Christmas Letter 2009

Another year has passed and we are busy preparing for Christmas and all the fun time with celebrations of the holiday season. At this time of year I always like to take a look back at the year and thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon our family.

The biggest change for the Krelle family this year was the birth of Grant William which took us from a family of three to a family of four. Tatum has blossomed into a little socialite, Eric and I ginally joined a Journey Group at Christ Community Church and I have been a busy stay at home mom with a few part time jobs on the side.

Tatum is now three years old and just fills our lives with such adventure. She has so much energy to share with us. Each day she wakes up excited to be a girl on the go and see what the day might bring. We have many outings with friends, trips to the zoo, parks, friends houses or Boingz. Often when we are heading back home she tells me "I don't want to go home mommy." She is into all things princess and likes to dress the part. Her favorite toy is Stripes Kitty, a stuffed animal, who also goes by the name Reena. This little kitty has a great life thanks to Tatum's loving care. This past summer we put Tatum in ballet at The Rose. I think we jumped in a little to quickly, as she wasn't quite three yet. It was quite the mom moment to watch her do the opposite of what the teacher was asking of her. Gotta love her, she has her own mind and won't easily been swayed. Tatum's biggest passion by far is being a big sister to Grant. Who she affectionately calls "Buddy-G". Seeing her love on him is a great joy, even if she gets a bit rough at times. She just can't seem to get enough of him, and neither can we.

Grant is 9 months old now. The time just flies by way to quick. He joined us on March 15th and my heart hasn't been the same since. He just fills it with so much love. He is an active little guy now. He crawls all over the place to get to where he wants to go. It is so funny because he sometimes grunts while doing it...cracks me up. He will look up at you and his face just bursts with this little toothy grin...it melts my heart. He is most proud of himself when he pulls himself up to a stand. Grant is a pretty easy going boy for the most part, but I will say he loves his mommy. He likes to be held a lot!!! He may not be able to talk yet, but he can really get his point across with this little man cry that he does when he is not happy. Patience is something he still has to learn. Grant also has a fondness for Tatum. He takes all of her extra love in stride even when it is a bit overwhelming, he just smiles or laughs.

Eric also has had quite the year. This past July marked Eric's tenth year at Oriental Trading Company. I can fully say that he loves OTC, the work and the people. Designing is a passion that Eric can't live with out. He continues forward in his living history hobby and has gotten to do some great displays and events with his group. He go to be a part of the "Band of Brothers" vetrans' visit to Omaha when they spoke at the Air & Space Museum. He is on his third year now being involved with a mens group though church which he currently co-leads. Above these things, Eric just enjoys his time being a dad. It is a great thing to watch. He has full kid duty on the nights while I am away and there are times I think things run smoother while I am away.

This year has again been a busy one for me. I have been active with Mothers of Preschoolers, getting together with the mommies from my Bradley group, co-coordinating Childcare for bible studies at church, freelancing for OTC and working at The MSR Group. A highlight for me this past year was getting out of Omaha for a getaway to The Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City with ourfamily. It was fun to go down the water slides and feel like a kid. I really cherish the time that we get to spend together as a family.

This past year we had many fun times with family and friends. The memories and relationships are important to. Please call or visit anytime. We would love to hang out and chat with you.

In closing, we celebrate the birth of our Savior this holiday season and the He is what Christmas is truly about. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,
Eric, Tracy, Tatum and Grant