Baby Time!

Here is a shout out to a couple who will no doubt be amazing parents! What a lucky little boy! Byron Harlan and Judi will not only have a beautiful boy, he will be a tall one as they are no slouches. Nancy Pender threw a great shower for them.
1)Bryon, known by everyone as, "The People's Anchor"
2)Some gifts to welcome Baby Boy Harlan.

Happy Father's day!

Lucky me, lucky me! I come from a long line of good Dads. And so my dad was given a good example of how to be; kind, compassionate and a person with integrity and morals. And that gave me the example of what I should look for in a husband and a father to my children. I should say OUR children! I found that with my husband John. For he too, came from a long line of good dads. And so we salute you men who brave the dirty diapers and the late night feedings. You keep it cool when all blankety-blank is breaking loose and you set the standard. For those who perhaps were not so lucky, may you be that better person.
1)Cooking up trouble for Dad.

Looking for a little summer fun?

Rock-A-Bye the River. It's a new event this year to help raise money for billboards across the state which will educate those who pass about the Safe Haven Laws. It's a fun way to get the job done and all thanks to the hours of effort by volunteers and board members like Dawn, Kellie,Penny and Angie. You guys rock-literally!

I Took on the Challenge and Made Some Friends!

Well, let me start by letting you know that I managed the stairs just fine! I also managed to be 1st runner-up. The weekend FLEW by. It was so well organized and the ladies were so warm and gracious. In fact several of us are now on Facebook with each other. And afterward I was so surprised to take home a ton of gifts on top of the weekend! My son now totes the Caboodle around with his Matchbox Cars inside.

Thank you to my generous husband and all our friends and family who came from the burbs and from all over the country to be there. It is humbling as I think we had five different states covered. It was so incredible as I could see all of them in the audience. Some stopped by the next day so we could all just hang out and catch up which may have been one of my favorite parts. I will say I am very happy with how it all turned out and I feel I did the best I could at that point in time, but there is always room to improve. This was a great part of the journey I am on and now on to some other plans in the works. I can't wait to see where it takes me.

To Lisa Niewlony, you have been a dear friend and I hope you know what a legacy you leave as Mrs. Illinois 2008. Those are some BIG and beautiful heels to fill. You are one of a kind who defines integrity. Our new Mrs. Illinois, Anji Meidel, must still be pinching herself as she has worked hard and long for this. To finally hear her name called must be a moment she will never forget! Make us proud as I know you will over this next year.

Mrs. Tennessee America

I have said this many times and I say it again...I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life in spite of moving so often. I am talking about friends like Michelle Allen-Parker. We were roomates back in the day when I was a reporter for CBS in Nashville, Tennessee. She made sure the bills were paid on time and she allowed me the bigger bedroom! These days we are both married and live a few states apart. Still, she remains a sister to me and an aunt to my children. This weekend she competed in the Mrs. Tennessee America pageant and of course I had to go cheer her on! Chell was so graceful on stage and she was dynamite in a swimsuit! She had a great weekend and plans to return next year. Here she is with one of the other delegates, Tiffany Love and with the new Mrs. Tennessee America. I am proud of you!

Come and Get it!!!

Well the issue is now out on newsstands and finding its way to mailboxes here in Chicago. It was an honor to be profiled in Sheridan Road magazine. They interviewed me about the juggling one does as a mom, journalist and volunteer. And I found they also profiled make-up mogul Bobbi Brown who is from the area. The best part? The picture I now have with my two babies. As I learned around Christmas, getting a shot with two young children can be quite the balancing act itself so I am glad to have the picture

Hot Mama D.

As most of us ladies know, it is Godsend to have good girlfriends. It is a rare gem to find someone you can truly trust to have your back and your best interests. Lucky me, I have some amazing women in my life I hold in such high regard.

Deanna Linz in one of those people. She competed this weekend in Mrs. Maryland International. She won photogenic and was 1st runner-up. To me, she is and will always be Queen D. We had the chance to catch up with some of the other ladies from the United States class of 2007, one of which is the reigning Mrs. International Laine Berry. She is as lovely as always and has been so busy she joked that she barely remembers what her own bed looks like. She will have some big heels to fill come July.

Elegant, compassionate and wise beyond her young years-Deanna is a mom to 3 month old Carter (aka Rocky) who is such an overachiever as he arrived at only 23 weeks.
This weekend was a chance for D to be celebrated for her endeavors and to honor her husband Andy and celebrate the miracle of a son they have. And I was honored to meet the miracle man himself. He is a little piece of heaven that one. And he is proof that is you believe, if you don't give up or give in, all is possible.