Sugars & Spice...and some dogs.

Ya ever have that friend, the one that you love so dearly, that you'd love to just spend so much time with but their just not near you so instead you imagine spending the day with them and then send them a facebook message instead? Sure ya do. Just nod your head.

My sis-in-law Lauren, is that friend. She's always got a smirk on her face and some trick up her sleeve. She's bubbly and full of life, compassionate enough to help out a slug who's about to be salted, can be feisty if needed, the quintessential sugar & spice gal. I like her. And she knows it.

Well, not too long ago, (Ok, too long ago. I miss her already) we went to visit Auntie Lo-Lo in San Angelo. Her and Uncle Timberly. And we had all sorts of fun. Including, but not limited to: running through sprinklers, playing with her pups - Rupert and Margaret, shopping in the historical area, eating muffins by the dozens,Will's first time eating frozen yogurt, playing real and imaginary instruments in the Living Room Band and lots more others wonderful-ness.

I have proof of course that this really did happen and was not just my imagination running away with me...

We love you Auntie Lo-Lo :)

Glad for friends

I’m so glad for good friends. Friends that help and not hurt. Friends that love and you can lean on for encouragement. Friends you feel safe with.

I have some amazing friends. And while my husband was away on a missions trip to Uganda some of those wonderful friends opened their loving arms to me, kept me busy and refreshed my soul.

My buddy Heather and I took our kids to the library one morning for storytime. I don’t know that Will had much fun. I’m pretty sure he just wanted to destroy everything in his path. But I had a blast. Thanks Heather for an awesome time spent watching the goober at the library read books to our littles and *trying to make crafts with them even though I believe Will was more interested in stealing everyone’s crayons…  And La Madeline’s rotisserie chicken and chocolate croissant :))) Ya. Thanks for that too. My hips are thanking me still. Love you Heather!

Then there’s Andrea. She’s my goofy friend. The whole time you’re with her you laugh. You just can’t help it. And it’s not that she’s necessarily making you laugh on purpose. She’s just Andrea. And that’s enough.

Our kids ran through the sprinklers (Will mostly cried about them) and swang,(swung?) on the swings and drank out of the hose until water squirted out of their eyeballs. We talked about birth and laughed about toddlers and pregnancy and pee on the floor (and I have to clarify that pee on the floor had to do with the toddlers not our pregnancies).

Thanks Andrea for your patience, love and kindness. Your friendship to me has meant so much and came at a time when I really needed it. You’ll never know.

Thanks for the memories, Heather, Andrea, Brooke, Julia, Evie and Jasmine

Love, Tori (&Will)

Blueberry Picking

The phone rang and I answered.  My friend asked if we wanted to go berry picking and I said yes.

Tyler had left for Africa and Will and I were all alone. I truly have some of the best friends in the whole World, keeping me busy so that my mind would be off of being alone.

A few days later we were in a bus headed about 2 ½ hours away to a sweet little jewel of a farm, complete with blueberries, blackberries and catfish. Yes. I said Catfish. I’ll explain later.

We picked and picked until our hands were sore.

Until our children were sweating bullets.

Until our sunscreen wore just about off.

Until I thought I might pass out. From listening to Will cry. Because he was so hot.

Anyway. We had the best time ever picking the berry bushes clean then broke for lunch and headed down to a small pond filled with the ugliest catfish you've ever seen. Will sat and watched them for a good long time. Some of them came so close to the shore to get our fish food that they got stuck and had to use their bellies to scooch back off into the water.

We had a wonderful time and I got a half gallon of blueberries, (that my sweet friend Heather helped me pick :)Thanks, Heather!)