Just let her have it... she's got stuff that belongs to me too :)

 

My niece Katy turned 9 today.

 

She is the sweetest AND craziest girl I know.

 

I cant imagine our family without her.

 

Happy Birthday, Katy-Cat!

 

Love,

 

Aunt Lori

You were there with me

 

"My sisters remind me by their very steadfastness that truth, beauty and goodness exist in the world, and that, no matter what there and always will be people loving people through thick and thin"

 

I've used this quote in the past but nothing expresses so well my thoughts on my sisters. They are the biggest blessing of my entire life.

 

Lori Ann

(younger sister of Danielle Christian and Erin Leigh)

Let's talk about all the good things...

Random Life Updates

(the picture edition!)

 

Sugar December received high quality cat nip from her aunt Erin. Yeah- she's starting 4/20 a little early:)

A picture that captures their relationship perfectly. *sigh* He's so going to get her in the divorce :)

More projects! This table is really old. We have no idea what we are doing but we are excited!

Ignore my strange reflection. Sunsets in the spring are just stunning.

A rare jump shot of the Katy Kat!

Jack Jack's expression when I asked him to give me a look that said "YOLO"

I can't believe how fast they are growing up. I know that's clichéd but its so true.

If I can't have PA in fall, give me PA in spring!

 

Rich and I take the back roads everywhere!

 

A few quotes from the kids I want to remember...

 

"I am the literal definition of Caucasian trash! I am eating ice cream, carrying crap from the dollar store down the road!" (Jack Jack)

 

"I know where babies come from...my mom told me! Have you done that? (I hesitantly answer..."um, yeah") "Good! Now you have to do that all the time until you have a baby! I want a cousin!" (Elly Mae)

(I had no idea that my first and only ever experience of being peer pressured into sex would happen with my 11 year old niece...:) )

 

"Good, so we're settled on names. Hermione Lily Walker if it's a girl and Luke Sky Walker if it's a boy" (Elly, choosing names for my future children)

 

Lori Ann

When nothing but the stars appear

The suspense is over....I give you

The Wedding Day

 Part 2 (of 3)



4:20 PM until 7:30 PM

4:20 PM

I arrive at the barn where we are getting married. I wonder where I should store my purse and chug a 5 hour energy. (Classy til the end)

4:21 PM

My sister Erin appears and informs me that I will NOT be going into the barn until I walk down the aisle. Meanwhile, my mom and brother have wandered off and I am seething with rage as I see Rich taking fun pictures with his groomsmen and family.

4:22-4:25

Erin tightens my corset backed dress, all the while ranting about me about how I don't need to breath. People are pulling into the makeshift lawn/parking area and I am waving at them from behind my mom's car. I get my nieces to take some jump shots with me.

Somewhere around 4:30

Everyone is in the barn and I am standing outside with my nieces and dad. My dad is ranting at me about something...probably saying "Stop worrying about your dress! Are you here to get married or be a princess?"

 

The instrumental version of hallelujiah begins to play. I hop over the door entrance with my dad and then proceed to almost kick up the aisle runner. I feel like my dad's grip tighten like it used to when we wandered too far in the Qmart.

 

My dad walks me down the aisle.

 

Rich looks like a deer in headlights.

 

We have the shortest ceremony on record. All I really remember is being happy to see my sisters waiting for me at the front and trying to keep Rich calm.

 

We didn't do a rehearsal, so he is facing one way and I am kind of facing another.

 

Which makes all of our ceremony pictures look like we are two strangers standing at a bus stop together.

 

We say "I do".

 

I then remember yelling at everyone to hurry outside with us to take some selfies before the sun went down.

 

4:45-5:30

 This whole time is a blur of picture taking (I didn't have an official photographer- just friends who brought their cameras and selfies) and talking to everyone and my feeling like I didn't want anyone to feel left out.



Me and my friend Janelle



My family (and likely a lot of people from the branch) were switching the inside of the barn from a wedding setup to the reception.

 

I remember feeling very manic and running around all over.

 

5:30-7:30

 The reception. It was COLD inside the barn. I should have planned better for that. All I could see as I looked around were things I was worried were not good enough. The forgotten ink guest book thing, the long line for food, the lack of pictures of me and my sisters, the people who looked out of place, the family I hadn't seen in a while who I really should go talk to- I honestly didn't slow down and enjoy my reception. I wish I had.

 

I didn't eat anything or even get a sip of the apple cider I had wanted to have there so desperately.

 

I wanted to make sure everyone was ok.

 

There were a few magical moments.

 

Erin gave an amazing toast for me.

 

My sisters got even by making me dance to Butterfly kisses with my dad.

 

I twirled Rich to our song.

 

I got to introduce Rich to my grandmother (who would die exactly one month later)

 

I got to use the phrase "My husband" for the first time.

 

By 7:30 everyone was freezing and heading out the door. But the after party invites had just gone out...

 

Stayed tuned for 7:30 to 10!

 

Lori Ann

 

 

You can run free

 

I am interrupting the hour by hour rundown of my wedding day to bring you this quick tribute to Katherine Danielle.

 

Our little Katy Cat.

 

She just found out today that my parent's cat Sour Krout had to be put down
(several weeks ago) and she was devastated.

 

She showed up at my parents house crying her eyes out.

 

The love for animals gene is very apparent in a certain line in our family.

 

It goes from my dad to my sister Erin to Katy.

 

So we sent her up to talk to Dad.

 

As I dropped her off to talk to him, he was giving her a big hug and saying "It's ok".

 

I love that they have that connection and my dad always knows the right thing to say.

 

I am lucky to have people in my family who are better than me in so many ways. That make me want to be a better, kinder person.

 

Lori Ann

Today's the day, we'll say I do

 

Even though its only been a few months, the details of my wedding day are already slipping from my mind.

Which is why I want to take the opportunity to write down all the details of the day before I completely forget!

Let's do this, people!

The Wedding Day
From 7 AM to 4:20 PM

7 AM
 My wedding day begins with Rich and I waking up in our new apartment. We've already broken rule # 1- no seeing your spouse before the ceremony. It feels good to break the rules, baby!
 

 (P.S.-No, we were not living (or sleeping!) together but both ended up sleeping at the apartment the night before the wedding because I think my mom was plotting my murder and Rich had left his last place the week before)

7:30 AM
 I send Rich off to the diner for breakfast and go back to my parents house.

(Rich apparently had a leisurely breakfast and then TOOK A NAP....don't get me started on this topic!)

ANYWAY
 

9 AM
 So I get home and we are waiting for my dad's brother and my aunt and cousin to show up. They had driven in from Indiana for the wedding. No one makes me a wedding breakfast. So, I eat a smore poptart. It just feels right.

Between 9 AM and 12 PM
 My sisters are calling and organizing and running back and forth to the barn where we are going to be married at 4:30 PM.

My dad's family arrives and we spend the morning hours chatting with my Aunt Karen and cousin Melanie.

I am not going to lie. They gave me some pretty heavy handed and somber marriage advice. A lot of references to "compromise" and "working as a team".
 (I partially zone out as I rage text Rich about why he is napping!)

I don't think they are impressed with me and my "I'm going to give this marriage a year trial" ideas :)

HIGH NOON

 I escape their clutches and my mom and I go to Ulta beauty where I am getting my hair and makeup done.

I haven't had my hair done professionally since the Prom.

1998, baby!

I spend most of the hour in the hair salon talking to the stylist about her relationship with her stepdaughter and the struggles of a blended family.

Then the makeup...holy Hannah, the makeup. That woman used makeup tools I have legit never seen in my life. It was intense.

Meanwhile, my dad wanders into the Ulta, looking SO out of place.

And my mom keeps saying "You don't have to do this, Lori."

And my sisters are getting ready together...without me.

AND NOT WEARING MY WEDDING COLORS.

A lifetime later...let's say 3 PM

The stylists stop torturing me and we head home.

It's just me, my mom and Jr.

The weirds- united again on my wedding day.

My mom helps me into my dress. As she is lacing me up I am saying "I might be your first divorce, Mom!"

My uncle Walt arrives at the house with his date and tells me to run as far from marriage as I can. I tell him to stop making me cry with his inspirational thoughts, it will ruin my makeup.

It's now 4 PM 

T minus 30 minutes...

 

I realize I have to cash a paycheck so I will have money for the DJ and other things.

 

With no time to go to my bank, we swing by the Walmart on the way to the wedding and Jr and I run in to cash the check.

 

Yes, I ran into Walmart in my wedding dress.

4:15 PM 

Being stared at in the Walmart.

I can't remember if this was before or after my fake eyelashes came off.

 

Meanwhile, I keep reassuring the customer service person that I am NOT marrying Jr, who is standing next to me in a suit.

 

(Which is ironic because on my sister Erin's wedding day she kept telling the valet person that she was NOT marrying me.)

 

While I am in Walmart, declaring to anyone who will listen that I am NOT marrying my brother, my mother receives revelation in the parking lot that this marriage is a good idea.

Whew...just in the nick of time.

4:20
 

To be continued...

Lori Ann

Faithfully

It's always the right time for more wedding pics!

 

A few memories I want to write down so I don't ever forget them:

1. Sitting in subway with my nieces and nephews and Jack-Jack, talking about my sister Danielle, stating "Yeah, well I am scared of her and I have to live in the shadow of her tyrannical rule!"

2. Some skanky woman calling out "Hey Ricky" as Rich and I walked down a back street in East Greenville. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed! Now I keep telling Rich, "I have a hot boyfriend named Ricky!"

3. Rich getting me a bath and body works card and orange roses for Valentines Day. He knew I had wanted orange roses for my wedding bouquet and due to lack of organization on my part, I did not end up with them. So he got me them for Valentines Day.

4. Having a "truth telling" party led by Katy.

5. Discovering Rich's eye for good lines on buildings and furniture and starting our first "flip" project together.

6. Driving home with my dad, listening to Indigo Girls AGAIN.

7. Erin calling me and telling me "You got married and you rang that bell HARD" and making me laugh until I felt sick.

8. Singing along to Journey with Rich as we drive along the back roads

 

9. For years my sister have listed their petty grievances about their wedding days and my dad always says "Are we talking about your wedding again??" and I am FINALLY part of that club! I was ranting about the orange roses and he was like "Are we talking about your wedding again? You had a NICE wedding!" It made me laugh.

 

Lori Ann