Tommerdahl Christmas Letter 2016

Merry Christmas Family and Friends!

Whether you follow this blog regularly or this is the first time you have visited via the link on our Christmas card, we hope you are doing well and we love hearing from you!  Each day we look forward to getting your Christmas cards and updates and hanging them on a wall in our kitchen :).

 Here are a few updates on our family from this past year:

Summer is 6 years old and in 1st grade at our local elementary school, Southview Elementary.  She is learning to play piano, attends Wednesday night Awana in the Sparks program, and enjoys her gymnastics class.  Her favorite activity is reading, and she is fascinated with all forms of story including a keen interest in United States history.  She has a very caring and empathetic heart, as well as the ability to make fun wherever she goes, incorporating creative games into all aspects of life and involving those around her in the fun!  She loves to play pretend with her brother and loves anytime she gets a chance to help take care of her little sister.

Colton is 4 years old and is learning a lot at homeschool preschool with Mommy.  He attends Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) with Mommy and Larkyn, Awana Cubbies with Daddy, and runs some of his energy off in his weekly Amazing Athletes class where he practices 11 different sports.  He is not lacking in energy (mom and dad often assign him burpies, laps, or trampoline jumps!), but also has an amazing focus and persistence.  His favorite activity is playing with anything that has wheels, including his cars, planes, and trains.  He also LOVES wrestling with Daddy, and will take advantage of the opportunity any chance he gets!  He also looks up immensely to his sister Summer in everything and loves to play with her.  He has always been so sweet and gentle with his little sister, and enjoys playing with her too.

Larkyn is 2 and is a total spark plug!  She keeps up with the family as best as she can both physically and verbally, and keeps the family laughing at her one-liners and facial expressions.  Along with going to BSF with Mommy and Colton, she absolutely LOVES going to her weekly Mommy-n-Me gymnastics class and looks forward to it all week long.  She loves being outside, playing doll house with Summer, or doing anything the big kids are doing.  Her enthusiasm and smiles are the best.

Paul and I are really enjoying this stage of life with kids aged 6,4, and 2.  We are exiting the "diapers and naps" phase and entering a really fun more independent and interactive family stage that has truly been lots of fun!  The kids definitely keep us on our toes, for sure!  We loved taking a trip just-us-two to Mexico this past spring and enjoyed both relaxation and adventure.  Paul PRed in the Twin Cities Marathon this year and also started a new job with Thrivent Financial in Minneapolis.  I continue to love being home with my favorite kids all day, tutoring math in the evening, and volunteering in various ways at Summer's school and at church.

The most important thing to our whole family, is Jesus Christ.  We read his Word daily together, talk to him in prayer, and strive to be like His Son Jesus.  Without Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection 3 days later, we would be completely lost in our sins.  We are forever grateful for his grace to us.  This Christmas season, we pray that you understand His love and experience His grace.  Jesus is the reason for the season, and we celebrate God sending us his only Son this Christmas!

Blessings!

Love,
The Tommerdahls

*Photo Credit: Everlasting Photography