Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
I felt Yahoo. I enjoy spending time with my hus- band my dogs and my foster dogs and I found a way to stay connected to my high school mom friends. As our children moved from high school to college life a group of moms at JPII decided to maintain their bond and have some fun by getting together forOperation College Care Packages. The way it works is one mom hosts a packing lunch. Each mom arrives with an item for each student that she has chosen from the following categories sweets savory holiday school supplies or utensils with a Halloween Valentine or Easter theme. Sometimes as many as 18 moms participate each mom signs a card for each student. Packing is followed by a sit down lunch and time for sharing stories about our kids new experiences away from home for the first time. Its a wonderful time to visit and the kids love the treats - Jyll Spears pictured with son Ryan Plano Have your kids flown the coop Share your thoughts feelings advice and adventures with us Email TriciaGoodLifeFamilyMAG.com I definitely felt Boohoo when both of my kids went to college. When my youngest went off to college I tried many things. I went back to work but that didnt make me happy. I found new hobbies like jew- elry making and furniture painting and I continued to play Mahjongg with my friends. I am learning to take time for me and to stop and smell the flowers - Teresa Niermeyer Plano At first I was very sad when my twin sons went off to different colleges. I trea- sured every minute on our family trip to Canada the summer before they left. I soon became excited to be a couple with my husband again without worrying about the kidsschedule. We enjoy a more casual schedule and can do things on our own time and at a moments notice. We also downsized and bought a home with many remodeling project to keep me occupied. Brenda Richard pictured climbing a glacier in Canada Prosper As my fourth child graduated from high school in 2012 I was feel- ing all kinds of emotions - sadness that all my children were grown relief happiness and pride that all were accepted into the college of their choice and anxiety on what the future held for my husband and me. My life for the previous 24 years had centered around my childrens activities and volunteering at their schools. After getting our youngest child settled into her first year of col- lege I was at a loss for what to do with my free time. Since my husband has Parkinson Disease we had attended informa- tion sessions and fundraising activ- ities for Parkinson Voice Project a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the voices of those people that have Parkinson Disease and other related neuro- logical disorders. After becoming familiar with this organization and the wonderful service they provide I began volunteering at the clinic in Richardson. I felt satisfied that I had found another purpose in my life. I began volunteering in the spring of 2013 and by summer I was of- fered a paid part-time position as a Patient Liaison. The CEO quickly recognized the skills that I devel- oped in planning and coordinating events at my childrens schools and in 2013 I became the Community Relations Manager. I love what I do and I still have time to volunteer at the high school in an alumni mom position travel with my husband and children and take classes that will help me be more valuable to Parkinson Voice Project. - Ceil Pajda Richardson