Be the kind of woman who knows her identity, walks on holy ground, and that’s also unafraid to be free and silly, because life’s too short to be uptight and figured out. (Unknown)
“She has a joyful countenance.” That is what I said when I was asked by a friend if I knew Valeria Pittsford. The truth is, I wish I knew her a little better. We met as a result of being on the Gospel of Life committee together at our parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Her eyes smile. To me, that’s the impression I was immediately struck with when I first encountered her.
Articulate, thoughtful and filled with the love of Christ— those things are also true of Valeria. She is a wife and mother of two very blessed young people about whom she’s completely crazy! To work for God and for others with Him is what her life seems to be about. I have known her a short time but I respect and admire her for many reasons, chief among them her authenticity and her faithfulness. She is always willing to go out of her way for the benefit of others.
This week, at our monthly GOL meeting, Valeria did something vulnerable and generous, for instance. She shared with some of us a personal struggle. The genuine and loving way she shared her beautiful story and the knowledge she gained that might help some other folks was moving, but her motivation was truly charitable. She was trying to share with others about helpful tools she felt might prove meaningful. When someone like Valeria unselfishly offers themselves like that, admitting to moments of challenge, I find that I am always moved. It’s clear the Holy Spirit works frequently through this beautiful soul!
Today, I just wanted to take a moment to give Valeria a little shout out. She is a woman who to me aims to follow the example of the saints by the way she lives her life, and I find her a joyful and inspiring example of living, breathing faith. THANK YOU VALERIA!
“Follow the saints, because those who follow them will become saints” (Pope St. Clement I)
There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life more beautiful for others. (M. Hale)
Oct. 11– I’m pretty sure she and her husband, Nick, got married at Wrigley Field. These people are a little bit crazy, I’m not going to lie! They are afflicted with a disease when it comes to their Chicago Cubs mania. It’s been a few years since I have seen any member of this family in person, but I seriously doubt this condition has improved. Also, despite the years, they have made a lasting impression and an imprint on my heart. Crystal Bazan is better known to me as “Coach Ball”. She is absolutely THE BEST TEAM MOM that I have ever encountered. That is saying something. I have come into contact with just A LOT of amazing and selfless team parents over these many years with my three boys.
Coach Ball made baseball fun for boys. Period. She sent video clips to parents of their kids performances on the field. She had a smile on her face at all times. Coach Ball loved up all the children and had way too much candy available. I think she spent several years as the Queen Mom of Skiles Test. I’ve never forgotten her because of her over the top selflessness.
Here’s the thing. I’ve watched from a distance. She’s a hard worker, a loan originator if memory serves. I’ve seen her angst as she has said goodbye to loved ones. Her heart? She wears it right on her sleeve. She cheers on her team a little louder and with more passion than regular people. Bella and Dawson? They’ve seen it too. Her children are high-achieving, respectful and first rate. That doesn’t happen by accident. They’ve been loved up and shown the way. We lead by example. As a parent, she’s phenomenal and her kiddos are blessed.
From the cheap seats over here, Crystal “Ball” Bazan is getting a lot of things right. She’s a beautiful woman, inside and out! Today is her birthday, so I thought it was the perfect time to say what I’ve been thinking for a long time. YOU ARE THE REAL DEAL, MRS. BAZAN!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends. (Barbara Bush)
He was raised by a Dutchman who was partnered up with an Irish spit fire. This, I have concluded is the reason why my Uncle Don is an ornery human. Ralph and Pauline (Holladay) Dykhuizen had two children, my uncle Don and my dad, Jim. Don is the older of the two, and I am told he was quite an athlete. Grandma used to share newspaper clippings with me, and she was a story teller too. She was so incredibly proud of her sons. I have no doubt Uncle Don could throw a baseball, among other talents, because his sassy mom made sure her grandchildren knew all about it! His little brother is my Dad. These two guys are both smart-alecky, wise-cracking, and very ornery humans. It seems to be a genetic predisposition.
Don married a pretty fantastic human, Carolyn Surface, and the union endures. They are pictured above with their grandson, Connor. They had two children, Joe and Amy. My sister and I used to travel to New Castle with our parents to watch Joe play football and Amy cheer for the New Castle High School Trojans. I remember their house on Forest Drive, near the school, and the fact that they had a super cool pinball machine in the basement. Joe and his friends were friendly, but smelly, and Amy always had a drawer full of trinkets and trash and a lot of makeup that I thought was pretty much awesome! As for my aunt and uncle, I recall them smiling and laughing a lot. There were many joy-filled Christmas mornings opening presents in that tiny house of Grandma’s on Vinton St. too, where we all wondered what on earth could be inside that package Aunt Helen brought! She never failed to disappoint, am I right? Those are happy memories of times spent together and I cherish them.
When we lost Joe, way too young, to cancer…well…things changed. How could they not? I’m happy to report though that Don Dykhuizen still has his ornery little twinkle in tact. Just last week, in fact, he told me that he had called the Pope in an effort to get my husband Tom declared a saint for putting up with me these past 25 years. That was his “Dykhuizen” way of saying “Happy Anniversary”. It made me laugh. He apparently thinks I’m a stinker. I’ve got news for this guy. It takes one to know one, Uncle Don!
He’s a football, basketball, baseball sort of “old school” guy who even trudged over to Guerin Catholic a few times to watch Nick and Drew play a little football, and we always were thrilled to see him and Aunt Carolyn too. It’s true our family has grown and we have gone in different directions, but our roots are still our roots. He’s a supportive Dad and grandfather who is now having fun watching his own two youngest grandsons, Joe and Jake Strickland, do their thing, and I’d bet there’s not a lot better than that for this passionate lover of sports!
Life can be tough sometimes, but a supportive and fun-loving family is so incredibly important. That’s what I remember when I think of my growing up years around my uncle and all the Dykhuizen clan. Once when I was a kid, my sister and I were playing euchre against Grandpa and Uncle Don. We weren’t very old at the time but Robin and I were trouncing them. They kept looking at each other like, “What the heck is going on here? How are we losing to two little girls?” To teach them a little lesson in humility, Dad had taught us how to send each other signals by the way we held the cards. The signals were so hard to spot because they had been employed, quite illegally, in some professional card tournament which Dad apparently read about. Eventually, we confessed to the trickery, but we still laugh about this silliness years later!!
Here’s the thing I’m overdue to say. Uncle Don has endured through what to me seems unthinkable. I have three sons so I understand better than I did earlier what that loss means. However, he continued to do his day. He walked forward. Sometimes, he was strong and sure, and other times it was more halting and stumbling. But he never stopped putting one foot in front of the other. When I saw him, he still shared his teasing and his sarcasm and gave me a big hug. He may not know it, but as he’s run his race, others around him were watching…and it helped others be brave in their lives.
I still miss Joe too. He was special, and feisty, and a big teddy bear…kind of like his dad. Uncle Don? I’m proud to be your niece and I love you. You are smart and funny and your perseverance through difficulty is inspiring. I’ve made my call to the Vatican as well, though. The real saint is your bride, ha? I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Pope Francis about Aunt Carolyn’s canonization any time now.
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness. (Paul Strand)
Oct. 9– When her daughter, Mia, was in the 8th grade, I noticed Jennifer at the Indianapolis International Airport. She was crouched in the corner of the waiting area, looking a bit sullen. It didn’t take me long to pry from her that while she was trying hard to be present for her daughter’s big field trip to DC that had been long since paid for, her mind was elsewhere in the middle of another place– a place of crisis. Her beautiful heart was revealed to me during those few days, and I have never forgotten. We rarely forget the day we encounter a grace-filled soul.
Into all our lives, God allows some chaos. Maybe it’s all just the result of our free will, or perhaps the mayhem draws us near to Him who made us. I’m not sure I’ll ever figure it out. I do know this, when we trust our cares to the God of love, He reminds us that we are above all things, His children, and we are precious. Jennifer is a woman of faith, and she knows this well. We’ve talked about it over coffee, actually.
The mother of three and grandmother of one very blessed boy named Jack, Jennifer is also a wife to a truly nice man named John. She’s a gifted photographer. So talented is Jennifer that each time I see a photo of one of her subjects posted online, I think to myself…”what an unbelievable joy that must be to those people, that family.” Oh, to have even one picture of my own family that reveals the kind of beauty and relationships her pictures always expose! I’m not kidding, y’all…she’s that good.
I’m not exactly sure how old Jennifer Driscoll is, but I’d be willing to be $100 that she’s older than she looks. The woman is a stunner. Each of her three daughters is equally so. She is plugged into her faith life and often I see her at daily mass. Maybe that’s her secret? She might post about her computer crashing or the end of her patience after a busy week, or she perhaps will share about it’s just been one of those days. However, she seems to always settle at the end on positivity and rest in the fact that God loves us, even when we are frazzled.
Supportive, funny and intelligent, Jennifer is a woman with many interests and a giving heart. I noticed recently, for instance, that she was involved in mentoring some young women, and then another day the O’Connor House in Carmel shared a big thank you to her for coming in and taking photos of their new moms and beautiful babies. She’s a generous woman who shares her time and her talents with others. Its a lovely example to the rest of us. We’ve got to get out there and do our part, be like Jennifer!
Today, Jennifer is celebrating her birthday! There’s no better day then to give her a shout out and let her know that many of us have noticed that she is pretty special! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!! Thanks for all you do to make the world a little more sparkly!
We should all have one person who knows how to bless us despite the evidence. My grandmother was that person to me. (Phylis Theroux)
There’s an old Italian proverb I love which states, “If nothing is going well, call your grandmother.” For those of us lucky enough to be blessed with a terrific grandparent in our lives, there is so much wisdom, love and general spoiling going on there. As a child, that unconditional love I received from my grandparents settled on my soul as a certainty of my own belovedness. My own parents are phenomenally supportive and loving models of what I think God means grandparents to be as well, and my dear friend Renee has been similarly gifted in her life with a stunningly terrific human as her mother and as the grandma to her two kiddos. I’d like to tell you a little more about her. Meet Carol Raver! She’s pictured above, on the right, with her husband and her four fantastic grandkids.
Carol is the sunny wife to a very solid guy named Dave. They live in Batesville, Indiana. Together, they raised two daughters, Kathy (Cruz) and Renee (Schwegman). Because her daughter and I are close friends, I know how supportive and present Carol is as a mother. I watched her drive back and forth from Batesville last year when her daughter Kathy was very ill, in and out of the hospital, for instance, to help fill in the gaps. I know it was exhausting, but that’s just what she knew she needed to do. I’ve seen her at an incredible number of sporting events, plays, choir concerts and of course graduations over the years from my nearby perch. One can see clearly how beautifully she loved and nurtured her daughters as they were raised, by the impressive moms both of these women are now as adults themselves. As a grandmother to Laine, Ty, Lilah and Max, Carol is ever-present. She’s caring, generous, and devoted.
Carol is an amazing woman who is treasured by her family. To Laine, Ty, Max and Lilah, she’s a sprinkle of parenting, a little bit teacher, and a big scoop of unique friendship. I have long thought when observing grandparents that this phase of life is when women come into the fullness of their grace. That certainly seems to be the case with Carol Raver. She’s got a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh that fills the room. I’ve been watching her grandchildren long enough to see how special she makes them feel– one can read in her eyes how enchanted she is with the wonderful things her grandchildren do. It’s this quality that makes me appreciate and admire her the most. Making another human being feel truly loved and special is a gift from God.
Tomorrow, (9/28) Carol is celebrating her birthday! She’s a blessing to her children, her husband, her grandchildren, and all in her path. She’s charitable and kind, gifts she passed along to her girls. If you get a chance, reach out and wish her a terrific and special day, because her life certainly is one we should all celebrate! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!!
Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. (James Barrie)
This picture typifies so many things I love about sports. My new friend, Melissa, sent me this great photo this morning. On the left is her son, Jak Kolb, and on the right (crouched down) is my son, Zach.
This fall, Zach took on a new sport. It’s been an emotion filled whirlwind for a competitive kid like Z who wants to win at every sport he tries. He had literally never played in a tennis match before this season began several weeks ago, and I would call his experience on the GC tennis team exceptionally good. There are many reasons for this, which include but are not limited to supportive coaches, experienced and welcoming teammates like Cole Metzger, Ty Harrington, Carson Kniola, Thomas Darland, Luke Gregor (and many others), and a solid work ethic. However, chief among his blessings this first trimester of high school has been meeting his new friend and doubles partner, Jak Kolb.
Talented, and athletic, Jak is a young man who knows his way around a tennis court. He’s an experienced tennis player and a sophomore for the Golden Eagles. He is also an intelligent, positive, patient and encouraging teammate. For example, during one match earlier in the season, an opponent hit an errant serve which was clearly headed well out of bounds…until Zach reached up to catch it. Jak looked at Z and immediately asked him what the heck he was doing. Z clearly was focused on not having to chase down the poorly delivered serve and didn’t realize that he had in fact lost the point for his team by touching the ball BEFORE it landed out. He shrugged his shoulders saying something super articulate like “that’s my bad”. Let’s just say some of the finer points and rules of tennis have been a learn-as-you-go proposition for Z, ha!? What I love about Jak is that he just laughed and shook it off, and continued to give his signature “You’ve got this, Z” despite the guffaw.
Don’t let me mislead you here. Zach is a natural at tennis, and with his great hands and athleticism he has contributed well to several good wins this season. That said, the on court coaching by his teammate, Jak Kolb, has been an impressive show of leadership by this faith-filled young man.
Jak is the son of Jason and Melissa Kolb, and the older brother to two talented sisters, Katie and Anna, who also play tennis. He’s a parishioner at OLMC where he serves mass as a Knight, which is their high school altar server group. He’s a member of GC’s music program and sings in their choir, Golden Voice. The Kolb family must be incredibly proud. They have raised a terrific young man.
As I drove across Hamilton County recently with 3 boys in my Durango to get to a match, I learned that like Z, Jak is a country music fan. His sunny disposition and his big, genuine smile are fairly spectacular. He’s both polite and articulate. Jak has spent time hitting with Z outside of tennis practice, and he has encouraged Zach to continue to work on his game in the offseason so the team can come back stronger next fall. Z clearly respects the very likeable young Mr. Kolb, and so do I! The two boys have good chemistry on the court, and I really do credit that to the positivity and encouraging temperament of Jak.
That leads me back to the photo above. Last night, Jak and Zach lost a marathon match to a good Zionsville team by the score of 7-6, 5-7, 4-6. It was the second night in a row they played for 2.5 hours, finishing nearly in the dark. Their loss meant the team lost too. They had played well, but those are hard moments. However, just like he did in this candid captured by Melissa above, Jak immediately turned to his friend with encouraging words. Then, they tossed their rackets aside and went across to the other bank of courts where their teammate, John Tiplick, had just found victory in similar circumstances on the singles court. Together, they cheered for John, happy for his success. It was a beautiful thing.
Jak, you are a faith-filled young man of character. The future is extremely bright for terrific humans like you who build others up! Thank you for being such a great example to those around you! Thanks also for bringing your competitive fire to the courts all season and for sharing your sunshine with all of us in your path. Keep up the good work, kid! GO GOLDEN EAGLES!!
Each day I come with a positive attitude, trying to get better. (S. Diggs)
(L to R: Jak Kolb, John Tiplick, Thomas Darland, Carson Kniola and Zach Thieme)
The Thieme family is new to tennis. Our freshman son took up the sport very recently and now finds himself a proud member of the Guerin Catholic team. This youngest son of ours and his young teammates have faced some very stiff competition in recent days. On our varsity squad today were 2 freshmen, 3 sophomores and 2 juniors. The future is bright, but there is still plenty of work ahead. Today reflected the same. It was a long, hot day. However, today was an excellent day for a kid I have grown to really respect— Carson Kniola.
Carson is a sophomore at GC with a very sunny disposition who attended St. Louis de Montfort School in Fishers before he came to GCHS. Intelligent and positive, this is a kid with a smile which never fails him. He’s been in an unenviable position playing singles the last several matches against some truly talented players. If I am being honest, he’s been a little outmatched. It would be easy to be frustrated.
I have no idea what happens at the Kniola home after a particularly difficult loss, but I told his Dad what I want to share with the rest of the world today. From what I can see, Carson never hangs his head. He never stops cheering on his teammates. He has consistently shown by his actions the high quality of his character everyday this fall. I know his parents, Jeff and Pat, must be incredibly proud of him. He’s a fine young man with a bright future! That’s what made it extra cool to see him go 2-1 in Ft. Wayne today and come in 2nd in the tourney!
Don’t you just love when top shelf humans find success? Me too! I find it even more gratifying when it happens with a young person who works hard to have a good attitude and be a fabulous teammate…without a shred of the “disease” of entitlement.
Regardless of what his tennis future brings, Carson will have a beautiful future and continue to bring his light, making a positive difference for others. Jesus smiles at others through this kid. Thanks for being a giant scoop of awesome sauce, Carson! Congrats on a good day in Ft. Wayne!!
Fill yourself with confidence. The mother we have is the Mother of God, the Most Blessed Virgin, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. (St. Josemaria Escriva)
Meet Amy Ross. She’s the mother of 5 pretty amazing children and the wife of a fabulous husband named Hugh. I’m pretty sure she’s a Purdue grad and a pharmacist. I’ve known Amy for many years as our kiddos all attended school at St. Louis de Montfort Catholic School in Fishers at the same time.
For a time, I attended a book club with Amy where the group discussed some of the most interesting and inspiring spiritual reads. I remember one such get together at Amy’s home and her mom was staying with her at the time. I was deeply moved by the respectful way she included her mom in the meeting, despite her limitations. I had already witnessed on several occasions her beautiful example of faith to her own children as well as the rest of us but that day I realized what a humble and holy woman Amy is, and how much there is to learn from watching her care for those around her.
Amy Ross is upbeat and funny. She’s thoughtful and affirming, a woman who seems to face whatever comes her way with a positive attitude. I know her to be a tuned-in, and hands-on mom with a glorious smile who is grateful to God for the blessings in her life. She loves cheering for her kids at all their events! When I hear her name mentioned, I feel positive energy. She’s a woman who reminds me by her example to focus on all that is good.
Because she loves the Blessed Mother and is such a truly wonderful mom herself, I chose this quote about Mary to share with you all today in her honor. I’m long overdue to tell you that the little ways you bring light into the world each day, Amy, make a BIG difference for the rest of us. Keep on going! You light up the place!
A man does what he must- in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures- and that is the basis of all human morality. (John F. Kennedy)
Today is the birthday of a great man named Jeff Oberndorfer. We at the Thieme house just love all the Oby clan. They are pictured above on the occasion of the recent wedding of Jordan’s marriage to Michael Bann. The birthday boy (father of the bride) is at the top left in this terrific and joyous shot! I chose this JFK quote for Jeff’s day because I think he’s just the real deal, a solid, faith-filled man!
I can’t help laughing as I look back on our first interactions with Jeff. He was helping to coach a Carmel baseball team that his son, Will, and my kid, Drew were both playing on that summer. I recall them being fairly young, grade school aged boys at that point. Jeff was all volume and passion coaching third base. If I’m honest, my biggest memory of him before we connected years later and became friends is of him getting the wrath of an umpire who was underwhelmed by his enthusiasm. He might have gotten booted from the game actually. Years later, it was his wife, Lisa, who handed me a “husher” at a high school basketball game. She literally carried tootsie roll pops in her purse for crazy people like me who just didn’t know when to zip it. Maybe she’d had plenty of practice over the years, ha? What makes it funny now is that I consider Jeff to be a pretty mild mannered guy.
In all seriousness, Jeff is an incredible father and husband. He’s done a fine job leading that beautiful family of his because great men are guys like Jeff who cultivate love. He is proud to let the loves of his life shine brightly and he supports them in everything, showing off his happy, intelligent and truly amazing wife, as well as his children, Jordan, Kelsey and Will– as well as his two new sons-in-law!
A native of St. Louis as well as a fellow Boilermaker, Jeff is quick-witted and just plain fun. He’s always game for a little tailgate action and gets sweaty palms just like me when Purdue is making us all very nervous!! He has gone out of his way to be kind to our son, Drew, over the years and has lugged him around numerous times just because he can. He’s been supportive beyond all reason with the charity work being done by Will’s Way to benefit underinsured young people with diabetes. In short, he’s an integrity-filled guy who adds a lot of light and laughter to the world, and I feel fortunate to call him a friend!
I hope your day is filled with smiles and laughter, Jeff, because you have added both of those to many of our days over the last several years! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! BOILER UP!
Any time we practice hospitality we follow in the steps of our lavishly hospitable God. (from The Simplest Way to Change the World)
I’ve been learning a little about the concept of “mindfulness” recently, and what it can mean to our lives if we choose to be fully present today, recognizing it truly is a gift. When we recognize and just enjoy NOW then we are so much happier, healthier and more peaceful. This day was a joyful one, largely because of the great giftedness of a gorgeous and talented woman named Heidi Carnahan. I’m so glad I’m more focused on being present, because missing any of this one would have been a darn shame.
In the above picture, Heidi is 2nd from the right in white pants and black tank top. The photo was taken in her stunning home this afternoon as we celebrated our mutual friend, Lisa Houze, and her 50th birthday which is this week!
Here’s the thing about this gloriously beautiful mother of 3 boys (Zander, Drake and Lincoln)…she didn’t just host a party. Oh heck no! She’s been working behind the scene for WEEKS to pull off a phenomenal surprise for a terrific woman. You see, for Lisa’s 50th, she decided to participate in a tri-athalon in downtown Indy with her two sons, Christian and Malcolm. Her brother, Doug Kalmey, joined in too! Heidi communicated with LOTS of family and friends over several weeks and convinced us all to come down to Celebration Plaza and surprise Lisa with cheering, signage– the whole works! The logistics of managing to communicate all the details were significant. It was a profound act of love.
Not only that, but the detail-oriented Heidi also hosted a kick ass post-race party at her amazing home in Noblesville. She created a photo memory wall, catered in delicious food, and her dessert table looked like it had been created by a professional party planner. She spared no detail and the effect was impressive. She has the gift of hospitality times 10!
For me, it’s a phenomenal act of service, and utterly selfless, to organize and pull off flawlessly a birthday surprise like this one. I already knew that Heidi was a fiercely competitive, highly intelligent mama bear with academically and athletically gifted children. That doesn’t happen magically. I knew she was an attractive, articulate woman. What I didn’t know before these last few weeks was just how stunningly beautiful her heart is.
Albert Einstein once said that “Only a life lived to the service of others is worth living.” I quite agree. You have inspired me by your generosity today, Mrs. Carnahan! NICELY DONE, HEIDI!!
He Never Misses 