Here is the latest picture of Riley. Shes just a little over 9 months old now (Dec 8). She is doing well and there are lots more pictures on Facebook on Jessicas page and some on mine. One funny thing happened the other day. Riley was having trouble sleeping and they decided to let her cry it out so they wouldnt have to put her in the closet (like some people I know). She got quiet after about a half hour. When they went to check on her she was standing up in her crib holding on the bars sleeping. She is almost ready to start walking now. Once she's standing she can let go for a little while.

Willowbrook/York 50th reunion for class of 1961

Touring the two schools was a high point of the weekend. The Willowbrook principal spent two hours telling us what a "state of the art" building we had enjoyed. The update that was done 45 years after we attended, mostly met new building codes such as wider stairways and upgraded technology. Do you believe we were able to learn anything without the use of a computer!!? The painting on the wall in the huge gym I think is new. I remember many basketball games enjoyed on the balcony of this gym with the pep band that my friends played in. I even sang a solo of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the beginning of one game. I had notes because I was so afraid I would forget the words! I don't think I used them though.

This is the new track that was added. Mary Ann would be pleased to see that they had the records for girl's athletic achievements hung up as well as the boys. The low ceilinged old track was in the basement and now has been converted to a weight room that far surpasses any that the YMCA or Bally's has. There is room in here for a running long jump as well as a pole vault.

This is by far may favorite room--the choir room. It even has a plaque to honor the first choir director who was so great at mentoring students and helping to create first rate choirs. They were able to keep the skylights in the room also.

I do not know why the picture flipped, but I can't figure out how to rotate it in the program. This is York and it was great to see how the update to it tried to maintain the older feel of the original architecture.

They kept the wonderful ornate ceiling outside the auditorium.

This area used to be an outside courtyard. I remember running across on cold, snowy days from one side to the other. Now they have it covered and it is an open courtyard that allows light into the rooms, but keeps students protected from the weather.

In one of the halls they had a couple cars that were decorated in the style of the plaster cows (Chicago), guitars (Cleveland), etc. There also was a couch that had been turned on one end with the bottom exposed and pieces from the reconstruction of the school placed inside. The front had been painted to look like skyscrapers. Interesting....

It was fun to see old friends. Jan on the left I did not know well, but Marsha Vanmatre Brigham was my roommate at Northern for the first semester of my freshman year. She quit to go to work to earn money so she could get married the next summer.

This is Marion Wolf Washer, the daughter of Elise and Emil Wolf who were good friends of my parents. It was good to see her after more than 50 years.

There sure were a lot of old people there, but we all had a good time. :-D

Carl and Maria Moeck's Cemetery Marker

View looking southwest from the headstone.

View looking northwest from the headstone.

The headstone for their grave is in the area labeled Garden of Devotion. It is very close to the road and across from the Hipp0ch Chapel in Chapel Hill Gardens West which is by Roosevelt Road and Route 83 in Oakbrook Terrace. The office further labeled their plot as 102 c 3&4, but we sure did not see any numbers or letters.

Riley - 4 months old

Here is Riley at 4 months old. Jessica posted many more pictures on her blog - jessatate.blogspot.com. There are also a lot of pictures on her Facebook page. I had to post a couple of them here because they were just so cute. The one of her with the spoon was her first taste of rice cereal. I think she is keeping with the family tradition - I'll bet her plate was Grandpa Moeck clean.

Carries Graduation

The third of the big three events (Riley being born, Stacys wedding and Carries graduation) happened last weekend. Carrie received her Masters in Psychology. This picture was taken after the ceremony which was in the Civic Opera House in Chicago (nice setting). It also inspired a sisterly hug with Christy. Congratulations to Carrie

Stacys Wedding

Stacy and Brett took the big step on May 21. The wedding couldn't have been nicer, and Kirk did a nice job officiating. The first picture was taken at the rehearsal dinner the night before. For those needing a refresher, the back row is Brett, Stacy, Jessica and Kirk. The front row is Carrie, Christy, and the star of the show Riley.

Lombard and Lilacia Park

Violets and lilies of the valley were planted in the yard at 1040. Every Mother's Day my dad would wake me up very early so we could go out in the yard and pick bouquets of flowers. Mom would laugh and say it looked like funeral parlor and she was not dead yet, but seacretly she loved having flowers in the house.

Masses of tulips were planted at Lilacia Park in all thier varieties. My dad would check out the newest varieties and buy some when they dug up the beds after the leaves had browned. Parrot tulips were some of his favorites, but he also loved the ones that were two toned.

This is a sensation lilac. I saw it in the yard of one of my student's and new it would be perfect in our yard when we landscaped the back yard. The two or three weeks of bloom each May is well worth the space. The flowers are so full.

Phil's sister, Marla, did not know what a French lilac looked like so I took this picture to show how full the blossoms were. We have two bushes of them at the east corners of our house.

This purple lilac is actually a deeper purple than the picture shows. It started out being a pink one until we transplanted it. It reminds me of the deep purple lilac bush we had outside my bedroom window when I was growing up. I loved the fragrance that would come in my window.

Lilacs remind me of Lombard and Lilacia Park. Every May we would go through the park at least once or twice when the lilacs were in bloom. I loved the smell and all the variety of colors and shapes. The tulips were planted so carefully to make huge masses of color. The spring flowers in my yard bring back wonderful memories of quieter times.

More Pictures of Riley

Here are a few more pictures of Riley that Kirk took in the hospital. They were both released from the hospital on Tuesday (happy birthday Jess!). There are a some more pictures on Kirks Facebook page

New Addition

Here is the first picture of Riley Grace Tate, born at 9:29PM on Sunday Feb 27. She came in at 22 inches and was 6 lbs 14 oz. Everyone is doing fine and we are all thrilled with the good news.