Lean back and pop some popcorn, because it’s once again time for Ian and Anna’s annual awkward, third-person Christmas letter. (2011 letter recipients, Grandma Marilyn is doing great after her Christmas Day shoulder injury; thank you for your thoughts and prayers.)
2012 lacks the changes that filled Christmas letters past. Ian and Anna haven’t moved since 2009, are both still thriving at Sasaki, and are both still involved at REUNION, serving in the arts and co-leading a community group. So what HAVE they been doing?
Criss-crossing the country.
Ian and Anna began with a January trip to SoCal for Caleb and Tina’s wedding. They caught up with old friends, met new spouses, basked in the sun, and consumed as much In-n-Out as possible before heading back to cold, In-n-Out-less Boston.
In May, they flew to Denver for Ian’s brother Ren’s CU graduation, attended all three of his ceremonies, drove 514 miles, then attended Anna’s brother Nathan’s K-State graduation less than 24 hours later. They thank CU and KSU for impeccable scheduling.
In June, they returned to the West Coast, this time to NoCal for Jordan and Brittany’s wedding in Monterey. After the wedding, they took a few days to be tourists in San Francisco, beach bums in Santa Cruz, and nerds in Silicon Valley.
In August, they joined friends Brett and Emily for a weekend camping in Vermont and cheered Brett, professional triathlete, to an uncontested win at Branbury State Park.
In October, they took a day trip to the L.L. Bean flagship store in Maine, crossing off one of Anna’s bucket list items.
Ian and Anna capped off their travel in November with a trip to Chicago, celebrating Sarah and John’s wedding. In the ‘burbs, Ian spotted a for sale, unoccupied, and unlocked Frank Lloyd Wright house. They will neither confirm nor deny a self-guided tour.
Between out-of-state trips, Ian and Anna spent time exploring closer to home, hosting visiting family and friends and enjoying new-to-them local attractions.
Being an important and (almost) official landscape architect.
Ian’s first big project at Sasaki, the Ohio State master plan, earned the American Society of Landscape Architects’ top honor. In September, he flew to Phoenix to accept the award with the project team. The next month, Ian learned he passed his final licensing exam. The only thing between him and LA status is paperwork. This is not a passive-aggressive move on Anna’s part to remind him he needs to take care of this. ASAP.
Meeting famous people.
In the spring, Ian and Anna’s Coolidge Theatre membership allowed them to see Viggo Mortensen, where Anna nerded out about an Elvish sing-along with Aragorn. They also rocked out with MUTEMATH’s Odd Soul tour, crossing off one of Ian’s bucket list items. In the summer, they snagged free tickets to the PGA DeutscheBank championship and stood yards away from Tiger Woods. In the fall, Anna attended book tour events for some of her favorite bloggers: Christina Rosalie, John and Sherry of Young House Love, and Deb of Smitten Kitchen. Anna has three autographed books, which made all that time waiting in lines worth it.
Serving in the Dominican Republic.
Ian and Anna once again took a week out of their summer to serve in the DR. Every year, REUNION sends a group to work alongside the Vargas family in their ministry to the trash dump community of La Mosca.
This year Ian and Anna helped continue construction work on the parsonage in Hato del Yaque (where the group stays). The crew fell in love with Wilfred, a three-year-old boy who fell asleep in the arms of whoever was holding him at 2pm. It is debatable whether this was a more tiring arm workout than throwing stucco base on the walls. Ian and Anna also were thankful to experience the medical clinic in La Mosca for the first time, due to a delay from a customs snafu with the medical supplies.
Ian and Anna also want to alert you they will be making the trip again in 2013. If you are interested in supporting them, you can donate at www.reunioninthedr.com.
Ian and Anna hope your Christmas season is calm, bright, and full of joy. They are praying for you as the new year begins.
PS. They also hope you’ll be cheering on the Wildcats as they finish their magical season on January 3 at the Fiesta Bowl. EMAW!*
*Every Man A Wildcat!
Want more? Read past Christmas letters here. 2011 | 2009 | 2008