Let me start off by saying, I work for Noot Homes, a local real estate team here in the Madison area whom is brokered under Keller Williams. I am the Director of Sales and I absolutely adore my job, everyone on my team, and everyone in the KW offices, both East and West Madison. I have never been employed (Doug Noot) nor managed (Ale Broz) by people who genuinely appreciate me, and show their appreciation on a regular basis. Nor have I been shown the incredible amount of flexibility that both Doug and Ale have shown me, not just through my cancer diagnosis, but beforehand when needing to take care of my kiddos. I cannot begin to express how thankful I have been to work for them, and with them for the last year and a half and how much fulfillment and joy it has brought me. I don't yet know how we will navigate my time off during/post surgery, especially since I'm a stubborn mule who wants to work from the hospital, however I know that they want to prioritize my health over everything else.
That leads me to Keller Williams (KW). Keller Williams Cares Local did the most amazing thing that I absolutely did not expect and did a fundraiser for me to create memories with my family. Originally they were going to fundraise for me to go to Japan with Mike, however Japan was (is?) closed due to Covid, so instead there was a pivot to something we could all do as a family. That ended up being a trip to St. Louis because it is an easy drive AND they have a tremendous amount of kid centric activities available.
Here is one of the videos that Michael, the Team Leader at Madison East, made at the end of the fundraiser.
Even post St. Louis trip, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of so many (I always am), eternally grateful, humbled and just....so very thankful for the love and support we as a family have been shown.
Because I promised, here are some photos from our trip! They aren't all in order, BUT....First we have us all up in the Arch, then a photo of Arwyn at the children's museum, me with one of the Budweiser Clydesdales, Arwyn at the City Museum, Tristen in front of the (very yucky) Mississippi River before our River Boat Cruise (don't recommend unless you want to learn a lot about barges and bridges), Tristen and I before the Clydesdale Experience at Grant's Farm, Tristen blowing a HUGE bubble at the children's museum, the whole family with Merlin, an 11 year old "retired" Clydesdale, Marni and I (a college friend of Mike's whom I totally stole), Erika and I (a former LLR retailer who also left because of cancer), the next two photos are at the zoo, the next three photos are at the aquarium (Tristen got to pet Sting Rays, a shark, a ball python and all sorts of other sea creatures like star fish!), Tristen (and Mike) on the ropes course at Union Station! There was a GIANT zip line! He did awesome even though he was scared!
We made SO many amazing memories, and came back with 4 more stuffies than we left with, so all in all it was a successful trip that wouldn't have happened it weren't for Keller Williams East Madison. I am so incredibly grateful. It really also kicked me in the butt to create more memories with the boys locally over weekends, even if it's just going to the splash pad, or to the local playground (once I'm healed up from next week's surgery, that is).
Thank you to each and every one of you who helped make this so very special. I really can't articulate enough how much fun we had. AND how badly Mike and I needed a vacation from the vacation when we got home ;) Whew! It was tiring for us old people! The boys on the other hand didn't want to come home!
xoxo
Browen