Merry Christmas

Last year we didn't get to the final stages of recording our annual Christmas video card to share out. We were in the middle of packing up our Indiana home for a first of the new year move to Portland, Oregon and to add to the crazy I then caught the flu and was completely incapacitated for serval days Christmas week. Who knew that wildness of 2019's wrap up would reverberate through the rollercoaster of 2020. As we began to chat about what song to choose for our e-card this year, the suggestion of Snow by Sleeping at Last came up. J said "but it's not really an upbeat/happy song" to which I replied "it's 2020- not really an upbeat/happy year." True. 

When we take a look at the photos that mark our year, it is easy to feel overridden by smiles which certainly existed, but this year also felt heavy and hard. Before the pandemic was layered onto our lives, we were already grieving loss of community and roles as we transitioned to life in the Pacific Northwest. Heath and Reese started over at a new elementary school mid-year. Ande began daycare with Opa then at 'school' while Lyndsy worked full time again after a 5 year break. Jonathan went from working remote to losing his job because of the pandemic and experiencing unemployment for 4 months, transitioning to the primary care provider. When the Oregon wildfires in September spread to our air, our quarantine became restricted to not even stepping outside for days. 

These things were part of our year, just as much as our Alameda compound community. Lyndsy's Great Uncle Rick generously opened his Portland home to us as a stopover spot in our transition that ended up being nearly 11 months! Our nextdoor neighbors there with two kids our kids' ages became part of our double bubble from March forward. The generosity of family is colored throughout our year as Opa and Oma Henkelmann took on child care support for multiple stints. Grandma and Grandpa Manz were a regular FaceTime caller with weekly story reading and chess playing. Lyndsy's 91 year old Oma called Bingo for us over Zoom gatherings and was a listener to Heath's weekly read aloud calls. 

This fall continued to bring change as Jonathan started a new job (at Lyndsy's alma mater!), Lyndsy began working a 4 day furlough schedule, and we moved to our final settling place buying a home in Gresham, Oregon. 

As our song says, we welcome December with tireless hope! We eagerly look forward to a 2021 with a vaccine and greater opportunities to build community in our new home and hopefully host some of your in our new house.

You are unconditionally cared for. Merry Christmas and Love,

the Manz Fam

Enjoy our video card here: https://youtu.be/bP3lYF9gQ_k