We first met Jan when she was 24 years old (it seems like just yesterday….can't believe that 16 years has passed already). Christina was living with us in Croton-On-Hudson, in the basement apartment and Jan came to help with the barn. It was two years later that we asked her to become a Nanny. She was so responsible for the horses that we figured child care would be easy. Don always tells the story that Jan had two jobs in one…child care and elder care (Don of course). At the time Jan was thinking about being a nurse (the grocery store incident took care of that….can't blame her and I'll let her tell you the story).
Since then Jan has become part of the Campbell Family. I cringe every time I say she is our Nanny because it just doesn't describe a person who is really a surrogate mom, a friend, a saint, a person who would do anything for us at anytime without hesitation. She is an amazingly loyal person….not only to us (sixteen years is a long time) but to her hairdresser who she drives roundtrip five hours to get to and her dentist who she also drives five hours each time she goes to him!
Jan has been a rock in our family, a jewel. As we send her into a new decade I'm sure she will be stay a diamond in our lives. So what are my favorite things about Jan:
- Watching her and Don argue about directions. It's the best and they both aggravate each other totally.
- Watching her finally get fed up with an aggravating horse and hauling off to belt it (rightfully so most of the time!)
- Watching her get annoyed at speeding tickets…yes she does drive to fast and I keep telling her she is a bad role model for Kaitlin. I have to admit though she drives great. We have had a few hairy accidents over the years…the time the woman did a u-turn into us at night when Kaitlin was young…scared the crap out of both of us. No worse than the truck that tried to ram us into the barrier on an entrance ramp…that was really scarey.
- Watching her love Flipper but get so aggravated at the rocks she drops in her lap day after day after day after day.
- Watching her struggle for years with her weight and finally at 40 having won that battle. She is fitter than most of us put together and will soon weigh less than me.
So let me answer some of those questions I've posed to all of you:
- Jan's most embarrassing moment: I can't think of one but I'm sure some of her friends will!
- Ten Year's from Now: Jan will be managing a chain of restaurants.
- I think Jan would most like to come back as Calvin because he has the simplest most amazing life and he is such a cool dog. Who wouldn't want to come back as Calvin??
- If I could send Jan anywhere it would be to Monte Carlo which Forbes rated as the best Casino in the world. Maybe she would meet someone rich there who would help us all retire!
So friends and family….this is the start of Jan's virtual birthday party!! Come join in and celebrate her 40<sup>th</sup> with lots of love, wishes, stories and pictures!!
Pat
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