Happy 25th Birthday Danny!!!!

Today is my third child ~ my only son's 25th birthday!  It is so hard to believe that 25 years have swooshed by since the 21st day of November 1985 when he decided it was time for him to make an appearance.  Daniel Joseph Tufano came into this world 3 1/2 weeks early, weighing 7lbs 6ozs and was still considered premature!  Dan wasn't due until December 15th and even with his size ~ he still had lung issues to overcome.  When visitors would look at him through the glass of the NICU ~ they'd say "Look at him ~ he's good size ~ what's he doing in there?!!"

A few days before Danny's birth I'd been to the Dr's and he had said that I should be taking it easy.  NOT ~ that maybe I should be on bed rest.  We were having Thanksgiving at our house and there really was no time to 'take it easy'!   In the early morning hours of  November 21st I woke up with feeling of being way more advanced in labor than with the previous two babies.  It was about 4:30am and we called the neighbor to come watch the girls and headed for the hospital ~ hubby missed the turnoff!!!  How could he?!  It's was the third time going there!!!  Danny was born 2 hours later!  He was my biggest baby ~ but by far the easiest delivery!  I even helped to deliver him ~ something I still am in awe over ~ but that's another story for another time!

Having just come home from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving ~ We quietly celebrated by ourselves ~ our family of five!

Danny has always been an easy, fun loving, humorous, jokester of a child!  When Dan went to meet his Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Detro, he asked me over and over if he could tell her a joke!  I was a meany cause I wouldn't let him!!!  By time he hit 2nd grade his teacher Mrs. Palmer decided she would allow him only one joke a day!!! 

Dan having grown up with 3 sisters has a great sense of how to treat (deal with) a woman!!!!  He has an artistic talent ~ he spent many hours as a young  child drawing. He used to read the dictionary every night before bed!!!   He's all boy ~ took Karate lessons (always with a stop at the bakery for 'donuts' where he'd get an extra cause he was so CUTE!!!). Danny played the violin for a couple of years ~ he was really pretty good at it too!  He played football, volleyball and wrestled in high school.  He ALWAYS has had a great time with anything he participated in!!!

Upon graduation from High School ~ Danny attended Ball State for a year and then transferred to Western Illinois when he changed his major.  He has a degree in Construction Management!

Dan loves different beers ~ I call him the 'connoisseur of beers'!  He loves Mexican food ~ he HATES peas!!!! 

 He loves to dress up for Halloween!!! 

                                                      

                                                                        

 he LOVES football ~

This picture, which was taken by the mom of one of the boys in the pic,

was from the last game that the three guys 

 played for Glenbard East! 

It is priceless...

he loves the BEARS!!

 

Dan and Amanda ~ the true love of his life!

Happy 25th Birthday Danny Boy ~

We love you and are very proud of you!

Imagine...

25 year ago tonight~
hubby and I finished off this pumpkin jar that was filled  with
Dunkin Munchkins!!!

Yummm!!!

And then I began nesting in preparation for...

A gift of life ...

Organ donation ~ a true gift of life.  I am signed up to be an organ donor as well as hubby and some of our kids.  The following video was just reposted on the TakeJake blog. Always so painful to watch...  but spreading the word of the importance of organ donation is so necessary...

http://takejake.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/take-jake-video

Consider being an organ donor

Every 11 minutes, a new person is added to the national waiting list.

An average of 18 people die each day while waiting.

More than 6,000 people died nationwide waiting for an

organ transplant in 2008.

In 2008, more than 300 people registered for

transplants in Illinois died while waiting.

One donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 25 people.

(info taken from: http://www.donatelifeillinois.org/donatelife/get_the_facts.htm)

Consider being an organ donor

Knowing that Jake lived his life to it's fullest ~

that through his gift of life to six people

who now may continue

to

live, laugh, love 

just as Jake did ~ 

well ~

it makes it all somewhat comforting....  

Consider taking Jake's picture along with you on a special trip...

 be sure to take a picture with him while there...

share it with the TakeJake project...

Most of all...

Live, Laugh, Love

Bistros of the Burbs'

Friday evening Lombard Junior's hosted their biggest fundraiser and a delightful evening was had as well as lots of money was raised for our philanthropic needs.  There were 19 local restaurants that gave of their time and specialty food items  ~  the food was beyond delicious!  My personal favorites were Glen Prairie, Emilio's Tapas, Harry Carey's,  Miller's Lombard Ale House.  My favorite dessert was provided by a friend of mine who started her business earlier this year.  CAKE provided an adorable display filled with beautifully decorated cupcakes that were oh so delicious!!!  (sorry I didn't get a good picture of it)

The prize packages were wonderful (my house has never felt so empty!!!) ~ didn't win anything though.  But that is truly okay cause I had a great time with my daughters Cara & Nikki!  In fact Nikki provided us with excitement over the Patrick Kane signed hockey puck that there was a bit of a bidding war going on.  She won ~ all this mom can say is that those men knew when to quit!!!   They would have put it in their offices but I think she's sleeping with it!!!!  She's happy and it was all for a good cause ~ thank you Nikki!!!!

  

 Silent Auction items

 Raffle packages

Centerpieces

Bistros of the Burbs' is now a sweet memory...

Join us next year

on

11-11-11