Christmas 2020

Woah, it’s been a bizarre year! There have been many challenges this year, and our hearts go out to all of our loved ones. Like everyone, 2020 has looked different than we anticipated. We rang in the new year with hope and excitement from Abu Dhabi, UAE, camping in the Arabian desert east of Dubai. We spent a week there visiting friends, seeing amazing sites, and learning about Emirati culture. Of course we had no clue what the year would have in store for us.

A couple of months later, we were lucky to be in Hawaii when the first pandemic shutdown happened, coming home to no toilet paper in the grocery stores and our world turned upside down. Since then, we’ve spent the last 10 months at home and avoiding a lot of travel and time with friends and loved ones.

Jake completed another semester in his Chemical Engineering program working exclusively online, which proved to be challenging, and is hoping to be able to attend school in-person in 2021. All airlines have been hit hard by the pandemic, but Jake continues to work for Delta.

Heather has been working from home and really loving it. In December she completed her TESOL certificate and is certified to teach English as a second or foreign language.

The biggest news of our year, is that we bought a home! After several months of looking and some frustration at the current crazy housing market in Utah, we purchased a condo in downtown SLC, in a neighborhood that we love, and close to Temple Square, UofU, and much of the excitement of the city. We would love to see each of you when it is safe to do so, and invite you to stay with us.

WE HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL, HAPPY, AND HEALTHY, DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES OF THIS YEAR AND THE ONE TO COME. THE MESSAGE ON OUR HOLIDAY CARD THIS YEAR IS “CHOOSE JOY”, WHICH WE FOUND POIGNANT BECAUSE, WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON AROUND US, WE CAN STILL CHOOSE TO HAVE FUN, LOVE HARD, AND LIVE A JOYFUL LIFE.