End of 2011

With January just around the corner, here is the update from the Schroeder clan. We ventured to Colorado for a much needed vacation and to celebrate Christmas with my family. My dad had not yet Maddie and either had my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. The flight, both ways, went great. I was nervous about being one of “those parents”, whose child cries the entire flight and you don’t have the Dre Beats headphones to drown out the sound. We were fortunate for her to sleep most of the way or to wake up and giggle, and then be sweet the majority of the flight. The flight attendants were in love with her, which gave us brownie points with them at least. J

Uncle Joe and Aunt Lindsey with Madelynne

Posing by a display

Being a gorilla

Cousins

We were lucky to bypass a winter storm that hit most of Wednesday, but dumped a fairly large amount of snow in the greater Denver area. The whole ordeal got me nervous and made me think about the year my nephew was born in 2006 and the torrential snow storms that closed down most of Colorado. I was not going to miss meeting my nephew then, and was not going to miss the chance for Madelynne to meet her cousin, Grandpa, and Aunt and Uncle.

We spent a day and half in Denver with Lindsey , Joe, and Damion. Damion had no clue we were coming so that was a treat. He was so surprised. He was a bit apprehensive about Madelynne and would cover his ears periodically when she would cry. Our Friday was spent swimming, which was Madelynne’s first time. Madelynne was not even scared and didn’t even cry. She is quite the water baby, like her mom. We went to the Denver Zoo Lights, which was quite the treat. Damion had to stop and pose at every display, which made us laugh. He is such a ham.

Christmas Eve we headed up to Buena Vista, where my folks live. There was plenty of snow on the ground to constitute a White Christmas. It was beautiful. We coaxed Brad into watching his first official musical, The Sound of Music, after we attended mass. He thought it was “ok”, and I am pretty sure it will be his last musical. My dad came up with Damion on Christmas Day, so we enjoyed a family dinner, opening gifts, and watching a movie and reading holiday books. Just being with my family was all that mattered and all that I ever wanted for Christmas.

OPening her books

With Grandma

With Grandpa

Mini-Me

Loves Daddy and the water

Brad was very fortunate to spend most of the time with Madelynne, which she ate up. She really loves her daddy. He was constantly tackled by Damion and we opted to play all his imaginary games where we were all sorts of bugs and other creatures he made up. We took him swimming one last time and then retreated to Denver Tuesday to fly home.

Needless to say, it was bittersweet to return back to Washington. Maybe we will be able to relocate back to Wyoming or Colorado, but it’s really not in our hands.  Brad returned back to work and I returned to preparing for my winter quarter composition 102 class, working on PhD assignments, and hanging out with Madelynne. She keeps me quite entertained.

At four months, she is right on target with her growth and development. She recently started eating cereal. She rolled over a few weeks ago and hasn’t really done it since. Her favorite thing to do is sit up against a pillow or on the couch, and just observe everything. I’m not in any rush to see her take off, because I know she will be crawling like crazy once she does. She is already a wiggle worm. But looking ahead, as crummy as 2011 started, the end was pretty amazing. And if I could have thought about it from the perspective of “backwards design”, and known how fortunate and blessed we would be, I think it would have changed my outlook on things. J

So, who knows what 2012 will bring. Hopefully a trip to Florida to visit Brad’s Grams and friends there. I know for sure a family reunion in Wyoming in June. Maybe a move. Maybe new jobs. Whatever the case may be, look forward to maintaining resolutions we’ve set for ourselves and hopefully stability.

Until next year… J

Schroeder Clan 2011

In her Christmas Outfit-2011