THE PARK POST

Ahhh 2020.  What a year!  For Christmas we were finally all home together--Jackson was back from his 2 month Hawaii adventure and Paige & Johnny and McKell came from Utah.  Licia and Matt and G& G Ogden came in person for the first time in over 9 months and we had successfully avoided Covid.   Little did we know Jackson was carrying that little virus around, and unfortunately our immediate family wasn't wearing masks around him through most of our outings together.  We're pretty sure our car ride to Flagstaff and back was prime time for us to spread that virus around.  First, it hit Jackson the day after Christmas, then Mike started having symptoms a day or so later and ironically got vaccinated that same afternoon.  (a few days late) The girls had already had Covid so they were immune.  Sydney and I went and got tested and both of our tests came back negative.  But a few days later I lost my sense of smell and got re-tested and ...

One of the biggest changes that happened in 2020 for me was landing a full-time high school English teaching job at Perry!  Ashley Stivers (whom I subbed long term for last year) took a one-year leave of absence.  I was hired about 10 days before school was starting.  I was supposed to do a long-term sub job for another teacher who was having a baby, but this job miraculously came available so I took it.   Everything was online and I had to learn super fast how to work all of the technology along with all of the administrative hulabaloo.  Not to mention we were in the middle of a pandemic and trying to figure life out.   It was very stressful, but I loved the challenge every day.  It made me feel alive again and more like myself.  I had been praying and hoping for something to come available and it sort of fell in my lap.  I believe in the principle of letting your life speak to you.   Our baby girl turned 16 in September!...

2020 will be a year to go down in the history books.  I loved all of the free time we had to be together.  Having that experience made me not want to ever overschedule myself again.  Here is a glimpse of some of the summer trips we enjoyed. Jackson's California/Wyoming trip with Bashfords Sydney and I having a girls' trip to Newport with friends. Fly fishing trip to Missoula, Montana.   St. George with the Park Family Fourth of July in Sandy