I'm freaking out!

Really?!?!
What?!?
Seriously...I'm going to lose it.
Not only can it not be true,
but I'm questioning the legitimacy of the time tables that we govern the world with!

Breathe Lori, breathe.
Okay, I might be overreacting...
I have been known to do that on occasion,
but this one is really unbelievable.
Ready?!
Seriously, sit down.
That's better.
Breathe.



My oldest niece is turning 16.
TODAY!


I know?!?!
How did that happen?!?
I'm starting to understand old people...
Wait, does that mean I'm old?
Nah...not at all.
But as a kid I really didn't get why adults were always talking
as if time literally was flying by them at supersonic speed.
I remember rolling my eyes(in the dramatic teenage way)
and thinking that they were becoming senile.
I get it now.

As a teen, time inch by.

There were long stretches of endless drudgery...
school, homework, chores, after school job
(shhh...don't tell people but I loved each and every one of those things
...except chores, no one likes those!)
But anyway...
I would think, "Couldn't I just be an adult already?! Then everything would be just what I want!"

Oh man, how I wish for those days...back in the old days before computers...
(See I'm using those old people phrases again.)

But, seriously.
I try to remind teens to not wish their childhood away.
It's so fleeting.
A blink really.
And then what?
You're an adult forever.
Literally...forever.
And, here's the kicker...
You're expected to be, act, and live AS an adult.
It's a lot of pressure.

Sure, there are bonuses to adulthood,
but at 16 years old, you have so many fun milestones to hit.
 At 36, what is my milestone? 40?
That's not happening!
At least not yet.
It will, but that's okay.
I love seeing my nieces and nephew grow up.
They're becoming amazing people.
My only wish is that time would slowly take them into adulthood
That they will cherish the moments that make them kids.
To use the time to make memories that they will remember fondly.

If that doesn't work,
if I can't make them slow down,
I'll just squish 'em...with love.
And hug them tight.

Happy Birthday Leanna!
You're fabulous in every way.
You'll probably never know how much I love you,
but that's alright.
I love you to the moon and back again.
And above all else...
Seriously, stop growing.
You're getting too tall and I can't purchase much higher heels. :0)
They don't make them that tall.

Extreme Cinnamon Roll

Sometimes things need to be extreme...

giant,

larger than life,

especially when it's time to celebrate a special occasion.

A birthday is the perfect time. :)

Normally, a birthday calls for cake or at least cupcakes...

but what do you make when someone doesn't really like those treats?

Well, you ask their girlfriend and hear the words, "Cinnamon rolls!"

Done.

But a regular cinnamon roll just won't do...

an extreme roll is the only solution.

Boom! 

Cinnamon to the extreme!

Directions:

1. Make you favorite Cinnamon Roll dough according to the directions. I use my mom's recipe, but right now that is a little family secret, but maybe some day I share it. ;)

2. Roll out the dough as even as you can...mine doesn't quite make it into a nice circle, but it works just fine.

3. Spread softened butter all over the dough.  Really try to cover ALL surface areas.

4. Sprinkle a generous layer of cinnamon and sugar.

5. Using a pizza cutter, cut strips of dough.  Try to make them as even as possible.

6. Choose a middle strip so that it's long and roll it up.  Place it in the center of a pie plate.

7. Now the tricky part...roll the rest of the strips and unroll it around the center of the roll.

8. Continue to wrap the layers around until you're about an inch away from the outside of the pie plate.

9. Dust the top of the roll with extra cinnamon and sugar. 
Also, place small chucks of butter inside of a few layers of the roll.
10.  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let it cool, then add a layer of cream cheese frosting.

Actually, this is the most difficult part...wait.

Wait and share with those you love.

They'll definitely feel the love that this roll can bring.

Enjoy!

The River

"Why they do, what you do--it not a matter of legal or not legal; not even a matter of right or wrong.  It about being true to yourself, about deciding your own path.  People are like rivers, and the hours of our days low to the sea.  But no two rivers are the same, and no river is today what it was last month or last year.  It always trying to find new channels, shifting in its gravel bed, hurling itself against boulders and trying to undercut steep banks.  Some people are content to follow the course set before them.  Life easy that way. Others, like you, jump their banks, daring to be different.  Like rivers, people end up at the same place, but how we get there is what makes us who we are."
Lone Wolves by John Smelcer





So true...it's much easier to stay in the river,
following the same banks that have already been carved by others.
But to me that isn't living.
Sure, if I could go back,
I'd change a few paths down my crooked and narrow river.
Who wouldn't?
Well, actually, maybe I'd just keep it the same.
Those twist and turns of my life have made me the person that I am today.
I'm more confident.
More self-reliant.
More willing to try new things without having a secure net underneath me.
Is it scary?
Terrifying!
But I know that the paths that I take, are my own.
The successes, mistakes,
and life's curve balls are all a part of me.
And I like me.
She's makes me smile.
I'm proud of her.

So never mind.
I'm not changing a thing.
I'll keep it all and
keep carving my way in the world.
The great thing is that I have amazing people carving their paths along side mine.
We encourage each other and weave together when times are tough.
It's a nice feeling.

Where is your river taking you?
I hope that it's taking you to a place
where you can look back on the places
and people in your world and smile.
I'm not there yet,
but I'm getting closer every day.