Da Bulls!

Today we took John and Ali to their first Bulls game and what a way to go! I have recently had the chance to get to know a Mrs. Illinois America contestant who wanted some insight for her first ever pageant. Lisa Sonnenberg has become a bit of a friend as well. Her husband, Scott, works for the Bulls and they invited up to a game in one of the boxes. The box could not have been cooler!Lisa and Scott have four of the most beautiful children too. It was such fun, even though Johnny spiked a fever and had to leave before the final buzzer. Thank you Lisa and Scott

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Lessons Learned

This weekend I was part of clinic by the well-known and respected Julie Winkel. (Thank you honey!) She is a high level judge and well known for riding. It was a priviledge to learn from her expertise in the hunter/jumper world.Let me tell you, she is grace under pressure. You would never have known only a few short weeks ago, she lost her home, a barn and a grand prix field to the recent fires in Reno, NV. Luckily the rest of Maplewood Stables, which include 8 live-in interns (one is Lauren DiTallo-my trainer's daughter)and 80 horses are okay given the 80 MPH winds that day. Her decades of awards and memorabilla are gone and only her riding boots made it out of the home. And so, much like the cliche, she pulled herself up by those boot straps and spent time with us in Illinois. And now, she is off to judge in Wellington, Florida.
1)Julie Winkel
2)Part of Maplewood Stables after the forest fires.

Have a Heart to Help

Saturday night was the outcome of a ton of work by some of CASA's hardest working advocates. For the last year plus, they have been brainstorming and finding ways to make tonight's benefit worth it for those who attend and for those we will help. What is CASA? Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children. Simply put: we volunteers serve the best interest of abused and neglected children on behalf of juvenile court justices. We work along with children and family services. We work with teachers and therapists, foster parents and everyone else who is involved at all with "our" children. However, we are the unbiased eyes and ears of the court. And our focus is solely on the best interest of the child. If only there were CASAs for every child in need as there are, unfortunately, so many who need a voice to speak up for them.