(Written by Troy)

Since our last Christmas letter, the Klongerbo family has gone through another four or five iterations.

As I reread last year’s letter, I’m thinking, “Geez, the boys are different.” But just to cover who they are now versus who they were then, skips over about four versions of our family — maybe more. All of the stages are crammed together, briskly moving by with no remorse.

I always tell my wife, “We get this little boy for about 80 days — then, he’ll be different.”

I say that about both of the boys. 

They are pressure cookers of change.

I know full well the nature of time, the perspective needed to soak in these years, and that by the time the boys each reach the age of 18, we’ll have already spent about 90–95% of all of the time we will ever spend with them. It’s a challenge. Building for the future, optimistically, while knowing that the good times are slipping away day by day.

A balanced perspective of the present is the challenge I pose to myself every single day.

Some days I rise to it; other days, I succumb.

Thank you, Lord for conquering death and time and giving life and eternity, through your Son.

I write these letters for us — not necessarily for you all — as a way to earmark the months and years. Perhaps some of you enjoy reading through life with the Klongerbos, so we publish it.

When recapping the month of November below, I said, “What did we do in November?” Sarah said, “We’re still in November…” I responded, “Oh, yes.” My memory is failing me. Thank you, Lord, for these letters.

Our Boys

Before I get into 2025, I’ll give you all a personality check-in on the boys. The people who will most enjoy reading this will be the 2040 versions of Troy and Sarah Klongerbo, probably shedding a tear, us both.

Calvin is pure spunk and brings edge to our household. He loves things like stories, movies, and treats (which are clearly differentiated from “snacks.”) He is three and a half and the other night counted to 30 while I laid in bed with him. I didn’t know he could get past 16 since the last time I checked in with him. (See, the versions?) He walks with confidence and has a slight streak of mischief, but it’s hard to get mad at him when he’s giggling through all of it.

Wesley, my boy, is just a sweet little smiley boy. He’s a snuggler, a stocky little thoughtful boy with a heart for others. It might be hard to tell if someone is selfless at age 18 months, but Wesley shares better than almost any young boy I’ve ever seen. He loves to sit on laps. I always lean over to Sarah and at random times whisper to her, “I really like Wesley.” His upper thighs are little stress balls. You can squeeze them as hard as you want, feel the stress melt away, and he doesn’t even flinch. I really like Wesley.

Our Work

Sarah is killing it with her boutique copywriting studio, Quotable Copy. 

She’s using her immense talents with words to write websites, landing pages, emails, and social media ads for her mostly female client base of entrepreneurs and small businesses. She has about a 99.2% approval rating. She’s unbelievable to watch. Her clients love her, she does great work, and she’s building a career of balance — high outputs professionally, while carrying the badge of mother and wife for our home.

I don’t think I could be more proud of her, or honored to be her husband.

As for me, I am running a small publishing house and media company called Homestead Living. Our focus is on the homesteading and simple living space — think backyard chickens and livestock, gardens and preservation, and sustainable living. We have an awesome little team, and it’s a true blessing to see the way this company is growing. It is an immense challenge every day, and I feel blessed by the work. We’ve published five books (three more coming in 2026) and regularly publish two gorgeous print magazines to our subscribers. You can learn more at homesteadliving.com.

I do this work under the umbrella of my partnership at Mount Haley, a holding company where I am a partner with four other partners, all based in Minneapolis. I am the sole South Dakota representative, proudly.

I still get the opportunity to work with other businesses in which I have investment, like Premier Bee Products and The Prairie Club, both of which have had wonderful runs of success in recent years.

I am blessed with challenges and opportunities every day.

Our Life

I have a rule: I try not to leave the Midwest at all between the months of May to September — unless absolutely necessary. I developed this rule over the past five years. The Midwest is simply too good in the summer. I want our boys to have their summer memories mostly set in South Dakota, the Nebraska Sandhills, the Northwoods of Duluth, and the rugged Black Hills. This year, that goal was mostly accomplished.

I think we’ve found a rhythm and routine that will serve us for the next decade.

We are loving our home in the Tomar Park neighborhood in Sioux Falls (come see us!). We live busy lives filled with meaningful work, a vibrant community of friends and family, and chasing around two active boys who leave us lying on our bed, exhaling at the end of every night.

I have 2026 dreams of getting my terraced garden installed in the backyard (hopefully April 2026) and repainting the house to give the exterior a fresh look (likely May 2026). This place will be home for the long haul.

As I reflect this Christmas season, I think about our Lord God as a giver, not a taker.

We ask Him to take our anxieties; He gives us peace. We ask Him to take our burdens; He gives us strength. We ask Him to take away pain; He gives us comfort. We ask Him to take our suffering; He gave us His Son.

Wishing everyone a peace-filled holiday season, filled with the present moments, fleeting as they are.

With much love,

— Troy

(& Sarah, and Calvin, and Wesley, and Pali)

P.S. Here’s a little month by month of 2025, so I can share little anecdotes. And Sarah can upload photos.

January 2025

We surprised the snot out of my mother for her 60th birthday party in Minneapolis. We gathered a room of about 60–70 friends and family members, decking the place with appetizers and drinks, and she was absolutely floored. She still talks about it. She cried a bunch, too. 

Kudos to Bekah and Sarah — Sean and I married gems of girls, despite all of our own faults. This was the highlight of the month and, for my mom, maybe the decade.

February 2025

Februarys are always pretty quiet for us. We hunker into our rhythms and routines, snuggle in, and spend time with friends and family. This year was no different.

The best memory I have taken on my phone was a 28-day, dry-aged ribeye steak that Sarah and I shared for our Valentine’s Day date downtown.

These are days in our 50s and 60s when Sarah and I will go to warm places. But for now, we embrace the bitter cold and time with loved ones.

March 2025

For all of the quietness of February, March brought the highlight. Sarah and I took the two boys to Florida with Sarah’s brother and their family of six in early March.

We did a full day of the Magic Kingdom, caught a pompano fish off the shore, and spent a really nice few days thawing out. The kids absolutely loved it. Calvin bounced in my arms when he got to see Mickey Mouse.

April 2025

I took a short business trip to Ohio to spend time with our team in Holmes County (Amish country) — such a neat and cute little place. Our magazine Plain Values (on our Homestead Living team) offices there, and I get the blessing of visiting a few times per year to check in with those there. They are wonderful. 

My truck died this month (my grandpa Robert’s 2009 Dodge Ram), so we upgraded to a black family Suburban to fit our growing family. Things like “got a family Suburban” are highlights in your mid 30s.

May 2025

“Troy got hurt!” I am 35 years old and officially retired from basketball. I rolled my ankle playing against a nine-year-old (Oakley Bertsch), and it swelled up like a balloon. It’s been six months, and I still have lingering discomfort. I don’t have what it takes anymore! No break; I got an X-ray. But didn’t have an MRI, so who knows.

My business partners at Mount Haley moved into our new Minneapolis headquarters behind Loring Park, across the street from the stunning Basilica of St. Mary, the first basilica ever built in the United States. The office is a beautiful space, and I get to be up there maybe once every other month during the year. (More on work below.)

June 2025

In early June, I attended a conference with my business partner Darrell in Boise, Idaho, called Craft + Commerce. I’d never been to Boise and enjoyed the city, while meeting some incredible people.

Wesley, my boy, turned one years old. It was a great surprise when the little chunker did not smash his “smash cake.” If I were a betting man, I’d have lost big!

Calvin ran his first track meet. He doesn’t seem to be a speed demon, but he learned that pumping his arms will help.

At the end of the month, I went back to Idaho for the Modern Homesteading Conference. Our team sold thousands of books in two or three days in Coeur D’Alene. It was a rush!

We spent $22 for an inflatable pool that became a star of the summer. Sarah spent many afternoons in it. The boys loved splashing around. During Wesley’s birthday party, we set everything up and his cousin Miles, now eight, showed up and said, “It’s actually pretty cool back here.” We exceeded his expectations.

July 2025

Our friends Matt and Danae Bertsch had us to the lake for the Fourth of July in Windom, Minnesota. They treat us like family, always.

In all of my years traveling to Nebraska and heading to The Prairie Club, this year, we did something different. About nine miles south of the club is the Merritt Reservoir, a sprawling little lake complex, and we took the boys swimming in the natural sandy waters. Sarah and I agreed that simple little six-hour trip was a mini-highlight of our summer.

Calvin, my boy, turned three years old and, for six months leading in, emphatically stated that he wanted a “Mr. Grinch” themed birthday party — in July. Of course, that’s what we did. Calvin is the edge to our household.

August 2025

Calvin did “Grand Camp with Mimi,” where he went to spend a week in Duluth after his birthday. We followed north a few days later. For our summer trip to my family home, we did a few things we haven’t before, like taking the families over to Madeline Island and Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Sarah still made her way to caddy for me in a golf tournament, this time up in Brookings, South Dakota. After the round, we did dinner at the Pheasant Restaurant, one of my favorite little spots. I love when she caddies; it’s just our little time together. Even when I don’t play great.

September 2025

A second close call, as my brother-in-law Kyle Schock and I almost won our first South Dakota golf title in Rapid City. In the end, we finished solo second, our second runner-up in three years in the two-person event. Neither of us have ever won a state event. I guess we keep trying. The SDGA Mid-Am Two Man will be ours, someday.

Late in the month, our little family made our annual cabin pilgrimage to the Black Hills. We did the 1880 Train, took family pictures, ate at the Skogen Kitchen, and enjoyed the gorgeous South Dakota scenery. Annually, it is an absolute highlight. The Black Hills in the fall are complete bliss.

October 2025

As fall settled, we buzzed up to the Twin Cities and held “not a surprise” 70th birthday party for my dad. We got a small group of family together for him for lunch, then went to a Minnesota Wild hockey game.

I believe that my brother might be the first person in Minnesota Wild hockey history to have a deadly weapon confiscated at security, then have himself upgraded a private luxury suite (complimentary) within an hour. My mom fell outside the stadium, and through a series of chaotic events, my dad had “maybe the best birthday he’s ever had,” watching hockey at center ice of the Grand Casino Arena, in a suite. Life is an adventure if you follow us around.

November 2025

I took a business trip to Missouri to attend a small business conference in Columbia with my business partner Jeremy. Killing four birds with one stone, we attended the Main Street Summit, got to tour the facility where all of our Homestead Living books are printed (in Marceline), and had a meeting with our fulfillment center friends (in Blue Springs), who make sure our books end up in the right homes. It was a jam-packed three days.

December 2025

And while November is not yet complete, Sarah and I are heading to Italy for our 10 year anniversary, which we are celebrating from November 14, 2025, a few weeks late.

I am writing this from the airplane as we fly into Chicago on Black Friday.

Sarah, if I know her, will probably come edit this letter a few days once we get back and add photos from the trip. So, it depends on when you’re reading this, whether you’ll see what we’re up to.

We’re doing Rome for 3 days (Vatican + St. Peter’s Basilica + Sistine Chapel + the Colosseum + exploring), then the Tuscany region for 3 days (Siena, an authentic Italian cooking class, and laying low). We’ll spend one day in Florence.

Sarah has cried 3 times already thinking about the boys and looking at pictures, so I trust that while we’ll have a lovely time, we will be happy to come home.