Happy New Year from the Schultes

What a year!  We love you all and wanted to share the Christmas/New Year letter with you all to save some trees this year.  We are so excited for 2013 and all it will bring!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your’s at the end of this blessed year.  2012 was the year of princesses and superheroes in the Schulte household.  It was also the year of travels, football, and keeping up with two growing children. 

Charlotte “Charlie” is almost three (going on 13) and keeps us on our toes with her sass, wit, and charm.  She holds her own against the kids at daycare and her older brother.  She is currently enthralled by anything princess but knows how to get dirty too. 

Tyson is four and has quite the head on his shoulders.  He started preschool at Children’s World Montessori and absolutely loves it, as do we.  He is proving to be quite intuitive and carries a sense of humor all his own.  He has also discovered the art of storytelling, which constantly entertains us, and is often found engrossed in his own imagined game of superheroes. 

I am still working as an office manager at Deer Creek and loving it.  I’ve also discovered the “joy” of shuttling two kids to two different places before 8:30 am plus that wonderful treat of after-school snack!  I was able to take a break when I visited sister Molly in Chicago and was shown the big city, which I loved!  We are hoping to take a family trip there soon. 

Ryan is keeping up with coaching, commanding, and teaching all while being the excellent father and husband he is.  Football was bittersweet this year with the Bengals losing in the playoffs but Notre Dame making the National Championship game.  National Guard keeps him busy as commander of Delta Company based in Butte where he continues to grow as a leader.  He added AP European History to his schedule, which he is enjoying quite a lot – considering he knew very little about it to start off the year!

In addition to our daily lives, we have found time to travel a bit.  Ryan headed down south to Ft. Benning for guard training in February.  In the spring, I went to Spokane with my parents and Molly to watch In the Heights.  Together in June, we went to Rhode Island for the ordination of a dear friend whom we worked with at Legendary Lodge.  It was absolutely breath-taking.  We also got to visit our other “Rhode Island” friends and meet their very newborn baby girl and be entertained by their almost-two-year-old girl.  

Upon our return, we undertook shorter travels to the cabin on Holter Lake and to Tyson’s tee-ball games, which Ryan helped coach.  We have also taken a leap of faith and put our house up for sale (anyone interested??).  

It’s all made for quite an interesting year.  We are constantly reminded of our blessings and humbled by them all.  We hope you find this coming year full of joy and laughter and your own multitude of blessings. 

Love - Ryan, Meghan, Tyson, and Charlie plus Ellie

PS - The pic is from playing dress up at Noni and Papo's house - princesses and superheroes.