YAY JILL!!

Congratulations to my wonderful sister Jill who, after many years of plunking away, is just finishing her very last day of school. She will now have her diploma in early childhood education. Yay Jill!! I’m so proud of her!

For the past couple of years that she’s been going through this process I’ve talked to her on the phone pretty much every day. I was astonished at how that girl can do her very very very best on everything she does in school. She’d go lengths that most people wouldn’t even think of doing. As a result, her grades were amazing.

Her success means so much to me because in some ways I see her as an older version of me. Even though I really didn’t grow up with her, she was out of the house when I was 6, her and I are SO much alike. She was a lot like I am at this age. I love to see how she’s grown and how much she continues to keep working at making herself the best she can be.

I love that Jill followed her passion. Ever since I can remember, she’s been passionate about children. Most of her jobs were in day-cares or in people’s homes as a nanny. It’s great that she’s passionate about children because she just has the magic touch with them. She really has a heart for children at risk and gets to start a job at one of her previous practicum places where she’ll be able to effect lives of many of those children.

To finish her schooling, Jill had two complete her last practicum in a preschool/daycare. In the typical Jill fashion of making a difference wherever she goes, she ended up raising a BUNCH of money to buy some new things for the preschool just because she wanted to and she knew they needed it. Just an ordinary thing Jill would do just because she knows it’s what’s right.

Jill is really nice to have around because she always has really good solutions to the problems I am having with Silas. I call her my ‘mommy mentor’. She’s also really good at letting me do my own thing and not pressing her own opinions on me. A perfect balance for the perfect mommy mentor. Gosh…why am I getting teary? I trust her a lot because her son is such a neat person. She really nurtured him to be very self aware and to always be himself. He even reads labels on the food he’s about to eat…hola!

Above is Jill and my other two beautiful sisters Jennie (left) and Jules (right).

Jill, I know you’re going to make a massive difference in the lives of tons of children. Any kid who you teach and nurture is going to thrive because of it. You are such an amazing role model to the people around you and to the children that you put so much into. I love you so much and I’m so stinking proud of you. Please don’t hate me for writing this 🙂

(My weight loss progress page is updated as well)