Family Stuff

Meet my family

I’m happily single but have friendly ties with Steve and strong bonds with the children.  I’m loving that I can role model entrepreneurship to my kids and especially to Ashley.  She’s understanding that although she’s a girl, she can do and be anything and to aim high. 

 Disney Downtown
Steve , Andrew, Ashley, Scott & Debbie

Andrew and Scott are both entrepreneurs and Ashley graduates in 2010. 
She will be attending Western Kentucky University and is studying psychology.

FOSTER & ADOPTIVE PARENTS

During a span of 15 years, we served as foster parents and look back often on the joys and blessing that each child brought into our lives. The kids thought they were lucky, but really . . . we were the lucky ones to be the recipient of those hugs. 

Ashley is our adopted angel who was placed in our home as a foster baby when she was 3 months old.

KIDS ARE AWESOME

When the boys were growing up we were up to our eyeballs in Little League and Steve was always the coach for one or the other of their teams.  Then there was Soccer.  I coached that for a couple of years.  Cub Scouts was also big in the happenings of our life back then. Debbie was Den Mother for years and one of the Pack Leaders. Steve and the boys would spend hours perfecting their cars for the Pine Wood Derby and doing other projects. Debbie also a Girl Scout leader for Ashley’s troop when she was in Scouts.

 

MY FAITH

I’m a born-again Christian and practice my faith in everything I do.  I can’t imagine my life without Jesus.   He’s my help, my guide, my strength and the CEO of my business (and life).  I look forward to each day to see what He has for me to do, who to touch, who to help and who to bless.  Jesus has opened doors for me that I could not possibly do on my own.  I give Him all the credit for my success…. without Him, I can do nothing.  With Him, I can do all things.

 

 FOR FUN

<—- November, 2007 at Universal Studios and Island of Adventure.  I am SO BLESSED that my kids are best friends.

We enjoy playing Cashflow 101 and always speculate who will get stuck with the boat! It’s total drama when the card is chosen, very funny!

I recently moved to Kentucky.  When I lived in Charleston, we loved to walk downtown with double scoops of Pralines and Cream ice cream from Kulwin’s on Historic Market Street, seeing people have fun on vacation (we live in a vacation destination and cruise ships are often in the harbor), watching ships go by in the harbor and smelling the sea and delicious smells of all the restaurants.

 

Our favorite place to go is the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. When we can’t get across country, we camp at Davidson River in the Pisquah National Forest, a few hours away from here. Gosh, we’ve been there so many times, and every time we go it’s new and fresh all over again. It’s full of beauty and wonder and it just calls us to hike the canyons, peak over ridges, and explore.

There’s nothing like the beauty of the deep forest and the expectation of discovering something new on every hike. We love roasting marshmallows, getting dirty, making trail mix, tubing down rivers, cooking hot dogs and chili over an open fire and sleeping in tents or under the stars.

 

Other leisures we enjoy, and are looking forward to doing more of, is scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing and travel.

 

With Ashley still at home and in high school, we all love that we can be there for her and her activities. She danced for 3 years with the Charleston Ballet Theater while at the same time began karate lessons. She was very good at both and at some point, she had to make a decision which to pursue.

After taking a summer and thinking about it before classes began again, she decided on karate.

She still misses dance to this day, but she has a passion for karate and loves to compete.  I miss standing just off stage while she dances her heart away as my little princess.

 

 

Ashley and I have fun piling pillows on the bed and watching a good movie.  We love to watch “I Love Lucy” re-runs with a bunch of junk food and laugh until  we can’t breathe. The best things in life are FREE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Girls Are Princesses!

What fun I’ve had with Ashley!

 

~ Growing Up~

 

I grew up in Palmdale, CA. I have an older brother, a younger brother and 2 sisters. As a little girl, I rode my bike until dark, played hide and seek for hours, played jacks, jump rope, tetherball and hoola hoop. I enjoyed dressing up, lemonade stands and being in Girl Scouts. Sounds typical of a girl in the 60’s huh?

In Junior High School I ran track and was about the fastest runner in school. I would compete with the boys during recess off the track field and beat “Tim”, the fastest boy in the school. He and I were pretty much neck and neck. My mom told me it wasn’t nice to beat the boys. (Crack me up . . . I did anyway!)

In high school I was in all the choir classes and made state. I wasn’t allowed to really participate in extracurricular activities that required transportation so I pretty much had my fun in choir and made State. I was very active in my church youth group. I also was in Job’s Daughters, bethel #258, Palmdale, CA and served a term as Queen in 1976-77.

I only remember going out to dinner a couple of times during my childhood. Once we flew to Michigan to see my Dad’s side of the family over Christmas. Dad didn’t like traveling and going places so . . . we didn’t. We did however, go camping which is where I get my love for it today. Camping back then meant tossing a sleeping bag on the ground and that’s it. Dad would always make what we still today as a tradition called, “Daddy Eggs”. That’s scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and onions all mixed together. Here’s Dad cooking up some now. —>

My Mom was always very present in my life. Going back to my earliest years, I remember her being home. Dinner was on the table every night, the home was kept clean, she participated in all my school activities as the Room Mother (remember those?) She was the Scout Leader, Job’s Daughter leader, and volunteered for anything involving my activities. I remember loving that.

<—- Here’s Me and Mom ready to take a swim in the lake.

Growing up, there was never a conversation about me going to college or having a career. I was brought up in old school thinking where I was to be a homemaker. Mom taught me to cook, keep house, sew, and take care of children. It’s actually a wonderful privilege for Moms to be able to do that, but I was not prepared for “real life” of being able to earn a living should I need to.

SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL LOVE

HOW BLESSED WE ARE!

This is my little brother, Troy.  He’s a diabetic, suffered a stroke and is blind.  His attitude is remarkable.  He laughs and loves like no other person I know.  He’s very inspiring to everyone who knows him.

Below is my sister, Regina. She came to our family when she was 7 years old with Autism as a foster placement. We as a family fell in love with her and later my parents adopted her. While she has her own challenges, we tell her she can do anything and provide her the opportunities to be just a normal girl. She loves being the “navigator” when we’re in the motorhome.

Above, Regina went camping, hiking and tubing with Ashley and I.  Ashley is her best friend. She keeps Regina striving to do better and doesn’t let her give up.

 

I’ve had 401 Foster Siblings!

My folks took in  401 kids over a span between 1978 and 1009.  My parents are truly remarkable and are really the true reason I myself became a foster parent.  These kids are so awesome, so special, so valuable . . . they just don’t know it till you tell them.

Click here to learn more about my business journey.

Click here to learn more about my hobbies and interests.

Click here for my mission statement.

Click here to “Meet Debbie”.

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