Christmas letter 2020

 6 December 2020

     Dear Family and Friends,

I saw a funny meme a few months ago that had a picture of  Colin Firth's Mr Darcy on it with the caption, 

How I used to being my work emails: "Hi!"                                                                                           

How I begin work emails now: I hope your family is in good health."

Which maybe only makes sense if you are a Pride and Prejudice fan like me and understand Jane Austen's way of having all her characters begin conversations by asking after their family's health. But that's almost how I feel I should begin this Christmas letter. How are you all? How are your families? Are you in good health? It's been a crazy year, and unprecedented year, a deeply unsettling year. And I realize the things that have affected all of us have been as different as they are similar, as well as the ways in which we have reacted to and handled them. We'e all been living through a pandemic which has included stay-at-home orders, masks, social distancing, changes in work, church, social and schooling. But for some there has also been financial impact. Some have contracted Covid-19 and become horribly ill, had a mild case or been entirely asymptomatic. Some have dealt with cabin fever and disappointments in regards to cancellations, be it travel, graduations, missions, weddings, funerals. Some have struggled with the loss of hobbies, gathering with friends and family, and day-to-day normal. We've seen racial unrest. In Utah we were rattled with a 5.7 earthquake. We've had disagreements about politics, masks and how school should proceed. Most tragically, we've lost a lot of people. Far too many. We're all in this together, and yet each dealing with our own version of the year that is 2020.

However, I have always been a proponent of looking for silver linings, of searching for blessings in hard things even when those blessings aren't obvious. And so believe it or not, I've found much to be thankful for this year. Sometimes when things are stripped away for a time, we realize how much we've taken them for granted and just how much we appreciate them. I do fully understand that our family has not struggled in the same ways that others have so it may be far too easy for me to talk about the ways in which 2020 did not suck. I don't want to come across as completely insensitive. And I will acknowledge that despite my Pollyanna-ish way of looking for the good, there were times I completely broke and found myself in puddles of unexpected tears where I had to remind myself that though I was telling everyone we were fine, which of course was true...We. Were. Fine...that didn't mean that there wasn't still a lot of crappy in all of this and it was okay to admit that. But in general, we have indeed been....well, fine. We adapted to all the myriad changes over the past months and have been more than willing to do our part in keeping ourselves and others healthy and safe. We learned how to zoom, invested in masks of all colors and patterns and started carrying hand sanitizer with us wherever we went (whenever we went...we certainly spend much more time at home this year.)

Our biggest news of course is that Julianne married Jordan DiReda on May 8th. The original plan was for a June wedding in the Provo City Center Temple followed by a big reception for all the family, friends and neighbors. Covid hit and we suddenly found ourselves moving to Plan B, then Plans C through G before landing on a new wedding date, a new venue, and a much simpler day with only immediate family as guests. Julianne and Jordan decided that if they couldn't get married in the temple, they'd like to have a civil ceremony on the Bonneville Salt Flats. And I tell you what, it was ethereal...white as far as the eye could see. Bryan walked his daughter down the aisle. Jordan's father, a judge by profession, was able to officiate at the ceremony, marrying his son to his new daughter-in-law. Julianne and Jordan wrote their own vows and it was such a highlight to hear such heartfelt declarations of love. The lovebirds FaceTimed with each set of grandparents after the ceremony to bring them into the celebration since they couldn't be there in person. We had hauled everything needed for a very classy meal right there on the Salt Flats and then were rewarded with a beautiful sunset as our photographer and videographer documented the whole thing. It was truly a glorious day. Did we wish we could've had extended family with us? Absolutely. But there is definitely something to be said for such a simple, personable, heartfelt wedding that this turned out to bed. And oh, the stories they'll be able to tell their children someday about getting married in the middle of a pandemic. After a quick honeymoon of sorts in Bryan's parents' St. George vacation house (still hoping they'll be able to take the cruise they had originally planned at some point in the future) the newlyweds settled into their new apartment in Provo. Julianne continues to work for the MTC teaching her missionaries in the new "Home MTC" online training program. Jordan is considered an essential worker as he transcribes phone conversations for the hard of hearing with Caption Calls. They are both in their senior year at UVU and BYU and plan to graduate in the spring. And this week on December 8th, their 7 month anniversary, they are getting sealed in the Provo City Center Temple. We are very excited!

Update: The sealing was yesterday morning and it was absolutely glorious. Due to Covid precautions, our small group were the only people in the temple, along with only 2 temple workers. Kind of cool to think about the temple being open on that day, at that time, solely for Julianne and Jordan to be sealed for eternity. 

Rebekah finished up her first year of teaching 4th grade at Lewiston Elementary, with 2.5 months of it entirely online. Because she could teach from anywhere, she and Tanner came for an extended visit and I watched her video chat with each one of her students daily as she checked in on their progress, explained math concepts, encouraged them, made sure they knew she loved them. I've always thought teachers were heroes, but after 2020, I hope no one ever takes a teacher for granted again. Tanner graduated from USU without a graduation ceremony, though truth be told, I'm not sure he was overly sad about missing the Pomp and Circumstance. The two of them moved to South Jordan this summer where Rebekah started working at Elk Meadows Elementary and Tanner teaches Chinese and English online while he researches grad school programs. 

Brandon spent the majority of the year in Cedar City. Though his classes at SUU moved online in March, he stayed throughout the rest of the semester and summer as well. The reason for this? His girlfriend Abbie. She's from Henderson, NV, and seeing as she was leaving on a mission at the end of July, the two of them tried to spend as much time together as they could before she left. Brandon is currently in his second year at SUU and is the marketing director of photography for the school, advertising and documenting campus activities.

Lilian has gone through more schooling plans than I can count. From work-at-your-own-pace distance learning in the spring, to Davis District's hybrid plan in the fall (2 days in person, 3 days online), the full 4-day week, and the 2 week soft closure when her jr high school's Covid cases spiked and they all zoomed into their classes each day...she has adapted like a champ. After full shut downs of all her extra curriculars, little by little they've come back with new Covid precautions in place. It's not ideal, but they are making it work! And for that she is thankful. 

We didn't really travel much this year as you can imagine, but the eight of us were able to take a weekend trip to Park City to do some hiking and spend some downtime together in August. Last month Bryan and I went "glamping" in Zion National Park. We stayed in a tent with a shower, bathroom, king bed and wood burning stove. That's my kind of camping! And hiking Zion in the fall was pretty spectacular.

Some other silver linings of 2020...

* I've learned that I enjoy cooking quite a lot when I have all the time in the world to do so.  

* We started the Dalton Girls Book Club and met during the summer in my parents' backyard where we could social distance. Now that it's cold, we have our discussions over zoom. Why did we not start this earlier? 

* With all my choirs being on hiatus this year, my sister talked me into taking an 8 week adult tap class. We wore masks the entire time, had our temps taken as we walked in and class size was limited to 10. I've found I'm a little more balance challenged these days, but we sure had fun.

* A friend and I started biking again this summer. I had forgotten just how much I love it.

* In an attempt to support a local floral business, I signed up for a weekly flower bouquet subscription. Who would've guessed fresh flowers on my nightstand would bring me such joy?

* I've loved watching the creative ways people have found to still hold events and celebrate milestones safely. Julianne had a drive-by bridal shower and a zoom bachelorette party. I participated in multiple welcome home missionary car parades, and watched the various ways friends celebrated their children's high school graduations. 

* It's been so heartening to see the ways in which people have served each other, buoyed each other up, and looked out for each other.

* Bryan has been consulting remotely for a company in Connecticut which means we've had him home with us this entire year. No business travel at all. I cannot remember the last time that happened!

* Humorous, clever memes. "Some Good News." The Holderness Family videos. For the Love of Old Houses. Classic FM. As ugly as social media got at times this year, there were also things I absolutely loved about it and these were a few of them.

* When in-person church was cancelled and we were asked to hold our own worship services in our homes, I was a little nervous. How would that work for us being a part member family? I didn't have to worry long, because immediately Lilian and I were invited to join the neighbors next door in taking the sacrament with them. Nearly every Sunday since mid-March we've joined them in their home. I never realized just how much taking the sacrament meant to me until I thought I would have to go without. The fact that they realized this and reached out means everything to me. Beyond the privilege of being able to take the sacrament each week, our "neighborly fun time" as Lilian once dubbed it, has strengthened the friendship between our two families. I'm so thankful that we've been able to start going back to church every other week in person and watch the broadcast of the meeting online on our off weeks. I also really love seeing everyone's faces int eh Relief Society and Sunday School zoom meetings. But I will always and forever treasure these months we've spent next door worshiping in our neighbor's living room. 

It's been a roller coaster of a year. I'm thankful that it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine in sight. I am looking forward to burning all our masks and hugging anyone and everyone I come into contact with. I can't wait to sing again, to go to crowded concerts, to travel. But this year will always stick with me as one that has forced us to take a step back and live a little smaller. We've had more time with family, we're perhaps appreciating things that we didn't realize we'd miss. And though I'm excited for a return to normal in the near future, I'm always going to be thankful for that. In the meantime, I'm planning to learn how to make fudge and popcorn balls, have a gingerbread house building competition with my family, and watch lots of Hallmark Christmas movies. Why not? I have the time this year...might as well fill it with things I've always wanted to try. 

We hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Love,

Bryan, Sarah, Rebekah & Tanner, Julianne & Jordan, Brandon, Lilian

School in the time of Corona

The last time Lilian was in school was March 13th. A Friday the 13th, no less. Seems appropriate. Originally the plan was to spend the next two weeks doing "remote distance learning" at home, followed by the regularly scheduled week of spring break as we tried as a state to "flatten the curve" and "slow the spread." Towards the end of those three weeks, we were informed that due to continually rising virus numbers, schools would continue to stay online through the month of April. And then April turned into all of May with summer break arriving without ever having gone back into the classrooms. About a week before school ended, Lilian was assigned a time to come into the school to pick up her yearbook and clean out her locker. Strict protocol ensued. Temperatures taken, hand sanitizer dispensed. A specific pattern to walk through the school so there wouldn't be overlap between the students. I wasn't allowed to come in with her. After taking a quick picture under the balloon arch, I was instructed to drive around to the bus drop-off as Lilian would be coming out that door when we she was finished. 

It was a strange spring. Do you know how difficult it is to do theatre, orchestra and social dance classes online? I was incredibly impressed with the creative and out-of-the-box ways in which Lilian's teachers came up with lesson plans, homework assignments and ways to keep these kids engaged in a remote situation...especially classes that are usually participation type curriculum. 

Not only was Lilian doing school virtually, all the colleges had moved online as well. Rebekah and Tanner were the first to arrive back home. As a 4th grade teacher at Lewiston Elementary in Cache Valley, Rebekah was also teaching remotely, which meant she could do so from anywhere. She and Tanner spent about two weeks here, Tanner taking over the TV room down the hall where he set up his computer and worked daily on his final semester of USU classes, and Rebekah usually sitting in the living room or kitchen, contacting each one of her elementary students daily by video chat...checking in, helping them with questions, teaching them math concepts, encouraging them, letting them know she cared. I've always thought teachers were unsung heroes, but after this? I hope no one ever takes teachers for granted again.

Though their classes at UVU and BYU had moved online, Julianne and Jordan continued to live in their Provo apartments due to work; Julianne teaching at the Missionary Training Center and Jordan transcribing phone conversations at Caption Calls. But after a few weeks the church moved missionaries to a Home MTC version of training and Jordan was given the option to work remotely as well, so both of them moved back to Kaysville and took over a couple empty classrooms at Guru Labs when covering their shifts. 

As with the others, Brandon's classes were also remote, but other than a visit home for spring break, he decided to spend his quarantine in Cedar City with an "isolation buddy"...his girlfriend Abbie. She also decided to stay in Cedar City rather than move back to her hometown of Henderson, Nevada. They spent the majority of their days cooking and eating meals together, doing schoolwork, and keeping each other company. Occasionally they'd come up to visit us in Kaysville, or join Abbie's family at their cabin in Brian Head. But with Abbie going on a mission at the end of July and knowing their time together was limited, neither of them wanted to move home, putting them 6.5 hours apart. In fact, Brandon decided to stay in Cedar City and sign up for summer semester classes so that he could drive down to Henderson or up to Brian Head more easily on weekends leading up to her mission departure.

Bryan's work schedule didn't change much. Shortly after the new year, he started a long term consulting contract with a company in Connecticut. Because this was already online, he was able to continue his work with no obvious changes when the Coronavirus hit. Guru Labs was already doing much of their work remotely, so Bryan was able to find plenty for his employees to do despite not being able send them off as road warriors teaching on-site classes. And because most of them preferred to work from home and Bryan has his own office, it wasn't a big deal for him to continue to go into Guru Labs each day like normal to do his consulting. Probably easier for him to find quiet and focus there than at home with so many doing school work in various rooms of the house. 

There have been all sorts of plans for how to start school safely in the fall. At this point most universities are doing some sort of hybrid situation with campus open...some classes in person, some on-line depending on the type of class and teacher. The public school districts are debating different ideas and get to decide independently how they want to proceed, no state-wide decision. I've filled out a few surveys as our district has tried to gauge parent's thoughts and opinions as to how to handle going back to school. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out...whether we go full time, remote or some hybrid version between the two. We've learned a lot from this past spring as to what works and what doesn't and hopefully we'll be able to find a way to educate our kids as safely as possible. What a crazy school year. 

2020 Memes

As you can imagine, being home more than usual with not much to do, people have taken to social media in big ways to connect electronically when they can't personally, to share stories, to commiserate, to uplift, to debate (sometimes very controversially, unfortunately) and to find relief in laughter at all the memes that have been cropping up on the regular. I've saved the ones that I've found to be really clever or have made me laugh out loud. Laughter...ah, how it's needed! Always, but especially this very difficult year. In looking for silver linings, believe it or not I'm finding humorous memes to be one.

(2020 Bingo)