We will always remember 2017 as a great year! In a word, it was a year of family. We filled it with many stories and memories, waiting and expectation, and finding ways to have fun and stay grounded as the "three of us" became the "four of us."
The most obvious and exciting news for our family is bringing Collin home in November! We have been delighted to have him home for almost two months already, with his handsome smiles and budding personality. As he celebrates his first Christmas, we remember again God's kindness to us both today and in sending His Son many Christmases ago.
With all of the excitement in the last few months, we don't want to overlook the many good memories we made earlier in the year. For spring break, we loaded up the Prius for a whirlwind trip where we visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero in NYC, and the White House and other museums and monuments in Washington DC. Over the summer, we took a short weekend getaway to Lake Geneva, something we've always wanted to do. We visited the Brookfield Zoo for the first time and surprised Sam with Cubs tickets for Adam's birthday. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Adam and Sam also went camping and fishing with the Miller men, and although we didn't catch anything, we have some stories that we'll never forget! Sam and Allison also met the Cubs World Series Champion catcher, David Ross! We will also remember this summer as the summer of mini golf. We started trying out local mini golf courses and found at least one wherever we traveled. It is now Sam's goal to travel from coast to coast in his grandparents' RV to find the best mini golf courses in the country.
Sam played up a level in his basketball league last winter and then played spring and fall baseball for the first time. He finally broke the 54" height barrier and can ride everything at Six Flags, including a few roller coasters that even make his dad queasy. He excels in school, where his favorite subject is math, and he is learning multiplication and division. He enjoys his new role as a big brother and takes time to play with Collin, eliciting giggles and smiles from his delighted sibling.
Allison is now living her dream as a stay-at-home mom. She worked at the school through October, and officially retired when Collin came home. The school community poured out their love and generosity for us at that time, sending meals and gifts, and even throwing us a "Sip and See" shower for the baby.
Adam ran two more half marathons, and while he did not end up running the full marathon in Indianapolis, he still logged just under 1000 miles for the year. He continues his work as an engineer for Grainger. He is amazed, humbled, and blessed to be married to his beautiful wife for 11 years.
As we reflect on all that this past year held, our hearts are full! We thank God for the memories and for His goodness to our family.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Adam, Allison, Sam, and Collin