10 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018 11 JOIN OUR FAMILY! GoodLifeFamily has opportunities for tenured account executives and student writers. For more information, emailTricia@goodlifefamilymag.com. Contributors - Sheryl THE GOOD PEOPLE at goodLIFEfamily PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sheryl Lilly Pidgeon Sheryl@goodlifefamilymag.com Direct: 214.476.8131 EDITORIAL TEAM TriciaWhite ManagingEditor Tricia@goodlifefamilymag.com Direct: 214.725.1981 Elle Parks FashionEditor Elle@goodlifefamilymag.com Rick Seaney TravelEditor Rick.Seaney@farecompare.com COPY EDITORS Audra Glidewell Tracy Graivier Bell Senior Copy Editors Jordan Kiefer Copy Editor WRITERS Lisa Beach Karyn Brodsky Kristin Cicciarelli Jordan Kiefer Erin O'Connell Dawn Bluemel Oldfield Lindsey Pidgeon Deb Silverthorn AliciaWanek ADVERTISING TEAM Amy Lendl Advertising Manager Advertising@goodlifefamilymag.com Melinda Bogoslavsky AdvertisingAccountExecutive Melinda@goodlifefamilymag.com Direct: 214.603.9478 Lizabeth DeBoe AdvertisingAccountExecutive Lizabeth@goodlifefamilymag.com Direct: 214.727.9986 Mendy Lea AdvertisingConsultant Mendy@goodlifefamilymag.com Direct: 214.228.5052 CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Melton Jennifer@goodlifefamilymag.com PRODUCTION TEAM Jaxie Pidgeon MarketingAssistant Bill Brock Videographer Bill@whiterockfilms.com SOCIAL MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETING PixelCutLabs GOOD LIFE FAMILY 3308 PRESTON ROAD, STE 350 PMB #113 PLANO, TX 75093 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com LIVE. LAUGH. LEARN. (GIVE ME A SHOUT!). REPEAT. Colin Smith Estate Law Expert Colin Smith obtained a computer science degree from the University of Texas and worked as a software con- sultant for ten years before returning to the classroom on nights and week- ends, earning his law degree from SMU in 2010. Colin findsthathelpingfamiliesplanforthefutureismostre- warding and focuses his legal career on estate and busi- nessplanning,especiallylivingtrusts. Colinisamember of the State Bar ofTexas, Dallas Bar Association, and the DallasTrial Lawyers Association. In his free time, he en- joys golfing with his children, leading a Cub Scout den, attending University of Texas football and Texas Ranger games,andwoodworking. Dean Beckloff, PhD Family Counseling Specialist Dr. Beckloff maintains an active coun- seling practice in Dallas, specializing in treatment for children’s issues and families going through divorce. Dr. Beckloff has extensive experience, in- cluding teaching, working as a school counselor, providing teachertraining,andworkingattheCenterforPlayTherapy attheUniversityofNorthTexas. Heisalsoactiveinhiscom- munity, working with child-focused community groups; his desire is to see kids and families thrive despite the stressors of life. ABOUT US There are two things parents hope to give their children: roots and wings. But it’s often hard to know if the decisions we’re making are the right ones, especially when the world is changing so quickly. GoodLifeFamily is a resource for parents with kids tweens to twenties. Extensive and insightful content addresses the daily joys and struggles of finding a balance between kids and parents while keeping ourselves sane in the process. You’ll meet inspiring women and men who have stared down life’s challenges, survived, and now are willing to share their journey with you. GoodLifeFamilyis committed to making a difference in the lives of our families, friends and communities as the go-to source. We’re living, we’re learning, and most importantly, we’re laughing.We hope you will too. CONTACT US SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE: GoodLifeFamilyMag.com/subscribe ADVERTISE: Advertising@goodlifefamilymag.com SUBMIT EDITORIAL IDEAS: Tricia@goodlifefamilymag.com goodPOINT Living Loud! Deborah Walsh Dobbs, M.A. Sociologist & Non-Profit Leader Deborah is a sociologist with 21 years experience at The Counseling Place, a non-profit agency dedicated toempoweringvictimsofcrime. SheearnedherBach- elor’s degree fromThe University ofTexas at Austin and her Master of Arts from the University of North Texas. Deborah is a self-described lover of food, whiskey and wine. goodPEOPLE I am an exuberant person. Have you noticed? I can be loud. I don’t just have something to say. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY! Perhaps my enthusiasm is subconscious overcompensation for being painfully shy until age 15; perhaps it’s that as a woman, I feel the need to make sure I am heard; or perhaps it’s a desire to share confidently with all those around me. I write like I speak. My favorite punctuation marks are the ellipses (I am not finished with this thought… wait for it…), the parentheses, (let me clarify that), and the exclamation point (if it’s worth saying, it’s worth saying with passion!). My copy editor reminds me that writing is different from speaking, and she will have deleted at least five exclamation points and at least three sets of parentheses before you’ve read this. I make her nuts. But, DON’T YOU WANT TO HEAR THIS? Loud is not just volume. Please don’t get me wrong… I rarely shout, and if I do, it’s to signal danger. When I say “loud, ” I mean animated, energetic, spirited and strong. Loud, when used this way, should feel empowering, not abrasive. But we “loud people” have to be careful that our passion isn’t confused with a need to be right. I never want to lose my willingness to speak up and stand up for a cause. Still, in the new year, I resolve to lower the dial on my volume while raising it to even greater heights in action. One thing I don’t want to do is lower the volume at our dinner table. My husband and kids are boisterous, bold and funny. We share ideas and stories in a raucous sort of way, and we all laugh too loud, but our conversations are never boring! For our loyal readers, you know by now that GLF is a purpose- driven publication filled with news, information and stories to both educate and inspire. I am surrounded by like-minded, driven teammates who are equally passionate about making an impact on the lives of others. And we are changed every day by having the privilege to bring this content to you. At GLF, we work hard to bring you content that is factual and real and let you draw your own conclusions. LET ME SAY IT LOUD AND CLEAR… we are here for you! In this issue, you will find information on exotic vacation getaways, meet four couples who have been (happily!) married over 60 years, get tips on finding self-love, learn about the teen brain (ohhhh… that’s why they did that!), discover new restaurants and family-fun things to do around town, and so much more. We want to know how we can do more, be better, be richer going forward. Reach out to us. Share your stories and your wisdom. Give us a shout! I wish you a lively new year filled with joy, love, hope and (booming) laughter! Love loudly. Live loudly. Elle Parks Photographer & Stylist Elle Parks is a commercial photog- rapher/stylist and designer based in Dallas. Her work has appeared in national and local publications including Vogue, Texas Monthly andDMagazine. Her background is in the fashion industry, with her experience in places like New York and Milan, it allows her to design each shoot as unique as her clients. Andrea Katz Book Salon Leader After 20 years in commercial real es- tate sales, Andrea Peskind Katz found- ed Greatthoughts.com due to her love of reading. She is always looking for the next great read and the next great beach.   In 2016, Andrea formed the Great Thoughts’ Great Readers Book Salon on Facebook, now home to over 3,000 readers and authors, where she hosts a monthly book club and author chats.  To join the book salon, go to  www.facebook.com/groups/great- thoughtsgreatreaders. Rebecca Baker TheJimUtleyFoundation Dr. Dean Beckloff PediatricTherapist Dr. Kwabena Blankson AdolescentMedicinePhysician Nishima Chudasama ProgramDirector,NestFoundation Dr. Sandy Gluckman FunctionalBehavior&HealthSpecialist Vanita Halliburton FounderandPresident, TheGrantHalliburtonFoundation Donald Hooton, Jr. EducationPrograms TheTaylorHootonFoundation Anne Hudson DisabilityHiringSpecialist,LaunchAbility Dr. Cary A. Israel PresidentEmeritusofCollinCollege William McLaughlin PISDHumanResourcesDirector Whitney Rosenbalm RichlandCollege&CollegiateHighSchool Charmaine Solomon Co-Founder, MyPossibilities Libby Spears Filmmaker,ChildAdvocate Dr. Susan Sugerman AdolescentMedicinePhysician KellyWaterman AdvocateforKidswithSpecialNeeds 2018 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD REEL STYLE ON THE RUNWAY Fresh off the plane from a photo shoot in NYC for Vogue, Dallas-based stylist and photographer, Elle Parks, rocked a different type of runway for Good Life Family at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth. See the photo shoot beginning on page 52. Special thanks to the Bell Helicopter team for getting GLF access to the highly secured facility and for pulling out all the stops (and the helicopters) for the shoot. Rick Seaney Travel Expert Internationally known travel and airfareexpertRickSeaney,CEOand co-founder of FareCompare, is the media’s go-to resource for airline industry news. Rick’s mission is clear: “I want to help consumers find the best flight deals available every time they shop” and he loves to share his insider information. Besides his advice blog on FareCompare, Rick began writing a weekly column for ABCNews back in 2008 which continues to this day; he is also USA Today’s Airfare Expert columnist as well as a regular contributor to Fox News and is frequently quoted in the pages of the NewYorkTimes,WallSt.Journal, HuffingtonPostandmore. - The Editors