Christmas Letter 2020

Gibson Christmas Letter 2020

This post is a letter to all of our friends and family sharing with you our year of 2020.  It is also a diary of sorts to remind me in the future of this crazy year of Pandemic.  Warning:  It is long

and picture heavy.  My feelings won't be hurt

if you stop right here. Please know that you are loved and missed.

Our new year started out ordinarily enough.  We hosted a Nana Camp where 

each child picked their own recipe, and we all cooked together.  We had

great expectations for 2020.  After all, 2020 had a great sound to it in January.  

2019 had been a year of a great deal of travel for David and me,

and 2020 started out the same way.  In January, I visited Houston

and enjoyed time with family and friends.  

In February, our dear friend, Mike Kirksey

passed away after he and his family battled valiently 

against a horrible disease.  David and I again traveled

to Houston and celebrated Mike's life.  We were also able to see

many of our mutual friends whom we hadn't seen in years.  

Then March hit and oh, what a crazy season that was.

Because of my compromised immune system, we officially

quarantined on March 14th thinking that

we could handle being socially distanced for a couple of weeks.

Oh, how foolish that seems looking back.

In the following pictures, you will see how

we have chosen to use our COVID RISK BUDGET

for being primarily with our children and grandchildren during this time.

It has been a challenge and a blessing.

In April, there were lots of driveway visits.  

Adrian's brother's family, from Salt Lake City, quarantined with the Rolletts during April.

We love them and it was hard not to give them hugs.  

People in many neighborhoods put bears in their windows so that families on walks could see them and know that people were thinking of them.  

Learning to do curbside pick up in a pandemic was challenging.  I have never bought 25 pounds of sugar before, but that's what was available.  NOTE:  I now love curbside shopping and will probably continue to shop that way in the future.  

Both David's mom and my mom were in Assisted/Independent Living Communities which were shut down.  It has been hard not to be able to see them in person.

Masks became a way of life, as did visiting through screen doors.

Our sweet friend, Jeana, introduced the idea of a virtual pot-luck for Easter.  

We had our final meeting of HEARTFELT FRIENDS via ZOOM.  Little did we know that ZOOM would become a way of life for many in the workplace and a way for friends and family to connect.

Under the deck visits with Nana inside looking out the window.

While not being able to worship with our local congregation, we found many different ways to worship.

Family ZOOM worship/Oudoor worship with a local church in "God's Cathedral"/Streaming Services.  I think our favorite time of worship was the last week of September in Mueller State Park.  This will become a valued family tradition that we learned in 2020.  

During the summer, it was fun to play together outdoors.  

We learned that you could either cry or laugh about the isolation of the pandemic.  We did some of both but laughter was the most healing.

July 4th festivities in our "very decorated" garage.

It was crazy how many things were in limited supply during the pandemic.  Toilet paper was the most obvious, but we couldn't get caffeine free coke and that was a deal breaker until we found some on-line.

There was lots of joy to be found along the way.

David and I got some "traveling" in by taking a day-trip to the mountains to see Barn Quilts.

Who knew that an empty dumpster could provide such fun?

We realized (even though we already knew it) that we have wonderful children who take care of us well.

Adrian and Jeremy built us a new deck to increase our outdoor entertaining space.

I learned the new hobby of Barn Quilt Painting.

David learned the new hobby of cooking and we enjoyed a "just us two" Thanksgiving.

We celebrated Christmas in different ways (ZOOM).

Outdoor Cousin Christmas in temperatures in the 20's.

And I cannot end this post without bragging on our precious daughter-in-love.  She was reassigned from her job in Labor and Delivery to the ICU in December to help with the overflow of COVID patients.  She is one of the heroes of this Pandemic.  This picture shows her getting the first dose of the COVID vaccine.  

May we all soon reap the benefits of this vaccine and as my sweet and wise friend Carlee prayed, "Jesus, please make the world well again."

I will add to her prayer, "Jesus, help us to not forget the lessons we have learned in this year of 2020.  No matter what we face in life, you are right there with us."

Merry Christmas to each of you and bless you if you have reached the end of this post.  

Karen and David