Christmas Letter

    As a small synopsis of this last year, (minus the next hectic week) I provide a digital copy of our Christmas Letter. If you have read it already, nothing new, if not, enjoy! We love you all!
Each year passes by with a flurry of activity, and 2008 has been no different. To our great surprise though, we have actually stayed in one apartment the entire year, and Eric has kept the same RadioShack store! We celebrated 5 years of marriage this summer, and we have much to be grateful for. We both have good health, we are still in love, we still strive to grow close, and we work on remembering to make our bed every day.
    During the year we were called to serve in the University Hospital Medical LDS Branch, where we would go around to the patients rooms talking with them and providing comfort where we could. This was a great experience that we had together, and we will miss serving there.
    Marianne has finally finished a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah. To accomplish this she took classes year round, which made the summer quite short! The graduation ceremony isn’t until May, but the work is all done! She has continued at her job at Little America, despite the high turnover rate.
    Eric’s year has consisted almost entirely of work, turning his store into something that he is proud of. He has hired a completely new crew almost twice now, and has been able to find some truly great employees and friends. He also has continued to work at school, struggling to balance work and home with his school life. This became increasingly difficult towards the end of the year when we found out that Eric has Type 1 Diabetes. After a glorious trip to the ER, we now work at changing almost all eating habits to ensure his continuing health.
    We both look forward to a new year in a new place, a new job and new friends. We are planning on moving to North Carolina to be close to Eric’s parents, and hopefully better job opportunities for Eric as well. It will be hard to move, seeing as we have stayed the longest in this apartment, but we both feel that it is time to continue our lives, outside of student housing!
    We want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, and send our love and Christmas cheer at the end of another year. We remember the birth of our Savior, and the importance his life has on ours. We hope that this season brings a warm smile and the spirit of giving and love! May you be as blessed as we are, Love Eric and Marianne