Lori babysat my sister and I when we were little. She was such a steady, consistent and loving presence. I remember my mother dropping my sister and I off early in the mornings. Her house felt like my second home. I would walk in and know exactly where to go. She owned about six cats and my favorite was Misty. 

Lori would walk me to school in the mornings and ensure I returned back to her house safely. One day I came back from school with a long face. She was able to discern that was being mistreated at school. She advocated for me. She was more than a babysitter. She was like a second mom. 

Her sons Brandon and RJ were like the brothers we never had. I remember when RJ was a baby, she would let him run around the house naked lol! Being the youngest, he used to get away with a lot lol! 

When we came home from school, Lori would give us snacks and turn on our favorite tv shows like "The Mickey Mouse Club." She used to love watching Little House on the Prairie because she loved Michael Landon. I'll never forget how much she laughed when we watched Austin Powers. I can hear her now. 

We loved playing outside as kids and climbing the tree in the front yard. I learned how to ride a bike at Lori's house. 

She used to cook a really tasty pea casserole!

Lori always made sure to treat all of us kids equal. She truly made us feel like we were part of the family. We often met her family members like Aunt Rita and her brother. 

Even when we grew up and no longer needed to be babysat, she always made sure to keep in touch. We would do family trips to amusement parks and have traditions like hanging at Irvine Pizza. 

 I always told her she was like a second mom. I am forever grateful God placed us in each other's lives. She taught me how much you can impact the life of a child by simply loving and caring for them. I will always cherish our memories!