A Distinguished Man

Last night, my parents, siblings, much of my extended family and I, along with many community members, gathered at Jackson Catholic Middle School to honor Henry and Albert Th*rrez for their commitment and generosity to Catholic schools, the Catholic Church and the community in general. I am proud to call Henry my grandpa. How do I describe this amazing man? I struggle to find the words . . . he is one of the best men I know. He can make you laugh with his silly stories or cry with his tough love. In a world where grey rules, he is a black and white man - he sees things as right and wrong. He lives by high standards and expects those around him to do the same. He has built an incredibly successful business and never once taken out a loan (personally or for the business.) This is something he is extremely proud of (and should be!) He is persistent and hard-working. He has taught me that anything worthwhile is worth working (hard) for. At 87, he still goes to work almost every day. After work, he comes home to work outside . . . picking up leaves, clearing trees with his bulldozer or shovelling the driveway in the winter. Of course, this last part really isn't work for him - he loves his toys!

As I reflect on Grandpa and who he is to me, I realize it is b/c of him that I am who I am in regards to my faith . . . he loves Jesus and being Catholic. And he isn't a fair-weather Catholic. He has been to Hell in back, serving in WWII. He has endured tremendous tragedy - losing 4 children. I guarantee that he would say his faith is what got him through those times. He knows the importance of attending Sunday Mass and never misses it. Even in the Philippines during WWII, he would go to church, bringing his fellow soldiers with him. It didn't matter what the weather was or the distance. He would go. And the Rosary was (is) his constant companion. (Look at the back of their motor home and you can't help but notice the devotion he has to Mary!) He and grandma instilled these virtues in my mom and she has instilled them in us. Of all the things grandpa has done, this, by far, is the most important.

Grandpa knows that everything he has if a gift from God. Because of that, he and my grandmother are incredibly generous. They don't need to be, but they are . . . to their family and to many, many worthy organizations. They have created quite a legacy for their family . . . a legacy that makes me wonder: what great things will I do with my life? My biggest fear is being mediocre. I always wondered where that came from. And now, I know - thanks a lot Grandpa! Haha! Because of him, I want to make a real difference in the world. I want to be extraordinary and help people, just like he has done. Thank-you, Grandpa, for creating such an incredible and lasting legacy.

As a side note, Tom Izzo was the keynote speaker. One word: WOW! What a great speaker and overall good person. Tom's wife, Lupe, also attended and spoke. I had no idea that they are such strong Catholics - so much so that a Jackson area priest accompanies them on away games and sometimes says Mass for them in their suite. Amazing.

NYC or Bust

As you can see from all the blog postings, I am feeling "slightly" unmotivated this Good Friday afternoon to work . . . especially since Veronica, Hannah and I leave for New York City on Monday. Not that a trip to Manhattan (driving, no less) is ever relaxing; but still, it is not work! We are leaving Monday morning and will hopefully arrive around 6 that evening. Since this is my third trip to NYC, I have been designated at the "trip planner" - a title I gladly accept. Anyway, I have some fabulous restaurants scoped out and lots of sightseeing planned, mainly for Hannah's sake, since this is her first time there and HER Spring Break, after all! (Isn't she lucky to have such cool chaperones???? ;-) ))) And of course, lots of shopping. We also have a surprise planned for Hannah . . . she has no clue and I can't wait!

Party at Pixie Hollow

A month ago, if you would've asked me what "Pixie Hollow" was, I would've looked at you and wondered what in the world you were talking about! Thanks to Maria and her love for Tinkerbell, I now know. Jaime, once again, made the most adorable invitations for Maria's 4th birthday party - Tinkerbell themed, of course! Maria is such a joy . . . does she have her typical "kid" moments? Of course. But she also has this way about her that makes you feel like you are the most special person in the room. For example, every time we walk into their house, she squeals with delight and runs to the door to greet us with a hug. Friday night, at her dad's bday party, she was sitting with me, looked up and said, "You look beautiful tonight, Aunt Chrystal." And then, "I love you so much." Ugh, does she know what to say or what?? :-) She also cracks me up . . . When she came up to visit a few weeks ago, Brook and I took Maria and Connor for a walk. At one point on the walk, Maria refered to Brook as "Uncle Brook Stevens." I laughed so hard! It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

One of the highlights of our wedding day was right after I put on my dress . . . Maria saw me, gently put her hand on my dress and said, "Aunt Chrystal, you're beautiful!" The wonder in her eyes and the amazement in her voice makes me tear up to think of it now. Luckily, our photographer was there and captured the moment. It is something I will never forget and always cherish.

Happy Birthday, Love!

I couldn't help but include this one . . .

such a sweet shot of Grandpa & Connor

A Trip to the Treehouse

We celebrated Avah's 3rd birthday last weekend at the Treehouse. Avah is so special to me, b/c she is my Goddaughter. I will never forget the day Karen asked me to be her Godmother - I was sitting in my cube at work and she plopped down in my "guest" chair. I didn't think anything of it, since we chat often. :-) When she asked me, I was totally surprised and completely honored! I now struggle with the fact that I live over 2 hours away from her, but still try to be a part of her life as much as I can. And, of course, I pray that she will grow up to know and love God, as that is what Godparents are truly for.

We couldn't stay long, as we had another birthday party on Saturday (story of our lives lately!) . . . but we had a nice time catching up with many of our Jackson friends. And since everyone else has a kid or 2, we decided to jump on the bandwagon (no, there is no big announcement!) and bring one ourselves. . . that would be Miss Sophie Mae. She wasn't quite big enough to play in "Tree," but had fun in the baby area. She kept me quite busy, as she wanted to put EVERYTHING in sight in her mouth. I think she's checking Brody out in the picture below! ;)