Family Bowling Event

Several Chicago West families met at the Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove for a fun afternoon of bowling and fun.  The cold, snowy, no-football Sunday was the perfect opportunity to stay in!  Thank you to everyone who joined us!  Sharon's boys' friends asked if the AOIIs are on a bowling team together!  Hmm....  That's an idea....

January 2015 Founders' Day Celebrations

Our Chicago Area Founders' Day is in late-February, but several of our sisters attended additional celebrations in January.

Delta Rho and Phi Chi hosted a cross-town Founders' Day event at DePaul University, and several familiar CWS faces were in attendance.  Jessie W-G gave a fantastic speech that resonated with the collegians.  Karen H. won a drawing, and Natalie R. helped with the ritual portion.  Jessie C took photos and drank too much coffee : )

Jessie W-G was the speaker.

Jessie W-G, Natalie R., and Karen H.

Jessie W-G, Jessie C., and Karen H.

Chris M. celebrated with the Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter.  She enjoyed having lunch with her sisters and speaking to them about international volunteering and the AOII Executive Board election.

PIP Ann and Chris M.

Indianapolis AC Founders' Day

January Game Night

We met at Lori's house on a cold and snowy evening wearing our vintage letter sand ready to play fun games!

Debby wearing her 1970s wooden lavalier

Stacie and Emmett

What We're Reading - January 2015

We're reading Reconstructing Amelia for our next book club meeting on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at White Chocolate Grill.  Please contact us if you'd like to join us.  All sisters are welcome!

Holiday Gift Exchange

Chris M. hosted our December meeting.  It's one of our favorite nights of the year.  It's so nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays to relax with sister.... until the gift exchange starts..... Then it gets competitive ; )

The gifts!

Karen F., Natalie R., Natalie G., and Ellen

Chris A., Lori, and Patti

Some of the yummy goodness we shared....

We enjoyed Ho Ho Punch and Gingerbread Martinis from the Toledo AC cookbook! Can you see the roses on the punch bowl?  The retro AOII martini pitcher has gotten passed down from Patti to Debby to Chris M.

Ellen and Ann

Anna, Donna, and Diane

Debby and Tracy

Vicky brought her scrumptious baked potato bar.  Seriously!  This lady is hospitality royalty!

Sharon kept our business portion of the night as short as she could....

....because we couldn't wait to start exchanging (and stealing) gifts from each other!  This is Ellen going over the rules.

Lori started off with this red rose throw, but she didn't have it for long.... 

Natalie G. and Chris M.'s oldest legacy, Sydney

Kathy decorated this gorgeous jewelry box!

Lori wore her *new* AOII Mother's Pin for the first time this night.  Her daughter, Abby, is an AOII at Nebraska.

December 2014 Book Club

Our book club enjoyed reading Orphan Train for December.  We did a book exchange to celebrate the holidays.

Jingle Bell Run 2015

We went to Cantigny Park in Wheaton for the West Suburban Jingle Bell Run.  It was a chilly but beautiful morning......definitely not as cold as last year.  Several of us volunteered setting up, registering participants, and marshalling the race.  We ran and walked together, too. Our Philanthropy officer, Vicky, organized a yummy post-race tailgate party.  Team AOII of Greater Chicago together raised $3,388 for the Arthritis Foundation.

Vicky set up our AOII hospitality table.

We can't get enough of Vicky's finger sandwiches and hot cider.