 - Waldo, the Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy, joined our family on March 18 at 8 weeks old and 17 lbs. We started looking for a breeder at the end of 2013 and finally settled on an amazing breeder in the Birmingham, AL area. The puppies were born March 22 - 14 of them. Waldo "the whale" was aptly named due to his large size at birth. He has continued to grow and at 8 months old is a solid 105 lbs and almost 28" at the withers. I (Anne) spent 18 weeks in obedience training classes with him every Monday night while Mike took over bedtime duties. When we chose a Rhodesian Ridgeback we made the commitment to have a well trained dog. Waldo and I graduated basic, intermediate and finally advanced obedience classes together. In the end he earned his first title - the AKC Canine Good Citizen - he is now Celtic Lore's Wandering Emerald Warrior CGC! We may show him in the future, but are focusing mainly on getting certified as a therapy dog team and in the future may also pursue service dog training for him when he is closer to 2 years old.

My parents moved back to the area this spring - we are so thankful for their return. The past three years with no local family support has been a challenge and we missed Mimi and Papa terribly. They lived with us for a few months until settling in Rocky Bayou in a cute little house. We are thankful for the weekly family dinners, the help and relationship building with the kids and the friendship they offer us. I know that they are happy to be here to see Maddie, Wyatt and Maris grow up. Between the two families we have four dogs and they all pretty much love each other, too!

We traveled some this year - New Oreans, St. Augustine,  Georgia mountains twice, Anne went to Birmingham for her mother's surgery and our big trip of the year is 2 weeks in the NC mountains over the Christmas break. We hope for snow!

We hope that 2014 has been a great year for you and your families as well and that 2015 brings joy and laughter and many blessings. Take time to really connect as families and friends - unplug from the craziness of life and focus on what is really important!

Love,

The Hinze Family

Wyatt and all 14 puppies from Waldo's litter

Maddie practicing for the Chef competition

Sweet Waldo at 8 weeks old

Group painting project Anne did with Maddie's third grade class

Group painting project Anne did with Wyatt's first grade class 

Maddie and her poster the school district made for her

Waldo hoping Maris drops something good.

Best friends! Tango and Waldo.

Waldo at 7 months old

A boy and his two dogs

Maddie working on an art project Dec. 2014

Wyatt working on a candy cane jumble for art. Dec. 2014

Hinze Happenings 2013 - Christmas Letter

Hinze Happenings 2013

As I sit down to write this year’s letter I’m sitting here wondering where the year went! I think 2013 was one of the fastest years on record for our family.

We’ve had a lot of changes in our lives this year! In March we moved to a new house - our “forever” home. Our previous home was for sale for close to a year before we got an offer. I think I must have looked at close to 60 houses in person (I previewed a lot before Mike took off work to see them) and I know I looked at probably 200 easily online! In the end it really was God’s timing in all this as our dream home came on the market just before our contract went into effect on the house we were selling. We left 1500 square feet and 3 bedrooms for a spacious, two-story home with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, an office and an amazing back porch and back yard. Michael and I had this impossible list of things we wanted in a house and all in all we matched most of those items. The best thing about it is we are on a cul-de-sac and there are about 8 other kids on our street - most of them the same ages as our older two kids. Our home is the epicenter of life on the street and most afternoons and evenings you can find all the neighborhood kids in our front or back yard.

Mike’s business, Integrity Yacht Management, is still flourishing. They are well respected and keep quite busy. He didn’t seem to fish as much this summer, but it was mostly due to the crazy rain we kept having! Last hunting season brought 4 deer to our freezer and two bucks mounted on our living room wall. This hunting season is looking promising with two does ready to go in the freezer and another hunting trip possibly in January. He is an awesome provider for our family! Mike found a great deal on a boat this past spring and after some finishing touches - our Boston Whaler center console was ready for the water. We enjoyed several boat rides and family outings before the weather turned colder this Fall. A devout Florida State fan, Mike hasn’t cut his hair since football season started and announced that he wouldn’t cut it until FSU loses... I am kind of fond of his long locks and the matching full beard (it’s coming in solid white on the sides). I hope FSU continues their undefeated season so I can keep my rugged-looking husband!

I (Anne) spent most of my year packing, unpacking and organizing it seems. They are not my favorite things to do! After a painful bout of shingles in March, I was determined to find answers about what was going on with my health. After a lot of blood work it was determined that I have celiac disease and some nutritional deficiencies (caused by the celiac). The gluten left our house soon after that and what a difference it has made since going gluten free! When I was having all my testing done, we also did allergy testing for the kids and found out that Maddie and Wyatt are both allergic to wheat. We were already gluten free at this point, but it helped validate that we needed to stay that way for everyone.  I continue to see moms and babies as a private practice IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) and have found my niche in my field - becoming well versed on structural issues that affect oral motor skills in infants. I also knit - many projects at once usually, as it helps with my “knitter’s ADD” affliction. Between driving kids to and from school, to activities and volunteering as the Oval Art Teacher in both Maddie and Wyatt’s classes this year - I stay incredibly busy.

We decided to keep Maddie and Wyatt at Plew Elementary instead of switching schools when we moved. We love Plew and feel well plugged in there!

Maddie is in the 3rd grade this year. She was identified as “gifted” and is in an all gifted and talented class this year. Her teacher is very keen on technology and she has learned a lot so far this year. She continues to make the A-Honor Roll each grade period She reads like crazy! It’s not unusual for her to read 4-8 chapter books a week sometimes! Her favorites are Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton - I imagine she’s read almost all of them by now. She is taking private voice lessons and her instructor has been very good for her. Our girl remains a perfectionist and we really have to encourage her to try new things - she’s one who doesn’t want to try something unless she feels like she can do it already. She enjoys Lego Friends, her rainbow loom bracelet maker, playing with her girlfriends and reading a lot! She got glasses recently (for reading) and she looks so grown up!

Wyatt is in 1st grade this year and is doing really well. His teachers are both great - he is lucky to be in a team teaching project. He is also reading a lot - he reads at a second grade level (after starting at a much lower level at the beginning of the year). Seeing my kids’ get the reading bug is such a thrill to me! Wyatt will turn 7 in just a few weeks (Jan. 2) and I can’t believe he was so little last year. After more than a year of growing out his hair to below his shoulders, he decided to cut it short a few weeks ago. I have to say I’m partial to the short cut myself - he’s so handsome! Wyatt enjoys playing outside with the neighborhood kids. There are endless “Man Hunts,” nerf wars and bike rides. He is starting to enjoy Legos a little more and we just recently introduced limited video games in our house. We bought an original xbox - no bells and whistles!

Maris turned 2 at the end of October and she is an incredible blessing in our lives. It seems hard to imagine life without her. It amazes me still - but Maddie and Wyatt have never shown any jealousy (other than jealousy about her not spending time with one vs. the other!). There has never been any resentment for this interloper who joined our family unexpectedly. She talks - oh does she talk! Sometimes I have to remind her to take a breath - her sentences are SO long! She has been much healthier since moving to a newer house with less dust - last year was hard for all of us healthwise! Maris did break her tibia in her left leg in October - it seemed simple compared to Maddie’s broken arm several years ago that required two visits to the OR. She sat on a friend’s lap going down a twirly slide and her bare foot stuck on the side wall. She had a purple cast up to her hip - but amazingly learned how to walk with it. She has made a full recovery (thanks a lot to our chiropractor who got her pelvis realigned after walking weirdly for several weeks).

In all, 2013 was a good year. A new house, a few trips to South Florida, new friends, old friends and fun with family. Our animals are happy and healthy and we are incredibly thankful for our friends. We have settled into a new church - Destiny Worship Center - and are thankful for our spiritual family. We love seeing our children grow in their faith and understanding of God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

We have many things to look forward to in 2014. We are incredibly excited that my parents are (finally) moving back to the Panhandle sometime late winter/early spring. They have sold their house in South Florida and are waiting to decide if my Dad will retire or search for a job up here. My sister has moved to New Orleans where she is an RN at a large hospital and my brother has taken to life working on private boats - but is presently here at the moment.

We hope that 2013 has been a good year for you and your family and that 2014 will bring you much joy and many blessings. We pray that this Christmas you are able to find the wonder of the season. We celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that you will have enough in your life always and that life will leave you feeling grateful.

Much love,

Mike, Anne, Maddie, Wyatt and Maris Hinze
Hinzefamily5@icloud.com
www.thehinzefamily.blogspot.com

Hinze Happenings 2011 - Counting our Blessings

2011 was a year of many blessings for our family, along with a few sad events as well. Our biggest announcement for the year was in the form of a little baby girl born October 27, 2011 at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. Maris Josephine arrived after 37 hours of hard work on the part of mom, dad and our doula, Christy. She weighed 6 pounds 15.7 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. We planned a home birth with a great midwife - hoping to have this baby vaginally after 2 prior c-sections. While we ended up transferring from home to hospital - we still achieved the VBAC birth and couldn’t be happier with our experience. Our midwife was still there for the birth, along with our back-up OB and doula. We are over the top with joy to have another little girl after thinking our family was complete at two! 

Our year started with birthdays as usual - Wyatt turned 4 and Maddie turned 6. Just days after Maddie’s birthday we were surprised to discover we were expecting another baby! After the shock wore off (it took several months) - we set to preparing for this little one’s arrival at the end of October.

Mike’s business, Integrity Boat and Yacht Services had another great year. There was some concern with the economy, but for every boat “lost”, another or sometimes even more boats were added to the fleet that Integrity maintains for their owners. There were some huge fish caught with Captain Mike this year - a 147-lb tuna, 58-pound grouper and a few huge amberjacks as well topped the list of big’uns. Trips were made to Louisiana and several deliveries to South Florida kept Mike busy and gone from home throughout the year. Mike rounded out the year with the 4th Annual “Cowboy Party” with his good friends and clients. They spent 5 days up in Alabama hunting. Mike returned with two deer this year!

Most of Anne’s year was spent being pregnant. Morning sickness plagued her once again and lasted the duration of her pregnancy unfortunately. Thanks to the care of a fabulous midwife - she had a much healthier pregnancy this time around (It really is all in the diet!). Maris’ pregnancy lasted 39 weeks and 5 days compared to 36 and 37 weeks for Maddie and Wyatt. She was also the biggest baby so far - close to a pound heavier than Maddie and Wyatt! Other than having to have an iron infusion near the end of her pregnancy, there were no major complications this time around. Anne continued to lead a breastfeeding support group as a La Leche League Leader. Her meetings are some of the biggest in the state with regular attendance hitting 20-30 moms each month! After almost 5 years of studying and taking classes - Anne took the exam to become an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Just a few hours after Maris’ birth, Anne received notification that she had passed the exam. It was exciting to welcome  a baby and become an IBCLC all in one day! She plans to ease into her private practice helping moms and babies overcome their breastfeeding challenges as Maris gets older.

Maddie is almost 7 years old (Feb. 26) and in first grade. We’ve continued with homeschooling and Classical Conversations this year. Maddie loves math, but hasn’t yet discovered the joys of reading (although she does read quite well - she just doesn’t enjoy it). She took swimming lessons this summer and wowed us with her amazing backstroke. We’ve talked about joining the Barracuda’s swim team, but she said she isn’t interested. She wants to try Karate in January, though. She’s a fabulous big sister - helping mommy with the baby every day, sometimes without being asked!

Wyatt is almost 5 years old (Jan. 2) and as always a very funny guy. He is in preschool this year and although the beginning of the year was a bit of a rough transition he’s loving it now. He tells his teacher all kinds of funny things like “My dad caught a big fish and then he Chick-fil-a’d it.” When his class was singing Christmas songs this year he told them his favorite song was “grandma got run over by a reindeer.” His teacher keeps me smiling with notes telling me the funny things he says. He also loves his little sister and is a big help. He’s sleeping all night in his own bed, now too! (This was a huge thing for him). 

Our little angel, Maris, will be 2 months old on December 27. It seems like she was just born, but then again it seems like she’s always been here. Her first 6 weeks were a little stressful until we decided to try treating her with medication for reflux. The poor thing would scream after she nursed until she fell back asleep. Thankfully the meds made her much more comfortable and by 7 weeks she finally started to smile and coo.  She sleeps great at night and is a sweet baby. We are all in love with her!

We said goodbye to Anne’s grandmother, Grace, this Fall. A small, family service was held here in Niceville. There are plans to combine her ashes with her husband, Caleb’s and bury them in North Carolina at some point, but a date has not been set. One of the hardest things for us was Anne’s parent’s moving to the West Palm Beach area in October, just a few weeks before Maris was born. After having them here and being so close to them, we feel lost without Mimi and Papa! We are thankful for the many friends who are like family and all the support they’ve given us in the past 2 months. We were showered with meals, childcare and moral support during the last weeks of the pregnancy and the early weeks of Maris’ life. It’s been hard not to have them here, but we’re managing. We’re traveling to spend Christmas with them in their new house and the kids are excited to see them again. They are the ones who have missed them the most (Anne does, too of course). 

We are looking forward to 2012, making plans to move to a bigger house (hopefully) and enjoy life to its fullest as we celebrate 10 years of marriage.  

As 2011 draws to a close we hope your year has been blessed and that you’ve been able to find joy and wonder this Christmas season. Please stay in touch! May the new year bring you joy, peace, love and simplicity.

Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don't miss it.
— Leo Buscaglia

2009 Christmas Letter - E-version

2009 Hinze Happenings

As I sit here to write our yearly newsletter I realize we have so very much to be thankful for this year.  At this very moment - both of our little ones are snuggling and snoozing in bed with me on a cold, winter night. They are happy and healthy and bring us endless wonder and happiness, along with the occasional frustrations and tantrums.

For me, the new year started on a sour note - well actually a sticky one. On New Year’s Eve my beloved cat Azzie knocked a glass of banana crush across my open MacBook. Now I’m not sure if a PC would have rebounded from such a catastrophe, but other than frying the battery and a sticky keyboard - my laptop restarted and has hung in there. I still need a new battery - hoping Santa will send me one actually! The downside to my laptop issues is that I didn’t blog nearly as much this year as in 2008 and that is something I truly regret. I made 254 entries about life, kids, etc in 2008 and to date I’ve blogged 28 times since the beginning of 2009! I blame Facebook and the sticky, crunchy keyboard. I am hoping to do better in 2010!

On January 2nd we celebrated Wyatt’s 2nd birthday - he was ecstatic when all his friends brought him balls! As with most boys - he seems to have an obsession and also a talent for balls - baseball and basketball seem to be his forte. He was dribbling well at 18 months and has continued to show a penchant for sports. He’s about to turn 3 and speaks so well people are amazed that he’s so young! He’s grown up so much over the last year - he’s gone from baby to little boy. Just before Thanksgiving he decided he no longer wanted to wear diapers and trained himself in just a day! We are so proud of him! He’s also sleeping through the night and his sinus problems seem to be much better (more about that when I get to the summer). 

Maddie celebrated her 4th birthday with a fabulous birthday garden party. We asked her friends to bring plants and flowers to place in a birthday garden and I just have to say that her friends were incredibly generous and she was thrilled with the surprise garden we planted for her. Unfortunately we’ll have to start over this next spring as our chickens also enjoyed the garden a little too much and ate most of it! Maddie taught herself how to swim underwater this summer during our stay-cation at the Emerald Grande in Destin. She’s in VPK this year - which is Florida’s free pre-kindergarten program. She’s a gifted little girl and is doing very well. We have made the decision to teach our children at home and are excited to begin our formal home-centered education in August. 

We expanded our garden this year and also raised 6 baby chickens from day-old chicks. Our spring and summer gardens started mostly from seeds and we had some amazing tomatoes along with carrots, spinach, chard and peas. Our chicks soon grew into hens and are our favorite pets these days. They have the funniest personalities! Pookah - our Cochin was killed in early summer, but our other five hens are still doing well. Cocoa, Chloe, Snow Blossom, Little and Winifred have eaten almost every bug in our yard (yeah!) and provide us with delicious eggs every day. Wyatt even loves omelets now! The kids help collect eggs and feed/water the girls and it’s been a great lesson on responsibility. Our winter garden is growing now and we’re enjoying bok choy and waiting patiently for the broccoli and brussel sprouts to be ready.

Mike has been busy with the business this year. Despite the economy we continued to experience blessings and our clients have been very good to us. It seemed like Mike was gone a lot more this year - he was gone for almost 3 weeks in February and there were many overnight trips. We always miss him when he’s gone! He went on his second annual hunting trip (he calls it the cowboy party) with some of our favorite clients in GA the second week of December and had a great time. 

I’ve continued to help breastfeeding moms and babies as a lactation counselor. It’s not a good thing for the local hospital, but my business has really picked up since they fired their LC! In early 2009 I was accredited as a La Leche League Leader as well. My biggest achievements this year have been passing all sections of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program certification (it was a challenge!) and training to become a birth assistant for a local nurse midwife. I never imagined anything like homebirth in my realm of work - but I have to say that it has to be one of the most beautiful, fulfilling things I’ve experienced. To be there when life outside the womb begins is amazing! I’m looking forward to attending many more births in the next year. 

In May we had what we thought was a small roof leak and discovered a major leak in the kitchen. When it was all said and done there was mold and mildew everywhere in the kitchen and the whole thing was torn down to the studs and dried out. This was a major revelation on Wyatt’s sinus issues - they’re so much better now! Thankfully our insurance covered pretty much everything and we have this beautiful, huge kitchen! We took down a wall and incorporated the laundry room into the kitchen area and love it! During this time we were unable to live in our house due to the mold, dust and the fact that everything from the kitchen and dining area that was salvageable was piled in every available area of our homes. We were blessed with a stay-cation at a beautiful resort in Destin! It was so nice and I know Mike enjoyed the 2 minute drive to work!

We traveled to a few places this year. We visited Birmingham in March and in September we went to Daytona Beach for the annual La Leche League Conference and went on to a short vacation at Disney World. In October the kids and I drove to Ellijay, GA to stay with a couple from church. We visited apple orchards  - climbing trees to pick the best apples; went hiking and exploring in the mountains and were so sad to leave. We’re returning - this time with Daddy - to visit at Christmastime. Our hope is to find some snow somewhere for the kids - but we’re just excited to spend time together as a family and ride on the Santa Express train that runs out of Blue Ridge for the holidays.

Who knows what 2010 holds for our family - but we’re excited to find out! We hope that you are blessed by the love of your friends and family in the year to come and that you are healthy and happy as well.

Love, 

Mike, Anne, Maddie and Wyatt Hinze

2008 Christmas Letter - Electronic Edition

2008 Hinze Happenings

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family!

We’ve certainly had a busy year! We started off the New Year celebrating Wyatt’s first birthday - and find it hard to believe that we’ll be celebrating his 2nd in just a few weeks! The end of January took us to Portland, Oregon where we had a fabulous family vacation and enjoyed the wedding of Anne’s best friend Heather MacDonald. We loved Portland and all it had to offer for young families! We mastered the Light Rail Transit System and never even rented a car! The kids had a blast as well and were great travelers. They really loved the Children’s Museum in Washington Park. We hope to go back some day soon and have even been dreaming about moving to the Northwest - when we win the lottery. We also took the kids on their first cruise in September - with Carnival Cruise Lines and had a great time. We drove to Miami, stopping to see friends in West Palm Beach. Our cruise took us to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. We can’t wait to go again.

Mike has had a busy year - taking several tuna trips with the “Mixed Nuts” and its owners, doing a few boat deliveries and taking care of the business. Integrity Boat and Yacht is staying busy despite the poor economy and we feel beyond blessed that things have stayed the same for us. In early December Mike went on a hunting trip with the Mixed Nuts gang and shot 2 deer! Unfortunately he was only able to recover one of them. We’re thankful for the meat and have been enjoying lots of venison. He’s coaching Upward Basketball again this year and is trying his hand at 2nd and 3rd grade boys compared to 10th graders last year. He said he’s got his work cut out for him - but he loves it. He also is in high demand to work in the church nursery - Ms. Karen asks for him personally!

Anne is staying very busy with the kids as usual. She had oral surgery in February and also had her wisdom teeth out at the same time to get it over with. She coordinated the annual Ladies Tea at church - hiring the caterer, collecting door prizes and organizing the 25 hostesses. It was the largest attendance ever - with more than 200 women in attendance! She’s still working with moms and babies - teaching breastfeeding classes and doing private consultations. At some point this year she hopes to be accredited as a La Leche League Leader, too - it’s a long process that takes many months. This coming February she is taking a DONA birth doula workshop (professional labor assistant) and plans to complete that certication before the end of 2009. Check out her website at www.wombtobreast.com. In her spare time she is also singing in the contemporary praise and worship band at church several times a month.

Madeleine is almost 4 years old and in preschool now. She started at the Wesley Academy at our church in August. She goes twice a week and loves her teachers and classmates! She’s singing in the Wee Cherubs Choir, too and we have to say that they are adorably cute. They’ve had a few concerts this year and they’re just too precious. She remains the silly, girly girl who loves all things princess and dress-up. She also loves to create “collections” which are abstract works of art from found objects in the yard. She has quite the artistic touch!

Wyatt is no longer a baby - but definitely a little boy. He’s still snuggly and cuddly, though - which makes it a little easier for Mom - who is not ready to let him grow up yet! He’s turning two in just a few weeks. He’s talking like crazy! “Mommy, look at me,” strikes fear into Anne’s heart each time he yells it out! He’s adventuresome - a climber and mischievous. He is now sleeping on the crib mattress on the floor - thanks to his older sister who taught him how to climb out of his crib! He has the greatest personality and sense of humor and is always keeping us laughing and smiling.

All in all it’s been a great year. We’re thankful that our kids have been healthy and we’ve been healthy as well (except for Anne’s feet, but that’s another story!). We’ve been blessed to visit with many far away family members this year and look forward to more visits this year. We’re not sure where our travels are going to take us this year - but we’ve been talking about a trip to Montana to visit Anne’s haunts - or we may head up to Indiana to spend time with her Aunt Rachel and Uncle Larry in beautiful Indianapolis. We’ve also talked about going to Texas to visit some of Mike’s family or maybe even to upstate New York to see Anne’s grandma and aunts and uncles. The possibilities are endless!

We hope you are blessed as well and have a wonderful year in 2009. 

You can keep up with most of what we do by reading our family blog:

http://www.thehinzefamily.blogspot.com

Mike, Anne, Madeleine and Wyatt

I've mostly given up sending out Christmas cards - the time and expense is not rational for something that usually gets thrown away. Last year I sent out an electronic version and it was well received by most. So without further adieu - here is the 2008 edition!