The 2009 Christmas Newsletter: A Year in Review

Merry Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,

An acquaintance once shared some sage advice her dad gave her: keep major life changes down to one per year in order to maintain mental stability and avoid an anxiety-induced nervous breakdown.

With that in mind, we have in the last couple years been running around getting engaged and married, moving four times, setting up house in three states, getting a dog, getting rid of said dog, graduating x2, coming and going from multiple jobs, diving into various all-consuming hobbies, traveling, and subsequently remaining the same hypo-active, nutty, and impulsive young people with whom you are so lucky to rub elbows.

We hope not to overwhelm you or induce the same stupor that often settles in a light glaze over our twinkling eyes. But like Neil Young says, “It’s better to burn on than to fade away!!!” So here’s the short of our year’s news:

We began 2009 with Sam plowing through the last long, muscular leg of his Master of Information Systems Management program at BYU, which led to that long-awaited August graduation (Woo hoo!). Between schooling and the occasional TV-on-DVD marathon, Sam also worked as a research assistant organizing 19^th-century Italian ballet libretti for a classics professor and as a “consultational data steward” for the Honors Program.

As Sam finished up school, Liz continued working as a copywriter and editor for the web company. Tired of working for the man, Liz detached from the mothership to write from home as an independent contractor. In addition to writing, Liz watched a friend’s three-to-five-month-old baby during the summer (wussup, O-Dog!) and practiced for her first classical bass recital (a success!) in July.

Yes, as the day always comes, the two of us wiped our misty eyes (or were they just glazed?) as we waved farewell to our alma mater, ready to spread our wings and “fly like an eagle into the sea.” Mm hm. Let your spirit set you free.

In August, the fair state of Oregon welcomed us to the Portland area, where we live in a charming two-bedroom house in Lake Oswego. As we brush off the moss and lichen that occasionally sprouts on our limbs, we welcome boxes of sunshine and coupons to tanning salons.

Sam is now working for a healthcare consulting firm as an analyst. In his spare time, Sam enjoys strenuous yard work and serving as the eleven-year-old scout leader. The young men have not sustained injuries of note beyond one bloody lip during first aid training.

After moving, Liz worked for two months at a quilt shop before leaving to reassess the meaning of life. She is now freelancing as a musician after auditioning and winning a seat in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on string bass. She enjoys her current pursuits in music, writing, traveling, crafting, and analyzing the potpourri of choices that will create that sweet scent of “The Future.”

We’ve traveled this year to NYC, Las Vegas, Lake Powell, Chicago, the Oregon Coast, Utah’s Zion National Park, and Colorado. Liz also toured the Midwest with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in June.

And so we tie the bow on another year of adventure gone by. This Christmas, we are filled to the brim with good memories shared and created with you. We look forward to sharing many more long, happy letters as our lives cross paths and intertwine. So thank you for making our life truly good. If you are ever in need, please give us a ring and we’ll be there for you with first aid and baked goods. We wish you a truly merry and blessed holiday season!

Love,

Sam and Liz Lambson