1. I moved to Clifton Park from Florida in 2021 with my husband Jim and our son Jude (3). I was immediately drawn to our neighborhood because of the tall trees and nature that remind me of my childhood home in Wisconsin. I was born in Madison, Wisconsin while my dad was at law school at UW. I spent many Saturdays as a baby and toddler at Camp Randall watching the Badgers. I have loved sports literally all my life and to this day, my favorite food is a brat WITH sauerkraut.
2. Hey Jude! Though we love the Beatles, our son is named after his dad, James Jude Jabir. Jim’s mom, Rosie, believed that all of her children should be named after Saints, so we continued the tradition with Jude Christopher. There is nothing better than raising Jude around the Siena Saints student-athletes. He has so many positive role models. I am also the proud stepmom to Shane, Lauren, and Jackson.
3. Rescuing animals is a tremendous passion of mine. Currently, we have two dogs and a blind cat. All are rescues, one from a kill shelter in New Mexico that I had transported to Boston. Both dogs are Great Pyrenees mixes, and we had two Great Pyrenees before that. At one point, we had four cats and three dogs. I have been known to come across animals in need in the middle of the road (this is how we ended up with our blind cat). I’m convinced the animals find me because they know I will help them.
4. Trips to the dump! While living in Ohio, we bought an abandoned brick house built in 1865 for $12K and spent nine months restoring it with Shane, my stepson. We worked on the house every night after work for months, often making nightly trips to the dump and would then grab dinner after. There’s nothing more fulfilling than working hard to completely transform a space and turning it to a lovely home for someone.
5. Farm girl. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time on my grandparent’s farm in western Wisconsin. I was a child who would rather do chores with Grandpa than cooking with Grandma and my aunts. I attribute this time with developing my sense of work ethic and my love for animals. This was also an early indication that cooking wouldn’t become a passion of mine, though I make a mean Kraft Macaroni & Cheese out of the box and my chocolate chip cookies are pretty amazing.
6. I have lived in five states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, and New York. I graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 3 ½ years while on scholarship as a Division I women’s basketball student-athlete. I received my Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse while serving as a graduate assistant in the athletic department.
7. I’ve often thought about going to law school, I come from a family of lawyers. My dad is still practicing in his late 70’s and my brother works for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He has spent most of his adult life working on various projects in Ukraine, but is currently living and working in Poland. I hope to go visit him soon.
8. Though I’ve spent most of my life playing indoor sports, growing up I used to downhill ski every weekend. I prefer the slopes to the beach. Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are also two of my favorite things to do. Still looking for places to go in Upstate NY if anyone has any suggestions.
9. I love to travel and try different wines. Although I don’t consider myself a wine expert, I am a connoisseur and would love to learn more. I’ve been to Napa countless times and Italy once, but was pregnant with my son during our trip to Tuscany in 2019.
10. Happy Holidays! My favorite Christmas movie is Love Actually, closely followed by The Holiday!! (Jim does a great Mr. Napkin-head impression).
