Joe and Anna – Holiday Letter 2010

Brief unserer Austauschstudentin 2000/2001 Anna Sorensen und ihrem Mann Joseph Hardenbrook

Joe and Anna – Holiday Letter 2010

Once you get a year of marriage under your beit, certain annual events that previously seemed confined to the realm of «stuff old people do» magically appear on «Year End To-Do Lists» posted on your fridge. Things like office parties, white elephant gift exchanges and hoiiday letters.

So where does that leave you? Weil, you fall into one of three groups of people: Family, Friends or Co-Workers. Let me teil you, it is nice to have so little overlap ofthose three groups!

Kidding!

The year has been a good one. 2010 saw us return to Juneau for our fourth year working for the Alaska State Legislature. Juneau is aiways interesting and stressfui. This year was one ofthe best: we had wonderful roommates who shared our love of good food and cooking.

We returned to Fairbanks in late April, eager to get back to work on our house. Through the summer we made improvements to our garden and greenhouse. Anna started her own bookkeeping business in June. Combined with our work on the 2010 elections, the summer was a busy but rewarding season. Our house now has a completed exterior, and we will spend next summer finishing the interior and moving in. We had a lot of heip this summer from our friends and family.

We spent the fall and early winter heavily involved in the election season. Joe‘s boss won a convincing re-election, and Anna served as the campaign treasurer for two successful races. We will return to Juneau in January for our fifth session with the Alaska State Legislature.

Election season‘s high stress and low temperature environment gave way to a wonderful November trip to Mexico for the wedding of our friends Paige & Ryan. Joe performed the ceremony, and we had an amazing time relaxing and enjoying a break together.

So, now it‘s late December and the temperature outside is around -20. The fireplace is warm. The house is in a general state of upheaval as we get ready for a trip to Eureka (a place — not a town — in Alaska where our friend Brent dog mushes in the winter) for Christmas. Once we get back, we‘ll pack up and head to Juneau.

Thanks for keeping the two of us in your thoughts this year. We apologize if this letter is either a) more information than you‘d care to read about our weird little lives up in Fairbanks or b) the sole piece of communication you‘ve received from us this year.

Our lives’are good. Our families are dear. Our friends are great. Our home is warm.

Happy Holidays!