Here we are another year is almost gone,
with Christmas just around the corner.
Seems I just got done writing last years letter.
So much has happened in the last year and
it all went by so swiftly and yet
at times it seemed in slow motion.
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge pictures
and turn up the volume.
First of all I would like to mention three people
who where very dear to us that passed away in 2009.
Barbara's Uncle Robert A. Pape
17 Apr 1921 - 25 Jan 2009
Sherry's Father
Nicholas and Ambrose's Grandfather
Lawrence A. Niemeyer
21 Dec 1936 - 29 Jan 2009
Brandon's Mother in law
Giavanna' Grandmother
Lynne Saunders Schibbelhute
04 Aug 1954 - 30 Sep 2009
All three will be missed by all who knew them,
and especially the grand kids who loved them so dearly.
From our Home to your Home we wish you all a
Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Christmas 2008
Barb's chocolate cherry Mice.
Grandpa's refreshment counter.
Our Charlie Brown tree.
The basement rec/exercise room
Jesus is the Reason for the Season.
Sami with her crown
Barb with her crown
Tony looks very happy
Even Rod wore his head piece
Maria all snug and comfy
Ryan wanting to open presents
Sitting and enjoying the company - don't spill the drink Sami
Evie waiting for Santa's helper to bring her a gift.
Wisconsin January birthday dinner
Tony had to work, you know college is expensive.
A good place to enjoy good seafood.
A great night with family
A super fudge or double fudge treat for the birthdays
Sami found the flatware magnetized.
They use a big magnet to prevent
silverware from going into the disposal.
In March a visit with Giavanna
Making music with the pans was lots of fun
And Grandma's slipper fit just right.
A book and I love this window seat.
Lots of fun reading on the chair.
A friendly woodpecker eating from the feeder.
And a chance to visit my very good friend Rich Ringer
I would have called him my old friend but he isn't old yet.
The Tequila tasted especially good - like OLD times.
Like Love, spring is the time of freshness, with it's beauty
Tulips so red
And Pink
And Yellow
Yes Spring has sprung
Daffodils so bright and inspiring
And then there was the cleaning and
repairing of the Mequon Property.
Two dumpsters this size was removed.
The master bath, see below finished project
The 1/2 Bath with the sub floor gone from water leaks
see below for finished project
Dumpster fodder.
More dumpster fodder
And yet some more -
Thanks to John and Rod, and Tony
for helping carry this out.
New flooring?
Now how should we do this?
Well watch those windows it hurt.
Sami & Lukas at the lake Virmond Park
The Crew that spent the night from Six Flags
If you look very close you can see Sami and Lukas on the beach.
OK here is part of the Flooring crew
John, Eve, Rod
And the fourth Tony
What a wonderful crew.
Eve is an excellent floor specialist
Rod & Tony eating some of the Stew Gramps made for lunch.
The kitchen completed
The dinning area done
The living room done
The family room done, it really did turn out fantastic.
Thanks to the wonderful help that was given to me.
The master bath new tub and tile.
The 1/2 bath and Laundry room
new stool and tile
Maria kept Gramps supplied with lots of fruit and veggies
Maria remembering the beach and Virmond park
Maria and Sami on the beach
OK Bella as Mom calls you.
Maria had to draw the palm tree
as they would never grow near this beach.
Angie, Gramps, Maria and Eve
Angie and Maria at the top of the cliff
Angie, Eve, Ryan and Gramps
And Gramps is NOT going to climb down to the beach.
Angie remembers roller skating to the park and
going down to the beach with her skates on
Maria and Ryan - one on one.
Of course Motor Cross
on the Mequon property give you lots of room
Eve the Chef is about to serve Cousin Tony
A little Before look on the outside.
And a little of the After look with
a Bright Yellow Sun Shiny look.
It certainly brightened up the entire house.
Joe and his driver delivered a load of hay from
http://stefanhay.com/ in New York.
And I was Blessed with a visit from Cousin Joe Stefan
from the New York Clan - What a Wonderful surprise.
And there were trips to Woodridge and a trip to Iowa to join in the retirees luncheon.
Eve proudly displays her
Academic Excellence award for straight "A's"
Ryan moving on up in Scouting
A cold July swim meet for the Sea Lions
The cold don't seem to bother Rybo...
Well maybe it is a little cold...
Eve was keeping warm on this July swim meet.
Ryan doing a relay swim
Even with the Cold the smile is always there,
You Go Girl.
50th Wedding anniversary
A Most wonderful dinner at the Vintage resturant
and a Night at the Hawthrone with a Jacuzzi
Thank you wonderful children
Halloween at the Dygdon's
Ryan counting out his "Take"
Eve coning Ryan out of all his Peanut butter cups.
Gramps and Gary Snook in Iowa
Karen Snook and Barb in Iowa
Retirees Waterloo Sears
Retirees Waterloo Sears
Retirees Waterloo Sears - Oh my do I look that old?
Fishing in Woodridge - Eve - John - Ryan
Look I caught one, actually they kept Gramps busy just taking fish off the hooks.
Great fishing for some great fishermen
The Three Grand Daughters.
Alexandra, Samantha, and Evalina
And we add Brandon and Ryan
Miniature golf at Fondy Sports Center
In addition to his Music, Soccer, Scout and Church
Nicholas joined the Civil Air Patrol a division of the U.S. Air Force.
Nicholas playing soccer in the snow
Nicholas and Ambrose in service to their faith.
Ambrose growing all the time.
We did not get to Kansas in 2009 but hope to
visit with Steve and Sherry and family this January.
A California Trip on Gramps Birthday.
Marie Stefan Kidd met for Breakfast in Denver
What a pleasant visit we had.
Up and Down and every thing Brown
even the "Evergreens are brown" how sad!
To my surprise the roads were a lot steeper in Utah
We did not stop but yes we did go through Vegas.
The Hoover Dam bypass bridge under construction
When completed all of the cables will be removed.
Brandon and Gramps at the Hoover Dam
In the middle of the Mojave Desert
California has everything even a Shoe tree
This Princess really loves to read books.
At Gramps' birthday party singing happy birthday
Of course every birthday there has to be Ice Cream.
Brandon and Princess Giavanna
Look Gramps I can drink straight from the bottle
Reading a book - her favorite thing to do.
0
Eating at the Carrousel restaurant in Twenty-nine-Palms
Checking her blood pressure, she loves opening gifts.
Brandon and Giavanna at home.
Corrie working on his computer, he is stationed at the Marine Base
in Twenty Nine Palms, California.
A welcome back to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Samantha - Tony
A bench in front of Sami's Dorm
Barb, Angie, Ryan, Eve, Sami and Lukas.
In the pool at the Motel
Eve jumping off Lukas' back
Ryan standing on Lukas' back
Ryan getting a flip from Lukas
Maria and Angie enjoying the Hot Tub
Angie, Ryan and Eve checking in for their flight back to Chicago
There they are off to the runway,
we drove from Wausau back to
Stevens Point and they were back
in Chicago before we were back in Stevens Point.
A few old pictures converted to digital.
This was the view out of the
airplane window back then - No jets yet.
Maria, Christian, and Steven 1965
Maria and Steven 1965
Steven with Pa's boots on 1963
Steven and Barb 1962
Steven and Wayne at St Michaels Hospital 1962
Steve had inhaled an eye from a
stuffed animal and it caught in his throat
Giving Steve a "butch" cut
Wayne and Maria - look I can fly
Barb and Maria sitting in the Ole Rocker
My next project to restore.
Steven helping Nanna decorate the Tree at Mequon.
Well if you want to know where Angela learned
how to make pretty and unique birthday cakes -
wonder no more her Mom started her out a long time ago.
Each of the dolls in the back ground were dressed with frosting.
Steve with a very special cake of the Camp Ground
Here is Maria, Steven, Angela,
Grampa Jack and Nanna Tess
with Christian standing back on the porch
And here is Christian, Wayne, Bandi the dog,
Steven, Angela, Barbara, and Maria.
Phil and Vivian Damico,
with Angela on Phil's lap,
and Grandma Tess
Phil was Angie's Godfather
Sponsors Phil Damico and Mary Ellen Brzezinski
hold Angela as the priest Baptizes her.
And now a little restoring of the past.
Two old chairs from days gone by
and I am in the process of doing a very old child's rocker
with another rocker still at the Mequon property to be done.
As we enjoy this winter wonderland
with the snow piled high and sparkling like Diamonds
A perfect Christmas season is upon us
The Deer Frolic in the back yard AS:
The Princess leads us in Song
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Love Wayne and Barbara