Mrs. Anne S. in Addison 8-31-08

Have a wonderful Birthday today. How was your vacation? See you soon.

8-31-08 Mrs. Jill

Happy Birthday to you in Wisconsin, Mrs. Jill. How are you doing? Sto Lat.

More time to work on Cottage up North

This coming friday Suzia, Koy and Stefan will be leaving to go up North to Upper Michigan again. They will be finishing up the siding on their Cottage. Ela, Julia and Stevie will be staying with me, Babcia for 4 days. I plan on having some fun in this last long weekend before they have to be in school all week long. I hope that the weather will be warm/hot. We have a lot to do outside for fun. Steve, Karen,Maddie,Lily and little Stefciu will be joining in some of the fun also.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend you all.

Happy 2nd Birthday Michael J. M 8-29-08

Happy Birthday to you. Sto Lat in Colorado.

Happy 4th Anniversary Janine & Jan 8-28-08

Sto Lat to you both, Happy Anniversary and have a fun celebration in Colorado.

8-28-08 Mr. Mike in Wisconsin

Hey Congratulations on turning the age where you can get your drivers license. STO LAT on your Birthday today. Have a great day, and Good Luck on your test in a few days.

7 years and counting Karen....

She started working at Loyola, in 2001 on this day.
Seems like you have a great track record. Keep up the good work. I know you enjoy being a nurse in that department. Congratulations.

BACK TO SCHOOL 8-27-08

Ela, Julia and Stevie will be going to school for the whole day on Wednesday. Ela will be starting the 6th grade and Julia will be in the 3rd grade and Stevie will be all day in Kindergarden. This will give Suzia a few more hours during the day to study for her classes that she will be attending on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
Back to school for all the kids, So be careful driving this week. Kids and parents have to get back to a routine of going and coming to school. Drive Safe, Look both ways.

NO BONE BIOPSY NEEDED 8-26-08

Stefan's appointment today was a good one. His lab work showed that he did not need to have a bone biopsy done. The next scheduled date of a check-up will be at the begining of March. Till then Dr. Olga said, "Keep up the good work". His platelets are at 129. Normal would be 140 and up. So he is working toward that goal, slowly but surely. He is tired a lot, yes, but that is because he DOES so much having fun. That trip across the southern US was a trip and a half. He made over 4200 miles with his buddies on the motorcycle trip. But such is life he had a ton of fun while doing it. Of course he does not do those kind of things every weekend. Till next time , TAKE CARE of yourselves and enjoy life.

Mr. Michael J. P. in Arizona Happy Birthday

A very Happy Birthday to our nephew in Arizona, Michael. Sto Lat to you. Have a great day celebrating your Birthday on Tuesday 8-26-08.

Suzia meets Koy 8-24

This is the day in 1991, that there was a Cornfest Celebration at Northern Illinois and that is where she met Koy, her husband for all these years. Congratulations on another year together. Love you guys.

Sunday Air & Water Show 2008

We left the car at the "L" station on Cumberland, took the bus the rest of the way to Navy Pier. We went on a cruise sailboat, that was rented for this occasion from Diane's work place ALP. The tall ship was called WINDY. It was 2 1/2 hour cruise, towards the Water Show. Great skyline view of Chicago. We did not get to close to the lakeshore, but we did have a nice view of the Air show. It also included a box lunch and drinks. The weather was just perfect for this show.
After the cruise docked, we went towards Oak Street Beach to view the rest of the Air show from the beach. Then we walked towards where we would meet up with Suzia and her kids. She went to the Chicago Cultural Center. (This used to be the Old Chicago Public Library downtown, for us old folks). They were doing a re-dedication of the Tiffany Glass dome inside. It took over 6 months to clean and repair it. It is the largest Tiffany dome in the world. It looked beautiful, pictures to follow soon will provide proof.

After this event finished, we walked around the displays that were there, like the Marilyn Monroe pictures.

We got home just in time to have a BBQ for Ted & Nancy and boys from Madison, Wisc.
Diane and Bruno, as well as all my kids and grandkids came over to visit with them. Ted had picked up Babcia Hela and then Bo joined us in the evening.
Bo has been joining some race boats the last few weeks. So he has been keeping busy with sailing.
P.S. Koy did not come as he was up north working on their house, putting up siding. The house is coming along just fine.

Just a quick NOTE of as of 8-22-08

Sorry I have not published any pictures of our recent trips nor any of Stefans Motorcycle trip. I am having the problem looked into to be fixed. I can only post pictures that I already have on my computer and not download any more from my camera. Till then I cannot put any pictures on, but I will update the posts and let you know when.

P.S. How about you, what did YOU do this summer ???Don't know how to post, email me or Suzia for info again.
I know some of you have gone on cruises, boat trips, to the beaches, parks, visiting family in other states, waterparks, hotel stays, zoos, museums, plays, picnics,bike riding, strawberry picking, blueberry picking, concerts, sand dunes, gone to Disneyland, or was that Disneyworld, gone to Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, NewYork, Rhode Island, Indiana, Missouri.......Okay Okay you get the picture. WHERE did you go???

8-22-47 to 8-22-08 STO LAT

Happy Anniversary to Pani Stella & Pan Mieciu in WoodDale on their 61st Anniversary.

Happy 36th year together 8-20-08

Halina and Andy Sto Lat and Happy Anniversary to you 2.

Guess who is having an ANNIVERSARY today?

Happy Anniversary to you two, on August, 20, 2008. you know who you are, I will reveal their names on the 21st.
Till then STO LAT to you 2, I will call you today with wishes for a very Happy Day for you both.
Till then how many years is it?

Renee P. in Homer Glen, Happy Birthday 8-17-08

Happy Birthday to you, and Sto Lat.

Pictured are Katie and Renee

Marcin 8-15-08 STO LAT

Happy Birthday to you Marcin. Sto Lat, how is the family??

He has returned......

Stefan is back from his trip out West. He has a few pictures which I will ty to download. (My computer is full and I am trying to free up some space for now.)
He is fine and all parts of him work fine. A little sunburned or rather windburned on the face and hands. No major problems to complain about and nothing really spectactular also. They made it thru Nevada, Colorado,Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. I am trying to remember my geography, not easy at this time of the night either.
The last thing that they did see was Graceland. Elvis's place in Memphis, Tenn.
The Harley is washed and ready for the next trip, if he wants to go anywhere. I think for awhile he will not be going anywhere, his butt got plenty of exercise on this trip.

Belated Congratulations to Jadzia & Marek

They are the grandparents of their newest grandson, Cory Jakob. He is the son of Eva & Mike C. He was born on July 3, 2008, and came in at 9lb. 8oz. and 22 inches.

STO LAT TO YOU CORY and Welcome to our world.
Congratulations to Jadzia and Marek, that makes your total of grandchildren 3 now.

P.S. will post picture soon.

Happy Birthday Ms. Nancy in Wisconsin

Have a terrific Birthday today, 8-13-08,.... Sto Lat to you as well.

Elizabeth Mary F., Happy Birthday to you 8-13-08

Sto Lat to you. Happy 31st Birthday to you. How is living in Chicago for you??

Happy Birthday Fireman Matt 8-12-08

Sto Lat to you. Hope that your day is not all work at the firehouse. Happy Birthday to you Matt in Lockport.

Sto Lat Krzysiu 8-11-08

Happy Birthday 8-11-08. Wszytkiego najlepszego dzisiaj na twoje urodziny.

Basia E. in West Chicago, Sto Lat

Happy Birthday to you. Hope that you enjoy your cruise this year with your sister. Sto Lat on 8-10-08.

Thank Goodness Janette is fine

We heard that Janette had a car accident down in Florida. I understand that it was a hit and run, but knowing Janette she chased the guy down and got his plate number.(she did).
She is fine with a minor case of whiplash. Payton was in the car with her and she is fine also. Will get more details soon. Stef and Karen and kids while in Florida went to have dinner with her and got the details.

They return from Florida 8-9-08

I picked up Stef, Karen, Maddie, Stevie and Lily this morning. Stevie now tells everybody that he is three today, cause it is his birthday also. They are all very tired from the long day today. They got up at 4AM to be at the airport for their flight back home. Karen's parents get back this afternoon around 4PM also.
I am glad that they had a wonderful time, from what I heard from them today. I will get more information tomorrow at the Birthday celebration I am hosting for little Stevie on his 3rd and for Suzia's 35th Party on Sunday.

Motorcycle Trip --News on Saturday 8-9-08

The 3 remaining guys are headed for Amarillo, Texas by Saturday evening.
Now we all know that Halina is/was very helpful to the 6 and now 3 guys all the way in finding lodging for them.

She would talk to Andy or Stefan and find out where they were and how many miles they had traveled that day. So by evening where they would like to be stopping and then Halina would get accomodations for them in that town. She has done a wonderful job on that account. But for tonight she outdid herself. She has managed to talk to the desk clerk at The Days Inn in Amarillo and she found out that he was from Arlington Heights area. So when she got to talking she mentioned to him that "the guys" are out on a birthday celebration motorcycle run. So this guy has something special up his sleeve and orders/gets a Limo for tonights dinner to The Big Texan Steak Ranch on old Route 66. (look it up on the internet) The restaurant has these "Cowboy Cadillacs" as they call them and it picks up guests from their motels, gets them there and back. This place is famous for this, if you can finish the 72oz steak in one hour , you got it for FREE.
As of today they are on the road for a whole week already. I understand from Stefan and Andy that they are ready to come home. I am sure their BUTTS are very tired by now, and that they miss the good home cooking that we do for them.
This was a great opportunity for them to do some bonding together as friends.

Happy 3rd Birthday Stefan J. M. Aug 9-08

Happy 3rd Birthday Stefan J. M. our 2nd grandson. STO LAT. Hope that your trip to Disney was a lot of fun for you. See you at the party. Love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

Motorcycle Trip days 3-4-5-6-7

As far as I got info from them they are having a great time. The temperatures are up and down, depending where they are at the time. They have gone thru temps of 111 degrees to a low of 30's in the mountains at night.

From Dillon, Colorado they went West towards Grand Junction. They crossed over to Moab, Utah. Went south to Cortez, Colorado again. Stopped at the Four Corners site. I know they stopped at Sante Fe, New Mexico at a Amphitheater and in Durango the Harley Store there. They have made over 2,300 miles as of Thursday evening.

I called on Friday morning to talk to Danek for his Birthday and they all sounded very good.
They are still in New Mexico, Las Vegas. From there I have no idea where they will be heading. Will try to keep you posted. I have no pictures to post from their trip, because they did not email any to me from anywhere. Will post when they come home.
Got a phone call, the 6 guys are now only 3. John and son Darek and Andy G. have parted to return back home. They only had one week of vacation. Continuing on the road will be Stefan, Danek and Andy B.

Amish Acres-- Quilt Gardens--Waterpark

We stopped at the Amish Acres in Nappannee Indiana, got to see life on the farm as Amish people do it. The food is delicious and plentiful in their restaurants. Ela, Julia & Stevie were amazed at the way life was and still is for many people. We got to see a short film explaining some of the ways of the Amish. Got to see plenty of horse and buggies on the roads also. We stopped at local museums and places of interest also.

The Gardens are planted as to resemble a quilt. There were about 8 different ones planted all over town. The ones in this Landscape Garden Store were the prettiest, I think.

The waterpark called DeepRiver is a great fun place to visit for the whole day. For me, I think this place is closer than going to Great America for their waterpark. Also it is a lot cheaper and it is near Valparaiso Indiana.

On our drive home we drove thru Griffin Indiana, this was after that storm/tornado that hit that town. WOW, what a mess to be able to see it in person. There were trees that must have been over 100 years and they were pulled out of the ground with their roots still connected. There were also trees that hit homes and garages and across cars. Branches were all over the roads. Places were still without power and phone service on Thursday.

STO LAT DANEK 8-8-08

Sto Lat, Happy Birthday. Hope that your trip with the "Motorcycle Gang" is going well.

Steve Karen and family in Florida

Talked to Stef today, he said they are also having fun. Today they went to Animal Kingdon, yesterday they went to Sea World. They are planning to go visit Janette's for dinner on Wednesday. His voice sounded hoarse, maybe from singing along with Mickey Mouse.???
That is all from him up to now.

Birthday in the Hotel Room

Good Morning Suzia, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
You ask what did we do special for her birthday ????
Well let me show you SOME of it.....
OOOPS computer in hotel is not loading fast. Will post pictures when I get home. For now you just have to take my word for it that we had a lot of FUN.

Motorcycle trip day 3

Talked to Stefan last night (Monday).
They rode high in the mountains, starting at Denver to Estes Park then to the East side of the Rocky Mountain National park.

They paid $10 to drive on a Sky Road that took them up to over 13,000 feet in elevation. Then they went to Grand Lake, to Granby, to Winter Park and to Interstate 70, where they took the Eisenhower tunnel through the mountains. They ended up in the Dillon-Frisco area, where they stayed the night.

The temperature was in the upper 30s to lower 40s at the higher elevations, so they were all decked out in their leather jackets.

The elevation in Dillon is about 7,500 feet, so they went through quite some elevation changes over the day.

Today (Tuesday) they must have been pretty tired at the end of the day, because we didn't get a call with details of where they drove today. When we get details, we'll let you know. So we're a day behind on their itinerary, but we were busy today too. (See other post.)

STO LAT SUZIA Aug 5, 2008

My Suzia is having a BIG Birthday today. She will be turning 35 today.
The temperatures were predicted to be in the 90's this week. So on our vacation we will end up in a waterpark on her birthday. We are planning to go to the Deep River Park in Indiana. Heard of it?
STO LAT STO LAT SUZIA. Happy Birthday to you. Love you lots.

Happy Anniversary to you B & P

Basia & Pete are celebrating their Anniversary today. STO LAT. We will celebrate when you and I/us return from our vacations. Till then Happy Anniversary to you Basia & Pete.

Fun in Indiana

Well, lots of stuff to see here in Indiana.

We took our time driving out to Elkhart - we stopped to see a Wildlife Sanctuary along the way. At church, where we sit is called the 'sanctuary' so about halfway through our hike, Stevie asks, "Where's the church we're going to see?" Little bit of vocabulary mix-up there!

We also stopped and spent a while at one of the Indiana county flea markets where we all found a few trinkets to buy, including a Russian reading primer (like the Polish Elementarz but in Russian). And Stevie even got free stuff - must be his cute smile!

We checked into the hotel and went swimming in the pool for a few hours, so the kids could burn off their excess energy before we went out for dinner and dessert (shakes at Steak'n'Shake).

Now, we're watching a movie in the room and winding down for the night.

More tomorrow, hopefully with some pictures!

Motorcycle Trip Day 2

Well, today the gang made it all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska to Denver, Colorado.
Upon nearing Denver, the temp dropped 15 degrees - all the way down to 85, and they had a little bit of drizzling rain.

They're enjoying themselves. Maybe tonight Stefan or Andy will email some pictures, and if they do, we'll be sure to post them here.

Until we hear more, that's it for now!

Mad Dash Sunday Morning 8-03-08

Well it is early Sunday morning and we are packing my van for our trip to Indiana. We (Me, Suzia, Ela, Julia and Stevie) decided to go there and be able to stop at Lake Michigan Dunes and some waterparks we found on line. One is called Deep River Water Park. Being what it may be that the weather for the next few days will be very HOT. We also plan on visiting some of those Amish Places near Elkhart Indiana. Springfield can wait till next time.

P.S. Just a quick note, Stef and Karen and family arrived safely in Florida late late last night, or should I say early early this morning.

Till next posting, take care and have fun today.

Dinner Saturday night for KSMSL 8-02-08

Steve, Karen, Maddie, Stevie and Lily came for dinner before they flew off to Florida. Daddy was pretty nervous on his first big plane trip with the 3 kids, 2 strollers, 2 car seats, and luggage of course. Some of their luggage was already taken by Karen's mom earlier this morning.
I dropped them off at the airport and I think it took 10 minutes to unload all that for them. Now it is 7PM and I presume they are leaving the airport on time and taking to the skies. They should arrive in Florida around 9:30Pm our time, and then by the time they get their car rental and the luggage, they should get to the Condo by Midnight. But that is what you have to do to get to your destination, RIGHT????

Motorcycle Update # 1 Sat 8-02-08 PM

Stefan called and said they are just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. That makes it almost 600 miles they made today. When he called from around Des Moines, Iowa he said they went thru a cold snap and they had to stop and put on their jackets. Now around Lincoln he said that the temps hit 111, yes one hundred and eleven degrees. You know they are dressed in their riding stuff and they were HOT to say the least. (Helmets, long sleeves, and long pants and boots. They are stopped for the night at a Comfort Inn to relax for the night and get going bright and early again on Sunday morning, before the HEAT comes again.
Will try to keep you updated when I am near a computer myself. For now, enjoy your weekend, and love the one your with.

Pirates Cove July 14,2008

Lily getting her turn on the Choo Choo Train.
Karen and Maddie in the Pirate Ship.
Who is having more fun coming down on the slides, mom or Maddie & Stevie???

Watching the Magic Show on stage.
Bumper Boats, hand-powered by Maddie.
Hi there .
Lily just wishing she was old enough to go on the Bumper water boats.

The whole family got on the train ride.

Caught a bit of shade around the climbing walls.

ANNNNDD THEY'RE OFFFFFF! Aug 2, 2008

Yes the TRIP has started. Early this morning at 4:30 AM Stefan has left for his journey. Everything was packed tightly and rolled up neatly in all the compartments. The Harley was polished and shining (unlike when it will get home full of bugs in 14 days). It was still dark when he left. I wanted to go to see them off, but Stefan asked me not to; but Halina went and took some pictures of the 6 of them. I will post that picture when I receive it from her. Went back to bed, but could not fall asleep. So I did some work on the computer.

My neighbors, Basia & Pete also left this morning on their trip to North Carolina. Seems the whole block of people have left this week to go somewhere . My neighbors to the other side also left to go to Branson , Missouri this morning.


Around 3pm, Stef , Karen and kids will come here for me to drive them to the airport, for their vacation to Florida to see Disneyland.


Then I have to finish packing for my little vacation with Suzia and her kids. I will spend the night at Suzia's house so we could leave early in the monring for our trip. We will be gone for 4 days. Good thing Koy will be home to keep an eye on all the houses!