March 1st, 2008 by Jennine

My sister, Alyssa, is a wife, mother of three and employed full-time as a volunteer coordinator at the church we attend. It’s a church with a weekly attendance of around 10,000 people so this is no small task.

I’m amazed by Alyssa’s ability to balance her life so well. In order to assure the best possible situation 
for her children while she’s at work, Alyssa drives about forty minutes one way to bring her children to my mother’s daycare and then turns around to head back to work, normally a fifteen minute drive from her home. At any given moment Good Housekeeping could enter her home and take photos for their magazine. In fact, I’ve sometimes fantasized about stopping in unexpectedly just to see towels laying on the bathroom floor. As it stands, I’m convinced they are a towel-less family.

Last weekend Alyssa spent one of her few days off to drive an insane distance to see my son wrestle (and lose). It meant the world to me that she would choose to spend her day in a smelly gymnasium when she could have chose to spend it in her pajamas eating a can of sweetened condensed milk with a spoon. Wait…that’s my ideal day. I’m projecting here. My point is that she works very hard to make people feel special. I wish the world was filled with people like her.

February 23rd, 2008 by Jennine

I’ve watched my son, Kevin, devote the last four months to achieving an incredible wrestling record. This involved keeping his grades up while having two hours of wrestling practice every day after school, and attending matches twice, sometimes three nights per week.

He had a goal. He wanted to make it to the state tournament which required taking first or second place in sections.

Last night was the first bracket of sections and he had to wrestle with an injured shoulder. We didn’t know if he could take the pain of this first match, but he surprised us by pinning his kid in the third period. To me, that match was the same as wrestling at state. He faced fear and self-doubt and went on to get the win.

Today he continues on through the bracket and we don’t yet know what the outcome will be. As a mother, I don’t care if he wins or loses because I know that he is doing his very best and what more could a mother want?

Kevin is Person of the Week because he is full of courage and integrity. I couldn’t be more proud of him.

February 17th, 2008 by Jennine

Pete has spent the last few years being assistant coach for our boys’ wrestling team. This year, when the head coach had to step down from his position, Pete volunteered to take over as head coach (half way through the season) so that the team would be the least affected by disruption.

It’s not an easy job. The pay sucks. There is very little recognition or thanks.

Pete is Person of the Week because he has chosen to do what needs to be done and devotes himself to helping each kid do his best. It’s an amazing thing to help someone else achieve their goals and Pete does it for a whole team.

On behalf of the parents and team…THANK YOU, Pete!

February 14th, 2008 by Jennine

This morning, before school, Logan went outside and shoveled snow off the sidewalk without being asked.
Typical eleven year olds don’t do that kind of stuff which makes Logan exceptional! I’m extremely blessed
to have him for a son. His grades are awesome. He takes care of his stuff and almost always makes his bed.

My favorite exchange with him:

Logan: “Mom, what can I do to earn a dollar?”

Me: “Nothing, Logan. There’s nothing you can do for a dollar.”

Logan: “I can do nothing for a dollar!”

Logan is Person of the Week for good reason!