This Christmas card was supposed to be far more glamorous than just a blog post. That being said, it’s January 1st and this is all I have to offer!

Carver turned 6 years old in September. Carver was recruited to play little league this year. They were pretty desperate for players so they made an exception to the minimum age requirement. They were ALSO desperate to fill the girls little league team as well so Carver got double playing time for the boys and girls team. We had SO MUCH fun watching him play, practice, and improve. Carver has been excelling at reading and is constantly quizzing us with addition and subtraction problems. He loves playing Minecraft and Farming Simulator on the Xbox. He really enjoyed our mountain biking trip to Crosby, MN and was able to accompany Craig on the trails while I stayed behind with my big pregnant belly and Gannon.

Craig has continued to work at Achen Farms this year. They had a bit of a late start to planting that ran over into June but harvest went smoothly. Craig didn’t get as much mountain biking in this year but that’s a goal for us to hit the trails at least every other week this Summer. Craig has discovered a love for any and all board games and spends many nights while I’m working playing board games with my brother Karl and Carver.

Gannon is constantly surprising us. He turned 3 in February and started 3 year old preschool in August. He was really thriving. Gannon quickly became obsessed with coloring, drawing, and writing. We’ve learned he’s left handed, he can write his name forward and backwards. He loves to surprise us with random facts and funny phrases that come seemingly out of nowhere. I’d hate for Gannon’s medical complications to overshadow all of the joy and light and belly laughs he brings to our home but he has been hit hard this December. Gannon has had some pretty serious complications from his tonsils and adenoid removal surgery in early December that we are still navigating. Gannon has many specialist appointments in Iowa City coming up in the next few months.

Anders joined our crew on September 21st. My pregnancy with Anders went pretty smoothly after an initial trimester of pretty serious morning sickness. He was 7 pounds and 13 ounces with a full head of hair. Carver and Gannon adore him and snuggled a *little* too close when we first brought him home and gave him rhino/enterovirus. After a week long hospital stay for viral meningitis at three weeks old, Anders has been happy and healthy since! In fact, at 3 months old he’s put on 6 INCHES since he was born and is busting out of 6 month clothes! He’s the most content baby I’ve ever met. He loves his big brothers and video chatting – I know it sounds crazy but he seriously gets the BIGGEST smile whenever he’s featured on a video chat.

As for me, I had a career change in February when I took a chance on travel nursing. I took my first contract just an hour from home and I’ll continue in January about 1.5 hours from home. While I miss the ICU, I really love getting back to my roots in the ER. As per usual, I’ve picked up a few side gigs this year helping some local businesses with their social media marketing and content production. I’m still running the Etsy shop (it’ll be two years in March!) and have found a niche market in designing cross stitching and quilting shirts as well as quilting themed stationery.

A song came across my Instagram feed a few days ago, and I think the lyrics really sum everything up nicely, so I’ll close this 2022 Friedman Family Update with the chorus:

Damn, it’s been a year

And I ain’t sayin’ it ain’t been a good one

It’s been a “did a lot more than I thought I could” one

It’s been three hundred sixty-five

Of record lows and record highs

Lovin’ and losin’, fun and confusin’

Prayin’ and shiftin’ gears

For the minute you got, it’s probably a lot

More than you wanna hear

So all I’ll say is

It’s been a year

Hungry for more? Check out my latest posts!

• The PERFECT Lightweight Tee!
• May 2023 – Quilter and Cross Stitch Tee Launch!
• The Text Message
• Family Pictures!
• Bike Adventures – April 2023!

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Have you visited my Etsy Shop Lately? See what’s new!

I design and create a variety of quilting, cross stitching, and graphic tees as well as quilting themed stationery, stickers, notepads, cards, and more! I’d love for you to check it out!