Austin/Nicole Family – 2020 Update

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on Austin & Nicole’s family, as it has on so many others.

Nicole works as a designer for Macy’s which closed its offices and stores in March. Fortunately, she can work from home and has the available space to set up a home office. Austin had been doing commercial painting in New York City and that industry dried up, also in the spring.

Their boys, Sam (11) and Jude (6) are now home schooling, since their public schools have been on again/off again since March 2020. Fortunately, the lack of work has allowed Austin to take over the boys schooling, and he has shown that he has been up to the challenge.

In addition to their home schooling, the boys and Austin have made numerous field trips near their Hudson Valley home, and have joined Grandma Jani & GooGie (Gary) on some hikes near Bantam CT.

Jude, Sam and Austin rest during a hike above Lake Waramaug in CT

In January, before the pandemic was acknowledged, Austin was still painting for Colossal Media in New York City. This was also before COVID-hair, which you will see a lot more of from the males in this family.

Another Pre-COVID project that Austin painted

Nicole, Austin, Sam and Jude stayed pretty close to home this year. They worked on improving their house and grounds, and finally took the opportunity to make a trip to Maine in September. They spent time on Mount Dessert Island, visited Acadia National Park and visited with Austin’s cousin Ruth and her burgeoning family. (Ruth gave birth to her second son, Gavin Jay Holbrooke, June 19, 2020.)

Trip to Maine: Slideshow