Debbie & Ron

   When I was in college I worked in a paper supply store that sold party supplies, stationery, etc. I had a lot of fun and it was a great group of people to work with. My boss at the store was Debbie, and she was married to really nice guy named Ron. I remember them talking on the phone several times a day and they would always say "I love you" to each other before they hung up. They were one of those made-for-each-other, lovey-dovey kind of couples. To me, they seemed to be best friends -- and they were always teasing and making each other laugh.
   I went for many years and didn't see Debbie, and then we connected on Facebook. Just before Christmas she asked me to photograph her and Ron. I was excited because I knew we would have a good time. They are still that lovey-dovey couple, and they still make each other laugh. In February they celebrate 30 years of marriage. I wish them many more years of happiness, love and laughter!

Countdown to Christmas

   I miss that magical time Christmas was when I was a kid. My sister and I would sit in the living room by the Christmas tree and sing carols. We thought the tree was the most beautiful thing ever. We had a huge picture window that was just perfect for viewing the tree from the outside. We used these huge, blazing hot colored lights on a real tree, so it was a miracle it never caught on fire.

  My Mom used to make all kinds of cookies and sweet treats during the month of December. Now looking back I don't know how on earth she found the time and energy to do it. We didn't cover the outside in lights, but Mom would scatter little Christmas decorations all throughout the house. I remember going to bed Christmas Eve and being so excited about Santa coming. It seems like yesterday.

  I don't think I do as good of a job as my Mom did at making the whole Christmas season special. We decorate and I make goodies - but it just doesn't seem quite the same. Now Jeremy is 14 so it's not as magical for him anymore. We try to remind him that the day is about celebrating the birth of Christ, but he is still ALL about the presents! (As you can see below, Jessie is all about trying to rip the ball off his Santa hat.)

Merry Christmas!!

Thankful

    Last night Mike and I were talking about about who would bring what to his Mom's house for Thanksgiving this year. As I say that I can't believe it is Thanksgiving already! Anyway, he mentioned that his sister suggested eating at a restaurant and I felt a since of panic. I can't imagine not eating a homemade meal of turkey and dressing with all the fixings for Thanksgiving. I know it would not be the end of the world, but for me that is such and important part of the holiday. Luckily, I think his mother would agree.
    It is that time of year to be reminded of what we are thankful for. I'm ever grateful for the Lord, and I know all that I have is because of Him. I'm thankful for the beautiful sights we have to enjoy on this earth. And of course I'm thankful for my awesome family and pets that I love dearly.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

14 Years Old

 

   My baby just turned fourteen. It doesn't seem possible that he is so close to driving a car! I cringe just thinking about it. Over the course of the summer he grew a lot taller and his voice deepened. He is starting to look and sound like a young man.

  Watching Jeremy and his friends and classmates I see that so much is the same as when I was his age. It brings back so many fond memories for us. The use of video games and cell phones has drastically changed the way kids are entertained and the way they communicate with each other. And it's kind of a shame. One thing I can say about Jeremy is he would much rather be running around outside than playing a video game or messing with his phone - and I'm very thankful for that.

   Sometimes 14 years old seems like an eternity ago for me and sometimes it seems like yesterday. At that age I didn't have all the tv channels to watch or video games to play. We had one tv so whatever my Dad was watching was what everybody had to watch! My sister and I grew up climbing around in the creek with our friends or we would walk to the Fast Fare to get candy or an Icee. We could take off and be gone all day and my parents didn't worry about us. I wish things were more like that today.

That's me on the right (yes, I was a dork and I couldn't do anything with my curly hair!)

 

Goodbye Summer

   I'm so sad to say that school starts this week. I enjoy the lazy days of summer with no projects or homework to worry about. This summer was too rainy, but it was also much cooler than usual so that was nice. Jeremy got to hang out with friends till after dark, go swimming, go to Carowinds a few times, he went to the beach and also had soccer camp. So I would say he had a pretty nice summer.

 I wish I was one of those people who focuses more on the here and now. Who enjoys each day without dwelling on what's ahead. But I'm one of those types that has to have something ahead to look forward to. Whether its a holiday, special occasion or weekend getaway. I start thinking about the summer and our vacation in January. The year goes by so fast and before you know it our vacation is over! It makes me realize how precious the time we have together as a family is.

Sharing a Sunrise

   We always look forward to our beach trip every summer and we really cherish that time with Jeremy. We spent our trip this summer going for walks, playing in the waves, swimming in the pool and going out for dinner and ice cream. He even got up early with me to watch the sunrise. It was just perfect that morning and I was so happy we got to see it together. I have taken many photos of Jeremy over the years, but this is definitely one of my favorites. It warms my heart.

Summer Concert

   Every summer Appalachian State University and Blue Ridge Electric put on a family oriented summer concert with fireworks. This year the group playing was The Band Perry. We are not huge country music fans but we were familiar with some of their songs, and we were offered tickets from a client, so we decided to go. Plus, we would get to visit Mike's mother along the way for an added bonus.
   This summer has been so rainy, we were not sure what kind of weather we might have. It ended up raining, but stopped long enough to enjoy the concert. It did get a little stormy at one point and everyone had to go under cover for 30 minutes. The Band Perry were so full of energy and really talented. We had a great time. This was the first real concert for Jeremy so he loved it.
   I took the pics with my phone so excuse the quality!

On the way to the beautiful mountains.

Waiting for the concert to begin.

Mike let us use his coat for cover in the rain so all he had was the hood!

Packed in like sardines waiting for the lightning to stop.

Awesome concert!

Georgia Cottage

I have spoken before of my love of cottages- especially coastal ones. I daydream about living in a quaint cottage one day. It is funny how my tastes and my need for so much space has changed. When we were looking for a home 11 years ago, we wanted a larger modern brick home. If I were buying a home today I would care less about the space - with the exception of closet space because we never seem to have enough of that- and more about charm.
These are pictures of a cottage in Georgia I found on bhg.com. It is by no means small, but I love the charming interior style.

Being A Mom

   37 hours. That's how long I was in labor. I was induced on a Wednesday and Jeremy was born on Friday. I was already 3 weeks late and he still was not ready to be born. After all that labor I ended up having a c-section-- but by that point I was just ready to have a healthy baby! Fortunately he was a healthy, beautiful little boy.

   Being a Mom is one of the most wonderful gifts God can give. I'm so thankful for Jeremy every day. Sure, he makes me batty sometimes. And let's face it - boys can be just plain gross. But it's so cool to watch him becoming a young man, with little bits of my personality and his Dad's personality all rolled into one. (And some traits that we wonder, "Where on earth did that come from?"). With all that I try to teach him, I realize there are many lessons he has taught me.

   I can't believe I have already had 13 Mother's Days as a Mom. Jeremy made a drawing for me yesterday and on the back he wrote a note about how he and his Dad would be lost without me. I'm always reminding them of that, so it is nice to actually hear him admit it!

Field Trip

    I volunteered to be a chaperone for Jeremy's 7th grade field trip to Wilmington NC. We went to the USS North Carolina Battleship and to the Aquarium in Fort Fisher, NC. It was a lot of hours on a bus with 7th grade boys (yes- nothing but boys), but it was fun. I had to keep up with 4 boys all over that Battleship, which was not an easy task since there are many flights of steep stairs. After we visited the aquarium they stopped for a few minutes at the beach to let everyone walk down to the ocean for a few minutes. That was really nice, but it made me more anxious for summer to arrive!
 
   This is a mixture of pictures I took with my camera and my cell phone of our adventure.

View of the Wilmington Waterfront from the bridge. 

My handsome fella and his buddies. 

I can't tell if they are shading their eyes or trying to salute.

 

Love that ocean color.

Some jellyfish have deadly stings- but they are so cool to look at.

We teased the poor boy in front of us the whole way about his hair. Jeremy is like me- bed hair cracks us up.

Instagram Love

  I got way behind the times with my cell phone and I finally got a new one last year. The lady at the store had to hold back laughter when she saw the phone I was using. I'm not one of those people who has my cell phone to my ear all the time. I don't even talk on it much at all but I like having it to make quick calls or for an emergency. One thing I have become addicted to since getting my new phone is Instagram. Once I started using it I was like "Why didn't I do this sooner?"
 
  Now I'm always looking for something to photograph with my phone. When we travel I have to switch back and forth between my Canon and my cell phone. It is a hassle but I kick myself if I don't get shots with both. It is wild to look at what we can take with our phones now and know that technology is going to just keep getting better.

  These are a few of my favorites from my Instagram feed. Follow me at http://instagram.com/mmdlori

Jessie's One Year Anniversary

   Last January I was checking the Petfinder site frequently to try and find a young dog or puppy we might adopt, and I stumbled upon a precious little 5 month old Collie mix that has just been listed. We sent in an application right away and as luck would have it, we were the first in line. It took a few weeks but we were finally able to bring Jessie home in February.
   It is funny how quickly they become spoiled rotten. I know it is our own fault- but who can resist that adorable little face? She is sweet, smart, and fun to have around. She is a little clingy and whiny at times- especially when her dad and brother leave her. And we are trying to break her of digging in the yard. But Jessie has an easy-going nature and fun personality. We were lucky to find her. Happy Anniversary to my baby girl!

Jeremy can't enjoy a snack in peace.

Rather than lay beside him gets behind his head on the couch.

Beautiful girl!

Breakfast Treat

   

I don't know where he gets it, because his father and I are not picky eaters, but Jeremy is a very picky eater. He does love his sweets, though. I guess in that respect he is like his mother. We are all sweet eaters but I try not to make special treats too often since we really don't need the calories!

   Jeremy eats cereal every morning for breakfast and it is hard to get him to change things up. There is one thing I can make that he just loves and I love it because it is easy. It is a Blueberry Crumb Coffee Loaf made from muffin mix. We like to have it warm with some butter or spread on it. Yummy!

This is not my original recipe. I think I found it with coupons in the newspaper years ago.

Recipe:

(2) 7oz. packages of Martha White Blueberry Muffin Mix (can use regular or low fat)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. lemon peel (optional)

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x4 loaf pan with foil, leaving a little bit over the edge of the pan on each side. Lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Combine muffin mixes, water, sour cream, egg, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large bowl and stir till thoroughly combined. Spread it into the pan. 

For the topping, mix the flour, brown sugar and melted butter with a fork until combined. It will be a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle it evenly over the batter.

Bake 55-60 min. or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. *I like to cover the top with foil for the last 20 minutes or so to keep the top from getting too brown and keep it on the softer side.

Cool the loaf for about 20 minutes and lift it out of the pan using the edges of the foil like handles.

Year in Review

    I found this quote on Tara Whitney's website a while back. She is a portrait photographer in California that I really admire, and she loved this quote. It really stuck with me like it did with Tara. I have a lot that I hope to accomplish and experience in the New Year. So much of what I want to accomplish relies on me being pro-active, aggressive and confident. None of which come to me naturally! I know I can't do a complete 180 - but going to try really hard in 2013 to go after my goals and have a "can do" attitude.

    Below are some images of people I photographed, vacations we took and little day trips from 2012. And of course some pics of Jessie since she was our new addition to the family!

    Happy New Year!