I won't forget

It's Fourth of July this week.

American Independence Day. 

I've been worried about my country in the last few years. I am sure it is not shock to anyone that I am not a fan of our current president.

I think he is a good person but not a good leader.

However, I still believe in the American Dream.

I still wake up grateful every single day to be an American.

Other than being a daughter of God, a sister to Danielle and Erin, and an aunt to the Monrobies, being American is the most important part of my identity.

I am in love with American history. Seeing the meeting places and gravestones of our history's leaders fills me with a sense of reverence. Reading their words and ideas in our founding documents reinforces my belief that this country was created under the direction of God.

My family (the Hinsdales) have been in every single American war since the Revolution. Both my grandfathers are/were veterans.

Being American might not be a ethnic designation but it runs in my blood stronger than any DNA.

I might be 68% Irish and 30 some % French, English, Scandinavian or whatever-but I only feel American.

It's the best feeling in the world.

So..here is to a week of overly patriotic, somewhat ego-centric posts about my wonderful home.

God bless the USA!

Lori Ann

Maybe I'm amazed

It's been about 14 months since i wrote THIS post. 

I looked like this. 

And I was so proud of myself because I had just started walking again. 

I walked 2.2 miles that morning. 

The scary thing is that about 6 months before the above picture, I weighed 40 lbs more and couldn't walk a quarter mile. 

14 months later and this morning I walked 10.2

(my feet are still burning an hour later)

And yes, I take pictures at a more flattering angle then I used to ;)

It's been 14 months and about 131 lbs since that first picture.

  (and 171 overall lost)

I hope 14 months from now finds me completing a marathon and at my goal weight

 (I've got about 60-70 lbs to go)

Yay for happy life changes!!

Yay for me not giving up like I have so many times in the past. 

Thanks for following me on this crazy, crazy journey. 

Lori Ann

Be my friend

The Thomas muffin

The Weekend before July 4th Weekend Agenda

Let's do this thing, people!!

Here are the highlights from my 33 item weekend agenda:

Take Elly to get a pedicure (I may even brave it myself..we'll see)

Mow the lawn.

 Every weekend I get in a fight with the old man about who is going to mow the lawn. I told him that he is 63 and he just got a double knee replacement. I would be forced to kick my own lazy a#% if I let him do it.

Do some service.

 (Like cleaning my brother's bathroom service...yikes)

FINALLY get in touch with my visiting teaching people.

 Poor things.

 They probably have no idea who I am.

Spend 30 concentrated minutes playing with Sugar. I don't think she gets enough mental stimulation.

Teach my primary class more wild and crazy Old Testament history.

 We're finally getting to the really good stuff. The Israelites have just arrived in the Promised Land. Now I can use this as a launching pad to share my thoughts on the Middle East...

Mail Erin's 4th of July package.

 If only people would stop eating her tasty cakes and then TAPING THE BOX SHUT LIKE I WON"T REALIZE WHAT THEY'VE DONE, MOTHER!

I want to walk at least 10 miles.

I've got 260 to go before August 24th. That's an average of 4.4 a day. I need to get some miles under my belt.

Get back to the gym. I've got to get my strength training start again.

 Cardio isn't enough to prepare for this half marathon.

Stop tormenting people with my weekend to do lists :)

Lori Ann

Come away with me

I feel kind of bad for my loyal band of blog readers (you know who you are!)

Every couple of months I get obsessed with a topic that I can intellectually recognize is really only interesting to me but I can't stop myself from talking about.

 And recently it's been a reoccurring obsession with exercise.

 So, I apologize for the excessive blogging about my never ending battle to become a legit marathoner.

 When I am a world famous runner, I won't forget any of you!

(and by 'wont forget' I mean of course I will, or at best I might vaguely say "hey there" with a look of disdain when you show up at my book signing)

ANYWAY, on to today's walk...

8.5. The farthest I have walked since the last halfie.



I wish these crappy iphone pictures could capture how stunningly beautiful it is here. Even in the devil summer



I've kind of sworn off selfies (due to repeated harassment by my sisters) but you shouldn't keep this kind of sexy from the world



And lastly...your daily Sugar. This is what I call her 'show pony' position. She thinks she is a fancy cat :)

59 days until the next half marathon. I learned today that I am going to need AT LEAST one sweat band and one of those camel portable water things to make it through this one.

Wish me luck!!

Lori Ann



To my eyes

Things that are making my really happy in my life right now

Talking to my dad about music and planning to take my sister's kids to music fest in August

Feeling like I am really going to be able to do this halfie in August. Even if I have to drink 2 gallons of water while I do it.

Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt

Mid-Term Mania. It didn't go our way in Mississippi last night but that's ok. Hopefully we will have an amazing midterm :)

Sending Erin cat pictures at 3:45 am her time.

Sugar sleeping with me all night instead of being in the woods fighting hedge hogs

Being done at 4 pm today

My group therapy pizza party tomorrow night

Impulse purchasing really crappy love stories on Amazon and then screaming at my phone "I paid 5.99 for this?"

Sending strange 4th of July packages

Having out loud conversations with the donuts on the treat table. "Why are you here again? What is wrong with you? Don't you care about my goals?"

Going to the gym tonight. Because I AM GOING. Hold me accountable, people!

Lori Ann

If you see my reflection

So, not to make this blog all about my training for my next half marathon but let's go ahead and talk about it again.





3 more miles crossed off the chart!



I get kind of obsessed with things. I am sure that this blog isn't a testament to that AT ALL :)



Have I said how much I love PA? Because I kind of do. It's so beautiful every single day



I guess training for a half marathon is a better thing to be obsessed with than sprinkle donuts. Or vampire books. Or plotting revenge on my cat.



The infamous blue sneakers. For my 1st halfie (my new term for half marathon) I wore pink sneakers. This one is blue. Who knows what color I will get for the one after that? (which is coming up in November!-the Philadelphia Marathon!)



A few things that my sister's kids said this week that I don't want to forget:

On Sunday I took a nap after mowing the lawn. The Elly bean quickly volunteered to nap with me- which is odd. She informed me she wanted to nap "so times goes by faster and I can get to Dorney Park sooner!" (an amusement park she went to on Monday)

On the way to the carnival, Elly kept saying "I can't get this smile off my face!"

When I asked my nephews to carry their laundry upstairs and put it on their beds, they told me "We're not allowed to do that. Dad will get mad at us". :)

In Philadelphia I was telling Danielle's kids about the urban legend of how Philadelphia sports teams are cursed because we built building taller than the statue of William Penn. Katy and James seemed fascinated and scared and kept asking about 'the curse'.

In closing, I am just trying to hang in there this week. It's Fourth of July next week and I am excited for the break.

Lori Ann

Challenge what the future holds



My training this morning! I love my Nike plus running app!



So, today I got to work about 5 1/2 hours early. Because that's how I roll, yo.

So, instead of my usual laps around my work campus, I decided to venture into nearby downtown Sellersville, PA for my morning training. (I call it 'training' because it sounds more hardcore than 'walk sometimes half hearted jog')

It was SO beautiful and interesting and those 6.1 miles flew by. Well.. the first 5.1. The last one- as I trudged up the hill back to my office kind of crawled by. But..here are the highlights!!

It's hard to read but this is a restaurant called the Washington House and it's been there since 1742.

I love the stone Churches in PA. They are all so beautiful and make me feel like I've stepped back into early American history.

Random Sugar picture. Because she is SO precious.

This picture cannot begin to capture how beautiful this little river was.

For every picture I took, I resisted the urge to take 10 others. I walked through the downtown shops area, the park, the back trails, everything.

I was a little nervous because I like my routine. But it really pays to get out of your comfort zone.

Walking and/or running doesn't seem like such a chore when you are surrounded by this kind of beauty.

If you haven't gotten out of your routine lately, I highly recommend it.

We'll see where my training adventures take us next!!

Lori Ann

Philadelphia Freedom

Our trip to the City: A REALLY long picture post

Entering the somewhat crazy city of Philadelphia

They are so tired of posing for me- this is the best I can get these days :) 

Waiting for our cheesesteaks at Reading Terminal Market

Elly kept saying "If anyone isn't going to finish their cheesesteak, set it right here and I'll eat it!" 

No one was really willing to part with their cheesesteak, sadly for her :) 

It was SO crowded but Danielle's kids were really troopers, navigating through the crowd

It was some kind of LGBT festival that day. AND comic con. I was telling Danielle that people probably thought we were a couple. Erin called later (after seeing these pics on instagram) to inform me that Danielle and I did look like lesbians. How does one respond to that? Thanks? 

The Amish Bakery!! I got cinnamon swirl bread and Boston Cream Pie. And then I had to run away before I bought EVERYTHING in sight. 

Comic con people were everywhere. We were surrounded by nerds and people celebrating their sexual orientation. In other words, everyone that was ever bullied in high school. It was a good fit for me :) 

Really cool book art.

Jack Jack is SO done with pictures. But I can still get Katy to pose! (meanwhile, Danielle is holding the Amish donuts and kept telling everyone "If you have to choose between saving me or saving the donuts...SAVE THE DONUTS!") 

Downtown :) 

A giant pin?

The fountain at Love Park- Danielle's kids loved it! 

our "family" picture:)

The best story of the day was this picture. Jack Jack was bored and tired by this point and DID not want to get in the picture.

There was this woman who was offering to take pictures for a tip which was nice.

But Jack Jack did not want to be in the picture despite our urging

And so this woman 
(I will NOT use the stereotype of a sassy black woman..but she kind of was)

said "What's his name?" and we told her and she was like

"Jack..get over here and do what your mother wants. Put a smile on your face"

Then she was telling Danielle how she has 6 kids herself.

She took various pictures and ran them like the most fun photo shoot ever.

We gave her a small tip and I wish it had been more. I was actually digging in my purse for more money but she had moved on to the next people.

Anyway...

It was a fun day. Fun to get out of the house. Fun to take Danielle's kids somewhere new. Fun to feel like I was living my life.


Lori Ann

Last Friday Night

The Carnival: A Picture Post

The Elly bean in line for tickets. Overpriced of course, but totally worth it. 

Katy smiled THE WHOLE NIGHT!

Jack-Jack somehow won 3 swords and the sword battles ensued for the rest of the night 

Elly is our resident family daredevil 

I love these kids so much

And the sword battles continue!

Worst picture ever of me but my favorite moment of the night. On the Ferris Wheel with James and Elly. They kept putting their hands up going "no hands" and screaming with excitement. We even face timed Jack and Danielle from the top of the wheel. Elly wanted to go on it a hundred times. 

Ski ball started out ok. Then we kind of got kicked out because Katy kept throwing her ski balls in the wrong lane. James was enraged when Jack took the tickets they won and got the girls a blue tiara

Carnival funnel cake is the best. THE ABSOLUTE BEST!

The must have rolled down the hill 10 times while we waited for the fireworks to start. It felt so magical. It was 10 pm and we'd all had too much sugar and fun and we were hill rolling. 

The perfect ending to a perfect night. 

I love this one. Uncle David kept Katy's ears covered during the loud firework noises :)

I was telling the kids, as we walked back to the car, "Now we know what that Katy Perry song "last Friday night" is all about because we just had a wild and crazy Friday night"

Then Jack Jack said "But we didn't get drunk!"

Maybe the next carnival. :)
(and by 'next carnival' I mean NEVER)

Lori Ann

Into the city

This weekend is going to be epic, people!

Here is what is on the agenda:

One trip to the carnival. I am going to tell the children that we are not leaving until the following things happen: one complete emotional breakdown, ten fights over rides/toys, and someone pukes from too much cotton candy.

One trip to the city: We are going to see the Reading Terminal Market (site of my infamous pre-marathon carbo loading)- hopefully we'll get to some other places too but you could spend all day there and not see (or taste!) everything.

My primary lesson this week is on the Israelites and brass calf. YES. I have been waiting for the right lesson to push my political agenda. I can't wait to equate the brass calf to today's idols of 'fairness' and 'equality' and 'no one's feelings get hurt' and everything else I wrote about in my manifesto. I know you remember my manifesto :)

I am also going to try to get as close to 20 miles done as possible this weekend. I've gotten behind on my miles and I need to make up some ground to complete my 75 day challenge.

There is other stuff on the weekend agenda. Thrilling stuff. Like 'clean out the cat boxes' and 'mow the lawn'. But I think you people can only handle so much excitement at a time :)

Lori Ann 

To slow the circles down

What I love about my life right now

That Danielle is home again and we can maybe do a few fun day trips this summer. As much as a whine my way through every step of the trips (as Danielle can attest), after they are done, they are some of my very favorite memories with my nieces and nephews.

My groups are almost done. They'll start back up again at the end of July but it's nice to have a short break.

Having an air conditioner in my room! Hallelujah!

The idea of going to Michigan in August. I haven't been there for 20 years. It's the part of my heritage that I dedicate the least thought and time to. Almost my dad's entire family is there and has been for generations. There is a small part of me that is a mid western girl.

Getting my walking done this morning. I always feel SO MUCH BETTER when I just do it. It's taking that first step that trips me up.

Thinking about the bike I am going to get when I finish 100 miles. It's going to be pink with a basket!

Finding a primary care doctor that I really, really like. And feeling (even after a few days) already a little better with medication.

Tomorrow night we are taking Danielle's kids to the carnival and there are going to be fireworks! Let the summer magic begin! (The only magic time of summer for me are the weeks leading up to the 4th of July..the rest is a hot, horrible mess)

Getting this picture printed for my mom. It's her and two of her 4 sisters (the other two wouldn't be born for another 15 some years). My mom, Aunt Debbie, and Aunt Cheryl with their dad.  

Lori Ann

Every night has its dawn

Random Life Updates- the Tuesday Night (but I wish it was Friday) Edition

Before I begin my usual litany of boring life updates (ok, ok..thrilling life updates) I will begin this random thoughts post by stating 3 random things about myself. 

Let's do this dance!

1. I use google just as much as any of my clinical literature for treating my clients. If I had a dime for every time I've typed "How to help someone overcome anxiety, grief, conflict with family, etc, etc....." I would have like 39 dollars. Wikihow is my unpaid research assistant. 

2. It makes me angry when I think of the way we here on Earth have treated Pluto. It will always be a planet to me.

3. I don't have any normal lights in my room. Just Christmas lights. (because I'm 13)

Now, on with the excruciating minutiae of my daily life...

I am now on a random assortment of medications. That's right, people. I'm self medicating again. And NOT with pot this time! (I have never self medicated with pot but I hear SO many people say that in my office and you know I like to be edgy)

Therefore, the tone of this blog may change. If  I stay on the meds. If it remains the same odd travesty, that's a sure sign I've taken myself off my meds:) Don't worry. I'll keep you updated on my mental health journey. I know it doesn't make you vaguely or even overtly uncomfortable;)

Work has been extra crazy lately. Some of my favorite people are leaving. When people leave a job, it always gives me that end of the school year feeling and it's sad. 

My 75 day challenge (to walk/run 300 mile before my half marathon) has been stop and go over the last week. I'm a ...few...miles behind schedule. I might try to get up to Philly this weekend and see if I can walk 10 miles just wandering around the city. (Then I am going to run up the Rocky stairs. And by "run" I mean take a selfie where it seems like I'm running and put it on my instagram and then go and get a cheesesteak from a street vendor)

My parents finally broke down and admitted that they had a fourth child (me) because they knew they would need someone, 30 some years down the road, to make weird Walmart runs for them. I bet it took a weight off their shoulders to finally admit the truth:) 

I was at the office for 14 hours yesterday. All the stress and long hours of a high powered job. Just without the power. Or money. 

Lori Ann

p.s.- I recognize how boring this post is. But don't forget- I'm on meds now. Things should be getting a little wilder any day now!

p.p.s.- Look what I found on the Internet! Validation!!