Merry Christmas from the Hartmans

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Hartman family! It’s been quite the whirlwind year for us, and we can’t wait to share the adventures, mishaps, and everything in between that made it so memorable.

Our year started with a blast from the past when Alissa’s college friend, Lexi, came to visit. We relived our glory days and shared more laughs and mimosas than we could count. Meanwhile, Don embarked on his annual ski trip to Colorado with friends. He came back with some epic tales and an unexpected souvenir – covid! After a full recovery, a California adventure followed, as Don made a trip to celebrate the birthdays of our niece Maddie and nephew Drew and spend some time with family.

Later in the year, Dolly graduated from obedience class (though you wouldn’t know it) and shortly after had the misfortune of back-to-back surgeries (one planned and one unplanned). She was less than thrilled about the extended time in her “cone of shame” but bounced back just in time to learn the doggie paddle for the first time in the pool for our Fourth of July visit to Alissa’s family in Michigan.

Alissa’s family took the Lake Michigan ferry to visit in July, where we spent a day on the beach, toured the Pabst original brewery, and celebrated with drinks by the lake. We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather and a more perfect visit together.

We took full advantage of the summer by renting a lakeside retreat with friends at the end of July. We spent the weekend indulging in home cooked meals to showcase everyones’ specialities, spending hours on the water trampoline, playing many drinking games, and eating too many cheese balls.

We took a long-overdue vacation to Lake Tahoe in August for a week of hiking, helicopter tours, jet skiing, and basking in the sun. Alissa realized her childhood dream of visiting Gordan Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen and Don’s of driving a Mustang convertible around the mountains.

Football season kicked off with our annual MSU tailgate, a beautiful day filled with friends, fun, and a vow to never speak of the team’s performance again. Don’s parents visited in October, turning house projects into a family affair and filling our days with restaurant outings, a Costco excursion, and a visit to a local Oktoberfest.

Alissa flew to Grand Rapids for a few days of sisterly debauchery, featuring a mini-tour of Jessica’s future nursing school, tiki drinks, and a choir concert. A quick trip to Chicago for Bourbon County Prop Day with friends Ben and Sam and a Friendsgiving hosted by our friends Ian and Sean marked the season’s end.

Maeby turned 12 this year, and had a very uneventful year filled with naps, more naps, and her new favorite hobby: watching Don play Stardew Valley. Despite Dolly’s persistent attempts at friendship, their relationship remains one-sided, though we are still holding out hope for a more peaceful co-habitation sometime in the future (maeby a Christmas miracle).

As the year concludes, we are grateful for the lessons, the laughter, and the love that has defined our 2023. Here’s to new adventures, memories, fewer cones of shame, and Dolly beginning her reign over the doggy daycare scene in the coming year.

with love,

Alissa, Don, Dolly, Maeby
ChatGPT lent a digital hand in composing this letter