Christmas and Holiday Greetings 2017

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

This year began when I literally slept away the entire New Year’s Day holiday as I recovered from my first trip to see my parents in Germany over last Christmas.  When I finally woke up I determined to never miss another day like that ever again.  I’m glad I kept that resolve because this year flew by.  If I had even blinked once I’m pretty sure I would have missed everything! J

2017 was pretty amazing.  I was able to travel twice more back to Europe to see my parents and visit my other European friends.  During these trips I felt especially fortunate and grateful to have been able to visit Paris; Bremen and Lübeck in northern Germany; and Berlin, Freiberg, and Dresden in the former east Germany, all for the first time.  My visits to each city were much too short, but I definitely learned as much as I could and gained a greater appreciation for the profound history of these cities.

In addition to my travels abroad, I of course had my obligatory annual trip to Disneyland (rough life).  I also had the great opportunity this past spring to help my sister and her family with their brand new baby girl as well as visit other family in Canada and Austin this past fall. After all of these travels and adventures I am more grateful than ever for my family and friends, including my supervisor who allowed me the time off and my office mates who helped with my work during my absences.  (And for those of you who may be wondering after all this travel, yes I still work! J)

While I have enjoyed all of these amazing opportunities this year, I have also had my share of challenges that at times felt like too much to bear.  I discovered that finding my way through each challenge required a change of heart in both my attitude and perspective.  Through these challenges I learned more than I could ever have imagined, including most importantly that the healing and strengthening powers of Jesus Christ’s Atonement are real, and for that I am most grateful for the opportunity at this Christmas time to honor Him and celebrate His birth.

I am most grateful for all of you, too, and wish you all peace and love in this season and in the New Year.

Love,

Susannah

February trip to Disneyland with this motley crew of sibs and nieces and nephews!

Despite my best efforts to avoid this, I turned 40 in March. I tried to put on a good face that day.

Brandenburger Tor (Gate) in Berlin, Ger. with Mom (April)

With Mom at East Side Gallery of Berlin Wall (April) 

With parents in a Paris Bistro (May)

I really don't think this needs a caption! May in Paris with parents

The Louvre with parents in May

Nearly 25-year dream come true to finally see this beautiful Canova sculpture of Cupid and Psyche in the Louvre (May)

Burg (Castle) Eltz in Germany (May)

Spending time with brand new niece in Indiana in May

Rafting on the Green River during July trip with our LDS ward youth to Flaming Gorge

Summit of Ben Lomond Peak in Utah with the Young Women from our LDS Stake (August) 

Work trip in my beloved DC in August

Chillin' at the SCERA pool in Orem, UT with nephew in August

Hiking in Banff (Alberta, Can.) in August

Riding Remington (my sister's horse) in Calgary, AB, Can. (September)

Freiberg, Ger. LDS Temple with parents in October

With Dad at top of Frauenkirche overlooking Dresden, Ger. in October

October day cruise on the Rhein River near Ruedesheim, Ger. 

Exploring Burg (Castle) Rheinstein in Germany (October)

Another dream come true to see this statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen in Bremen, Ger. (October)

Most huggable tree ever! Palmengarten in Frankfurt, Ger. in October.

Fun with niece and nephews in Austin, TX in November

December work meetings in Vegas with my friends from the office

Happy (late) Christmas and New Year! 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas (late) and Happy New Year! (Frohe Weinacht und Frohes Neues Jahr!) I had the privilege of spending the Christmas holidays in Germany and Switzerland this year with my parents and other dear friends, and so I send you these late seasons' greetings just hours after arriving home.

After all the health challenges I had in 2015, I feel grateful each day for how quiet and uneventful (in a good way!) 2016 has been. And so as the year comes to a close, I’d like to share a list of some of the many things that I have been grateful for this year:

January:

Amazing doctors who healed me from pneumonia and patiently helped me find asthma medications that have actually worked!

Visiting our cousins’ cabin in Idaho where I always feel peace and quiet out in the snow and warmth inside with my family

Cross country skiing with Christina (sister)

Beautiful view of Henry's Fork of the Snake River from inside the cabin

February:

An entire month of good health for the first time that I can remember

March:

Birthday kite flying with my family

Rhys (nephew) helping me master proper kite-flying techniques

Family members flying their own kites

Best way to spend a birthday!!

Visiting my family in Austin -- for free! (work trip that was paid for by my office)

Dave (brother), Otto (nephew), Simon (nephew), Karin (sis-in-law), Sofie (niece), and Moses (friend)

Enjoying late winter hikes and dog sitting in Pinebrook (Park City) and remembering my friend (and former colleague) Emily

Views from the Pinebrook trails

Rosie (L) and Bailey (R - RIP)

Emily's Bench

April:

An amazing week in NYC with my sister-in-law and niece and other family and friends

Breakfast in Brooklyn! Phoebe (niece), Mary (sis-in-law), and Susannah

Our Brooklyn brownstone! Susannah and Phoebe

Waffles with Phoebe all day and night!

Boating in Central Park! Mary and Susannah

Top of World Trade Center 1. Susannah and Phoebe

Yum Yums! Our favorite restaurant on Broadway!

June:

The beauty of flowers and remembering our families who have passed on

July:

The freedom to color my hair! 

It's kind of unintentionally patriotic, just in time for Independence Day!

The many opportunities I had all summer to dog sit for my friend  (I’m especially grateful for this time because one of these beautiful dogs unexpectedly died this past November)

Rosie and Bailey (RIP)

August:

A wonderful family reunion and subsequent Thomas women retreat

Brunch in my backyard

Brunch in my backyard

Thomas women retreat - Stewart Falls! Rebecca, Erin, Christina, Amanda, Paula, Susannah, and Mary in front 

Thomas women retreat - Foundry Grill at Sundance. Mary, Rebecca, Susannah, Celeste, Amanda, Paula, and Christina

Seeing Josh Groban AND Sarah McLachlan together in concert! 2 dreams come true!!

ANGEL

September:

Seeing my parents finally fulfill a dream of serving an LDS mission together in Germany (though it was really hard to say goodbye)

Departure day!

Getting to know and dog sitting a new puppy friend

Cooper! (with a wounded paw)

Visiting Star Valley, Wyoming for the first time and enjoying its natural beauty

October:
Getting a new roof on my house and a new fence around my yard

Dressing up as JOY (from Disney's Inside/Out) for Halloween with my newly blue-d hair

November:
Spending a lovely Thanksgiving in Indiana with my sister and her family and my cousins and their families

Jill H (cousin), missionaries, Nancy H.B. and her kids (cousins), and Erin (sister)

December:

Celebrating the Christmas holidays in Europe with my parents and our dear friends in Switzerland and Germany.

Dad and I in Frankfurt, Ger.

Mom and I in Frankfurt, Ger. (Christmas market)

St. Peter Zurich with the Fraumuenster (green steeple) in the very background.

Susannah, Erich Schnider, Mom, Irene Hummel, and Dad. Zurich, Switz.

Me! with the Grossmuenster in the background. Zurich, Switz.

The best creche ever, found at a convent in Switzerland.

I'm talking with teachers at one of the two schools I visited as the special American guest. Bauma, Switz. 

Esther and I (with cat Moriz) in Villa Flora, Haetzingen, Switz.

With the Henning-Dziallas family at Christmas (I'm behind the camera)

With the Henning-Dziallas family at Christmas (Dad is behind the camera)

Frankfurt am Main

Hanging out in Roman ruins, Saalburg Archaeological Park, Ger.

Hanging out in Roman ruins, Saalburg Archaeological Park, Ger.

Jesus Christ whose birth, life, Atonement, and Resurrection made all things possible

And most of all, I am thankful for all of you and for your love and friendship that mean so much to me.

Saalburg Archaeological Park, Ger.

As the sun sets on 2016, I wish you all peace and love in 2017!


Love,
Susannah

Finding Constants in a World of Change

The Winter Sky

Our world is so out of control right now with daily reports of upheaval and violence, among other things. Sometimes it feels like we will never again have any order or stability or predictability about anything, and maybe that’s true. A couple of weeks ago I was out on one of my regular nightly walks. As I looked up at the beautiful expanse of our sky and stars I saw that the Winter stars and constellations were much further west as the seasons were changing from Winter to Spring. I felt a little wistful to see those beautiful stars on their way out until next Winter, but I also realized at that moment that these seasonal changes are (ironically) actually one of the things that we can totally rely on in our world today. We know that as Spring arrives the flowers will bloom, the trees will get their leaves back, the grass will grow green. We also know more generally throughout the year that the sun will rise each day, that the moon will go through the same phases each month, and that the same stars we see each season will always return. This was a tender mercy for me to recognize that there is indeed some evidence of constancy in our crazy world. I then thought about another constant: the very creator of this world, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and, in a way we will probably never fully comprehend, his Atonement and Resurrection cover everything, including sin, sorrow, grief, pain, sickness, death, and all other imperfections and injustices. There truly is nothing in this world more constant than that. Just prior to his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, which was also the night before his crucifixion, Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) The world is clearly in no position to give us any reliable measure of peace right now, so all we really have left is the peace from Jesus made possible through His Atonement and Resurrection; peace that we can feel now through the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful to know of the reality and infinite nature of the Atonement and the peace that we can feel at all times because of that event, and I am so grateful for all the natural beauties and wonders of this world that He created and that remind us of this truth.