Skoglund Family
2025 Year in Review
Dear Family and Friends: We hope this note finds you well and settling into the holiday season with moments of rest, reflection, and joy.
It’s hard to believe another 365 days have come and gone. No matter how much we try to slow things down, time seems determined to race ahead. This year brought big milestones. Chase and Max turned 12, wrapped up sixth grade, and officially started seventh. Pam and Ron logged nearly 25,000 miles in the car, worked three to four days a week from home, and somehow managed to share only the occasional lunch together. And, of course, our beloved Shiba Inu, Eevee, remains committed to her many passions, including mischief, cuteness, stealing anything within reach, and an unwavering obsession with chicken bones.
The new year began with some difficult news. After a period of health challenges, Ron’s dad, Robert “Bob” Skoglund, passed away shortly after Christmas. It is never a call you want to receive, but Bob lived a long and full life. His memorial was attended by many from his business, community, church, and family. His grandsons each shared memories of Grandpa that were thoughtful, well said, and deeply meaningful.
Ron’s mom spent the year taking care of what needed to be done and enjoying a few visits to Door County. She had visits from the kids and hosted our annual Christmas cookie bake, which resulted in five tins of cookies sent back to Lemont.
TRAVELS
For Spring Break 2025, we traveled to Pittsburgh, primarily to see the architecture and especially Fallingwater. After learning about Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, we enjoyed visiting several of his homes and inspired dwellings outside Pittsburgh. We also spent time at some great museums, particularly the Andy Warhol Museum.
After the school year wrapped up, we finally took our long-delayed trip to France, originally planned for summer 2020. The new itinerary included five days in Paris and five days in London. Pam served as tour guide and planned a mix of major sites, a few hidden gems, and plenty of good food. At the top of the list were pain au chocolat and crêpes. A highlight was dinner in the Eiffel Tower.
Our visit to the Louvre, which took place before the robbery, had one clear mission, to see the Mona Lisa. Along with about 100,000 other tourists. We succeeded.
On our last day in Paris, Chase and Pam shopped for a gourmet picnic that included cheese, chocolate, fruit, breads, meats, and of course, macarons. We ate in front of Notre Dame and admired the newly completed renovations.
About three days into the trip, Max took over navigation duties. After too many retraced steps, wrong turns, and repeated reassurances that we were almost there, he had had enough. Watching the guys confidently navigate the streets of Paris became one of the quiet joys of the trip.
We traveled by train to London, where the highlights included afternoon tea, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, and the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which was the favorite part for everyone. Our goal was art and architecture. Mission accomplished!
Summer adventures continued with several trips to Door County. The boys and Ron also traveled to Two Harbors, Minnesota, near Lake Superior, for the middle school service trip with St. Paul Lutheran Church. They worked on projects at local not for profits, picked 100 pounds of fresh carrots, and had a great time.
The summer also included band camp and a few weeks, plus an overnight stay, at The Forge, an outdoor adventure park in our hometown of Lemont.
HEADING INTO FALL
Chase and Max transitioned into seventh grade with ease and continue to have great teachers at Old Quarry Middle School. Math and science are favorites, though both boys have recently commented out loud that English and social studies are way more fun than last year.
Both are in band. Chase plays clarinet and Max plays trombone. Max advanced to Jazz 1, an audition-based band, while Chase continues in Jazz 2 as the lead piano player.
Hearing them play is truly special. The Jazz 1 band is heading to New Orleans in January. This is the first-ever trip of its kind for the school. Everyone is excited, especially Max, as it will be his first time traveling without the rest of the family.
THANK YOU
A special thank-you to everyone who donated toward Max’s trip. He raised $900 from family, friends, and some determined pitching. We hosted a dinner where the boys served a three-course meal, and Max completed a series of house projects to earn the remaining funds. Although Chase is not traveling, he helped his brother every step of the way.
The boys are enjoying their school activities. Chase participates in Board Game Club and STEM Club. Max serves as a committee chair on Student Council and is also in STEM Club.
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK
Pam and Ron continue their work in software and technology. Pam’s company, Archer Career, is growing and now works with 15 universities. Highlights this year included receiving a selective Innovation Grant from the state of Illinois and being named one of the Top 100 Innovative Companies in Chicago. Coming soon is Pam’s first book, The Early Career Pocket Guide: Launch Your Job Search.
Ron continues his work at Granicus, supporting software products and managing a team of more than 25 people in 4 countries. He also joined the Band Boosters this year to support and enrich the school’s band programs.
As always, we are grateful for time spent with family and friends, near and far. We love to host and, when possible, travel to see those outside Chicago. Come visit. We have a full guest suite ready and waiting. Just hide your shoes. Eevee will steal them.
Go Bears. The Chiefs and Packers fan in the house is fairly quiet these days.