While a global pandemic may seem like the perfect excuse for the Scherlings to once again drop the ornament on their unreliable Christmas letter-writing tradition, they decided it was actually an opportunity to sandwich two years into one (and hope you weren’t too disappointed their 2019 letter was MIA).
The start to 2019 was bittersweet. The Scherlings spent most of their Christmas 2018 holiday in Colorado, saying goodbye to Micki after her almost 13-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. Words to express this kind of grief don’t exist, but the opportunity to celebrate her life, meet the countless people she impacted, and feel the love and support of family, friends, and coworkers was absolutely beautiful. And an incredible community carried the Scherlings through the challenges and pain of their first year without her.
Thankfully, 2019 was also full of joy. In April, the Scherlings celebrated Lucy’s second birthday in epic fashion not once, but twice: with Anna’s parents for Lucy’s first marathon spectating, and again with Ian’s dad and grandma on the Cape. In May, they traveled to Chicagoland for a cousin’s wedding (congrats, Adam and Kristina!) and a trip to Jollibee (a Filipino pilgrimage). That summer, Ian became a TV star on Ask This Old House (season 18 episode 15) and the Scherlings flew to Kansas to meet Lucy’s very first cousin, Brooklyn. They spent fall enjoying New England, and ended the year with their annual trip to Kansas to visit family and friends.
2020 began with optimism. Lucy’s second cousin, Sadie, arrived in February, and all three Scherlings were looking forward to visiting her over the summer. In early March, they traveled to Los Angeles for a wedding (congrats, Jeff and Taylor!), cautiously optimistic for a much-needed family getaway. Shortly after arriving, the state’s COVID-19 response began closing all the places they had planned to visit, and it rained most of the trip. Thankfully, they still squeezed in a few sunny hours on the beach, and had dinner at Ma’am Sir twice (typical Filipino connections, the chef/owner is the son of one of Anna’s mom’s oldest friends: practically family). They cut the trip a day short, prepared for a two-week quarantine that has turned into a decade.
Pandemic life has been full of highs and lows. Ian and Anna are fortunate to have jobs that allow them to work remotely, and somehow manage to squeeze in work hours while entertaining Lucy. They celebrated Lucy’s birthday with a giant family Zoom party, and the very next day Lucy broke her leg. Thankfully, she quickly adjusted to her boot. In May, they virtually got to meet Lucy's third cousin, Louis. In July, Lucy’s daycare reopened, significantly dropping the family stress levels. In September, Lucy added four mornings a week at preschool to support her new apraxia diagnosis. (She’s a super smart kid but her brain has trouble coordinating verbal speech; if you know of any families experiencing a similar diagnosis, Ian and Anna would love to connect! Also, shoutout to her amazing team of teachers and therapists!) Spending so much time at home prompted several DIY projects (on a COVID budget) to make the most of their small space, including installation of a bidet during the great toilet paper shortage. The Scherlings also have spent lots of 2020 exploring New England through (masked and distanced) day trips to state parks and harbor islands, and spending time both virtually and outdoors with great friends in their little COVID bubble.
As the holidays arrive, Ian, Anna, and Lucy are sad to miss Christmas in Kansas for the first time ever, but look forward to celebrating with friends and family in new virtual ways. They hope that despite the pandemic, you are still able to enjoy this season of deep, abiding joy.
P.S. Lucy is going to be a big sister in April! She’s excited about the baby she’s convinced is in her own belly, and Ian and Anna hope that she’ll still be excited once her sibling actually arrives.
Want more? Read past Christmas letters.