My niece, Kathryn

We were in Maryland with my sister's family last weekend. It was a great time for Seth with his cousins and family. We had such a blast!

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Shortly after the Betty discussions started in our family, I heard that Kathryn, my 13 year old niece, had a "presentation" for me, related to Betty. Hmmm. This weekend, while I was there, I got to see the presentation. But before we talk about that, here's a bit about Kathryn.

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I adore all my nieces and nephews. They are all so unique and special and have a ton of character. :) Kathryn is brilliant and excels at everything she does. She plays soccer and manages to get invited to every cool event -- including the Presidential inauguration. Hello?!?!? Kathryn has long said that she wants to and intends to attend Princeton. I have no doubt that she will do it.

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So there's the background. Kathryn's presentation was all about why I should take her to Uganda with me when we go get Betty. As you can see, she is a bit nervous here in the beginning.

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The poster was very impressive!

Can you see the thought bubble?

It says there, "Do you see Betty's big smile in the picture? It's because she was thinking about her new cousin that she NEEDS to see as soon as possible." Oh brother!

Kathryn and Seth definitely have a special bond.

On that point, she is right. :)

Kathryn's presentation addressed concerns:

She is thinking through the thought of being gone from school.

Eighth grade is serious business these days!

Kathryn took the initiative to look up Princeton's application process and decided this trip would be the perfect essay. Oy vey.....

Isn't she adorable?

I do believe she thought of everything!

I just had to end where we began. Hahahaha!

I loved Kit's presentation. The bottom line, however, is that it is not up to me. Her parents have to decide whether it makes sense for her to miss school (which is a big deal) and how they feel about disease potential etc. (also serious). I told Kathryn I would gladly take her, IF her dad says it is okay. I did challenge her, however, to have some skin in the game. I told her that if she is allowed to go, I want her to raise $500 to buy supplies and necessities for the people we will see in Uganda. Suffice it to say that I raised this issue and her eyes LIT UP. Kathryn loves a challenge and her mom and I could see the wheels start turning the minute I mentioned it.

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So here's hoping that Kathryn can join the fun. It would be life altering for her, for sure. And stay tuned for additional posts, pending parental approval, about Kathryn's wild fund-raising successes. Gooooo Uganda!