SAB PSA

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 interview2) Brandon, Kelly Seigel (SAB member), me and Dave.3)One of the many sets at Flashpoint. They are outstanding!

The best gift of all is to give.

This weekend we celebrated an early holiday with my brother and his family who came up from Indy. We spent Sunday in Lake Forest having some fun with Santa who made a quick stop to visit. Wasn't that nice, being so busy right now? Toys were donated to children in need while our kids had pictures taken and faces painted, all while watching juggling elves. Quite the sight! We had to be careful as my neice (a very smart 4 yrs old) is already wondering how it's possible Santa can be everywhere, from Lake Forest to McDonalds to the malls ect. We had a great time, although hectic. And it's a great way to teach children about the gift of giving to other children who may not be as fortunate.

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.

Run, Run Santa...

In my quest to get back into running shape while doing some good, I signed myself up for a few runs this fall/winter. The Turkey Trot was a last minute no-go thanks to catching the funk everyone else was getting at the time. But I made it to the Santa Sleigh 5k in Arlington Heights this weekend. What a riot! We all wore Santa suits (beards included) as we ran through the streets and neighborhoods. Can you imagine the sight of seven hundred Santa's, beards blowing in the wind? Not a good idea to wear lip gloss. People waited outside to cheer us on even though it was in the 20's and snowing. That's when the warmth of those beards came into play. I must admit, the sugar free Red Bull energy drink was not a smart idea to have before the race. Blah! But I ran it right around 30 minutes (which is good for me right now)and managed to remain upright while running on the sleet and snow. It was its first year and an enormous success for the Rotary Club. Money raised went to combat polio. Mark it on your calendars for next year. It is worth every step along the way. 1)Me, post race with a son who isn't diggin' "Wanna Be Santa," so much.2)Ali, who plans to run it with me next year.3)Here is a shot of just some of us!

Yeah, That's Some Kind of 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.

Three and Taking on The World!

Johnny, my first baby, is now a three year old BOY. Wow! They aren't joking when they say, "time flies!" We celebrated with a small get together of a few houses on our street. But since each family has four children, it was actually a bit of a bigger to-do list requiring organizational skills I am still honing. Cake? Check! Balloons? Check. My sanity? Check! No, really though, it was a great time and now my son keeps requesting, "the birthday song," and I have little singing ability. That may explain why he laughs everytime. I am still coming down from the sugar rush as that icing really packs a punch!
1)Our Family2)John's first big train ride3)Presents, presents, presents4)The good stuff.

Loyolla Medical School: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 Escort2)KK with Grandpa Don Kelly3)John and me

Another Baby is Safe Tonight

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(and already a Cubs fan.) They are the best! My son LOVES visiting the historic Wagner Farm in Glenview.

Eating for Our Lives

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!

NBC's Mike Leonard. It Was Only a Matter of Time.

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!

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.

Do Me a Favor, Aye?

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. http://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, Too Talented

In spite of the trials of baby fat and steroids, I managed to 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 (Hello Alan.) 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

What is THIS?

Here I am trying to keep my eyes open with a baby who has decided she in NOT a sleeper. There is simply too much to catch up on in her world;) I am also trying to figure out how I can ditch these maternity clothes (thank you steroids for all that you do) and get back to my old clothes which require my old body back. Hello? Are you in there?

Happy Fourth and Then Some

Our son John was finally old enough to really enjoy our Village's 4th. Every year Northfield puts on a kids' parade leading to the baseball park. There, they have cotton candy and ice cones. They have the hula hoop contests and sack races and hundreds of children. All the energy make me tired. It is VERY Norman Rockwell and so charming. John loved it all and took immediately to all the parade waving and whatnot. Where ever did he learn that?

She's Here!

It's a girl! On June 2nd our daughter, Allison (Ali) Marie was born at the new Prentice Women's Hospital at Northwestern. She didn't want to waste anytime making her debut as she was born in under just three hours. We were so lucky my water broke at 1am instead of 1pm as there is major highway construction on the Ryan which meant getting to the hospital in time would probably NOT have happened! Thank god for her health and and thank god for epidurals! Granted I only had mine for 15 minutes before she arrived, but it was THE BEST! Ali is already proving to be a good sleeper(please let that last) and her big brother is a great helper. He still isn't sure about the whole sister thing, but he knows he is still my baby as well. Today is her two week appointment where we plan to find out that she has gained back all her weight. She is a little bird being born a few weeks early, but for just over six pounds she has incredible leg strength and a great set of lungs:)We are so lucky to have her and our son. They do remind you to see the world from a child's eyes. They are living proof of how quickly life moves forward. Oh! She is waking up, gotta go!1)Going home2)My view from my hospital room. Can you believe it?3)Big brother and new little sister4)Ali

Farewell to 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)The black and white pic is of the dress she worked so hard to redo2)Here are my Papa and Grandma Lar with meYEARS ago when I was 1st RU at Miss Michigan USA

Tuning off for now...

This baby of ours has been keeping us guessing at what will happen next. From all-day sickness, to PUPPPS, to now possibly arriving a bit early; it has been a surprising 8 months thus far. I had planned to work until at least May. But Baby G had other plans. I now must lay low as doctors think he/she may arrive anytime. We are aiming for 34 weeks (next Thursday) and then we will take whatever else we can get. Of course, I write this knowing now I will probably be sitting around at 40 weeks wondering when the show will start. All of that means no more working for a while. The Dr. feels I do too much running around and given traffic and stories that can be far away, she said it was a no go from now until the baby’s arrival. Major changes always seem to happen while I am away from work. The last time I was away on maternity, my news director, assistant news director and station manager were told they weren't part of the new plans. Luckily, the new bosses allowed me to be part of their team once I returned. Who knows what will take place over the new few months. Hopefully all good things.

Freeze!

I was asked to take part in the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of DuPage. The officers I met were men and women from numerous suburban departments who are in charge of talking with the media when all heck breaks loose. There is nothing quite like facing dozens of questions with the cameras rolling. Thanks to Dan Ferrelli from the Aurora Police Department for asking me to help. As a reporter, I was brought in with a few others from media outlets to put 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. Each person was really good under the pressure and heat of the lights. It was a great time spending time with the people who really have to see and deal with it all...everyday

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. We have even more to celebrate as this is the first year every state now has a Safe Haven Law.