Hi! Thanks for stopping by! My name is Colleen & I am dedicating this space to my beautiful sister and best friend, Shannon. I stalked her Pinterest boards for inspiration as to what to name my new blog since much of what I write will be in her honor. I saw a quote on one of her boards that read: “The Best Job I’ve Ever Had – Being a Mom”. Ba Bam! (Shannon is smiling) HOW. PERFECT? How HER! How… me!? We three girls were raised by the single most wonderful woman in the world, our mother, and now that I am a mother myself, I know it is the BEST job I’ve ever had and will ever have. ESPECIALLY now.
As many of you already know, my amazing (I really cannot begin to explain how TRULY WONDERFUL he is) husband Doug and I plan to welcome Shannon’s boys, Connor & Danny into our (new!) home and family with wide open arms. They will become big brothers to our children, Ryan (3) and Maddie (1) and we are ALL pretty psyched! I have always loved them like my own. And now… well I just cannot imagine it any other way.
Shannon always teased that I was the “golden child”; that everything has always been easy for me. I remember her telling me a story after she came to visit when Maddie was born. She was laughing telling me about how someone asked how the delivery was. She replied (give or take): “Well but of course it was PERFECT! Her water broke. She took a shower. She did her hair, put on some makeup, jolly skipped to the hospital and out popped her perfect angel DAUGHTER! Then I believe she had diet coke and wine on demand.” We laughed and laughed and laughed. And now, as recent events have unfolded just to my liking, I have to believe that she is laughing up in Heaven while she helps things along.
*Dream House in INDY!!! (CHECK)
*Doug KEEPS his job in St. Louis and gets to work from home in Indy (CHECK)
*We sell our house in St. Louis before it even goes on the market for over asking price – say what?! (CHECK)
*IPHONE 6 (no CHECK. But Doug, see how I praised you? Don’t you think I’m deserving? Me too. I agree 100%)
I am chuckling right now because these are the kinds of things she would tease me for. I told my mom the other day that I am skeptical that all these rainbows are Shannon. Chrissy and I agree that we never ONCE heard Shannon comment on any sort of rainbow being glorious or spiritual or magical, and so it’s hard for me to believe that every time one pops up in the sky, it’s her. Don’t get me wrong. The one at the 5k, the one the week of her birthday, and the one today, while Connor was playing his last game of the season… TOTALLY her. But I just have a hard time with every single one being her! Though… it is comforting and I can hope and pray. My mom semi agreed, but reminded me that Shannon has made all of these things happen for us in an unusually timely manner so we can get to Indy and raise her boys. And ONCE AGAIN… mom is right. She really is looking out for baby sis!
<—- We close on Halloween and move in on Nov 7! Come visit us! 12349 Pebblepointe Pass – Carmel, IN 46033 🙂
On my journey to healing I have learned that the best way to honor somebody that you LOVE is to learn from them. Though our time was cut MUCH too short, I learned my life’s most valuable lessons from my sister. I watched her and idolized her for 30 years, and I will continue to learn from her as I pray to her in search of answers I wish she were here to tell me. I feel so blessed to be given this opportunity and hope you enjoy following us on this new journey. I miss her so much my heart aches as I type this…. but I also know that it is because she is still loving me that I can get through.
We are ALL so grateful to each and every one of you for the love and support you have shown us, and as a THANK YOU I wanted to make sure to keep you posted on our lives now and going forward. I am way behind on ACTUAL thank you’s! So please know that I am the most grateful and couldn’t do any of this without all of you! Wish us luck! I have a LOT to learn, but with Shannon in my corner, I just know everything is going to be ok. Oh and it doesn’t hurt that mom, dad, janet and family, the Greenes & the Utzingers are all within 1 mile of us 🙂 🙂 🙂 THANKS IN ADVANCE, guys!!
xxx Colleen & family
thebestjobiveeverhad.me 
Colleen, So beautiful. I know this journey will be wonderful, sometimes hard, sometimes different and most of all a gift to each of you and your families. I have to say I do not believe in luck, per say but I do believe in blessings and I pray many for all of you. I am just so excited for you!
Love Donna
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Hi Colleen, so excited for all of you as you begin this new adventure. And for your Mom to have you back home. Know that we are praying for all of you.
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Such beautiful words!
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You will be wonderful parents to Danny and Connor, and you will have guardian angels watching over you, of that I am certain. If you ever need anything, you can call Mary Anne’s old friend, Elaine, and I’ll help any way I can!
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So happy for all of you!!!
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I came accross your blog on Facebook, read it and realized you will soon be my neighbor! Best of luck on the move. I moved to Carmel in Janauary and love it here!
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God Bless you and your family.
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What a blessing to have two more handsome boys added to your beautiful family.
God bless you and all your families during the challenges ahead that all parents are privileged to experience
Faith, love, charity and hope are yours!
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Hi, Colleen! We will be neighbors! We live at 11611 Pebblepointe Pass… Just down the road… A good friend of mine lives even closer to you! My kiddies go to OLMC and I teach in Fishers! I know you’re from here, but feel free to send an email if you need ANY help! Hopefully We’ll get to meet each other once you’re settled! Best wishes in the coming weeks!
Emilysmitchell@icloud.com
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Oh yay! The hardest part about leaving STL for us is how much we love our neighbors. I am so excited to meet our new ones and have a feeling I will have no regrets!! THANKS so much, Emily!
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Shannon, my heart ached for Rita, Danny, you and Janet when I heard the news. I just couldn’t believe it or want to believe it. Your strong family and love for each other will get you through! I know the boys are going to thrive with you and your husband and Shannon must be smiling at how things have fallen into place. My thoughts and prayers with the entire family.
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Colleen I am always so amazed by your family’s strength and faith. I can’t wait to read more about your journey as a mother of four… I definitely understand that part;) love you all and so glad you will be closer!
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I don’t know you, or the full story as to what lead you to take in your sister’s children… But I commend you. It’s a bigger adventure than I accounted for… I have now been on that journey since May 1st, 2014, when my sister tried to commit suicide and then chose to sign her children over to me. Each day brings more heartbreak that we must overcome. My sister is alive, but has chosen an intensely self-destructive path and repeatedly attacked and harassed everyone to the point it has destroyed every relationship she had. The person she is now is NOT my sister. It’s hard to save a person you love when they are simultaneously trying to destroy you. So out of self-preservation, I stay away from her and focus on supporting all of her children and helping them cope with the “loss” of their mom. We went from a household of 3 (my husband, myself, and our daughter)… To a household of 6.5 (hubs, me, daughter, newborn son, bonus daughter, bonus son, visiting bonus daughter who loves with her dad) in addition to the running a full time photography company and full time real estate career… One of my biggest hurdles is obviously juggling my time and making sure I have enough to be there for each child the way they need me to be as parent, aunt, guidance counselor, cuddler… Etc. I was given this link from a dear friend/angel as a means of encouragement for all. Again, I commend you. I know there will be days ahead that getting out of bed is a huge accomplishment… days when your heart breaks when those babies cry for their mommy or ask why it happened to them. Just remember that you are their angel. You are making a difference in their lives. And you are their lifeline to their mom. Thru your love and support she can be memorialized in their hearts and they can heal. I have not been able to begin healing yet. I haven’t yet reached that stage. But I hope I can rebuild the positivity that I once had for my sister soon and be as resilient as you are in this blog. You are an inspiration.
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Wow. I just saw this. “Remember you are their angel” —> that right there. That is going to get me through. THANK YOU for sharing your story. You are wonderful and an inspiration as well. God bless you ❤
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