Help honor them, and all children fighting brain cancer, by purchasing these holiday cards. Each pack includes 15 cards with one of each of the designs. (Brianna’s has a snowman and a Christmas tree). The inside includes a message “May the spirit of the holidays bring you hope and happiness.” Envelopes lined with silver foil are included.

Proceeds go directly towards The Cure Starts Now which helps families battling brain cancer and funds pediatric brain cancer research. Help a worthy cause and spread holiday cheer!

Through our association with the Romeoville Area Chamber of Commerce, my family spent this past Sunday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview as a guest of the Chicago Red Stars. They’re a new women’s professional soccer team right here in Chicago. What a great game, a fantastic atmosphere, and all-around fun time. I can’t say enough about the hospitality we experienced at Toyota Park. The excitement from the 5000+ fans was electric. The athletes were impressive and played with skill and heart.

Even if you’re not a soccer player, and our kids aren’t, you’ll get into the game. Unlike some other pro sports that get all the press, and all the money, soccer is fast. The action never stops and the clock is always running. Rather than watching a player beat the daylights out of the Gatorade machine, you’ll see athletes competing hard and playing a game they love. You’ll see athletes competing truly for the love of the game and to better themselves, rather than for the almighty dollar. No prima donnas. No training camp holdouts. Just athletes and true dedicated fans.

Best of all, the kids see the possibilities before them. In this case, especially girls. Let’s face it, there aren’t that many women’s pro opportunities around. We’re fortunate in Chicago to have the Red Stars soccer, Bandits softball, and Chicago Sky. Womens pro teams give girls more opportunities to see positive role models, just like themselves, excelling in the sports they love. What’s better than seeing the excitement in your children’s eyes? Nothing.

Get out there and support the Chicago Red Stars and other women’s pro sports! Your daughters could be there someday too, but these teams need your help to make it happen!

I’m pretty excited about it and it’s coming along nicely. I’ve built the “skeleton” and started laying the strips. It doesn’t look like much to the casual observer, but I can see what it’s supposed to look like and in my mind I’m already paddling. More pictures to follow as the project progresses. It’s going to take awhile!

I’ve had the plans for two years now and I’ve finally gotten up the guts to start the project. It just seemed so overwhelming when I thought about the entire task. I kept looking at the whole and not seeing the parts. Break it down, look at it in smaller chunks and it becomes a lot easier.

For the question you’ve been asking (and my family has been asking), how am I going to get it out of the basement once it’s finished? I’ll worry about that one later. One step at a time.

You can help too by keeping Brianna and her family in your prayers. Learn more about Brianna and her fight at www.curebrianna.com