Judd Family Newsletter 2020
It was the best of years, it was the worst of years! In some ways it has been good for our inner introverts to have a little more “blissful self-company,”
but like you, we also have missed social and religious opportunities and mourned with those who have
lost even more. We walked a thin line between pandemic anxiety and pandemic fatigue, with touches
of election stress disorder and survivors’ guilt as we count our many blessings. We are encouraged
about the upcoming vaccine and look forward to a future where we can hug our dear ones! We pray
that the lasting effects of 2020 will be dignity for all, civility in public discourse, and humble acknowledge-
ment of the hand of God in our lives. Truly, we do not boast in our own strength, or in our own wisdom,
but our joy is full, and we will rejoice in our God (Alma 25:11).
As the year began, Frank welcomed a new batch of study abroad students as associate director of the
BYU Jerusalem Center. The semester progressed smoothly until March, when COVID-19 closed all
religious and tourist sites, so he coordinated the safe departure of students one month early. We were
able to stay on in Jerusalem until Amanda and Emily finished the school year with online and in-person
classes. Meanwhile, Frank rewrote field trip materials and worked on research. We returned home
mid-July, hugged our daughters, and awkwardly waved at everyone else. Frank is grateful we could
buy two used e-bikes. Thanks to “pedal assist,” Frank has enjoyed 20+ mile bike rides--up Provo
Canyon, along the Murdock Canal trail, or down to Utah Lake--several times a week throughout the fall
and even into the winter!
One of Jill’s favorite Jerusalem memories is visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Garden
Tomb after being homebound for months, and having the sites all to ourselves. This fall she has
painted walls and trim, updated light fixtures, and joined Frank on bike rides. Looking on the bright side,
this has been a good year for family meals, worshipping and studying scriptures at home, and fiction
read-alouds. Jill is grateful for many ways to connect with loved ones all over the world (Zoom,
What’sApp, spanreed...).
Megan works for Ancestry in their Newspapers.com division. From March to October, she worked
entirely from home--a difficult adjustment, but for six months she bypassed the 35-minute commute!
In November she moved up to be a full-time scanner (Yay!), and for the foreseeable future she will split
her workdays between home and the nearly-empty office in Lehi. She misses her Saturday morning
assignment at the Provo Temple! Megan is still the ward music chair, plays the organ for her YSA ward,
and makes time for some editing and family history. Megan is grateful to be able to own her first car--
no more asking permission, just get in and go!
Carrie started her second and final year of the master of social work (MSW) program at BYU. A few of
her classes were moved online, but she has been able to do two face-to-face internships, first at a
transitional school for young adults with autism, and currently at a family treatment center. She hopes
COVID will be resolved by the time she graduates, because she really wants to walk across the stage
in her master’s hood (the whole reason she decided to go to graduate school in the first place)! Carrie
lives near campus and is very grateful for her roommates, who have been a huge help in surviving this
COVID season (especially their karaoke and interpretive dance nights).
Lisa is in her sophomore year in college and applying to the accounting program this next year. She
thrives in the fast-paced environment that comes with being a supervisor at the BYU Creamery on
Ninth. COVID has limited her hobbies to singing musical theatre at midnight with her roommates,
playing the baritone ukulele, and decorating her tiny apartment. This year has been super hard, but,
honestly, Lisa is just grateful to have survived the year with amazing hair and a small shred of sanity :)
Amanda’s favorite Jerusalem memories are watching sunsets over the old city and having two art
classes at school there. Now as a junior at Mountain View, she is grateful to be done with her driving
test, to work at Macey’s as a grocery bagger and cart-wrangler, and to have her first ACT result in a
solid score. She’s read or listened to dozens of books this year and shows no signs of stopping.
(Someone buy this girl a library! Seriously!) One of her favorites is the Stormlight Archive series.
Besides reading, in her free time she puts together puzzles. She also has gotten quite good at making
banana muffins but hopes not to go too bananas in the process. With everything going on in her life,
it’s going to be tricky not to!
Emily has gotten through COVID so far by drawing, reading, taking selfies on her siblings’ phones,
composing with online music apps, playing piano, and socializing with friends outdoors. One thing she
misses about Jerusalem was having other faculty kids stuck in the same building so they could hang
out together without masks. Her favorite classes in Jerusalem were art, computer tech, and Arabic.
Favorite classes here are P.E. and Choir. She has been going on bike rides with Amanda (no e-bike,
just e-legs!) and has biked over 150 miles. She changed her look this fall with braces, contacts, and
a little red Kool-aid at the ends of her hair. She has been taking cello lessons since September, and
we think she sounds pretty good. Others might say, “If it ever sounds like a cat getting microwaved,
don’t worry. It’s just Emily jamming on the cello.”
Judd Family Funnies 2020:
Amanda: “I don’t think I understand.” Lisa: “No, I don’t think YOU understand!” [awkward pause]
Carrie, referring to the devil: “You don’t know him like I do.”
Lisa: “Pants are the only thing between us and anarchy.”
Amanda: “What do you call a kangaroo with chest hair and no legs?” Lisa: “What?”
Amanda: “I don’t know!!!”
Lisa: “You’ll hear that song at my wedding.” Carrie: “I don’t want to wait 30 years, Lisa.”
Lisa: “I could answer your questions if you would stop summarizing what I never said.”
Carrie: “Your face is made of the worst kind of cheese.”
Lisa: “Stop acting like I’M the weird one!”
Emily: “You know the story about a guy with a long name who fell into the well?” Amanda: “You mean
Jonah?”
When Frank stopped the van at a stoplight, Carrie said, “We could have made it." Amanda said
sarcastically, “Yeah, if we had just gone a little faster we could have hit someone.”
Lisa: “What kind of psychopath puts milk in a pitcher?!!”
Emily: (Holding correction tape) “Don’t worry, I’ve broken tons of these before, but I won’t this time!”
Lisa: “I was talking about a rutabaga with someone and they thought it was an animal. But it’s a
vegetable!” Carrie: “I thought it was a disease.”
Frank: “Somebody has to make fun of somebody! That’s part of life, too! Lisa: “You know what else
is a part of life? Getting stabbed.”
Lisa: “It’s not rude if it’s true!” (This one says a lot about the Judd family culture...)
Megan: “I love the inside of your brain.” Lisa: “Thanks. The inside of my brain loves you too.”
Amanda: “Wait one minute, por favor.” Frank: (intentionally mispronouncing) “Poor ‘fahver’? What’s
a poor ‘fahver’?” Amanda: “YOU’RE a poor fahver!”
Emily: “Do you want to help?” Lisa: “I’d rather just complain at you and have you nod.”
Amanda: “I have a thing on my thing!”
Emily: “Did we ever watch Anne of Green Bagels?”
Jill, guarding her pie from Frank, said, “You were trying to steal my piece!” Frank said, “No one can
steal your peace. Only you can give it away.”
Megan: “I’ve seen bleu cheese dressing.” Emily: “Megan! Why were you watching it dressing?”
Lisa: “I may be bad, but at least I’m not as bad as an arsonist.” ???
Carrie: “I dreamed that a little sponge was following me around the driveway.”
Amanda: “Oh, like the kind that sits on your stomach and breathes when you breathe?”
Lisa: “I have a lifetime sass pass!”
Lisa: “Only one person can be upset per day.” Amanda: “I called today already! I called it yesterday.”
Frank: “I did NOT get a Ph.D. in kissing!”
Lisa: “Don’t ever kick me again!” Amanda: “Then don’t ever deserve it!”
Later that day, Amanda said: “There’s a mannequin in the Mountain View gym, and I have no idea why.”
Jill: “Maybe for kicking.” Amanda: “Why would anyone kick a mannequin?” Lisa: “Maybe he deserved it!”
Amanda: “Do you have a bandaid?” Jill: “Yes, why?” Amanda: “Because Emily’s going to need one soon.”
Lisa: “I would rather die as a rich woman than live as a poor man.”
Jill’s friend, intending to compliment her, said, “You are the most thoughtless person I’ve ever met.”
Lisa: “I would never date a man...who was a llama.”
Jill: “Thank you for being a sounding board.” Emily: “I was sounding bored about what?”
Lisa to Amanda at the piano: “If you play tritones all the way down, we can’t be friends.”
Jill: “I’d love to hear you play that hymn you’re practicing, even if it’s just one hand.” Amanda: “Or
two feet.” Emily: “Okay, I’ll play just the pedal.” (in other words, rhythmic squeaking)
We were playing Codenames, and the clue was ”1700’s.” Emily told Jill, “I wasn’t alive then, YOU guess.”
Lisa: “Can we just appreciate ME right now?”
Emily: *Burp!* Lisa: “You sound like my alarm clock.” Emily: “What’s your alarm clock?” Lisa: “Carrie.”
We were admiring Emily’s necklace pendant. Lisa said, “It’s from my xbox.” Amanda asked, “You have an xbox?” Lisa “Yeah, it’s a box with all the stuff from my ex’es”!
Back home, painting the accent wall.
