our 2022 Christmas letter

The Scherlings are either turning Christmas letter writing into a biannual tradition, or Anna and Ian wanted to give Ellis a really solid second child complaint story by skipping letter writing for his first Christmas. He’ll be fine. Right?

our 2020 Christmas letter

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).

and the 2019 nominees are...

This is Ian's and my eleventh year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. Between work travel and projects, a month of sickness, and the added complication of needing a babysitter, Ian and I once again were unable to make it to the Coolidge before the awards show. We're bummed to miss out on the highly commended shorts (Wishing Box and Tweet Tweet both look really good), but we're thankful we were able to catch all the nominees, courtesy iTunes and our personal Pixar collection.

This year is an impressive lineup, which makes breaking our current losing streak a challenge (our prediction record is now 3 for 8, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts).

Micki

I was so honored Dane asked Emily and I to give eulogies for Micki, alongside him, Ian, and Ren. The following is what I shared at the services in Lafayette, CO, and Goodland, KS.

I have had the privilege of knowing Micki for 14 years, and calling her my mother-in-law for 11. But more than that, she became my second mom, and one of my greatest friends.

our 2018 Christmas Letter

When what to their wondering eyes should appear, but a prompt Christmas letter and one crying toddler! (Don’t worry. Ian and Anna rescued Lucy from the clutches of that red-suited terror moments after the photo.) Yes, it’s a Christmas miracle: the Scherling family’s annual awkward, third-person Christmas letter has arrived in inboxes around the world before December 25!

Lucy's birth story

I went into labor a year ago today, which feels like an appropriate time to finally share Lucy's birth story. It was a bumpy entry into parenthood, but it reminds me I am stronger than I think, Ian is my rock, Lucy is incredible, and God is in control.

My pregnancy started out textbook. The biggest hiccup was needing a second take on our 18-week ultrasound (which resulted in our first parenting lessons: dealing with fear and accepting our lack of control; we also remembered why it's never a good idea to Google anything medical—our doctor suggested sticking with the Mayo Clinic).

Things continued along swimmingly until April 7, when I went in for a growth check ultrasound. I was measuring a little small at my previous appointment and the doctor wanted to confirm the baby was still on track. The baby's size was fine, but the ultrasound revealed an umbilical cord cyst. The ultrasound doctor assured me it wasn't a problem, but we should monitor it to make sure it didn't become one. I drove to my prenatal appointment with the news, but my doctor immediately sent me to the Brigham for high blood pressure. This was the first appointment where I was flying solo and, already stressed, I had to drive down Route 9 to Fenway. I called Ian to meet me at the hospital, and spent the afternoon hooked up to monitors. The baby's heart rate was strong, and my blood pressure was back in the high range of normal, so they sent us home with a directive to take things easy—a challenge given our not-quite-completed bathroom project.

and the 2018 nominees are...

This is Ian and I's tenth year following the Oscar-nominated animated shorts. We had to improvise a bit this year, since a family vacation meant we wouldn't be able to catch them at the Coolidge before the awards show (we still plan to go, and it will be our eighth at the Coolidge). Even though we cobbled it together (thanks to Amazon, iTunes, and Netflix) I'm so glad we're still able to enjoy our longest family tradition (I can't wait until we can include Lucy!). Our prediction record is now 3 for 7, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts. Fingers crossed we can bump up our batting average this year.

our 2017 Christmas letter

All the Christmas trees have made their trip to the great forest in the sky, which means it's time for the Scherling family's annual, awkward, third-person (usually late) Christmas letter! Perhaps Anna and Ian should admit defeat and call it a New Year letter, but they're optimists at heart.

welcome home, Lucy Grace!

Three weeks and about 12 hours after Lucy popped into the world, she finally came home! We're so grateful to the NICU team and our community for taking such good care of her (and us) on this journey. #nicugrad

lyric by MUTEMATH

welcome, Lucy Grace!

On April 26 at 6:17 a.m., our little Lucy Grace decided it was time to see the world, and she stole our hearts with all 5 pounds, 13 ounces, and 18 inches of her. Because she was in such a hurry to meet us, she's needed a little boost in the NICU to catch up. We're thankful she's healthy, and that she has such an incredible care team to help her come home soon! #lucygraces

Christmas in Kansas 2016

This Christmas, both the past and the future were on our minds as we anticipate the arrival of our little one. We started the holidays on the farm with my family, where we spent lots of time reminiscing over old family photos. Nostalgia hit me hard as I realized I've celebrated Christmas at the farmhouse every year of my life, and next Christmas we'll start the tradition with a new generation.

happy adoption day, Astrid!

I've wanted a cat almost as long as I can remember. And someone always said no. First my mom (who got me a cat stuffed animal for my 18th birthday as a joke... Mom, I still love you!), then K-State Housing and Dining Services, then all my landlords. So when we bought the condo, high on our list was finding a cat. We knew we wanted to get settled first, but as soon as we got back from Kansas for Christmas, I started planning when we could visit an animal shelter and combed through hundreds of PetFinder profiles. (Ian firmly told me he wasn't willing to drive more than an hour for a cat, no matter how cute.)

and the 2017 nominees are...

This is Ian and I's ninth year watching the Oscar-nominated animated shorts (our seventh at the Coolidge). It's hard to believe we've kept the tradition for so long (and next year we'll need a babysitter...), but we look forward to it every year! Our prediction record is now 3 for 6, counting just the years we've seen all the animated shorts.

our 2016 Christmas letter

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.)

thankful list | December 2016

01. our new holiday-scented candles (Candelles' Blue Spruce is the BEST tree scent!).
02. Hulu, for getting me through a sick day.
03. Astrid, for staying close.
04. Ian, for taking care of me.
05. amazing homemade lasagna and great conversation with our upstairs neighbors.
06. our REUNION family.
07. a road trip, because it's been too long.
08. Christmas music.
09. The Nutcracker (and seeing my coworker rock as a professional bassoonist).
10. bananas.
11. an evening volunteering at Perkins.
12. pizza afterward with our community group.
13. Kelly, for her generous loan of maternity clothes.
14. Ali, for helping knock out a big crazy project at work.
15. a Skype call with our Dominican friends.
16. a burger and fries at Tasty Burger.
17. yoga.
18. a kick.
19. lunch at Chick-fil-A.
20. a trip to the Kohler Signature Store to help us make decisions on our bathroom reno.
21. Sundays at REUNION.
22. Super Cluckin' Sundays, which never disappoint.
23. Soapwalla pregnant belly oil, and Follain for carrying it.
24. a fun office holiday party.
25. a glimpse of our baby via the magic of ultrasound. #itsreallyhappening
26. date night at Stellina.
27. our amazing support network.
28. Shake Shack fries after getting my brows did (because fried potatoes taste SO GOOD right now).
29. a great DR partnership visioning meeting.
30. a slumber party
31. bumping into a good friend when I was down about the snow ruining my plan for the day.
32. our Christmas gift exchange.
33. Ian's deep thoughtfulness in getting me a Kindle.
34. Sweet Cheeks biscuits with honey butter, to go.
35. a neighborhood Christmas party.
36. an extra-fun office holiday party with the site group.
37. talking copyediting at the office.
38. a cooperative baby + a clean bill of health at ultrasound take two (with lots more images!).
39. a good dentist appointment (and getting to share our news with the dentist office!).
40. a quick and easy flight to Kansas City (despite the pain of the early hour).
41. an incredible coffee cake muffin at Second Best.
42. laughs over a great book.
43. some time to rest and relax at Nathan and Sara's place.
44. knocking out some Christmas errands in Manhattan.
45. great quality time with family on the farm.
46. Grandma's potato sausage, dinner rolls, spritz, and strawberry rhubarb pie.
47. not having to drive all the way to Dodge City.
48. chicken fried steak at Nelson's Landing (with Nathan and Sara!).
49. catching up with Jordan, Brittany, and Grace over hot beverages (it's been too long).
50. hanging out with Ian's family.
51. catching up with Britni, my oldest friend, who also happens to be pregnant right now.
52. seeing Ren and Emily (even if it was just for a hot minute).
53. catching a movie with Aunt Susan.
54. Varsity Donuts.
55. getting to see Alli, Austin, and the kids.
56. coffee with Megan.
57. dinner and dessert with Caleb and Kate.
58. Nathan and Sara being gracious about our late night arrival.
59. seeing Karen, Jeremy, and Emma, and talking babies + parenting.
60. a really cool hotel for our anniversary weekend. #lastonebeforeweneedababysitter
61. dinner with Vern and Mark.
62. catching up on The Great American Baking Show.
63. a gem of a breakfast joint to kick off our anniversary right.
64. an afternoon at the Nelson-Atkins (ask us about the toddler who ran into the glass maze wall).
65. an all-out anniversary dinner at the Rieger.
66. the bartender at the Rieger, who mixed up some incredible mocktails.
67. Ian, always, but especially for living with my crazy.
68. nine years of marriage—I wouldn't trade a minute of it.

thankful list | November 2016

01. a good discussion at my reflection and planning meeting (i.e. semi-annual review at work).
02. an amazing community group.
03. turning on the Cubs game in the 5th inning to see them leading in Game 6.
04. wearing my Cubs hat at work.
05. an epic Game 7.
06. the improvement in my baseball comprehension, which made the game even more fun/stressful.
07. a broken curse and a Cubs win. #partylikeits1908
08. my Cubs hat, the wearing of which undoubtedly lead to the win. #itsonlycrazyifitdoesntwork
09. hearing Ian's Wrigley/Cubs memories from growing up.
10. an early bedtime after all that late-night game watching.
11. Harry Caray calling the final out in game 7 thanks to the magic of technology (Ian cried).
12. a slow Friday at the office.
13. an office pizza party.
14. REUNION's first ever marriage retreat, which was amazing!
15. homemade cast-iron skillet pizza.
16. a great message at REUNION.
17. not missing Super Cluckin' Sunday sandwiches (the Improper Bostonian made the line long this month).
18. an afternoon of lounging and reading, because we needed it.
19. a copyediting opportunity at work.
20. our community group, because we really needed each other Tuesday night.
21. friendships at work.
22. a reminder from a friend that I can still work to bring God's love and hope here, now.
23. a much needed date night to talk through the last 24 hours and what it means for us.
24. a night babysitting three of our favorite little people.
25. a night of Exploding Kittens with one of my favorite neighbors (thanks, Erin!).
26. after lots of hard work, a cleaned up yard.
27. a great day at REUNION, with the message I needed to hear.
28. time with friends.
29. Ian, especially for being so good at food.
30. successfully making Grandma's dinner rolls.
31. discussing, with our community group, what it means to be a good neighbor.
32. the annual Sasaki Thanksgiving potluck.
33. Cutty's for breakfast.
34. a good appointment.
35. a good copyediting challenge at work.
36. a DR partnership summit/slumber party with good friends.
37. birthday brunch to celebrate our dear friend Emily.
38. seeing her reaction when Brett said they were spending the rest of the weekend in Puerto Rico.
39. a lazy Sunday.
40. a big pile of firewood to get us through the winter (thanks, Ian, for stacking!).
41. finally getting back to yoga.
42. starting the extra long weekend just a little early.
43. a night of dreaming about our next home projects.
44. Ian elevating pasta, red sauce, and ground beef.
45. a few new Christmas things, including two new stockings. #Astridneedsone #planningahead
46. an amazing Friendsgiving.
47. chatting bathroom renovation with the Foxes, who are professional DIYers.
48. decorating for Christmas.
49.  Elf.
50. a beautiful Christmas tree (from Russo's!).
51. our official announcement (special thanks to Sara for being our photographer!).
52. a visit from the Nichols.
53. a husband who takes care of me when I'm under the weather.
54. brunch with an old friend, and meeting a new one.
55. Nutella Fluff ice cream at Toscanini's.
56. a Home Depot trip to look at tile for the bathroom (thanks, Foxes!).
57. Lord of the Rings (the extended version, obvi #nerdalert).
58. a good day at the office.
59. catching up on bookkeeping.
60. progress on bathroom renovation plans: Ian is in his element.
61. that mac and cheese that Ian made.
62. countless congratulations and well wishes.
63. a surprise gift basket at the office (I have the best bosses).
64. Dr. Seuss.

We're thankful for a lot this year...

...but especially our newest pair of (tiny) TOMS shoes. #may2017

thankful list | October 2016

01. breakfast with Ian's family.
02. Varsity Donuts. #donutsmakepeoplehappy
03. Bluestem Bistro.
04. errands in Aggieville.
05. bumping into Phil and Ashley at ACME.
06. a fun and beautiful wedding. #thejureyisin
07. another incredible sister-in-law. I finally have sisters, plural. #mindblown
08. family time.
09. sibling selfies.
10. brunch to send off the happy couple.
11. catching the UCC ONE service at City Park.
12. a fun crazy family lunch.
13. dinner with my oldest friend and her amazing family... it's been too long.
14. catching up with Grandma Marilyn and Susan.
15. a stroll around campus.
16. running into Willie the Wildcat.
17. Nathan and Sara for driving us back to the airport.
18. our community group.
19. leadership community and vision-casting for the future of our church.
20. brunch at Dorado with the Kurlbaums.
21. catching Grey's soccer game.
22. apple cider donuts and pumpkin shopping with the Kurlbaums.
23. a long but successful morning handing out new brand swag.
24. after months of planning, and a crazy day of prep, a successful brand launch party.
25. Mei Mei. heart eyes forever. #scallionpancakes
26. the dinosaur that showed up to dance.
27. IKEA meatballs.
28. a really, really good day.
29. a Stellina date thanks to a gift card.
30. a Toscanini's run.
31. watching the Pats game with friends.
32. discovering the Bears vs. Babies game on Kickstarter.
33. an amazing mother-in-law. (happy birthday, Micki!)
34. progress on our bedroom (another door painted! the last 10% of a project is hard...).
35. seeing a recap of the Sasaki fashion show entry.
36. a rainy day date night at Shake Shack.
37. Ian for knocking out yard work and planting things with hopes of a more beautiful spring.
38. clean windows.
39. Orinoco with some of my favorite ladies.
40. catching up with the Drs. Hu.
41. a Halloween party, costumes not required.
42. the cute (tiny) costumes that did show up.

#thejureyisin, or, the day Anna got her second sister

Caleb and Kate haven't been a thing as long as Nathan and Sara, but I think they've known each other longer. Their story involves unrequited high school love and bad timing, which just turned out to be God making sure that when they finally took a chance on a relationship, it would really work. I was so excited when Caleb told me he proposed, and we wouldn't have missed celebrating their wedding with them for anything!

We got into KC Thursday evening and stayed with Nathan and Sara for the night (they took advantage of this time to make us start watching Stranger Things). The next morning, we headed to Manhattan, arriving with enough time to sneak in a bite to eat and a pit stop at Danenburg Jewelers for a ring cleaning before ending up at Houston Street Ballroom to help decorate for the reception (yes, the same venue where Ian and I had our wedding reception, and we definitely reminisced). Caleb and Kate had a vision, but they kept everything super chill, which was fantastic for all of us enlisted to help make it happen. We finished up with plenty of time to decorate the church before the rehearsal. We were pleasantly surprised to find our our friends Ben and Storm were providing the ceremony music, and had lots of fun catching up!

After the rehearsal, we headed to the Jardine complex (where Ian and I lived his last year of school, more memories), to the student-run restaurant that was hosting the rehearsal dinner. (This was followed by more episodes of Stranger Things at the hotel.)

The day of the wedding, we got up early, picked up breakfast at Varsity Donuts, and spent some time with Grandma Marilyn, Susan, and Dane and Micki (who were in town for the wedding). We're so thankful we were able to squeeze in some time with the Scherling family too!

After running some errands, we got ready and headed to the church. The wedding was beautiful and so personal! After family photos, we stopped at Chick-fil-a for a quick bite, and then headed to the reception. Arrow Coffee catered the desserts and drinks, and wow, was that food good! We had so much fun hanging out, dancing, and generally being silly (see selfies below). All in all it was an incredible evening, and my amazing sister count is up to two! CRAZY!





Sidenote: I realized too late that I took a grand total of seven photos. Caleb, I'm sorry that my sibling wedding photography mirrors the trajectory of what Mom did with our high school graduation floral arrangements. I love you. Promise.

Sunday, Caleb and Kate hosted a quick brunch and then headed off to Austin for their honeymoon!

We stuck around Manhattan for another day, spending more time with family, catching up with old friends (Britni, Joe, Spencer, so good to see you!), and lecturing at K-State... okay, the last one was just Ian. He's kind of a big deal. #soproud

Before we knew it, we were on our way back to Kansas City, and Nathan and Sara were driving us to the airport (after sharing their Netflix info so we could actually watch the last episode of Stranger Things... it's only fair since it's their fault we were addicted).

Caleb and Kate, we're so glad you found each other. Kate, welcome to the family! We love you both!

thankful list | September 2016

01. a night to veg in front of the TV.
02. Astrid's belly.
03. lunch from Meat Spot.
04. friends to watch the K-State game with (and commiserate with about the loss).
05. seeing a low-flying helicopter for the crazy story it makes (training? movie filming?).
06. a beautiful wedding. #doubletheprice (Congrats, Magen and Jonathan!)
07. a fun night with some of our best friends.
08. Astrid sleeping at the foot of our bed again.
09. a message at church that was exactly what I needed to hear.
10. a brunch date at Aquitaine.
11. knocking our errands and feeling prepared for the week. (woot meal planning!)
12. a new planter in the bathroom.
13. exploring one of Ian's project sites.
14. rediscovering our book of NY Times crossword puzzles.
15. bacon-silog.
16. Ian, for getting the rice to "crispin up."
17. Astrid's paw dangling while she naps on the radiator.
18. getting started on plaster repair in the bedroom
19. a kitchen restyle that feels like a new kitchen (with way more countertop space).
20. homemade bread.
21. Ian's amazing cooking skills (and that incredible cobb salad).
22. a quiet evening to relax and catch up.
23. an official office visit to Russo's (for party planning purposes).
24. Super Cluckin' Sunday with friends we don't get to hang out with very often.
25. good news
26. finding a good new brow stylist (after my previous one moved).
27. ice cream at the office.
28. an office book swap.
29. a project to keep me busy while Ian is away: painting our bedroom.
30. the promise of a can of paint.
31. the Chronicles of Narnia Radio Theatre and the YHL Has a Podcast to keep me company.
32. dinner with friends.
33. a night watching high school football. ahhhh, memories.
34. a freshly painted bedroom. (so good I almost forgot how hard it was painting solo. almost.)
35. relaxing after a job well done.
36. Ian getting home in time to partake in the relaxing.
37. a new L.L. Bean comforter cover.
38. a community group hangout night.
39. drinks to celebrate Danielle's new tattoo.
40. babysitting Rowan.
41. discovering Fiorella's Express (#dangerous).
42. a morning on the Cape.
43. Simple Matters.
44. a neighborhood block party.
45. meeting a friend's new baby.
45. REUNION's annual Viva La Picnic.
46. a productive DR partnership discussion.
47. a good farewell lunch for an awesome coworker who's starting a new adventure.
48. Astrid sending us off to Kansas by snuggling on the bed.
49. a good flight to Kansas City.
50. pizza and ice cream with Nathan and Sara.
51. lunch at Bourbon and Baker before diving into wedding reception decorating.
52. a surprise wedding gift from our jewelry store to pass along to the happy couple.
53. Caleb and Kate being so chill about wedding decorating.
54. a good rehearsal.
55. seeing our good friends Ben and Storm.
56. a delicious rehearsal dinner and good time with family.