Monday Blur

Today started off with all of us here in the office, wrapping up payroll and some other loose ends before 2014 gets here. Halfway through the day, the bosses decided we'd be wasting our time if we came in tomorrow, so now, we're off for the next two days! WOO!

I took a break for lunch to run out and take care of a couple things, primarily dropping off lunch to my dedicated stand-in babysitter.. haha.


hello again, piada (:

I got back to work just as the USPS truck was pulling in. The driver jumped out with two little pink boxes and headed our way; needless to say, Elisa & I were pretty excited about our Julep drops!

julep time!!!

Also in work news, we had our weekly afternoon meeting today, since we won't be here Wednesday. Dave & Nancy [we've collectively coined them Dancy, for short reference] told us that Lizzy will be stepping in to fill Nikki's vacancy as our sales person. We are definitely surprised, but I have a good feeling this will be a great step in the right direction. WELCOME ABOARD, LIZZY!

It looks like 2014 is going to be a big year for this office.. and I'm excited (:

Back at home, Rob and I started knuckling down once again on the logistics [an ever-irritating process at this point] of transporting all of his things from Illinois here over the next couple of weeks. We decided at the last minute that rather than wait until next weekend for me to take him back, we'd just get that part out of the way over the next couple of days. So with that being said, we packed up a couple bags, and along with Sydni and the pups, jumped on the road. I captured our starting point of spontaneity...

t-minus 5 hours. let's do it.

I count myself blessed a thousand times over for such an adaptable little girl and cooperative furry twins for taking this last-minute trip in stride. They did so well for the trip; actually I think Sydni had way more fun than the dogs did, but nobody's really counting ;)

hilarious. allllll. the. way. there ;)

We made it here to Illinois safe and sound, and for now, we're resting up for whatever it is we're bound to accomplish tomorrow. We might even get around to celebrating the new year, too, but we'll play it all by ear :).

G'Nite!

xo | cmd

Christmas, CONTINUED! :)

So... Santa's rackin' up the overtime hours this week! Just as we expected, we awoke to find a front porch and countertop with nothing but crumbs remaining from reindeer food & cookies. There was an empty glass of milk to go along with it, and a Christmas tree layered with pretty wrapping paper and gift bags.

anyone in there? oh, yes... it's a Christmas monster!

I have a 4-year-old who terrorized Santa's lovely display, and when the flurry of tissue and wrapping paper subsided, we were left with an array of awesome new toys, books, electronics & of course a couple of things for the grown-ups, too.

excitement, galooooore

 

electronics from santa, for sydni and mommy.. haha

Our visit at the Drenn Lodge ended with breakfast, complete with all of our favorite things, before we loaded up the car and set our sights back south to Cincinnati.

I managed to capure this on our way down...

too. much. i can't handle them sometimes ;)

I had made plans last week with one of my favorite friends Jennica to meet up at some juncture today before she headed back to Utah. It's been nearly four years since I've seen her, and we missed out when she was home over Thanksgiving. This time around, we were adamant on making this happen. So, we picked a meeting spot at the new Cincinnati outlets in Monroe, where Rob, Sydni and I fiiiinally ran into Jen and her brother Mikey.

jennnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!! ♥♥♥

Ahhhhh! I love that girl. I promised her that once this whole moving thing is settled down, I'll start looking at a trip out to visit her in Utah for a weekend getaway, or something like that (:

Rob started feeling ill before we even got to the outlets, so after our visit, it was a beeline to the house for him to unwind and relax for the night. I took that time to pack up some more of the house and haul it into the car for dropoff tomorrow night at the new house. It's all coming together!

Tomorrow it's back to work again for a couple of days and then.......... it's 2014. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. The age old question, where did the year go, is of course streaming on loop through my head, but at the same time I am welcoming all of the changes rolling in with the new year. I saw bring it on! (:

*Phew. Christmas is finally completed, I think. If I missed anything, I'll catch up with it later. It's bed time for us.

xo | cmd

Christmas & Junior's Birthday @ The Drenn Lodge

Day 2 of waking up to this little pile of love (:

slumber party girls

We left early this morning with a car full of myself, Rob, Sydni and whatever Christmas gear we needed for the quick weekend getaway at the Drenn Lodge. We made it there in no time, and it wasn't long before the Christmas festivities were well underway.

here we go!!

Our first item of importance on the agenda was getting Sydni's little Christmas tree decorated in her room, and assembling her very own gingerbread house!

Christmas tree decorating

gingerbread house

her mickey mouse gingerbread clubhouse!

I'll stand by my word that this is my favorite place still, on planet Earth; holidays especially, make this place come alive and I most love that. We started out small, with just the five of us and some of our small gifts [Sydni's stocking stuffers included, of course].

duck dynasty, hahaha..

my succulents!!!!

stocking stuffers from nana & pappy

There was just enough time for us all to squeeze in a nap before my cousins arrived for the evening; once they did, it was a Saturday night filled with my laughing family gathered around the table in the living room. 

rob. ty. markie

my two goofballs ♥♥

my, how i love them.

probably my favorite picture from today... hahaha.. love love love her.

my gorgeous, age-defying, gravity-defying mother...

best. friend.

And of COURSE, my little cousin Markie, aka Junior's birthday! The kid turned 22 today, and for what that's worth, I feel older than ever before. Haha. Jokes aside, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my not-so-little-but-still-baby cousin, Mark (:

happy 22nd birthday, little cuz!!

The night finally started to wind down, but it didn't stop when the family headed out the door. Mom & Dad of course had prepared the annual bag of reindeer food to be sprinkled outside for Santa's diligent antlered team. Sydni very strategically dumped the bag across the front porch, and helped put out the cookie and milk on the counter before she headed to bed.

reindeer food!!

dad. me. syd. mom ♥ my family!

f a m i l y !

 Tomorrow we'll see what Santa brought us ;)

For now, we'll go dream of sugar plums and dancing fairies..... or whatever that poem said goes on while you're asleep through Santa's visit (:

xo | cmd

Little Family Friday

This was what I woke up to this morning [after being booted from my own bed, hah..]

my loves: the humans & the furballs alike!  

Our daycare gal closed up for the week for Christmas vacation, so Sydni stayed at home and hung out with Rob while I was at work. From what I gathered throughout the day, they didn't do half bad.

I'm becoming disoriented with my days; I wanted to try and get home for lunch today, but realized halfway through the morning that it's Friday... and of course that means office lunches. Whoooop!

And, Elisa brought me another Christmas present [love!!!!]: facial mask therapy & gourmet chocolate. I'm really not complaining.

Plus, we ordered in from Piada, which is always a good thing, too.

piada delivery!

yummmmmmm....

Since it's the holiday lull, and because my bosses are amazing, we got off work early. Rob & I took that opportunity to head to the new house to meet up with Dave and drop off boxes. Let me rephrase that: The first boxes of our stuff is OFFICIALLY dropped off in the new house!

box #1 in the new house. woooo!!

Back at home, we curled up together to enjoy ourselves for the evening before we launch north to my parents' in the morning. I have to say... this is one of my most favorite things to see, ever...

my little family. i love this more than anything!

Tomorrow we'll be up in Mt. Vernon to see what Santa brough to Nana & Pappy's house.
We'd better get some sleep!

xo | cmd

Post-Christmas Video Blitz

The day after Christmas is slow in my line of work. Elisa was off today, which left just me in the office along with Dave & Nancy on and off throughout the day. I honestly didn't mind the lull; I'm still a little spent from the past couple days and the road trip back yesterday.

I picked Sydni up after work, and we headed out to run some errands before heading back to the house. Rob showed up with Sasha a short while after that, and we settled in for the night. Really, it's been a whirlwind of a week so far; it doesn't look like that's going to stop anytime in the next seven days, but I'm embracing it. We sat together after dinner tonight as Sydni watched The Croods and watched some videos that came out earlier this year. I thought I'd share some of it, since it's stuff that in the midst of crazy busy holidays reminds me of the simple [& sometimes very complex] beauty around us.

1. This video of twins just moments after birth. I am so fascinated with new life that when I first say this, I had to watch it several times just to satsify my awe of it all. This. [like the other videos] is beautiful.

2. A video from the Mimi Foundation. After watching my cousin, along with a few friends wage and overcome their own battles with cancer, this melted me. I wonder what kind of courage I would have if I had to walk in their shoes. I applaud them.

3. This video went viral earlier this year; it's a couple of guys whose mission consisted simply of making the less fortunate feel... loved. Nothing in return, just loved. This is the kind of human compassion that the world needs to keep functioning. On a small scale in our own community or on a global scale, it matters, and it makes a difference.

I could go on and on, but there really are too many to list here. I'm glad we're winding down tonight and filling the brief space between Christmas celebrations with some inspirational people like these.

I hope you have all enjoyed your Christmases and are staying safe & well moving into the new year!!

xo | cmd

Be MERRY! : Christmas Day 2013

** backdated, yessum....  

It's HEEEEEEEERE!

Merry, MERRY Christmas, friends, family & blogbots (: I hope today was a phenomenal day for every single one of you. I know I can't complain!

First things first: a good morning Christmas wish phone call from my beautiful little Christmas elf herself. She was back here in Ohio for actual Christmas Day stuff this year, but believe me it won't be over for her until what... like, next week sometime?? Hah. Anyway, that was the perfect Christmas gift; I would've been completely content with just that, but I fortunately am blessed with much more than I would've bargained for this year.

We found ourselves at the first half of Rob's family Christmas for breakfast: it was off to his sister's house to celebrate with his dad, Kate, and his sister's family. His youngest niece Ella is just months older than Sydni; watching her squeal over her Christmas presents was the kiddo-touch to the holiday that I needed, since my minime wasn't here today. So. Cute.

Christmas mice! (:

rob & his family!
dad, stepmom, sister, grandma

♡♡ merry Christmas to my best friend! ♡♡

A couple of hours fell between the two Christmas celebrations, so we took advantage of it to let the dogs out back at home and catch a quick catnap before we headed to his mom's house to celebrate with her, Don & co.

already stuffed full.. relaxing before round 2 of Christmas eats!!

My grandma used to tell us when we were kids, "ya'll made out like bandits in an empty bank!" << That was definitely the case today; we couldn't be more blessed with family and friends to celebrate not just the Christmas holiday, but to support us as we take on some pretty big changes for the new year.

teavana!!!

merry Christmas from solomon the mastiff!

We wrapped things up at his mom's house and the time came to load my car down with whatever we could fit in it for my haul back to Cincinnati. That included one of the furry kids; Stella and I made our little jaunt back to Ohio loaded down with boxes of Rob's things to transfer to the new house. He and Sasha will be here tomorrow after he takes care of a few last minute things in his house for this week.

road trippin' buddy

PHEW. We're home now, unpacked and ready for bed. It's back to work for me tomorrow, so I'm callin' this one a night.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

xo | cmd

Christmas is... TOMORROW!

We were pretty unceremonious about Christmas Eve this year.... but given everything going on, I think we're okay. Aaaaand, Christmas is tomorrow, so really there's nothing to complain about.

Ya know what, I take part of that back. What we did today - cleaning, packing, relaxing in between - was actually a nice change of pace from the usual hustle and bustle of last minute holiday preparations......... and, I got to stay in sweats all day long. I am not complaining about that.

Plus, the pups got some well-deserved quality time hanging with Mom & Dad today. 

sasha & stella ♥♥

For dinner, we met up with Rob's mom & stepdad for a bit before we all headed back home [we'll see them again, tomorrow]. We got right back into pajama mode for a movie night on the couch. The only thing we're missing tonight is my minime, but I know she'll wake up to a Santa-filled Christmas tree tomorrow at her dad's, so I suppose it's okay. Plus, we'll do Christmas and see what Santa brings [again, haha] this weekend at my parents'.

my favorite snugglers!

See you... on CHRISTMAS!

xo | cmd

Best Friend | Sunsets | Bowling

Ali and I missed out yesterday on getting together, but we were determined to make it happen before I left town. Sooooo, we met up this morning at Crackerbarrel for breakfast. It was pretty awesome, but duhhh, of course it is whenever I get to see her!

love you, ali!!!

After breakfast, we ran some quick errands before she had to head in to work, and I found myself back at Rob's for a continued run at some more packing and cleaning up around his house. If you're tuning in for the first time, the update as of now is that he's moving to Ohio and we've been ransacking his house in preparation for the big haul. Fun stuff, right there... :|

.. taking a break ;)

The evening started to creep in, so Rob and I headed off on an errand run, which wound up taking us out to Horseshoe Lake; I was mad at this point that I'd left my camera at the house, but my cell phone did what it could to capture the sunset across the way..

horseshoe lake..

Anyway, it came time for dinner with some other friends, which happened to be at Sushi Tatsu in Fairview.

... For the second night in a row, Rob and I ordered the exact same things from the exact same place. I'm not mad about it, because I love sushi, but it is kind of funny that I just remembered this place yesterday and now we've been twice. Oh well; the second time with friends was way better anway!

Finally, we were off to bowling in O'Fallon; with this bunch, it's never a dull moment!

my love, the pool shark

his & hers ♥

holdin' down the fort for the girls
fil. haley. anna. cori. jesse......... & bobert, haha (:

And of course, we picked the bowling alley with an arcade, so naturally the boys took to it like teenagers... which was just as fun to watch I'm sure as it was for them to do it.

boys will be boys!

yes.. yes, they will. haha

We're in the fiiiiinal countdown to Christmas. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and thennnnn... Christmas! (:

For now, good night, blogbots!

xo | cmd