pdf of card, letter and photos
December 19, 2023
What a whirlwind year it has been! One theme you will note though this year’s letter is constant change.
Isaac started the year as a little 1 month old who could only do the essentials (eat sleep poop). He is now an excited one year old who’s list of talents grows by the day. It has been fun watching him discover the world through a fresh set of eyes.
We all started the year still on parental leave and quickly fell into the routine of diaper changes and feedings. That rapidly changed as Andy returned to work at Corteva still. A bit after that Jess returned to work at Kemin. Isaac then started daycare at Halley’s Academy while still being on the waitlist for our #1 choice, Beautiful Beginnings.
Before long spring and summer came and a spot opened at his current daycare where Isaac started in the under 1 year old (infant) room. In the summer we had RAGBRAI come through town, and we all enjoyed watching the waves of humanity pass through town.
We also all enjoyed going on camping trips in Bessy, our 1994 Pace Arrow Camper. It was also busy traveling to visit all our friends and family that visits had been deferred during the first part of the year (RSV, flu, and all other bugs are scary things for a newborn). The woods at night were a bit worrying to Isaac, but we all worked through it, and he enjoyed walks in the stroller as well as all the time with mommy and daddy playing.
Jess continued to compete in the Iowa State Fair where she only entered 24 pies, cakes, and cookies batting roughly 50%. She received 3 -1st place, 8-2nd place and 2- 3rd places ribbons. The first-place entries were Triple Layer Lemon Cake, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies and White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This year we took a family vacation to northern Arkansas. High points of the trip included hiking in the Ozark Forest, touring an enormous cave (Blanchard Springs Cavern), and listening to great folk music. It also served as a partial scouting trip for the solar eclipse next year.
We remained busy during the Christmas season, with Jess continuing to use her double oven to make all sorts of Christmas sweets. Jess and Andy also took part in Mason City’s annual Tuba Christmas concert.
Jess and Andy have continued to be involved in the community, with Andy remaining as the president of the Central Iowa Linux Users Group. He is also the Secretary for the church council at Bethlehem. Jess remains involved in her Sorority, AΣK as well as participating in a monthly women’s bible study at church.
Here’s to another fun and busy year in 2024!
Jess, Andy and Isaac Denner