Christmas Card 2020
Merry Christmas and happy end-of-the-craziest-year-ever!
Another year gone by and I’m finally starting to believe my grandma when she says time goes faster as you get older. Tyler and I are creeping closer to 30 but the phrase “kids in 3–5 years” has been less of a countdown and more of a concrete motto. Sorry mom and dad. However, we did manage to check off one new lifetime achievement: we bought a house!
In a very unexpected turn of events, we moved home to Atlanta after 5 years of living in Seattle. At the end of August, Tyler found the listing and joked about buying the house. One day later, we made an offer (without ever seeing it in person). One month later, we loaded up the pups and drove across the country, pit-stopping in Montana, Kansas, Colorado, and Tennessee. 40 hours in the car was actually pretty fun. We discovered a new love of podcasts and singalongs.
It was a real act of God how everything aligned; the house is a dream. High ceilings, big yard, cul de sac, open kitchen, etc. Tyler often emphasizes the “grocery store index” (Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix, Costco, and HMart all within 10 mins of home). The house has brought us so much joy and we’re only 3 months in.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also take this moment to thank our amazing parents for helping us make this dream a reality. Mom and Dad, thank you for holding our hand and answering every 11pm panicked call when we couldn’t fully believe someone was going to give us a house. Thanks for unloading boxes, filling 50 yard bags of debris, patching all the holes in our walls, and for being such enthusiastic supporters. Wendi and Pete, thank you for all the lessons in home projects, mounting an extremely annoying and heavy TV, and for being our personal botanist. I’d also like to thank our incredible realtor & family friend Sherril, without her we’d probably still be living in Seattle. You are an angel sent to us from above :)
We are thrilled to be back so close to family. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there’s no plane to catch, no “see you next year.” Like many of you, we’ve used this time to take up obscure hobbies. Tyler learned how to install toilet seats and caulk a shower. I learned how to ask Tyler to install a new toilet seat and caulk our shower. Ok fine, I learned how to stain wood, make concrete and stick wallpaper. Tackling a new home has been so fun and I’m thankful to do it alongside such an incredible life partner.
If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s to use a level when hanging things, and hold those you love close. Tyler and I started working from home at the end of February and somehow spending every hour together in a 800 sq ft apartment made me love him even more than I already did. He has embraced every interruption, entertained every silly question, and held me at every low moment. We haven’t seen friends as often as we like (trying to do our part to stop the spread of Covid), but when we do, we value that time so much more than years past. When people ask, “what was the hardest part of leaving Seattle?” The first answer is always moving away from our “rock” friends. But the world is much smaller than it used to be, and we now have a guest room… those friendships are not disappearing anytime soon.
I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that 2020 has been the most unpredictable year to date. It’s hard to fully comprehend how impactful this year has been not just in our own lives, but for everyone, everywhere. In a time when people have lost so much, we are abundantly thankful for the steady nature of our jobs, health, and relationships. Thank you to every friend who walked with us through this whirlwind year. Literally, on quarantine walks, and figuratively, through prayer, phone calls, and virtual get-togethers. Tyler and I hope you have a bright 2021, filled with covid-free hugs and large gatherings. Our home is always open and our phones are always on, so don’t be a stranger! Our lives and our marriage are brighter because we get to do life alongside friends like you.
Cheers to putting this year in our rearview mirror,
The Lucas’
