25 Days [Future Husband]

Today was a pretty busy day, not with anything particularly memorable, other than it marks exactly 25 days until my wedding!

Don't worry folks, I'll soon be done with wedding talk, but for now...

♥ him! 

He's my person, my better half and soon-to-be sharer of his last name ♥.
I.. can't... wait.

Cheers!

xo | cmd 

T-Minus FOUR MONTHS: The Bridal Gals

Ya'll..... we're down to FOUR MONTHS on the dot. Whoaaa! 

#tribe!

I thought it appropriate for the four-month countdown marker to take a brief second and introduce ya'll to the ladies who'll be by my side in October when Rob and I tie the knot. This isn't relevant info for a lot of you, I know, but I'm proud to call these women part of my tribe, so it's a credit-where-due thing.. just bear with me! 

Drum rollllllll...

Ladies & Gentlemen... My TRIBE! 

Maricor | Matron of Honor

If you have one of those friends that can make you laugh over something just by making eye contact, then you'll get [for the most part] the relationship I have with Maricor. Oh, and she's my cousin, so there's that, too. She's one of my first and oldest friends, and she compliments me in the areas where I fall short. Sometimes I look back on our lives together and apart - we've never managed to live in the same city for more than 6 months, I laugh at how long it took me to realize that she led a parallel life oftentimes to mine so that I would have someone to lean on to justify or reason through whatever emotions, joy, doubt and fear I may've had along the way. There's not a single life milestone that seems to go by without sharing it with her, and I'm not about to start now! Cousin, best friend, makeup artist extraordinaire. The list goes on and on, but in October, she'll be my matron of honor and I'm so proud to have her up there.

Becky | Maid of Honor 

This woman's had my back since I was a freshman in college, and she hasn't stopped since. There are role models and good examples, and then there's Becky. It's rare to say that a single person has legitimately, literally saved your life, but I can say that about her, and to this day I will owe her more that I'd ever be able to express in a single blog entry. She was a guardian angel for me through the unusual college experience I had, and hasn't stopped being there for me since then. We've shared plenty of laughter, an equal amount of tears and heartache and a mutual love for prayer and of the great wide wilderness to heal and rehabilitate the soul afterwards. From long talks as we hiked our way over miles of the Appalachian Trail, to the backyard camping outings at your parents', I am not the same person I was before, but a much better one after. I owe her so much more than a spot in my bridal party, but for now, I hope she'll make do with Matron of Honor.

Heidi | Bridesmaid

What's better than being adopted? Having a sister who's also adopted! One of the things that weighs often on the psyche of adopted kids is that gray what if? area that hasn't and won't ever be answered about what our alternative life would've been like if we'our home countries, families, cultures had been all we'd ever known. Biologically, I was born into a family of double digit sibling count; as an adopted child, I was raised an only child. There was always a subtle ache that couldn't be quite thoroughly appeased... until Heidi. She is more my sister than I could imagine anyone being, from the way we think, to the way we agree on nail polish colors and how to hand wash dishes. She amazes me with her youthful, carefree but discerning approach to life that I often envy, and am constantly impressed at how she embraces the simplest beauty around her. To top it off, she's raised 3 children to adulthood without strangling any of them [or herself], and I am just.. taking notes for the future ;) I love you, sister, and I am honored to have you up there with me! 

Marianne | Bridesmaid

Yes, I was a tomboy growing up. I had my dolls, yes, and my dresses and my sparkly nail polish. What I also had was a neighborhood and family brimming with boys and boy things, from dirt and worms to battle-scarred action figures, Barbies missing hair & limbs, every Nerf toy created in the 90's and a healthy track record of scrapes, bruises and unexplained grass stains. I envied the girls who had lots of other girl friends, and awhile I had a few good ones throughout high school, I really never got it when it came to girls and their tribes. Marianne is most definitely part of my tribe. I've learned so much in the short 4+ years now that I've known  her, about overcoming adversity as a woman, recovering from the deep, dark emotional wounds as a human, and relentlessly pursuing your life's dreams in the way of someone you'd want your children looking up to. Whether it's that 8th cup of coffee we're both on, or a 10-mile hike through the woods with only our cameras making conversation, she's helped me grow as a person and realize that I am enough for exactly who I am and who I am not. Bridesmaid? I think so! 

Kalyn | Bridesmaid

There's a chapter of my life that many of you already know is very much closed in many ways, and I have no interest in revisiting it. Though it's a season of my life well-respected for the hard-fought lessons I learned as a result, there were some absolute trophies I gained from it. Sydni, of course being the biggest, but a friendship forged that I've treasured since the day it started. Kalyn is the free spirit, fiercely devoted sister/daughter to her family, creative genius and fun-loving center of attention that never fails to unite the like-minded for a good time. We laugh a lot over the happenings, the drama, the irony and mostly the characters in that closed chapter [yeah, it's closed for both of us.. haha], but looking back at it, again, I know the road back to finding myself would've been a lot harder without her. She's an adventurer, so much like the other phenomenal women I'm proud to call my tribe; she loves the outdoors, can climb anything in the gorge & beyond, and will be there when you need her. This may not be our cross-country road trip from Ohio to Phoenix, but it'll be a party on its own in October & I'm super pumped to have her as a bridesmaid!

Brittany | Bridesmaid

Not only is she Kalyn's sister, she's one of my favorite women! It seems some days like it's been ages since her wedding, when I was honored to stand with her and Wayne as they exchanged vows. Other days it feels like it was just last weekend! I don't see this gal nearly as much as I wish I could, but that's only because she's four states away making big moves and showing South Carolina what a woman in charge can bring to the office! She's paving her career and chasing her dreams as a successful business woman, wife and southern belle! I love Brittany because she's that perfect mixture of someone who remembers her roots and embraces everything new that comes her way. She was the girl who came back from a shattered wrist and provided me encouragement and humor while I recovered from a shattered collarbone. She's the witty, sassy, organized friend that every girl needs and wants, but is rarely fortunate enough to have. It was a true blessing and a terrific time being a part of her wedding party, and I can't wait to have her as part of mine as a bridesmaid! 

Ali | Bridesmaid

Oh goshhh.. Last, but far from being least! Ali is my favorite Ginger, for reasons that far exceed the obvious fact that she is in fact a redhead. I met Ali through work, and the rest is history. I'm a firm believer that the people in our lives are put there for one of three distinct reasons: to teach us something, to become a permanent part of our lives, or to introduce us to things and/or other people that then become permanent fixtures. Ali is all three of those. She has a heart on fire for Christ; the strength and resolve of her faith and hope are admirable, and for that alone I have an enormous amount of respect for her. As a friend, she's been miles away from me for a couple of years now, but never further than a text or a phone call. She's candid, honest and tells me what I need to hear in instances where most people would just slide by telling me what I want to hear. We've built an impressive foundation in the short time I've known her [what, like going on 5 years now?], but I couldn't imagine life without, and that's precisely why I couldn't imagine this life moment without her.

Maricor, my cousin. 

Becky, my advisor. 

Heidi, my sister. 

Marianne, my soul sister. 

Kalyn, my fellow wanderluster. 

Brittany, my professional goal. 

Ali, my ginger counterpart! 

Assembling the ideal troop of equally-bizarre, quirky and absolutely wonderful in their own individual ways women was an easier concept to imagine than to execute for me -- or so I thought. Now that I'm here, staring down the last 4 months of pre-wedding everything, I can't envision doing this without these women and the rest of the our family and friends who've supported us so far and so much. These ladies are incredibly dear to my heart, and while they're not the only ones I would coin as such, I am truly and immeasurably grateful that they will be standing by me in October. ♥

Four. Months. To. Go.
Whoa.

xo | cmd 

January 2015

I realized on Friday that this blog I've been neglecting for the past several months is more than just an outlet for me to bore an occasionally-engaged reading audience.

Isn't that somethin'? 
This isn't the first time I've relied on my blog to answer my own questions: 'what DID I do that day?,' or 'When WAS that thing?' It's been a while since I've need affirmation that's of any real significance other than satisfying a curious gap in my recall. Given that I haven't updated this thing recently, I'll just swallow the irritation weeks from now when I ask the same question but can't answer it from a blog reference. Meh.

Anyway, the end of 2015 was the beginning of the time Rob and I decided to be real adults and take our first steps down the road of home-buying. Neither of us have done this before, but apparently part of the process entails the mortgage company asking you for the last few years of your work history. No biggie, right? Well, no... unless you've worked for a franchise installments of the same corporate company for the past 6 years but they need to have specific dates. #AdultingIsTimestamped

I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast 5 hours ago. What I can do, is my due diligence to myself not just for the primary purpose of journaling, but for the the side benefit of revisiting any given day in as much vivid detail as I cared to use in scribing what was still fresh in my mind. And, as you may have guessed, I was able to hunt down the exact dates of my first and last days with each of my franchise installments, all from referencing my dear, recently-neglected blog.

I didn't make any real "New Years' Resolutions," because I figured making it through this year with our sanity and with at least a few bucks in our pockets after buying a house, going on a mission trip and getting married.... is a medium-term goal that speaks for itself. It's now January 24th; this month is almost over and I've decided I not only want, but need, for myself, to keep this blog from going on vacation. December will be here before we know it: Willing God's plan allows - We'll have a house, Sydni will be in 2nd grade, we will have gone to and returned from a second week of missions in the mountains of Panama and I'll have celebrated my final holidays under my maiden name. This of all years, makes sense to keep my blog afloat.

THAT BEING SAID:

Our first week of January included the viewing of and offer-making on what we're praying will be the fifth and final search result houses. We uncapped our pens and started practicing our signatures, not just for the house, but also for our wedding photographer! We agreed that the new year would usher in more intentional efforts of planning this wedding, so when I reconnected with one of my dear hometown childhood friends who now has her own photography business, I knew it was a golden opportunity.

Yep, it's KARA!

circa soccer '99 

kara & her hubby matt now!
right photo cred: tracie maglosky / tracie jean photo

I am so daggone excited to see this gal, especially since she'll be in a few days earlier for the pre-festivity fun. Who knew? 

Week 2 of January: 

More house stuff, including the initiation of real paperwork, negotiation and questions. My work, which I haven't touched yet in this entry, took another dive into change, as one of my fellow staffing consultants left the business, and I reabsorbed a double workload that I'll carry [again] until we hire a replacement. Prayer warriors, I won't be mad if you could spare a little extra for this one.. :) It's not the end of the world. We'll be okay.. but just a little extra encouragement would be nice. Oh, and I spent the week sick, with two days as a complete mute, thanks to a small tango with laryngitis. But the show must go on... 

Week 3 of January: 

Ever have one of those weeks that just doesn't feel.... calibrated? Although I'm pretty sure that it's just that stage of readjustment that comes with a shift in activity at work, given that we spend at or over 40 hours each week together at work, it's not a surprise that any disrupt can ripple out across the team and even individually. At home, it felt like nothing was getting done, and the signing of our loan paperwork doubled as an exciting and equally-unnerving experience. It stamps the progression of this process, but amplifies the other stuff that's still temporary: our current residence, and more central - the looming task of cleaning and moving out. Haha. This will be the last time. Breathe, repeat.

That brings us to this weekend! 

family dinner for mom's birthday! 

Friday consisted of us cleaning the house. And by cleaning, I mean detailing Sydni's room, along with the rest of the house, in preparation for our special weekend guests. Laundry was done, small presents were wrapped, and dinner reservations for the following night were confirmed. Pajamas were donned and an early bedtime was surprisingly accepted without contest under just the mere thought of Nana and Pappy arriving in the morning. 

Saturday came in with the sunrise: We are among the fortunate this weekend who were not buried up to our eyeballs and then some in multiple feet of snow and ice. My parents had a smooth drive to [& from] up north to visit with us, and we were able to rendezvous with our realtor Tiffany, so they could get a first look at what is almost certainly the new house. 

Nope, there won't be any pictures yet... oh, the suspense! ;) 

... I'm just kidding; I know nobody really cares that much. Le sigh.. 

Anyway, it was no surprise that they loved the new place, and frankly, I can't wait to have my mom's help with decorating. We finished our quick visit at the new digs, and headed back home for an afternoon relaxing: Dad & Rob watched golf, Sydni played and ready with Nana and I enjoyed being right in the middle of it all. 

The evening came, and we headed out the door to Seasons 52, where a 7:00 reservation in a carved out corner booth greeted us with a team of smiling servers and a bottle of Wrongo Dongo to get the night started. Between the food, the company and the fun that's never absent from a gathering with my parents, I'm confident this was one of the best birthdays we've orchestrated for Mom in a while. 

Whoa, did I just get on Mom's level?!?

- Okay, no... not quite I don't think... but hey, I was definitely in the zone today and felt more like my mom than I do most other days ;). 

So Saturday was a wrap, with delicious food, spirit and memories under our belt, we headed home to unwind for the evening. What I always forget though, is that although we may annually celebrate mom turning another physical year older, there is nothing OLD about this woman. 

These two... hahah. Gosh I love them. 
Today, was church [which was incredible, btw] with the family, followed by Mom making us one of her signature brunch menu's. They were soon on the road back to Mt. Vernon, leaving us with a leisure day ahead of us.  Well, with soccer, of course. USWNT friendly game vs. Ireland? I think so :).  With so many new faces to watch, I have to say I'm looking forward to rabidly cheering on the USA through this year and their next road to the Olympics! #USWNT!

It's been a beautiful weekend and I'm ready to see what this next week will bring. Even with just one more blog under my belt, I feel a bit more like I'm back in my element and yeahhhh, that's good :).  Phew,  Happy weekend, ya'll. It's the last week of January at our fingertips, and I think it's gonna be a good week.  Seeeee you there!  xo | cmd

Namaste .... & Eat Pizza ;)

This came today!

squeeeeeee!! 

It really doesn't take much to excite this girl. Not only is this tank pretty awesome by design alone, it's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn, and when I become a billionaire, my closet will be filled with these things. Goals, amiright? Psshhh...

I spent the day enlightened by this little shirt and its message; the evening brought even more joy as we gathered in Oakley with Becky and Mike for dinner at Dewey's. We came home with full bellies and smiles. 

We're on day one; it's a good week so far! 

xo | cmd

IT'S BEGINNINGGGGGGG: #RCSTOKES2016

Today's completed agenda: 

1. Job fair during the day with Elisa! 

naglene was there, too ;) 

It was a successful day of hiring, as it usually is when we partner with our career fair affiliates, and just another reminder of why I love what I do! 

2. Volleyball! GUYS, the outdoor courts are officially OPEN!!! Grand Sands is one of those places most-enjoyable when it's beautiful outside and the same and sun can be found at the same time :). 

grand sands! | loveland, oh 

3. Home from volleyball, it was time to dig into a few things for neeeeeext year...... 

These are going out here in a few days, and once I have a little more to share, I will ♥

All in all, no complaints from today! I hope your day was just as beautiful as mine, if not more! 

xo | cmd 

And It Begins!

Let this be NOTED... that for the first time in.... EVER, Rob and I have together started planning something IN ADVANCE.

Yes, I know the date we've just tentatively chosen is something close to 20 months from now, but one of my resolves from yesterday is to pace myself, and to act with patience and purpose, combined. That being said, the fact that we've identified a date for ourselves is a hugely monumental accomplishment for me. So yeah.

!!!!

On top of that, we've identified our intended bridal party. With hopes that that won't change in the next 20 months, either, we're pretty certain that those things are now taken care of. 

From here on out, the planning's going to come in increments, so for now, I would greatly appreciate any and all prayers for the process and for us as we cover the ground in between and prepare for the commitment of spending the rest of our lives with each other. 

Oh, and from the planning standpoint, let's keep it light-hearted! 

;) 

Cheers to love, patiences & lots+lots of Pinteresting! 

xo | cmd