We decided to do a "Christmas letter" because we have not posted at all this year! FYI – this is going to be a longer post because we will go over everything important that happened this year!
In March, Cassie's closest friends decided that they would throw her a pre-graduation party. Since her stroke, she was determined to finish college, and did so by taking a class per semester. She is so grateful for really good friends and for their love and support. She does not know what she would be without them and is so grateful to God that He put them in her life! P.S. Kaitie's little girl Olivia really likes to feel Chris' facial hair – its pretty soft and I agree with her!
Nanny died – after a short struggle she went peacefully. It's still hard to comprehend, because we both feel that she is still alive on earth, when in reality she is not. Though Cassie only knew her for a short time, they developed a special bond, much like Nanny shared with all of her grandchildren. We are going to miss her, but know that we will be reunited again.
Cassie graduated from UVU! It was such an exciting time, with much stress as we fought (literally) sometimes and clawed our way to the end. She received magna cum laude honors, which is a great accomplishment. It's difficult for her to grasp graduating because she has wanted this for 9 years – and that's a long time! Chris is so glad that she persevered and made this goal a reality. Since graduation, it's been an adventure to figure out what to do next. We will figure it out!
As a way to commemorate her achievement in graduating, we planned a southern California trip over the Memorial Day weekend and following week. We included Ariana and Ethan, as Ariana also graduated from BYU and it was Ethan's "junior trip" (he's convinced he'll get a senior trip also). It was a lot of fun. We rented a minivan and drove to West Covina to our hotel for the first night. As is our tradition, we visited temples on the way (St. George and Las Vegas) as well as throughout the trip (Redlands, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego). Our first day was at Universal Studios, with particular focus on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That was super fun, and it brought back good memories from Chris' time there a decade earlier. We made sure to go to the beach, the San Diego Zoo, the farmers market, and many other memorable places. The only negative part? 2nd degree burns on Chris' shoulders and 1st degree burns on his back. Lesson learned!
During the summer months, Cassie discovered an organization called Wasatch Adaptive Sports, based in the Salt Lake City area. They were a sponsor for the annual stroke run that we have participated in since its inauguration in 2013. WAS does events throughout the year for veterans and those that suffer from a multitude of physical and mental ailments. For Cassie, this brought about cycling. The very first time she sat in the recumbent bike was thrilling! They walked with her around the park, and she felt free in a way she had not experienced for some time. Now she had an outlet for exercise, both fun and safe. She continued to do the cycling until around the end of November when it became too cold.
In late August we moved to Payson. It’s hard to believe. We had lived with Cassie's family for almost 3 years exactly, essentially in a "studio apartment." It was nerve-wracking for Cassie to consider the changes, and with the busyness of our move plus the move of Curtis & Nicole to Cedar City a week previous, it was crazy! Plus the irony of the situation is now we have normal people bills, like rent and gas and utilities. However, we know that we were inspired by the Holy Ghost to make our move here. Everything is not ideal (it’s a duplex though and that affords Cassie the independence she has wanted), but it is becoming more like a home.
Just a week ago, we both went up to Snowbird for Cassie to do a skiing test with Wasatch Adaptive Sports. Much like the cycling in the summer, she was scared because she knows her physical limitations. But like the champion she is known to be, she still went and it turned out to be awesome – plus the instructors said she was a natural! She was completely safe and it was so pretty up there, with all of the snow and mountain scenery surrounding us.
As an end of year announcement, we are beginning the journey of adoption. It is really exciting and scary at the same time. But we started it anyway! We are moving through the process now, and this blog will become a way for us to now document this journey for our loved ones to view and assist.
Ultimately, we are grateful for this Christmas season to celebrate with family, friends and loved ones. With the birth of the Christ child, so began His journey to save mankind, and so began our journey to follow Him and take advantage of His Atonement. He is the Light of the World, and may we reflect His light to everyone.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
