“To be a mother is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
I thought I was ready to be a mom. I read all the books. I got all the advice. I had all the onesies ready, the nursery painted, the binkies on standby.
I don’t think you can fully prepare for that moment when your baby is finally born. The second I saw my baby boy, my life was no longer mine. It was like my heart had split… and he was half of it. 14 years later, things are no different – now with two, precious sons. When they hurt, I hurt. When they experience joy, my heart explodes. Every decision I make, every plan I put in place, I consider what it all means to them. They are literally pieces of my heart, walking around outside of my body. And sometimes, when I feel like I’m losing all hope, I remind myself that as long as those two boys are happy and healthy, nothing else matters.
Then, I think of my friend, Betsy.
Betsy is our Event Manager at HDR. I have the privilege of working closely with her for executive meetings and events. There are very few people I know that are universally loved and respected by everyone who knows them; that’s Betsy. Her name at HDR is synonymous with high-quality work, professionalism, organization, positivity and kindness. She’s talented, kind, reliable, trustworthy, and she always has a smile and a hug.
She’s also one of the strongest people I know.
Betsy has two beautiful daughters. Her youngest, Claire, was born without fully functioning kidneys. Since her first ultrasound in January 2024, the Stannards’ lives have been filled with doctors, surgeries, diagnoses, prognoses and challenges.
“We went into the 20-week anatomy scan, not wanting to find out the gender,” Betsy told me recently. “When we were there, it took longer than I had remembered from my first pregnancy with Catherine. I just remember them continuing to look at things, and having a really long conversation with the doctor. They knew something was abnormal with her kidney.”
Betsy immediately began weekly appointments with a high-risk OBGYN. Before her baby was even born, she had in-utero surgery at Children’s Hospital Colorado, allowing doctors to place a shunt in the baby’s back to drain excess fluid from her tiny body. At 29 1/2 weeks, Betsy was admitted to the Methodist Women’s Hospital, where she stayed until she hit 36 weeks, to help her baby become strong enough to survive once she was born. Betsy worked remotely throughout that stay, saving her maternity leave and paid time off for her daughter once she arrived.
Claire James Stannard was born on April 29, 2024.
“We were so excited to hear her crying, because I knew that meant her lungs worked,” said Betsy. “Not knowing if she was going to be able to breathe on her own was so scary before that, so hearing it was exciting. I knew that she was going to be a fighter from the beginning.”
Doctors determined that one of Claire’s kidneys was multi-cystic; it had never formed correctly and was essentially just taking up space in her abdomen. Her other kidney was there, but did not filter toxins as most kidneys do. The diagnosis: Claire would need daily dialysis until she was old enough and strong enough for a kidney transplant.
“Prayed. Prayed so hard,” said Betsy. “She was born on a Monday. We moved her to Children’s on that Wednesday, and on Friday she had her first surgery where doctors removed her undeveloped right kidney, placed her peritoneal dialysis catheter, placed her feeding tube button (gastrostomy button), and placed her central line for routine lab draws.”
“We couldn’t pick her up and hold her for two weeks,” remembers Betsy. “This was to allow her dialysis catheter placement to heal. In this picture, she was 11 days old; I was so happy she was grabbing my finger!”
Claire’s first months of life were spent in the NICU at Omaha’s Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. Doctors and nurses had to find a perfect balance to provide Baby Claire nutrition, without flooding her body with fluids she couldn’t flush out. Betsy and her husband JJ learned how to hold their baby girl amid tubes and a dialysis machine, while also focusing on their toddler, Catherine, and unavoidable challenges with work leave and medical bills.
“Those couple of months, I didn’t get to spend time with her as a newborn,” said Betsy. “I was driving back and forth to a hospital and to daycare to pick up our 2-year old who had to then go and visit her sister in the hospital.”
“I prayed a lot, asking why me? Why do we have to endure this?” said Betsy. “I just knew God gave it to me for a reason, because he knows that I can handle it and knows that I have people around me that can help me stand on the days that are hard.”
Doctors estimated Claire would stay at Children’s for a year. She was ready to go home in September.
“She continued to grow and tolerated the dialysis like a champ,” said Betsy. “After four months, they felt she was strong enough to handle things at home. And Children’s Nebraska was so amazing and helpful giving us training and educating us to get through that.”
While it was great to be home together as a family, Claire’s care fell completely to Betsy and JJ. Betsy’s teammates at HDR collectively donated paid time off hours to Betsy, allowing her to take care of her baby girl.
“I was just so grateful that when we got to take her home, I could just focus on her for those couple of months and have that time with her,” said Betsy.
Any parent knows having a newborn is no picnic. It’s even harder when you have a toddler who also needs you. With a special needs child like Claire, Betsy and JJ had to learn a whole new home routine, and plan out a long list of surgeries and appointments needed to keep Claire on track for optimal growth and eventually, a transplant.
Just weeks after she left the NICU, Claire received a helmet, needed from her extended time lying down in the NICU. In October, Claire underwent surgery again for leg casts, needed to correct a dislocated hip and hip dysplasia. And every, single night, Betsy and JJ began the 45-minute process to set Claire up for a full night of her life-saving dialysis.
“I remember with Catherine, we could just grab her, bring her into our bed and watch a movie in the morning or just get up and go,” said Betsy. “With dialysis, you have to plan your entire day around making sure you get set up in the right amount of time. You have to think about, ‘ok, do I have something the next day?’ so we have the full 12 hours with preparation and dialysis, and then ‘what if she spits up or if she poops on her dressing?’ You have to change her, which takes another 45 minutes because diaper changes were so hard with her casts, and then build that extra time into your next day.”
Throughout every trial, every hospital stay, every doctor’s visit… Betsy and her family stayed positive.
Claire bloomed a smile that lit up every room she was part of. She began hitting new milestones like independent tummy time, crawling and standing, eating table foods, and playing with her big sister.
She turned 1 year old with her family as a happy, growing little girl, and one step closer to a kidney transplant. After nonstop visits to all kinds of specialists for additional scans and testing, Betsy and JJ received the news they had been waiting a year and half for: Claire was approved for surgery.
“The UNMC transplant team needs her to be a certain height and weight in order for her to receive a kidney,” said Betsy. “Her lungs look good, her heart looks good. We can see trends that she’s growing at a good rate, healthy and strong, and that there is enough room in her abdomen to receive a working kidney.”
To me, the finish line seems so very close for my amazing friend. In reality, this is just one more chapter in her family’s story. Doctors have approved Claire for a kidney transplant: now, they need to find a kidney.
On November 4, Betsy shared the above on her Facebook page: a photo of her joyful little girl with a simple plea, Help Claire Get a Kidney. The Stannards are asking anyone and everyone who hears their story to consider answering a brief questionnaire through the Nebraska Medical Center, all part of the process to find a potential living donor for Claire.
“It would change her life,” Betsy told me. “A kidney for Claire would mean more energy and overall health throughout her life, freedom from her daily 12-hour dialysis requirements, improved appetite and growth, the ability to travel with her family, and less time in hospitals for surgery, procedures and tests. For anyone considering this, even if you donate one of your kidneys you are not at higher risk of kidney failure. That’s not going to hold you back. You only need one – but she’s only going to get one.”
While promising, the road after transplant will be rocky for Claire and her family. This is major surgery; Claire will need 24/7 care for months after her transplant. Her recovery process will be significant, with a future of anti-rejection medications, clinic visits and tests. There’s always the possibility that a new kidney could fail, whether that be in 30 minutes or 30 years.
But Betsy chooses hope. She chooses positivity. She chooses gratitude.
Since I started at HDR in May of 2023, Betsy has become of my dearest colleagues and friends. She carries an aura of warmth and joy with her, and shares the beauty in her heart with everyone she meets. I see her smile in her daughters; the same light, the same happiness. I have known these past two years what her family has faced, but it wasn’t until we sat down to talk about Claire that I felt Betsy’s sorrow. It was the first time I’ve ever seen her cry, and it was a brief glimpse of her exhaustion, her pain for her baby girl and for all that her family has been through, and of the ongoing weight she carries as a mother who loves her child with every fiber of her being. As a fellow mom, who would turn the world upside down and sacrifice everything within me for my children, I could almost feel how heavy these last two years have had to have been for a woman who gives so much beauty and love to others. I would pray for any child to be healthy and strong, but there is truly no one more deserving of answered prayers than Betsy.
“I’m excited to see a more normal future for our family, hopefully soon,” said Betsy. “I hope Claire goes on and helps other people, whether it’s through understanding about this life that she’s had so far or could she help cure something in the future? I just think that she’s going to take this and do something good with it after she goes through all of this, whether she goes and becomes a doctor or nurse, a teacher, or even an event planner. I can just see her using this to try and help others with their future.”
Just like her momma. I have no idea how she does it – balancing so much, every day, on her incredibly strong shoulders – while never letting anyone know about her challenges. All we see is Betsy’s smile; all we feel is her warmth; and I would argue we could all learn from her inspiring attitude of joy and hope. All her two little girls are learning from their brave, strong Momma, is that no matter what life throws at you, surround yourself with people you love, and do everything you can to find joy every, single day you have.
“Just assume people are doing the absolute best that they can,” said Betsy. “You don’t know what kinds of things they are going through. I try to remember: everybody’s trying their absolute best in the moment with the cards that they’ve been dealt. And with that, I hope people try to help each other out. I am so thankful for everybody in this journey; donations, dropping off meals, just a text means a lot. Just reaching out to be a sounding board goes a really long way. Those may seem like small things, but they mean the world. And I am so grateful and thankful for the people that care for Claire and for our family.”
When taking the survey, please list the intended recipient as Claire J Stannard, DOB 4/29/2024.
The Stannard family also hopes you might consider supporting one of the organizations that have been so important to them in their journey.
Children’s Hospital & Medical Center is the Stannards’ home away from home; from caring for Claire in the NICU for the first four months of her life, through surgeries and check-ups, and now in preparation for an organ transplant. RIGHT NOW you can benefit Children’s as part of their 23rd annual Radiothon with The Kat 103.7. Become a Miracle Maker today by calling (402) 955-7100, texting CARE to 34984 or giving online at TheKat.com.
CRCC IS the Stannard girls’ home away from home; the Connected Roots Care Center is a comprehensive child care and therapy facility providing childcare for kiddos with medical needs, and for their siblings so family’s can stay together. If you’ve ever struggled to find childcare you trust, imagine doing so with a medically fragile child! For 35 years, CRCC has provided individualized care and therapeutic support in a community welcoming to all children. Donations help provide services to as many families as possible, and to keep CRCC flourishing. Learn more and donate here.
I’ve performed the national anthem in front of tens of thousands of people. I’ve covered stories live on CNN. I’ve interviewed a sitting President, Olympians, celebrities.. I’m fine.
Talking about myself in a speech? No, thank you. So there I was Saturday night, my heart beating out of my chest, leaning on my husband and giving myself a mental pep talk before taking the stage, speech in hand. Then… SUPRISE! No speech needed. And while I was relieved, I also deeply wanted to thank so many people who had nurtured me, cared about me, believed in me, and helped me get to that moment.
Oh, yeah – I have a BLOG!
And with that, here’s that speech I had ready Saturday for this surreal moment, as I was inducted into the Papillion-La Vista High School Hall of Fame.
First, I am beyond blessed to receive this honor, but more so, to be surrounded by some extraordinary people who were in my corner for this very special event. Thank you to my husband, Brian; to my parents, Steve and Jackie; to Mike and Katie; to Brian and Lisa; to Kristi and Jason; to my amazing Petersen family. I am so grateful for your friendship, love and support. Thank you to the friends and colleagues who nominated me: Rob, Melissa, Enid, Adair and Jim. Thank you to my team at HDR who generously sponsored this year’s Hall of Fame Gala. Finally, congratulations to my fellow honorees: in particular, Bill and Sherry Anders; Bill was my Papio Rec League softball coach rec league and the entire Anders family are among the BEST HUMANS you could hope to meet.
As I tried to form my thoughts in preparing for this, I kept coming back to gratitude and community. I am a proud K-12 PLCS student, starting at Carriage Hill Elementary in 1986. Our principal, Don Hooper, was the coolest person on earth when he dressed up like Billy Ray Cyrus for Halloween. Nearly 40 years later (wow, that hurts) I still remember Mrs. Blaze, Mrs. Witzki, Mrs. Young.
Papillion Junior high school: Mr. Kinkennon came to school early every day to play checkers with me. Yes – I was that cool. You see that softball picture? My glasses were so big, I could see into the future and knew what pitch was coming across the plate. I was still rocking those glasses in 8th grade, when Bob McCaw removed me from his classroom when my Braves beat his Cubs, because he didn’t want to hear me gloat all hour. Mrs. Gess’s classroom was always my favorite place – choir. It was singing that helped me build confidence and friendships. Mrs. Gess let us choose the songs, from Disney to Celine Dion, and gave kids like me the opportunity to express ourselves and find our voices. Mrs. Gess – thank you for nurturing my love of music. Every opportunity I’ve had to sing for a crowd over the years, it’s because you showed me how great it felt to be in that spotlight.
At Papillion-La Vista High School, teachers like Bev Ruff, Jeff Nienheuser and Kathy Kollars devoted their lives to us, helping us discover our passions and develop our talents. When you’re 17, you take for granted that your teachers are just there every day after school for rehearsals, and every Friday night and all weekend for plays and competitions. You don’t understand that’s time away from their families, or time for themselves. I get it now, and I am so grateful. These incredible educators challenged me, they helped me learn how to take criticism and improve, they gave me opportunities to discover that, hey, I kinda like this writing and performing thing. And they were always the positive reinforcement I needed to make me feel maybe I had something special to offer the world.
I still remember our activities director, Chuck Johnston, taking the time to sit in on musical rehearsals to watch what we were doing. At a time when Monarch football, baseball and softball were legendary, it meant so much to us that we, and our activities, were just as important. And truly, I felt that from our entire community growing up. Sergeant Greg Galardi honking at us in his Papillion Police cruiser as we walked home from school. Jim Thompson sending me a handwritten card from Pinnacle Bank after homecoming. And Judge Bob O’neal, one of the most respected judges in the state of Nebraska, volunteering to coach our mock trial team all the way to a state championship and national competition.
Those relationships matter. I dreamed big and pushed for more because I didn’t know anything different than encouragement and support. I see it now in my own sons – when a child feels safe and free to be themselves at school, they explore – they open up – they have no fear in finding out and developing who they were meant to be. That, then benefits an entire community. Proof? My next chapter at KETV.
At one point, we had five Papio grads working on air together, and I would argue that to us, our jobs had extra meaning and value because this is home. You were and are our people, so we cared more. When I interviewed Sarpy County Sheriff Jeff Davis – he was still the guy flipping pancakes after church at St. Columbkille. Lieutenant Russ Zeeb was my friend Stephanie’s dad. Mayor Dave Black knows all of my Dad’s best fishing spots. Mayor Doug Kindig was a staple at the barber shop in La Vista where my little brothers got their hair cut. Sarpy County Election Commissioner Wayne Bena was my swim coach at Papio Pool. I absolutely destroyed Captain Jeremy Kinsey in fundraiser softball. (That’s how I remember it any way.. and now I can’t drive through the city of Blair, because he’s Chief.) Even in how our team operated at the station: Rob McCartney, Adrian Whitsett, John Campbell.. we leaned on each other and helped each other be better because we were connected through this special place and wanted to positively impact where we came from.
I found those connections again when I became Communications Director at Westside. Dr. Enid Schonewise, Annette Eyman, Jim Frederick – they were my confidantes, mentors and friends as I navigated a new career. When I joined the corporate world at HDR, two of the first two people to welcome me in with open arms were Papillion-La Vista graduates Gayle Portera and Robbie Rodriguez. When I decided to compete for Mrs. Nebraska, Erik and Liz Lilla and their business, Metro Stars Gymnastics, were among my most supportive sponsors. When I got the call to be part of an awesome new podcast called Question Marks, the invite was from my fellow Monarch, Grayson McCartney.
Folks, there is something very special about being part of a community like this. When we all cheer each other on and support one another; when we make each other feel valued and loved and part of something; we all benefit. We want to do the right things for others. We are more open to learning and growing because we trust where that advice is coming from. We then want to pay forward the love and support we’ve always felt. When one of us succeeds, we all do because we’re all connected through this community.
Judge Bob, you told us once when we were in St. Louis for Mock Trial Nationals: “when people ask you where you’re from, don’t say Omaha. Say Papillion.”
I do. Every time. And I hope when I say I’m a Monarch, I’m doing all of you proud. Not just in awards or accomplishments or experiences, but through character, by supporting others, in reinforcing the power and value of community. Your love and support have driven me professionally and personally.
To my teachers and coaches, principals and school administrators, volunteers and boosters, thank you. I am forever in your debt for all that you gave me as a foundation for LIFE. Among my many blessings, thank you for creating the environment that led to me so many treasured classmates who I will always count among my friends: Cassie Harrison, Melissa Arch, Jenni Murray, Pam Menschner, Adrian Whitsett, Jake Ozanne, David Wenzel and so many others.
Mom and Dad, thank you for choosing Papillion, because of the schools you wanted for us. Thank you for giving everything you had to find us that little house on Redwood Lane, filled with love and the unspoken ideals that I could do absolutely anything I wanted in this life.
To my husband, Brian, and my boys, Easton and Evan: you are my rock. You are my ocean. You give me the support to pursue everything I dream of, and you’re my security blanket to wrap me up when the world is too much. You are my everything and I love you more than I can describe in words.
To all of you – thank you for this incredible honor. I am so deeply grateful for this blessing, and for this community. Go Monarchs.
When Brian and I had first started dating, he faced a really awful month as his Dad faced the possibility of major surgery. Around that time, Green Day had released ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It was so fitting; we played it on repeat.
July 2025 said “hold my beer.” Looking back at my planner, literally from July 1 through July 31, it was a burning dumpster fire of dirty diaper garbage for our whole family. I’m always searching for perspective, for meaning, for lessons to make something positive out of BLECHT, but sometimes it’s just easier to feel sorry for yourself, lie in bed and order Runza for delivery.
August 1. My journal prompt was, “think about those you admire. What qualities make them so special? How can you better embody these qualities this month?” Ironically, two of the people I deeply admire are also the reasons July brought us so much grief. We lost two incredibly men: Chris Beeler and Billy Cueto. This post is intended to not only share the lessons I’m reflecting on from these two awesome people, but I hope it’s a way to show Cathy, Kacie, and everyone who loved Billy and Chris that they will never be forgotten. That even in these weeks and months later as everyone has gone back home and the calls and texts have stopped, that people are still thinking of, and will always be thinking of, the legacies these two created.
This is Chris Beeler. To me, Chris was an especially kind man with an incredible gift: he could always make others laugh and smile.
This picture? It happened because of Chris. He was the face behind the camera making my children laugh. For many years, Chris and Cathy Beeler were not only our friends, they were the trusted duo we asked to take our family photos. Any parent knows, it ain’t easy getting your babies and toddlers to participate or behave for a photo session… yet somehow, Chris always found a way to connect with our boys. Fake farts, lollipops, jokes, funny voices… Chris had an indisputable gift to bring out the best in every child and family he worked with. The result: memories like this I will treasure for the rest of my life. As my boys grow into teenagers, photographs like this bring me to tears; Chris and Cathy helped me somehow capture these moments in time that I will never be able to get back. They did the same for countless other families through photos, but more so, through friendships, compassion, and humor.
Chris bravely battled cancer for many years. He and Cathy thought they had beaten it, and then over the last year, new scans revealed it had returned. He died at home on June 20, surrounded by those who love him most. In the weeks that followed, friends and family each shared what they would remember about Chris. His incomparable creative talents and vision that led to a legendary career in broadcasting. Omaha area friends: do you remember the KPTM Kids Club? It was Chris’s idea and project, one of his many success stories that led to multiple national and international Emmys, Tellys, and Promax awards. I learned that Chris and Cathy, the epitome of soul mates and best friends for 43 years, had gotten engaged after only knowing each other for 30 days. That same beautiful connection Chris showed with my kids was exponentially evident with his own cherished grandchildren, who called him Poppy. He ALWAYS shared his sense of humor with the world; taking photos of himself wig-shopping during chemotherapy, posing with funny faces no matter how awful he might’ve felt, reminding baseball fans everywhere that his Mets were the ONLY team to cheer for. And I learned that Chris, who converted to Catholicism in 2006, devoted the last 10 years of his life to making others’ lives better. He was a daily volunteer with the St. Vincent De Paul Alpha program, RCIA, and delivering communion to the homebound. He drove an elderly blind woman to weekly mass. He was known as the “church hugger”, always ready with a warm embrace, a prayer or a joke for all he encountered. In the final weeks of his life, Chris asked that anyone thinking about him also think of others by creating ‘pay it forward’ bags to be shared with those in need throughout our community. In his obituary, his family shared that Chris left them countless handwritten notebooks filled with his thoughts. Among one of his final messages, he wrote: “I came, I gave, I loved.”
This is Billy Cueto. To me, Billy was Brian’s hilarious cousin; we always looked forward to seeing him at family events, never knowing what crazy thing Billy would do to make us laugh. Look up ‘life of the party’: it was always Billy.
Billy was also one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. He was an usher in our wedding, and we saw later he was at the back of the church, helping our young ring bearer and flower girl. At a family wedding, Billy stood next to our walker-bound elderly aunt, dancing with her as she sat so she wouldn’t feel left out. During the pandemic, Billy took the time to FaceTime with Easton and Evan to teach them about Anguilla, the Caribbean island where he lived. One of the last times we saw him, he brought fancy hotel robes not just for me, but for my Mom, who he’d only met a few times.
We were just a few of the countless people Billy impacted throughout his life. He was a Four Seasons General Manager who started out at the bottom and worked his way to the very top of his company through incredible work ethic and dedication to simply caring about other people. He treated everyone with kindness and respect, from top clients included LeBron James and Jon Bon Jovi, to the gardeners and housekeeping staff at the resorts he ran.
Billy married Kacie in January, and together, they dedicated their lives to the people of Nevis, their newest resort assignment and home. They led fundraisers to improve the local senior living center, they volunteered and advocated for Nevis Animal Speaks, they grew gardens and helped develop new health and wellness projects. Kacie and Billy made it their mission to really know and embrace the people of Nevis. They didn’t just make a difference financially, but personally volunteered, invested in not only the success of their resort but the people and community they called home.
Billy was taking a walk in his beloved Nevis on June 28 when he collapsed. Passersby saw him and called for help but Billy died. It was just a few days before his 48th birthday. It was just 6 months since he and Kacie got married. Brian and I had been planning to visit them in November.
Once again, as much of an impact as Billy had on us, it became clear that we were just one piece of an incredible life that spanned decades, geographies, communities. The Premier of Nevis shared his condolences, calling Billy a “passionate visionary who deeply cared for our island and its people.” The Four Seasons offered free hotel rooms for all of our family to attend Billy’s funeral; many of their staff members from around the world flew in to pay their respects. The people of Nevis held their own service for Billy, many sharing their stories of how he made it a point to know so many personally, no matter their role; how he made them laugh; how even as General Manager he was the first to jump in to help in the kitchen or in the laundry room. And in beautiful tributes from Kacie, our Aunt Mary Lee, Billy’s brother Kevin, and our dear friend Jeff, who was Billy’s best friend, we knew that his humor, his spirit, the life and vitality that shined so brightly, had been there since the day Billy was born. It’s like he was meant to be on earth to make life better and happier for other people.
When I read: “think about those you admire. What qualities make them so special? How can you better embody these qualities this month?” I immediately thought of Chris and Billy.
When I’m battling through a month like July, I often go to a really bitter place where I focus on all the things I feel like I’m doing and giving and FOR WHAT? Why bother, when I watch others move through life so selfishly, sometimes cruelly, without any thought or care for others, and WHEN DO I GET TO BE LAZY? When do I get to rest and stop trying to be the good guy for everyone and everything?
I just can’t. And that attitude sucks. Because when I sit back and look at people like Chris and Billy, I realize I want to be like them. I want to make people laugh. I want to make life better for other people. I want to pursue my passions and dreams and feel joy without guilt, worry or regret. I want to make a difference in a world that seems so dark and scary. I want to make people feel like they are special; I want them to look forward to seeing me because maybe I can be that light. I want to know that when I leave this world, maybe it and the people in it are just a little bit better.
I saw this online, and boy, it hit hard.
“People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life. Like, loving everybody all the time, and being nice. Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
I feel like I ask every time someone close to us passes, I ask, “why them?” Of course, I don’t wish for anyone to die, but why does it always seem and feel that the very best of us are taken; people, their light, their kindness, that we so desperately need right now.
I don’t pretend to know God’s plan, and I absolutely believe He has one for each of us. We never know when our book will end; we can only do our best to write every chapter with as much material as we can fit into it. And man, did Chris and Billy do just that. If the meaning of life is to love, to live our best lives here on earth with the time we have been given, and to help others do the same, then Chris and Billy accomplished that in spades and both have created legacies that have continued, and will continue, even though they are no longer with us.
I didn’t know Chris or Billy well enough to assume or guess what their message to you might be. I can only share my message: that their deaths have reminded me our time on earth is so very short. We blink and those photos and moments and things that make life beautiful are soon just memories. I want to live like Chris and Billy. And every new month, every new day, every new hour, is an opportunity to start fresh.
Be present. Be grateful. Live. Love. Don’t waste one moment.
I deeply believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, we face challenges that just SUCK; we cry, we are angry, we ask why? Why me and why now?
I believe that God provides us with these tests and lessons to help us grow and learn; to be better and stronger than we once were. Sometimes, there is no explanation; we just have to trust and have faith that He has a plan for us we may not understand.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Last fall, we learned that Brian’s work division, where he had grown as a professional and a leader for 8 years, was likely being eliminated. We prepared and planned, and true to my husband’s character, he spent the last few months of the year focused on the employees on his team. He had meetings, lunches, conversations, all to plant seeds for a possible new beginning. We discussed starting a business. We talked about investing in property as a potential asset and income source. Brian cleaned up his resume and searched for the next chapter in his career.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
I noticed how many of my friends and colleagues were also dealing with similar challenges. My dear friend Adair was forced to close her boutique, Brick & Mortar. I received texts from THREE friends letting me know they had been let go from their jobs. I saw the same from others on LinkedIn, longtime colleagues across multiple industries sharing that ‘Open To Work’ frame, asking for references and job opportunities. All of these folks with amazing talent and work ethic, let go due to no fault of their own. Our challenges were not unique, but it’s certainly a club no one wants to be part of.
Brian told me one night that there was nothing more frustrating than getting an email with ‘we really like you but you’re overqualified’ or ‘thank you for applying but..’ By the end of April, Brian had applied for upwards of 200 jobs nationwide and received more than 75 of those emails. He is a proud husband and father, wanting to shoulder the responsibility of providing for his family. This weight became heavier and heavier with each passing week, and each rejection email.
I tried to focus on the positive; Brian could be there for our boys (and me!) when they were home sick, needed rides to activities and practices, and greet them when they got home from school. As I navigate my challenges with chronic vestibular migraines, it’s been invaluable to have Brian focused on our home and kids full-time when I suffer an attack. I also reminded Brian that this new time meant he could fully commit to something he absolutely loved: BASEBALL.
Baseball has always been part of Brian’s life. He began coaching for the Millard North Mustangs in 2006; he loved it so much, he went back to school to earn a degree in teaching. The teaching career didn’t work out, but the coaching did; Brian was a member of legendary Coach Dave Cork’s staff for 13 seasons. He left when our boys were 7 and 5 to coach their T-Ball teams.
Fast forward to 2023. Our boys had traded baseball for football, Quiz Bowl, soccer and basketball. While they no longer played the game, their teammates in other sports did, and many of them were on track to attend our community’s brand new Gretna East High School. When this beautiful building opened in 2023, Brian reached out to administrators about joining the Varsity Baseball staff.
Brian joined Head Coach Darrell Everhart and Assistant Coaches Matt Renshaw and Collier Buttgen to form Gretna East High School Varsity Baseball’s first coaching staff. In their inaugural season in 2024, without any seniors, the team won a District title and finished as the Class B State Runner Up. It was one of Brian’s most successful years in his coaching career. Just as important, if not more so, we felt like family with this team and staff from day one. The culture created by Coach Darrell, emphasized by each member of his staff, his parents and his players, was focused on teamwork, staying humble, working hard. They finished every game with a team huddle and prayer on the field, reinforcing they were a family and not a collection of separate individuals. At a time when so many teams, players, parents, coaches are focused on ‘how do I get noticed; how do I get that scholarship; how do we win at all costs’; Griffins Baseball lived by the mantra of mentoring and nurturing young men, developing stellar baseball skills and knowledge of the game, while reinforcing great LIFE skills and building a brotherhood among one another.
Needless to say, we were all excited for high school baseball season this year. Nine returning seniors and a slew of up-and-coming talent, hungry and eager to learn. Reunited with all of our coaches (and their families!) at the ballpark. Our team motto was #JobsNotDone, reflecting back on that 2024 State Runner Up finish, one game away from winning it all.
The job was hard. We’d follow up a win with a 1-run loss. It would happen again. One step forward, two steps back. Moments of the same greatness we saw in 2024, followed by frustration. At one point, it looked like our Griffs would have to win Districts to even COMPETE at State, let alone be a contender.
April 29.. and everything started to fall into place. We won our final four games of the regular season. We won the District Championship against higher-seeded Waverly on their turf. We headed back to the State Championship at UNO’s Tal Anderson field feeling dejavu – in a good way.
We got the other kind of dejavu – the kind you want to forget. Our team lost in the opening game in a 1-run walk-off to Waverly, the team we had beaten in our two prior meetings just the week before. Our Griffs would have to claw our way back, through the loser’s bracket, or our season would be over.
With baseball superstitions alive and well, I didn’t even write potential game times on my calendar in fear I’d jinx everything. Day by day, game by game, inning by inning.
Monday at Papillion-La Vista South – we beat Hastings.
Tuesday at Werner Park – we faced Waverly again and won.
Wednesday at Papillion-La Vista South – we would have to beat Skutt Catholic TWICE to stay alive and make it back to the state title game. Skutt had been top-ranked in Class B all year, beating us earlier in the season in one of those 1-run heartbreakers. As our boys battled every day that week, Skutt had been resting in the winner’s bracket. Tensions were high for both sides (some showing it with more grace than others.) In the middle of the first game, one of our team leaders and star players, Easton Leahy, took a fast ball straight to the head and immediately dropped at home plate. NSAA medical staff treated him and got him off the field. As his mom ran to her SUV to take him in to be checked, Easton collapsed again behind the dugout. We called 911 and Papillion Fire & Rescue arrived within minutes to take him to an area hospital.
We found out within a few hours Easton was fine and had cleared all medical testing, but at the time, our boys and coaches were asked to keep playing not knowing what had happened to their friend, clearly rattled at everything that had just taken place. They pushed through – yelling ‘For E!’ throughout the remaining innings.
Another 1-run victory – this time, with us on the winning side.
So, we had to play again. By the bottom of the 7th, we were up by a run and down to their final out. Skutt battled back, tying the score.
In high school baseball in Nebraska, teams play 7 innings. This game went 15. Pitch after pitch, play after play, our boys battled. Our catcher Carson Herrmann, after squatting his 6’2″ frame for hours behind the plate, laid out in a straight dive to snag a foul ball. Our 2nd baseman Tyler Cox stopped everything hit his way, even taking cleats to the shin at one point by a player trying to slide in safely (Tyler got him.) Our boys were defensive showcases, turning outstanding plays all over the diamond and in the outfield. They never turned on one another; they lifted each other up; they battled like warriors but played with great sportsmanship and true character.
In the bottom of the 15th, Colton Nicholson, a monster of a young man my husband lovingly calls ‘Big Cat’, stepped up to the plate. Colton, our 1st baseman, rocketed the pitch into the left field over the outfielder’s head, scoring his teammate Chase Neneman.
These boys faced 22 innings of baseball in one day, nearly 7 hours of playing, with a teammate sent to the hospital in between. They never gave up on one another. They believed. And in that moment, as Colton shot his fist into the air and our stands erupted in tears and screams, it felt like all of that hard work and the GOODNESS of this team was being rewarded. All we had heard leading up to that day was ‘there’s no way you’ll beat Skutt.’ It felt like we were the USA beating Russia in 1980.
That moment has since gone viral online, garnering thousands of likes and views across multiple social media platforms (47,000 views on X alone), and Colton was named an Honorable Mention on the Omaha World Herald Class B All State team.
When Brian got home that night, the boys and I were ready. I played ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey on full blast, and we congratulated him by jumping up and down, cheering and basically assaulting him with hugs. It was just a great, great day we will never forget.
#JobsNotDone. We had made it to the state championship but had 7 more innings of baseball to play. None of the coaches washed their clothes. (Bad luck.) I wore my bejeweled Griffins jean jacket (the only time I hadn’t worn it the whole game? That first round loss at UNO.) Easton and I sat in the exact same seats at Werner Park we had the previous Monday when we won in the 2nd round. Brian didn’t even go to the community send off for the team because the last time he had, we lost.
Baseball superstitions run deep, folks. And guys, I’m a baseball nerd. Brian knew this when he married me. When my junior high girlfriends had subscriptions to Seventeen and Glamour magazine, I had a subscription to Chop Talk to get farm club details and stories on my Atlanta Braves. So yes, I’m biased, but I also have game street cred when I say the defense exhibited in the 2025 Class B State Championship was stellar – for both teams. We played Bennington, throwing one of our aces, York University commit Austin Copeland. Both Cope and Bennington’s pitcher thew complete games that day, with minimal hits. The defense on both sides was simply jaw dropping. We struck first; Chase Neneman, who scored our winning run in that nailbiter against Skutt, delivered a 2-run RBI in the 4th inning. Chase is only a SOPHOMORE.
Bottom of the 7th inning. I clutched a rosary in my sweatshirt pocket, praying. YES, I realize that God has better things to do than answer prayers about baseball, but I pleaded to Him that day that this was more than a game. This was about recognizing the character of this team. Boys who played for each other. Boys who never gave up. Boys who played the game the right way. And this was for Brian – because after everything he’d been through the last few months, he NEEDED this. I wanted this so badly for him – a bright spot amid so much frustration and worry.
When Cope pitched one final time, and the batter popped up to our Colton Kuhl in right field, I didn’t cheer – I sobbed. I put my face in my hands and my body shook as I cried and thanked God. I opened my eyes and just watched Brian and tried to sear that beautiful moment into my memory. At one point, we could see him looking for us in the stands. Easton and I jumped up and down, pumping our arms into the air so he could see us – and I saw him break down.
After all the hugs, all the photos, and yes, more tears, I got in my car at Werner Park.
Don’t Stop Believing was playing on the radio.
You can’t make this up.
We still remember the names of all of his favorite players over his nearly 20 years of coaching, some now grown men with kids of their own. Casey Gillaspie. Evan Porter. Alex Mortensen. Jack Wilson. Jordan Ritzdorf. Sean Fisher. Brian told me the night of the championship that what made this year so special was this team felt like ‘I had a whole team of those guys – the really special ones.’
Trevor Cox, who saw three little boys waiting outside the dugout after the final game of his high school career, and dug into his backpack to find them baseballs to take home.
Those same boys? They came to Werner Park on their last day of school, and stayed in the pouring rain, to watch and cheer for Nolan Green, their next-door neighbor.
Jensen Albers, who missed his entire season due to injury but was still at every practice, every game, trying to make Brian laugh.
Easton Leahy, who didn’t play in the state championship because of that pitch to the head 48 hours prior. He must have been gutted to not play, but channeled that into passion and support for his teammates in the dugout.
Colton Nicholson and Nolan Iverson, who also play football and have since ‘adopted’ our son Easton, giving him rides every day to and from summer training.
Three Griffins were named to the All Nebraska State Baseball Team. Three were named to the Class B All-State Team; five more named Honorable Mentions. Five were named All-Conference athletes; five more as honorable mentions. The team was honored as an Academic Excellence Award winner with a cumulative team GPA of 3.30 during the Spring semester. Four have committed to collegiate baseball programs around the Midwest.
22 young men, all special, that Brian got to coach to the first baseball state championship in the history of Gretna East High School.
Had Brian gotten a call about a job in January, or February, or March, he would have missed all of this. He would’ve missed this last year with nine of those young men who just graduated and are ready to begin their next chapters. He would’ve missed that piece of history, winning that long coveted and hard-earned state title. He would’ve missed being part of such a special team of kids and coaches to get the job done. But God had a plan for him, something we could not see or understand, that is crystal clear now.
This was my daily bible verse on May 23, 2025, the day Gretna East won the state title.
“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3
Everything happens for a reason. And I hope this post not only reminds us of that, but takes us back to a week in our lives we will simply never forget: a sunny respite in what has otherwise been a pretty cloudy stretch. And in the interim, as we watch and wait for the career opportunity we know will come, Brian has started coaching boys in our neighborhood, finding that same purpose and joy in working with kids, helping them pursue their own passions.
Photo courtesy Angie Nicholson
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Maybe you, too, are waiting.. wondering.. and frustrated, feeling like you just can’t win.
Maybe you keep getting ‘first runner up’; for the next promotion, you’re always the bridesmaid and never the bride, you’re always one step from stardom but never the headliner.
Maybe you’re battling a chronic illness or injuries and can’t find answers or support.
Maybe you just feel abandoned, beaten down, lost and hopeless, like no one is listening to you or cares about you.
Don’t give up. Keep the faith. God is listening and has a plan for the journey you are on and the challenges he’s giving you. Keep pushing forward, watching for opportunities to see all you should be thankful for. The outcome of the game is already determined, but how you play it may totally change your experience along the way.
Don’t stop believing.
Thank you for reading!And thank you to 402 Blog Sponsor: Wendy Welch!
For information on becoming a 402 Blog Sponsor, please email me at brandipaul7@gmail.com.
Last play of the game, surrounded by 77,000 of the other team’s supporters. Your team is up – but just barely. If they make this field goal, they win… another one, as they are the legendary Notre Dame, ranked 5th in the country. But you feel something deep, you do not need luck, you are on that field at that moment for a reason.
In that moment, Cade Haberman did the same thing he’s been doing since his time under Friday Night Lights in Omaha, Nebraska; he did his job on the field. #51 leapt, and that 6’2, 300-pound frame blocked Notre Dame’s final field goal attempt, securing Northern Illinois’ win in a historic upset for the program. That play became arguably one of the most talked about moments of college football for the coming week. As excited as Huskies fans were in that moment, the communities of Blair, Westside and Gretna, Nebraska might have IMPLODED.
Young men and women like Cade give years of blood, sweat, dedication and sacrifice for moments just like that. And when our hometown kids have moments that become legend, all of us who ‘knew them when’ feel immense pride and joy, like they are representing something bigger than themselves or the game. They represent US.
With that, I present to you the local stars representing our community across the country this fall. Each of them has graciously given me some of their time to share not only the behind-the-scenes tidbits that are part of being a collegiate athlete, but incredible pieces of advice for their youngest fans that extend far beyond the game of football. DISCLAIMER: for 7 years I was blessed to get to know some of these athletes and their families through my work at Westside so YES, I realize there are a lot of Warriors included here. I hope this is the start of an ongoing project to highlight our local collegiate athletes competing in sports as well, so if you’ve got beloved stars you want me and the world to know about from DC West, Papio, Elkhorn South, Bellevue, Ralston, Millard North, WHEREVER – send them my way!
I wonder how many people look at a 311-pound, 6-1 linebacker and think ‘I remember when he trick-or-treated at my house.’ I’m that lady. Arian was a hero in our neighborhood when he played for the powerhouse Gretna Dragons a few years ago. He has never forgotten the power of that hometown feel, telling me about one of the most exciting moments of his collegiate career during a road trip back home last year.
“We went down to Wayne State (Nebraska) for a game,” said Arian. “My family and friends came down to watch the game. I wasn’t starting, however, but four plays in the starting guard got hurt and I ended up playing a full game, in my home state, in front of my people.”
I don’t think a lot of folks fully understand the GRIND collegiate athletes, at all levels, put in for singular moments like that. ‘College life’ stereotypes of late nights and frat parties are non-existent. Every minute is planned, and it must be, to fit everything in.
“Along with classes and homework, I spend hours at practice, travel for games, and work hard to stay in top shape,” said Arian. “My schedule is packed, and it’s tough to find time to relax or hang out with friends. Time management is key because it is expected by both coaches and professors to do well in both school and sports. On top of that, I’m held to a higher standard when I am out in public. It’s not just about representing myself; I also represent my team, coaches, and the entire institution, so there’s always pressure to be on my best behavior.”
When his playing days are over, Arian plans to graduate from Bemidji State with a major in Aquatic Biology and a minor in Aquatic Systems; he wants to work for a fisheries program for any state’s DNR and someday, he hopes to appear on Shark Week. So why do not just enjoy fishing and relaxing now? Less than 1.6% of collegiate football players will make it to the NFL. Why grind, why push, why work countless hours/days/weeks/years for those few moments of glory on the field?
“In every athlete’s life, there comes a moment of doubt, a dark spot where you question your abilities, where you wonder if you’re truly good enough or if you’ll ever make it in your sport,” said Arian. “It’s in these moments that the temptation to quit feels the strongest. But remember this: quitting is not an option. You won’t be able to play the game forever, and if you walk away now, you’ll carry that regret with you for the rest of your life. Push through the doubt, fight through the challenges, and keep going, because every setback is just another step toward your comeback. Embrace the grind, trust your journey, and keep your eyes on the prize. There are only a few guarantees in life: adversity will find you, time will keep moving, and your chance to seize greatness will eventually pass. Make sure that when the final whistle blows, you can say you gave it everything you had, with no regrets and nothing left on the table.”
He just graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude in Economics with Psychology secondary. His brother-in-law is Nebraska’s all-time passing leader, Tommy Armstrong, Junior. He could brag ALL DAY about his lengthy resume of athletic, academic and personal achievements, but the first things Kaedyn Odermann wanted to make known in our discussion: that his sister is a state champion soccer player who went on to compete at Nebraska, and that his mom was an All-American basketball player at Minnesota State Moorhead. “I love to flex this!” Kaedyn told me.
You guys: this is literally my life goal. For my children to think I’m cool. I’m cheering for this guy already.
I’m a big fan of Ivy League athletics – Stanford Men’s Gymnastics sent some superstars to Paris over the summer. But here’s the deal: YOU DON’T JUST ‘GET INTO’ HARVARD. It’s HARVARD. Kaedyn Odermann earned his acceptance and graduated from Harvard,through non-stop hard work, dedication, and intelligence.
“No professors give any sort of special treatment (that a lot of people initially associate with college football players), and you are expected to be just as present and perform as well as any other non-athlete student would,” said Kaedyn. “There are no sport specific scholarships. The silver lining is that a lot of courses are competitive, meaning that your grade depends on how well other students perform. Thus, as an athlete who has competitive tendencies, there is some intrinsic motivation. For me, I wanted to get the most out of academics while playing football at a high level. I am extremely thankful to have the opportunity to play football at Harvard, and I have met amazing people in my time here that I would have never met otherwise. It has had a profound effect on who I am as a person and I am excited to see where it continues to lead me.”
Kaedyn has already confronted some difficult hurdles, including a broken hip and resulting surgery after just four games that left him bed-ridden for months. Like any champion (he’s got two Ivy League rings, by the way) he’s viewed those setbacks instead as opportunities; planning to use the extra year of eligibility he gained during injury to transfer to a high-profile business program for post-graduate studies, and always reflecting back on that time to fully appreciate the moments of glory he experiences on the field.
“The most exciting moment for me so far was beating Yale on a last second play my Sophomore year,” said Kaedyn. “A teammate of mine I really looked up to at the time, Kym Wimberly, made an incredible catch to secure the victory. I am extremely excited to host them at Harvard in our last game this season in November, and we will be playing in front of a sold out crowd. The Ivy League Championship usually comes down to that game.”
Photo courtesy Dylan Goodman Photography
Photo courtesy Dylan Goodman Photography
Photo courtesy Dylan Goodman Photography
“To younger athletes, embrace and enjoy the journey along with everything that comes with it!,” said Kaedyn. “Take advantage of every opportunity you get, and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Control what you can control, and as long as you work hard and put your best foot forward, the results will take care of itself. There are always going to be highs and lows in every part of your life, that is part of the learning experience. If you truly embrace the journey, everything can be seen as a lesson. Even the best of the best in the NFL and elsewhere are constantly looking for ways to improve, and have fun doing it.”
So you grow up with a Dad who’s basically a football legend in the state of Nebraska, who has become a household name to a new generation through sports broadcasting. And your Mom was a three-year letter winner for the Husker soccer team in the 1990s and played for Team Canada in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. And your grandpa was a groundbreaking coach for the University of Nebraska – Omaha, the first full-time black faculty member at the institution. And your stepmother is a beloved principal at your high school, respected and admired by thousands of students and all of your teachers.
It’s like an after school special storyling for the kid who’s cocky, takes life for granted, and waits for his silver platter of opportunities to be brought to him. Caleb Benning is the exact opposite of every part of that sentence. Everything GOOD from each of the adults who helped shape him has funneled into an outstanding young man and now collegiate athlete for the University of Nebraska.
“Whatever you are trying to do in life or accomplish, work as hard as you possibly can at it, as often as you can, and the rest will sort itself out,” Caleb told me this fall. I first met Caleb during my time as Communications Director at Westside Community Schools. Even as an underclassmen, Caleb was a clear leader in every facet of life at Westside High; in academics, in volunteer work, in supporting school causes, and in every athletic endeavor he tried out for. Always polite and respectful, always the first to step up and lead the way for others. I remember specifically in the summer of 2022, my staff and I organized and hosted our first Westside Back To School Carnival, a huge undertaking for our entire district and community. Caleb and a handful of his Westside Warriors teammates (a few included in this story!) promoted our event, showed up in their football uniforms to hang out with the kids who idolized them, and stayed the entire 4-hours playing catch with students and even volunteering for our dunk tank. From my limited ‘outside looking in’ perspective, Caleb has always seemed to be a young man who GETS it, that this opportunity to wear a jersey and play in the spotlight at Phelps Field or Memorial Stadium is a chance to make an impact and serve others.
“I’m most excited about being able to represent my family IN FRONT of my family,” said Caleb, talking about his first year playing for the Nebraska Cornhuskers this season. “To be able to have the people that have supported me the most in my life, right next to me, is awesome. I know a lot of guys are very grateful to represent their home state and play for Nebraska, but I want to be one of the few that has been able to make it to Nebraska, play and contribute, and eventually make it to the NFL.”
Right around the time Mike Lucas was hired as Superintendent of Westside Community Schools, my son Easton was discovering his LOVE of football. At 9 years old, he would watch replays of games on the Big 10 network. He would ask his Dad questions about play calling and rules of the game. And he begged me to take him to ‘Mom’s work’ to see where the big boys played football. When I shared this with Dr. Lucas, he very graciously offered to let Easton be his ‘special assistant’ at a Friday night football game on the sidelines. I remember three players in particular took time to give Easton fist bumps and make him feel special: Bo Lucas, Cade Haberman, and Cole Payton. They also spoke at elementary schools about the importance of earning good grades and being good teammates. They were dominant student athletes, winning the first state football championship in 28 years and resulting D1 offers across the country. When Cole, one of the most highly touted players to come out of Nebraska that year committed to the NDSU Bison, I swear, the entire state of North Dakota shut down on National Signing Day in anticipation; and yet the then 18-year old remained grateful and humble with every request he received.
“There’s no better feeling than accomplishing the goals my teammates and I have worked so hard for,” Cole told me recently. “Also, the relationships I’ve built through college football are so special and will last forever. Being a college athlete is a full-time job. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But it’s also been one of the most rewarding.”
In his role as back-up quarterback at North Dakota State, Cole has played a key role in his team’s success, including his journey on their path to winning the NCAA Division 2 National Championship in 2021. He’s also an exceptional student, earning several academic honors in his conference.
“One piece of advice would be to buy in and trust the process from day one,” said Cole. “The more you put in the more you get out. And don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away because good things take time.”
Cole is majoring in Sports Management but hopes to keep playing football as long as possible. Ironically, as I am writing this, another ‘kid from Omaha’ who played football for a D2 school just scored a field goal in the NFL: Greg Zuerlein. And remember North Platte’s Danny Woodhead who played 10-years in the NFL? Chadron State. I’d get your autograph from Cole now before he moves on to the big time – and I have no doubt he’d kindly provide it, no questions asked.
One of the best things about our state and community is, hands down, our incredible people. Throughout my life and career I have been so blessed to work with folks who constantly inspire me through their words and actions; it’s one of the reasons I feel so compelled to write and tell stories. In my time working for Westside, I met and worked with one of THE BEST families in the Midwest, the Habermans. Dad Justin is a longtime football and track coach, now the Varsity Head Coach of the Gretna East Griffins. What I have so respected in his leadership and approach is that it has never just been about sports (although he’s darn good at that!); Coach Haberman wants to nurture and mold outstanding young men. They volunteer throughout the communities where they play. They attend camps and activities to mentor younger athletes. They bring get-well baskets to fellow student athletes – even at other schools – who are injured on the field. Life lessons like these have a profound impact on the kids involved: case in point, the ‘kid’ who became the star of the college football world a few weeks back, 22-year old Cade Haberman, one of the captains of the Northern Illinois Huskies.
“Going into the game, we weren’t given much of a chance. We were 28-point underdogs and all we heard about were the amount of four and five stars on their roster,” Cade told me recently. “On Notre Dame’s first extra-point attempt, I got a lot of push but didn’t quite block it (I didn’t realize how close I was to blocking it until I watched the film). The push on the first extra point gave me a lot of confidence going into Notre Dame’s first field goal attempt before the half. Jogging onto the field our defensive end, and good friend of mine, Jallonie Williams asked me, “Are we going after this?” I responded, “Absolutely!” The next thing I know I feel a sting, as if I was bit by something, and then I realized I blocked the kick. Going into the locker room I was so juiced up! Fast forward to the end of the game, when Notre Dame came onto the field to attempt the field goal as time expired, my position coach called my number to go get this one. That final play felt like it took two minutes, but I felt that same sting from the earlier kick and the party was on! I could hear the faint cheers all the way from the 402!”
Cade’s game-winning heroics won him several more awards to add to an already impressive athletic resume and trophy case. But when asked for his list of achievements, he lists several non-sports things you might not expect: he’s been on the Leadership Council for two years. He leads his team bible study and is an active member of Athletes in Action. He’s also a volunteer (and has been for years) with All-Play, working with younger athletes with disabilities. I still remember attending a school assembly where Cade and his fellow Westside football teammates spoke after winning the state championship; instead of talking about football, Cade used that opportunity to tell hundreds of kids about the importance of good grades, working hard, and always being a good teammate to everyone around you.
“Give back to your community. There are so many people out there who look up to you; set the right example and inspire the dream,” said Cade. “My advice to kids now: handle your school work, take really good notes, because eventually, unfortunately, football will end but your education can never be taken from you. And to younger athletes, enjoy Friday Night Lights. There is truly nothing like it. And if you find yourself in the position where you are being recruited, make your decision based off of relationships with coaches. Don’t chase logos and brands, they mean nothing.”
This may be the start of the playbook for a future Coach Haberman; Cade hopes to follow in his Dad’s coaching footsteps at the college level. Every day, he’s up for 6am meetings, 8am practices, 10am weight training, classes from 11am to 4pm. He’s traveling for games, competing every Saturday and trying to make an impact off the field every free hour he gets. But as grueling as that schedule is, he wants to continue the family business and be around the game for the rest of his life, sharing the same inspiring lessons that impacted him.
“In today’s culture you see people transferring after one good season, ” Cade said in his post-game press conference after the Notre Dame victory. “We truly love each other. We love playing with each other. Our coaches love us. They care about relationships here. It shows.”
I’ve mentored and worked with many young women over the last 25 years; KETV interns, Miss Nebraska contestants and titleholders, amateur athletes and students. One of the most articulate, smart, and driven I’ve ever met is Omaha native, engineering student and now professional football player Erin Mardi. She made history in high school, only the second female in Nebraska to win a football state championship. She inspired and mentored other female students, earning the respect of her male teammates right along with that Varsity jersey and championship ring her senior year.
“To everyone who’s seen my journey at Westside, I’m still kicking!” Erin told me recently. “I’m 19 in September and I’ve played since I was 7 years old. That makes 11 years and 12 seasons. I hope that if anything is to be taken away from my story, it’s that you just have to stay committed to what you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be football, but if you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing then follow it until you absolutely can’t anymore.”
Erin is doing exactly that; along with pursuing an engineering degree at South Dakota Mines, she has also made the Nebraska Pride women’s professional football team roster for two seasons, winning a national championship this year in the Women’s Football Alliance.
“Pro football is pretty tough,” said Erin, who plays wide receiver, corner back, and gunner on special teams. “We are in a unique situation with the WFA since we pay to play and we have to balance school or work with travel and other things. We don’t have as much time to practice so we have to give every bit of focus and effort when we can. It’s also pretty taxing on us with the Pride since most of us play both sides of the ball every game. I enjoy every ache and pain though!”
In their final playoff game to make the national championship, Erin was a key player who contributed to the team’s victory over Oklahoma City, with several punt/kickoff tackles and a muffed punt recovery. With that win, Nebraska Pride became only the second team to beat OKC at home since the team’s creation in 2015.
“I have one more guaranteed season in me before I focus on internships and work stuff,” said Erin. “I’m currently studying to get a degree in Mining Engineering at SDSM&T, so I’m really digging (pun intended) into that. Hopefully when I finish schooling I can get a job close to Omaha to continue playing with the Pride on top of work. We’ll have to see where life takes me.”
Little story, nothing to do with football. When I was preparing to compete for Mrs. American, I was also recruiting potential sponsors to help me with expenses. One of the families who generously offered their support was the Rezac family of Omaha, specifically, DJ and Lisa, and their business, KB Building Services. A few short weeks later, after a trip to the ER, two long weeks bedbound and a resulting diagnosis of vestibular neuritis and chronic migraines, it became clear I would not physically be able to make the trip to Las Vegas to represent my state at this prestigious competition. Embarrassed and not a little ashamed that I was too weak to just ‘fight through’, I began contacting each of my sponsors to let them know and refund their money. DJ and Lisa responded immediately: “We don’t want it back. We invest in PEOPLE and believe in you.”
Guys. I can’t tell you how much that kind of message means, especially when you are at your lowest. And that generosity, kindness and belief in the power of community is something DJ and Lisa Rezac have embraced and demonstrated for years in the Omaha area, and taught their children. Their daughter Carly was a key figure in creating Westside High School Dance Marathon, the first of it’s kind for high schools which now raises tens of thousands of dollars annually for Children’s Hospital and Medical Center; Carly now does the same at the University of Arizona. Three of the Rezac boys used their status as some of our state’s most dominant high school athletes to impact causes throughout the Omaha area, speaking at schools, volunteering for district fundraisers, participating with Special Olympics and WE-Side Unified; they are now active with organizations like Heartland Family Service League and Youth Frontiers. Their family photos are a beautiful reflection of the Rezacs’ hearts, as they opened their home to a fellow teammate in 7th grade to move in with them and become part of their family.
And back to that part about sports dominance: the name REZAC in District 66 and throughout the Omaha area is synonymous with SPORTS LEGACY. DJ was one of the most prolific athletes to come out of Westside High School, a multi-sport athlete and member of both the Sports and Alumni Hall of Fames. Of the five Rezac children, THREE are collegiate athletes, FOUR when you include a guy they consider a son and brother, JQ Osler. And in 2023, there were no bigger names in high school sports than Anthony and Teddy Rezac. Quarterback for the back-to-back state champion Warriors (who have since continued a historic 24 game winning streak), Anthony was named the 2023-2024 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year and heavily recruited by programs all over the country. Teddy was rated as a 3-star recruit, ranked in the Top 100 national players in multiple categories by several sports outlets. The twin brothers chose Notre Dame.
“It’s got to be the academics and athletics,” Anthony told the Irish Sports Daily shortly after he committed. “The combo of those two is just unbeatable. And while we both knew how hard it was to go Division 1, going to the same school wasn’t necessarily always in the plan, but working out like that, it’s pretty cool and I’m grateful for it.”
Fast forward 9-months, and Anthony is deep in the grind of what it takes to be a collegiate athlete; and grateful for every moment.
“Everyone knows college athletes have busy schedules, but something I don’t think a lot of people take into account is the amount of studying you have to do,” said Anthony, a red-shirt quarterback this year for the Irish. “For your classes, for your sport and position, in addition to the coach led stuff. You’re watching film and going over game plans pretty much every night, on top of the workouts, practices, and meetings you have at the facilities.”
Teddy has already been called upon as a true freshman to contribute to Notre Dame’s success, making his debut on September 15 against Purdue.
“I’d say what I’m most excited about this year at Notre Dame is just learning how to play linebacker, and grow my skills a ton,” said Teddy. “Being a college athlete is awesome, and also isn’t the most fun sometimes. It’s a lot of meetings, practices, lifts, etc. It’s very time consuming, and especially here, where the academic side is difficult.”
And yet as busy as both young men are, they are still finding ways to follow through on what their family has ingrained in them: kindness and service to others.
“I am happy to announce that I’ve created a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of St. Joseph in South Bend, Indiana,” both brothers shared on social media this month. “I will be providing 2 tickets to every home Notre Dame Football game to a parent/child. I remember going to Nebraska football games as a child and recognize how blessed we were going to games and with the current state of NIL and our family mission of Serving Others this is the first thing we would like to give back towards and serve others. Go Boys & Girls Club. Dream Big & HERE COME THE IRISH!”
To all who admire Anthony and Teddy for their athleticism or character, their advice to others is simple and applicable both on and off the field.
“My advice for younger athletes is a quote that I heard a few years back and is something I think about a lot. Comparison is the thief of joy. You’ve got to focus on yourself and how you’re doing, not as much on other people,” said Anthony.
“My advice would be to look at each day as an opportunity to get better, and don’t compare yourself to others,” said Teddy. “Some guys get offers their freshman season, and some their senior year. Everyone’s journey is different.”
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! I mentioned THREE of the Rezac men currently play for D1 football programs. Cue eldest brother Dominic Rezac, ALSO an NSAA State Champion, ALSO a highly touted college recruit, now playing for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Dominic is juggling the same rigorous demands on his body and time as described by Teddy and Anthony, and he is also a double major at one of the most taxing private academic institutions in the country.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done, but also the most rewarding,” Dominic told me recently. He has also become a leader in the still-evolving world of NIL opportunities for college athletes. Sports outlets like CollegeNetWorth.com describe Dominic as follows: ‘His athletic talent, combined with strategic branding, positions him well for future financial opportunities. The combination of his on-field skills and off-field marketability makes him a notable figure in college football.’
Smart – and still focused on the things that matter, messages he continues to share with younger athletes (and maybe, his ‘little’ brothers’.)
“Enjoy every minute of your journey and stay in the moment,” said Dominic. “Being able to play sports, no matter the level, is a privilege and creates some relationships that will stand long after your done playing.”
When you tune in to watch these hometown college athletes each week, you may also notice a few local faces calling their games for sports fans across the country. I’m one of the goobers who proudly reminds my boys ‘see him?!? That’s my friend! I know him!’
I don’t think they believe me.
Kevin Kugler is a household name for many sports fans, and nothing short of a legend for those in Nebraska. From Unsportsmanlike Conduct to Big Red Wrap Up, covering every major sport from college to the pros; he’s travelled the world to bring five Olympic Games to sports fans; and yet Kevin Kugler is still that hilarious and caring guy from Omaha who never forgets where he came from. As impressive as his resume is, including winning Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year NINE times, I don’t have enough blog space to share what a great guy Kevin is. (For example – him taking the time to be part of this blog in the middle of a non-stop NFL schedule!) He mentors future broadcast journalists who reach out to him for advice. He will be the first to send a text or message of support or kind words. When I asked him a few years back to record a ‘good luck’ message for my son’s football team heading into the championships, he did so – from the Fox NFL booth, minutes before a big game, with Mark Sanchez right next to him cheering on our Dragons.
“Everyone has a path, but few of them start from Nebraska to get to the highest levels of broadcasting. I’m extremely fortunate that mine has taken me to where I get to be in an NFL TV booth every week,” said Kevin. “I really do credit being raised here to being able to get along with almost anyone in any situation. I can live anywhere in the USA that I choose to live, but my family is still in Omaha. My girls were raised in Omaha, schooled in Omaha; it’s the heart of so much that mattered to me as a kid, as an adult, and as a parent and husband.”
“I get excited about the games!” Kevin told me. “We get the chance every week to see something remarkable, and the best thing is, we never know what that remarkable accomplishment might be. Whether it be an individual or a team accomplishment, I get the best seat in the house to narrate those moments. It’s truly the thrill of my professional lifetime to be able to do that. Imagine being there for a game winning Hail Mary, or a record setting field goal to clinch a playoff berth. That’s what I get to do every single week, and they pay me to do that! What an amazing thing to call a ‘job!'”
I also asked Kevin the same question I asked the collegiate athletes featured in this article; what would he tell young broadcasters who dream about following in his footsteps?
“My advice is always to never say no. Take any opportunity that comes your way when you are starting out,” said Kevin. “Be ready to make VERY little money at the beginning of the career, but if you get the bug, it’s hard to stop doing it. My path was a longer road than some.. I didn’t have any connections to the industry before deciding to go this route. And more than once, I thought I was going to have to quit and do something else. But I’m very happy that I stayed with it, battled, and continue to get the chance to do something that I love. That’s really the biggest key to a professional life: find something you enjoy, and do it!”
As a fellow parent, I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about the one thing I think Kevin is more passionate about than sports: his family. Waiting for him after every road trip, national championship or Olympic games are three amazing women (one of whom has become very close with our family, Kevin’s outstanding daughter, Cassidy.) I love to remind folks of this every time they sit down to enjoy a big game, particularly on days like the Friday after Thanksgiving, or bowl games around the holidays… sports guys miss everything to bring YOU those games. Yet so often, their families are their biggest cheerleaders supporting every moment of those dreams.
“I’d share the same advice that I share with young aspiring broadcasters, and something that ISN’T brought up in J-school,” said Kevin. “If you are someone who plans to have a personal life, make sure your significant other understands what they are getting into with this career. I’ve missed Thanksgivings, I’ve missed performances; games are on nights and weekends. In other words, games are EXACTLY when your friends want to go out to a bar, or a movie, or a show. Make sure you find someone who is willing to be flexible and understands that the cost of doing this business can, at times, be a normal social life. I got lucky, and married a coach’s daughter. I highly recommend that!”
And what does our hometown guy tell the sports world about home in Omaha, Nebraska?
“I tell them as little as possible. I don’t want them to move here,” joked Kevin. “But seriously, I brag up Omaha to anyone who asks. Great food scene, underrated music scene, terrific place to raise a family and build a life. If that’s something that interests people (and I believe everyone wants a place to raise a family and build a life), they’re going to hear about it from me!”
“Sports are fun. So covering sports should be, too. My hope is to be entertaining and informative, and in that order. With so many choices on the dial, you have to give people a reason to watch. My goal is to do just that, providing sports coverage in a uniquely entertaining way, without compromising my values.”
I found that in the KETV archives, a quote from my friend Matt dating back 15-20 years. That’s how long ago this New York guy turned Colorado Buffalo took a job in Omaha and turned SPORTS into appointment TV thousands watched because it was side-splitting, tears-running-down-your-face hilarious.
Matt Schick may not have started out as a native Nebraskan, but we adopted him quick, and it became permanent when he married his longtime girlfriend and Lincoln native, Kelly.
“The city, the people, the kindness and the culture; never felt more welcomed by any community,” Matt told me recently. “The fact that I went to the University of Colorado and still call Nebraska home tells you something!”
And if Nebraska made an impact on Matt, he CERTAINLY left his mark here.
First – ignore the anchor girl. Second – I STILL DIE LAUGHING. The story that all of Husker Nation was talking about. Never before had I seen impact like this as a young journalist; stores began selling ‘IN CARL WE TRUST’, and ‘CARLFENSE’ shirts. And years later, when Coach Carl Pelini was hired by Florida Atlantic, the university produced their own line of shirts using the same sayings.
You guys – Matt created stories like this ALL OF THE TIME, on and off camera. Interviewing Elmo about Nebraska Football when Sesame Street Live was on tour in Omaha. Convincing Nebraska Athletics to let a few Huskers play Mario Kart on the 117-foot high big screen at Memorial Stadium. Putting our Sunday night co-ed softball score on the sports ticker during newscasts (sorry, Vonn and Rose Ann – that really happened.) Nearly getting our KETV trio of misfits (myself, Matt and Owen Lei) kicked out of the Omaha Press Club show because we were always laughing at something Matt did. His dedication to making sports fun caught the eye of ESPN, and in 2012, Matt was named to the ESPNU anchor team
“Try everything,” said Matt. “If you want to do television, dabble in radio. If your dream is to write about sports, get used to being in front of the camera. Every job now touches every aspect of media, so don’t paint yourself in a career corner. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Grow a thick skin; you will be criticized, especially in the sports arena where everyone will think you hate their team. And always question who is saying what, and why they might be saying it. Does that person with that opinion about that team work for a company that has a stake in one conference over another? As Ted Lasso says, ‘be curious, not judgmental.'”
Matt covering NCAA Baseball with fellow Omaha native and ESPN sportscaster, Kyle Peterson
Finally (although I could write a novel here just on Schick Shenanigans), Matt is a man of deep faith. What so admire and respect is he and Kelly share that passion, not by trying to force it upon others, but by inspiring others through their own actions and lifestyle. I have never heard Matt say a bad thing about someone else. He finds joy in making people laugh and in lifting up others (especially his four kids and Kelly.) As I covered the Von Maur shootings in 2007, it was Matt who called my cell to see if he could bring my partner and I some food or anything we might need. I specifically remember a different moment in our newsroom when a colleague was facing some medical challenges; after the newscast when most of the crew had left, Matt gathered that coworker and a few others in a small group prayer for that teammate’s health and healing.
When I asked him to contribute to my little blog, Matt said this on his career: “I get excited about the unknowns: how certain teams will fair, what the biggest stories will be, which little-known college players will emerge and leave their fingerprints on the season.”
I would argue Matt Schick, the ‘little-known guy from Colorado’ left his fingerprints on Omaha and Nebraska, and we’re all better for it.
I’ve been thinking about kicking up my blog again for years. It’s taken me more than 3 weeks to put this article together. Sometimes I wish I was just content coming home, gardening, cooking and freaking NOT committing to something else, then another, then another. But here’s why I love to tell stories: I was camped out Omaha’s Corner Kick to write while my son was at soccer practice. ESPN was covering Northern Illinois, and how they are crushing all expectations this season. I heard a guy nearby say, “NIU?!?! What the hell?” And unable to help myself, I swiveled and said, “did you see that play a few weeks ago where the kid blocked the kick that won NIU the game? That was a local guy from Blair. He played high school ball here in Omaha and now plays for Northern Illinois.” That guy and his friends were then all ears. Who?? Which one?? What’s his name?? Where did he go to school?
Maybe they just appeased me. But I’d like to think their reaction is how ALL of us feel in Nebraska when one of our homegrown people represents us in a great pursuit. Nebraska nice, Nebraska strong, Nebraska proud.
Keep at it, fellas (and Erin!) We are all rooting for you.
Thank you for reading!And thank you to Spencer Petersen with American Family Insurance for sponsoring this post!
If you’d like more information on becoming a 402 Blog Sponsor, email me at brandipaul7@gmail.com!
Now share your comments below – who has inspired you the most? Who did I forget? And what student athletes would you love to see featured this winter or next spring?
One week ago today, social media was flooded with photos of our nation’s heroes: our veterans. Our neighbors, family members, co-workers and friends, proudly wearing their military uniforms in moments taking place throughout the world.
There’s a reason I didn’t share this story that day… because I want to see more of those posts and pictures EVERY DAY, not just Veterans Day.
Think about your typical day. Here’s mine:
Wake up
Send boys to school
Work
Eat dinner with family
Hot bath while reading vampire romance
Now, let’s take a closer look at that day:
Wake up <<in warm bed, without fear of a bombing taking place outside>>
Send boys to school <<because free, high-quality education is the right of every American>>
Work <<at a job I chose, where I have the power to pursue anything I dream of>>
Eat dinner with family <<with no worry of how I or my children will find food>>
Hot bath with vampire books <<don’t judge. I like the characters.>>
Think I’m being dramatic? I’m not. Right now in Ukraine as well as other places in our world, bombings of hospitals, churches, neighborhoods are reality. Free, high-quality education? Look up ‘Most Dangerous Ways To School’ on YouTube; it’s a beautifully made documentary series, following children around the world and the miles they walk and dangers they face daily all for the chance of education. I could go on and on and on about food, free speech, career choice, family size…. there are places in our world, right now in 2022, where the daily goal is SURVIVAL, and I was near tears Thursday morning thinking I lost an Apple earbud.
So why me? Why us? How did we get so lucky?
It’s not by chance. It’s because we live in America. And something this beautiful doesn’t come without a fight; when that fight has come, time and time again, brave men and women have stepped up to defend the ideals and foundation our country was built upon. Jeff Kilgore is one of our local heroes who has answered that call, for 32 years and counting.
Officer Kilgore is an Omaha Police School Resource Officer assigned to Westside High School. Let me preface the following by noting I have profound respect for our local police officers. As a reporter, I consistently saw acts of compassion and courage in our community law enforcement in my 15+ years of broadcast news, sometimes things no one else saw. The sheriff who held a lost child in his arms until his momma arrived. The officers searching for days for a missing child without stopping to sleep or eat. The hardcore detectives who stopped mid-investigation to buy kids a new basketball hoop or play catch with them, to hopefully, build a positive relationship and make those kids feel special.
Officer Kilgore is of that same class of men and women, sworn to serve and protect us in our communities. At Westside, he is a constant advocate for the safety of children and educators, analyzing school shootings as they happen to provide better preparation and planning for our district and others. He saved a woman’s life at a Westside football game a few years ago, immediately providing CPR when she went into cardiac arrest, keeping her alive until paramedics could take over. He is part of the Omaha Police crisis team, helping support his fellow officers involved in traumatic incidents like officer-involved shootings, and he offers his SRO experience and assistance to other school resource officers across the Omaha metro area and beyond.
All of that is impressive in and of itself, and it is only part of Officer Kilgore’s story. As a member of the US Coast Guard and Army, he served in wars in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I was proud to serve in Afghanistan in 2005,” said Kilgore. “I volunteered for the mission because it seemed like the honorable thing to do and my duty. Plus, I couldn’t let my brothers and sisters in arms go without me. We lost one soldier in Bosnia, SPC Blake Kelly, and I was not going to let that happen again.”
Officer Kilgore’s description of his fellow servicemen and women is reverential; that American armed forces are the most lethal on the planet, but what makes them great are the people who wear the uniform, regardless of what that uniform may be. In Afghanistan, he was side by side with true volunteers called to battle, the men and women of the Army National Guard.
“Our job in Afghanistan was to mentor our Afghan counterparts in charge of training basic trainees just outside of Kabul,” said Kilgore. He and his fellow American soldiers took Afghans, many of whom could not read or write, and trained them in multiple languages to ensure all understood. He remembers one interpreter in particular, a man named Jawad.
“I trusted him, understood him, and enjoyed being around him,” said Kilgore. “Jawad came from a family of tailors and always tried measuring me up so he could tailor a suit for me as a symbol of his gratitude for Americans, I guess. He thought all Americans were incredibly wealthy, he loved watching western TV shows like Gilligan’s Island, and he took pride in showing me the Afghan culture, educating me in many types of Afghan meals he even made me personally.”
Kilgore and his camarades missed weddings, graduations, births and more, but felt like they had made a difference in another part of the world with people like Jawad, while working to keep terrorism away from their doorsteps, and ours. Kilgore returned to Nebraska and retired from the armed services as a Lietuenent Colonel, continuing his full-time work as a police officer with both the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Omaha Police.
“We took raw recruits from the hinterlands of Afghanistan, made them into warfighters, and sent them to the frontlines to fight (the Taliban) alongside their American mentors down range,” said Kilgore. “Since 9-11-2001, our Armed Forces, my brothers and sisters, provided the ability for Americans to sleep at night, knowing that we had their back and that terrorists were not going to land another punch in the mouth that was planned, organized and executed from this part of the world.”
August 2021. Officer Kilgore watched from Nebraska as the United States withdrew all remaining troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban quickly moved in, killing 13 American military members who were trying to help people escape at the Kabul airport. One of them was Marine Corporal Daegan Page, just 23. He was a son, a friend, a hometown Omaha kid, a hero. Though they had never met personally, Officer Kilgore was emotionally destroyed. A guy who was typically unshakeable was visibly shaken in the days that followed. He talked about the withdrawal, deaths of our heroes, and unknown fate of the Afghans who stood with America for 20 years. With immense respect for Officer Kilgore and the time he took to share those thoughts, I will summarize his thoughts through one quote shared September 1, 2021: “recapping the last 3 weeks has been maddening for Afghanistan veterans and current members of our military. Our country is less safe, and why? My mind often wanders to my interpreters. Jawad and I lost contact in 2005. I hope he and his family are safe but I fear the worst; he spoke very good English and that is the scarlet letter he has always careered, and will always carry with him for the rest of his life.”
Here’s why I am reluctant to share more, and why I didn’t write this article in September of 2021: I was and am physically exhausted with the political theatre that seemingly comes with every daily news cycle. I was fearful that by sharing the insight of a man who was actually there, the primary planner behind the removal of intelligence equipment in Iraq, a war veteran who has now dedicated his life to protecting children and schools, I feared that I would be opening him up to unnecessary scrutiny from armchair politicos, adding undeserved insult to his injury.
Now, more than ever, this is an important story to share. Have a you ever reached a breaking point where you throw your hands up and ask why? Why am I doing this, why have I done all of this? What’s the point?
Think of that question when you are considering the scale of sacrifice these heroes make every day, to protect the freedoms and opportunities we so take for granted. My father-in-law, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, shared EVERYTHING with my husband, but suffered things so horrific at war he never spoke about it. My former co-anchor and friend since high school Adrian Whitsett watched his friends and camarades die on the frontlines of Fallujah or after, then came home to interview folks who had an opinion about everything our military did or didn’t do. How many of our heroes missed the births of their children or their friends’ weddings? How many suffered through weeks in the desert without a shower or a warm bed, or months in the jungle with no break or hope? How many lost friends and suffered emotionally and physically for years, and still now?
Because these moments reinforce to me there is a why.. that our country is so beautiful and the foundation of what our forefathers created is so special, it is worth defending again, and again, and again, so our children can grow up experiencing all of the freedom and opportunity these brave men and women have made possible. Because even though sometimes it feels as though we are so damn divided as a nation, we are the UNITED States of America; perhaps our arguments are so heated because we are united in our passion about a dream that is not easy to maintain and defend. Because America IS WORTH IT.
My why for writing this now, is to show Officer Kilgore and Adrian and every veteran I see in my neighborhood and at work and on Facebook… YOUR BRAVERY MATTERS. THANK YOU. Because of you, I’m comfortably sitting on my couch writing this now. Because of you, my boys are in school, learning about the principles America was founded upon, and the brave men and women who fought to ensure they still exist today. Because of you, I GET to go to work; not have to, GET to, to share stories about kids learning, kids who will change the world because of other adults who GET TO go to work to teach and love them. I get go, I can, I have the opportunity…. because I live in America. Because of the heroes who defend America and what our country stands for.
Who are we? What are we here for? How do we define AMERICA?
“Isaiah 6:8 reads: Then I hear the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am, send me!’,” said Kilgore. “Hopefully, that is enough in the end.”
Veterans Day. Every day. To our veterans, our true American heroes, I salute you.
That thought was popped into my brain more than once in the last 72 hours.. from that first second I clicked ‘POST’ and shared with the social media universe some crazy ass personal news: I’ve decided to commit to compete for Mrs. Nebraska 2023.
I’ve been thinking about this for a solid six years, maybe even longer. There’s always been an excuse, but the biggest has continuously been: I AM A 41 YEAR OLD MOTHER and everyone will think I’m a huge loser for trying to relive my 20’s and be a beauty queen again.
I shared this little secret ‘dream’ with some of my favorite people about a year ago. My friend Lisa said this: ‘do you think Dr. Jaime is a loser? Do you think any of those other women are losers?’
No. They are pretty much my heroes.
‘Dr. Jaime’ is Dr. Jaime Seeman, Mrs. Nebraska 2020. She is also a finalist from the NBC hit Titan Games, a sought out Omaha OBGYN and Surgeon, and an inspiration to women all over the world who are hoping to regain their health, fitness and confidence. She’s also a mom of three beautiful girls, a small business owner, and a devoted wife to a busy Lincoln police sergeant.
The first time I emceed Mrs. Nebraska, Dr. Jaime won. That was the same year I met Mrs. Nebraska 2017 Sarah Christianson; she is organized, she is energetic, she is positive and so supportive of others. When I started following her on social media, I was IN AWE of how she just went after things that gave her fulfillment – a physical specimen despite a lifetime of heart problems and being told ‘you can’t’; a contracted model with Develop Model Management; and again, a busy mom of two and happy wife.
Michele Strom, Mrs. Nebraska 2007; a literal LEGEND in the world of health and beauty care, makeup artist and stylist for Nebraska’s first Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers. Michele has not only owned multiple successful businesses, she has been brilliant and confident in her strategies to promote her operations, extend her outreach, and expand her personal partnerships. There’s a reason that within a few weeks of Michele styling our KETV crew during annual headshots she was also styling George Stephanopoulos and the ABC News crew during Iowa Caucuses; because she is a talented lady boss who no one EVER forgets after their first meeting. She is also a proud mom raising incredible kids; her daughter Emma in on full athletic scholarship at the University of Arizona, already exploring NIL business opportunities to capitalize on that success and build her professional resume for the future.
Amanda Reinert, Mrs. Nebraska 2014; small business owner, mom of two (including one with special needs), and a crusader against childhood cancer, raising more than $100,00 and counting to support Children’s Hospital & Medical Center where her daughter, Ava, received treatment. Click here to read more about Amanda’s incredible story. She does all these things and still goes to concerts with friends, has special days with her kids, is THE best room parent in the history of elementary school, etc.
The current Mrs. Nebraska Tammy Shuff; a fellow Gretna mom of three, who I see at Dragon Football games and driving through my neighborhood during mom drop-offs and pickups. She is also a national bodybuilding champion and a constant advocate for causes supporting women.
Anna Ekdhal Peters, Mrs. Nebraska 2018, first planted the seeds of competing in my brain that same year; when I bumped into her at an event that year, encouraging me to compete with infectious positivity and enthusiasm. She just made me feel SO DAMN SPECIAL.
Mrs. Nebraska 2019 Adair Reese. I heard her final speech before she crowned her successor, talking about how that journey allowed her, who owned multiple, small, family businesses and was raising two kids, to do something JUST FOR HER. Somehow, that resonated so much within myself as my final WHY. She was just like me – we are almost the same age. We are both moms. We are both busy professionals. And she did this – and had a GREAT TIME doing it, just for herself.
So why not me? Why not now?
I’m a competitor, and there’s something within pageant land that has always sparked a fire inside of me, pushing myself in competitive venues like INTERVIEW, and PHYSICAL HEALTH. I listen to political debates or on-stage questions at my beloved Miss Omaha or Miss Nebraska competitions, and I think of how I would answer that. It takes me back to competitive speech in high school, or having to immediately respond and compete with my words in court during high school mock trial. It’s part of why I loved my job so much at KETV and why I love my job so much at Westside now; because of that adrenaline rush of being put on the spot and having to just TALK, and speak well. Then there’s the physical aspect.. health is IMPORTANT to me. I want to look and feel good for my husband, my children, AND FOR MYSELF. I want to feel confident in what I present to the world. When I sign up for an event or book a trip with a set date or deadline, whether it be a 5K or a beach trip with my husband, I work harder. I have a goal to focus on when things are hard. There’s also the promise of helping another working momma somewhere think ‘YES, I CAN.’ Whatever that ‘I can’t.’ Might be. There are SO MANY amazing things happening all around us… yet it’s so easy to listen to the haters and become engulfed in all of the bad. I want to share the good that makes someone smile, and inspires them to become better and do better.
The final why… and no way around it, it’s just selfish and that’s it.. I want something for ME. I do my best I can to be a great mom, a great wife, a great employee, a great friend… and I selfishly want something that makes ME excited.
I look back at my own beloved Mom, Jackie, and how she devoted her entire life to us kids. She had three kids 5 and under at 25 years old, with my Dad on the road quite a bit for work. Looking back now, I simply cannot imagine. There wasn’t time for anything else other than getting kids to school and homework and CCD and whose activity on which night. I also remember when she took those rare moments for herself, signing up for a painting class, and how cool I thought that was.. how I thought my Mom was the smartest lady on earth when she went back to school to obtain her degree from Bellevue, pouring over books at the dining room table each night after we went to bed… how pretty I thought my Mom was when we had our Glamour Shots pictures together when I was 15 <<yes, Glamour Shots at Oakview Mall. We were awesome.>> If my Mom had competed for Mrs. Nebraska, it would have been cool as hell, and I would have been in even further awe.
All of my fears I have held onto that my kids or others would think I was being selfish doing something like this because it would take away from them, that somehow, this new descriptor of myself might take away from my most important role on earth I will ever have as their mom… I look back at those moments and have hope that this isn’t something my children think is a choice APART from them, but rather, that they see as an example FOR them, IN ADDITION to them, and that it’s a great story of their momma doing something she wanted to do, working towards a goal. Secretly, I’m hoping they’ll also be proud of me now or later on.
All of my fears I have held onto that my colleagues or folks in the social media world would think, ‘man, that’s sad.. she’s trying to ‘be famous’ again or something and doing an adult pageant? Sheesh.’ Well, I’m a big hypocrite… since it’s all of these Mrs. Nebraska’s and the women who are part of this program who have provided such inspiration to me to work out, eat healthier, go after things that make me happy, and more, by putting themselves out there like I’ve been so afraid of doing. I think of that scene from Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle with Ruby Roundhouse <<if you haven’t watched it, do – super funny>>: YOU ARE a bad ass.
I’ve produced a documentary. I’ve interviewed a sitting President. I’ve anchored live news coverage for hours with no break. I’ve led multi-million dollar communications campaigns for my school district. I’ve lost 20 pounds and learned how to box in my basement. I’ve run several 5K’s after having two children. I’ve raised thousands of dollars for charity and helped others do the same. I try to be kind to others and improve when I am NOT my best self. I try to do cool things for my boy’s classrooms and teams and give them the best happy memories I can. I AM a bad ass.. I’m sure there are haters out there but I can’t change them or what they think.
I CAN stop making excuses, and just DO IT.
<CLICKS POST>.
HERE GOES NOTHING.
***
I AM BEYOND grateful to all of my friends, loved ones and colleagues who have sent such amazing well wishes.
THANK YOU!!
To all asking ‘how can I help support you?’ THANK YOU – that means more than I can possibly explain. While I DETEST asking for help for myself, I am looking for sponsorship opportunities with local businesses who may be interested in becoming my partner in this journey! PLEASE CLICK HEREfor details, or email me anytime: brandipaul7@gmail.com.
I have the COVID. I am in hell. Not the physical pain/vomiting kind of hell… but that bottomless pit of boredom, guilt and nausea that keeps you isolated from your family and depressed in your own thoughts.
Wow – ok, maybe I’m going a little too far. I’m on Day 11 and despite what the internet told me (‘by Day 7, you should be feeling better!’) I still can’t be up and moving around for more than a few minutes without feeling a whoosh of heat in my face and that feeling that something might come up at any minute, or without having a coughing fit so bad it literally takes me a few minutes to find solid breath again.
So here I am, back in bed, surrounded by pill bottles and my two canine nurses. (As far as they’re concerned, this is THE BEST. THING. EVER.) More than once, I’ve thought ‘if I were just near the ocean. If I could just breathe in that air and feel that sun – that’s all the medicine I’d need.’
Brian and I will retire by the water someday… but we still want to see more. We love to travel. As much as I have loved returning to some of our favorite destinations, there’s always a desire to venture somewhere new, where we haven’t yet explored. Belize – Fiji – Greece – Ireland. Maine – Montana – Alaska – Utah. So for a little while here… I hope you’ll indulge me in closing my eyes and remembering the beauty in my favorite, most memorable spots in our world… so far. Maybe you’ll be inspired to head to one of these, and maybe (hopefully!) you’ll leave me a note about where I can dream of heading next.
The Dominican Republic has some of the warmest, natural water I have ever felt. The ocean is like bath water. We spent a lot of time in the Atlantic there and learned of it’s many personalities… the powerful beach waves that pulled literal tons of seaweed to the shore. The serene, waist deep pools that hosted our catamaran party, along with hundreds of others. And the angry Atlantic that violently rocked our deep sea fishing boat… and my near-overboard body as I retched up my breakfast over the side. On this trip the men golfed, the women shopped, we did all the excursions.. and by our final full day I was exhausted. Brian begged me to come with him to a spot down the beach from our rental.. our friends and travel companions Shea and Sandy Connolly said we HAD to visit this place after they happened upon it while exploring our area.
If we weren’t looking for it, we might’ve missed it. Hidden away from the obvious destination of the beach, and past the creepy ass ghost resort, abandoned by investors decimated during the 2008 Recession. The only indication we were in the right place was a small shedlike hut that served as the ‘welcome center’. From the tiny gravel parking lot, you walked into this little jungle, much like Fontenelle Forest for my O-Town readers, just with different types of trees. Dirt worn path, random branches you had to duck around or under.. I mean, yeah, it was quiet and neat.. but what was the big deal? Then… the trees opened up to one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen… this hidden, turquoise pool in the middle of nowhere. The pictures here just don’t do it justice – it was magical. It was so quiet… so still. How did no one know about this hidden Eden? Benches and a little overlook had been built randomly at spots along the trail.. with both a board or rope swing to propel yourself into the pool. The most amazing was still to come… we jumped in, and the water was absolutely crystal clear. That pool was easily 20-feet deep.. but you could see EVERYTHING. Absolutely everything, all the way to the bottom. It was truly an unforgettable moment.. one of those, ‘is this real life?’ memories for both us.
The beaches of Kona, Hawaii at sunset
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Brian had always wanted to go to Hawaii – he’d been talking about it since we first met. So when our good friends Scott and Megan Phillips decided to renew their wedding vows, we jumped at the chance to join them (side note for guilt-ridden moms: we were parents of one 20-month old at the time, who stayed with his adored Nana and Papa. He ate brisket, went to the toy store, spent his days at the park. I missed him terribly – he didn’t give two toots I was gone!)
Of the eight islands of Hawaii, we visited the Big Island, the largest and most southeastern of the state. Our resort was the SPRAWLING Hilton Waikoloa Village on the northwest side, where Megan had stayed with her family as a child. When I say sprawling… I mean you took a tram to get from one part of the 62-acre complex to the other. I loved the pools. I loved the Lava Flows. I loved our company. I loved the shopping, the turtles, the volcano, the convertible drive past waterfalls and farms and ocean. But nothing compared to our breathtaking nighttime tradition.. watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, while a man ran up the length of our entire coastline, lighting beach-set torches along the way. It was sheer perfection for every part of our being; the colors of the setting sun like brush strokes against the water and palm trees, the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore, the smell of nothing but purity, the feeling of being there to witness it with my own eyes, alongside my husband. Megan and Scott chose one of those Kona sunsets to renew their love for one another after 10 years of marriage, with Brian and I watching a few yards away.
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The Grand Canyon, Arizona
Grand Canyon, Arizona, circa June 1999
I’ve never questioned there is a God. I’ve prayed to God since I was a little girl. But the first time I remember truly being blown away by the awesomeness of what our God has created was when I saw the Grand Canyon in person. I remember specifically thinking.. ‘how can anyone who sees this ever doubt we have a God?’
No descriptive memories here.. I visited the Grand Canyon while attending High School Speech Nationals in Phoenix the year I graduated from Papillion-La Vista. That day it was just me, my incredible speech coach (and PLCS Hall of Fame Inductee) Bev Ruff, Assistant Coach Mary Birky, and a fellow competitor from Bellevue East, my roommate for the trip. I remember sitting on the beautiful red rocks and staring… just staring.. awestruck by the sheer vastness, the enormity, the beauty that seemed to go on forever in every direction.
Anna Maria Island, Florida
Gulf of Mexico, Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida
This picture is imprinted in my heart. This was the first time our boys saw and felt the ocean; Brian captured this moment as Easton and Evan stood together in the warm Gulf waters, silent, just staring.
Take your children to the ocean. Take them to Anna Maria Island.
Brian’s cousins, Nick and Vicki Zec, own a beautiful vacation property, Alecassandra Vacation Villas, in Bradenton Beach. This tiny island off the coast of Sarasota is only 7 miles long and a few blocks wide, surrounded by bay and ocean. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for families; we stay in a beautiful 2-bedroom where the boys have their own space and we have ours, with a kitchen, living room and pool. You hit the one island grocery store to stock up for the week, walk to the beach every day, and zoom around on your golf cart for putt putt, ice cream and the unique Mom & Pop shops. It is truly magical. It’s where Brian and I plan to take our boys every year as a family for the foreseeable future, and where we hope to invest in ourselves and retire someday.
There is nothing more beautiful than watching your children experience something glorious for the first time. The look on Evan’s face as he jumped over his first wave. Hearing the laughter of my children and husband together, as they sat in the surf and felt the waves crash against their backs. The joy and excitement in Easton’s voice as he begged his Dad to take him fishing off the pier. The gratitude in my heart when Evan reached over to hold my hand in our lawn chairs and just talked to me. When we are here, I have everything I could ever want or need and feel 100% at peace and happy.
Isla Mujeres, Atlantic Ocean near Cancun, Mexico
Punta Sar on Isla Mujeres, the Caribbean Sea west towards Cancun, Mexico
When Brian and I travel to international resorts, we typically stay ON the resort. We drink, we nap, we read, WE RELAX. We LOVE the all inclusive option, and we love getting our money’s worth and taking our time – NOT watching the time – without a care in the world.
Still, when we took our first trip to Cancun, Mexico with friends we heard about a day trip to a little island of the coast.. Isla Mujeres. I believe it is Mexico’s easternmost point in the Atlantic. IT WAS BREATHTAKING. It’s a tiny little tourist island with shops, restaurants, (and some VERY tiny swimsuits, as demonstrated by a very hairy, elderly gentleman).. but our favorite spot by far was Punta Sar at the southern tip. The bluest, turquoise waters. Trails that allow you to travel right up to the precipice before a 100-meter drop to the sea. The remains of a Mayan temple and markers throughout, explaining the history that happened in the very places you are walking. Brian just stood there at the top, stared, and breathed it all in. We would walk for a little bit and just stop to stare more. How are there places like this in the world that we had never heard about? That people haven’t seen? If you travel to Cancun – YES, enjoy the fruity drinks and the sunshine and the Michael Jackson tribute shows on the resort… but buy your ferry tickets to Isla Mujeres. 100% worth it.
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
H. Toad’s Bar & Grill, Lake Ozark, Missouri
My Dad purchased his dream home in 2013 – a perfect spot on an eastern cove near Bagnell Dam at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. I’ve written about it here before – if I haven’t already demonstrated with my previous ‘most beautiful spots’ – I am constantly drawn to the water. I get it from my Dad – he says it’s the Dane in us, part of our souls. I didn’t want to crash his new getaway just as he bought the place.. but we had just welcomed Evan, Easton was just 2, Brian had just worked a 120-hour week running the College World Series, and we desperately wanted a vacation that could accommodate all of our family’s needs with adding MORE stress. After a 6-hour car drive with a 2-month old and 2-year old… we arrived to sheer peace. This water is a different type of beauty than the ocean that I so love… it is serenely calm. No constant tide, no swells that rise and fall night and day.. just peace. ‘Papa’s Cabin’ as we call it sits in a private cove away from 20-something parties and racing speedboats. Often, my Dad and Mom catch their biggest fish right off their pier, just down the steps from their home.
This beauty is simplicity. You make time stop. Nowhere to be, nowhere to rush to, nothing to tune out, nothing to worry about. Just you, quiet, and the beauty of nature in every form all around you. The water goes on forever, unparalleled sunrises and sunsets, and just EASE of life. Simplicity.
We took a family trip to Papa’s cabin every year since. I will always remember Easton’s sheer delight in throwing rocks into the lake to ‘hit the fishies!’ Or Evan, blissfully asleep at 2-months old in the shade of a summer afternoon while I did a crossword right next to him. Later on.. Easton would outfish all of us (Papa disputes this statement), and find a new passion – creating new and exciting jumps off the dock. Everyone had a great belly laugh when Mom decided to go tubing… it was not pleasant. I am 40. Evan, though he never seems to stop moving, even found his calm and center while at Papa’s cabin… that’s him in the picture above, unprompted, just off by himself at dinner watching the sunset.
My Mom and Dad put the cabin up for sale this past fall when they moved into their new dream home – right on the edge of Prairie Queen in Papillion. Without the 6-hour drive, Papa can walk right down the path to fish every, single day… and Easton loves nothing more than to join him early on summer Saturday mornings. Still, it was so hard telling our boys that Nana and Papa were selling the cabin. I hope, even though they were so little when we had such treasured memories there, that they remember.
This trip we stayed where we have been hoping to visit for years: Excellence Oyster Bay. We ADORE the Excellence properties in the Caribbean; this was our third of five and it absolutely lived up to our hopes (Brian’s favorite of our visits so far!) Located on the northern part of the island on it’s own little peninsula, you are cut off from the rest of the world for a few blissful days. Brian and I wandered the beach one day and found a magical spot… sandy, white beach, hidden behind a line of trees. In front of you, the serenity of the ocean, and to your left, the majesty of the mountains. Just us – just this tropical Eden. It was like a hidden little paradise no one had ever visited before except us.. and I wanted to stay forever.
90,000 Happy People
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska * August 14, 2021
Sometimes.. God’s beauty manifests in a place even when that beauty isn’t within the place itself.
That was deep. I think.
I visited my final Most Beautiful Place In the World on August 14, 2021.. Garth Brooks at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. 90,000 people packed the stadium for the sold out show, the music legend’s largest EVER by the time the night was over. There is something so reaffirming about concerts – how often do we see tens of thousands of people together – happy – at the same time? No bickering, no divisive rhetoric or hate. Just people united as one to enjoy life for a few hours.
THERE IS NO BETTER PERFORMER THAN GARTH BROOKS.
Even if you don’t like country, it was hard to argue that this night was something almost medicinal. It had been 19 months since we’d been amid so many other human beings. At that point, we had once again begun a vicious debate cycle of masks and COVID-19 protocols in school, but on this night – only smiling faces, laughter and pure joy in the memories these songs reminded us of. We were surrounded by our good friends Brian, Lisa, Toni and Greg.. and across the stadium we knew countless other friends were in their own seats, enjoying the same thing we were at that exact same moment. It was almost a mythical reality – beauty that would disappear from that place as soon as Garth stepped off stage – but captured in our memories all the same.
***
Logic would indicate I would call this blog post ‘The Most Beautiful Places in the World’… but what the heck do I know? I just read a biography in which the author, only a few years older than me, had visited something like 130 countries. I’ve only been as far west as Hawaii, as far east as the Dominican Republic. But what I’ve realized every time I’ve experienced a magical moment.. and now, as I’ve relieved those moments reflecting on such great memories.. there is so much beauty in the world. The tough times, the chatter, the chaos… it’s all just background noise. Find the good – find the beauty.
Work has been challenging of late. Frustrating, overwhelming, personal.
The second I walk through my door, it doesn’t matter. I hear ‘MOMMY!’ and see two smiling boys who do not care who said what, who thinks what, or what I do for my job. They are my why – they are my respite – they are my life. They remind me to take a breath and focus, and they fill my cup back up.
PERSPECTIVE. What if the frustrating, the overwhelming, the personal… never stopped? What if those challenges engulfed you 24/7… and kept on coming, one after the other?
My challenges are nothing. There are people around us who are true superheroes, overcoming unbelievable circumstances with poise, resolve, positive attitude and sheer goodness.
Cue Amanda Reinert.
Parents’ Night at my sons’ school last year.. I was sitting in Evan’s classroom, waiting for the teacher to begin, and I noticed another mom in the room. ‘Holy shit – that’s Amanda Reinert!’ I quickly scanned the class list to confirm – sure enough, Amanda’s daughter Ava was in Evan’s class.
The beauty of being in the ‘pageant world’ – you meet and learn about some INCREDIBLE women. Amanda was crowned Mrs. Nebraska 2014, and later, Mrs. USA Universal 2017. That’s a BIG DEAL. I remember thinking to myself ‘I wonder what she’s like? And what is she doing now?’
***
The beauty, the smile, the confidence all hide a disturbing story in Amanda’s past. When she was just 2 years old, her grandfather began sexually abusing her. No one knew for years, until at 6 years old, Amanda drew a detailed picture of genitals. Police were contacted, the case went to court, and a traumatized little girl was forced to sit with lawyers and a judge, across a table from her grandfather, asked to describe everything that was happening to her.
“In that moment, I refused to speak or testify,” remembers Amanda. “Because of that, charges were dropped, and he was never punished for what he did to me.”
Unimaginably, Amanda was targeted again a few years later at 11 years old.
“I was on a camping trip with my grandma, my cousin and a couple who were friends with my grandma,” recalls Amanda. “We are all sleeping in a giant tent. I awoke to find the husband <the friend of my grandma> on top of me with his hands over my mouth.”
“I didn’t share my story of sexual abuse until after I was married,” says Amanda. “I lived my life in shame and feeling extremely isolated and alone. I endured some extremely rough years through high school, and one day, I decided I wouldn’t do it anymore.”
Amanda signed up to compete for Mrs. Nebraska – and won – with the mission of spreading awareness of childhood sexual assault and forming a support network for survivors. She became a certified facilitator with Darkness to Light, a national organization committed to the education, awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse. She also became a spokesperson for the LFS RSafe® program, one of the largest child sexual abuse treatment programs in the Midwest.
“There are thousands of other survivors out there like me,” says Amanda. “I want them to know they are not alone. I want parents of victims to know that there is hope. I want to educate parents on how to prevent this from happening to their children. I used that microphone <as Mrs. Nebraska> to reach as many people as I possibly could to spread the messages of support to survivors, hope for victims and education to families.”
That mission became even more personal for Amanda when she became a parent herself.
Ava Michelle Reinert was born October 24, 2012. Amanda’s jam-packed photo albums on Facebook are titled ‘Just The Beginning!’, ‘I Love My Life!’, ‘This Will Be The Best Year Yet!’
In 2016, Amanda was crowned Mrs. Nebraska USA Universal. Pictures taken that fall with Ava and husband, Brady, show a seemingly perfect family with the world at their fingertips. They had no idea how much everything would change in just a few short months.
***
Just weeks after performing in her Pre-School holiday program, Ava rolled her ankle while playing at the Omaha Children’s Museum. It didn’t heal.
“<Doctors> discovered compression fractures, which were odd, but they gave us a boot and sent us on our way,” remembers Amanda. “About a week later, she started complaining of severe back pain, and within a few days, she couldn’t stand, walk, or sit at all. She was bed-ridden within another week. Over the next 10 weeks, Ava endured hundreds of blood tests, x-rays, appointments, MRI’s and bone scans. No one could tell us what was wrong. We even had a doctor tell us ‘maybe she is faking it.’ She was poked more times than we could even begin to count; she was bruised and bloody and used to scream ‘Mommy, please make them stop, Daddy, please don’t let them do this to me.'”
Amanda took this picture on March 23, 2017. Ava couldn’t stand or walk; she was in constant pain, sick and exhausted. Amanda and Brady struggled whether or not to use their Disney on Ice tickets they had previously purchased for Ava.
“We decided she should be allowed to have a couple of hours of relief and enjoyment and we took her,” remembers Amanda. “She was in so much pain and fighting through it to enjoy the magic of the show. I remember looking at her smile and wondering it we’d ever see it again.”
Ava was misdiagnosed with Brittle Bone Disease; a 48-hour infusion at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center made her even more sick. Doctors admitted Ava to the hospital to conduct more tests. She was diagnosed with Leukemia on March 27, 2017.
Ava immediately began chemotherapy and a brutal 800 days of treatment.
“There were MANY days where I believed she may not make it,” remembers Amanda. “One of them was when she started chemotherapy and became immunocompromised. Out of nowhere she spiked a 105-degree fever and became unresponsive. Within moments, we had five or six nurses and two doctors in our room. The situation became critical very quickly; when a child is on chemotherapy the most ‘insignificant’ infection can be deadly, and we did not know what was wrong with her. She was like this for about 12 hours, the scariest 12 hours of my life. They never did figure out what caused it but within 72 hours she was back to normal.”
Ava became known at home and at the hospital for her inspiring resilience, astounding for anyone facing grueling treatments, let alone a little girl.
“Ava was ALWAYS the strongest one in the room. She never complained – ever,” says Amanda. “She had to take five liquid medications three times a day that were terrifyingly awful in taste (I tried them.) She rarely cried and was always so strong. The only time I ever saw her break was when we had to shave her head. Her hair hung on longer than we had expected and one morning, she woke up and we all knew it was time. That night, her begging screams and her scared face are something I will never forget. Even reliving that night to share this story brings tears to my eyes.”
Slowly, Ava began to improve. She celebrated her 5th Birthday in true Princess fashion. She slid down the jumbo tube slide with her mom at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch that fall. She opened presents on her Dad’s lap on Christmas morning. And she inspired hundreds of family members, friends and loves ones with her smiles and fight despite all odds.
“Ava <also> underwent 12 months of physical therapy to relearn to stand, walk, run and climb stairs,” remembers Amanda. “That was also very difficult. We discovered Leukemia was hollowing her bones; that is why we were misdiagnosed with Brittle Bone Disease. She had seven compression fractures in her vertebrae because of the weakness in her bones that ultimately prevented her from walking or standing.”
As Ava’s hair grew back and she prepared for Kindergarten, Amanda once again used her frustration and anger to fuel a mission… to battle the disease that nearly stole her daughter.
“Everyone knows cancer is terrible and that childhood cancer is unthinkable, “says Amanda. “What they don’t know is that we literally had to poison and nearly kill our baby to save her. Treatments today are TERRIBLE and they have not improved in more than 20 years. I cannot accept that. Our family will fight and push until there is a better way; no child should have to fight in the way that Ava fought.”
Amanda called upon Ava’s hundreds of supporters to take action, forming Ava’s Army.
T-Shirts. Hash tags across social media. Fundraisers. Ava’s Army was seen across Omaha and Gretna, from gyms to schools, among family members and Amanda’s pageant sisters. And in December of 2019, Amanda hosted her first Sugarplum Ball, a formal dinner, auction and gala. Little girls (and big girls!) dressed up like real-life princesses for a night of glitter, fun and love for one another.
“Ava’s Army exists to raise money to fund the fight against pediatric Leukemia. 100% of what we raise goes to research,” says Amanda, who quickly notes Ava’s fight is far from over, even though, thankfully, she is now in remission. “People see Ava and they think ‘she’s good, she’s done.’ She’s not. Because of the poisonous and awful things we did to her, she will have a lifetime of repercussions. Chemotherapy melted all of her 6-year molars and they were pulled out. She suffers from neuropathy from chemotherapy damage. She is five times more likely to have breast cancer later in life or other secondary cancers. She is likely infertile from treatment. Heart problems, kidney problems, liver problems, learning disabilities, bone issues, sleeping issues – the list of things that children who ‘survive’ a cancer battle is unthinkable, and people have no idea. We will continue to raise money, raise awareness and fight for kids like Ava until there is a better way.”
To date, Ava’s Army has raised more than $55,000 with a goal to hit $100,000 by the end of 2021. More than 2,500 people follow them across social media (click here!) to see how they are constantly working to give back to places like Children’s Hospital & Medical Center – and the young patients there.
And by the time sweet Ava – smart, wise beyond her years, kind and caring – joined my Evan’s class at school, I followed her journey as the little girl who ‘had’ cancer, and I followed Amanda’s story, thinking of her as the strong, brave mother-turned BEST room parent ever. (Seriously – creative, always on top of events for our teacher and our class, that Mom you see on Pinterest who ALWAYS has her act together.. I BOW DOWN, AMANDA!) The Reinert family had built a new home, Ava was starting first grade and they were expecting a new baby!
Bennett Joseph Reinert arrived September 12, 2019, and was diagnosed with Down Syndrome immediately after birth.
“Bennett is perfect!” says Amanda. “But I’m ashamed to admit it took me about six months to accept his perfection. We did not know he had Down Syndrome until he was born. It hit me like a semi-truck.”
Months earlier, Ava had just recovered from another medical setback: a vicious dog attack that sent her back to the hospital. The family had just moved to a new home; Ava was starting at a new school. Amanda had been planning this massive fundraiser gala with thousands of dollars in donor support on the line, all while still advocating for sexual assault survivors by sharing her powerful, yet exhausting personal story. And once again, the Reinert family was shaken with unexpected news and an overwhelming, unknown future.
“I felt like we couldn’t survive or endure anymore,” says Amanda. “I did not have the energy to stand back up. When they told me he had Down Syndrome, all of the worst case scenarios came to me – children and adolescents with Down Syndrome are between 10 and 30 times more likely to develop leukemia. After Bennett was born, we went through dozens of doctors’ appointments to check his ears, eyes, heart, digestive system, cognitive abilities, and more. It was like reliving Ava’s diagnosis all over again. I couldn’t function.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.. the Reinerts isolated together at home, learned from each other, and grew closer as an extraordinary family of four. Just as his big sister Ava had been a light for her parents in what seemed the worst of times, so, too, was their new little man with the larger than life smile.
“Anyone that meets him will tell you he is a miracle,” says Amanda. “He is 19 months old and has no health complications (thank God) besides mild hearing loss, which he wears hearing aids for. He is developing cognitively and physically ahead of where he should be and he is thriving in a big way. He is a miracle to our family and I know in my heart he will change the world.”
The Reinerts are now active members of the Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands (Bennett was their cover model for the 2020 Annual Report!) They proactively and positively celebrate and share all of Bennetts ABILITIES rather than his disabilities – he’s a ladies man – he’s a cuddler who loves to laugh – HE NEVER. STOPS. SMILING.
That last part…. maybe we could all learn something from Bennett. From his sister, Ava. From their proud Daddy. And from their amazing momma, Amanda, who NEVER. EVER. QUITS.
“I have had to learn that you can’t be negative or weighed down by things you can’t control,” says Amanda. “You can’t control other people, their actions, the world, a pandemic. You can control YOU.”
These days, Ava is a BUSY 2nd grader who excels in school, competes in cheerleading, and will represent Nebraska at the national Princess of America pageant in July. Bennett recently realized how much he LOVES climbing, and he adores being outside. Brady and Amanda recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in Jamaica. And Amanda just started a new business – Pink & Plaid Sleepover Parties. (Click here to learn more!)
“We want to bring happiness into a world that can be stressful and overwhelming,” says Amanda. “We want to see kids smiling and laughing and making magical memories, AND we want to help parents sit back and enjoy those moments as well.”
Pink & Plaid provides snacks, decorations, activities, food, party favors, clean up, everything – with Amanda as key organizer, remembering the importance of every special moment a family can celebrate together.
“We are so thankful (and I mean genuinely, to our cores, thankful) that our babies are still alive and thriving,” says Amanda. “We have family, we have our home, we have jobs, and we have our health – we celebrate that. We celebrate that as much as we can. We still have rough days, of course, but we are so thankful for one another and to have our babies. Nothing else really matters.”
My challenge to anyone reading this: join AMANDA’S ARMY.
Be grateful.Celebrate life and happiness.Exude positivity.Stay hopeful.
“Don’t let things you can’t control take away your happiness. You can control the messages and vibes you send into the world.”
***
INSPIRED BY AMANDA’S STORY? YOU CAN HELP!
The 2nd Annual Superplum Ball for Ava’s Army will take place Saturday December 11 in Omaha! Tickets are available now for children, adults, businesses and sponsors! CLICK HERE for more information!
Walk or Run one mile anywhere this Saturday, May 8, to honor Ava in the Sammy’s Superheroes Walk To Remember!Your $10 donation raises money for childhood cancer research! CLICK HERE for more information!
Learn more about Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands – including the Building The Future Gala this month! CLICK HERE for more information!
A National League pennant on the line. The phone rings; you’re warm. The wall swings open, and with 41,000 fans watching in person and millions more on TV, you jog out, alone, to the pitcher’s mound.
The only thing more nervewracking than that? Being 8+ months pregnant, in the stands, and that pitcher is your HUSBAND.
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By the time Brian Duensing reached his 26th birthday, he had quite the resume: College World Series Athlete, 3rd Round MLB Draft Pick, World Cup Gold Medalist, Olympic Bronze Medalist. He and his wife, Lisa, balanced their time between their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and …. wherever Brian’s baseball career sent them. Rochester, where Brian played for the Triple-A Red Wings; Beijing, where he represented Team USA; Fort Myers, Florida for Spring Training.
The one place the Duensings hadn’t set up shop was Minneapolis, the home of the Minnesota Twins and the team that had drafted Brian a few years prior. Even though Brian had assignments with all four of the club’s farm teams, he and Lisa knew that many players spend their entire careers in Minor League baseball, never making it to the Majors.
Photo courtesy Charles Krupa for Twin Cities Pioneer Press
The Twins prepared for the 2009 season, led by their All Stars and Silver Sluggers, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.
They say Three’s Company… and it just so happens, Brian Duensing is a leftie, too.
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“I had the best Spring Training of my career,” remembers Brian, looking back on the weeks he spent in Fort Myers early in 2009. “I didn’t give up a run. I had like, a week of Spring Training left and the running joke between me and Phil Humber was ‘they tell you anything yet?’ ‘No… they tell you anything yet?’ ‘No..’ No one was saying anything to us. We had no idea what was going on.”
Just a few years prior, Brian told Lisa he wanted to quit baseball. It was too much; the constant travel and unknowns of minor league ball, the sleeping on couches and in kitchens with roommates, and the lingering fear of not staying in Triple A to make enough money for rent. (Need a recap? Click here!)
Lisa, Brian’s parents, and a well-timed Nebraska blizzard all helped convince Brian to keep trying.
“I always told myself four years,” says Brian. “I’ll give it four years and if I don’t make it to the Big Leagues, I’m done. I gave it a shot.”
Two years after that decision, Brian was out to dinner with teammates Nick Blackburn and Rob Delaney the night before the last day of Spring Training.
“I get a phone call from <Twins pitcher> Glen Perkins and he’s like, ‘hey man, congrats!'” said Brian. “I was like, ‘what? What’s going on?’ ‘Numbers-wise, you’re in, you made the team.’ I don’t know how it works, I’m just here to play baseball! I start calling everybody: parents are screaming, Lisa is screaming. On the way home, I realize, ‘holy crap. No one has actually physically told me I’m on the team. So now I’m panicked. I just called everybody, told them I was, this could be really bad.”
Lisa, Brian’s best friend and constant source of optimism, stayed positive – and BUSY.
“At this point, I had gone home to pack up our stuff because we didn’t know what was going to happen,” remembers Lisa. “That next morning, I had to start driving with an Expedition full of stuff, starting my way to Minnesota, not knowing if he had actually made it. We thought, worst case scenario I’ll turn around and come back home. But if I hadn’t gone right away, he wouldn’t have had anyone to pick him up, he wouldn’t have anywhere to live, no clothes, nothing.”
Alone, nervous, and a little hungover, Brian arrived at his last day of Spring Training.
“I walk in, sweating, and I sit down by my locker trying to keep it together,” remembers Brian. “Two seconds later, pitching coach pops his head in, ‘Duens, need you in the office now.'” They sit me down. ‘Listen, you had a great Spring Training. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Unfortunately, we can’t take everyone with us.'”
“I’m pretty sure I blacked out,” remembers Brian. “I’m like… oh my gosh. How am I going to make this phone call? Then they said, ‘good thing is though, you’re not one of them. You’re going to Minnesota with us.”
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.” –1 Thessalonians 1:4
Remember Rookie of the Year? The awesome baseball movie from the 90’s you say you’ve never seen but secretly watched a dozen times? No shame – I love this movie. BUT… I must have missed that part in the movie when Henry Rowengartner gets the standard rookie treatment from his new teammates.
“I was not nervous about baseball. I wasn’t nervous about pitching. I wasn’t nervous about facing big league hitters,” says Brian, the ONLY rookie on the Minnesota roster in 2009. “I was nervous about sitting in someone’s seat. Or making the wrong person mad. Or not following road trip protocol.”
Brian’s first test came early: his first flight to Minnesota, just hours after finding out he’d made the team.
“Mike Redmond asks, ‘what kind of carry-on do you have?’ I was like, I have a laptop bag?” says Brian. “Redmond’s like ‘that’s not gonna do. Find a way. There’s two cases of beer back there and they need to go on the plane.'”
At that point, Redmond, sharing catcher duty for the Twins with Mauer, was an 11-year league veteran and 2003 World Series champion, known for skillfully guiding pitchers and for his leadership within the team. Mike spoke; players listened.
“The thing is, everyone liked Brian from the beginning because he appreciated those rules,” says Lisa. “He respected the unwritten rules.”
Back to that first plane ride; Brian found two trash bags, loaded up what he could, and boarded the Twins team bus in a suit, carrying a laptop bag and 36 pounds of beer.
“‘See so and so? Go sit next to him’,” remembers Brian. “I am sweating profusely because I’m carrying 48 beers, I’m hot, I’m nervous, my suit fit terribly and I was pitting out like you wouldn’t believe. We pull up on the tarmac, and all of the sudden it occurs to me, ‘are these guys messing with me? Am I going to get cavity searched because I have all this beer?’ We get to security and the guy rips open the trash bags – not just unties the bags, he shreds them. He says ‘you’re joking, right? These aren’t three ounces or less!’ I’m like, ‘ummm, ummm, ummm…’ and he says ‘I’m messing with you, get on the plane.’”
“I walked onto that plane with 48 beers. I walked off the plane with 45 beers. I’m like, are you kidding me!?!” Remembers Brian. “Mike Redmond’s like, ‘I don’t care if you bring 15 beers or if you bring 100 beers. We run out of beers, and it is the end of you.’ I’m like, ‘Cool. Got it.’ I bought a new suitcase for it. Redmond, one of the greatest guys ever, but he was like ‘Duens, there better be two Bud Lights in my locker at the end of each game. Every single game.’ I’m like ‘alright, great.’ 90 percent of the time I remembered. A few times, where the bullpen was, I couldn’t get there in time and he would just air me out. Later, he was a Manager for the Marlins, then coaching for Colorado, and every time we played against them I had two Bud Lights ready.”
Brian Duensing made his Major League Baseball debut on April 10, 2009 against the Chicago White Sox. Temperature at game time: 46-degrees.
“It was freezing,” remembers Brian. “AJ Pierzynski was the first hitter I faced. I broke his bat, jam job to first base, he dog-cussed me the whole way, out loud. Every name in the book. Morneau fielded the ball, tossed it to me, 3-1 put out. I whipped my head around like ‘what is this guy’s problem??’ Morneau was laughing and said, ‘relax. You’ll understand someday.’ That was just how AJ played.”
Brian’s family was all in Chicago to see his big league debut in person. Brian’s parents drove from Minneapolis to Kansas to drop off grandparents, and then turned around and drove to Chicago for the White Sox series. Somehow they knew their son was going to throw. Lisa had also driven cross country just days before from Florida to Minnesota, only to leave Minnesota immediately to watch her husband’s new team.
“I remember driving into town with my parents,” remembers Lisa. “My Dad could not handle Chicago traffic, we didn’t know how to get anywhere, hurrying to get to the game.”
Brian threw almost four innings in relief that day; he gave up his first home run to Carlos Quentin, struck out his first batter, Brian Anderson, and picked off a runner at second.
“It hit me on the run in because I couldn’t feel my legs,” remembers Brian. “That’s when I knew; I was like, ‘oh my God, what is happening. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I felt like Rookie of the Year; ‘oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!’ I was freaking out.”
The Twins won that day 12-5; it was Easter weekend. As they prepared for their next series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Brian was sent back to Triple-A.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10
After so much excitement and hope, the Duensings were back in Rochester.
“I’m trying to set up an apartment, wondering, ‘should I even be setting up an apartment?’ Remembers Lisa. “Just like Brian, if he would have one bad game, he would call his Academic Advisor back at Nebraska and say there was no way he was going to make it, he needed to finish his degree. That happened for a few years, and she stopped responding to him.”
July 2009: Rochester had a road trip to Buffalo, so Lisa went along and the two used an off day to visit a casino at Niagara Falls. The next day, Brian was called into the team office – he was being called back up to Minnesota.
“It was out of the blue to us,” says Lisa.” We were living in a hotel. I drove Brian to Rochester to get all of his stuff, then back to Buffalo to make his flight, all in just a few hours. Then I packed up our entire life so I could drive through the night to Minneapolis. I drove by myself for 16 hours, thinking, ‘ok, we were here for 9 days and he threw once or twice, whatever.’ First game, pitcher got pulled it the third inning and here comes Brian, bases load, no outs, Yankees.”
Photo courtesy John Autey for Twin Cities Pioneer Press
“I come in and the first guy I face is Mark Texiera,” says Brian. “He popped it up infield. In my head, I’m thinking, I’m one pitch away from getting out of this jam, and I’m gonna freaking fist bump everyone. Then… Alex Rodriguez. I’m like, holy shit, I completely forgot he is on deck. He hits a freaking missile to center and Carlos Gomez robs him of a grand slam, over the fence.”
“No, we’re not joking,” adds Lisa. “The opening of Sportscenter featured Gomez catching that ball.”
Brian ended the inning and solidified his spot on the Minnesota Twins’ roster in 2009.
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” — Proverbs 3:3
After five years of constant moving and uncertainty, living in kitchens and hotel rooms, hoping and praying together and apart.. the Duensing finally found home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Brian’s first starting outing: in Minneapolis at the Metrodome, the only year Brian played there. “I remember him throwing very well,” says Lisa. “They were so good that year.”
His first winning start: Twins vs. Royals in Kansas City, where Brian got to play against his good friend and former teammate Alex Gordon. “Whole family was there,” says Brian. “We had the entire third base left field side bleachers because back then, Kansas City sucked. Got my first win, went 5 1/3 innings. And it just kind of kept going.”
Two months later, just three months after being recalled from Triple-A, the Twins called upon Brian to start Game 1 of the 2009 ALDS against CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium.
Source:Bruce Kluckhohn/Minnesota Twins/MLB via Getty Images
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” — Philippians 4:8
Brian was officially named part of Minnesota’s starting rotation in 2010, the same season he threw his first of TWO complete game shut outs, agains the Oakland Athletics in August. He did it again versus the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2011.
The first person to congratulate Brian after his final out… his catcher and friend, Joe Mauer. THAT is what Brian and Lisa both talk about when you ask them about their favorite memories in Minnesota; yes, the baseball, but also, the people.
Source: Mike McGinnis/Getty Images North America
Source: Jack Hardman/News-Press.com
Lisa with fellow Twins wives
Source: Marlin Levison/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Brian (far right) with Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham
Lisa (left) with Ginger Willingham and Maddie Mauer
Those two All Stars, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, became Brian’s closest friends in Minneapolis, along with teammates like Matt Guerrier and Josh Willingham. Maddie Mauer, Ginger Willingham and others, became confidantes and constant companions for Lisa. Friendships extended to Twins staff, club employees, and Twins’ beat reporters. They raised their families together. They suffered losses and celebrated memories together. They understood each other in a way others outside the game cannot. For two Omaha ‘Nebraska Nice’ natives like Brian and Lisa, Minnesota was an extension of Midwest hospitality and family connectivity.
“I am ridiculously proud of his accomplishments on the field, but when I think of Minnesota my first hundred memories would be with people or things off the field,” says Lisa. “That’s the thing about baseball people miss is you do life with those people. You spend more time with them than you do anyone else in your entire life. Even your best friend, you don’t talk to that person for four hours straight every, single day for eight months like you do the girls with the team. Some days, I would come to the game and not even go to the field. I would just sit and talk to the security guard. Or the same person who had our tickets every game; for years and years. When I found out I was pregnant, our chaplain went with me to my ultrasound because Brian was on the road. I had two miscarriages there. You do life with those people, and when you leave, you are leaving so much more than the game.”
For Brian and Lisa.. that day came in February 2016. Brian, who had spent his entire career with the Minnesota Twins organization, seven of those years in Minneapolis, became a free agent and signed with the Kansas City Royals. The Duensings left Minnesota as a family of almost-5… no longer rookies to life in the Majors, but preparing to start all over again just as they had in 2009.
“The day we left, I was hysterically bawling,” says Lisa. “I was saying goodbye to the ticket people, the security guards, the people who ran the playroom. I always tell people it was a revolving door for so many years; someone gets traded and boom, they’re gone, within the day sometimes. Brian and I were always on one side of the door, which was a huge blessing. Not many people play that long, or play in one place. It was really hard to say goodbye to all of those people.”
“It felt very much like home,” says Brian. “We had a great group of people.”
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” — Numbers 6:24–26
On to Kansas City.. with a new mission and outlook looming on the horizon.
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Catch up on the first two installments of the Duensings’ story!
The 402 