Stella's Birthday

It's Wednesday night on the way to the hospital, Sarah and I going to complete the incredible. Bringing a new life into this world, and oh what a journey for our baby girl...

Starts off with some cramping discomfort and pain, followed by contractions that would hardly refrain. On through the night the medicine is little use, Sarah continues to fight while enduring the bodily abuse. Early in the AM time to check the dilatation, 5 cms! thank goodness a little half-way celebration. Would you like an epidural? The nurse then inquired, THANK GOD YES! is what Sarah required. So in goes the needle about 4 inches long, and goodbye to the pain that was feeling so strong. But wait oh no babies heart beat was slowing, a C-Sections possibility now did begin growing. With the doctors advice we waited to see, if the babies heart and the medication would agree. After some time things went back to normal, and we were on our way to a birth that is formal. After many hours she was coming out her bush, breathing and squeezing 1-2-3 PUSH! Out comes her head we're almost done now, followed by her body all I think is.....wow. Stella Rose is born it's 5:54, 6 pounds 12 ounces its over no more. Sarah her mother and I her father, on September 8th 2011 we couldn't be prouder.

Happy Birthday Stella, you're beautiful

Thank you to everyone, family and friends for all your love and support. We are blessed to have you all in our lives.

Veronica's Birthday

Veronica is now 12. As a special treat, we went to the big city of Montreal and went to the inaugral concert of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at their new home. This as of yet unnamed hall was sold to everyone in Quebec as the perfect place to hear a concert. It is! The construction is much like the Musikverein where (a-hem, a-hem), Claire and I saw a concert. It is a rectangle and there is not a bad seat in the house and is designed for unamplified music. Actually it is a rectange built into a bigger rectangle. I don't know the science. I just know that it works. As you can see, when you are waiting in the outer area, before they open the concert hall doors, you do have a beautiful view of the city skyline -- and a beautiful view of Veronica.










Here is the hall about 20 minutes before the concert began. It was sold out so imagine the place fully packed. Usually, Veronica and I have better seats. But, due to he way the house is set up, we had a great view of the stage, the acoustics were great, and so was the music.














Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kVRBJ0gPRg&feature=fvst



Now, this is the ending of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Music experts, music non-experts and everyone in between will concede that once you see this ending live, you think that you are going to burst. I have had the great fortune over the last 20 years of taking all my family members at one time or another to see Beethoven's 9th. With the exception of 2 of them, everyone has almost leapt off the seat at the conclusion. On Veronica's birthday, when I looked over at her at the conclusion she was fast asleep. The last time that happened was when Claire was a little one. I looked over and Claire was asleep...

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

Tomorrow, Leo Joseph is three months old!

I have struck a city - a real city - and they call it Chicago... I urgently desire never to see it again. It is inhabited by savages. Rudyard Kipling

Well, actually the savages invaded Chicago!

The first day in Chicago meant that we were to be greeted at the airport. When we arrived, Theresa was promply on the phone and told us that she would be right there at curbside to pick us up. There were five us us, and Theresa pulled up in her sedan and confused us by asking if that was all the luggage that we had with us. We said that it was - one bag per person, right? Kathleen assured Theresa that even though it was a sedan, Mag could sit on a lap and off we could go. Theresa looked somewhat chagrined as Al swooped in the standing lane with another sedan. MORE than enough room. Theresa looked a bit embarassed, for at that moment up pulled Colyn in a van! It was looking like each of us would get a private ride to the Flynn residence!

This was just the start of a lot of great generosity coming from the Flynns.

"Oak Park: One Tree -- Many Nuts."

“Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.” - Michelle Held

As the Stock Market was going up 500 here and down 400 there all week, we decided to hit the waves on Lake Michigan near New Buffalo. The New Buffalo area where Paul and Chris Flynn rented a great house right near a great beach, was our Tuesday escape from everything. Paul, Chris, Theresa, Al and Colyn invited us to swim, swim, swim. It was a great day because the sun was beatiful, the water was warm and the waves were wild!

Here a Mag, There a Mag, Everywhere a Mag Mag!

We planted some Mags this year and had a great crop!

Fresh cut grass, dragged dirt, ring of a bat, a diving catch, a blocked ball, sweating, bleeding, diving into home. Not a bad way to spend a day!

So says Veronica. She and her S&S Sanitation Team -- yes, it's coming -- cleaned up this season which is coming to a close.

With Coach Corey King at the helm, the King and his princesses have amassed quite a record. Veronica is now known as "The Fox". Last night, after a tipped hit that landed -- fair --the catcher for the other team picked the ball right up and stood next to home plate. Veronica, undaunted, quietly snuck from third to home plate for the score, a confused catcher waking up only when V's foot was on the bag!

These two movie stars were spotted in Rome during the Beatification Week of Pope John Paul II.