Teenager with her full length skirt

Lorin and Basketball

 Lorin got her mom for a coach in the winter of 2013.  I think I made her cry more than any other coach--expectations a little high.  Somehow, she claims to have loved it.  Let me just say, this girl is an animal on the court.  I love watching this lady dragon go!

Generally on the floor more than on her feet!

Best form in the league!

She made some great friends:  Julianne, Kira, Sydney, Jaquelyn

, (bottom) Caroline, and Nicole.

Christmas 2013

 Always helping her boy, Graf, out!

 "Moore" fun at Christmas 2013!!

Madelyn and Lor--cute grown up girlies!

New Year's Eve fun, Great Falls Park, and Basketball

Creating FUN!!

 One morning at the breakfast table while Cory was away, Lorin started singing Lady Gaga's Bad Romance...you know the "ooh la ro ma ma...ra ma ooh la la" part.  She was at the top of her longs and created a very sharp beat slapping the table to go along with the song.  Within half a verse Izzy, Ryan, and Graf had joined her and I was sitting there hoping to start scriptures, eat breakfast, and get on with the day.  Then a saying came to my mind, if you can't beat them...you might as well join them!

Well, that is not too atypical of Lorin.  Generally she is the fun / excitement / laughter generator.  The inhibition is astounding.  Because of this, kids are generally excited to be around for the residual fun.

Hey, why don't you guys stand right here...

...so that when I body toboggan through this sludge...

...you will get drenched! (Chantelle finally convinced of this great plan.)

 The pictures really don't do it justice as she perfected the move as time went on and by the end, the bystanders were splattered with muddy rain water from head to toe!

Brook and Megan Baird with Lorin (mid) and Izzy

Official title:  Michigan Football Fan Zombie  (Artist:  Dad)

Here is where Lorin has convinced everyone to be Ninja's in training...Lorin vs. the World!  She would regularly tell them they needed to fight harder and "really go at it!"

Poor Declan gets lots of love from Lorin often in the form of teasing!  Don't worry, Mama Bear comes to his rescue before it gets too out of hand.

Every once in a while she calms down.  For 2012 it was for a choir performance, and

Santa's lap.
 

Though my nature is to try and help her grow up, you know, be responsible and all that boring stuff, I really hope she stays young so that we can all keep having fun!  Love this girl!

11 years old

Let the countdown begin....until she's 12.  Yes, according to Lorin, when you turn 12 you are all of a sudden allowed to do whatever you want and she can't wait for the day!  Some of the things on the list are sitting in the front seat of a car, babysitting, and hmmm, I was sure I could think of more since her list seems to go on and on when she get's on a roll...

Brownies are the "cake" of choice every year!

See all these unsuspecting gifts?  It wasn't because the list wasn't as long as her arm however :)

 

But surprises are so much more fun!!  How about Brian Reagan tickets with Mom and Dad??  Woohooo!

 

 

   Or...a neeeew bike!!!

 The other thing she got was the long anticipated for I-pod...we helped her with the last few bucks, but she had been saving for a long time and payed for it herself!  We were proud of her self control--money usually burns a hole :)

Lorin is a one-of-a-kind.  We have been so blessed to watch her grow into such a beautiful girl inside and out.  Don't get me wrong, the beauty is accompanied by more spunk than imaginable.  But this year she has had to prove that she can weather the storms of a pre-teen moving to a new school that was 3 times as demanding as her last and having to make friends in a 5th grade world--the year everyone seems to get mean and weird.

I recently wrote in my journal about the times my prayers have been answered on Lorin's behalf this year.  From talking to her Advanced Math (See Sierpinsky Pyramid above) teacher to reduce the amount of homework from 4 hours to 40 minutes a night, to giving Aunt Wendy a random call--the perfect person to give me some perspective on some of the things Lorin was facing, to finding an amazing friend just down the road--Valerie (pictured above).  She reads her scriptures faithfully every morning, prays night and day, works so hard at being a peacemaker, gets good grades in school, is one of her siblings' favorite babysitters, practices her violin every morning and basketball after school, helps without complaining, is adored by her teachers, and the list goes on.  We love this girl!

She's a Baller!!

(sigh) Basketball--my first love!!  I can't tell you how completely happy I was to find Lorin and basketball to be a match made in heaven.  This girl and all her energy has found a place where it's perfectly fine to run in circles around everyone, to bug someone til they give up, and to be the center of attention as much as possible.  Offense or defense, she knows where that ball is and has an oppressive hunger to have it in her hands.  When she's not in season, she's practicing in the driveway.  I have to admit I get a little into her games--especially the side-line coaching aspect and maybe, sometimes, the side-line reffing aspect :(.  I can't wait for next season!!...I mean she can't :)

Her best game this season (only her second season) she scored 15 points.  Had I been her Grandma Kofoed, I would be able to give you the stats on how many steels, rebounds, and assists she had as well.  I'll get better ;)

The routine was to take her out for the 2nd quarter as the play-time must be fair to all the players.  The coach happened to mention that the 2nd quarter was usually a tough one for our team's momentum.  Now the bragging, I also got from Grandma Kofoed :)

Here is Lorin all dolled up for her first school dance and posing with her handsome daddy.