I Believe

I would add a few to Audrey's list:
+ I believe a sincere "I'm sorry" or "Thank you" can fix almost anything.
+ I believe that in the end, it all turns out alright. If it's not alright, it's not the end.
+ I believe that a kind word can make someone's day.
+ I believe in dance parties in the kitchen with my girls.

Songs in my Head: Anniversary Countdown

On Friday Travis and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. I've been posting a song once a week for the last ten weeks as a cheesy tribute to my guy.

"It Had To Be You" is our song. The lyrics fit us perfectly. And besides, who doesn't love Frank Sinatra? Can you believe I couldn't find the Frank version of this song on YouTube? Oh well...the Harry Connick Jr. version is lovely. We danced to this song at our wedding reception. It was one of my favorite moments of the day because it felt as though it was just the two of us.




It had to be you,
it had to be you
I wandered around,
and finally found
The somebody who
could make me be true
Could make me be blue
or even be glad
Just to be sad
just thinking of you

Some others I've seen
might never be mean
Might never be cross
or try to be boss
But they wouldn't do

For nobody else gave me the thrill
With all your faults I love you still
It had to be you
It had to be you
It had to be you

Fun Fact Friday

*I am both a night owl and a morning person. A contradiction, for sure, but it's true. I was a night owl exclusively until I became a truck driver. I had to become a morning person because of my schedule. So now I can easily and happily wake up super early, or easily and happily stay up super late. The problem is when I do both, (like the past week) and then I am super tired.

*I often overuse words. (Like super for example.)

*Even though Travis and I have been married for almost ten years, I still manage to tell him pointless stories from my childhood that he has never heard. I tell him a lot of repeats too but I'm sure he doesn't mind. ;)

*We used to live in the Valley Junction neighborhood of West Des Moines. One day we thought we heard a marching band and looked out the window. There was a random parade taking place so we ran outside and watched the rest of it. Stuff like that used to happen all the time there...bands, street performers, etc. It was a fun place to live.

*When I was a kid I was a great kickball player. (Forgive me for sounding conceited, it's just that I am not good at very many sports.) I was always the pitcher due to my ability to pitch either "big bounces" or "small bounces". It was probably the only time I was ever chosen first for a sport.

*Now for a list of sports I'm bad at: basketball, softball, volleyball, track, soccer, golf, etc., etc.

Hope you have a great weekend!
Lori

Songs in my Head: Anniversary Countdown

In a couple weeks Travis and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. So in honor of our 10th, I am posting a song a week that reminds me of our relationship (in total cheeseball fashion, of course).



At Last by Etta James

At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah,
at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last

Zella

Two weeks ago Zella fell and hurt her mouth. She tripped while she was running and landed on a hard plastic basket. One of her front teeth was pushed up and back. The dentist said there wasn't anything they could do and that the tooth would probably turn gray or black. She is okay, but her mouth hurt for more than a week.

After it first happen, her mouth would start to bleed if she sucked her thumb. She had to quit and it was hard for her at first. But she did it! She is such a big girl. I took her shopping for a princess camera and out for ice cream. Now if only she would pee on the potty....





More later,
Lori

Songs in my Head: Anniversary Countdown

In a few weeks Travis and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. So in honor of our 10th, I am posting a song a week that reminds me of our relationship (in total cheeseball fashion, of course).

I Will Be Here by Stephen Curtis Chapman
Tomorrow morning if you wake up
and the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear
'Cause I will be here

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
Oh, I will be here.

Fun Fact Friday: The Blogging Edition

*I have been blogging for two years. I started Sept. 14, 2007. (That means Monday is my blogaversary. Is that a word? Should be.)

*I started the blog so I would be better about sharing photos with family who doesn't live nearby. I definitely blog a lot more frequently these days. It was very sporadic at first.

*I often forget that other people read this blog because I usually write posts late at night. (Or on little sleep. Or late at night and on little sleep).

*I try to be funny. I usually think I am (see above fact...in particular the late at night and on little sleep reference).

*I don't mind if you don't think I'm funny. I will laugh enough for the both of us. :)

*I am always surprised when someone tells me they read the blog. To be honest, it's equal parts "Oh, that's nice" AND "Oh, that's horrifying!" Sometimes I over share. Sometimes I "fly my freak flag". Sometimes I'm super cheesy. But this is almost like a journal for me. It's who I am and the older I get the more okay with that I become.

*I have a sitemeter so I know how many people look at the blog. And I'm always surprised. I mean, no one ever leaves a comment so it's hard to believe. Are people out there really reading this? (hint hint)

I hope you have a great weekend!
Lori

Labor Day Part Two

As I mentioned, my brother Kurt was home from Indiana for Labor Day. We had such a great time. On Sunday night the little girls had a sleepover at Granny and Grandpa's house. Poor Severin (Kurt's oldest) was the only boy but he was a good sport. Not all of the pictures turned out, but here are some that did:

Zella, Grace and Gabby

Violet and Lily

Granny and Grandpa with their grandchildren (minus Christian)

Siblings with their spouses (from L to R)
Lori & Travis, Karen & Chris, Kurt & Christa, Bonnie & Jay, Lisa & Chris

Siblings (who apparently all cross their legs the same way)
Lori, Karen, Kurt, Bonnie, Lisa (my twin)

Songs in my Head: Anniversary Countdown

In less than a month Travis and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. So in honor of our 10th, I am posting a song a week that reminds me of our relationship (in total cheeseball fashion, of course).

As anyone who is married knows, marriage is not all rainbows and roses. When you're staring into your spouse's eyes saying your vows it is hard to imagine the"for worse" part. But the "for worse" part will come (in hindsight it may turn out to be a small speedbump instead of a pothole). Travis and I are no different and have experienced speedbumps and potholes. But no matter what we have always stood by each other.



Stand By Me By: Ben E. King

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Some of What I've Been Doing the Last 48 Hours

We've had a great Labor Day weekend so far. My brother Kurt and family are here from Indiana. They got here Friday afternoon and we have been having a great time. My twin Lisa and family, and little sis Bonnie and family were all here today. It's only a couple times a year that we are all able to be together and we had so much fun.

Saturday we went to Karen's lake cabin for the day. Unfortunately I forgot my camera. (Can you imagine the horror?) Tragic. Especially since I went water skiing for the first time in years and got up on the first try. Travis and Karen were the only ones to have faith in me. I am not very athletic...but I used to water ski all the time as a kid. It was a blast. Zella and Madeline went tubing for the first time and loved it. We had a fun, relaxing day.

I made up for it forgetting my camera yesterday by taking lots of pictures today. We went to the park and had a seafood boil. My dad is a great cook and he really outdid himself today!

Karen, niece Gabby & baby Lily.

Claire (Bonnie's daughter) riding the merry-go-round.

Lisa snuggling with baby Lily.

Christa (Kurt's wife) and Karen cheesing it up.

Jay (Bonnie's husband) and my sweet baby Vi.

My nieces having fun.

Baby Violet enjoyed her sweet potatoes a little too much I think.

Some of the family chowing down.

It was incredibly good! Crab legs, shrimp, fish, mussels, chicken, potato, corn on the cob.

Is your mouth watering yet? My dad should be a chef.

I have more pictures to share but this post is already long and I need to get things ready for the parade in the morning. I hope you are having a great weekend!

Fun Fact Friday Without the Facts

I can tell you that I am writing this Fun Fact Friday post under duress. I am battling another sinus infection (which actually feels more like a migraine right now). AGAIN. I jokingly told Travis there would be no fun fact Friday post this week and he told me I had to do it for my audience. Very funny.

I was planning on dazzling you with some facts but my head hurts too bad. So instead please enjoy this photo of some lovely flowers in our backyard.**


**I actually tried to upload a video of Travis jumping in the bouncy house at the fair, but blogger has other ideas and it won't load. That would have been funnier. I'm all out of funny today, folks.

Have a great weekend!
Lori

Madeline Goes to Preschool: Part Two

Did you miss the post with all the adorable pictures of Madeline on her first day of preschool?

Okay. Now that you're all caught up...

What did Zella, Violet and I do while Madeline was gone?

Zella and Violet took naps and I actually had an hour of alone time!!!!! (I don't think that has happened since Violet was born). Because I've already had three people e-mail to ask, I'll have you know I spent 30 minutes watching a TV show I had recorded, and 30 minutes cleaning. But hey, I enjoyed the cleaning because the house was quiet and I got a lot done.

When Zella woke up we made chocolate chip cookies for an after school snack. Zella's favorite part was licking the beaters. We missed Madeline but will find fun things to do while she is at school.

Mama and Zella.

Zella was such a big helper!

Her favorite part.

Miss Violet, watching the fun from her high chair.

Madeline Goes to Preschool

Miss Madeline had her first day of 4-year-old preschool on Monday. She went to preschool last year (two days a week) so this year was a little easier during drop off. My sister Karen watched Zella and Violet for me so I could take Madeline to school. She is in the afternoon session (12:15 - 3:15 Monday, Wednesday, Friday). We took pictures in front of her tree before we left.

She kept yelling "pink flowers" so it was hard to get one of her smiling.

Showing off her backpack.

"Sisters Forever!" (Yes, they were actually yelling that.)

Zella said to Madeline, "I'm going to miss you!"

My three best girls.

Mama and Maddie.

Walking in the doors.

Her locker. She was too excited to pose...had to look around.

Madeline and her teacher Mrs. Sue.

When I left she was cutting with fancy scissors. This year she didn't ask me to stay. She was already having too much fun!

Travis picked her up and then took her to the coffee shop. She was pretty excited. She came running when she got home but didn't tell me much about her day.

Me: Madeline, what did you do in school today?

Her: I don't remember.

Me: (laughing)

Her: I'm not kidding. I really don't remember.

Her favorite part was handing out snacks (we made fresh blueberry muffins) and recess. They also read a book about a puppy going to school but she made a point to tell me it was only pretend and puppies aren't actually allowed in school.

She is so grown up and we are very proud of her!

Stay tuned for pics of what Zella and I did while Madeline was in school.

(Did I really just say "stay tuned"? Seriously? Anyway, STAY TUNED because you won't want to miss it. Or maybe you will. Whatever.)