If you know Cara, you probably love and admire her, it’s impossible not to.
Where did you grow up:Born at Palm Beach Gardens Hospital…a true native. I lived in Palm Beach County through high school (The Benjamin School) and then went to Georgetown in Washington, DC. I had the awesome opportunity of studying abroad in both Sydney, Australia and Oxford, England. I lived/worked in Washington, D.C. for a few years after college, then lived in Boulder, CO. I moved back to Florida, spent 10 weeks teaching English in Ojochal, Costa Rica, and then I met my future husband. He and I shared the passion of wanting to help others and the desire to live in Africa; so, we moved to Kenya to teach at a school and volunteer in an impoverished community for seven months. Then we moved back to Florida and have been back in Palm Beach County ever since.
Town you live in now:
North Palm Beach–the best place under the sun!
Why you love living there:
We love the small community feel, surrounded by great neighbors who look out for each other. The neighborhood is safe for me to get up and run at five in the morning and for our children to scoot and ride their bikes to friends’ houses. The intercoastal and MacArthur State Park are our sanctuary and playground. Our children have the opportunity to be introduced to and participate in all kinds of sports– basketball, soccer, flag football,t-ball, lacrosse, and swimming–and my husband and I have gotten to meet so many like-minded families in an fun, relaxed atmosphere. I could go on…
Tell me about your kids:
I have four children – 3rd grade boy, 1st grade girl, 2 year old girl, 1 year old boy. They are all wonderfully unique in their own way. We have a crazy house but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Favorite things to do with the family locally:
When we have a weekend off from watching our oldest son play lacrosse, we love spending two hours at the Palm Beach Zoo or taking our kayaks over to Munyon Island.
Best family restaurant:
Admiral’s Cove Marina Cafe–great food, excellent view and the kids can play in the Kids’ Club!
Ideal family vacation spot and why:
Tough one…either Bahamas where we spend the entire time in our bathing suits, snorkeling and on the boat, or camping and hiking in Northern California. We love being outdoors; so both places are slices of heaven for our family.
What’s your ‘day job’?
I’m the Marketing and Communications Director at Rosarian Academy–independent, Catholic School in West Palm Beach. My husband teaches (and does so much more) at the school and all of my children go to school there (well…the youngest one is starting in two months). I am so blessed to visit my children and peek in on them throughout the day, and then I go back to the solitude of my office where I get to work for the incredible students and mission of the school. Our family all LOVES Rosarian!
What is something that makes your life easier/better/more fun?
#1 is my husband, Patrick. He is HUGELY helpful in all ways and definitely adds light and fun to all of our lives. But #2 behind him is paying to get our house cleaned every 1.5-2 weeks. For years, my husband and I always spent a half day of every weekend cleaning. With four kids, both of us working full time, sports and other after-school activities, community service, etc…our time is very limited. This definitely makes life a little easier and better and probably makes me slightly more fun to be around!
How do you balance your ‘day job’ and motherhood?
One step at a time. Life is BUSY. I get through the craziness by trying to take care of what’s in front of me. I can’t plan too far in the future or it overwhelms me. I also take time to myself nearly every morning to go for a run and pray: this is the best way for me to feed my physical, mental and spiritual well being and start my day off right.
Who inspires you and why?My parents. They are the two most giving and loving people I know. As the youngest of five children, I watched them run a busy household. My mother worked extremely hard for all of us day in and day out–doing laundry, cooking amazing meals for us, chauffeuring us to various activities, and showing up to cheer us on at every sporting event. And today she still does all of the above and more for her children, children-in-law and her 20 grandchildren.My father still works as hard as ever and never stops giving to his wife, children, grandchildren, friends, and community. They are both true servant leaders and have taught me to live my life in service to others and with integrity. I grew up witnessing my parents always feeding their neighbors, providing a place to sleep for the less fortunate, and helping those in need in every way possible. They continue to live their lives this way.
What do you do for self care?
Ha…not much! I get my haircut about twice a year and pedicures every few months (yes…I definitely need them more!). My real self care is daily exercise.
What did you wish you knew but no one told you about being a parent?
Day in and day out, it can be hard and there are definitely lots of moments that you want to pull your hair out but there’s nothing more rewarding than God’s gift of motherhood.
