There is this young couple, both working full-time jobs, with full-time responsibilities including two children nearing college age, a home with I’m sure a mortgage and all the expenses that go with an urban lifestyle. The husband had a younger sister who has special needs. The younger sister had lived with her parents until the mother was placed in a nursing home. At this point the young woman was placed in an assisted living facility. It was not the best of circumstances for the young woman and she was not flourishing. This is where my story really begins.
Our family has been blessed with some really wonderful people. For the past six or so years my brother John and his wife Lisa and their two children Alex and Anna have virtually adopted our youngest sister Lori Ann. They brought her into their home and family and have given her a life abundant with love, filled with great friends and more happiness than any one person could want in a lifetime. She vacations with my sisters Linda and Debbie in NE Pennsylvania as well as our oldest sister Janice in Atlanta, GA. She has been blessed with wonderful supportive people in her life.
This is Lori Ann with John celebrating her 48th birthday. Tons of laughs, tons of giggles and tons of love.
Below are some pictures that will show just how much love, compassion and understanding Lori Ann receives.
What a great life. Lori Ann’s life is full due to the love of her brother John and his family. She has a job, tons of friends, many social activities and so much love.
It’s all about the love ……
Finding our Paradise in South America 
Wonderful post, Nan … wonderful family.
Thanks so much Barbara, like I said we are blessed
A lot of really great pics and a very nice tribute to your family.
Thanks Dick for following the blog, Nancy
What a wonderful and full life Lori Ann leads. Having had a special lady like this in my life, I can appreciate all the joys and challenges. May all who care for her be blessed!
Leigh, thanks so much, and thanks for following the blog, N
Oh my goodness, what a lovely living tribute! I smiled from the first photo until the last, and I backed up to admire many of them a second time! This must have taken you a very long time to put together, though every minute was filled with love. The love burns through.
You have a beautiful family!
Lisa
Thanks Lisa, it was fun to find the photos and put it together…My brother and his family are very loving and so giving. My sister Lori Ann is one happy girl with such love around her…N
what a wonderful tribute to your sister, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
thanks, Mary and John
Oh how I love this post! My smile grew and grew with each picture. You could feel the love and the joy in every one. What a great tribute to your sister and the whole wonderful family! Thanks so much for sharing such an incredible reminder of what is really important in life, and what happiness looks like in its purest form!
Thanks Diane, Lori Ann is truly blessed and so is our entire family because John, Lisa and their family wanted Lori Ann to have a better life What great family we have, N
…and your opening quotation is the reading we (like many) had at our wedding 🙂