I wish I owned a three legged groundhog named sneakers

I spent a few hours hanging out with my cousins and scrapbooking today. 

And somehow the only picture I got was this awful selfie. 

Why do I have such a manly jawline? 

And eyes that are two different sizes?

ANYWAY, 

Then I went teaching with the sisters. 

My favorite thing about teaching with the sisters is this cat Trixie. 

She is the feisty calico of one of our new members. 

Trixie is the most mentally unbalanced cat I have ever encountered. 

She will be sweetly sitting on your lap (see above) and then BAM

She is scratching you across the face. 

So, another Saturday of scrapbooking, cats, and missionary work. 

It just got kind of wild up in here!

Lori Ann

(Cousin to some legit awesome girls!) 

(President, Founder, and currently only member of the Trixie Fan Club!)

I am Constance's granddaughter...

My dad has been organizing the basement. 

It looks amazing. 

And the coolest thing is the stuff he is finding. 

Like these pictures! 

Without further ado...a little of my Hinsdale Family History. 

 This is my Grandpa Hinsdale.

 He was a Marine Pilot in WW2.

 One of my few memories of him (he died in 1995) was him flying me in this little plane. 

He never talked about the war and it wasn't until after his death that we learned he had earned a Silver Star. 

I am so proud to be the granddaughter of an American solider. 

 This is my Grandma Hinsdale. 

(She died a few years ago). 

You can see where I get my crazy cat lady side from.

 She was a nurse and an amazing cook. 

My dad still talks about her cooking with a tone of intense fondness and nostalgia. 

 This is my Dad's grandpa Sparhawk. 

(My great grandpa).

 His name was Elmer. 

He looks like a total badass. 

 My dad!

 You can see how he looked like his decreased brother and you can see how my sister's sons look like him. 

I have 27 cousins on my mom's side.

 I have 2 on my dad's.

 Melanie and Tiffany

. Here is a picture of them and their husbands with my dad's brother Don and sister in law, my aunt Karen.

 (about 20 years ago) 

We have a book on Hinsdale Genealogy that dates back to the 1200's. 

 Hinsdales are known for their excellent memories and intelligence. 

(I got the memory thing...)

On my Hinsdale side I am a 14(?) generation American. 

Every day I am proud to be a Hinsdale. 

Coming tomorrow....my Wilson family history! 

Brace yourselves! 

Gingers, Irishness, and 27 cousins! 

Lori Ann

The cold never bothered me anyway

People,

It's a 'quasi' snow day. 

My office is scheduled to be open- tentatively- at 3 pm.

It might still close. 

Now, this might be more thrilling if I wasn't scheduled until 8 pm tonight. 

I have never been good with things in limbo.

It rackets up my anxiety. 

I need a yes or no. 

Yes, there is work.

Or, no there is not. 

When I am not sure, I feel frozen. 

But I am not going to let that stop me from baking some cookies right now. 

Let's do this!

And pray that we stay closed. 

Because I really, really need this snow day to stay sane. 

Lori Ann

This isn't the best picture but the drive home was foggy and awesome yesterday. I have said it before but I will say it again...I LOVE IT HERE. It's so beautiful and every day I thank my Heavenly Father that this place is where I call home. 

If you ever change your mind..

Random Thoughts on Life

#1 I feel like the Target has some kind of gravitational pull...I am always like..."I've got to get to Target..." and like something is off if I don't go at least once a week. To buy crap I do not need. 

#2 My groups are starting back up next week. Yikes. I am NOT ready. I just wish I had an assistant to prepare things for me. Like a hot, younger one. Who would also fan me and validate everything I said. 

#3 I have not been training at all. Because once you've done a half marathon twice, what is really left? Did anyone ask Beethoven to keep composing after his 9th Symphony? I didn't think so.

#4 My cat has been hiding from me. I think this is some kind of message but I can't figure out what. Maybe it's because I kicked her out of scrapbooking. Or she's a cat and does what she wants. Whatever.

#5 My new favorite thing to tell my clients is "Behavior has to change first. Then thoughts and feelings follow it"....Can I do that? No. But I can tell others to! 

Sorry today is kind of boring. I am trying to get back into the habit of blogging. 

I will try and have a more exciting day tomorrow! 

I am going to the post office so you know it's bound to get pretty wild and crazy!

Lori Ann

Sisters and Cousins

So...one of my recent life resolutions has been to get to know my cousins better. 

I have a total of 30 first cousins- 28 on my mom's side and 2 on my dads. 

2 of them I have never actually met. 

Most I haven't talked to in more than a cursory fashion in years 

It's always seemed so strange to me to have this group of people out there who I am so closely related to but don't know at all. 

So..over the last little while I have been trying to get to know them. 

And yesterday was awesome in that regard!

My cousin Maddy (my Aunt Sharon's daughter) and I (and her beautiful baby Elijah) went to see our favorite sister missionaries!

Maddy really got to know Sister Ricks (who baptized our cousin Lacey) while she was serving in Cape May. 

I got back into missionary work because of Sister Simmons, when she served here in Milford.

Now the two of them are companions in Broomall. 

Sister Ricks goes home to Arizona in two weeks and so Maddy wanted to say goodbye, I wanted to meet this incredible sister who has been so good to my family, and get a chance to meet up with my favorite Philly sister, Sister Simmons!

So, we drove up, had lunch, gave Sister Ricks weird going away gifts, and had a festive time. 

I loved getting to hear more about Maddy's life and her dreams for the future and her love of the Gospel. 

She is my only cousin who is also a strong member of the church.

And she totally inspires me to share my love of the Gospel with others- especially in our family. 

So, here is to the Year of the Cousin.

It's going to be the BEST. YEAR. EVER. 

 I now have jump shots of Sister Simmons with every one of her companions! 

 Poor Sister Simmons! She has always dreamed of serving in the city and all three of her areas have been fairly rural PA towns. :) 

 Which I love...I take like 100 pictures whenever I am driving home at sunset! 

 Maddy and Sister Ricks. These are two strong, beautiful Mormon girls! 

Sister Ricks is the first missionary ever to be photographed with two Wilson cousins! I told her there were 26 others and she should say "Don't make me mad, or I will replace you with one of the 26 others!" (Of course, the best part of this picture is the handsome younger man we are all standing with!)

I hope that this blog will contain many more posts like this. 

I'm sad for the years that I have missed but hopeful for an amazing future with these cool people I am lucky enough to call family. 

Lori Ann

(# 7 of the 28)

Todo sobre los Benjamins, baby!

So, Shauri and I went to Philadelphia yesterday. 

To get Amish donuts and rainbow ill shirts.

Without further ado...

The highlights of another epic Hinsdale/Mientus City Adventure! 

#1 When we were driving through China Town and Shauri looks over at me..."Are your doors locked?". 

I hear the clicking of all the car doors locking.

 I look over at her in shock... "You fear the Chinese?" 

She shakes her head sadly and says "I don't trust myself"

(She was locking the doors to prevent herself from diving out and trying all the different kinds of restaurants. I COULD NOT stop laughing) 

 # 2 We were literally half a mile from our destination when I accidentally directed Shauri to get onto the Ben Franklin bridge. 

Which I think took us into Jersey.

 And cost us 5 dollars.

 Shauri is always such  good sport.

 She called her dad to tell him "Dad...I'm crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge!" :) 

# 3 This is not the official Rocky statute.

 Just the weird one they've got in the Constitution Center. 

#4 Me, in front of Independence Hall.

This is where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written, people! 

More importantly...

 I wore my hair down for this trip, people.

 It was SO ODD.

 I can't think when my hair is down. 

#5 We obtained various Philadelphia themed t-shirts for the sister missionaries.

 I wish the church would give me the official calling of "Mission memorabilia collector"....and a 10,000 annual budget. 

#6 The Amish donuts.

The pictures I take can never do them justice.

 The only problem with Amish donuts is that you will never be happy with Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme again.

 NEVER. 

Lori Ann

p.s.- a Shauri- gracias por tu amistad y por siempre haciendome reir  :) 

We'll go together and just figure it out

So, my weird projects continue.....

 My sister Erin got me this NICE leather bound journal for Christmas.

 I decided to make it a hodge podge of information about my family

 (with a focus on cousins, as I am trying to get to know them all better)

 But let's not leave out the aunts and uncles!!

 And a page for each of mis companeras. 

 As well as all of my favorite song lyrics, quotes, dichos, etc. 

This thing is going to be strange when it is done. 

Strange but awesome! 

 Your daily Sugar 

 Your daily Sister Missionaries doing weird poses at my request. 

And Quakertown's temperature and it's rating on a scale of coolness are finally even. 0. 

All of this bitter cold and I don't even get ONE SNOW DAY. 

Well, I did get one. 

NOW I NEED ONE MORE SNOW DAY.

I am off to the city today, 

With a head cold. 

And impending snow. 

Wish me luck!

Lori Ann

p.s.- Kind of obsessed with "Don't" by Ed Sheeran...who knew a ginger could be a good singer and HOT??