Mason Dancing

Mason has been taking dancing classes the past few weeks. The classes are for 7th graders only and focus on the classic dance steps, waltz, mambo, tango, etc. While she doesn't want me to, I'm planning on attending the final class in a couple of weeks. I'll take some pictures and post them - hope you'll come back to see them.

Meanwhile, Mason and I scanned and uploaded more photos from our past this evening. Feel free to take a look.



~ Max

Remembering Jenny

Well, the scanning project continues. I finally found the album that contained the pictures of our wedding. They bring back a lot of really great memories. At this pace, I'll be finished with the major event photos in about 3 months. Just click the picture to see what else I've managed to get uploaded to flickr.



~ Max

Done For The Night

I've scanned a bunch of photos and film - not so easy, pretty tedious actually. I'm living an exciting Saturday night - party across the street, invited but didn't feel like going. Instead, I'm going to pour a glass of something to drink and head to bed, look at photos on Flickr and try to get some sleep (I don't do that very well these days, but gotta keep trying, right?)

Besides the many photos of Jenny (oh how I miss her), I captured this one - Mason is so pretty.



Good night.

~ Max

I Really Miss Her Smile

Well, we put the xmas money to use (thanks Mom) and finally purchased a scanner. It's going to take the rest of the winter to scan and label all of these photos we have around here (but who cares, if the weather stays like this).


This is the first photo I scanned - it's probably my favorite picture of Jenny. We had just started dating. I'll be posting most of them on Flickr - but I won't be making all of them available to the public, so to see all of them, you'll need to get a Flickr account and I will lable you as "Friends and Family".

~ Max

A Lighter Topic

Daisy and I went for a walk today in the Forest Preserve. It hasn't been any warmer than 15 degrees in the past week - that was today. The lowest it got was zero, with windchill it was minus 25 (how does that work exactly? something to do with evaporation I think). Tomorrow is Saturday, so we'll take a long walk in the morning - it's snowing right now, so the forest should be pristine when we're out there. I'll try to take some new photos, it's serene.


~ Max & Mason

Another Milestone

On January 23, 1943, Jenny's parents were married. Yep, that's right 65 years ago, Robert and Viola VanVuren made a commitment to spend the rest of their lives together. Here they are, still together - he's 90 and she's 83, still happily married.

Mason and I went over to their place for dinner this evening. Viola cooked of course (too snowy to go anywhere, and she likes cooking!). We had a very yummy mid western meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans and fruit salad. For dessert we had brownies and a delicious cheese cake - all made by Vi.

Jenny would have loved to be here to share this day with them. I remember, shortly after Jenny and I were married, we (Jenny mainly) organized a surprise 50th party for them back in their hometown of Fulton, IL. Jenny contacted and gathered about 100 of their friends and family and we rented a banquet room at the Ramada Inn. You should have seen the looks on Bob and Vi's faces when they saw the marquee of the hotel - "Happy 50th Anniversary, Robert and Viola". They had no idea, it was quite a surprise.

~ Max & Mason

90 Years Old Today

Bob, Jenny's dad, celebrated his 90th birthday today. As amazing as that is, I'd lay odds that he makes it to 100 (and probably longer). We ate dinner and talked. Without question, he wished for three things when he blew out the candles (although, he couldn't tell us, because then they don't come true, right?) 1. To have Jenny sitting there with us. 2. For his son Rob to fully recover and get healthy. 3. For the Cubs to win the World Series. I know we can't have number 1 (although, I wish for this everyday - and would trade places if I could), but I sure hope he gets the other two.

We didn't do anything too exciting, that's not Bob's style. Mason and I took Bob and Viola to dinner at Francesca's Fiore in Forest Park - a little more upscale than Grandma Sally's or Blueberry Hill (their normal haunts). I've posted pictures of the grand event on flickr.

Today is also Jenny's half-birthday. It's still painful to do things like this without having her here with us. I often wish that I could trade places with her, she should be spending these special times with her mom and dad - we all miss her so much.

~ Max

Phew, Holidays Over!

Mason had a successful first week being back at school. With 17 consecutive days off, it's hard to think of things to do and still be productive. Then, once it's over, it's hard to get back into the groove. Luckily, I have Jenny's dad calling me at 6:30 every morning to make sure that I'm up. Three out of five days, I went back under the covers, but we managed to make it to school on time - today was easiest, because I didn't have to make a lunch, the kids get "Fun Lunch" on Fridays - believe me, it's worth every penny!

I posted some pictures of our Christmas and a few others since our last post (none from Thanksgiving, because I forgot the camera, but we had a great meal with Bob and Vi). We are doing our best to keep with the traditions that Jenny and our friends (Susan & Chris, Bill & Elizabeth) established way before I entered the picture over 18 years ago. We spent Christmas Eve with our great friends the Elsey's (and their four beautiful and fun children) and the McNeill's (and their two very funny and beautiful kids). As usual, a great time was had by all - but Jenny was sorely missed.

A few (about 25) of our holiday letters came back, so I guess I will be able to shorten the list for next year. If you didn't get one, email us your new address and we'll be sure to make the changes so that you get one next year - with great hopefulness, next year will be a picture so that you can see how much Mason has grown and have something nice to hang on the fridge ;-)

Other than that, we keep getting by. Thank you for your thoughts, letters, cards, emails and prayers - they do help. Thank you.

~ Max and Mason

Long Time No Post

Not really a lot to write - just counting the hours until the holidays are over. I should finally get the Christmas letters in the mail tomorrow, so, knowing Chicago's famous postal service, you should be getting it before 2008.

Happy Birthday Viola

Today is Viola's birthday. Mason spent the evening with her while I went to the Open House at Mason's school. It's sad that Jenny can't be here to celebrate this day.

We love you Grandma.

Max & Mason

One Happy Day

Since Mason was 5, we've managed to make it to Six Flags Great America at least once each year (except last year). We couldn't have asked for better weather, it wasn't too hot and there wasn't a cloud in the sky on Saturday.

Mason was psyched to go, for several weeks we've been talking about roller coasters and log rides. As with all major outings, Mason asked, "Can I bring a friend?". This year, Nikki came with us and I'm glad she did. Nikki loves the big rides.

Up until this year, Mason wouldn't even think about going on a ride that had loop or a roll (just another way she is like her Mama) - preferring to stick to all rides where the horizon has blue on top. The last time we went, she got a taste of what a thrilling roller coaster ride felt like - the last ride of the day two years ago was Raging Bull. No loops or rolls, but this is the tallest, fastest ride at Six Flags Great America.

This year would be different, this year she was up to the challenge of Superman, Batman, Vertical Velocity and Iron Wolf. You've gotta see the pics of Mason's face while riding an old wooden coaster, The Viper.

Nikki and Mason are a great combo. They really have fun together and get along great, I'm glad that she could join us. Nikki's dad recommended we spring for the Flash Pass (for a few extra $, you get to avoid the long lines and scoot right to the front) - that really made the day enjoyable. After each ride, we would just reserve our spot in line for the next one - saving us hours of standing in line, well worth it!

Mason and Nikki even tried their hand at driving the Go Carts, they didn't go very fast (which is fine with me), but they didn't run into anything or anyone either!

We took lots of pictures, take a look and leave us comments on the ones you like. We are very happy with our new Sony Cybershot DSCW70 7.2MP Digital Camera and would recommend it to anyone who wants to take quality shots without a lot of fuss.

Max & Mason

IKON Lunch

Last Friday I went out to lunch with a few of my old friends from IKON. We all met at the Clubhouse in Oak Brook for a meal, but we got a lot of good old conversation. Sure we ate, but seeing these guys again was better than the food (and the food was good).

Tom put it all together. It was great seeing all of them; Tom, Dan, Roger and Steve - we missed Roger K., hopefully he'll be able to make the next one. It appears that everyone is doing great, IKON/Chicago was made up of a really great group of people. We worked hard and played hard - and we all survived. I think Jenny would be proud of me, reconnecting with friends from my past.

It's been a few years since we all worked together. But, it felt like just another lunch with buddies from work. I think we all had a great time and have committed to do it again in a few months (next time I'll bring a camera). Hopefully, our numbers will be a little larger. Maybe some of the people we talked about will be there ;-) Stay tuned...

Max & Mason

Brush With Famous

Well, famous in Chicago and to those who follow Major League Baseball.



Mason and I went to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Monday to see the Butterfly Exhibit and the new Robot Exhibit. We ran into the Chicago Cubs first baseman, Derrek Lee, and his family. Mason wanted a picture with him to give to her grandpa (who has been following the Cubs for over 90% of his 90 years). Derrek was very nice and we snapped a photo very quickly so we wouldn't interrupt his day with his wife and daughter.

In September 2006 Derrek Lee's daughter, Jada, 3 was diagnosed with Leber's congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic disease resulting in loss of vision. Lee and Boston Celtics co-owner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck began Project 3000 in an effort to eradicate the disease affecting both their families.

Besides this picture, we got a lot of good butterfly photos.

Max & Mason

Cubs Win!

Our 1st Game in 2007
Originally uploaded by max_rose

Mason and I went to our first Cubs game of the season yesterday. The Cubbies beat the evil Brewers to take a 2 game lead in the NL Central over the surging St. Louis Cardinals.

We had a great time watching the game and watching the fans. It was "Free Hat Day" sponsored by Arby's, so hey, we each got new hats! We ate hot dogs, but no Cracker Jacks. There was also a very cool orange full moon. Did I mention that the Cubs won? There were a few signs around Wrigleyville that said, "99th Time is a Charm" - that's pretty funny.

Unfortunately, we had to leave at the 7th inning stretch (sung by Bob Uecker, you remember him...Wacky World of Sports guy, Miller Lite commercials, Major League movies. Cubs fans booed him because he's also the Brewers radio announcer, lol) because the woman behind me had too much to drink - too much that some of it came up over the top, if you know what I mean, onto my back. Needless to say, Mason and I were a little upset. Mason was shocked that it happened, I was shocked that it wasn't some 20 something idiot - this woman was easily 40. Actually, this would be very funny if it happened to somebody else, I even have a little grin right now just thinking about it - I hope she had to get to work early today ;-)

Overall though, we had a great time. Thanks Mike; for the tickets!

Max & Mason

New Manicure / Pedicure

New Manicure / Pedicure
Originally uploaded by max_rose

Before the Berwyn Block Party, Mason and I went downtown so that she could get her nails done. School starts on Tuesday, and she wants to look her best for that first day. We went to Digits on Southport, which is right across the street from aunt Elizabeth's old store. The ladies there are all very nice and treat her like she's special (which of course, she is!).

She is very excited to get back to school, and so am I.

Max & Mason

Berwyn Block Party

On Saturday we went over to Mike's house in Berwyn for their annual block party. What a great time! The food was awesome, even a roasted pig (sorry Isabel :( ). Mike has a lot of great neighbors who all made us feel welcome.

Mike put together a Bagz tournament with 20 teams competing for the prize. Tony and I were partners and were dispatched in the first round by a couple of guys who claimed to have never played before. Mike and Jim won the whole thing, which helped Mike forget about the stress and pressure of being commissioner and referee. They beat Joe (the block party organizer) and Jose in the final match. I think everyone had a great time.

Mason made a few new friends, but seemed to spend most of her time with Boomer - Joe and Jana's boxer. We put the pics up on flickr for everyone to see.

Max & Mason

Aftermath

The lights just came back on.

A storm came through the midwest and knocked out the power. Ummm...that was on Thursday, today is Sunday. Electric service was knocked out for approximately 250,000 homes in and around Chicago, including about 1/2 of River Forest. Some people are still without power.

I took some pictures of the storm and the aftermath. The tree in the picture was uprooted by 60-80 mph winds. Fortunately (or unfortunately - since it would have been fine with me if a tree had fallen on my garage that needs to be replaced, or the kitchen that I need to remodel) none of our trees were damaged.

Max & Mason

Grandma & Grandpa VV

The past few weeks have been trying. I don't know what I'd be doing without Jenny's parents to watch Mason!

You often hear, "nice people", "salt of the earth" used to describe friends and/or family - but it is really true with Bob and Viola Van Vuren. I don't think I've ever heard them say anything bad about anybody. They are always around if Mason needs a place to "hang-out". Grandma and Mason do a lot of baking, puzzles and games. They are even good sports when it comes to things like fashion shows (both the Mason with her friends kind and the kind where Mason will dress up stuffed animals or dolls).

Jenny's mom, Viola, will be 83 next month and her dad, Bob, will be 90 in January, and he manages to call me every morning at 6:30, just to say hi and make sure that I'm awake. I hope that the time they spend with Mason takes away a few years, rather than adds. I know that Mason really enjoys spending time with them and I'm very, very, very grateful that they are close by.

Max & Mason

P.S. Mason took the camera over there the other day and took some nice portraits. They're on flickr.

Block Party 2007

A few raindrops wouldn't keep us from our annual Forest Avenue Block Party. I didn't count, but it looked as though 40+ kids and 30+ adults spent the day in the middle of the street, without fear of getting run over.

Every year we barricade both ends of the street; set up tables, chairs, grills and beer keg and spend the entire day getting to know our neighbors a little better. Some of the more resourceful families brought out their tents to keep everyone dry. It was actually a nice change from the 94 degree weather we had last weekend.

The kids all seemed to have a good time. We started the day with donuts and juice (and sugar packets and soda). Painted faces, played games, decorated bikes, jumped in one of those inflatable castles, played in the swimming pool, used chalk to decorate the asphalt AND got to feed and pet a bunch of farm animals. After eating dinner, the kids all went into the basement and watched a couple of movies and ate popcorn while the parents sat around and talked. I posted a few pictures that Mason took on flickr.

Jenny always liked this get-together. She really liked seeing all of the kids play in the street, throw water balloons and just have a good time. She would have liked to have been here yesterday.

Max & Mason

Robin Hood

Last night we joined a group from Keller Williams to see the play Robin Hood. The Oak Park Festival Theater put on a great production with lots of action, humor and quality performances. This has turned into our annual "cultural" event.

We had a group potluck picnic before the show and some of the proceeds from the ticket sales went to benefit KW Cares. You might recall that last year, Molly put a similar event together for Mason's Education Fund. This is actually the 3rd year that we've done this, it was a lot of fun. We enjoyed the company and the show.

I posted some pictures on flickr. Take a look.

Max & Mason