News from our Galaxy: 2019 Year-in-Review
I’m not planning to see “Star wars: the rise of skywalker.”
If I had time to catch up on all eight previous Star Wars movies, I’d go see number nine. But it’s been years since I’ve watched those early movies and having missed the more recent ones, I’m out of the loop. Or maybe even the galaxy.
The rest of the family is downstairs watching number eight in preparation for the final chapter, so I figured it’s as good a time as any to take a stab at our annual family update, this, the 31st chapter!
Whether or not you’ve followed our earlier episodes, I hope you’ll take a moment to sit down with a bowl of popcorn (or Gummi Bears, Junior Mints, etc.), and catch this latest blockbuster! Trust me, there’s no need to review, or even know the characters, and you’ll find the plot easy to follow.
So here goes…(cue Star Wars music).
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
…our little family began. The changes we’ve traveled through over time and space make thirty-one years ago seem far, far away indeed! Our adventure into empty nesting continues to both challenge and thrill us as we watch our kids take off into worlds unknown.
Chloe (20), now a junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield (MN), is pursuing a double major in math and classics (Latin & Ancient Greek...languages as foreign to us as Droid language). She also holds down two jobs–library research tutor and Latin tutor–and sings in one of St. Olaf’s terrific choirs. She spent the month of January exploring Greece with a Classics class and ended her adventure with a fun week in Paris.
When asked what the highlight of her year was, however, she couldn’t choose between Greece and her summer job in Grand Teton National Park. She worked as a house cleaning supervisor with students from all over the world while reveling in amazing hikes through God’s glorious creation. Though employed through the park, she got the job by volunteering for ACMNP (A Christian Ministry in the National Parks). She loved being involved in weekly Bible Studies and leading worship services around the park. She’s taken this love back to St. Olaf–starting a Bible Study with friends, and joining the praise team at the church she attends in Northfield.
Leah (22) (not to be confused with Princess Leia) is now a 5th-year junior/senior at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion (IN), where she is whittling away at the requirements for her music therapy degree. The end is in sight with only two semesters of classes and an internship to go. We were all thrilled to see her perform her junior piano recital just a few weeks ago–the culmination of years of piano study and months of hard practice. At IWU, she has also been a part of the chapel worship teams as a pianist and vocalist, a position she has loved!
Leah focused on building up her bank account over the summer and took on a babysitting job while living at home. To round out her social life and keep her busy, she auditioned for our local South Bend Civic Theatre’s production of “Oliver!” and was thrilled to get the part of “Bet.” Playing this role and getting back into musical theater after a four-year hiatus since high school was a highlight of her year.
Seth (26) started a new job at the beginning of the year with Davey Tree, a company he had worked for and loved previously. He is glad to be back and thrives in his autonomous, outdoor job that involves measuring utility lines and other technical things his mother doesn’t exactly understand. His flexible hours over the summer gave him time to train for a sprint triathlon and two century (100-mile) bike rides...all of which he completed successfully.
Our daughter-in-law Maddie (27) also started a new job in the fall. After two years of commuting an hour to and from work, it thrilled her to find a position as a special education teacher at a charter academy only 15 minutes from their home in Wyoming, Michigan. She teaches cognitively impaired and learning disabled 5th and 6th graders. Maddie’s passion and care for her young “padawans” are evident whenever she describes her classroom.
Seth and Maddie visited Jared in Austin over spring break and had a great time on their first “flying” vacation as a couple. But they were flying even higher this fall when they announced the news of Baby Hanstra, coming in June 2020! Soon Seth can be just like Darth Vader, and say, “I AM YOUR FATHER.”
Jared (28) also landed a new job this year. He now works as a web developer (beep-boop-bopping on the computer) with the online job recruiting company, Indeed. Having lived in Austin (TX) for two years now, he apparently thought it was time to sink his roots a little deeper, at least for now. He became a real-live homeowner, or as he puts it, he “indebted himself for the next thirty years.” His home provides him with new living quarters, but also serves as an investment, as he rents out the attached studio apartment through Airbnb. (Jared now owns the white house on Pennsylvania Avenue…in Austin.)
While the new home is great, his travels away from home brought even greater enjoyment! Besides a business trip to Seattle and a climbing trip to Kentucky, he joined us in Wyoming for a visit with Chloe in Grand Teton N.P. and took an amazing trip to Spain, Andorra, and Italy in October. He rounded out the travel year with trips home to see “the Fam” on both Thanksgiving and Christmas! He’s done enough flying this year to earn the title of “Skywalker!”
Tom, the commander of our starship, has completed 25 years at the University of Notre Dame. ND offered him a tempting early retirement package, but he decided his current job was better than trying to find a new one (and he’s too young to retire!). So it appears he’s in for the long haul with the Fighting Irish, serving as System Administrator (beep-boop-bopping) for the Libraries.
His job flexibility allows him to volunteer with struggling readers at a local elementary school once a week over his lunch hour. This year, he’s also helped out with a kids’ computer coding class. In addition, he teaches our 2- and 3-year-old worship program at church. All this practice with little ones will make him an amazing grandpa, a role he is truly looking forward to!
Biking continues to be his main source of physical and mental health. It allows him to work out, take in the natural beauty of his surroundings, all while listening to his Spotify playlists. While there are many group rides in our area, he prefers to ride “Han-Solo.” His biking accident two summers ago still haunts him with nerve issues in his fingers and hand, but it has improved enough for him to be able to ride a century again this year–something he hasn’t been able to do since 2016 due to the accident.
As for me, I am now in my 10th year as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Edwardsburg Schools. I work with a great staff in all three of my buildings (Intermediate, Middle and High Schools) and my students add interest and challenge to my days. Despite loving my job, I look forward (with great excitement!) to becoming a grandma and I’m counting down my own years to retirement. Also keeping me busy is my work as an elder on our church council, a position that allows me to connect in a deeper way with many in our church family.
And then there’s writing. With the extra time I have as an empty nester, I am pursuing a passion that had been gnawing at me for a few years. I joined the online group Hope*Writers, so I guess you could call me a “New Hope” *writer. I’ve already learned much from this amazing group of Christian writers. With Jared’s help, I launched a new website in April, where I maintain my blog. The Banner, our church denomination’s magazine, has also published some of my work online, which has added fuel to the fire of my writing passion.
Like Tom, I reap the benefits of biking, although I spend much less time riding than he does. We had many pedaling adventures together this year, including a fat-tire ride in the snow in Traverse City (MI) over Valentine’s Day, Chicago's Lakefront Trail in June, our favorite Minnesota bike trails in July, and several organized rides in Michigan and Indiana this fall.
The highlight of our year, however, was our non-biking adventure to Wyoming in August. The mountains never cease to inspire, amaze and take our breath away. Although Seth and Maddie were unable to join us at the Tetons and Yellowstone, it was nice to have the rest of the family together in this gorgeous setting, hiking and exploring.
We are thankful for the time spent with our extended families over the holidays and throughout the year. In April, we celebrated my Dad’s 85th birthday. He and my mother, who has Alzheimer’s, continue to live at home with some outside help. My family grew by two (up to 43 now) with the addition of my parents’ 6th and 7th great-grandchildren. My niece Stacey (& Craig) had James, while niece Alecia (& Ryan) ushered my sister Phyllis into the world of grandparenting with the addition of Jackson!
Tom’s family got together in May to celebrate the high school graduation of our very special niece Kelleigh! We enjoy our summer visits with her and how she keeps us all laughing! We then gathered in October to mark Tom’s mother’s 80th birthday! She is doing well.
We round out this year’s saga with a wish to all our friends and family, living far and wide throughout our galaxy: May the light of the Christ-child shine through any darkness, illuminating whatever path you travel in the coming year. May you find joy and peace along the way and know that you are loved.
If you ever find yourself flying past our starship, please land for a visit!
And as you enter 2020, may the Force be with you. 😉
