ANDIE IN HER FREE TIME

If you ever wonder why I am generally happy and reasonably patient, the people surrounding me in this picture are a big part of the answer.

That tall blonde kid? Growing up, he tested every ounce of restraint and self-control a parent could imagine! When he told us he wanted to graduate from high school a year early so he could head to University of Oregon (Go Ducks!), we were happy to help him make it happen! Today, Nick is 27, owns a home in Portland with his amazing fiancé Anna, and their sweet rescue pup, Stella. He is working hard to get to a single digit golf handicap and is helping lead an affordable housing preservation trust. I would have lost the bet on that outcome, but I couldn't be more proud of the man he has become...persistence pays off!

Maggy came into this world to show us how to relax and go with the flow. Growing up, we called her our "daisy picker"...you know the kid in right field on the t-ball team? That doesn't mean she's not athletic - she's a golfer who can drive it 300 yds on occasion, is a serious shot with a bow and a pistol, and has no trouble telling a 1,000 lb horse how to jump over a fence or run the barrels. After Covid blew up her sophomore year of college, she decided online school wasn't the answer, so at 20, she got her pilot's license and at 25, she is a flight instructor building hours to become a corporate pilot. She and her equally tenacious fiancé Mariah live about 20 minutes north of us with their three horses, four dogs, two cats, two snakes and probably a partridge in a pear tree!

The baby of the family is Jillian (21). She spent much of her life in the dance studio and traveling to perform and compete across the country, and still managed to be an honor student! Then she joined the statistics of other intensely driven young woman in a sport that is immersed in body image. After spending six months trying to manage her eating disorder, her life was in jeopardy. Jillian was at extreme risk for having a heart attack that her frail body would not be able to withstand. Beginning in October of 2020, she spent 13 weeks in a hospital and then a residential recovery program. Thankfully, by God's grace, Jillian is now defying the statistics and remains healthy as she gets ready to start her senior year at Baylor University! She also continues her academic success maintaining a 4.0 GPA and is an active leader in her sorority, Alpha Phi.

As for the handsome old guy, he is the glue that holds this crazy family together! Until recently he was enjoying a "sabbatical" after serving as the Chief Revenue Officer at SmartRent and helping take the company public in August 2021. He decided to reprise his role as a Chief Revenue Officer and joined Conversion Logix, a digital marketing firm for Multifamily, Senior Living and Student Housing. So, I guess the golf clubs are going to gather a little dust now!