Happy Holidays 2018

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One of our favorite Pix of 2018
And just like that… 2018 is done.  I feel like it was just last month that you got our last card, rolled your eyes at the picture, glanced at the back and thought “there’s no way I’m going to that website to read that annoying letter." And yet, here we are again… with another annoying letter.


So, as we stand on the precipice of 2019, we ask what hath 2018 wrought? Well, we did some pretty cool stuff.  However, as we wrote this letter, we realized that listing out all the things we had a chance to do, seemed really shamefully self-serving.  So we thought… what did we learn from our adventures with friends? Here are 3 big things we learned from 3 of our adventures.


Halong Bay - The Inspirationals


Kristen & Lou
Doug & Pamela

Our big trip this summer was to Vietnam.  This picture cannot begin to capture the majesty of Halong Bay.  (Eric would say it’s because I’m not as good a photographer as he is). On our trip we met Lou and Kristen.  We called them the Inspirationals because they quit their jobs to travel the world. That’s the dream! This is Doug and Pamela, they’ve been married for decades.  We didn’t really spend too much time talking with them, but after a few days with them on our trip, we realized that Doug and Pam were the real Inspirationals. Doug and Pamela held hand on every tour we took:  Partners for life that still enjoy every minute of being together.



New York City with the GOAT

In early December, Jed traveled with work for Coach Frank Beamer’s well-deserved induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.  People always talk about what a great coach Frank Beamer is, but a better man. This is what that means to me. Coach Beamer has hit the pinnacle of his profession, and on the day of his induction, I watched him graciously take picture after picture with fans, including me.  Minutes before the banquet, Mrs. Beamer told me she was glad I could be there, because we’re all in this together. That family has taught me that there’s no one in your life that’s insignificant. Everyone is part of your story. And with them that’s not just talk. They have treated both Stacie and I like we were important, not as just employees but as people.

People, not just places

Family Pix for Mom's Birthday
Stacie took 3 separate girls trips this year.  We traveled overseas twice with friends and family.  We celebrated a Stacie’s mom’s landmark birthday and Jed’s mom’s landmark birthday on back to back weekends.  We spent an extended time on the west coast with LA friends. We held a HokieVision Thanksgiving for the 18th time, and turned it into a send off for a true friend.  The common theme: relationships. As much as we love to travel for the adventure, we learned that without people, life is empty. Investing your time, effort and love into relationships is what’s important, and making sure your loved ones know they are loved is what defines a successful life.
Mom's Birthday Lunch. Can you find the surprise in the picture?



So that’s a little bit deeper of a letter than we’re used to writing.  If you want to see more of our adventures, check out the picture pages, that make their triumphant return this year.

Oh, and one more thing…. The Streak still lives! - 15 consecutive wins over UVA by Virginia Tech.  Go Hokies!!
Happy Holidays to you and yours and Happy 2019!

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