The Extended Version of the Holiday Card 2021!
This year's card was festive and inclusive! "Happy Everything." I love it. Our family has had a really good year. I sent out a few printed holiday cards with a short recap of 2021 on the back, but here is my extended version just for the blog and my friends online. My kids like me keeping the information short and sweet-- sweet it is! But I can't resist giving you more details:
2021 started in the midst of a global pandemic that we are still in, so we were all home, staying as safe as possible. Jim and I were both teaching from Madison. While he had converted an upstairs bedroom into an office, I was going into the school to teach art remotely to students with take-home art kits and all lessons online.
Erika purchased her first home at the end of 2020. She spent most of the year working with seniors. While she enjoyed her clients, she did not receive great compensation or any benefits. Late in August, Erika asked me about opportunities in the school district. After a short email to my principal, a whirlwind of interviews and paperwork proceeded. Erika became a cross-categorical teacher in September with an emergency license. For me this was the most exciting thing to happen all year. I absolutely love having Erika working in the same building as I do. I love my job and getting to have lunch with Erika once or twice a week is the icing on my work-cake. In January she will begin working on her masters in special education at the UW-Madison with most expenses paid either by the state, the school district, or the university.
Jessi continues her work as a US Navy helicopter pilot at Norfolk, VA. She is out at sea a couple of weeks at a time. I love visiting her home so close to the beach. I got out there three times this year. After getting the J&J vaccine at the top of March, I was emboldened to visit her for my spring break. I enjoy helping her out with projects and walking Balt on the beach. At the end of May, Jessi and Cody, who had been engaged for a couple of years and dating since their time at the Naval Academy together, were secretly married on a rainy day in Virginia in order for Cody to be ensured a spot in Norfolk as a jet pilot once he finished flight school in Texas over the summer. They both want a big wedding with friends and family; however, between their busy schedules and the pandemic, they decided to elope this year and party later. We are still hoping to figure out a way to celebrate in a big way soon. Cody moved into Jessi's house in September and we all celebrated Thanksgiving together there.
By the end of spring our whole family was fully vaccinated, offering us all a feeling of being able to visit each other with a lot less fear. Schools were opening up and I welcomed students back into my classroom which certainly made work a lot more fun. With the end of the pandemic in sight, we knew Jim would be back in his classroom in Minnesota in the fall. The unfavorable real estate market made us unsure about our hopes of buying a second home in Rochester, but we got lucky in July and moved in in August. I had stored quite a bit of my mom's household in a Uhaul box over the year, so we were able to move in with most everything needed for the kitchen, dining room, bedroom and bathrooms. It was a lot more than Jim needed or wanted, but it certainly brought me a feeling of home I needed.
Monika received a scholarship to go back to school in the fall for computer programming. She decided to leave her position at SOM Yoga Retreat Center in Michigan at the end of the summer. It has been quite a treat for me to have her back home, especially because she is a great vegan cook. She brought with her a new pet, Perry Parris, my mom's cat, who had been staying with a friend. Peter, our 17-year-old family cat crossed the rainbow bridge in September, so we are back to three cats in the condo. After a few scuffles, they all seem to be getting along finally. I often wonder if Perry remembers my mom. I know my mom would be so happy to see him so comfy in Monika's room.
Jim and I turned 56 this year, Monika turned 25, Jessi turned 27, Erika turned 31, and Balt turned 11! While our family has not been touched by illness, the pandemic has affected us all. I keep wondering when things will go "back to normal" and think: we are in the midst of creating a new normal. We will look back on this transitional time in history, I think, in awe. I personally have so much to celebrate this year and feel so blessed. The gifts of love, peace and happiness have been poured out this past year to our family. May your holiday season and 2022 be filled with love, peace and happiness.
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