Lunch with Laura from the LFA

BIG day today!  Last week the Vice President of the National Development and Fundraising Committee for the Lupus Foundation of America, Miss Laura Leale, called me and asked if I'd join her for lunch.  She said she was going to be in Los Angeles on business and wanted to pick my brain for ideas on how to better advocate, educate, and fundraise for the Walk for Lupus Now. 

So I said, "You want to have lunch with me????"

She said because of how successful Team Knaup was last year, she definitely wanted to chat with me one on one!  So I asked the hubs if he could spend the day with Emma so that I could go and pick her brain as well.

So that meant getting out of my "Mommy" clothes and dressing up a little! YAY for clothes still fitting!!!

 

Here's the results!  =)

Thought I'd like to get a picture with Emma... she thought she'd like to JUMP out of my arms!  I think I've made her repel cameras from all the exposure!

This WOULD be an adorable photo if only she would look at the camera!

So I said my "see ya laters" and headed down to the Los Angeles LFA office where Miss Jesse Norris works. 

Jesse Norris

When I got there she said she knew all about me because of Team Knaup.  Laura said lots of people in DC knew about me because we were the team that was so tiny and yet raised so much money.  I kind of felt like the cute little train from the story, "The Little Engine That Could".

"I think I can - I think I can... I thought I could - I thought I could!"

(can you tell I spend the majority of my day reading children's books?)

Jesse, Laura, and me

Jesse and Laura spent some time showing me around and explaining how this office works.  Which is fascinating!  They are very short staffed and yet accomplish so much!  Jesse is fluent in several languages to include Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.  She said this was necessary for her job because a lot of women in these two ethnic backgrounds are showing up with lupus.  So in order to help them, she has to be able to communicate with them.

Me with my little information packet that Laura had put together especially for me.  The scarf wrapped around the folder was handed out at the Lupus Advocacy Day in DC.  She said since I wasn't able to attend this year, she made sure to grab me a souvenir!  How thoughtful!

Laura and I headed to the Howard Hughes center to eat some lunch.  We decided on the Callendar's Grill.  Very yummy, highly recommend it.  We stayed for almost 3 hours!  She filled me in on the latest and greatest from DC and asked more about my personal struggle with lupus and how in the world did we raise so much money.  Which gave me a great opportunity to brag about Team Knaup and my wonderfully generous support system of friends & family (thank you all again for helping our team!). 

I told her we walk in memory of two VERY special ladies, Mrs. Angie (Crumrin) White and Miss Diane Bahl.  I told her that Angie's daughter, Renee, was only 2 years old when she died.  And that all Renee has of her mother are 7 photos!  Lupus took away a lifetime of special Mother-daughter moments.  I also told her that Diane died at the age of 17.  She was a senior in high school.  Just getting ready to spread her wings, when lupus took her away and gave her wings in heaven.

Then I was proud to say that Renee is a very active member of Team Knaup and raised significant amount of money for our team last year, winning a trophy even!  And that Diane's brother and sister-in-law (Dan & Kelly) are also very active members of Team Knaup and they raised a very generous amount in remembrance of her.

I also shared with her the story of a new member on my team, Alisa.  Sweet, sweet friend of mine from my hometown who has recently been diagnosed with lupus.  Her story is remarkable and can be found on her blog here

I told her I had several other friends and family members that have so graciously stepped up to join our team this year and that I was definitely excited about the walk.  We are even expecting a big showing for our team, which is saying something since most of my team lives in the Midwest... but am really pleased that my Mom & brother Wes (whom I blogged about here ) are coming as well as Renee, my mother and father-in-law (maybe) and possibly (hopefully) Dan and Kelly and their girls, plus one of my bestest friends ever, Lea!  I wish I could fly everyone on my team out to walk with us, perhaps I should start buying lottery tickets!

After our lunch it was time for me to head back home.  What a day!  I am still amazed and not really sure how I got noticed on the national level but am thankful for the opportunity to give those that have passed on a VOICE in the fight for a cure for lupus.  I've now had lupus for just over 4 years and though I've had my peaks and valleys with this disease, I can't complain.  It could be so much worse.  I'm just so thankful that "I can" in the words of "The Little Engine that Could"

So I unfortunately left Los Angeles at rush hour, which was awful!  It took me 1 hour and 40 min just to drive 24 MILES!  That's right!  We were bumper to bumper for 1 hour and 40 min just inching along the 405!  Los Angeles is only 70 miles from my house, should have only taken me about an hour to hour and 20 min to get home... instead it took me 2.5 hours!  Luckily Dad answered his cell phone when I called, he kept me company for the first hour or so, then Mom answered her phone and kept me company for a little while.  So, it wasn't too bad... but still!  Such good parents! ♥

If you've made it this far in this post, I thank you for reading the entire thing. 

Good night all!