Our Lady of Hope

Incase you were not aware...
The community of Our Lady of Hope, formerly located on River Road in the Town of Newburgh, is gathering for a Potluck Family Picnic Reunion. The Reunion is co-sponsored by St. Mary's Parish, Newburgh and is to be held at the Chadwick Lake Park, Route 32, Newburgh, on Sunday, July 26, 2009 from 1pm-6pm. Special guest will be Rev. Richard McAlear, OMI. Pre-registration is strongly recommended by July 10, 2009. Suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family. Contact Karel Hoeberechts at (845)883-6842, karelhoeb@wmconnect.com or
Michelle Birkenstock at (845)541-2268, birkenstockfamily@verizon.net for information and registration. Come for an afternoon, rain or shine, of praise, worship, witness, family fun & games, shared food and shared experiences!

Town of Newburgh Little League

April brought Karl's first game with the Town of Newburgh Little League! Karl is on the Astros t-ball team. Because Karl was not involved with Little League last year, he is required to be on the t-ball team, rather than instructional. There are pros and cons to this. Although Karl is apt enough in baseball to be on an instructional team, he is enjoying the team dynamics and strong encouragement that comes at this level. He is also serving his brother well, as Paul is too young to be allowed on the team this year and will be in t-ball next year. Karl is teaching Paul the joy of the game and the etiquite that should accompany it. Way to go Karl! If you are local and would like to join us fo rone or two of Karl's games, please feel free to visit

http://www.tonll.com/. Click on the schedules link, to games link, to t-ball link.

Go Astros! Go Karl!

The Cuz Crew

Karl Birkenstock, Anthony Piaquadio, Paul Birkenstock

Easter, 2009

Easter, 2009

April is ending and May is just about to begin. How is it possible that time flies this quickly? And how is it that the older we get, the faster, it does in deed, fly?

Easter was a lovely day for us and we hope you can say the same for yourself! Spring and Easter justresound in rebirth! How refreshing!

Kalr and Paul woke with great excitement that morning. They were just as excited as they were for Christmas! The "big gift" from the Eater Bunny this year were little digital cameras for the boys. They are much like their mother and love to be a shutter bug! After going through theor baskets, the hunt began! Faith crawled around the floor at first, as the boys eagerly went from place to place within the house. It did not take long for Faith to find a safe haven next to Daddy. After Church, we came back home, as cousins, Tina, Dean, Anthony and Guy came over. What a great time we shared! We love the parties that we throw, but we also like the quaint gatherings as well. This more "one-on-one" time allows to truly talk with each other and share the moment. We were graced with a sunny day. It was a blit blustery, but Karl, Paul and Anthony did not seem to mind at all. We had an Easter Egg Hunt outside with almost 100 eggs for the three to find! Afterwards, the grownups and Faith returned indoors and the three young men remained in the great outdoors for play on the swings and about the yard. After doing anumber on the 13lb. prime rib roast, turkey breast and Tina's unbelieavable meatballs, sausage & pasta in a homemade tomato sauce, we ventured on to dessert. I made my Oreo Rum Mud Pie, although this time it came out more like the "Oreo Glop Pie". You can't get impatient making this dessert, and, well, I did! It still tasted yummy and I am pretty sure that all of the calories were cooked out this way! (Ok, maybe not).

Justthe same, it is one of the great memories of the year so far! So glad to have the piaquadios as both family and friends!

Faith Ann's First Birthday Bruch

Celebrating Faith Ann's first birthday was a blast! Faith's Aunt Holly came in from IL. Faith's Uncle Peter and Aunt Laura came up from FL. About 75 of us gathered at the Marlboro Yacht Club on Sunday, March 15th, 2009. We had mimosas to toast with and with thanks to the same Aunts and Uncle, we had more food than thought possible! Sitting on the banks of the Hudson River on a mild afternoon, good food and wonderful company was shared in Faith's honor.
To all of those who were able to join us, we say once again, that your presence was truly a gift. For those who were not with us for one reason or another, we thank you for your enduring love and friendship, keeping Faith in your thoughts as we marked her first year with us!
Additional thanks to:
Carrie, for the fabulous cake!
Julie, for the borrowed linens!
Andrea and Joe, for the helping hands before the start and contacts to the MYC.
Barbara, for selfless help in the kitchen.
Cami and Bruce, for the quiche, borrow of the coffee urn and the help at the end until the job was done!
Khristin, for juice and cookies.
Cindy, for the muffin delights!
Jane, for the home made cheese cake that went in a blink of an eye!
Bob and Carol, for the cheese platter.
Salla, for the yummy side salad.
If I am forgetting anyone, please forgive me! Jot me a comment and I will make amends!
As usual of late, my thank you cards were a bit delayed. On the plus side, I did take the time to write personal notes on each! :-) Know that although belated, each was sincere!
Thanks and hugs from all of us!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, FAITH ANN!

Just a quick note to our daughter as we recall the past year with Faith Ann. What a blessed year we have had!
Happy First Birthday, Sweetheart!
We love you more than you could ever know!
Love Always,
Mommy, Daddy, Karl, & Paul
xo xo xo xo

Thank You Peter & Laura!

It was an unseasonably warm NY day. Just three days after Christmas, 2008, we were basking in the warmth of mid-50 degree weather. Wearing turquoise and orange, we left our three children in the capable hands of Pop-Pop's care so that we could set out on a most memorable day! Two couples, Michelle and Eric with Michelle's brother, Peter, and his beloved wife, Laura, climbed into Eric's pearl colored Lincoln and headed to the Meadowlands to watch the Play Off Game between the Miami Dolphins and the NY Jets. But, we didn't just watch... we participated! Sitting on the 50 Yard Line, just a couple of rows up from the field, we could easily see the emotion and feel the sweat! It was an amazing game with an amazing victory of the Dophins over the Jets! If you know Eric, then you know that he has been a HUGE fan of the fish since the Dan Marino days. Thanks to the exceptional generosity of Peter and Laura, Eric was able to see the Dolphins Opening Day in Miami and this most memorable game in NY. Although Michelle is a Bills fan, (no jokes, please!), the day was gladly spent as a Dolphins fan! It was an exhilarating experience of a lifetime! THANK YOU TO MY BROTHER & SISTER-IN-LAW!!!