Tyler and Lori's 2011 Holiday Letter

As this year comes to a close, we thought we would reflect on the past twelve months and let everyone know what we've been up to. It's been a whirlwind of a year with new jobs, more education, lots of fun, and (of course) a wedding!

We rang in the New Year at Disney World with Tyler's family during the last week of December and had a great time! This was Lori's first time to visit Mickey, and she desperately wants to go back! Our family rented a large house with Scott, Kelly, Bailey, Blythe, and Hans and spent our time exploring Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Harry Potter World at Universal's Islands of Adventure. It was a great trip, and we got to spend a lot of time with some very fun members of our family.

Having just graduated with his Masters, Tyler accepted a Delivery Consultant (client training) position at Cerner in Kansas City, starting January 10, after moving to an apartment in North Kansas City a few days earlier. Tyler's job entailed training staff at physician practices how to use a practice management system (software to register and schedule patients and send insurance claims). This role allowed him to visit offices in Connecticut, Pennsylvania (three times), California, Massachusetts, and Florida (twice) over four or five months.

The move to Kansas City brought him closer to Lori, who was in her first year at the University of Kansas Medical Center working on her Masters and Dietetic Internship. After working in a clinical rotation at Children's Mercy Hospital during the fall semester, Lori saw a little different side of dietetics with her management rotation at the Kansas City Veterans' Affairs Hospital in the first half of the spring semester and her community rotation at HyVee in Liberty in the second half. She also got to choose a rotation in the summer, when she worked at North Kansas City Hospital across the street from Cerner.

All throughout the spring, we were busy wedding planning. Everything from major decisions like locations and wedding party to minor ones like the design of our save-the-dates and the shoes we were going to wear in the ceremony had to be decided. We had been attending Platte Woods United Methodist Church off I-29 and decided to have the wedding there. Our friend Kristen took engagement photos of us, and Tyler designed our website, save-the-dates, invitations, and programs. We also put down a deposit to have our reception at Screenland Armour in North Kansas City. At that time, we did not know that something different would come along.

In April, a career change opportunity came along for Tyler. He found a job opening for an Online Marketing Specialist at Cerner (in his department and even on the same floor!). After talking to the proper people, he was able to set up an interview and learn that the position was perfect for his expertise and interests. After three internal interviews and gaining the approval necessary to change jobs after four months (an unothodox move), Tyler was offered the role and accepted. Following a transitional period, he quickly settled into the role running social media accounts, developing online marketing strategy, producing video, and designing graphics. He also began going to the active Kansas City chapter of the Social Media Club, meeting lots of great people in similar positions.

Another surprise change came in May. We had heard that Union Station and Mix 93 radio station were giving away a royal wedding-inspired reception, and - on a whim - Tyler entered an essay into the contest. After being named a finalist and staging a social media and word-of-mouth campaign among our friends and family, we were thrilled to be named the winning couple. Wedding planning launched into high gear after this news. We had about two months to modify many of our established plans. The reception package was quite a blessing, giving us a much nicer reception than our budget had previously allowed.

More good news followed in June and July as Lori was hired for two part-time jobs. First, she was hired as a Nutrition Assistant at Children's Mercy, screening patients at risk and collecting vital information for nutrition follow-up. Children's Mercy requires dietitians to have their Masters, so this position is a great foot-in-the-door for when Lori earns her Masters degree in May 2012. She was also hired to be a Graduate Research Assistant at KU Med for the 2011-12 academic year. This position is in the organization's Breast Cancer Survivorship Program. She teaches a class of breast cancer survivors about the basics of nutrition and how to use nutrition to prevent cancer reccurance. She also consults the same population on a one-to-one basis.

In early August, our wedding day came. Through lots of hard work that summer, we were prepared for the day. We had great family, friends, and vendors helping us out, making August 5 a fantastic day. Lots of wonderful people showed up for our wedding and even more made it to the reception at Union Station. It was great to see many friends who we had not seen in a while. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did: eating, dancing, and laughing the night away.

Two days after the wedding, we headed up the highway to KCI and flew to Cabo San Lucas (via Phoenix). We had found an all-inclusive deal on LivingSocial at a hefty discount and decided to purchase it. Cabo, and our resort, were as wonderful as could be. Located directly on the beach facing Cabo's famous arches, our room was less than 50 yards from the ocean. During our five days there, we swam with dolphins, snorkeled in the ocean, and went on a sunset sailboat cruise. It was an amazing trip, and we hope to go back!

After the honeymoon, Tyler headed back to work and Lori started back at school. Besides the regular schoolwork, Lori had a big test to study for: the Registered Dietitian exam. Because she had completed her internship in July, she was able to register for the exam. She did, and passed with flying colors, in early October, officially adding "RD" to the end of her name.

Over the next few months, Lori was able to completely move into the North Kansas City apartment, and we were both able to spend time with friends like Ben and Laura, Adam and Kelsey, Nick and Annah, and Andy and Kristen. Additionally, we were able to hang out with some of Lori's friends from class and Tyler's friends from work. (In addition to Lori's parents and siblings just up the road in Kearney.) Tyler and Kristen also started taking photos together, shooting engagement sessions, weddings, and family photos throughout the fall of 2011.

We were able to spend time with Tyler's extended family during a long weekend in October. For the second year, we rented cabins south of Branson and relaxed, playing games, cooking, and spending time with each other. We were also able to see many family members during Thanksgiving and cannot wait to see them again for Christmas!

We did get some bad news in November: Tyler's dog at home was hit by a car. A wonderfully sweet basset hound, Flash was a part of the family, providing years of laughter with his antics. After meeting Lori the first time she came home, he was infatuated with her, watching her every move and requiring her to pet him on every occasion. He was an incredible dog, and he will be missed.

For almost as long as we have been married, we have been talking about getting a puppy. After visiting shelters and adoption events multiple times (and checking online daily), we found the perfect puppy at Wayside Waifs in early December. Jax is a two month-old black shepherd-lab mix with four white paws, a white chest, and a white tip on his tail. He is a very sweet puppy who loves people, sleep, and playing with his numerous toys. We cannot wait to celebrate Christmas with him: his first and our first together.

It's been a wonderful year, full of lots of ups and only a few downs. But we can't wait to see what 2012 brings! Thanks to all of you who have blessed us in some way during this year; we are so thankful to have you in our lives. Be joyful during this Christmas season and all through the year to come! Merry Christmas to all.

Tyler and Lori