Tori- you have always been able to see blue squares and red swirls.
-Stevie and Mommy

"We lay there and looked up at the night sky and she told me about stars called blue squares and red swirls and I told her I'd never heard of them. Of course not, she said, the really important stuff they never tell you. You have to imagine it on your own."


Tori,
You dropped into the last of 3 girls in our family. You arrived with an amazing attitude that you were already a complete person who was ready to get on with life! This strong attitude surprised a lot of people, including me. I remember a 2 year old with her hands on her hips, refusing, like someone we have never seen, to go to bed until you finished your crayon drawing. Over the years my occassional annoyance at your "stubborn streak" turned to belief that you were destined for greatness. Your long summer visits with your sisters to my Indiana home have added a great balance to both our lives. Now our little dynamo, also known as "The Torinator", is getting ready to blast off into adult life. You'll change the world for the better, there is no doubt. My best advice to you is, "always go for the highest, and listen to those who love you". My highest gratitude goes to Annabelle, Steve, and Woodbridge School for providing the stable launching pad for you, a bright and idealistic little rocket.
Love, Daddy Lee


Tori,
To my little stisto, How you have grown! I am so proud of the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful young woman you have become. I can still picture you as a toddler, running around half-naked, demanding that things be done your way. And then as a young girl, always writing stories, poems, and plays. You are sill as stubborn, but also as creative as ever. I know that these qualities will help you in life-- you will do great things because of your will, your imagination, and your positive attitude. I'm hoping that as you go to college and move forward in your life we can continue to grow closer and that you will realize all your dreams.
Congratulations on making it this far! I love you, Stephy


To my little stisto, Torreo
Words are sometimes hard to come by with you... as you have grown and changed, so has our relationship. Tinkering on the borderline of love and hate at times, I find it hard to verbalize our connection. I actually laugh out loud when I think about the two of us. We constantly steal each other's stuff and then pretend to the other that no foul has been committed. We question each other's judgments and decisions, but we always seem to be able to support and protect each other when facing opposition (whether our mom, our sister, or just random people for entertainment). Your stubbornness drives me mad sometimes, because I don't always understand you and where you're coming from. But, at the same time, I find that despite my displays of reluctance, I actually take a secret delight in doing things for you. I have enjoyed being there for some of your events like dances, practices, parties and everything else involved with growing up and developing who you are. My leg work was a fair exchange for being able to take part in making you who you are.
And who you are is a wonderful, innovative, creative, positive, and ambitious young woman. I have learned that your stubbornness is actually strong will; a quality that I highly admire in you. You have an intriguing certainty in yourself that I am still working on acquiring myself. I am positive that you can and will use all these qualities to excel in wherever you lay your interests. We may be very different in nature in many ways, but I feel as if you and I always have a secret underlying joke or union that allows us to relate to each other no matter what is going on around in or between us. I value that so much and I want you to know that I am very proud of you and to have you as a sister. I love you.
Chelsea