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