Merry Christmas everyone! I love this time of year when we hear of
all the goings on of everyone through out the past year. For us, this
year has been one crazy roller coaster! But we are now safely back at
the station and can look back happily at the ups and downs.
As many of you know, Lewis lost his job in September 2013. After
looking for a few months in our beloved Madison, WI, it was time to
move on. At the beginning of this year we decided to try our hand at
the job scene in Seattle, WA. We have some lovely friends there that
offered to let us stay in their home until we were able to get
settled. But no one up there was interested in hiring a talented and
extremely good-looking video game programer. So in the spring, we
decided to move back to Utah and try our hand in the corporate side
of programing instead of the video game industry. Utah is booming
with tech companies right now and it's nice to be close to our
families again.
For the summer, we took a job at our favorite place in the world,
Beaver High Adventure Base. Lewis took his favorite position as
Frontier Outpost Director and I took the Head Cook position so I
could still keep an eye on Indy. Camp was not nearly as pleasant as
we had anticipated and we came home drained. We spent a few lovely
weeks house sitting for some friends but then moved into the crazy
house, a.k.a. my mom's house. Staying with my mother at the time was
my brother Ben and his family of 6, my brother Joe and his family of
4, my Uncle John, and our little family of 3. It was crazy and
crowded but Indy loved playing with all of his cousins.
By September, Ben's family had closed on their house and were
getting happily situated in Spanish Fork. Indy celebrated is 2nd
birthday and we announced that I am pregnant!
As September rolled into October and Lewis had been out of work for
over a year, I started to despair that he would never find a good
programing job and all those student loans would be a waste. But the
Lord always makes you wait just a little longer than you think you
can bear before He gives you something wonderful. Just before
Halloween, Lewis was hired on by a great little company in Orem
called Database Consulting Group. They pay good wages, have a fun
office environment, and just threw an impressive Christmas party
which included a Christmas bonus! Man, does it feel good to have
money again!
Uncle John and Joe's family moved out at the beginning of November
and we have been doing renovations ever since. So far, we have
rearranged the living room, redecorated the bathroom, nearly finished
painting and decorating our room, and this week we are getting a new
roof. After Christmas, we plan on painting the foyer, living room,
and hallway. Then we'll take a break and prepare for our baby girl
coming in April.
I look back at where we were last Christmas, and I'm filled with
gratitude for all that we have now. I wish you and your families the
same prosperity, peace and joy for the future that we are
experiencing this holiday season.
With great affection,
Lewis, Ann, Indy and Baby Girl Strasburg
