11/24/00 Katie is Seventeen!
Katie celebrated her birthday with some friends by going bowling in
the afternoon. The young athletes were advised to hold off going on the
pro tour for a while at least. Mike rolled the high game of 109! Strikes
and spares were few and far between, but all had a good time. The group
returned to the house for some junk food topped off with the traditional
cake. We didn't realize that the cake was frozen and it had to be "nuked"
before it could be eaten!
Making
a Wish...
Joey Gaba, Mike Mahler,
Katie, and Laura Chmielewski
11/23/00 Thanksgiving Observed Quietly
Thanksgiving found George and Tamra at the Drehs where the family is
celebrating their last Thanksgiving in Addison. The Dreys are retiring
to South Carolina and building a new home there. Greg and Jill were off
to Ohio to celebrate the long weekend with the Needham family. So it was
that the Sengstocks found the "smallest table" they've set for Thanksgiving
in many, many years - just eight of us!
Pat finally caught on that the baking element in the oven had been "fried"
and, although a replacement had been ordered, it would not arrive in time
for the holiday meal. Fortunately, the second oven downstairs performed
flawlessly, and the meal went off without a hitch. Paul and George Sr.
gobbled up a lot of turkey!
A Cozy Group Around the Table!
Chandler, Joslyn, George, Paul, Sharon, and Joshua are ready to eat!
(Katie and Pat are behind the camera)
11/18/00 Sharon's Natal Day is Celebrated
with Family
The official day was Wednesday, November 15th, but the family gathered
on Saturday to enjoy barbequed chicken and mostaccioli in honor of the
occasion. The oven was acting up again, but the broiler came through and
saved the day.
Here Sharon seems quited pleased with her new snowman sweatshirt from
George and Tamra.
Sharon Likes her Snowmen!
11/17/00 Annabel and Chandler Visit
The Paul Sengstock family went out to the movies on Friday evening
to see "The Grinch" and young Chandler stayed with Grandma. On Saturday,
the 18th, George, Greg, and Katie went to the NU-Illinois football game.
Jill had a business meeting, so Annabel came to spend the day too. Here
are Annabel and Chandler enjoying Saturday. Chandler, well trained by his
older siblings, thought it great fun to jump on top of Annie and ride her
like a horse, but Annie wasn't quite up to that.
Chandler's flushed cheeks and glassy eyes foretell the havoc the flu
bug is about about to wreck on us all!
Cousin
Babies...
11/4/00 Needhams, Sengstocks Enjoy Annual Football
Outing
November 4th dawned bright and clear offering a perfect November day
for the Northwestern-Michigan Big Ten game. The older Needham daughters,
Jill and Claire, attended the University of Michigan during which time
the Needhams became big Michigan fans. Of course Pat and George are Northwestern
alums. So, over the last decade, the NU-Michigan game has been the occasion
for the elder Needhams and Sengstocks to spend a fall weekend in good-natured
rivalry.
John Needham brought along a bottle of Dom Perignon (no less!) to celebrate
the birth of our granddaughter, Annabel. It's good stuff; but none of us
are sure if it's really THAT good. Here's a close-up to show that we had
The Real Thing...
Well, you see the jar of sauerkraut. Our patrician toast was followed
by a somewhat plebeian feast of brats, German-style potato salad, and cole
slaw.
Here's
to you, Annie!
Greg and Jill missed the toast (the entire tailgate for that matter),
but arrived in time for the kickoff. Kate, who operated the camera above,
was with us as well.
Within the first 2-1/2 minutes, NU jumped out to a quick touchdown score.
Michigan, only slightly stunned, came roaring back and began marching back
and forth across the field. At times, it seemed Michigan might turn the
contest into a rout, but Northwestern kept coming back. It was something
akin to watching a tennis match as the teams went back and forth across
the field. As the sun set, it became chilly and we gathered our jackets
and blankets about us. With 20 seconds left, Northwestern re-took the lead
and then held off a last-second field goal attempt to win the game 54-51!
All sorts of records fell by the wayside that day. By season's end, NU,
Michigan, and Purdue would go on on to share the 2000 Big Ten title.
All this took 4-1/2 hours to decide. By time we arrived back home, the
lasagna had been warming in the oven for two hours. The other Sengstock
siblings joined us for dinner. Strangely, the lasagna, while warm and still
moist, wasn't piping hot...???
On Sunday, the two families enjoyed a wonderful brunch at the Baker
Hotel in St. Charles. We had breakfast - and hors d'oevres - and lunch
- and dinner - and more champagne toasts, all in one sitting!
A Very Satisfied Group...
Roz, Pat, George, Greg, Annabel, John, and Jill at the Baker Hotel
10/21/00 Paul Celebrates His 30th Birthday
The Sengstock clan gathered to congratulate Paul on his birthday. To
hear him tell it, he's an ancient old man now. We had a lamb dinner, followed
by the traditional cake and ice cream.
Happy Birthday, Paul
Katie, Chandler, J.P., Sharon and Joslyn help Paul make a wish...
10/16/00 Josyln & Chandler Spend the
Night
Once in a while, the grandkids get to spend a day or two with Grandma
& Grandpa. On this October weekend, J.P. was looking forward to his
first kindergarten field trip and Mom, Sharon, was acting as a chaperon.
Chandler and Joslyn came and stayed for a little visit. Here, Joslyn admires
her freshly painted toenails.
Am
I Cute, or What?
10/13/00 Greg and Jill Celebrate Their Tenth
Anniversary
Seems like yesterday, but ten years have elapsed since we ventured
over to Michigan to witness the first wedding for one of our children.
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Greg and Jill dined late at Las Bellas
Artes restaurant in Elmhurst. Annabel stayed with Grandma and Grandpa
for those few hours. When the young parents returned, we snapped their
picture in the early morning hours of the 14th...
And Here's to Many More... 
9/23/00 Katie and Mike Enjoy Homecoming Dance
Again
On this evening, Katie and Mike Mahler dressed up, had dinner out,
and went the the Wheaton-Warrenville South High School Homecoming Dance.
They had the best time ever!
Homecoming 2000
7/4/00 Kate Marches in Wheaton Parade
The Sengstocks spent a quiet Fourth at home. We watched the Chicago
Symphony and fireworks via television on Monday evening, the 3rd. Wheaton
has a traditional parade on the morning of the Fourth. It is a typical
small town parade. The Wheaton Fire Department and those of surrounding
towns and villages show off their vehicles and toot their horns and sirens
enough to render anyone deaf for a hours afterward. They are followed by
the state and local politicians. It was strange not to see Jim Edgar, the
former Illinois governor marching in our parade. We were traveling last
year and missed the parade; perhaps the Edgars were absent last year as
well. Times change. The current governor was not in attendance. Peter Roskam
seemed to have drummed up the largest entourage and printed the most t-shirts.
The Democrats and Libertines participated, although this is very staunch
Republican territory.
Local businesses and organizations follow the fire departments and politicians,
who move on to participate in parades sponsored by other municipalities.
Carlson's Paint and Hardware Store, a local business, participated in their
85th Wheaton Fourth of July parade. They always have the best, sometimes
only,
float. This year, they displayed our flag at poignant moments in history
with a depiction of Willard's Spririt of '76 drum and fife quartet,
the planting of the American flag on the moon, Betsy Ross manufacturing
the first flag, the flag in the American classroom, and Rosenthal's
Flag
Raising on Iwo Jima. We caught the rear of the float in this picture.
Our
American Flag
Kate marched with the Wheaton-Warrenville High School cheer leaders
as their manager, followed by the band, who did not play for us. We think
this is the first time a member of the Sengstock family has marched in
the 4th-of-July parade since Greg participated as a Boy Scout in 1976.
Katie Carries the Tiger Paw 
Return to Sengstock Family Homepage
Return to ~sengstock link page
6/15/00 Pat Stops Running; Updates Webpage
News in itself, the homepage is finally catching up to past events.
There were no technical difficulties, just an absentee webmaster! It all
started the first of April when we spent a week in St. Maarten. There was
one quiet week between arrival home and a four-day research trip to Frankfort
with Lois Webster, a friend from the genealogical society. We returned
Good Friday with just enough time to throw Easter together. Pat began training
with the Census Bureau the following Wednesday. The deck got painted before
Derby Day, the garden tilled and planted, and some computer glitches resolved
in preparation for a Deed Mapping presentation the third week in May. The
census work continued through the 12th of June, overlapping a bit with
some work at Printek. June has already seen her off to Cincinnati
and another research trip to Ft. Wayne, from which she returned last evening.
She still cooks, irons, and practices the organ; although the cleaning
has been ignored almost as much as the webpage! So that's the story for
those who checked this site and found nothing going on!
6/14/00 Sengstock Tribe Expands
Greg and Jill are the proud parents of a little girl, Annabelle Ruth
Sengstock. Annabelle, who arrived a couple of weeks early, is a little
one, weighing in at five pounds, six ounces. She arrived early on Flag
Day, June 14th. Jill sailed through the ordeal with no complications at
all. Grandpa Sengstock and Aunt Katie have visited the newest family member,
but Pat was away and missed out on all the excitement.
Here She Is - A Wee One!
6/13/00 Katie and George Visit T-Rex
The Northwestern Club of Chicago, the largest NU Alumni club (of course),
visited the SUE exhibit at the Chicago Natural History Museum. The exhibit
opened on May 17, 2000. Over 600 alumni and friends assembled on the main
floor in front of SUE's skeleton for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. SUE
is the most complete dinosaur skeleton discovered to date. She was found
in South Dakota in 1990 by Sue Hendrickson, after whom he (or she) is named.
The Chicago Field Museum paid $7,600,000 to obtain SUE's bones.
Katie, George, and SUE
6/7/00 Old Former Neighbors Visit
Sunset
On Wednesday afternoon as Pat was dashing into the house between census
calls, she heard a call from across the street and was excited to see Gloria
and Joe Martin occupying a couple of lawn chairs in the Aldworth's front
yard. Gloria and Joe live at Lady Lake in central Florida now. They generally
get back once a year to see their kids, most of whom are still Midwesterners.
We needed to take a picture for posterity! The Martins looked great and
still love their Florida home. Lorraine and Bob are ready to take off for
Alaska early tomorrow morning. (They MUST be ready; they look very relaxed.)
The Line-up
Lorraine, Gloria, Bob, and Joe
5/26/00 Star-gazer Opens Up
The lily which Greg and Jill gave Pat has opened up in a gorgeous display.
More Mother's Day Flowers
5/14/00 Mother's Day on the Fox
Mother's Day was a little cooler than the weather we had been having,
but still a nice day for a picnic in St. Charles. We began with a paddleboat
trip up the Fox River returning to Pottawatamie Park where we enjoyed watching
Joslyn and JP play on the giant jungle gym. We grilled brats and hot dogs
to go along with the rest of our picnic. Pat received a "lei" of macadamia
nuts from Paul and Sharon and engaged in that sinfulness for the rest of
the week! Tami and George were not able to join us, but sent a beautiful
bouquet which brightened the dining room table for two full weeks. Greg
and Jill gave her a spectacular Star-gazer lily.
Taking
in the Fox River
Greg, Sharon, Jill, Katie with Chandler, Paul with a very sleepy Joslyn
A Pretty View 
JP checks out where we've been...
while Jill, Pat, Greg, and Paul with Joslyn find something eye-catching
on the west bank.
Meanwhile, at home...
Mother's Day Bouquet
4/22/00 George Sr. and Katie Attend Auction
Saturday was the occasion of the Annual Spring Football Practice followed
by the Northwestern Gridiron Network Dinner and Auction. George and Katie
made a full day of it! They were outbid on the cow, a nameless creature,
who secured a $20,000 price. Katie ended up with Joe Gerardi's baseball
jersey however. Joe is an NU alum who is currently a Cub catcher.
George, Katie, and Friend
Katie Poses with MC,
Mike Adamli... Shows New
Shirt to Coach and Mrs. Walker
3/16-18/00 Three Little Gremlins Visit Grandma
& Grandpa
Sharon had an opportunity to spend a long weekend in Cincinnati attending
some Pampered Chef meetings, so Joshua, Joslyn and Chandler came out to
Wheaton to spend a couple of days. Since St. Patrick's Day was on Friday,
we had our corned beef and cabbage Saturday night. After dinner, Daddy
Paul and his crew headed back home. We enjoyed our little visit!
Joslyn, Paul, J.P. and Chandler
say so long... 
3/8/00 Spring Has Sprung?
Daffodils, crocus, and all sorts of spring bulbs have popped open to
enjoy the balmy weather in the 70s, which we've been experiencing lately.
Hate to tell them that the forecast calls for snow by Friday.
Daffodils In Bloom
3/4/00 Andrew Needham Marries Carmen
Martinez
Katie had a day off school on Friday and we hopped on an airplane Thursday
afternoon to spend a long weekend in Florida. The occasion was the marriage
of Jill's brother, Andy, in St. Petersburg.
We stayed with Pat's folks, who are getting a handle on the computer.
They're all fixed up with a satellite dish, extra phone line, and betting
software so that they're wagering on horses all around the country right
from home. It's amazing!
Mom
Manipulates Mouse Magnificently
On Friday, about 20 of the wedding party and out-of-town guests took
in Opening Day of Spring Training at Al Lang Field in St. Pete. They saw
the Devil Rays score an exciting come-from-behind victory over the Marlins
with an exciting ninth-inning three-run homer. Final score was 6-5.
Dan Layman, Katie Sengstock, Greg &
Jill Sengstock, Claire Layman, Nancy Battishill, and
John Needham Having Fun at the Old Ball
Game
Saturday, the day of the wedding, was beautiful. Andy escorted his Mother
down the aisle prior to the traditional service held at Our Lady's chapel
of St. Jude Cathedral. An afternoon reception was held at the Don Cesar
Hotel in St. Pete Beach.
Andy & Roz Needham
Carmen & Andy Needham
Chapin/Needham Table
Cal & Mary Henderson, Barbara Needham,
Margaret McCarthy, Alice Queffelec, Father Dan Chapin, Grandma Ruth (hidden
by) Liza Brown, Bruce Needham, and Michelle Brown
Sengstock/Layman/Jones Table
Jill & Greg (hidden by) Dan Layman,
Pat, Claire Layman, Kathy & Pat Jones, Clarkston neighbors of the Needhams.
(Katie's hat is barely visible behind Pat Jones.)
Needham Family Frolicking
John, Brett, Katie, Greg, Andy, Jill, Carmen,
Nancy, Claire, Dan
Afterward many of the guests went out onto the beach to watch the sun
set over the gulf. (Alas, no picture...you'll have to use your imagination...)
2/25/00 Katie Sengstock and Mike Mahler Team
Up as the Wheaton-Warrenville Tigers
At Friday night's basketball game, Katie got the chance to perform
as the high school mascot, who is a pretty ferocious tiger. The mascots
are never allowed to expose their identities in public as that would spoil
the illusion, but our spying photographer was able to catch them in an
unguarded moment with his telephoto lens.
Exposed!
(Yes, it is very hot under there. By Saturday, both Katie and Mike have
dandy colds! "It was worth it!" says Katie.)
2/20/00 George Sr. Celebrates Birthday...
Greg and Jill and Paul, Sharon, and the kids joined us for a Sunday
dinner of ham and some birthday celebration. George handled the candle-blowing
with ease!
IS THIS CHEATING??
2/22/00 And Celebrates Some More on the Real Day
Yes, the Wildcat Fan Even
Has NU Wrapping Paper!
02/12/00 Katie Attends Turn-About Dance at
High School
These dances are becoming old hat, despite the fact that Katie is just
a sophomore. We have the flower exchange - and Kate is beginning to get
the hang of pinning on a boutoniere. Katie Sengstock and Mike Mahler had
a good time at the dance!
DOING THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE THING
01/23/00 Chandler Baptized at St. John Church
in Wheaton
Chandler Michael Sengstock was christened today at the 11:15am service.
He stared and listened intently to every word the pastor uttered throughout
the service. Godparents were Kelly and Nathan Wibbeler. Afterward, we all
returned for brunch featuring the traditional sausage crepes, eggs, fruit
and muffins. Mom Sharon showed off a "slippery" Chandler in his beautiful
white satin outfit. We forgot to get a picture of the cake until
it was somewhat demolished...
01/20-21/00 Lunar Eclipse Observed in Wheaton
This was the night of a full moon total eclipse! We gather the viewing
was obscured over much of the country, but we had clear skies here in Wheaton
and made an evening of it! It was cold (about 0 degrees), so Pat and George
were in and out numerous times. (Katie went to bed at 9:00 and missed it
all.) It was fascinating to observe the speed of the eclipse. We expected
the whole neighborhood to be outdoors; but apparently everyone else watched
it on television. What whimps!.
10:35pm
10:55pm
01/20/00 Christmas
Puzzle Completed!
Working jigsaw puzzles is a Christmas tradition with Pat & George.
George always exchanges a puzzle with his Mother-in-law, and another puzzle
or two often finds a place under the tree. Son George Jr's offering this
year was "Dalmatians" and we have to agree that, piece for piece, this
may have been the most difficult puzzle we've put together. There were
only 529 pieces. Normally that size puzzle is completed in one sitting
- an hour or two, or perhaps an evening. "Dalmatians" went on, and on...and
on...
The puzzle pieces were cut alike. The puzzle was double sided, with
the same picture featured on each side, but turned 90 degrees. The 80-or-so
Dalmatians (pictured on each side) really were about10 dogs, whose photographs
were digitally reversed and resized with their spots doctored. Except for
two dogs (the same dog actually) with his pink mouth open, the color was
black and white.
It was a chore and we considered disowning George Jr. for some time.
However, it was completed, the Christmas decorations are now put away,
and we can, at last, declare this Holiday Season over.
01/02/00 Family Christmas Enjoyed at Paul
and Sharon's House
We were reminded of the Grandparents' visits many years ago when the
kids were little and either the Sengstocks or the Grohs would come visiting
for the Christmas Holidays. There would be lots of excitement in anticipation
of seeing them; but a Christmastime visit brought the added spectacle of
their automobile crammed full of beautifully wrapped presents. We'd "ooh
and aah" as we helped to carry the packages into the house and we'd tell
them they hadn't driven a car; they had driven a sleigh...
The
Christmas Sleigh
We weren't certain the people would be able to fit inside as we found
ourselves driving a Christmas sleigh for the first time; but we made it
with enough room left over for a ring box or two. At Paul and Sharon's
we enjoyed brunch gathered around the dining room table and then proceeded
to work on the packages. Our host and hostess took off for an evening Blackhawks
game in Chicago and Greg and Jill stayed on to watch over the three little
ones. The rest of us headed home for an early bedtime in anticipation
of the return to work and school.
Many wonderful gifts were exchanged this Christmas, but one of the nicest
was that Greg and Jill, after nine years, are looking forward to parenthood
in June. How's that for news?!
01/01/00 The New Year Rings In
New Year's Eve was celebrated quietly at home with what has become
something of a tradition. We enjoyed a late evening meal of lobster and
filet mignon after which Pat and George worked on a jigsaw puzzle. Each
year at Christmas George and his mother-in-law, Lou, exchange jigsaw puzzles.
This year, George received Springbok's "San Francisco Bay Night Lights".
Although it went pretty quickly, we had started too late to finish it by
midnight or even a 2:00am bedtime.
As the minutes to midnight ticked down, we brought out some shrimp and
a Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne. Pat's folks had given us two very
special Swarovski champagne flutes for Christmas and we used them to toast
the rolling over to the zeros. Outside, the noise suggested the commencement
of a war and we went out to listen to the bombardment. Of course it was
not a war; it was the expression of welcome and joy for the new century.
Katie spent the evening at Mike's house and it was fun and where they
were also having a quiet evening of game playing with one of their neighbors.
We picked her up at 12:40am.
12/25/99 Christmas Celebrated in Madiera
Beach, Florida
For quite some time, we had been considering that the Grohs needed
to join the computer age. We got serious about it in October for Dad's
birthday, but decided the project required more time than we could manage
then; so it was converted to a Christmas project.
That is how we came to spend Christmas 1999 in Florida. We drove down,
going straight through, a total of 1237 miles to the gate at Sea Towers.
We experienced three significant delays and the trip took 21 hours and
fifty one minutes.
Florida was experiencing a cold snap, which was just as well because
we had to do a lot of shopping for the computer and the furniture to go
with it. Fortunately, neighbor Kay Berkshire had loaned us the use
of her condo and she may be surprised to learn that it was transformed
into Santa's workshop. We were able to have most of the furniture assembled
by Christmas Eve afternoon.
Some
Assembly Required
We had a cocktail party with neighbors Al and Nancy Gavazzi and then
went to the clubhouse for their annual program of caroling and a visit
from Santa.
Al and Nancy Gavazzi Lou and
Al Groh
Then it was back home to have "the tree". We had managed to surprise
Dad with the computer!
Christmas Day was spent doing final assembly on the furniture and computer,
completely transforming the second bedroom into a home office. For Christmas
dinner, we had a luscious prime rib with all the trimmings creating...
A
Very Festive Table
We left Madiera Beach early on Wednesday, December 29th and arrived
home at 11:28pm after a journey of 1238 miles that took 17 hours and 46
minutes. It was a new record in spite of very heavy traffic.
We returned to a stack of mail that took a good chunk out of the next
day! Vacations would be swell if someone could stop the world while you
get off.
Home, Not So Sweet, Home
Tasty
Ham, Roche '96 Pinot
Annabel
& the Big Fella
