I am always amazed at how fast time goes by in my life.  And the older I get, the faster it seems to go.

It is so hard to believe that twenty years ago on July 10th, my children went to Heaven to be with God.  Not one day goes by that I don’t think about them and send them my love.   Sean, Jarod, and Brandi were 12, 6 and almost 4 years old respectively. I wonder sometimes where they’d be today.

Sean loved to draw and was a gifted artist, even at 12.  His dream was to work for Disney as a cartoonist. I wonder if he would have succeeded.

Jarod wanted to be a teacher and had a gift for storytelling.  Could he have been an English teacher and a writer, I wonder?

Brandi, an actress?  Oh yeah, she had a flair for drama and loved being the center of attention.

While my children are not here to fulfil their dreams, I continue to work on my dreams and my “bucket list”.  Below are some highlights for me over these past twenty years:

• I found love again and married Todd nineteen years ago.
• Todd’s children, Connor & Courtney, have been a joy in my life and I love them as my own.  
• During my early stages of healing, I was blessed to have met Oprah Winfrey, Gary Zukav, and James VanPraagh.  I hold a special place in my heart for each one of them.
• I continue to have a rewarding career as a Financial Advisor and Operations Manager.
• 2017 was a very special year with the publishing of my story in Healing Tears.  I am grateful to have received and continue to receive such positive feedback from so many about my book.
• Two of my children’s books, I Love and Like You! and Ornaments of Love were also published in 2017. These books honored the lives of my boys, Jarod and Sean.  Watching these stories come to life in the illustrations filled my heart with love from my children.
• My newest children’s book, Precious Time, was just released this month.  This is a story for Brandi, my precious daughter.
• Todd and I moved back to Indiana after feeling like we came full circle.  We left Indiana in early 2000 moving to Columbus, OH where we lived for 8 years.  Todd’s work then moved us to the Chicagoland area from 2008 to 2017. Nine years of wonderful experiences and great friends.  It has now been a little over a year since we returned to Indiana and we are enjoying our new careers, home and being closer to family and friends.
• I have had the opportunity to travel and see so many beautiful places on this Earth.    
  • Todd and I have made several road trips to North Dakota to see his family over the years
  • Couple of trips to Cancun, Mexico
  • Conferences for work which allowed me to see Maryland, Texas, and revisit Las Vegas and Orlando, FL
  • A cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate my 50th birthday – Grand Turks, St Thomas, San Juan, Bahamas
  • 12 days in Germany traveling from Berlin, through Rothenberg, Dresden, Munich, Black Forest and Frankfort.  Definitely will revisit this impressive country again.
  • 5 days in Oslo, Norway with a day trip to Vigeland Sculpture Park.  Such beauty.
  • A recent trip to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for fly fishing, Yellowstone & Grand Teton Parks.  Breathtaking views and peaceful rejuvenation.
• Additional check-offs on the bucket list
  • Parasailing
  • Zip-lining
  • Pet a Bengal tiger – my favorite animal

What’s next?

I want to continue to write and maybe publish a couple more books in the future.  Right now I am working on my social media presence as an author and public speaker.   

Most importantly, I continue to Live – Love – Laugh!