Merry Christmas!

 2021- what a wild time to be navigating life! We celebrated a year in our new home in Gresham, Oregon, but since we relocated to Oregon right before the pandemic started and then moved into our neighborhood whilst still in the pandemic, it has felt like we are still in the midst of transitioning in many ways. Looking through the photos of the year always helps to gain perspective in this season of life. We have family nearer by and we have each other and the beautiful outdoors! Our kids are healthy and continuing to grow! This is the first musical video card that mom and dad didn't sing at all because Heath and Reese confidently took the lead. It also signifies our year of adaptability- they each wanted a different song, so we opted for a mashup! Ande hardly wanted to say a word into the mic, so we spliced together a "Merry Christmas everyone" from her in the middle. 

However this last year has caused you to 'roll with it' we hope your seasons ahead are full of joy, health and hope! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Love, 

the Manz Fam

Jonathan, Lyndsy, Heath (11), Reese (7), Ande Joy (3)

We hope you enjoy our video card here: https://youtu.be/0eSGKAMwxiQ

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

A Belated 2019 Christmas 'Card'

 Last December our life was bit turned upside down with the news of our relocation to the west coast from Indiana. In the midst of setting up Christmas decorations we were also packing up/selling/purging our belongings. The week of Christmas which is usually our crunch time for getting our Christmas video card song recorded, I came down with the flu. I didn't get out of bed for several days and J was managing the household solo until my parents arrived, and then he was hosting them and ensuring our kids still had a great Christmas. We broke our e-card song tradition and decided to just be grateful for what was in front of us without creating something new to share. I came downstairs on Christmas Day for an hour of gift opening with a mask on (how funny to reflect back now that it seemed very out of sorts to have a mask on inside like that!). 

As I prepare our photo backside of the 2020 digital card, I came across the Google album that I had prepped for our video card in 2019 and thought- well that's something! So for the blog's purpose of keeping our records in order here, this is what 2019 looked like (and future Lyndsy this is why you don't have a video card from that year). 

Enjoy! https://photos.app.goo.gl/AS7n1U1EbJitFsnF8 

Merry Christmas Card 2017!

This is our 8th year of creating a musical family-caroling Christmas card as we look back on our year in photos! Every year we get to involve the kids more and Jonathan learns something new on Garage Band as do I on iMovie. We collectively choose the carol we all want to sing and play it around the house for awhile so the kids are familiar. Reese had been singing the chorus to The First Noel and was excited to record, but when we got to the basement's makeshift studio, all she wanted to do was shout "Noel!" into the mic. What we've learned in nearly 8 years of parenting now is that for everyone's sanity and maximum enjoyment, it is best to just go with it! So J weaved her Noel shouts nicely into the mix and Heath helped carry the chorus!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

This year's Christmas card highlights the kids on the chorus, with Reese finally piping in at the final round more loudly. May you and yours find warm snuggles this season and blessings in the new year! Merry Christmas! Love, the Manz fam

Christmas Card 2015

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The kids are vocally featured more this year than any of our past 5 cards and we all enjoyed that. Our song was chosen because Reese was walking around the house this month singing "Edoice, edoice" and we were thankful to capture it on audio and share. We have much to be grateful for as we reflect on all the provisions and blessings of 2015. "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth Peace to all men."

Love,

the Manz fam

Lyndsy, Jonathan, Heath (5.5), Reese Jean (22 months)

Merry Christmas from the Manz fam

The 2.5 minute video you've been waiting for all year! We had fun this week getting the kids plugged in to the recording of our Christmas song. Heath is featured vocally much stronger than the last couple years! Reese mostly just wanted to eat the microphone, so you have to tune in close to hear her in the final seconds. It is always fun to sit and gather our pictures together looking at the year in review.

We are blessed! May you enjoy the Christmas season with your loved ones and feel blessed now and in 2015.
Love,
the Manz fam

December Holiday Recap

This year we enjoyed spending our Christmas break with the Manz family in Georgia. There was a 5 hour window where all of Jonathan's immediate family overlapped in Greenville, SC where his youngest brother had Sunday commitments at his church and we all met up (see photo ops below). We spent a week of our break then at his parent's house in Augusta area and Heath enjoyed all things Grandpa and Grandma (and Uncle Chris/Aunt Aisha, Uncle Greg/Aunt Whitney/Kirby the dog).

We returned to Blacksburg this weekend to spend Jonathan's birthday and New Year's at home with our friends the Chinns. We were all super proud that the kids went down by 9pm and we actually stayed awake until midnight! I made a delicious peppermint ice cream cake, whose recipe I'd recommend here: http://blog.hwtm.com/2009/12/peppermint-ice-cream-cake-so-good/

Today we took down our Christmas tree and decorations. It was a little challenging to keep explaining why to Heath. He kept asking if it wasn't Jesus' birthday anymore. Challenging because I have to limit myself in not explaining to him that December 25th is not the 'real' birth date, but why we should celebrate year round- but then why we are putting decorations away?... it's a vicious circle. Anyhow- one of my favorite Christmas traditions that Jonathan and I have started since our First together (dating in 2006) is taking a picture for an annual photo ornament. Here is the growing collection in review:

And if you missed the Manz family Christmas card, here is a link:
http://youtu.be/ukz_h_iRE1A

Happy New Year!

Holiday 2012 Card

This is our third annual run at a video Christmas card. As travel and toddler demands delayed the production of this one a bit, better late than never, right? We enjoy choosing a song to reflect on the season and looking back through our photos at a handful of highlights. We are grateful for the community shared in 2012 and wish all of you and yours a happy 2013!
Love,
the Manz fam

Merry Christmas from the Manz fam!

Our second annual Christmas recording and picture recap of the year is ready for your holiday enjoyment! May you have the comfort of family this season and blessings in the new year! We are celebrating this Christmas with the larger Manz clan in Georgia, which will include staying here through the new year and Jonathan's 32nd birthday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew24qv-TTe4

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We have had much to celebrate in 2010! It was crazy to put together our e-card for this year and realize how many things have changed since a year ago- yep a baby will do that for you! We are spending the holidays this year in California with the Henkelmann family. Heath had his first airplane ride out west and did excellent! He has finally got to meet his Uncle Derek, Aunt Kristen, Cousin Beka and Great Oma. He is quite enamored with Beka, as she is with him. They took a bath together last night and it was pretty cute. Beka (2 1/2) asked- why does he have a belly there? pointing at his privates =). Heath is getting stronger and watching Beka's movements I think has helped encourage his own independence. He is still working on the crawling motion but now sitting up very strong on his own and can scoot on his belly- backwards and in circles- just not forward yet.

We are making many memories out here as Heath continues his list of 'firsts' in life (first time to In-N-Out was my favorite). Today we celebrate Jonathan's birthday and welcome in a new year! We have five more days of vacation to soak up out here before traveling back home to Arkansas. Enjoy our holiday greeting here (for better quality)- blessings to you and yours in 2011!

Merry Christmas!

Last year our Christmas card is what spawned this blog so it has been fun to see our year in review and see how thankful we are for all the adventures! In sticking to our eco-friendly web card ways- here is this year's Christmas greeting from the Manz house. Be sure to scroll through all the slides!

Blessings,
Jonathan & Lyndsy

Manz Family Highlights of 2008

This is a recreation of our Christmas card that was sent out on email today!

APRIL: We accepted positions at the University of Arkansas. Jonathan as the Resident Director for first year students in the Honors College and Lyndsy as the Program Coordinator for Student Organizations and Student Government. We live and work on campus and love it!


MAY: We graduated from Baylor University (Waco, TX) with our Masters of Education in Student Affairs Administration. Lyndsy’s Grama Jean, as well as Lyndsy’s parents, uncle, aunt, cousins, and Jonathan’s parents all joined us for our hooding ceremony and commencement.
MAY: Following graduation, we packed up both of our apartments and hit the road for Fayetteville, Arkansas with new car in tow! (Jonathan’s car was wrecked in November and Lyndsy’s Civic was sold to a Baylor graduate staying in Waco).





JUNE: We finally got to meet our niece for the first time in Fresno, CA. Rebeka Rylee Henkelmann was born March 18, 2008. She served as our honorary flower girl with parents Derek and Kristen walking her down the aisle.










JUNE: Kind of a big deal, we got married!! June 7th Lyndsy’s uncle, Dietmar, married us at the First Church of God in Fresno, CA. With 120 of our close friends and family present we tied the knot! Thank you all so much who supported us with your love, prayers and well wishes. We are so blessed to have you as part of our community.






JUNE: We honeymooned in Havasu! The London Bridge Resort kept us for a week right on the lake, refreshing for the 108 degree average temperature that week!






BEFORE AFTER

JULY: Upon moving into our residence hall apartment, complete with cinder block walls we started adding our homey touches. Thanks to TLC and HGTV, our decorating cents stretched!
For more pictures see our album at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182503&l=e1ff0&id=9220632



NOVEMBER: We hosted Thanksgiving in our apartment! Having an entire residence hall (clear of students) helped to avoid cabin fever for Lyndsy’s parents, uncle, aunt and cousin who shared the week with us! We visited the downtown Fayetteville Square decorated for the season!





MERRY CHRISTMAS & happy new year!
Blessings and Love during this season,
Jonathan and Lyndsy Manz