2021, in summary

 I have started and deleted a few 2021 recap posts. So much has happened, it's hard to shift through it all. This might be the longest blog post ever, sorry. 

1. I took four more classes for my master's degree program in History at Arizona State University and have maintained my 4.0 GPA. I take my last class, the capstone, in March! In the next two months I will be revising and expanding one historiography paper and one research paper. 

   - Gender History in North African Muslim countries: In this class, I studied texts about women and their history in North Africa. I have had a deep appreciation for Muslim cultures since living in the Middle East. The texts I read enhanced my understanding of Islam, Islamic culture, and people. My professor was from Morocco and spoke at least three languages fluently: Arabic, French, and English.

Primary Texts for the Class were: Women and Gender in Islam by Leila Ahmed, Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi, So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba, The Politics of Piety by Saba Mahmood, and Black Morocco by Chouki el Hamel. 

Books I read for my Research Paper: Khul-Khaal by Nayra Atiya, Family in the Middle East by Kathryn Yount, Planning the Family in Egypt by Kamran Asdar Ali, The Liberation of Women and the New Woman by Qasim Amin, Reading Arab Women's Autobiographies by Nawar Al-Hassan Golley

   - North American History: This class was an overview of the major historical periods and themes in primarily American (i.e. The United States) history. I chose to study American imperialism and learned a great deal about how America interacts with other countries.

Primary Texts for the Class Were: American History Now edited by Eric Foner, Writing Mexican History edited by Eric Van Young, and Canadian History by John Douglas Belshaw.

Books I read for my historiography: Dominance by Design by Michael Adas, Reproducing Empire, by Laura Briggs,  Strangers in the Land by John Higham, America and the Americas by Lester D. Langely, and America's Mission by Tony Smith. 

   - American Colonial History: In this class, I studied religion in the Colonial American period. In particular, I dug deep into the Palatines, a group of Germans who immigrated to New York in 1710. Eventually, the Palatines lived with the Mohawks for about 50 years until relations deteriorated with the advent of the American Revolutionary War. 

Primary Texts I read for the class: The First Prejudice edited by Chris Beneke.

Texts I read for my Research paper (not including the primary sources which included baptism and marriage records): Under the Cope of Heaven by Patricia U. Bonomi, The Rude Hand of Innovation by David G. Hackett, Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration by Walter Allen Knittle, The Platine Families of New York by Henry Z. Jones, New World Faiths, by Jon Butler, The Texture of Contact by David L. Preston, Becoming German by Philip Otterness, and The Ordeal of the Longhouse by Daniel K. Richter.

   - European History: This class was an overview of the major themes and historical events of European History from 1700 to the present. We discussed the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Age of Revolutions, British Imperialism in India and South Africa, Vienna at the turn of the century, the Holocaust, and the Soviet Union. My favorite book was Fin-de-Siecle Vienna by Carl E. Schorske. 

Primary Texts I read for the class: The Enlightened Economy by Joel Mokyr, Men on Horseback by David A. Bell, Barbed-Wire Imperialism by Aidan Forth, Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning, and Everything Was Forever by Alexei Yurchak. 

2. Trent had an amazing year. He finished his freshman year at BYU-Idaho during the pandemic. I am proud of him for living on his own, making his own food, navigating roommates, and doing online school. It wasn't easy but he did it. In the spring he came home, started working on his mission papers, and got a job at DeCicco's Grocery Store. He worked at DeCicco's nearly full-time for six months until he left on his mission. Trent was called to serve in the Utah, Ogden mission and started the home MTC on November 23rd. Trent flew to Utah on November 30th and started the Provo MTC the next day. He is working hard and is exactly where he should be. 

3. Josef spent this year working, dating, and going to school. Joe worked at DeCiccos until the summer and then worked for our town as a lifeguard at the local lakes. Joe had a girlfriend, then broke up with her, and is meeting new girls. Right now he is going to school and looking at colleges. His big dream is to become a pilot and his dream school is Vaughn University in New York. Josef made a goal to become stronger and more muscular. He has worked hard lifting weights and going to the gym six days a week. He studied nutrition to figure out what foods would help him meet his goal. 

4. Brooke made a big change in her hair this year. She went from having long hair down to her waist to a shoulder-length cut. She is also finding her personal style which is quirky, playful, and sometimes ridiculous. Brooke started the Science Research Program with an emphasis on psychological behavior. Her dream is to become a psychologist. Brooke has been working hard to stand up for herself and figure out who she is. She LOVES being an aunt and is great with little kids. She has a very grumpy, cantankerous cat that she adores. 

5. Jonathan is doing so well. He hated online school with a passion and is now happily back at school doing great. In fact, he recently told me he was disappointed because his lowest grade was a 92--in Mandarin Chinese. Both Jonathan and Winter are taking Mandarin at school and really enjoy it. Jonathan joined the cross-country running team and absolutely loved it. He worked hard to improve his time in each race. Jon still loves playing video games with his friends and cousins. He loves cooking and often experiments with recipes. He makes excellent homemade french fries. 

6. Winter is a happy and fun second grader. She loves life! Winter writes songs and her stage name is Jewel Wacaser. She has a youtube channel where she plays with her toys, unboxes surprises boxes, and crafts. Winter started taking piano lessons from me and is picking it up very quickly. She played soccer in the spring and fall and really enjoyed it. Winter had a benign dermoid cyst surgically removed from her arm in January. She did great with the surgery and recovered well.

7. Brent is amazing and we all adore him. He works very hard at IBM as a research scientist. He loves his research group and puts a lot of effort into his work. Brent also serves as the Bishop of our congregation, a job which is especially demanding right now because of the pandemic. Brent loves playing with the kids, working on projects, and spending time with me. 

8. Walter's and Avery's family--Walter is a dad twice over. He is working hard at school and taking care of his family. Avery is a terrific mother to her daughters. We spent a few weeks this summer helping out when their second daughter was born. I love my granddaughters! I loved playing with B and taking her outside. I cuddled M a lot. B has an adventurous palate and will try lots of different foods. B loves her aunts and uncles, especially Uncle Trent. We are so thankful for their family.

10. Our niece, Morgan, moved to New York to work as a nanny for six months. We loved spending time with her and grew very close to her. Morgan is so smart and interesting. She has a strong work ethic and also brings fun and laughter. I feel like she is one of my kids. We all miss her since she went back west. 

11. After a year of not going to the city, we went to NYC several times. We enjoyed Central Park, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, New York pizza, the Manhattan Temple, The American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc. 

12. In July we drove up to Niagara Falls and Palmyra, New York. We were wowed by Niagara Falls at night and appreciated the peace and sacredness of the religious sites in Palmyra where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored. 

13. We explored the beauty of StoneCrop Gardens in the spring. I love New York in the spring with the flowering trees, pops of green, and stunning displays of flowers. 

14. We saw our first Yankees game in person at the Yankee Stadium. I don't really care for baseball because it is slow. But it was still very fun to be in the stadium and watch the game with Morgan and Tonya. 

15. Some of the kids participated in sports! I am not athletic at all and dislike playing sports. However, some of kids enjoy it. Josef, Winter, and Jonathan played soccer. Josef played for his high school soccer team and worked so hard. Jonathan and Winter played in a town program. Jonathan ran cross-country.

16. We spent time in Utah and Wyoming this summer. The west was plagued by summer wildfires and the air was smoky. But that didn't stop us from getting outdoors and spending time with family.

17. This was a year of babies! Not for Brent and I, but with our extended family. My sister and niece had babies in December. My granddaughter was born in July. Two of our friends had babies in New York and we were able to cuddle their babies and support our friends. Our family experienced great miracles with the three babies that were born despite medical complications. 

18. We spent time in the Adirondacks playing in the water, enjoying the fresh air, and soaked in the peaceful atmosphere. 

19. Everyone in our family got vaccinated for Covid-19. We are so grateful for the miracle of having 3 vaccines to choose from a year into the pandemic. It is a relief to have some extra protection against this virus. 

20. We spent time with a lot of our family. I was able to see several of my sisters: Stephanie, Lori, Trisha, Nicole, and Chelsea.  We saw Brent's brother and family. Troy just returned home from a deployment. Tonya came out to New York to visit her daughter and to see us!

I spent time with my cousins Kathy and Pam, and their daughters. I reconnected with all my female Christler cousins through a group text. We keep each other updated on life's events and ask for prayers. We also said goodbye to beloved family members.  My Aunt Shirley passed away. I was able to see her twice before she passed. She was at peace with her life and looking forward to seeing her sister on the other side.

 Brent lost both his grandmothers this year. Grandma Joyce Artis was a faithful woman who left a legacy of faith, compassion, and deep love. Grandma Dorothy Wacaser was a women of energy, courage, and strength. They will be both deeply missed.

21. Finally, we learned to live with and adapt to the Covid-19 Pandemic. My children wore masks to school and while playing sports.  For part of the year, they went to school online remotely. We wore masks at stores, restaurants, and at movies. We watched the news, followed the incomprehensible CDC regulations, washed our hands, and tried to be careful. It's a constant challenge to remain vigilant and careful but also live fully. And we did live fully. We traveled quite a lot around the country. We saw friends and family. We invited friends to our home and extended help to others in need. We attended church and served our church community. We didn't let Covid slow us down.