Elizabeth's Horse Camp

My oldest, 9 year old Elizabeth, has always loved horses.  She even chose to have a horse-themed birthday party when she turned six years old.  

Despite her love for horses, she has never actually ridden a full-size horse.  Well, this summer Adam and I decided she was old enough to handle the responsibility and danger associated with this sport so we signed her up for a week long horse camp at our local equestrian center.  Her Granny and Aunt Erica hooked her up with some sweet cowgirl boots and trendy new bedazzled t-shirt.

As we drove to camp on the first morning I asked if she was nervous. 

"No, I'm not nervous at all.  But I am imagining that it is going to be a small place with one little horse that we all have to share.  That way I won't be disappointed."

  

Who does that? Sets their expectations low so they won't be disappointed.  (Her dad! Her dad! Her dad!)

It's so funny to me because I cannot relate to that life strategy.  I tend to expect great things and then sometimes I am disappointed. But Elizabeth and Adam both share this strategy of setting their expectations low so they can instead be pleasantly surprised.

Well pleasantly surprised she was!!!!

We pulled up to a huge barn with 32 horses!!!  Each girl got their own horse to care for and ride. 

When I picked her up after Day #1 I learned that they not only rode their horse by themselves but they also went on a 3 mile trail ride and even started trotting.  Day #1!?!?!?  She was so excited!!!  Even someone like me with high expectations would have been happy with this day. 

Day 2-4 continued to improve as she learned how to post (going up and down in the saddle), trot, gallop and jump!

On Day #5 all the parents were invited to the horse show where the girls were able to present their horses in the ring while riding for us and performing their skills.

Elizabeth did a great job!!She certainly enjoyed the week and is already looking forward to the next time she gets to hop in the saddle.  

Living for His Glory

This past week has been...miraculous, scary, overwhelming, joyous, luxurious, difficult, and wonderful!


When I entered the college cafeteria in 1996 to share a vial of my blood with the National Bone Marrow Registry, I never would have dreamed that I would get a call on Christmas Eve 2010 that I am a match for a 64 year old man with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was exciting to know I might be able to help save another person's life.


Over the next 6 months I had some blood work and some medical testing to further confirm our match and then a transplant date was set, and postponed,and set and postponed again.  I know God's timing is perfect and I trusted that these delays were part of His plan.  Yet, I also worried that my recipient was getting sicker and this transplant might never happen.  Not so!


Last Sunday, July 3rd I received my first figlastrim injection to help increase my body's production of peripheral stem cells (bone marrow producing cells). These shots are to be given for five days prior to the donation.  The first night I experienced some mild bone pain, nothing too notable.


The next day I experienced some nausea and an intense headache.  My collection was scheduled to take place at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL and I had intended to drive myself and my kids there on Day #2.  It is a 6 hour drive from Atlanta.  With these new symptoms and my anxiety regarding making the drive alone, my sweet husband decided to drive us down and then rent a car and drive back home.  This was his 4th of July holiday and he drove 12 hours to get us safely to Jacksonville!  There have been many times in our marriage when I have felt exceedingly blessed to have Adam as my husband and this day certainly ranked high among those times.  He takes such good care of me! I love him so much!


I continued with the shots each day and the symptoms certainly got worse (as they should).  I felt achey...kind of like the flu except instead of having muscle aches it was more in the bones.  The headache lingered with the decreased appetite and nausea.


The 4th night was a rough one and I was thankful to have my mother-in-law keeping me company in the hotel next to Mayo.  I experienced these "gripper" pains in my sternum and pelvis.  They never lasted more than 10 seconds but it was like someone was grabbing and squeezing my bones.  I had to hold on to the wall and take a deep breath until in past.  So strange! I also drenched my clothes with night sweats.  I think my body was just really confused.

Looking a little loopy...not one of my finer photos!

 On day 5, I reported to the Apheresis unit at Mayo Clinic to be hooked up for a 5 hour collection.  They put a needle in one arm to pull out my blood and then it ran through an apheresis machine to collect the peripheral stem cells and then another tube returned my blood back into my other arm.  They gave me some ativan to relax my veins. It worked okay for about an hour, but my veins are not large and they were "vibrating" quite a bit.  I couldn't feel it but the machine kept alarming and the nurses kept talking about a central line. Yup! After an hour of collection they took out the IVs and sent me down to radiology for a central line placement.


They got me back on the machine with the blood flowing well from my jugular vein...4 hours.  I felt kinda weird...probably a combination of the ativan, the effects of the shots, the blood being pulled from my body and returned or the calcium deficiency.  A new symptom.  They told me that I might feel some tingling in my fingertips and lips from the calcium that was being taken through this process.  Apparently, the calcium drip that they were supplementing me with in the IV was not quite enough because about 4 hours into the donation my thumbs started curling into my palms, my fingers curved around them, my wrist curled up and my forearm pulled up and toward my body.  I couldn't control these strange contractions.  If someone uncoiled my hand it would just curl back up as soon as it was released.  It wasn't painful but it was very strange.  Needless to say, they increased my IV calcium.


The transplant center requested 7 million cells from me and I was able to produce 6 million on day one.  Yea!  Because of the central line I had to be admitted to the hospital to spend the night.  My hand contractions diminished to numbness and tingling and then finally went away around 2 am.  My sweet nurse changed my sheets around 3 am due to another bout with night sweats.  I changed my PJs three times!!!  Thanks mom and dad for bringing me several options!! (My mom and dad ended up spending the night in my hotel room next to Mayo so they could be close by for Day 2 collection.)


Day 2 collection started about 7:30am and was much easier than day one due to the fancy contraption coming out of my neck.   The nurses hooked me up and hung extra calcium and I was good to go.  I ended up collecting a total of 9.18 million cells for my match.  YIPEE!


I was able to write an anonymous note to my recipient.  This is what I wrote:

Dear Stem Cell Sharer,

I received a call on Christmas Eve that I am a match with you and since then you and your family have been in my prayers.  I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to share this special gift with you. 

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years raising my daughter (10) and son (8).  It is the best job in the world!  I also volunteer full time for a non-profit that serves families with young children who have a parent with a life-threatening illness.  I love serving these families but I always wish I could give them more time with their loved ones or take away their illness.

Being a match for you is an answer to prayer for me! I am praying these cells will give you much more time with the ones you love and take away your illness. 

It has been a joy serving you through this donation.  Throughout this entire process I have recognized that my body is not my own, but it belongs to God.  He has brought us together in this medical miracle for which I am so grateful.  So many people are praying for you!

I wish you health and strength and peace and joy.  God bless you!

Love,

Your Donor

I was given a sterling silver heart charm as an appreciation for my donation.  I will wear it to remember this man and his family.  Through this process, however, I was given far more than a charm.  God gave me an amazing gift to share my life with someone.  It was an honor and a privilege and I would do it again tomorrow if it was required.  

At church last Sunday, right before I received my first shot, I was feeling a little anxious about the week ahead of me.  I kept reminding myself that my body is not my own and that it belongs to God and that He has called me to this purpose for this donation. During worship I was really hoping we would sing the song "Glory to God Forever" by Fee that says "Take my life and let it be, all for you and for your glory. Take my life and let it be yours."  That was the message that I wanted to cling to during this entire process.  That song always makes me raise my hands and really surrender my life to God.  

Well...we sang the first three songs but no "Glory to God Forever"...bummer!  Then after the sermon we usually sing 2 more songs...I was hopeful. We sung two but not "Glory to God Forever".

But...then...wait...we sang a third song!!!  

Do we usually sing three?  

I am pretty sure we only sing two songs as the end.  

Anyway, it WASN'T  "Glory to God Forever" but it was "Living for Your Glory" by Tim Hughes:

"Take my life let it be everything, all of me.  Here I am use me for your glory.  In everything I say and do, let me life honor you.  Here I am living for your glory."

Amen.  Thank you God for the gift of this song and for the peace that it brought me this week.  These words truly encompass the entire reason for my participation in this transplant, and my work with Inheritance of Hope and my daily life as Jill Thompson.  It is my heart's desire to live for His glory.  

Thanks for loving me and supporting me through this journey.  I am back home safely and feeling well and recovered. Please continue to pray for my stem cell sharer and his family.  I will be receiving updates on his health and status and he can write to me if he wants to later on.  I will keep you all posted as I hear new information.  

Here are a few photos of the process.  If you are at all quesy with medical equipment please do not scroll down to the last photo.  I am SO thankful I did not know what a central line catheter looked like before it was removed from my jugular vein.  I had no idea it was so large and long.  OK....so the last picture is that one.  Viewer discretion is advised. 

One last note before the photos...Many of you have been asking about how you can join the bone marrow registry.  It is very easy now.  All you have to do it is visit BeTheMatch.org and click on "Join the Registry".  They will send you a kit in the mail and you will swab the inside of your cheek and mail it back.  That's it!  It is pretty statistically rare to ever be a match for someone but certainly the more people in the database the better the chances to save more lives.  I encourage you to do it!

Living for His glory,

Jill

The OR tech was kind enough to take this shot for me before bandaging my line.

Probably one of my lower moments. 

Day one is done, I'm tired and both arms are tingling.

Day two...everything is flowing well. Central line is removed below. No wonder I felt so weird. Bleh!

Rest in the Shade

I spend a lot of my time these days out at a baseball field cheering on my seven year old son and his all-star team, the Stingrays. I enjoy watching them play and cheering them on.  One thing I do NOT enjoy is the unbearable heat that comes with June in Atlanta, GA.  There is certainly a reason people have nicknamed this great city "HOTlanta."

I am actually NOT complaining about the heat.  It is fine.  I have great perspective after living in Minnesota for 7 years. Truly I would rather sweat than freeze any day of the week.  However, in the same way it is essential to take cover indoors when the Minnesota temperature plummets below zero in January, it is equally as essential to take cover in shade when you are out in the 100 degree temperatures of June in North Georgia.

The Stingray parents have wised up to this survival strategy and invested in some large canopies to shade our bleachers.  It is AMAZING the amount of relief one can experience by simply taking refuge under the shade of one of these canopies.  Granted it is still hot and humid but there is great comfort when the sun is not directly shining down on you.

When families come to a Legacy Retreat we want them to find some rest in the shade.  Clearly we cannot change their circumstances and many of them still have to "feel the heat" of their illnesses, side effects and burdens while on vacation.  However, we hope to provide a great shelter where they can find relief and rest.  For many of them this retreat truly is a means of survival as they find hope, encouragement, and new strength for their fights.  They also will find a community (or team) of fellow all-stars that know what the heat feels like who will be sitting next to them cheering with all their hearts.

I can't wait to open up our big Inheritance of Hope canopy next Saturday to 16 families from all over the country. Please pray that they find sweet rest, restoration, hope and community in the "shade" we strive to provide.

Bull in a China Shop

I live in Atlanta, Georgia.  Home of the Braves, high temperatures, and southern hospitality.

I love hospitality!  In fact, I think if you quiz my closest friends and relatives they would tell you that hospitality is in my blood.  I enjoy having guests in my home for dinner or for weeklong visits. It is a joy to feed them a meal (or meals), take care of their needs, and make them feel very welcome in my home.  It makes me smile just typing about it!

The other day I got to experience a hospitality unlike any I had ever experienced before.  I was invited into the home of a beautiful lady who loves to practice hospitality as much as me.  She welcomed me and 6 other ladies into her home for a brunch honoring her daughter's birthday.  Her daughter is a dear friend of mine and I was thrilled to have a brunch to celebrate her life.

Well....I don't think I was prepared.  Her mom had a beautifully-decorated home and an outfit that was perfectly accessorized and lovely. She added to her charm with a VERY slow southern drawl that can only be found in the deep south.  She exuded southern charm and hospitality.  I feel a great connection to this lady (minus the beautifully decorated home and perfectly accessorized outfit).  She wanted us to feel welcome.

We sat down to chat and she came around with a lovely tray with sparking crystal glasses filled to the perfect measure with orange juice.  Apparently this was our pre-brunch refreshment to partake while we visited briefly.  Then we followed her into the lovely dining room that was set with fine china, an elegant center piece, and new crystal glasses for our brunch beverage.

She delicately took our previous crystal and gently and politely guided us to our seats so she could "say grace" and serve us brunch. It was so beautiful.  So fancy. So elegant. So lovely. I felt so welcome.

I left that brunch feeling very cherished.  She has treated me in the best way she knew how.  She wrapped me in sweet southern words and filled my belly with scrumptuos southern food.

My version of hospitality is VERY different.

I welcome you into my mis-matched furniture home.

Invite you to help yourself to anything you would like to drink.

If you would like a pre-meal beverage it is most definitely not going to be served in crystal. In addition, whichever cup you choose  will remain yours for the entire event.

I prepare one of my best meals and, since I do not own fine china, I serve it on some pottery I acquired in Poland.

I almost NEVER have napkins, but instead often revert to a square off the paper towel roll. (I am pretty sure my sweet southern brunch hostess would fall over in horror at this lack of etiquette on my part.)

We both love people. We both love to serve. We offer hospitality from our hearts.  It is out of genuine love and service that we constantly open our doors to others (beautiful front door for her and usually back door or side garage door for me).

There is no doubt that people share their hearts in different ways.  Even though I will never host a brunch like my sweet southern brunch hostess, I certainly hope my guests feel as loved and cherished when they leave my home, as I did when I left hers.

I personally cannot wait to welcome 16 families from all over the country to experience Inheritance of Hope's incredible hospitality.  One of my favorite parts of my job as Legacy Retreat Coordinator is being the welcoming face and voice to these families and introducing them to our amazing team of volunteers and staff. There is no doubt they will all leave feeling so loved and cherished!

By the way, when my friend's mom prompted her to open her birthday cards at the table following our elegant brunch I inwardly began to chuckle.  You see, my taste in birthday card follows my playful, laid back, and generally fun sense of hospitality.  I knew my card would be like a bull in this china shop.

She opened the card from her mom which was a lovely poem adorned with some beautiful flowers and well-thought-out kind words. Then she opened a few more sensible, sweet cards from the other guests.
Then....she....opened....mine...."YOU ARE LOOKING FINE!!!!!......THAT IS ONE FINE PIECE OF HUMAN SPECIMEN..... I COULD JUST EAT YOU UP....YUM YUM YUM!!"


Did I mention it was a card that spoke?  Have you heard of hoops and yoyo? They have loud, annoying, crazy voices that usually repeat silly things a couple of times too many.

I don't know if I'll ever get another invitation by my friend's mom to return to her house.  I do, however, love the new picture in my mind of this beautiful woman showing love to others. (Additionally, I LOVE the picture in my mind of her sweet proper face when she heard my card that spoke yelled crazy things at her daughter.)

Giving Life

I value life greatly.  Hopefully, you do too.  There is no question the life we have here on earth is often times far too short whether it is 40 years or 99.

It seems like, more often then not, we spend more time contemplating what we are going to make for dinner or what our next big purchase is going to be then we do on teaching our kids or loving our "neighbors".

Life is too short.

We need to be intentional about taking a moment to teach our kids about loving others.  Or, for that matter, intentionally looking for ways to love others.

We need to literally stop and smell the roses...or at least notice that they are there and that they are all unique and beautiful. Can you believe each one of us is also unique and beautiful? Yes, you!

I got a call a few months ago from the HLA Bone Marrow Registry. Apparently, my bone marrow was a match for a 64 year old man with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Amazing!

I underwent some additional testing and I have now officially become this man's donor.

In my role as Legacy Retreat Coordinator for Inheritance of Hope I have met far too many individuals that are battling for their lives (most of them much younger than this gentleman!) I have always said if there was anything I could do to help these sweet people have more time with their families that I would do it in a heartbeat.  Well...here's my chance!

I will be getting a shot for 5 days to boost my stem cells.  Apparently, I will feel pretty lousy during this 5 day period, experiencing body aches and bone pain.  Then on Day #5 I will have a 4 hour procedure to remove my stem cells to help save this man.

I am humbled and awed that I have been allowed this opportunity!

I only wish I could do it for all of the families that I love serving through Inheritance of Hope.

I would love your prayers for me and my stem cell sharer! I'll keep you posted...

Cheerleader

I am not a runner!!!!  There is no question about that.  

I actually have said, "One thing I will NEVER do in my life is a marathon....I have no desire!" I do, however, have several friends who have committed to running marathons for Inheritance of Hope and I woke up at 3 am and stood in freezing conditions for hours to cheer them on during their route.

God created me to be a cheerleader.  I like to stand on the sidelines and cheer (LOUDLY and EXCITEDLY) for people.  So, why am I now signed up and training to run (walk) 26.2 miles???  Two reasons:

1) My best friend has been running a proverbial marathon for the past 8 years as she battles terminal liver cancer. She has devoted her life to sharing hope with other families in her circumstance through Inheritance of Hope. I saw her the weakest she has ever been this Fall and it scared the daylights out of me.  I knew God was in control but I was worried He was going to take her home and I would miss her so much! She is getting stronger everyday and she is going to participate in this race!!!  On October 30th I am going to wake up early and cheer on my friend. This time I am not going to cheer from the sidelines....I am going to encourage and cheer every step of the 26.2 miles as we do it together!!!  I will rejoice with each step as I celebrate God's healing in her body.  FUN!!!

2) Inheritance of Hope needs more support if we are going to continue serving young families with a parent battling a life-threatening illness.  I have made this my life's work and it pains me to have families waiting to attend one of our Legacy Retreats but not enough funds to make it happen.  We need your help!  Through this marathon I hope to raise awareness of this awesome organization and gain support to help serve more families!!!

I am STILL not a runner.  I am still a cheerleader.  I am a cheerleader with running shoes on. I have already started training and I can't imagine going for 26.2 miles!!! It's going to be a great adventure!

Swagger Wagon

I am in love.....have been for quite some time.

Actually July 11th 2005 was the date we first met and it was NOT love at first sight.

It was a practical relationship.

My sleek trendy stylish Acura SUV had kind of died so...

My man pulled in the driveway with my new set of wheels...a 2005 Honda Oddesey Minivan!  She had all thebells and whistles complete with a built-in DVD player with wireless headphones for each of my kids. The people of Honda thought of everything including a lazy susan in the floor for extra storage, a mirror to view the backseat, and extra middle seat in the second row and 12 cup holders!!!

Now I feel like a princess in her chariot when I drive around town in my minivan!

I honestly do feel pretty cool.  There may have been a time in my life when I thought that a minvan could never be cool but that was when I was young and foolish.  Now that I have some wisdom and experience I recognize that this vehicle has charisma.  The doors alone provide numerous points of excitement.  They slide instead of fly open when my kids exit. They open or close with the small touch of a button.  They automatically stop when a small (or large) appendage is in the way.  I could go on all day!

I still have several mommy-pals who are resistant to the minivan and the stigma that it brings.  I try to encourage all of those individuals to embrace this vehicular gift.  They don't know what they are missing.

Personally, I think I may choose to drive a minivan even after my children are grown and gone.  I don't think I want to part with my "swagger wagon".

If you also love your minivan I would love to hear from you!

Next Friday on this blog I am going to share my newest GREAT ADVENTURE!!!!  It's something that this wild-minivan-driving-mom-of-two said she would NEVER do!!!

Sharing

We went over to some friend’s home the other night for dinner.  My husband and I both agreed that the meal was awesome so I requested the recipe from my friend.

Well, I don’t know what this says about me as a person but, I did not just make the meal for my family and then file the recipe away.  No!!!!  I made the meal for my family, gushed about how yummy it was to anyone who would listen and then emailed the recipe to all my buddies near and far.

As I went to the grocery store to restock on the pantry items that I would need to have on hand when I make this meal again, I talked to the lady in line behind me about the meal and she left the line to go buy the ingredients.  The checkout lady overheard our conversation and inquired about the meal so I shared the recipe with her too.  When I think about it, it is really funny!

Once I find something that is special I feel this overwhelming urge to tell everyone about it.  I don’t want people to miss out on good things!  It’s just how I am wired.  I guess I am a marketing managers dream. If word of mouth is the best form of advertisement then my mouth is making them big bucks.

I realize that my mom has this tendency as well and my son seems to be catching on to the spirit.  We really don’t want people to miss out on a good thing…whether a recipe, a restaurant, a big sale, a good vacation spot, a service or organization...

So in that spirit let me share a few recent things you don’t want to miss:

1)    The Marine Corps Marathon- This huge 26.2 mile trek through the heart of our nation’s capital is the place to be on October 30th.  All the cool people will be there! ;-) By registering with Team IOH you can not only participate in this awesome event but you can also raise the money necessary for a family to attend one of out Legacy Retreats.  There is a greater purpose than 26.2 miles!!!  It is HUGE!! I’ll be writing a whole blog about this one soon!!!

2)    Have you heard this song.  It has a fun beat and a sweet message.  Put it on your ipod and rock out while you train for the marathon. ;-)

3)    If you are ever in St. Augustine, Florida you can eat the best fried seafood you have ever had in your life at Osteen’s Restaurant.  It is mouth-watering, super scrumptious, out of this world food!!!! It’s worth a drive from anywhere. ;-)

4)    Try this recipe (super easy and mentioned above)
Angel Chicken Pasta
Serves 6
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ cup butter
1 (.7 oz) package dry Italian style salad dressing mix
½ cup white wine
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 (4 oz) package cream cheese with chives
1 pound angel hair pasta
Melt butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Stir in the package of dressing mix. Add wine and mushroom soup. Mix in cream cheese and stir until smooth. Heat thoroughly but do not bring to a boil. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 dish. Pour sauce over the chicken. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

5) Did you know on your iPhone when you use the "map" application, you can click on the lower right button and choose "show traffic" from the menu to see accurate up-to-date traffic on all major highways.  It's amazing!  Green for smooth sailing, yellow for slow, and red for bumper-to-bumper.  Check it out!

Well, those are my most recent tell-everyone-you-know tid bits.  I'm quite sure there will be more and you will be reading about them. But for now go sign up for a marathon, get yourself a good song to train with, make some yummy pasta, take a trip to St. Augustine when your route is all green on your iPhone map! ;-)

By the way, when you're telling all your friends about great things, don't forget to mention Inheritance of Hope and send them to our website www.inheritanceofhope.org!

Stay at Home Mom

I am proud to be a stay at home mom.  Over the past 9+ years in this role, I can honestly say I have kept very busy managing my home and raising my kids.  The past year and a half have been different with both kids in school all day, but I still manage to keep my days very full (grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, volunteer work, and IOH work).

Adam told me when he was tucking Elizabeth into bed the other night she said, "Dad, I want to marry someone just like you."

Wow...what a wonderful thing to say!!! Adam was very honored and humbled...until she added, "then I can stay home like mom all day and just shop and stuff."

I was flabbergasted.  What does she think I do all day...shop and eat cadbury mini eggs? (I must confess lately I have been indulging in quite a few mini eggs, but I LOVE them and they are only in stores for a very few months).

Anyway, as flabbergasted as I was, Adam's statement to me was classic. "Is that all I am to you...your sugar daddy?"

Well, if the sugar daddy can bring home some mini eggs then SURE!!!

Spring Forward

Monday morning was rough.  It was still dark out when we were supposed to get up and after the weekend it seemed like the alarm was my enemy.  We intentionally chose to skip the bus and drive to school to give ourselves an extra 30 minutes.

(Understand....if you drop your kids off after the tardy bell you must walk them in and sign the tardy book.)

Well my clock showed we were after the tardy bell and as I looked down at my attire I quickly realized I was not in any position to walk my kids into school.  Slippers ON. Mis-matched pajamas ON. Bra NOT ON.

I told the kids, "I don't care that we are after the tardy bell you just walk on into your classes with confidence and if someone gives you a hard time about not being signed in just tell them to call me."  Cael was fine with that plan but Elizabeth (my little worrier) began to fret.  She didn't say too much but you could see her little mind worrying over the crazy trouble she will be in for breaking the rules.  (Terrible mother...MAKING her kids break the rules!!!)

Needless to say. we pulled into the school and the car pool line was soooooo long....as long as it usually is at LEGAL prime time drop off.  Apparently, the daylight savings time messed up quite a few families and I was not alone in my tardiness.

Phew...I didn't have to get out of the car or force my kids to break any school rules.  Saved for today!

Here I Am!

I have contemplated my own personal blog for a while.  As my bookmark bar fills with blogs of friends that I follow I realized how much  I look forward to reading these blogs each day and decided I would give it a try.

There is no doubt many of my entries will surround the crazy antics of my two kids, Elizabeth age 9 and Cael age 7.


So...listen to this conversation from the backseat of my minivan the other day.

Elizabeth: "Do I have any money in the bank?"

Me: "Yes, it is for college."

Elizabeth: "I plan on working really hard at the piano and soccer so I can get a scholarship for college. Then what happens to that money?"

Me: "You can use it for something else, like a car."

Elizabeth: (with wide eyes and big dreams) "Cael, what are you going to work hard at so you can get a scholarship for college?"

Cael: (with very little hesitation) "I don't really feel like working that hard at anything....I'll just use the money in the bank."

Are you kidding me?!?! Guess I'm going to have to keep working on that one.
 
Maternal to-do list:
Work ethic
Self-discipline
Driven to succeed