The Year In Review - 2017 (So Far)

Another year together as a family and a lot more milestones and news. As we've done the past few years, here's our look back at all the activities we took on as a family in 2017. 2017 was a big year for all of us - in many ways. We moved! Yeah!!! After spending more than two years in limbo including 9 months of building our home in Downers Grove, this summer, we finally moved in. Nat managed the project and our family and did it with incredible grace. Eloise continued to be an amazing human being (she's now 8!), SD started 'big girl school' with Kindergarten at St. Mary's and the Big Beef grew up a lot, too. Lizzie? Well....she grew too. She mellowed out *just.a.little* but she still is a steady balance of annoying and adorable.

Most importantly, 2017 brought us together as a family. Mostly with laughter and learning from each other. I learn something everyday from them. From Nat, I learn patience and generosity. From Eloise, I learn how to be a strong, brave independent human being. From SD, I learn to laugh at the world. And from Frankie, I learn to continue to be curious.

Here's the year-in-review from 2016. Here's the year-in-review from 2015. Here's the year-in-review from 2013. And here's the first one of these from 2012.

We're pretty fortunate for all the amazing things that have taken place this year and we're grateful for our family and friends to have been able to join us along the way. Can't wait to see what we all do together in 2018.

For now....let's take a look at all the action in 2017:

Milestones

The Big Beef got his first haircut. And it went surprising well.
Nat educated the girls on what was happening with the world and encouraged them to take a stand together. Then...Nat, her sister and Mom did something about it.
Sadie pedaled her own bike - under her own power - on training wheels for the first time.
SD graduated from Little Lambs in Elmhurst. On to Kindergarten!
I brought the two girls to our annual 'take your kids to work day' at Edelman. I had more fun that they did, I bet!
The Big Beef went to the barber for his 2nd cut. It went well.
We built a house! Yeah! That's a big milestone. Here's a 'framing update'. Here it is 'almost finished'. The day they put in the sod, the kids had a blast.
For a first-timer, Eloise got the hang of softball pretty easily.
Brave Eloise dealt with the dentist. And was strong the whole way through.
SD turned five. And is still the silliest girl around.
When we moved in, Eloise found her 'lamb hat' that was given to her by some of our dear friends when she was just a little baby.
SD upgraded to her first 'big girl bike'.
Nat had to hold Frankie back from running into his first day of preschool.
Eloise 'bridged' up to Brownies from being a Daisy. Big time!
Lizzie grew up and became more of a lap dog. Like we wanted her to be!
Frankie turned 3 and celebrated with a monster mash.
Eloise turned eight years old. What a special little human being she's turning into.

Holidays

Sports and Art and Stuff

SD gave soccer a try at Immanuel Lutheran in Elmhurst. She loved it. But those tiny legs get tired fast. Ring pops afterwards always seem to soothe her over, though.
Eloise won a bookmark art contest for her entire grade at SMG.
Eloise finished up her 1st grade hoops team season in the early Spring. I coached! (We didn't win a game. But, everyone played and had fun.)
Practice makes perfect. Ellie took softball practice seriously and I was impressed by her trying to get better!
By being a strong reader, Eloise 'won' our family tickets to the Kane County Cougars game. It was cold. But that didn't matter. Eloise won these tickets, folks!
Eloise connected with nature by helping a little frog find his way.
Eloise bats lefty. Fields righty. And gets out of the box fast during her first year of softball.
Summertime baseball at Comiskey Park with the kids for Star Wars night. Awesome.
We took all the kids and their cousin out to fish off the boat with Grammy and Grandad in Twin Lakes. First time fishing off the boat! Didn't catch a thing.
Eloise, Sadie and Frankie all ran in the SMG 5k/Kids races. I did, too!
Frankie gave baseball a shot for the first time with Tee ball. He's hooked!
SD took a Benet Cheerleading camp and performed at halftime of a Benet Varsity football game.
SD played basketball for the first time on the SMG team in Downers Grove.

Travel

Traditions

We started a new tradition called "Camp Parrillo" where all the Parrillos came up to Twin Lakes for a family weekend. It was awfully nice.
We went apple picking. This time in Illinois of all places! (It is close to Wisconsin!)
Our new neighborhood hosts an annual soap box derby. We participated for the first time this year.
We made our annual trip out to Heap's to pick pumpkins. This time with a cousin.
All three kids carved their own pumpkins this year. Welp...Frankie drew his, and I carved it!
We met Santa and his reindeer at Wanamaker's like we do every year.

2023 - Our Year In Review

Well, hello there. By now, you've received our holiday card, spotted the url on the back and decided to come check out what's doin' on here. Before, I get into the Year In Review, I'd like to acknowledge one item and call attention to an omission on our (giant) card. First, they can't all be 'bangers' as the kids say. Our Griswold-inspired Paris card last year that was art directed, costumed and created by Nat is pretty hard to beat. This year, we stuck with the full-family photo on the front, but in a much less funny way. And, second, the omission. I was told (by leadership) that there "wasn't room" - on the back of the card - to offer our kind regards to those who celebrate Festivus. That oversight has been made right with the amended corrected back-side of our card you can see below: Now, on to the 2023 Year in Review for the Parrillos. Milestones and Birthdays We have, somehow, a teenager (8th grade), an 11-year-ol...

The Parrillo Family

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