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Pictures of our family
Update 1/30/10
November: Jack at
the St. Louis Art Museum with Laura’s parents Randall and Margarita Parks. Jack turned 8 years old! He had his party at the YMCA,
they reserved a little party room for us and also the “Action Room” which has a
rock climbing wall, fuse ball table and Wii that the boys
played instruments along to Beatles’ music.
One of Jack’s guests, Andrew, brought along his little sister Lauren for
Meghan to hang out with. Miscellaneous
backyard leaf pile photos. Jack and Meghan on a picnic with Laura’s parents at a local state
park. Jack’s soccer team – we switched
him from the YMCA to Lindbergh school district sports. Jack played all positions but mostly defense,
as goalie and fullback. Thanksgiving dinner at Laura’s parents’ house.
October: Scott and Jack playing guitar together. Jack the Unknown Phantom and Meghan
the Cheerleader posing in Halloween costumes and also in front of a
neighbor’s yard Frankenstein. Kids
sorting candy after trick or treating.
Meghan went to her friend Lauren Howitt’s
birthday party which was an art class theme.
Meghan put her tae kwon do belt on our dog Abbey who did not seem to
mind. Jack carrying Meghan piggyback. Carving pumpkin photos – notice the side by
side shot of the jack-o-lantern and Jack with newly lost teeth. The kids’ Halloween parades at school. Jack with his friend Nace
Tinsley at Lindbergh High School’s LAA Soccer Night (where the younger soccer
players – including Jack and Nace - got to
participate at halftime.) Meghan’s soccer at the YMCA, and then she and her friends chasing
Jack. Last of
all Laura, Jack and Meghan at tae kwon do class. Laura receiving her yellow
belt and Jack receiving another credit within black belt.
Update 11/14/09
August: We went to a Cardinals baseball game. I had not been to the new stadium. Even
though our seats were in the nosebleed section they were very good! Some photos of Jack and Meghan in some
backyard water play with neighbors Andrew and Lauren Howitt. Both Jack and Meghan doing tae kwon do,
Meghan received her yellow belt.
September: We visited Champaign. I had a 20 year college roommate reunion and
Scott and the kids visited his dad and Jessica.
On our way out of town we swung by Travis Cheek’s house to see his kids
Gavin and Georgia (Joey Hruby’s grandkids). Jack and Meghan have started soccer, this
year Jack moved to Lindbergh school district league and Meghan stayed at the
YMCA. Some last minute T-ball photos
from summer YMCA. My parents Randall and
Margarita took a tour of a few southwest national parks,
her’s them at the Grand Canyon.
Update 10/4/09
July: Jack spend a weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with my older brother
Randy’s family. (stepson Joel, daughter Taylor) A side
trip to Hannibal, Missouri at the cave.
Meghan at more T-ball a the YMCA. Meghan and her friend Lauren Bond on a playdate. Scott and I celebrated 13 years of matrimonical bliss this month, thus the 1996 photo. We got a webcam so Jack and Meghan skype with their cousins Owen and Gavyn
Shaw in Rockford Illinois. We met
Scott’s dad Steve and stepmom Jessica in Springfield Illinois and spent time at
the Abraham Lincoln museum, which was very nice – old fasioned
toys to play with, costumes to try on, and wax figures to talk to. Finally the kids at swim
lessons.
June: Jack apparently is very good at playing
Monopoly, say my parents. Some extra
photos from the princes themed birthday party Meghan attended (her friend
Lauren), which included face painting. Meghan at T-ball.
Jack particiated in a tae kwon do tournament, Scott
got to help out on the sidelines. Jack getting the next “credit” in his black belt level. Meghan is trying out tae kwon do now, the
sparring pads make her look like a marshmallow.
The wrestling they do anyway got a different look. Jack and Meghan playing in
the backyard with water guns.
Notice the fierce facial expressions and poses!
Update 8/15/09
April: We met my Rock Island high school fried Mary (Gende) Stayner at the Butterfly house with her two boys. Easter at the Botanical Garden. Jack's flag football games at the YMCA. Scott took Meghan to the Magic House. Scott's 39th birthday cebration in the kitchen with gooey cake and Jameson Irish Whiskey. Megan's swim lessons at the YMCA. Some miscellaneous photos of me and Scott in the front yard and also my brother Randy reading to Meghan on one of his visits to St. Louis. In Misc. section of photos , my friend Mara Deleon who passed away in March. We got back in touch on email a few years ago. Our dads worked together at John Deere and she and her parents lived in Moline, IL. Rest in peace my friend, we love you.
May: Meghan on inflatable slides etc., at a party. Jack's football at the YMCA. On Memorial Day we viited Jefferson Barracks Memorial Cemetery to see all the little U.S. flags in front of the headstones. Meghan in a Cinderella costume on her way to a princess themed birthday party. Miscellaneous horseplay and also a trip to the Zoo.
Update 5/09/09
January '09: Not many photos this month, our camera quit working and we hadn't bought our new one yet. So some photos of the kids at the Botanical Garden for the Christmas toy train exhibit Also a couple of shots from a birthday party Jack attended. Jack and three other boys (Nace, Andrew, Tim) are in line for the bathroom and Andrew's mom Anne asked them to pose in ninja poses for a photo. I forgot to mention last month that Scott finished his master's degree! He graduated with a Masters of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Thank you for everybody's kind words and congratulations.
February: Well no new camera yet so we rely on my dad's photos. Jack with maroon sticky stuff in hair for crazy hair day at school. St. Louis art museum and the science center, one of the parents took our photo at Meghan's classmate's birthday party, Meghan being picked up at preschool by my parents. Jack communing with a squirrel outside my parents' window.
March: New camera (Nikon D60) works just fine. Meghan turned 4! She had a little party at her preschool with her classmates and then some gifts and cake at my parents' house. Tae Kwon Do for Jack, testing for his second credit within the first degree level. YMCA basketball for both Jack and Meghan. YMCA swim lessons for Meghan. A trip to the Butterfly House to see them release some of the newly emerged butterflies (they also have a carousel there). Some miscellaneous photos around our house and backyard, plus our dog Abbey and cat Chloe.
My condolences to my friend Mara Deleon's family and friends. She passed away in late March. I will post a couple childhood pictures with next update, I might be able to get a recent photo. Mara and I were friends as little kids but only recently got back in touch by email. Her email group of friends and I are sharing many nice stories about her.
Update 2/22/09
December '08: Christmas at my parents' house. My brother Randy visited from Cedar Rapids, Iowa (plus wife Darla, stepson Joel, daughter Taylor). (* note about Joel's "strength" t-shirt, he and classmates wear to support a seriously ill fellow classmate. *) My other brother David, his wife Jen and daughter Lola stayed in Chico California for the holidays as they were busy with newborn Phoebe. Miscellaneous photos of Jack missing his front teeth. Meghan had "Bouncing Bears" gymnastics at the YMCA but our photos were too dark, Dad took the photo of Meghan with Scott. (We are getting a new camera, ours has pooped out.) Jack had "Minnow" swim lessons at the YMCA. Jack and Meghan posing in their Christmas pajamas sent by Tyler and Jenna Langendorf (Shaw second cousins in Champaign, Illinois.)
November '08: Jack turned 7 years old! We had a small family celebration and also a little party at Ronnie's movie theater. It has this really neat cafe that looks like an old fashioned drive in theater with the seating in the cars. Jack and his school friends ate pizza and cake, opened presents and then watched Madagascar II. A very nice time! Then some miscellaneous pictures like Jack in his spongebob jammies, playing soccer, and playing "World of Goo" on my parents' computer. Also of Jack getting is black belt certificate. Playing in leaves in our backyard and Meghan playing in wacky dress up clothes.
We went to Champaign for Thanksgiving and visited Scott's mother Candace and also his dad Steve and stepmom Jessica. His younger brother John Shaw was there from Chicago. His older brother James, wife Charity and sons Gavyn and Owen were there from Rockford, Illinois. We took some group kid photos in cute red vests that Jessica knitted, each has the grandkids' first initial.
On our way out of town we stopped by to visit the family of my friend who passed away in April of last year. (I mentioned in the April shawshack, that in the Misc. section are photos of Joey (Georgia), me, and Jack when he was a baby in 2001.) Joey's 29 year old son Travis lives in Rantoul with Kayla, son Gavin and new baby Georgia (named after her grandmother.) Travis's young family seems to be doing very well. Rich was there too, Joey's husband. He's up in Holly, Michigan which is a northwest suburb of Detroit. Joey's brother Jim was there, from Indiana, also Joey's mother Mary and stepdad Richard Keneipp of Indiana. A very nice group of people to know. (the sunhat on baby Georgia is too big because it belonged to Meghan, given to her by Joey when Meghan was a baby. We thought baby Georgia would like it from her grandma.)
Update 12/21/08
October: Miscellaneous photos on couch, Grant's Farm, and tae kwon do. Halloween carving of the pumpkin, and the kids in their costumes. Meghan went as Dora the Explorer. Jack went as the Unknown Phantom which had really cool glowing red eyes underneath the hood. He got off the school bus wearing that on the day of the halloween parade. (He had to leave his scythe at home.) Mom and Dad took a trip to New England to see the fall leaves. Mom, Dad and I went up to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area for my step niece Stephanie's wedding to her longtime boyfriend (and Marine) Josh Hartson. Stephanie is the daughter of Randy's first wife Tammy Neumann. My other step niece, Tammy's other daughter, is Whitney. Their daughter together is Taylor. Randy is married to Darla, who has a son Joel. What a really good time that wedding and reception was!
September: Some extra photos from August trip to the
Arch. Just for kicks my Dad lent a photo of my family trip to the Arch in
summer of 1973, standing in about the same spot. Notice how the trees
have grown! Oh yes and me, my mother Margarita Parks, and my brothers David and
Randy. We've grown too. Then a real hodge-podge of pictures:
a local art fair, Jack's T-ball at the YMCA, Jack riding his bike, and then
finally receiving his black belt in tae kwon do! Then the botanical
garden, butterfly house and carousel, Powder Valley which is a small nature
preserve close to our home, and Meghan's preschool class. A short visit by my brother Randy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Jack soccer and Meghan swim class at the YMCA.
Scott did attend his 20 year high school reunion, although unfortunately no photos, here is his school in Champaign, Illinois. http://www.champaignschools.org/index2.php?header=./central/&file=index
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