Our Christmas Card and Letter

Dear Family, Friends, Distinguished Individuals, and Mr. President,

I have heard all of my life, “My how quick life passes you by,” but never have I realized how fast it actually passes, until I jumped on the rollercoaster this past year! As I sit down to write our first ever Christmas letter, I am finding it difficult to remember what has happened this past year. I know we have experienced something worth writing to you about. It just seems like we are the same old Bandermanns:

Sarah and I are still married - not ‘still’ in a bad way, but in an awesome and positive, ‘five years of marital bliss’ way.

We still live in the same house - we purchased my grandparents house in March, 2007 in Gordonville, MO.

We both still work at the same jobs - Sarah is a radiology technologist at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape while Jason is in Marketing for the large and progressive Saint Francis Medical Center where medicine is practiced to ‘the highest power’. We love the competition this brings to our house-can’t you tell!

We have the same two dogs - Cy, our yellow lab, will be three this year; Alleigh, our chocolate lab, just turned two this past summer.

Sarah continues to enjoy making our home look awesome - she is an HGTV freak and has implemented many great ideas into our house, including using slave labor (Jason, Barry, Rick, Ryan, Marilyn, Pam and both Kyles) to finish our basement.

I continue to enjoy running and hunting - I completed two half-marathons and one marathon in 2009 and killed my first deer with my bow in Illinois.


As you can see, our lives are consistent with years past but it still feels like so much has happened this past year. WAIT A MINUTE, a cry from the back bedroom just reminded me! We did undergo one major change this year-we were blessed on the 4th of July with a beautiful, healthy baby girl who we affectionately named Ansley Harper. If you know me at all, you know I couldn’t wait to finish the above section so I could start talking about my baby girl. Sarah and I are absolutely amazed at the joy Ansley has brought into our lives. Many of you are aware we prayed for a baby for over 18 months and it was worth the wait! She will be 6 months soon and is the most beautiful baby you have ever seen. Seriously, we are extremely thankful to our Heavenly Father for the trust He has placed in us to care for Ansley. It is not something we take lightly and ask you all to continually pray for us as we raise her according to His will. We will be looking to you, our family and friends, for guidance and encouragement as we undergo this daunting, yet exciting adventure of parenthood!

As we celebrate this Christmas season, I am reminded of one more thing remaining constant in our lives-the One who this season is all about, Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin birth in a lowly manger and walked this earth as a perfect man only to endure a humiliating and painful death on the cross. What a reason to celebrate! Not simply because of the miraculous events surrounding His life, but also because of the results of those miraculous events-salvation by grace alone!!! Sarah and I hope you have found Him and that you take the time this season to celebrate what He has done in your life. I know we certainly will as we enjoy our first Christmas with the newest member of our family.


Merry Christmas and Much Love,

The Bandermanns