Land of Lincoln - July 2009

We took a day trip to
the Lincoln Presidential
Museum in Springfield,
Illinois.










Abe really gets
around town!














































We had dinner at the
Route 66 Cozy Dog Drive In.
It really hasn't changed
since 1946.

Home to Austria - June 2009

On June 28, after 10.5 months
of living in the USA
Thomas returned
to his native Austria.

Woo Hoo Boo Hoo - June 2009

The "Woo Hoo Boo Hoo" was a
combo Collin 18th Birthday
and a Thomas Going Away
Party.

Both were involved in
Drama, Speech & Debate and
Youth Group... so lots of friends
in common plus lots of other
friends and neighbors to invite.

We borrowed entire patio sets, camp chairs and coolers from the neighborhood. That night it was an unusually steamy 96' so we set up a build your own Ice Cream Sundae bar and chilled down about 7 cases of soda and water. The evening featured Toasts & Roasts which gave everyone the opportunity to tell a story or favorite memory of either Thomas or Collin. We're the audio-visual house - so setting up a microphone and speakers on the patio wasn't a problem.


Some of the kids crowded into our band room to listen to Collin (guitar) and Chloe
(drums) jam with a few other friends.

Good, Clean Fun: The Sequel - June 2009

They were supposed to be washing Tom's car

for Father's Day...



Somehow... hmmm...

4 teenagers
turned it into a
water war zone.












Eventually,
the car
actually got
wet... maybe

even clean.

The Merry Grapes of Tom - June 2009

Each year we
attend the outdoor
Shakespeare Festival
in Forest Park. And
each year this 'performer'
roams around pre-show
and harrasses the picnicing crowds. This year he chose Tom to spit a grape back and forth. It was like a car accident... too gross to look at but you
just had to look! You can actually see the grape
mid-air way at the top of the picture underneath the 'm.'






The same 'performer'
walking through the
crowd balancing a
chair on his nose.








This year's
production was
The Merry Wives
of Windsor.




Anya, Collin
Thomas, Julie
and Chloe

Collin's 18th Birthday - June 2009

We celebrated at
Ted Drew's
Frozen Custard
in South St. Louis.
It was too
windy to keep
the candles
lit.












Collin's grandfather
from San Francisco
happened to be
in town for the
occasion.

Collin is an Eagle - June 2009

It took about two years

to complete; from project

conception to his

final Board of Review.

On June 11, Collin was

awarded the Boy Scout's

Eagle rank for producing

a WWII documentary

for his school's library

and history department.