Christmas Letter 2020

If I hear ONE MORE TIME, “It’s going to look a little different this year”….. 

Every year I think, THIS year will be my last year to include a Christmas letter.  I mean, it’s like me and two other people that still do this.  

HOWEVER.  

THIS is NOT the year to change ONE MORE THING!! 

And so I sit here, typing a Christmas letter because it’s what I always do and this year, there is a LOT of comfort in that.  I just couldn’t do “a little different this year”.  

Like many of you, we had a 2020 Senior.  I want to be careful not to be obnoxious {braggy} here but Julia bore all of the bad news of the spring of 2020 with grace and dignity.  Exaggeration?  This mom doesn’t think so.  She had a couple of moments… but they were tears, not rants.  Her first tears were when she found out Camp Barnabas was cancelled.  She was ready to spend two weeks there doing one of the hardest jobs I think there is—she was sad for herself, but she was equally as sad for the kids who feel normal for a week and for their parents who desperately need a break.  Those were things she voiced to me.  I think the second round of real tears came watching virtual graduation.  {She eventually had a live one—masked and socially distanced.} Everything right up to the very present moment has been different for her than any other senior/college freshman experience.  Baylor has been very strict with masks and social distancing, so Julia and her roommate, Claire, signed up for the wake board club for an outdoor activity free of masks!  We are thrilled to have her home for a few weeks.

Brighton loves his new school this year and is enjoying being the long snapper on the football team.  I have started a campaign with the hashtag #longsnappersarefootballplayerstoo — just kidding but a year ago I knew ZILCHO about it and now, of course, I think I am an expert.  THEY ARE SUPER IMPORTANT!!  We are currently in the play offs which is holding every holiday weekend hostage.  But that’s okay.  It’s really fun being on a winning team.  As B continues to add the spice to our family and to expand our fashion and music horizons, he remains a tender hearted young man who loves people especially the under dog.  Oh, and he misses his sister.  But don’t tell him I told you.  

Despite my disdain for “a little different this year”, Covid quarantine allowed us to make up for all the dinners around the table we had been missing because of busy, driving teenagers.  During quarantine, we made sure we had coffee : )  We had porch visits with friends.  We made some progress in the One Year Bible.  We laughed at memes.  {People are just downright funny. So thankful God made humor.}  We ate Easter lunch on the porch.  We helped pull off a backyard wedding.  We established Take Out Tuesday.  We people-watched as people walked--- and haven’t seen them since.  We watched Some Good News.  We went to the lake—a lot- coming to an end in one epic trip.  Julia got her sewing machine out of the attic.  Brighton most likely improved his Xbox skills- not our proudest moments, but happy to give him some margin there. I organized pictures, had a 14 day cooking streak and read lots of books.  Jeff led us, kept us stocked with food, checked on people and watched the news.  All of that—I will miss, except maybe the Xbox and the news…  

Writing this last year, I had no idea what was coming.  None of us could have known.  My heart goes out to those of you who lost people you loved.  I am so sorry.  My prayer is that you know personally the One who IS true Comfort and Joy.  In all the things that might “look a little different”, He does NOT.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever. THAT is true Comfort and Joy.  {Lots of love from the Sanders— we’d love to hear from you!}