Sharing WIGILIA and Christmas Day with you

The first part of the evening we spent looking at video clips Koy had put together of US all. They were hilarious to watch. Of course if you go to JIB JAB you will see for yourself what could be put together

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We received a Gingerbread House from Stefan's sister, as you can see everybody enjoyed it, by taking a nibble here and there.

Stefan had put together another creation this year. A huge table (8 feet by 8 feet)to accomodate all of us and a Lazy-Susan (4 foot wide) in the middle to make it easier to pass all that food to everybody.

The evening was an enjoyable one with all the children opening gifts and caroling in between. Stefan and I went to midnight Mass, because in the morning Christmas Day we spent with the Ela, Julia, Stevie, Suzia & Koy all day. They had plans to go and visit Koy's mom and stepdad in Upper Michigan the following day. Steve and Karen , Maddie, Stevie & Liy would be spending the day at Karen's family side today.

Happy 3rd Birthday Daniel J. V.

You are a big brother now to Tyler and a lot of help to mom and dad. Happy Birthday and Sto Lat.

A few more days left of 2007

What have YOU still got to do in 2007? Time to think of those last years resolutions? Keep them? Did you break them? Time to make new ones, or re- do the same ones from last New Years Eve.


How are you spending the New Years Eve? With family, friends, alone? Going out, staying in?

Hey let us know. Enjoy the last few days of this year. Make it a good one to remember 2007.

STO LAT Babcia Wladzia

Happy Birthday na te 85 urodziny w srode 26go grudnia. Wyglada Babcia jak tylko 58.

Wesolych Swiat---Merry Christmas

To all of our family and friends, that are near, dear and far from us, as you share this Holiday meal, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Wesolych Swiat.
May the New Year 2008 bring you health, happiness, joy, love, comfort, peace, patience, prosperity and lots of understanding .
Hoping that the memories you make today will last you for a lifetime. There is no better day than today to start where you are now.
Remembering family and friends that are no longer with us, but are still dear to us in our hearts, we say a prayer.
May God keep you in his care today and forever.

Happy Birthday Ashley 12-22-07

Hope that your 8th Birthday Party was a lot of fun. We wish you a very Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas. Sto Lat also.

Miss Ashley is eight..... today.

Happy Birthday to you Ashley. STO LAT to you. Have a terrific day today on Saturday Dec 22, 2007.

How was your bowling party? Did you get a high score?

Happy Holidays!

Well, it's been a busy year for us all! Since school started, it's been one long game of catch-up! So while I've got a moment or two, I thought I'd change the color on the blog to reflect the holiday spirit!

I really thought I'd have a week to catch up on things here before Christmas, since my classes finish a week before the kids let out of school for break. Wow, was I wrong! This week is flying by, and I haven't done half the things I needed to have done by now! For anyone on my list who reads this regularly... my holiday greetings via snail mail will be mailed out tomorrow, so hopefully they reach you by next Monday! I think I'm almost done with my gift shopping - now I've got to get wrapping, so that's on my schedule tomorrow.

Ela had a band concert last night - and she played clarinet very well, probably because she practiced so long these past two months!

Stevie had his class party today and the kids had fun sharing in some holiday games. He had a play date at his friend's house this afternoon, but it seems the holiday party took a little too much "oomph" out of the two of them. We'll try again in a week or so and see if they can have more fun playing out in the snow.

Julia and her Brownie troop are singing at the local retirement center tomorrow afternoon - I should probably get those last three patches onto her vest before then! Looks like another thing to add to my to-do list tomorrow!

Is it really Christmas in FIVE DAYS???!? Surely, there's a mistake on my calendar and a month fell off some where, because I'm not ready for Christmas in five days! Sure, I've been singing along with the carols on WLIT, but that's just because they started playing them... when..? just after Easter this year? Sure seems like it! I love Christmas music so I wouldn't mind it from mid-November to mid-January, but that's me. Of course, I also pull out my Christmas cd's and listen to them in June sometimes, but again... that's just me! Guess that love of singing Christmas carols was bred into me! (Must be all those holiday parties at Mama's house...)

Well, I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to all, before things get too crazy here. I am sure Mama will post some pictures of Wigilia and our celebrations, though I may not have time. I have to download the concert pictures off my camera, so if I get a chance to do that tomorrow (note to self: add that to my list...), I'll try to post a picture or two of Ela playing her clarinet.

Season's Greetings to you all! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Wesolych Swiat!

Hugs and kisses - Suzia

Seeing the Christmas Lights Sat Dec 8, 2007

We,... me & Stefan and Suzia, Ela, Julia & Stevie drove to Bolingbrook to see the light show on the Christmas Tree in the mall. The lights were in sinc with the songs from the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas songs. WOW. The effect of the strobe LED lights was fantastic to see. It was a quick show, that was good, because it was very cold outside, and yes this was outside. They had an outdoor firepit, where people warmed up their hands. They are sitting on a Hippo decorated for the holidays. Also hot chocolate was served in the van afterwards. On the way home we stopped in neighbborhoods to see how people decorated their houses. We arrived back home around 10PM.

Stas, Kwiatek, STO LAT 12-20-07

Happy Birthday to you. May you have a happy, healthy and fun day on your Birthday. STO LAT.

Happy Birthday Maegan Dec 20, 2007

Hoping that your birthday weather is warmer than it was last week. No snow today, just sunshine in Detroit area. Sto Lat to you, from Ciocia & Wujek.

Congratulations & Welcome Madalynn

We welcome you on December 8, 2007, to OUR world, Miss Madalynn. You are a beautiful little lady. Mama & Daddy are very proud, but not as proud as Babcia Basia & Dziadzia Maciek. Sto Lat to you!!

Playing in the SNOW

Well the cold could not keep us out of the snow, at least for a few minutes. Maddie and Stevie just had to experience the snow from the storm that was here this weekend . Today's cold wind made it only possible to be outside for a few minutes. Lily enjoyed her afternoon nap, while we went were outside.

How is your weather today?

Just in case you wanted to know

Steve is back from Rhose Island. He returned Tuesday evening before the weather turned for the worse on the East coast. Not that we had such a couple of good days lately, but he made it home just in time to go play on his League Pool with Karen holding up the fort there.

Last Finals for this semester

Suzia is having her last finals for THIS semester. My,... how quickly a half of year passed by, and she is done with one semester already. She had one Finals on Tuesday evening and another one tonight. Hoping for good results on her finals. Good Luck my Suzia.

Trying our hand at COOKIES

Okay they are not the best looking or eating cookies, but they sure were fun to make. Maddie, Stevie and Karen made cookies with me. Lily took her nap. The attention span is not very long, so we did not make a lot of cookies. But we did have fun while it lasted.

Sledding Fun

Making crafts of Snowmen and snowflakes was fun, but we couldn't wait to go sledding


















While Ela, Julia & Stevie were spending the day with Babcia & Dziadzia, we decided to go to the sled hill. (P.S. Suzia was studying for her finals, and Koy was helping his friend, Phil).

After the ice storm from last night, the hill was really fast. By the time we got to the hill, most of the kids made it real slick to ride on, and a lot of fun.






What a fun time we had, sliding down the hill on the long sled and the disc slider. We did have a few run -ins with other sledders, but hey, that is part of the fun on these snow hills. On one of the last runs, the kids ran into a pinetree branch. Steve was in the front on the long sled and the branch got his head. He is fine, just a little scratch on his cheek.

Steve is in Rhode Island

Steve flew out to Rhode Island for a few days on business from work. He left on Sunday morning and will be back Tuesday late in the evening. I hope he gets to enjoy some of the sights in Rhode Island.

Celebrating Julia's Birthday Dec 7, 2007

Julia's 8th Birthday celebration on Friday evening was a lot of fun. We had Tacos, Quesadillas, Rosul, fresh buns and of course we had CAKE. Julia blew out the candles and then went head first into the cake. She not only ate her cake she wore it too.
Wujek Steve came with Maddie, Stevie & Lily, Karen came after work. Babcia Hela was also there as was Ciocia Kasia (Julia's Godmother) and her boyfriend Steve. Dziadzia & Babcia were present as usual on the REAL birthDAY. Julia opened all her cards and gifts and was happy as a clam to have received them all , and the Birthday phonecalls.

Opening cards, this one is from Ciocia Diane & Wujek Bruno.
Dziadzia helping Ela read Julia's card, which Babcia wrote in Polish.
Steve, Karen, Maddie, Stevie & Lily.

Dziadzia with his youngest grandchild, Lily. She just turned ONE on Tuesday.
Julia blowing out her candles.
Julia getting a real close look at her cake.
What the end result of looking toooooo close will do to your face.
Julia and her Godmother, Kasia.
PEE YUUU Look behind us, Wujek is changing Lily's diaper.
Pra-Babcia Hela and 6 of her 9 great-grandchildren.
Julia opening some of her gifts.
My favorite # 2 wnucia, JULIA, STO LAT to you.
Mama, Julia and Daddy on Julia's 8th Birthday.

Sto Lat Sto Lat JULIA Dec 7, 2007

The day Julia was born (P.S. my camera was wrong on the date, I just learned how to set it after then)

A very Happy Birthday to our Julia on her 8th Birthday. She has a wonderful day ahead of her today. First of course will be to go to school for the day. Then after school we will be having a Birthday Celebration at her home with her family and Babcia , Dziadzia , Uncles Aunts Cousins and PraBabcia's.

Happy Birthday Dear Julia, We love you, lots and lots of BUZI BUZI from us all.

Yes she was born on Pearl Harbor Day. Yes we did mention that to her. I remember when she came to her first Christmas Party at Babcia's when she was only 4 days old.

Since then she has enjoyed coming to these parties more and more, now that she is OLDER.

Do you think we have had enough of parties with this family?

NEVER enough.

Lily's pre- Birthday Party Dec 3, 2007

Lily already had her share of chocolate chip cookies, as you see.

Mom PLEASE I already had one bite.
Okay I will try one more nibble.
No, not my kind of cake, here YOU eat it, mom.

Lily enjoys her touch of BLING, her Gold coat.

We all had some time together to have cake and coffee/pop to celebrate our Lily's first Birthday. Of course her presents were opened with help from her siblings and her cousins.

You know you can never have enough of a good thing, so we celebrate often, every day that we could.

STO LAT LILY.