Family Unit

I have two children. Ava is six and Lincoln is four.  Since being graced into parenthood I have learned how different my children are. Ava is a girly girl and Lincoln (we call him Linc) is a rough and tumble little boy.  I've learned that having a family is a balancing act. First you are caring for an additional person who relies on you for their EVERY need. Adding another child into the game plan was truly a balancing act.  For me, it was a matter of timing so that I could tend to both children. As the kids have gotten older they have become involved in activities which keep us busy at least six days a week.  Ava has Catechism, Pom and Ballet. Linc wrestles two days a week and we have a tournament each weekend...AND the puppy has training at Petsmart.

 It is hard enough meeting the demands of this schedule....then it changes(red cape and tiara are ready for action). It is not uncommon for Linc's wrestling club to change the practice days. Kids get sick and other things come up.  Having children made me realize that it really does take a "village of people." to raise them.  My husband and I both work full time, I have school, and I HAVE to work out (not only for health reasons, but to clear my mind).  Between the two of us we often cannot meet the demands of these activities.  Many of them start before we get out of work.  This is when we turn to "TEAM BERGER!" 

Team Berger: Mom, Dad, Ava, Linc, Grandma, Dzia Dzia, Aunt Heather, Gong-Gong, Po-Po, & many stand ins

Grandma picks up the kids from school and day care, feeds them dinner, takes them to dance, and waits for me to arrive. Aunt Heather drops the kids off at school in the morning. We call in reinforcements when the kids are sick, there is no school or there are snow days.

I must admit that my husband and I are fortunate to have a family that is so willing to help out WHENEVER we need them.  It is nice to know that we can "call in a favor."  Our support system allows us to get the kids where they need to be and they don't miss out on the fun things life has to offer. To our "team unit," THANK YOU! 

Mission: Unexpected Adventure Castaway Bay

In the past I found myself caught up in the monotony of day-to-day life (i.e. get up too early, get the laundry done, get lunches made, work too hard, go shopping for necessities, make dinner, more chores, go to sleep late, repeat).  I would pass up on going out with friends and eventually found myself repeating the same week over and over.

Recently, I made a conscious decision that I would see my friends more, have more play dates, be more patient with my kids and ENJOY the time we share together.  Sometimes it's hard to let the dishes go unwashed, but the reward is so much more.  Do I want to say that I missed watching my kids having the ultimate nerf gun fight because I was  busy doing household tasks? I think not.

I just realized the other day that Monday is considered a holiday at my work and I get the day off. AWESOME!!!  As soon as I bring this to my sister-in-laws attention she says we need to go on an adventure (red cape on). First we were going to go to Frankenmuth and then we decided on Castaway Bay. I love having my hair styled and putting on great makeup.  I left the beauty parlor (and tiara) at home, but brought my waterproof Maybeline eye liner and mascara. We did not tell the kids.  In fact, we did not tell the kids until we arrived.  After a long wrestling tournament that day, both kids slept the entire ride.  They were so excited.  I asked Ava if we should go on adventures more often.  She told me, "THIS IS A GREAT IDEA!"

It was so nice to stay in an 82 degree climate.  We went in the wave pool, ran in the kid zone, rode the roller coaster, went down the slides, and enjoyed the hot tub.  I must admit that the outdoor hot tub is  AMAZING. To be able to look up into the sky and see the moon on a dark night and to be able to see it snow while you sit in a steamy luxury is pretty incredible. We tried to end our trip in the hot tub, but the kids did not want to go.  Aunt Heather volunteered for mommy to go down the slide one more time and we would leave. Boy is the water COLD after lounging in the hot tub. 

If you had a chance to go on adventure where would you go and what would you do? A day of rest and relaxation with my family  is just what the doctor ordered. Time to forget about laundry, cleaning and errands. It was a nice way to break from reality for a day. I would highly recommend this or an voyage of your creation. 

Emily Berger (aka Girl on a Mission 615) in a nutshell

I am an only child raised by two loving and supporting parents.  From a young age I was DRIVEN. It started with gymnastics, dance and eventually at the age of 12 I was dragged to judo by my father.  It was love at first fight.  After high school I moved to the Olympic Training Center and trained with USA Judo. Eventually I moved back to Michigan and started my career in Human Resources.  After finding my job I aligned my classes with work and received my Bachelor's degree from Walsh College. I married my high school sweetheart and we have two beautiful children; one diva, one maniac (who is so charming he melts your heart). 

To solidify myself professionally I became a Profession in Human Resources (PHR) and a Certified Workers Compensation Professional (CWCP).  After over 10 years with the same company I took a leap of faith and found a new job. My new job allowed me to rediscover myself and truly ENJOY life. My life has always been dedicated to keeping a positive state of mind.  Recent changes have allowed me to have minimal stress.  At the same time I have found happiness both personally and professionally.

Throughout my life I have ALWAYS had a goal (i.e. get a degree, earn a certification, enjoy time with my kids, not to stress over the small stuff, etc.).  I've learned to keep an open mind and that there are multiple solutions to every problem. Please join me on my journey as I put on my superhero cape and tiara to navigate roadblocks and create solution while enjoying every step of the way.