Happy Birthday Pretty Patty!

Can you believe this girl is 40? LOL!

That's okay... I will still help you lie about your age anytime you need me too! Age doesn't matter because you will always be young and beautiful to me.

Homecoming Pictures :-)

Happy Birthday Val !

It's a beautiful day so I hope you are out taking advantage of it. Unless of course you are spoiling yourself with a little shopping. We can't wait to celebrate!

In Memory of Grandpa John Sullivan

Growing up in the Heights I had neighbors that lived across the street named the Sullivans. Our families became close friends who would do anything for each other. It is the kind of bond I hope to one day have with my neighbors now. We got to know their extended family and they in turn knew ours. Grandpa Sully didn't live across the street but he was the father of my neighbor Mike. I saw Grandpa Sully quite a bit throughout my life. When we played baseball as kids he came to games, when there were special occasions he was always there and as of the last several years he even joined us for our annual golf outings in Indiana. He was a special guy who was easy to talk to and always had a smile for you. John had a composure about him that would attract people to him to start up conversation. He carried himself very well and was always very kind.

John started a career at 21 that most little boys dream of...
On June 7, 1942 John broke into the big leagues with the Washington Senators as a professional baseball player. He later married, had a daughter and a couple of sons, became a grandpa and finally a great grandpa. He lived a full life and made an impact on many people including myself.

He might be gone...but never forgotten!
Here is a link to his baseball stats...Click Here
Great Chicago Tribune Article on John...Click Here

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Lizzy was asked to Homecoming!

She does not want me to be telling the world like this, but as parents it is our obligation to share such firsts in our childrens life. You know..crawling, walking, first tooth, using the grown up potty and Freshman Homecoming!

Homecoming is next weekend so stay tuned for the pics of her actually going...

In Memory of Gerry T.

Today I lost a friend and co-worker.

Always the first to arrive at work, Gerry usually had some comment as I strolled in to sit in the cube next to him. There are a few of us that get in at 7am and are usually toting coffee and still asleep. Gerry would have just ridden his bike 25 miles and was awake since 5am. He'd say 'Skowronski I beat you in again and I rode today'. Gerry was an enthusiastic cyclist. Not a hugely athletic guy but there is no one that could keep up with him on a bike. He rode to work everyday that it wasn't raining. And since he lived in my town I know how long of a ride it is. And of course he could never take the main roads because they are too crazy so he always was going miles out of his way to stay safely away from traffic. His ride to work was 50 miles round trip yet he always beat everyone into the office.

Gerry was the guy in all colored lycra with the $7000 bike(s) who rode like he was training for the Tour de France. He put in 300-350 miles a week riding with a group of guys that train hard everyday. He usually took Sunday off unless he was doing a casual ride. If you call 50 or so miles on a bike casual?

Well, Sunday was apparently one of his casual rides with his iPod on and riding a route he has ridden a thousand times before. The train tracks he was hit on are in the middle of nowhere. Everyone that knew Gerry is in a state of shock today as we sit at our desks and pretend to work. So many questions run through your head. How could he have not seen the train? Why was he listening to his music so loudly that he couldn't hear the train warning whistle? What kind of impeccable timing for him to come across the tracks in the middle of nowhere in an intersection that probably hadn't seen a car in an hour or so before he rode through it. The why's and how's with be with us for a long time.

Gerry was just out on a casual ride, zoning out, listening to music and travelling down a path he's been down many times before...except this time there was something slightly different and it took a tragic turn.
Gerry leaves behind a wife, child and newborn baby. My heart goes out to them!

I hope they can get on with life knowing their father/husband loved them very much and was a pretty cool guy who was liked by all.
Read the Tribune article...

Read the St. Charles Sun article...