Merry Christmas Everyone!!
The Kruse Family is once again in a winter wonderland for Christmas, but this time we are in the heart of Steeler's country. As always--we are running from one experience to the next and enjoying them all.

To kick off the new year (Feb time frame), we spent a few days in Nauvoo, IL visiting the historic sites, enjoying the wonderful spirit of the Nauvoo temple and spending time with some of Shauna's dearest friends.

In April, Dan barely worked a day as we visited family in Southern California for almost two weeks and attended the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business welcome weekend only days after returning from California. All the while, Shauna was less than two months away from giving birth to our 2nd daughter Katrina and traveling like a pro.

The miracle of life once again led to tears in our eyes and warmth in our hearts as Katrina arrived on the 18th of June. Ava was the most excited of all to have her very own sister. Right as Dan needed to return to the rigors of the working world (for another month :)), Jennifer Hanrahan took over supporting Shauna during her recovery. We were blessed to have her there.

Just over a month later, we closed the Wisconsin chapter of our lives. While the anticipation of a new adventure was exciting, the reality of leaving some of our closest friends made the departure difficult. The reality finally set in as Ava and Dan hopped into the 26 foot moving truck and departed for Pittsburgh while Shauna and Katrina followed behind.

Upon entering Pittsburgh (where Dan would attend Business School), we unloaded our 26 feet of "stuff" into our 100 yr old apartment and began living the city life. Shauna regularly walks/drives around the historic streets of Pittsburgh with the two girls and has sunk her teeth into the rich culture of the area. In between finals, corporate networking events, case competitions, club activities and other scholastic duties, Dan continues to find "some" time for family, church and friends--but since the rigors of the program make this time short, we find ways to make it valuable.

Before thanksgiving, Ava enjoyed her 26th flight as Shauna, Ava and Katrina traveled to Los Angeles, Ca to witness the marriage of her big sister Tina. It was a beautiful wedding filled with wonderful feelings and a lot of fun.

We love you all and appreciate all that each of you have added to our lives over the years. Merry Christmas! Let us all remember the true meaning of this time of year and the birth of him who we worship as our Savior. Have a wonderful new year!

With Love,
Dan, Shauna, Ava and Katrina Kruse