SAB

The Save Abandoned Babies Foundation was fortunate to have the Flashpoint Academy tape the interviews of two wonderful men so others could later hear their stories. I was asked to do the interviews.
Dave Orlowski is a 29 year old who was abandoned by his birth mother at the Ford City Mall the day he was born. He was found my a janitor who discovered him along with a note from his mom. A couple of weeks later he was adopted into a family who raised him to be a very successful person who also works with the foundation.
Brandon Shephard found a newborn baby abandoned outside his apartment this summer. The baby boy was discarded in three plastic bags which had each been tied off in knots. The baby somehow survived so Brandon could find him in the bushes, but he will have life long challenges because of head trauma, ect. Because the boy was not brought to a Safe Haven, police legally had to search for the birth mom , who was found. A judge only gave the 15 year old 5 years probation. Perhaps had she brought the baby to a Safe Haven, he would not face the challenges he will now.
1) Dave Orlowski and I get ready for the interview
2) Brandon, Kelly Seigel (SAB member), me and Dave.
3)One of the many sets at Flashpoint. They are outstanding!

Our Little Village

It is true, it does take a village to raise a child. Luckily, we love our "village," as our neighbors are so wonderful. This year our houses got together for a progressive dinner. We handled the cocktails and apps. Then it was onto another house for dinner. Afterward, we went to another home to decorate gingerbread houses and make sundaes while waiting for Santa to arrive with gifts. I must say it was a great idea and highly suggest you give it a try!

Serving Up Help

Check this out! These plates a very cool, yes. They can also be engraved. But what makes them so special is that each design represents a different charitable organization. The heart is for Habitat for Humanity. They elephant is for Autism. And...the TREE is for CASA! All are fantastic and can be ordered through Quintessence in Northbrook. They suggested the tree could have a couples initials engraved on the trunk for a great wedding gift. Love it!

I loved it!

The North Suburban Law Enforcement Academy asked me to help with the media training for the various surburban officers who handle the media. I get to put them in front of cameras and interview them about mock scenarios such as plant explosions or hostage situations and then give feedback. Aftewward I am part of a panel Q&A about the media. I cannot tell you how much respect and admire these men and women who are police officers and fire fighters. And if they only knew how much my son adores them as well. Maybe one day he will be part of their training.

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.

Eating for a good cause.

My son just can't get enough of fire fighters and they do a great job of keeping us safe. When I was VERY pregnant, our fire alarms suddenly sounded and they were here in only a couple of minutes. Luckily, it was a false alarm! So Johnny was able to check out the trucks up close this weekend and we were able to help with a pancake breakfast. Of course, he was too busy to eat!

It was just a matter of time til we crossed paths.

Through my career as a reporter, I have been able to meet hundreds of people who are well-known to us all. Some for better reasons than others. Never, have I been one to ask for an autograph (unless for someone else) or a photo. Even the pictures I have with U.S. Presidents and Vice-Presidents were taken by others. It just isn't my thing. Rarely, that is.
Until this morning when I was on my way home with my son from preschool. Crossing the four-way stop intersection was a familiar soul to me. Although we'd never met, I knew it was a matter of time as we both live in the same small area. Mike Leonard? Know him? No? Well, for years I have watched his stories on the Today Show even though I have yet to work for an NBC station.
He is a captivating story teller of everyday people. He finds the humor in humanity and the beauty in heartbreak.
He recently authored a book, "The Ride of Our Lives." I highly recommend it! I found myself laughing out loud late night while uncomfortably pregnant so hard, I'd wake my husband. That's hard to do! I'm talking tears from laughing so hard. To simplify the contents: he journals a trip across country he took with some of his family-including his aging parents...all crammed into a couple of RVs. If you've ever taken on a family road trip...you know what can happen, but it was still bittersweet as well. So anyway! I spotted him walking and I just had to roll down my window. He smiled and all I could say was a stuttered, "...I love your book. I even sent it down to my parents in Arkansas, so you are really making the rounds." He genuinely thanked me and asked for my name. And I was THIS close to asking him and his family to dinner. Next time.

A Belated Update....

Back in September I was so lucky to have my husband send me off to Arizona for an overnight. It was a chance to cheer on a friend and get a good night sleep! Lisa Niewolny is Mrs. Illinois America and , to me, the ultimate queen. She is so many wonderful things wrapped up in one person. She and her family recently took on the building of an orphan home in Africa that should be completed next spring. For Lisa, this trip to nationals was a goal a long time in the making and so I had to be there to cheer her on along with her family. She made the top 12 and looked outstanding. Here are some of the pictures from our seats in the back. I finally had them developed and uploaded and found many were too dark ect. So hre is what I was left with. Congrats Lisa on a job well done!

Focus...Focus...

For the longest time I have wanted to be a child advocate. It requires a long term commitment and so I waited until we were finished having babies and I felt I had life settled-somewhat. I decided to be a CASA for Lake County. As CASA's, we act as the extra set of eyes and ears for the Juvenile Court Judges. We handle individual cases in juvenile court which involve victims of child abuse and neglect. As we all know, the court systems and the caseworkers are simply overloaded. With such a time crunch, details or real life can get lost in the paperwork. CASAs are unbiased and are able to spend much more time with a child. We are able to talk with teachers, therapists, doctors,family ect about how the child is doing and what may be in their best interest. As a judge said to us this week, they only get a snapshot sometimes of a child's needs and we are able to serve them by giving the clear picture and make recommendations based on those findings. It was a wonderful six week training that made me want to be part of the organization even more and the others in our classes are outstanding! I cannot say enough about everyone involved, be it CASA, the Judges, attorneys and caseworkers. Believe me when I tell you how much they all care and work to keep the child the focus. This is when we were sworn in by the Judges Lessman and Judge Waites. Top notch ladies!

Do me a favor.

This is a wonderful video from CARE called Girl Effect. CARE is an organization that reaches out to millions of women and girls around the world in an effort to empower us all. This is done through education and health care. In turn, we females are better able to support ourselves and our families through economic and social opportunities. www.CARE.org I would post the video through You Tube here, but I am a computer novice STILL and only know how to post the address for the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw

Too young

Here I am talking about beauty pageants and weight. My trials of baby fat and steroids and then I check my email. Tonight I learned I lost a friend of mine. Bob Rainey passed today after a three year battle with colon cancer. He was only 46. Only 46. He still had plans for a family and all that life owed him.

Bob and I became friends back when we both worked in Nashville. His former agent had become my agent. The two reunited and Bob was hired at WCCO. There he has been a sports anchor and covered his beloved Vikings. Dare I mention the Bears to him?

Bob was the kind of guy you would want to set up with your friends. He was THAT kind of great. And for three years he has taken on his battle very quietly. I thought he was managing it well, or so I was told. But now I know otherwise. It breaks my heart. There is nothing more to say, except, well I don't know. Tonight I haven't the right words because there are none. To Bob, I love you and will miss you.

Mrs. International

This was known to be perhaps one of the toughest years in terms of competition for any Mrs. system. There were former national title holders and others who had come close. There were fresh faces that had done amazing work with their platforms. Basically, it was the who's who and yet it could be anyone's game. I was thrilled to have several people there who I can call friend. Deanna Linz, Lori Donaudy, and Laine Berry were all part of the US class of 2007. They have become friends who will always have your back. They are strong leaders willing to stick their necks out there to make things better for other women. They are like sisters to me. Shannon Devine (Mrs. US 06) is one of the first queens I had ever gotten to know and is such an example of grace and humor at the same time. Janice McQueen Ward has been such a great person to learn from and it was amazing seeing her on stage. All of these ladies were incredible. I was thrilled to see Lori and Shannon make the top ten. Deanna was 2nd runner-up and Laine was crowned the new Mrs. International! It is an intense job with high expectations that she will take to new levels. Kudos to you all!
1)Deanna, Shannon, Lori and Janice.Pretty ladies.
2)Lori in her Strapless gown. Stunning!
3)Deanna and her Husband Andy. Gorgeous!
4)Laine Berry, Mrs. International and the top ten

This Just in...the new Mrs. Illinois America Is....

LISA NIEWOLNY!!!! These ladies all looked awesome and are making married women proud with their accomplishments. I am so proud of Lisa as she will continue the long tradition of representing our state and will be an incredible Mrs. Illinois. She has a strong faith and lives with her heart. The work she and her family does in Africa is changing lives there. Did I mention she has a book out to help girls with positive self-esteem? Lisa will have about six weeks before nationals and she is primed and ready to go if I don't say so myself. I must admit, being the big Mama I am right now, it was so motivating to see how fit all these women are. Man, I will have hundreds of miles to run before I can get anywhere near a swimsuit!
1)Lisa in her state costume
2)Lisa with her daughter Kennedy
3)Lisa with court
4)Lisa in evening gown
5)Jennifer Jordan Cruz-1st runner up
6)Randa allen-3rd Runner-up
7)Anji Meidel-2nd runner-up
8)Randa again

Farewell to a one of a kind.

An only child and baptist princess from the south, my grandma Lar has lived an amazing and adventure filled life. This is a someoneone who more than 70 years ago was part of a women's basketball team, long before women were "allowed," to participate in sports of such kind. That was before she fell in love with an Air Force pilot, now known as Papa. They have been together for more than 60 years

When I was in college and gave the Miss Portage pageant a try, I was on a tight budget, so she made sure my 125$ dress was tailored just right. That meant hours of undoing itty bitty beading and resewing it back into place. That was before she lost the ability to hold a steady hand. Knowing how independent I was, all she wanted was for me to be taken care of by someone instead of me always taking care of everybody else. So she was just thrilled when I met John and we later decided to get married. My parents would tell you my wedding day was one of her proudest. And then there was her great grandson Johnny and all her other great grandchildren.

About a month ago I was told Grandma Lar was in the final stages of Parkinsons. For years she has battled to keep her sense of normalcy even though her body was betraying her little by little. I was to travel in with my dad to visit her before she was not longer coherent. That week I was put on bedrest and was not able to go to Michigan with my Dad.It was one of my more devastating moments. But what can you do? I know for a while she has wanted to be free from the disease. Losing the ability to even swallow is not how I think any of us choose to live, especially when we have lived soo much. So this week she found that peace. Although I cannot be there, I say goodbye to her for now knowing there is now a new guardian angel looking out for me and my family.

1)My little brother (not so little at 6'4) after his game. Grandma Lar came to every Michigan State game to cheer him on! They were soo proud he carried on the tradition.
2)The black and white pic is of the dress she worked so hard to redo
3)Here are my Papa and Grandma Lar with meYEARS ago when I was 1st RU at Miss Michigan USA

Mrs. Illinois International

So I was supposed to lay low for another week, but I was able to talk my husband into bringing me out to see the Mrs. Illinois International pageant Saturday. It was a great time and I had to chance to hang out with a good friend and her husband. We ladies think the two men actually had a better time as the two of them we so busy chatting throughout and deciding who they thought should win. And you know what? Those two now think THEY would make great judges and they would be pretty good. So if you ever need a judge or two, just let me know. I have a couple of good men for the job. Congrats to the new queens! July is on its way.

Baby G is not a procrastinator.

It has been an eventful pregnancy this time around. All-day sickness was just the beginning I guess. Then, just after 20 weeks I was diagnosed with this God awful pregnancy rash called PUPPPS that does not go away until delivery. After a couple of rounds of steroids and now daily doses of Claritin and Benedryl, it has gone from a 9 on the water torture level to a 7. Now it seems there is a new twist. I am having contractions at 30 weeks. They are apparently doing some work way ahead of schedule. It gave us quite a scare. The Dr. said we really needed to get monitored and my husband asked her, ”So do we make an appointment for that?” and she said “Oh, no. You need to go to the hospital now.” Nothing like Chicago traffic during interstate construction. Although I am not progressing any further at this point, I was told to stop all work, exercise, lifting of my son, ect ect. It also meant I was unable to go say a final goodbye to my Grandma Lar. That was heartbreaking for me. Timing is everything. We were told a couple of weeks before that she was failing rapidly. Fortunately, I was still at the point where I could travel as I was just approaching 30 weeks. I was going to go that weekend to visit her with my dad who flew in from the West coast as we have been told she has very very little time left with us. But the drive to Michigan was too risky according to the doctors. So for now, we will wait and lay low until I get a little further along as we will take every week we can get.Later this afternoon I will find out if there has been anymore progress. Stay tuned.
(1) This is me finally making it to 35 weeks. Can I get any bigger I ask?

On the Hot Seat.

In Mid April I was asked to take part in the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of DuPage. As a reporter, I was brought in with a few others from media to put suburban police officers on the hot seat. They were given mock scenarios in which the media would cover. We were then able to ask them tough questions to see how well they could hold up in front of the cameras. It isn't as easy as it seems, but everyone did very well. We had a great time meeting the men and women who are then when we most need them.

In Mid April I was asked to take part in the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of DuPage. As a reporter, I was brought in with a few others from media outlets to put police officers on the hot seat. They were given mock scenarios in which the media would cover. We were then able to ask them tough questions to see how well they could hold up in front of the cameras.

Safe Haven Day

In early April we celebrated Save Abandoned Babies Day as did much of the rest of the country. We had close to 20 cities in Illinois who were part of the effort. I was lucky enough to be part of the efforts in Waukegan. Thanks to everyone involved and the coverage of it in the media, I was told four days after the event, an overwhelmed mother in Waukegan relinquished her newborn child to a Safe Haven. This year we had more to celebrate as now all 50 states have Safe Haven Laws.