It’s About Family… The Worthington Tradition Continues (Part 2)

2013 has been a banner year for the Schlaegel family!  Just a little over a week ago, my oldest son, Tommy, married his one true love, Emily Huckaby.  For those of you who are counting, that’s the second wedding for us this year.  (You can read about the first wedding here: https://pschlaegel.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/its-about-family-the-worthington-tradition-continues/)    As the mother of four boys, getting TWO daughters-in-law (both absolute gems) in the same year is a VERY big blessing!

Last summer, Emily made the move from Dayton to Columbus to be closer to Tommy and seek a teaching job in the Columbus area.  Just a day or two before their engagement, she accepted a job with Worthington Schools as the Title I teacher at Wilson Hill Elementary (completely on her own merits, I might add… without anyone knowing she was connected to me  🙂 ).  Emily knew right away that she was very fortunate to have joined the Worthington Schools family and I knew that Worthington was very lucky to have hired her!  It’s been fun watching her form friendships with some of the same people I have had the pleasure of teaching with over the years.  She is very happy to be entering her second year with Worthington, teaching sixth grade math this year.

Upon arrival at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, Emily asked me where she was supposed to sit… perfect!  I told her to find her name.  Her eyes filled with tears when she discovered the desk plate that I had made for her with the Worthington Schools logo.  Although I know that she was filled with joy to see her new name, I know that she also has a deep sense of pride that comes with being a part of the Worthington Schools family.

Worthington roots run deep in our family.  My parents raised their family here.  My husband and I chose to do the same.  My son, Danny, and his wife, Caity, are following in our footsteps with the recent purchase of their first home in Worthington Schools.  I have been blessed with a wonderful career with Worthington Schools and Emily is off to a great start.  She and Tommy will be house-hunting soon and although they won’t get any pressure from me (I don’t want to earn a reputation as a monster-in-law), it wouldn’t surprise me if they landed in Worthington.  They both know that Worthington is a great place to raise a family because of the excellent schools.   Emily knows that Worthington’s high expectations for teachers translate into high expectations for student learning.  Tommy knows that Worthington provided him with an excellent foundation, allowing him to graduate from Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business and secure a job in the accounting department of a successful law firm.

It was an absolute joy watching Tommy marry the girl of his dreams.  It was also a delight to watch him have fun with his groomsmen…  all of whom (with the exception of his three brothers) are childhood friends from Sutter Park and Worthington Hills that reconnected at McCord and Kilbourne. They were fast friends as classmates during school, teammates after school, and they are a tight-knit group of guys who will, undoubtedly, remain lifelong friends.  Again, the Worthington roots run very deep…

Emily Huckaby Schlaegel is a fine, fine addition to our Fine, Fine School district, and our fine, fine family!  Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Schlaegel!

Counting My Blessings… Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving week.  A time to stop and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.  Quite honestly, some years this is easier to do than others.   For me, this year is an easy one… overflowing with blessings!

Thanksgiving is a time for family and I am lucky enough to belong to several wonderful families…  a church family, a personal family, and a school family.   In just a few hours, I’ll be with my church family enjoying their fellowship and reflecting on the blessings that we share.  There are many things for us to be collectively thankful for and we’ll be certain to wish each other a Happy Thanksgiving as we part ways for the week.

On Thursday, I’ll be with my personal family.  My husband and I both come from large families (he is one of eight and I am one of five).  Between the two Thanksgiving celebrations, we’ll probably have the opportunity to see over 50 family members. My goal is to try not to make any of them sick as I am in charge of the turkeys for both family dinners!   It will be a wonderful (although loud and crazy) family-filled day.  My family has been richly blessed this year and we will rejoice in the fact that all of the seats around the table remain filled.  My dad is recovering well from his open-heart surgery and my two oldest sons will have their fiancées with them.  Our family is about to get bigger… more blessings!

At school, it is a short week as we take a break to be with our own families.  However, tomorrow (after our staff “Beat Michigan by a Mile” bike ride/walk), the Granby staff will gather together to share a Thanksgiving dessert and enjoy each other’s company.  I am not certain they know how truly thankful I am for each of them and all they have done to make me a part of their school family, so I will attempt to tell them.  A little part of me is afraid I’ll end up a puddle on the floor, but that’s okay… they already know what a sap I am.

My appreciation for these amazing folks runs deep.  They have exhibited endless dedication, passion, care, and concern for the growth of all of our students.  Their compassion for each other and our Granby families is sincere and it is clear that there is not much we can’t do if we work together to make it happen.  They work hard, play nice, and have fun doing it!  The smiles on the faces of our Gators as they arrive each morning are a reflection of the wonderful people that are about to greet them inside.  They are a blessing to these children.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with our Granby families on Friday at the Barnes & Noble Bookfair.  They, too, are a blessing to me.  They are team players and jump at the chance to help out when there is a need.  They entrust their most precious children to us each day (approximately 430 additional blessings) and work with us to provide the best education possible.  As I watched the choir perform Friday night with proud parents, teachers, siblings, grandparents, and other extended family members crowding around trying to snap pictures, I was overcome with pride for this beautiful school family.   My heart overflows…

To my wonderful Granby family, thank you for being such an amazing, important part of my life.  You make me proud to be a Gator each and every day and I count you all among my richest blessings.  You are a fine, fine family for our Fine, Fine School and I wish you a fine, fine Thanksgiving with your families.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!