It must be said:
What a year!
2020?!? Who would have thought? Here are the highlights in this crazy year:
Kylie did her first solo international voyage to Europe, spending one month across six countries visiting many Mercy Ships friends along the way and braving a couple of countries on her own. It was a big launch into adulthood for her and we are all grateful she insisted on going in February before the craziness ensued. She started working as a CNA (nursing assistant) and has a great connection with the teen girl she is working with. She endured losing her wisdom teeth (and the fun of anesthesia and video), but better still was being accepted into nursing school! She commuted to San Juan College in Farmington, NM, and did great her first semester. In 18 months, we will have another RN!
Savannah had a year full of milestones! She got her driver’s license this summer, bought her first car (Meredith Grey, named after her favorite show), has a job with Nifty Nanny as a childcare provider, is spending her senior year on Zoom, rocked the SAT, and is now having to make college choices among closed campuses and cancelled tours! She was able to sneak in a visit to her best friend in Ohio this summer. During quarantine she taught herself guitar and recorded hundreds of TikToks (last night she counted how many TikTok dances she knows and lost track after 25...). She is rolling with the changes like a rock star, but still hoping and praying for a prom and a graduation in 2021.
Dan continues to pursue ways to bless others locally and globally. He put his grillmaster skills to work using the smoker to grill up at our soup kitchen in Durango, for the Samaritan’s Purse team that deployed to Shiprock, NM to help with the Covid pandemic among the Navajos, and for various church social distancing BBQs we held. He has added drone pilot to his set of skills and is hoping to use that with search and recovery of people and vehicles. He joined Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery and is enjoying learning how to recover vehicles in the backcountry. He is working on a Masters in Global Studies and dreams of ways to put that into use in the future. He also dreams of playing in the ocean (his annual Lobsterfest helps tick that box a bit!). It has been an exceptionally stressful year in flight nursing so these other outlets (and our new-to-us hot tub) have helped.
Tiffany – I’m still working fulltime from home in housing market research. For enrichment, I taught in-person adult Spanish classes last winter, and transitioned to a remote class in April. Book club, playing cards/board games, attacking my reading list, a Moms in Prayer group, and finding workouts online have helped keep me balanced. We explored locally this summer- the Ouray Via Ferrata (look it up if it’s new to you!) and the Alpine Loop. We harvesting 100 gallons of fresh cider from our eight apple trees this fall with the help of friends. I celebrated with our Colombian friends as they were granted political asylum this year and we trade life and cultural experiences. I went to VA for the birth of my amazing friend’s surprise baby, but he couldn’t wait to be born! I got to snuggle him and love on his family instead!
Animal Kingdom: In March we had a new cat adopt US! Bobs (aka BooBoo, Babaganoush, Baby, Noodle, Chicken Wing) started sneaking into our garage and stealing our Bubs’ food. He eventually got brave enough to approach us, and he hasn’t stopped wanting hugs ever since. Unfortunately, Bubs went missing early May (we suspect mountain lion L), so Bobs is our solo cat, and our weirdest one yet. We think he is a Maine Coon – he likes to be swaddled, needs help self-soothing, is super vocal and loves food.
In November, we were given the chance to adopt Sulley (fka Sniper), Dan’s parents’ German Shepard, fulfilling Kylie’s dream! He is learning to tolerate the needy cat, and loves to stare at the stars, snuggle at our feet or go for a hike. He is a breeze!
We cannot believe we will be empty nesters next year! We are praying about what that means for us in terms of work, life, and mission. We are counting our blessings during this season and praying about how to be compassionate, intentional and aware of what the Lord is doing at this time.
In the words of Corrie Ten Boom:
“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power. Nothing is too small for his love.”
We pray you know His power, love and possibility this season and always,
Dan, Tiff, Kylie & Savannah
Kylie did her first solo international voyage to Europe, spending one month across six countries visiting many Mercy Ships friends along the way and braving a couple of countries on her own. It was a big launch into adulthood for her and we are all grateful she insisted on going in February before the craziness ensued. She started working as a CNA (nursing assistant) and has a great connection with the teen girl she is working with. She endured losing her wisdom teeth (and the fun of anesthesia and video), but better still was being accepted into nursing school! She commuted to San Juan College in Farmington, NM, and did great her first semester. In 18 months, we will have another RN!
Savannah had a year full of milestones! She got her driver’s license this summer, bought her first car (Meredith Grey, named after her favorite show), has a job with Nifty Nanny as a childcare provider, is spending her senior year on Zoom, rocked the SAT, and is now having to make college choices among closed campuses and cancelled tours! She was able to sneak in a visit to her best friend in Ohio this summer. During quarantine she taught herself guitar and recorded hundreds of TikToks (last night she counted how many TikTok dances she knows and lost track after 25...). She is rolling with the changes like a rock star, but still hoping and praying for a prom and a graduation in 2021.
Dan continues to pursue ways to bless others locally and globally. He put his grillmaster skills to work using the smoker to grill up at our soup kitchen in Durango, for the Samaritan’s Purse team that deployed to Shiprock, NM to help with the Covid pandemic among the Navajos, and for various church social distancing BBQs we held. He has added drone pilot to his set of skills and is hoping to use that with search and recovery of people and vehicles. He joined Colorado 4x4 Rescue & Recovery and is enjoying learning how to recover vehicles in the backcountry. He is working on a Masters in Global Studies and dreams of ways to put that into use in the future. He also dreams of playing in the ocean (his annual Lobsterfest helps tick that box a bit!). It has been an exceptionally stressful year in flight nursing so these other outlets (and our new-to-us hot tub) have helped.
Tiffany – I’m still working fulltime from home in housing market research. For enrichment, I taught in-person adult Spanish classes last winter, and transitioned to a remote class in April. Book club, playing cards/board games, attacking my reading list, a Moms in Prayer group, and finding workouts online have helped keep me balanced. We explored locally this summer- the Ouray Via Ferrata (look it up if it’s new to you!) and the Alpine Loop. We harvesting 100 gallons of fresh cider from our eight apple trees this fall with the help of friends. I celebrated with our Colombian friends as they were granted political asylum this year and we trade life and cultural experiences. I went to VA for the birth of my amazing friend’s surprise baby, but he couldn’t wait to be born! I got to snuggle him and love on his family instead!
Animal Kingdom: In March we had a new cat adopt US! Bobs (aka BooBoo, Babaganoush, Baby, Noodle, Chicken Wing) started sneaking into our garage and stealing our Bubs’ food. He eventually got brave enough to approach us, and he hasn’t stopped wanting hugs ever since. Unfortunately, Bubs went missing early May (we suspect mountain lion L), so Bobs is our solo cat, and our weirdest one yet. We think he is a Maine Coon – he likes to be swaddled, needs help self-soothing, is super vocal and loves food.
In November, we were given the chance to adopt Sulley (fka Sniper), Dan’s parents’ German Shepard, fulfilling Kylie’s dream! He is learning to tolerate the needy cat, and loves to stare at the stars, snuggle at our feet or go for a hike. He is a breeze!
We cannot believe we will be empty nesters next year! We are praying about what that means for us in terms of work, life, and mission. We are counting our blessings during this season and praying about how to be compassionate, intentional and aware of what the Lord is doing at this time.
In the words of Corrie Ten Boom:
“The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power. Nothing is too small for his love.”
We pray you know His power, love and possibility this season and always,
Dan, Tiff, Kylie & Savannah