Things that I LOVE!

I was just sitting here reflecting on the things that I love most in life. I don't know why I began to think about these things, but the more that I considered these things, the more excited and grateful I am for the life that I have. Perhaps compiling a similar list would promote the same things in you. Perhaps you might have things that I should love that would further increase this feeling. I will present them in no particular order after the first few things. I love.......

• My family. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to God for blessing me with the most amazing family. I honestly never thought that I could be this happy and content. Richie and I continue to grow daily as a couple and as individuals. It really is incredible to see how God continues to shape us and mold us. I look forward to what He has in store for us along this journey called LIFE! I love you baby!

• Our parents/extended family. The support that they have given us over the past several years has been so wonderful. The acts of kindness and unconditional love that we have been shown simply cannot be measured. I only hope that one day our parents see just how special they are to us and how grateful we are to them for everything they have done for us. We truly are blessed!

• I know it sounds crazy to some people but I am so thankful for my two dogs, Hoagie Bear and Harmony Shy. They are MORE than "just" dogs I'll have you know and perhaps only a dog person could remotely understand that. For now they are Richie and my kids so to speak. They bring us so much joy on a daily basis and we receive so much unconditional love and acceptance from them.

• Great music. Celine Dion, Amy Grant, Chris Young, and all my Itunes library.

• Friends. I am so thankful for wonderful friends. God has blessed me with so many amazing friends and ones that I have had now for almost 30 years, wow that makes me feel so dang old!

• Last but not least, I am so grateful to God for giving me the breath of life and for always being there for me! There have been so many times that I wasn't even sure I could walk on this path called "life" but then I remember God's promises. For example, He tells me that He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. He also reminds me that He is my safe haven and a very present help in trouble. I read a passage in God's word and I am reminded at just how much I am loved. How great is your love!!

That's enough for now. I hope that you find the things that you love the most today, and thank Him for the gifts that He has given you. May you have a blessed day!

Check Out This New Show On Lifetime

Okay so there is a new show coming out on Monday January 5th called Diet Tribe. It will be on the lifetime channel and it will begin at 10:00 pm. Yes it is a tad late for some people but if you have tivo or some type of digital video receiver you can record it and watch it later, which is what my husband and I do with everything we watch. This show basically follows the lives of five best friends who live in Southern California and have allowed food and unhealthy habits to play a big role within their friendships. One lady states that, "It's easier to make poor food choices when others around me are making poor food choices."


These ladies are now faced with all of the problems that they created together and now they will begin to fix these same problems together. They will learn how to eat healthier and make better choice and they will also begin to make exercise part of their daily lives with a personal trainer who will no doubt push them to their limits for sure. This will definitely be a great show and one that will allow us to look into our own daily lives of health, nutrition, and exercise and whether we choose to make them a part of our daily routine.

Blessings,

~Lori

The Lives Of Two Spoiled Dachshunds!!

This particular blog is dedicated to two wonderful Dachshunds. Hoagie Bear and Harmony Shy were born June 1st 2006 in Yucaipa, CA. I can hardly believe that they are two and a half years old now. I remember when we first went to pick them out in the litter and they were only one week old. We knew right away that we wanted Hoagie because he was so different, as he is chocolate dapple with beautiful markings and he stole Richie's heart from the very begginning. Out of the litter there were 3 males and only 1 female. I had wanted a female puppy and had always wanted a black and tan dachshund. After seeing the only female in the litter and seeing that she was adorable and also black and tan I voted to take her home too. So there it was was we were taking home two little bundles of joy and we were very excited. We were so excited that a few weeks after we first saw them, which made them a month old, we stopped by the breeder's home and got to see our little puppies.

They were soooo cute and we wanted so bad to take them home with us right then but we couldn't. You aren't supposed to be able to take a puppy home until they are at least eight weeks old. So we still had yet another month to go. The breeder said we could stop by anytime that we waned to as long as we called first so she could make sure and be home to let us in. We took her up on that for sure and sure enough a couple of weeks went by and we were back in there checking on them. They had grown so much and they were just little fiesty critters. Those eight weeks went by rather fast compared to what we had originally thought and we got the call to come and pick them up. They looked as if they knew we were coming to get them because they were waiting at the front of the little house that they were in. They were both leaping for us to pick them up and little did they know we had picked them out back when they were just a week old.

Hoagie was true to his male character as he always found a way to get into anything and to be adventurous. He would get himself stuck in small areas and wind up moaning so that we would come get him out from a flower bed, from under the bed, or from behind the couch. Harmony on the other hand has always been very quiet and delicate. She is much more content just sitting in your lap, cuddling with you on the couch and giving you a kiss when she finds it appeasing to her. She will bark if she sees a scooter or a loud motorcycle outside, that just drives her crazy. She also will bark at her brother Hoagie when she feels he is getting to aggressive or walking by her when she is chewing on a hoof or a toy. It really has been funny to watch as their personalities have developed over these couple of years. They remind me so much of children because they want what they want and they don't know how to wait very well. If their tummy is growling they want fed yesterday! I still don't really know who is the leader of the pack with them because one minute I think okay for sure it is Hoagie and then on the other hand I see Harmony pushing Hoagie around pretty good so then I am convinced she is the leader of the pack, very odd!!




Hoagie and Harmony went to puppy kindergarten at PetSmart in Southern, Cali and they both passed with flying colors and they did learn quite a bit. They both of course know how to sit, speak, stay, wait, and leave it. They do however still need to work on their barking. Sometimes they just get out of hand and want to bark at anything they think is trying to either attack them or us....like a motorcycle driving by, lol. It can get on your nerves sometimes. I would still love to take them to a more advanced course and see how they do. Maybe in the near future we could do that.

One thing is for sure with these little critters they have stolen our hearts and found a special place in our hearts. They love you unconditionally and they know how to make you feel better even when you're having a tough day. I love our Hoagie and Harmony and I look forward to the years to come with them. Hopefully our next house will have a nice fenced in yard and we can watch them enjoy the great outdoors more. I miss watching Harmony sunbathe like she use to in Southern Cali. So here's to you Hoagie Bear and Harmony Shy Fender. May you continue to stay out of trouble and may you bring much more joy and contentment in your household. :)

Oh and as soon as my husband and I can figure out how to do another slide show using photobucket we will post a whole slideshow of Hoagie and Harmony.

Blessings,
~Lori

Here Kitty Kitty

The music and the story are just amazing............thanks to the kneppers for this classic find!! This goes to show you that love never fails!!

Blessings,

~LF

100 Things About Me

1. My favorite colors are blue, green, red, and purple.
2. I love sports especially football, basketball, and baseball.
3. My favorite teams are the Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, and the New York Yankees.
4. I've never met my biological father.
5. People say I look like my Mother.
6. I enjoy taking pictures.
7. I have a BA in Psychology.
8. I can't ice skate or roller blade AT ALL but I really wish I could.
9. I enjoy making things special.
10. I married my best friend after knowing him for almost 10 years. It was well worth the wait!
11. We had our honeymoon in FL one year after we got married.
12. I've lived on the West coast and the East coast. I prefer the west coast!
13. I like things organized & neat.
14. I love decorating a house.
15. I love to cook and try new recipes.
16. I love flying on a plane.
17. I use to get extremely car sick while riding in a car and still do sometimes.
18. I don't have a clue how to do hair.
19. I love sitting under the stars by a warm fire.
20. I bite my nails and have tried everything to stop.
21. I love surprises.
22. I'm a romantic.
23. Fall is my favorite season.
24. I love kissing in the rain or snow.
25. I love going for walks especially when it is brisk out.
26. I don't handle change or stress very well.
27. I've been told by many that I give the best hugs.
28. I love German chocolate cake.
29. My husband and I work well together in the kitchen.
30. My favorite meal to make is Tacos.
31. I love watching fireworks.
32. Saturday is my favorite day of the week.
33. I enjoy making a nice hot breakfast at least once on the weekend.
34. I love when my husband gives me a full body massage.
35. My 2 favorite senses are touch, and sight.
36. My husband is my best friend.
37. Usually I'm not a morning person.
38. I LOVE flowers, but prefer getting them as a surprise, not just for an occasion.
39. I hate roller coasters now but use to ride them all.
40. I still like to get on a swing in the park and feel the breeze through my hair.
41. I have a fear of snakes and heights.
42. I love to read.
43. My favorite authors are James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks.
44. I would like to be a Mother someday.
45. I love being a wife.
46. I was in several musicals and plays at my school and church growing up.
47. I am a technology junkie.
48. I was a youth group leader in high school.
49. I want to make a difference in people's lives.
50. I would love to have a spa day.
51. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl.
52. I want to go to Hawaii with my husband.
53. I pray for my husband every day.
54. I can't stand cooked cabbage or collard greens.
55. I love most animals......
56. Especially my 2 mini Dachshunds.
57. I love the mountains.....
58. I love the beach even more.
59. I love thunderstorms.
60. I love having a candlelight dinner with my husband.
61. I'm so proud of my Mom for going back to college & finishing not only her BA but her MA.
62. My Mom makes the best homemade chicken pot pie.
63. I learned how to water ski when I was 15 & I loved it & would like to do it again someday.
64. My favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip.
65. Grammar errors bother me.
66. My two favorite fruits are pineapple & strawberries.
67. I can't stand lazy people.
68. I am an only child.
69. It bugs me when people drive extremely slow in the fast lane, move it!
70. I dislike rude and judgemental people.
71. Sometimes crowds makes me feel claustrophobic.
72. I have a heart for missions.
73. I love going to concerts.
74. I like to sing in the shower.
75. Most children just come to me freely & start talking to me.
76. I love "me" time.
77. I love music and almost always have something playing.
78. Country is my most favorite type of music.
79. My favorite sport to play was softball.
80. Psychology was my favorite subject in school.
81. My dream home would be somewhere along the west coast.
82. I love praise songs and sing them often.
83. I love Jesus & am so thankful that He died for me.
84. People would describe me as ambitious, loving, energetic, sacrificial, and compassionate.
85. I'm a night owl and like to stay up late.
86. My favorite kind of pizza would be Canadian bacon, pineapple, black olives, roasted tomatoes, and cashews.
87. I write to-do-lists almost daily to help keep me on track.
88. I am pro-education all the way.
89. My favorite muffin is blueberry.
90. I love to write just like my Mother.
91. I love to travel and look forward to doing more.
92. I collect and love lighthouses.
93. I love BB Q'S.
94. I enjoy writing notes to the ones I love.
95. I like playing board games.
96. I like listening to the birds chirp.
97. I could stare into my husband's eyes for hours.
98. I like to go horseback riding.
99. Bubble baths are the best way to end a day & I love them.100. I like watching movies with my husband.
100. I like watching movies with my husband.