We planned so far ahead to send out Christmas cards that we ended up stymied by the delivery system.

But that’s way better than our previous years, so we’re going to take it as a win.

So Merry Christmas this year!

Jordan decided working 60 hours a week to accomplish 20 hours of work was not something she was excited about and elected to change jobs.

Now she works 40, but only over four days and among old and new friends. And she’s much happier. (This makes Lee J happier, too.)

She is now the Native Forb Biologist for the State of Utah. She spends her days with plants and seeds, learning which ones thrive under what conditions.

It’s pretty much her favorite job ever.

Lee J spent the year researching humans. (They’re a little more talkative than plants and have muscles and moveable joints, and are therefore more interesting to him.)

He’ll wrap up a masters thesis in early 2025 and move on to doctoral studies.

Lee J and Jordan both have enjoyed hosting dinners for other students Lee J spends a lot of time with. This enjoyment of social events has been welcome growth for both our souls.

We took a somewhat last minute vacation in April on a Caribbean cruise. (We went during Lee J’s finals week—grad students have some nice flexibility.) And we both slept more than 10 hours a day and sometimes 12. This was while Jordan was still working 60 hours, and so it was a probably well-needed break.

To be quite frank, this was a somewhat boring year compared to previous years of 1-5 moves, changing jobs, bison “hunts”, etc. But the consistency has allowed for pensive thoughts while commuting and other reflections on important things.

The quiet, focused time has encouraged us to be grateful for the many things we have, most importantly the testimonies of Truth we try to strengthen each day and each other. Sometimes there’s a tear of sadness for what we lack and would trade everything for, but we’ve been blessed with much—and each other—and even what we consider “withheld” is a gift.

And God gives only good gifts.

Our attitude and interpretation of those gifts determine whether we think the gift is good.

So we look for the good in what we have, we change our perspective to find the good in what we don’t, and we experience peace in that.

The night before we write this we attended a Christmas concert where the artist sang a few Christmas songs, and then mostly sang Christ-centric songs. It was a wonderful way to sink deeper into the true spirit of the season, without the distractions of commerce or red suits.

So Merry Christmas.

We’re grateful for your influence on our lives and hope your interactions with us are uplifting and valuable to you.

A little taste from our Christmas concert: