Thankful

Life has been more than a little hectic lately. I haven't been able to post anything for a while because we've had so much going on. Let me catch up.

My work life has been a wreck recently. Our proprietary education sector is under a great deal of scrutiny these days because a large number of issues have happened over the last couple of years. We've suffered the consequences of many other people's poor and unethical decisions. This has caused very strict rules and restrictions on our corporation as a whole. Also, with the struggling economy, our enrollments have plummeted over that period of time. Because of all of these issues, our schools are teetering on the edge of being closed down across our corporation. Last week many of my coworkers were laid off due to the lacking performance of our business side of our corporation. Obviously, this was a big blow. It hurt to see the struggles they faced as well as to not have them around anymore. I have been in a whole other world in my mind this past month dealing with these issues. I'm finally starting to come out of my funk and realize there are happy things to look forward to with the holidays, etc around the corner. I am hopeful that things will start to look up for us here, but I have faith that no matter what happens it's in God's plan and I will ultimately be ok. I keep having to remember that because my selfish human side always panics when things look grim. I forget HE's in control of all of it! So, I might as well wait and see what He has in store for me.

In my personal life I've gotten to see a lot of my girlfriends lately which has been so nice. We were so wrapped up in wedding chaos the first part of this year that it seemed we had very little time to just hang out with each other. I'm grateful that I've had some good chat time, play time, and serious talk time lately. I needed that! I keep hoping that we'll remember each other even though we're all starting to get married and start families, etc. It's important to still keep your girlfriends close. Sometimes they are you only sanity! I have some pretty awesome ones, so I hope they stick around for a little while!

Since I'm finally pulling out of my daze, Dave and I decided to really tackle the house for this week. It had gotten really bad with the accumulation of junk from my moving in, going through every room in the house and getting rid of stuff, the changing of the wardrobes for the cold season, and just general house cleaning and laundry. We hit it so hard the other night it was crazy! It's wonderful that everything is clean and we can see our floors again!

We are hosting our first Thanksgiving as husband and wife this week. I'm excited to have everyone over because there's nothing I love more than to host a party. We're cheating a bit since my father-in-law is cooking all the hard stuff, but I am still contributing bits and pieces to the meal and am grateful to have the special time with my family. We are so blessed and sometimes we take it for granted. I for one know how amazing it is that we have the life we have. So many people don't have a family to celebrate with or have to take turns at one parent's house and another because they can't be together or get along, etc. Some people don't even have homes or a dollar to their names to cook a good meal. This time of year I'm in such a donating craze it's a mess. I am adding a dollar here and there and everywhere at stores and in buckets or with fundraisers to help any way I can. If I have it to give, it's going to happen.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas, too. I can't wait to decorate the house and start making crafts and goodies. Dave is a real tree lover, so we'll have to go pick one out soon and try to keep it alive all month. It smells so good to have a real one in the house. We always had real trees as a kid, so I'm very much a fan. I can't wait to get back to the office after Thanksgiving and put up my adorable cubicle tree, too! Gotta love Christmas!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Eat way too much and take time to thank God for everything you have and the special people you get to spend that time with. Now for the food!!!

Currently Into...

Current Food Obsession:

Festa Italiano Sandwich from Viviano's

This sandwich is so amazing! It's an Italian roast beef with provel cheese and muffaletta bread. Yum!

Current TV Obsession:

Revolution

This new show has gotten me hooked! It's so realistic that it's creepy. It makes you wonder what life would be like if all of a sudden all the technology we depend on is gone. I wonder if I could survive?

New Girl

I have been in love with this show since before I even saw it. I love the oober quirkiness of Zooey Deschanel. It's nice to have a show that is different from all of the cookie cutter ones I'm used to. It's well written and I laugh non-stop when I watch it. Makes me feel good!

Once Upon A Time
I seriously love this show! I mean all of your favorite storybook characters all tied together in one show? What's not to love? I am absolutely fascinated with how they connect new characters together to weave the story. I'm hooked just because I can't wait to see what happens next and what character is introduced in each episode.


Current Music Obsession:

                                        The Civil Wars

I'm currently in a very blue grass state of mind. I love the sound of this duo. I had never really listened to them until they collaborated with Taylor Swift for the Hunger Games soundtrack. Now I'm in love!







The Wailin' Jenny's

Also very blue grass based, this group has really catchy music. It's great chill music or something to relax you while you crank it up during a long day at work.







That's my current mood! What are you all listening to/watching/munching??

The Music of My Life

Music is a total constant. That’s why we have such a strong visceral connection to it because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person. No matter what else has changed in you or the world, the one song stays the same, just like that moment.

     This is one of my favorite quotes. I came across it years ago and it explained it so perfectly. I've been desperately missing music in my life lately. Ever since I was in the womb, my mommy sang to me. It's been a part of me forever. I am not Lori without music. Lately, I've been feeling more and more like I'm losing who I am because I'm missing the music.

     The girls and I went to the movies this weekend for a fun night out. We saw "Pitch Perfect" and though it was super funny and enjoyable, I sat through the whole movie with chill bumps because of the music. I then had an incredibly vivid dream last night about it. I was sitting in a church (not sure which one) and was between my grandmother and a family friend who's always had an amazing voice (she is now an incredible photographer and mommy to two precious little girls). I don't remember what was happening, but all of a sudden someone broke into song singing a beloved hymn. It wasn't the part of the service where we were supposed to be singing, but it was though I couldn't stop myself. I started singing with her as did my grandmother. As we sang, more and more people joined in until there was a beautiful chorus just singing and praising God. I think God is trying to pull my back to Him. I really honestly believe I was given the gift of song to praise Him. That's the only reason I am able to sing and the reason I worship best through song. It's time to get back to church people! When God's speaking to me through my dreams, I know He is serious!

     So, I've decided I'm going to find a church home this year. No excuses. Once I get there, my butt is going into the choir loft, the special music lineup, the children's choir room, something! I am happiest in my life when I'm serving and I just haven't done that in a long time. I think I've been selfish, wanting to get things lined up in my life first. How ridiculous is that? It's time to let go of me and put Him first again.

     On another note, I thought I'd share a few of the songs in my life that really fit the quote above and take me back to somewhere or someone. So, here is a little bit about my music:

I'm Proud to Be an American (Lee Greenwood)
This song takes me back to my kindergarten graduation. Yes, I can actually remember that. I was wearing my white cap and gown and waving a little American flag. They played this song for the ceremony and every time I hear it I'm five years old again walking into the gym.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This song as well as most Christmas Carols takes me back to being a little kid and decorating the Christmas tree in the house we grew up in. I remember specifically the year my little brother and I had matching Winnie the Pooh pajamas and we danced and decorated the tree while the old carols played on our record player. (Yep, I'm old enough that we had a record player when I was a child). This is a tradition in our home to always play Christmas music while we decorate. The type of music has changed a tad from little kid carols to TransSiberian Orchestra, etc, but the concept is still the same.

When a Man Loves a Woman (Percy Sledge)
So, this one reminds me of my daddy. I know that's kind of weird, but hear me out. When I was little, every time we'd go to a wedding, my daddy would always dance to this song. My daddy loves to dance and always has. Sometimes he'd dance with my mom, but when she wasn't up for it, he'd pull me out on the dance floor with him, sometimes standing on his shoes as he moved around, and eventually twirling me around. Every time I hear it I think of him and I can't not dance to it when it comes on at a wedding.

Beulah Land
This song always takes me back to my Papaw's funeral when I was 14. I think it must be a staple Baptist funeral song since it's been played at every one I've ever attended in my life, but it really sunk in and meant something to me during his funeral. It was a sad time, yes, but I remember how grateful I was to know he was in heaven at that very moment. It was a very bittersweet one.

Drops of Jupiter (Train)
This was the very first song I ever danced to with a boy. It was the first song played at Parkway homecoming when I was 16. I went to the dance with my then boyfriend and it was the first time I had a real dance. It always makes me smile when I hear it played.

I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe)
This song was sung at my friend Alex's funeral when I was 18 years old. He was killed in a car crash the last day of my senior year of highschool. I sang a TobyMac song at his funeral and my friend sang this one. It had always been such a powerful and meaningful song to our youth group and it really hit home when we were singing it about Alex. Every time I hear it I'm right back there again, standing outside of the chapel trying to gain the courage to sing to his family and our friends for comfort.

Back Where I Come From (Kenny Chesney)
The first year I moved to St Louis, my mom and I went to see Kenny Chesney peform. I was 19 years old, had moved away from my family and friends and the life I'd always known, and was living in a strange place with no friends. I remember when this song started to play I just cried through the whole thing. It was one of the saddest moments in my life where I didn't know how anything was ever going to be good and happy again. I remember thinking I could never be happy away from the South and the way of life I'd always known. Well, I was wrong! Now when I hear it, I'm grateful for that moment in my life because it showed me that even when I think all if hopeless in my life, God has a greater plan for me than I can imagine.

Mama He's Crazy (The Judds)
The Judds' music has always been close to my heart. I mean, it's a mother-daughter singing duo...could you get any closer to my mom and me? We loved listening to them at the heart of their fame in the 80's-90's. I always dreamed of what it would be like to get to sing on stage with my mom fora living. I just knew we were destined to do that, too. Obviously, it didn't happen, but I still think of my mom every time I hear them sing. This song is the one I love most because my mommy always told me there would be a man that came along one day that would love me the way Davey does. I spent a lot of years not believing her, but guess what...she was right!

The House That Built Me (Miranda Lambert)
This song is bittersweet and brings me to tears every time I hear it. It is word-for-word my life in a nutshell. I had the chance to go back to our beautiful home that we built in Louisiana when I visited my grandmother. Of course, the owners since us have changed things here and there, updated colors and floring, etc, but the crazy part is that my room is almost completely untouched. The walls in the main part of the room have been painted over and the wallpaper taken down, but if you open my closet, the original lilac color of the room is identical to what it was when I was living there. It's crazy how much that memory overwhelmed me when I saw it. We had a very strong attachment to our home. We did everything as the song says. Mom went through magazines and designed the whole house and then Dad did everything in his power to make her dream come true. Our handprints are in the concrete out back, our dogs are buried in the yard, and I grew up in that room. I can still close my eyes and see every room exactly put together. This song is so impactful for me because I really do remember who I was when I step back through the door. I remember being that Lori so vividly that I forget how I got to be the person I am today for a little while. It makes me wonder who I'd be today if we had been able to stay there. I know my life would be so wildly different, but I'm grateful for the one I have now.

     Well, that's just a few, but I think it really drives home that quote. What are some songs that mean something to you? Leave me comments and share with me!

    

Changing of the Seasons

It's that time of year! I love the changing of the seasons. It's so wonderful to go from blistering heat to nights where you can feel a breeze and wear a sweater. It's Fall! Fall brings so many great things to the year. It means the start of the holiday season, warm and cozy clothes, scarves, hats, football, and bonfires. It's always been my very favorite time of year.

We're readying our house for the holidays. I have never been a big Halloween celebrator (yes, mom, you did dress us up and take us trick-or-treating, but it was never a big holiday at our house). We always went to the Fall Festival at church in our costumes, but we didn't really decorate the house and get into the Halloween type of traditions. This year in my new house I have been working too hard to decorate the standard parts of the house that I don't really have time to invest in Halloween decorations. We did at least buy a few cute decorations out of the Target dollar bin (my favorite place to shop!) and we're going to do a couple of things outside on the porch the night of Halloween, but next year we'll try to really put our hearts into it. I'm still trying to put away boxes at the moment inside and it's just not worth it!

I'm really excited because this year our family is coming to our house for Thanksgiving. I only have had my family in my home for Thanksgiving once since I originally moved out for college. We were living in Columbia and went to the big rival MU vs. KU game and we ate Honey Baked Ham catering on my tiny apartment table. That was actually a really great memory even though it was a bit non-traditional. This year, my in-laws, parents, and brother & sis-in-law are going to be there so I have to make it extra special. I want to do the whole pretty seating arrangements and napkin rings thing, but we'll have to see if that is doable or not. I did buy a few decorations for a centerpiece on the table at least!

This week I've been sick as a dog, but since Davey has been working late several days I had to find something to occupy my time. I ended up organizing as much of our office as I could by myself. There is still so much to go through that belongs to Davey, but at the moment, it feels a thousand times better. I bought colorful folders and organized all of my paperwork into the filing cabinet. Then I shredded hundreds of old paperwork from school and things I no longer needed to have on file. Then I tried to go through and organize my bookshelves as best I could. I have way too many books and not enough space for them. I'm going to have to come up with a creative solution for storage in the little space we have. I'm still working on a plan (and by that I mean stalking Pinterest for inspiration), but it's all going to come together in the end.

Meanwhile, I'm still throwing away huge cans full of trash as I try to make some sense of the madness around our home. Hopefully, there is an end in site soon. I'd like to start the fun stuff like painting and decorating, so the junk has got to go!

New Beginnings

Dancing Down the Aisle as Mr & Mrs

      

I have been blogging through a different forum for a while now. I decided I needed a change of scenery because I want to try to do more with my page. Of course, I'm still a blog dunce, so my changes will come very slowly, but at least they will come!

      I have titled this blog new beginnings because I am entering a time in my life where I have lots of those creeping upon me. I just got married, moved into a new (to me) house, finding out what's it like to live with another person permanently, and working on patience throughout the process. It's been interesting thus far to say the least, but I think I've done pretty well adjusting. I love being married (25 days and counting) so far. It's really nice to go to bed and wake up with Davey by my side and we dont' have to plan our evenings around my hour drive home afterwards. It is kind of nice to come home and settle in.

      I've been working tirelessly to make this house our home. I have been a decorating, cleaning and organizing fiend, but I think we're making progress. I have completely cleaned out the kitchen and reorganized it to be a functional space. PS: spaghetti noodles stored in that tiny cabinet above the microwave with batteries and breakfast bars does NOT make sense! I have cleaned every nook and cranny and decorated it to look like a home. I still have a long way to go, but it's my first major project I've tackled.

     We've redone the bedroom as well. We invested in an incredibly expensive roller coaster Sleep Number bed. This thing could probably drive you to the store and pick up your dry cleaning if you set it correctly! It's crazy, but so comfy. I can't really complain about that! We purchased new nightstands and lamps, built a new closet and shoe cubbies, decorated the bathroom, and started hanging a few things on the walls.

     My next major project to tackle will be clearing out the guest bedroom (it's become a storage hole at the moment) and then hitting the office space. This is the room that's stressing me out the most. I have to figure out a decent way to blend my style with a huge gun safe, pictures of a generator all over the wall, and an enormous wooden desk Davey purchased years before I came along. He's slowly parting with the huge furniture he has in the tiny house, but it's been hard for him to let go. I hope he knows I am not just trying to rid him of all his belongings. I just need to make our small space feel bigger. Huge furniture is not helping with that plan. Once that room is complete, I'll feel more settled and can start working on the basement and eventually the yard. I'm determined it'll be the cutest little old house ever! It's just got a long way to go.

     Meanwhile, I'm settling in as a Mrs. and trying to enjoy it. We've had some tragedies strike one right after another in a short period of time, but we're growing closer together because of them. I am ready for happy things to start again! I know God is preparing our hearts and our lives for something special, so I'm just trying to be patient to find out what it is. I know for sure I desperately miss being part of a church family. I have had several years away from regular church attendance and I can really feel the void in my heart. We have visited lots of places looking for the home for us, but we haven't yet found a place we feel we belong. I keep hoping that God will point us in the right direction and we can begin to serve him as a couple as well as individually. I know it's time!

     I'll try to start my blogs from the wedding/honeymoon and move forward. It's going to take me a little time to get everything rolling, but I'm going to try to stay committed to this one! Watch out blogosphere...here I come!