Shout Out to Lori Donaudy!

This shirt was a present from Lori when I first found out I was expecting. It now fits perfectly and is adorable. Thanks girl!

Yeah, That's No Lawn Ornament...

Imagine our surprise when we woke up the other morning to find this guy in our backyard. I mean, the deer only had to scale a six foot fence. The trick was getting him out of there.

Causes to shop for!

Write a letter to Santa and help make wishes come true! Bring your stamped letter to Macy's. Address it to Santa At The North Pole and drop it into the special Santa letterbox. The letters will be counted, and for each letter received, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation up to $1,000,000!
visit www.Macys.com/believe



This weekend, Nov. 13-16, when you shop at Gap, Banana Republic,
and Old Navy stores and outlets, you will receive 30% off your total purchase
and CARE will receive 5% of your total purchase!

We had a Ball!!!

Friday night my husband and I got all decked out for the annual Stritch Dinner. It is a black tie affair which honors the junior service league. In short, it is a debutante ball and my niece KK (Kathleen Kelly) was one of those presented. She was so lovely in her gown! My sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Lisa and Patrick, were the chairs of the gala which raised millions of dollars for the Loyolla Medical School. Two people were honored for their committment to Loyolla including John York (owner of the 49er's) along with business owner and philanthropist Nancy Knowles. Both are very impressive in all they accomplish in work and in the community.
1)KK with Escort
2)KK with Grandpa Don Kelly
3)Johna and me

Another baby has been safely relinquished.

Tonight I received news from the President of the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation. A safe relinquishment of a newborn was made in the Rockford area.As heart breaking as it may have been for the person to leave the baby with emergency personnel, it is a far better and life saving choice than some of the alternatives I have had to cover as a reporter. That means 47 babies in Illinois that have been reliquished will be welcomed into the arms of waiting families. It is a reminder of what the Safe Haven Laws do and how they can save lives.

Just cuz...

My babies! These are just a couple of brag shots of my son John who turns three this week and my daughter at 4 months. They are the best!

Maybe it shouldn't shock me, but it does anyway.

We are now less than a week from our Presidential election. Experts say it will be a close race, but we don't need the experts to tell any of us that this is perhaps the most important election for us all. Follow me here. My parents now live down south in a state that is very Republican. My parents were raised Republican, but have become more non-partisan and that is how they raised my brother and me. A couple of months ago my mom saw nothing but streets in her neighborhood lined with McCain signs. So she called the local Democratic headquarters to let them know their presence was pretty much null and void. They dropped off several Obama signs and were so thrilled to have a Democrat in the city, they wanted to post signs of those running in other races. She told them this was about Obama and that she is not necessary a Democrat.I must say I am impressed with her for taking action.

Since then, letters of hate have surfaced there showing up in her mailbox and others. Letters that are racist and targeting Obama. Well, if you know my mom (chances are you don't)you know Alice doesn't back down easily. Now this week, people have defaced those signs in my parents' yard writing obscene and racist things. It is a reminder of the hate that continues. But it won't stop my mom! Oh no! She still has new, hate free, signs to put in the yard. 6 more days to go. Regardless of your views or your preference for President, what matters most is that you vote next Tuesday.