Friends —
I hope and trust you are well and having a blessed holiday season. As I’m sure is true for many, the years just seem to blink by quicker and quicker each year — and this year was no exception.
Our little Gracie isn’t so little anymore now that she’s 11 and in 6th grade/middle school. Isabel turned 9 in November and is in 3rd grade, while Michael — the kid who calls his mom “babe” — started 1st grade and will turn 7 in March. All three kids are competitively swimming year round, fantastic skiers, and did their first Montclair triathlon this year (yep, all 3). Grace and Isabel are quite the vocalists and are regulars at the brewery’s Karaoke nights (the stars of the show, for sure).
Speaking of the brewery (www.brewrepublic.beer), Amy and I now dedicate our full time efforts to being in the beer business. Our taproom always has something going on, and our distro (bar/restaurant/grocery store) sales are booming. Come visit us sometime! With all the demands of a growing small business, our travel was a bit more limited this year than in years past, so we spent much of our spare time on the lake — which was pretty convenient since we live on a lake.
Between 3 active kids and Brew Republic, there’s not much room left for politics (or much else for that matter). Notwithstanding, we stay engaged here and there. Amy helped manage inauguration events at the beginning of the year, and we brewed limited edition beer for the inaugural committee*, which was pretty cool — then we later did a private tasting at the White House (even cooler).
We’re looking forward to a quiet Christmas this year at home. I canceled our annual trip to Charleston for New Year’s, so hopefully the downtime will be a nice break as we prepare for what promises to be a busy year ahead. And, as we again reflect on the past year and the incredible blessing that His birth is on our lives, we are grateful for the gift you have provided us in your friendship over the years and for allowing us to share our lives with you.
May God bless you with a joyful holiday season and a prosperous, healthy year ahead.
-JMF
P.S. We were a bit behind the curve this year on the Christmas cards. They are on the way, but in case you don’t get one in your postal mail box, you can find an electronic copy of the 2017 edition below.
P.P.S. Keep up with us on Facebook (me) or on Instagram (Amy). Friend us if you haven’t already!
* We still have some bottles left for sale in the taproom if you’re interested.
