Merry Christmas from the Kramer family!!!! Our family is doing just fine in spite of the difficult circumstances we’ve experienced this year, namely the pandemic and the troubling response to it. Amidst the chaos, some exciting things have happened this year that we’d like to share with you.

It has been a dream for Candice and I for many years to move onto acreage and build a house on it. I recall sitting in one of my classes in college, daydreaming and sketching out the layout of the property. Candice and I have talked about this for years and a significant step was made on September 11th when we purchased a 39 acre hay farm in Lebanon, Oregon. The farm has a manufactured home on it that we will live in for a few years until we can build and move into the new home.

Since I have been working from home for several years now, and Candice has been homeschooling our kids for over 10 years, the adjustment that many have experienced this year has been very minimal for us. Right after we moved in, Candice resumed lessons with the kids. They of course are getting a lot of outdoor education living on our new property. We’ve already acquired a goat, several chickens, and a new puppy named Jethro (Half Golden Retriever and half Irish Setter). The property has a pond, creek, and many areas to explore.

With all the excitement of a new place, we are also becoming more involved with leadership at our church. In 2019 I stepped into a leadership position in our church and Candice is just now stepping into a Children’s Ministry leadership role.

So what is next for the Kramer family as we head into 2021? I see 2021 as being the year of “preparation”. The new farm we purchased was once used as a sprint boat track (seriously, look on Google Maps at it). I will be using a tractor to remove a quarter mile long chain link fence around the pond. We are currently working with a home designer and in 2021 will move into the phase of finding a builder to assess the land and the home design, and begin planning out the work.

In May we will be travelling as a family to New York and Washington DC. This is a reschedule of a trip we had planned in May of 2020. We are excited for this trip and are hoping that things aren’t too shut down for us to see all the notable sights.

In August Candice and I will travel with some friends back to Bosnia. This will be my 5th time there and Candice’s 4th time. We have developed some wonderful friendships in the past several years with our friends in this part of the world. It also helps that this is a beautiful and historically significant place to visit.

The end of the year is always a time for reflection. We reflect back on this year and see good times and difficult times. The good times have produced great memories and the difficult times have helped refine us to handle whatever comes our way in the future.

Merry Christmas,

Dennis, Candice, Brooklyn, Bailey, Beckham, Brinley, and Breza

Merry Christmas!!!