Figured it Out.....Not sure how though!!!!!

Gabe is running in the middle with his hand in the air calling for ball, unfortunately this happens a lot. The QB has a good arm, he can throw far, but Gabe is not the deep receiver coming out out of his TE spot.
Currently the team's 1-3, with recent losses at Burlington 26-20 and this past Tuesday losing to Muscatine 38-29, both competitive games.

The boy has 4 catches on the season and has seen a little time at linebacker on defense. We'll post some still photos in a bit.

Video try

Hey All.......
I've been looking for our USB cord for the video camera so I can upload some video. Here is our first attempt of Gabe playing in game # 2 this season against Assumption, on Sept. 8th. The Knight won easily 28-7 over the Blue Devils. Gabe is #87, the tight end blocking. More to come.

Well, haven't got everything figured out. Keeping checking back, we'll try and get it working!!!

Reunited...And It Felt So Good!!!!

Labor Day weekend '07 has come and gone, but it certainly will not be forgotten for the Ivanlam clan. Friday night, Tiffany treated the girls to Central's first football game of the year at Brady Street Stadium against the North Wildcats. Gabe had freshman practice before the game, then attended the game with some friends. The outcome was not so nice for the Blue Devils, falling big time to North, 32-12. North got out to a big halftime lead and didn't look back. I was busy working a game on the other side of the River for Mediacom, got home and no one was there. It seems Tiffany met the Pearson's at Cheddar's for some appetizers, half priced no less! I jumped in the car and met them to talk about the games and our long weekend ahead.

Gabe had to be at the stadium by 7:30 Saturday morning for his game at 9, it was a beautiful morning for football! With the sun beating down on the crowd the Central freshman team had no problem dispatching the undermanned North freshman team, 47-7. Starting at tight end, Gabe caught 2 passes during the first drive, including a catch on the game's first play. He totaled 3 catches in all, and played a little linebacker towards the end of the game. His only blemish was a fumble after one of the catches, but it didn't matter. The team looked solid and will be tested this Saturday against Assumption, before a date at Burlington next week. Pictures of the game will come soon.

After the game we drove to the northern suburbs of Chicago for an Ivanic family reunion. After some trouble finding the hotel Aunt Rachel booked (she had trouble finding it too!!) we went to my cousin Rich Tajak and his wife Germaine's house in Libertyville. Rich grew up next door to my dad in Niles, their moms were sisters. Their maiden name was Pancerz, we learned a great deal about the Pancerz family, and how they came to Chicago from Poland over 100 years ago.

Saturday we hung out at Rich and Germaine's house, it is big and beautiful! Grandam Pat was there from Tucson and Uncle JP and Khrista were present. We went back to the hotel around 10pm, where Rachel, Tim and Aunt Britta and Uncle Tom and cousin Morgan had returned from a day in the city of Chicago. We met for a few minutes in our room, all were tired so bed time loomed.


The crew: Gabe, Abbi, Elli and Morgan.


Sunday we swam at the spacious hotel indoor heated pool. Gabe was being difficult, the kids wanted him to swim, he refused. I told Tom to put him in the pool, Tom picked up Gabe out of his chair and plopped him in the pool, t-shirt still on!!

After some lunch we headed back to the house in Libertyville for the actual reunion. My cousin Celeste and her husband Bob were there, as well as my cousin Walter. Then one by one, other relatives started showing up, some coming from Green Bay, others from Madison. The keg of LaBatts was ice cold as people got together to share memories of a family that had not gotten together in decades.


Cousins reunited: Sharon, Anthony, Rachel, Pete, JP, Suzanne and Britta. Our dad and their mom were siblings, offspring of John and Lottie Ivanic.



Walter, Rich, Germaine, Grandma Pat, Celeste and Bob

Food was catered in, numerous bottles of wine were opened. DVD's of home movies from the late 50's to the late 60's were shown including scenes from Mom and Dad's wedding in 1964. The kids played out side, at one point there was about 12 kids in all playing. Then we assembled outside for a pinata and some Polish Polka music and dancing.


Swing hard Gabe, Morgan and Tom look on.

Earlier in the day Tim had shown a ring he had bought for he and Rachel's engagement, but had waited to present her the ring. During the dancing Tim got down on a knee and popped the question in front of everybody, about 40 people. Thankfully for him, Rachel said yes (can you imagine the flight home if she had said no?). Luckily Tim tipped me off before he proposed, which allowed me to get the whole event on video tape!


The proposal, with cousin Anthony looking on.

We ate and we drank and we played games outside trying to avoid being bit by mosquitoes the size of dragon flies! We headed back to the hotel before midnight, but we weren't done yet. Me and Tiff, Rachel and Tim and Tom went next door to a bar and closed it down at 2am, ending a very festive day. Needless to say, the walk back to the room was a little staggered!

We returned home Monday afternoon, after saying goodbye to Grandma in Arizona and everyone else. Thankfully Grandma Marcia hit the grocery store and planned a meal with the E Dover CT crew, ribs and chicken wings on the grille! It was a fun weekend for all!!!!

Busy Busy Busy

The school year has started......along with that comes our busy fall schedule. We'll start with school itself.

Gabe is adjusting well to high school, we thought he might have a problem waking up much earlier than the last few years, but that has not been the case. Classes start at 7:40, his alarm fires off at 6:15ish, I have not yet had to march up the stairs to wake him up. He has had a couple of show choir rehearsals around his football practices. First game against North is tomorrow morning at 9am, he is starting at tight end and told us this week he will handle the kicking duties.

Abbi's 3rd grade teacher is Mrs. Thissen, same as Gabe's when he was at Garfield. Abbi loves school and this year is no different. Mrs. Thissen is big into classroom pets, they have gerbals! Soccer practice has begun, first game is next week.

Elli is enjoying Mrs. Volliger, same first grade teacher that had Gabe and Abbi! Mrs. Volliger is a teacher that strives on good behavior in the classroom. She has a system where every kid starts the week with 5 beans. If you end the week with 5 beans you get to pick a prize from the treasure chest, if you loose a few, you get to spend recess inside. So far, Elli has a clean slate, for those of you counting....Abbi cruised into April without having a bean taken away when she was with Mrs. Volliger!!!!! Elli is also looking forward to soccer and informed us this week of her intentions to play flag football this fall. Both girls will also be involved with girl scouts.

Tiffany and I were invited to a Show Choir party last night, I was scheduled to call a football game for TV, so Tiffany went with one of Gabe's friends mom. She got a chance to meet some of the other parents involved in the program. Tiffany has been busy this week sewing dresses for the girls and planning soccer practices. She plans on attending tonights Central-North game with the girls, Gabe will already be there, the freshman practice tonight before the varsity game. The football season got under way for me last week, after taping last nights game, tonight will be the third of 12 games Mediacom has hired me to do. At work I am enjoying our new management team who is allowing us to wear polo's instead of ties if we so choose.

After Gabe's game tomorrow morning we will pile in the family truckster and trek to the northern suburbs of Chicago for an Ivanic family reunion, the first ever. Grandma in Arizona, Uncle JP and Krista, Aunt Britta and Uncle Tom and cousin Morgan along with Rachel and her fiance Tim will all be waiting for us. We'll be home on Monday, in time for Gabe's football practice.

Gabe got his too......

It's a time honored tradition that happens in circles around the globe. An act where one accepts another into a group, a team, a fraternity, or even a high school. Earlier this evening a loud knock hit our front door and a male voice shouted out for Gabe to come outside. It's tradition for Davenport Central students to haze incoming students on the night before the first day of school. Gabe went outside, there wasn't 5 or 10 kids ready to afflict Gabe with some good old fashioned hazing......more like 50 kids, some football players, some show choir members, all running through our yard spraying shaving cream and dispensing toilet paper on our trees. It was truly an amazing site. Tiffany grabbed her camera to try and get a shot, I searched for Gabe. After 4 minutes someone shouted a command, and the group was off to the next victim. A stream of cars that totaled near 20 then headed down Farnam into the dark night. Then we spotted Gabe. Huddled alone underneath a tree in our yard. You could barely make him out. Covered in ketchup, mustard, shaving cream, chocolate syrup, eggs, rice, vinegar, mayo, various salad dressings and wrapped in saran wrap, stood Gabe. As soon as it had started, it ended, Gabe alone covered in all that muck shivering in the lawn. We then hosed him off with the garden hose, and Gabe took a hot shower. It was quite a laugh. Welcome to high school son, welcome!!!!!