Reflections on the year ending

The year 2011 will be remembered as a banner year by me. There were many highlights and firsts. Standing in Downtown Denver on New Year’s Eve watching fireworks spewing from the top of a high rise hotel, dressed in multiple layers of clothing and still freezing at minus five degrees with the wind chill making it even colder. Enjoying great symphony evenings in Cheyenne with wonderful guest artists performing. Hearing a fetal heart beat and seeing fetal movements on the monitor with E#1 at a couple of her prenatal visits. Getting to know former criminal investigator Howard as he remodeled our master bath turning it into a delightful oasis.  Attending a very pink and fun baby shower in Kansas for baby Van Court to be. Skyping with daughter E#2 staying at a London hostel on her semester abroad and then following and worrying about her travels to Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Prague and Rwanda. Receiving texts from my son through the night of April 28^th keeping me informed of the progress of the labor and then joy at the news of the birth of our very first grandchild safe and sound into the world. Dying to see the first photos of her, wishing I was there so much. Hurray! new soft carpet installed upstairs, no more carpet ripples to trip over. Visiting our precious grand baby in Kansas and taking some late night shifts so mamma could get some rest. The sweetness of holding that newborn and learning to swaddle her. Seeing E#2 in Kansas too. Another fabulous baby shower with a  blue diaper wreath on the door and tiny boy items strung up on clotheslines. Hikes and wildflowers in the mountains. Attending a Frontier Days pancake breakfast with baby C. and her parents on a bright July morning. Then another long night waiting in the hospital On July 26^th then the abrupt hurry off to do an emergency C-section and the teary wait with our son-in-law before they called him in there. Then joy to see a healthy grandson being carried out to the nursery by our son-in-law with neonatal nurse leading the way. Sitting in the OR talking to and comforting my daughter while they sewed her up after the nurses called me in there. A blur of daily trips to the hospital and worries about mom and baby. Another blur of days at their home helping out keeping the house going and meds going, trying to soothe baby and sore mom. Walking with my friend somewhat regularly and talking about our kids and grand kids, sharing our lives. A fun trip to Centennial Wyoming and hiking the lost lakes trail in the Snowy Range with S. and Penelope. Working for months on one small table runner at quilt group. A trip home to Omaha to see my parents and sister and brother and E#2 at college and attend a meeting. A lovely few days in Vail as the trees started to turn golden. Thanksgiving fun with all the new parents but sans E#2 and a crazy funny photo shoot with the two babies. Then OMG retirement, I hope we know what we are doing. Then whoosh on to Christmas and wearing our grandma and grandpa nightgowns and caps from Myrna and reading books to grandson M. Listening to him “sing” with the audience in church at the Christmas Eve service.

What a crazy wonderful blessed year. Thank you Lord! Now on to California and parts of the southwest. Happy New Year to all.

Lou