Hello and Merry Christmas!
Well, if you found this blog post, then you probably received a Christmas card from us with our mini-Christmas Letter inside it! We thought hey, we have had a busy year and you could read the short version, or you could point your browser here
Last December, we hosted Christmas! We wanted everything to be perfect. Rhiannon, Jeryd’s sister, was living with us at the time, so it made sense for Nikky and Trinity (Jeryd’s parents) to come to Knoxville so we could all be together.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful…
Jeryd and I needed to work part of the day on Christmas Eve, not realizing that the weather conditions were getting hazardous. Knoxville doesn’t get much snow, so the city just doesn’t have abundant snow equipment. We slowly made the journey of seven miles home, going about 10 miles per hour. We thankfully reached the top of the hill just before our neighborhood entrance and decided not to attempt getting down it. We parked the Jeep and trekked about 500 feet to the house. Regardless, it was fantastic having a white Christmas.
The new year came in without pomp and circumstance, and we were thankful for a little peaceful relaxation. January seemed to fly by quickly. In February, Donna (our Director of Education for the School) notified us that she would be retiring just before our February 2022 class began. Our contingency plan had been to promote Jeryd to that role when Donna retired, so he began training for the position and taking on a more active role as an educator.
In March, we celebrated Ed’s birthday with a themed surprise party. We both love the series created by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal called “Good Mythical Morning™.” One thing they do on the show is determine the best of “something.” Best cheeseburger! Best peanut butter! Best fast-food fries!” You get the picture! Ed once said off handily he thought that would be an excellent idea for his next birthday. So that was the theme!
Our business has always launched new ventures on March 17. This year we hit a few milestones– our Professional Massage Clinic (Massage Remedy) turned six years old, our massage school (Arbor College | School of Massage) turned 11 years old, and our Continuing Education company (ACE – Arbor Continuing Education) turns 21 years old.
In April, we were able to sneak away to the mountains for or a brief cabin trip and spent some quality time reconnecting and relaxing. You might think that working and living together might be overwhelming, but honestly, we rarely see each other at work, and we don’t have the same days off, so we look for ways to spend extra time together.
In May, after diligently searching and tireless hours of juggling classes, work, homework, and apartment hunting, Rhiannon found a place for her and Atlas (her four-legged canine companion). Her apartment is about five minutes from our house, so getting together is not difficult. She worked through the night to have everything ready for comfortable living, so it only took her about a day and a half before she was fully moved into her new home, and that included everything hung on the walls.
Since February, work had been steadily increasing, so we decided to take some time off for self-care. We spent the Fourth of July in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, with Jack and Julie (Jeryd’s paternal grandparents). Great food, great music, great people, and nightly bonfires left us feeling refreshed. It was a much-needed getaway!
We attended our bachelor party hosted by Ms. Donna Funk in late September. It was a blast! The night started at Wake Foot Spa in Downtown Knoxville, where their attentive staff went above and beyond pampered the entire wedding party. Ouzo and Scotch generously flowed until we arrived at Pelancho’s Mexican Grill, where we started on a Margarita Marathon. Good food! Good drinks! Good People! and Great vibes!
Of course, as you saw in our mini-Christmas letter, we got married! The last few weeks leading up to the wedding were filled with anticipation as we finalized the plans. Surprisingly, neither of us was particularly anxious or worried. People often asked if we were nervous, and we almost felt like we should say yes, but we weren’t. The best advantage of spending every moment of the COVID lockdown with someone is that you can be very sure if they are right for you. Fortunately, we love being around each other and don’t have a problem doing our own thing together. We experienced the “in Sickness and Health vow” every day for three months, even before we got engaged.
Our closest friends and family surrounded us as we prepared for the big event. We spent September 30 (rehearsal day) having a blast. After the actual rehearsal, we had an authentic Scottish dinner at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, and then we all went to Champion Ballroom Center for a dance lesson with the phenomenal J.W. Becker, Jeryd’s dance instructor. It was a fantastic night that we have already begun reminiscing about.
The day of the wedding went off without a hitch. We had so many friends and family members around us, helping us make the event an absolute success. Little can be said beyond a beautiful ceremony; laughter, tears, and love were a part of each moment. Our sweet friend, the East Tennessee Barbie (Rev. Melanie Alexander), produced a touching and sentimental ceremony that blew us away.
The reception was marked by great food and drinks…and an even better cake! The dancing started with our first dance and continued the rest of the evening, concluding with our private dance at the end. We enjoyed live music from Jack and Tommy Greer, followed by Stan “Duh” Man, spinning our favorite dance tunes. We even had a fire poi expert, Mr. Josh Kimsey spinning an extraordinary performance piece. It was perhaps the absolute best way to start a marriage, at least in my humble opinion. If you haven’t seen the pictures… here’s the link.
Immediately following the wedding, we hosted a family retreat in a cabin in Cosby, Tennessee, where we kept the party rolling with movies, music, swimming, and zip-lining until October 6. When the festivities ended and we returned to work, we received the terrible news that our Director of Education, Donna’s mother, had suffered a debilitating stroke. On October 12, she let us know that she needed to retire effective immediately to take on the role of a full-time caretaker for her mother.
With only two weeks before graduation and the beginning of the largest class we had ever enrolled, we quickly had to shift into high gear. It was time for Jeryd to step into the role of Director of Education as a full-time educator. The month of October wasn’t finished with us yet; we took a minimoon (short honeymoon) where we toured haunted attractions the weekend after the new class started. Then to finish off the month, we had our annual Halloween party, watching a couple of spooky movies with our friends at the house.
In November, things settled some, and Eddie and I were able to catch up some. I adjusted to teaching full-time and started to grasp some of the new aspects of the job. Simultaneously we began settling our new hires into the jobs I was leaving behind. Both individuals are wonderfully intelligent people and have taken to their new roles like ducks to water. Although this takes much of the stress off of me personally and our organization as a whole, it has put a lot of additional training responsibilities on Eddie.
We spent Thanksgiving in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, with the Greer Clan and celebrated Jeryd’s birthday around a bonfire. As we type this Letter, we are preparing to host our first Christmas as a married couple. We are excited to see what awaits us in the new year.
We wish everyone happiness and health in the new year. May 2022 be merry and bright! If any of your travels land you in or near Knoxville, Tennessee, give us a call. We would love to have you visit.
Hugs, smiles, and good health,
JED