The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, which is a strong indicator that it’s time for Ian and Anna’s annual, awkward, third-person (usually late) Christmas letter! You may be thinking, “hey… I’m getting tired of waiting to read about more than just the two of you.” If so, this is your year: they got a cat! And she’ll get a whole paragraph all to herself! (Your excitement is palpable.)
2016 was packed full of milestones and life changes.
After six years of living footloose and car-free, Ian and Anna are now proud owners of a 2009 Honda Fit. They immediately put the car to the test by vacationing in Vermont on the coldest weekend New England had seen in decades. They spent lots of time around a roaring fire with good friends, and were thankful their new car performed admirably in the 40-below wonderland.
Anna crossed off a bucket list item by spectating at the world figure skating championships. She still can’t believe she was in the same building with the likes of Javier Fernandez and Mao Asada (and doesn’t understand why they don’t have the same status as the likes of LeBron and MJ). Ian turned 30, and while his actual birthday was spent in a UHaul truck driving from Albany to Cleveland, good friends helped Anna pull off a surprise birthday party the next week to mark the occasion (she’s eternally grateful). An even bigger milestone for Ian was watching the Cubs, his childhood team, win the World Series and end a 108-year championship drought!
In June, Ian’s parents and grandma exchanged the Atlantic Ocean for the Rocky Mountains with a move to Colorado (hence the birthday UHaul trip). Ian and Anna definitely miss them being a short drive away, but are incredibly thankful for all the family adventures they squeezed in before the move, and for all of the scoops of Katie’s ice cream they shared with Grandma Judy.
While Ian and Anna still haven’t accomplished all of the house projects that were on their before-move-in-day checklist yet (#newhomeowneroptimism), they have made great progress. If only the bathroom would renovate itself. And their biggest dream of homeownership came true (or at least Anna’s): they adopted a cat! (They actually adopted two pets this year, if you count Anna’s sourdough starter, but what’s to be said about a microorganism colony that lives in the fridge? This is also why Butter and Jelly, their 11-year-old African water frogs, don’t make Christmas letter appearances.) When they met Astrid at the animal shelter, she was
Even bigger, the Jurey family grew by two whole people in 2016! Anna is so excited to officially have two (incredible) sisters! On April 30, they celebrated Nathan and Sara’s wedding in Kansas City, and on October 1, they celebrated Caleb and Kate’s wedding in Manhattan. Ian and Anna are also looking forward to Ren and Emily’s wedding in July!
Ian and Anna are so thankful to once again spend Christmas with so many family and friends, and hope your holiday season was just as wonderful!
P.S. Ian and Anna are having a baby in May! And yes, they found out: it’s definitely a human. (And healthy so far! Everything else will be a surprise!)
Want more? Read past Christmas letters here. 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2009 | 2008