2009 Annual Holiday Letter

As you can tell from the date of our last posting, we haven’t figured out how to get into a blogging routine. However, it does seem to be an efficient and environmentally friendly way to communicate our annual holiday newsletter. For those of you on Facebook, we do try to be a little more active with our Facebook postings.

So here we go with a Hensel Family year in review

First Quarter

After an eventful end of 2008, we finally made the decision to add a master bathroom as we rebuilt the upstairs. It was incredibly nerve racking the first day of construction as they cut a hole in our roof to begin construction, but we love the finished product. We did spend countless weekends picking out tile, plumbing fixtures, paint & carpet, so it kept us pretty busy. The construction was a nice distraction from another Minnesota winter. We were also fortunate that Drew ended up with an in-town client during the first part of the year and we enjoyed lots of time together.


Libby's annual Easter Egg Hunt


Second Quarter

After moving back upstairs, we entered a season of celebrations. Krista’s hard work as co-chair of The Allina Hospice Foundation Benefit paid off as the event was a huge success and Krista was relieved to be able to finally take a break. Soon after the event we went to California to attend Krista’s cousin Thomas’ wedding. The wedding was just south of San Francisco. We had a great time seeing family and seeing the sights. We made a vacation out of it, heading out earlier in the week for a tour of California Wine country. We spent the mornings hiking and the afternoons touring the vineyards and of course tasting.

Hiking amongst the Redwoods

Getting ready to taste at the vineyard
Third Quarter

We love summer in Minnesota and took advantage of our most beautiful season by taking a couple of camping trips. Drew completed a 150 mile bike ride benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS 150)- riding from Duluth south to the Twin Cities over the course of a weekend. That Saturday night Krista and Libby drove up to Hinckley, MN, to join in the overnight camping. It was amazing to watch a tent city of cyclists pop up in a couple of hours. After surviving that first camping adventure, we decided to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary by camping at St. Croix State Park in Northeast Minnesota. We enjoyed making S’mores, hiking, and climbing a fire tower that provided an eagle’s view of the state park.

We also spent 4th of July in Friendswood with family, where Jacob enjoyed the parade that the whole town turned out for. It definitely reminded us how much we missed being close to family, and at the same time how hot Texas gets in the summer…its all relative though given how cold Minnesota gets in the winter!

We wrapped up the summer with a weekend in Las Vegas with Krista’s parents. We hadn’t been in years and it was fun to see the new sights. We had some amazing dinners, and visited most of the major casinos and resorts. The highlight of the trip was seeing the new Cirque Du Soleil show- Love featuring music from The Beatles. It was awesome! If you ever have the opportunity to see it, we highly recommend it.

Getting ready to set out on day 2 of biking

Taking a nap after a hard day of biking Jacob & Uncle Drew enjoying a cold popsicle on a hot Texas day.

Drew Playing Elvis in Vegas

Gondola ride in Vegas
Fourth Quarter

In early November we spent a weekend in Denver. Drew got to see the Aggies play CU in football and we enjoyed getting to spend time with the Lynch family and meeting their baby boy. We also began bracing ourselves for another Minnesota winter. People have told us for years that taking up an outdoor winter hobby is essential. After attempts at ice fishing, snow shoeing, winter hiking, etc., we’ve determined that outdoor hobbies might not be the answer, at least for Krista. So this year Krista’s taken up sewing. After buying a sewing machine and taking a sewing 101 class new drapes, pillows and blankets have appeared around the house. Drew’s stayed really busy with an out of town client which has required a lot of travel. In early November we got some fantastic news. Krista’s dad’s oncologist declared that his brain cancer is officially in remission. We had a ton to be thankful for at Thanksgiving. Drew’s parents drove up from Dallas to visit for Thanksgiving, and we all enjoyed the very mild temperatures without any rain or snow. We loved having them here and hope that we have more of our family come visit. We visited some local museums and enjoyed spending time together. This Christmas we’re looking forward to spending time with Krista’s family in Friendswood.

I wonder why the dogs are so close to Drew?

Waiting for the feast to begin

The table is set for a feast!

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year