The first birthday of the year in our family! Woot!
Although it has been a bit of a wonky year, and we didn’t actually get to see Gabe and Shannon in 2020, there were pretty some pretty significant milestones – especially Shannon and Gabe graduating from BYU- I!
We also were able to stay connected through technology and had some pretty great calls – whether it be our weekly Sunday night call, our Sunday church-at-home calls, some nice family calls, and even a karaoke call! I also loved being able to have some fun coaching type calls with Shannon too.
But this year – we are determined to see Shannon and Gabe!!
Right now, they are both living in Colorado with Shannon’s parents. Gabe still has not received his green card and because he is in between his undergrad and starting law school in September, he can’t work. So their life right now is in limbo, but Shannon is still looking for work right now.
Which leads me to the first of ten things I want to share about what I love about Shannon:
1.She is a hard worker! She finished up her degree and is now hard at work looking for a full time job. It’s not a walk in the park looking for a job. You have to submit a ton of resumes, complete questionnaires, and jump through a lot hoops – and there is a lot of rejection out there. I know that she will get an awesome job that will be the best one for her – but it takes a lot of perseverance to keep going with a good attitude!
2. You can always count on her to contribute to our family message chat! She is supportive of everyone, and is quick to respond too! She sends thoughtful texts and remembers important events for others.
3. She is super creative! I’ve had the benefit of having her do some work for me over the year and I have appreciated her ideas, and the ability to run with those ideas. Just look at my youtube channel (here) that she recently created and how awesome it is! It was all her!
4. She is generous with her love and kind words. Last year for my birthday she made me a PDF (which I have printed out and keep on my desk) of the 10 things she loves about me! So kind, thoughtful and generous. It really really touched me and I so appreciated it!
5. She is a certified yoga teacher! Woo hoo! She is always learning and interested in taking care of herself and now in teaching others too! She also is quite the cook and baker and likes to be healthy – but enjoys some indulgence too!
6. She is a super supportive and loving partner to Gabe. There has been a lot of uncertainty for the two of them as they have waited to see where the next chapter of their life will unfold! Gabe was busy studying for his LSAT and then applied to law schools all over the country and they both just had to sit tight to see what happened! She has been his true partner and together they are trying to make the best decisions for them!
7. She is a travel nut. That made her shine in my book from the moment I met her. We were supposed to meet up in New York last April and we were so bummed it had to be cancelled:( But she is always up to travel and has some great travel dreams!
8. She is a planner! She had mapped out the perfect NYC getaway for us – found a great airbnb, then planned out the must sees, must eats, cool places to go etc. She is organized and efficient!
9. She is a learner. I love that if I send her stuff to read, she reads it (lol), and she will send me stuff as well. She researches things, keeps on top of things and is interested in things. She is also willing to share her knowledge.
10.She is an advocate. These past few years have been rough ones – especially politically. She has never shyed away from voicing her concerns, her beliefs and standing up to defend them. She fights for democracy, diversity, inclusion, equity and equality. She educates herself and then in turn educates those around her.
There are so many more things to love about Shanon!!
We are so glad to have her as part of CDF family!! I also love that she shows her love of being part of our family too. She puts the effort in – even if we are miles apart.
Happy Birthday, Shannon! We love you!
