2016 - The Year in Review - First Trimester
Posted in Family with tags ethan , quinton , mireille -I can remember one year when we did the traditional “Holiday Letter.” It was the year that we were in the process of trying to adopt Quinton, so we were “marketing ourselves” to our family and friends that year. Looking back, it was a fun letter to do, even if it was not necessary from the salesman side of house. I thought it would be fun to condense 2016 into a bit of a letter to our family (thank you both of my readers) and so that future versions of ourselves might enjoy reading it as well. So, here it goes!
2016 was definitely one for the record books in Grady annals. No, we didn’t relocate from one state to another - that was SO 2015. But we did hit many milestones that are worth noting.
January
January started out at the tail end of a LONG trip “home” to the midwest. We spent New Year’s Day with friends and family up in the UP of Michigan where we spent New Year’s Day. While it was a lot of fun, it was tempered with the reality of the 17 hour drive back to Colorado shortly following…
Quinton and Cousins in Michigan
The Long Ride Home
January was also a month where we were deep in the throes of home improvement, this time our kitchen.
Kitchen Upgrades
Kitchen Upgrades
The boys and Jenny were able to take part in a Martin Luther King march in downtown Denver where they were able to hookup with the local Black Lives Matter crew for a little walk. I imagine they all have FBI files now.
First Activist March
First Activist March
On our way to the airport, it was fun seeing the city get behind their football team. I’ve only ever experienced Wisconsin during a Super Bowl run prior to this, so it was amusing and interesting to watch these Coloradans work themselves into a frenzy for their (I guess “our”) local team.
Broncos March to the Super Bowl
No winter is complete without a couple of ski days in the mountains!!!
Ski Day at Copper
The home improvements didn’t stop in the kitchen. Here we are working on wiring up a new entry light, which was complicated by the fact that it was 14 feet in the air!!!
Wiring a new Light
Achievement Unlocked - New Entry Light
February
February started out with a storm! I swear, there is never a dusting of snow out here. It’s either no snow, or it is 8+ inches!
Colorado Snow Storm
The home improvement bandwagon continued full force in February with more kitchen fun.
Kitchen Taking Shape
Wall Tiling in the Kitchen
Dining Room Improvements
Basketball is a main attraction in the winter as well, something Quinton likes to do quite a bit. Of course, two weeks after our “major” snowstorm, he was able to take his new birthday present outside and challenge his older brother to a quick pickup game.
Winter Basketball
Quinton's Birthday
Basketball Outside - Remember that snowstorm?
Of course, mandatory trip into the mountains!
Mountain Time
Oh, and did I mention, we finally were able to bring Mireille into our home in February!!! I won’t even attempt to rehash that whole episode, but if you are interested, go back and re-read the posts from that time period. What a ride!
Reagan National Airport
My New Activist Buddies
Before Our Meeting with Mike Coffman
Candlelight Vigil
On My Way Back to DC
Mireille Reaches the USA
Iconic USA Picture with Dad
The Whole Grady Brood
Additional Reading:
- Two Days on the Hill - Brandon heads to DC to lobby Congress.
- She’s Coming Home! - Brandon heads back to DC to pickup Mireille!!!
March
March was pretty devoid of posts. After the February that we had, it was a time to unwind. But we did take a ton of pictures! Go figure!!! Mireille attempted to get settled into a new setting, complete with snow (she wasn’t impressed). Quinton continued his domination of the basketball courts (OK, they never won a game, but he liked it), and we took a nice spring break vacation down to the Phoenix area to visit Grandpa and Grandma Grady. Spring went by in a blur, for sure - so many changes. If I haven’t said it before, adjusting to three children continues to be the hardest thing I’ve had to do.
Mireille Gets Settled
A Sign Of Things To Come?
The Boys Take In a Hockey Game
Waiting for Ethan to finish Soccer Practice
Cheese!
Food!
The Grady Brood
Riding Dirty
Mom and Mireille
Quinton Biking in the Snow
Spring Break with Grandma and Grandpa
Spring Break with Grandma and Grandpa
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday
Desert Mountain Hiking with Grandpa
Spring Baseball
Spring Baseball
The Grand Canyon
Nighttime at the Resort
Kids with Grandpa and Grandma
April
With April came Spring! Home from our spring break, it was back to acclimating to life in the United States for Mireille, and acclimating to life with Mireille for the rest of us. Soccer continued, home improvements resumed as we updated our home from its vintage roots. We also made the first of our three driving trips to the midwest, this time to celebrate Jenny’s nephew’s wedding along with her family. Also, a big event in Ethan’s religious career, he is now able to tithe as he is a full on Catholic having been confirmed this month. He celebrated like any good Catholic would - by skipping mass for the next several weeks.