Twin Bdays | Deacon Meetings | Volleyball

It has been a DAY!

First off, it's the first day of JULY [holy cow, already??]. More importantly, it's the birthday of a dear friend of mine, who happens to be my old roommate, who also happens to be a twin. Yay, double birthdays! I still remember when she couldn't quite cooerce her duo partner to get a tattoo on their 25th birthday [heh], but I know they are celebrating in style today.

roomies ♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to my former roomie TRISHA & her twinnie LAURA!!

These two are ADORABLE. HBD!! ♥



i told you they were adorable, didn't i??
trisha & laura

Here in IL, the Dills did Sunday in our own style: church and a deacon's meeting afterwards. We got an early start and stopped by for a special breakfast out with little miss; she just insisted on dancing with Daddy in the parking lot before we drove over to church. She's been on a Disney kick lately [parents, nod your heads... you know], so she made it clear that Daddy was Beast and she was Belle for their little sache out on the pavement.

beast & belle.... & beauty brands outside bread co. ;)

Like I mentioned, we had a deacon's meeting immediately after church; Joe is being considered as the next potential staff member, perhaps at a limited capacity for now, but ultimately with the goal of Associate/Assistant Pastor. We met at Bandana's [because if we're gonna eat, we're gonna EAT] to discuss things, and left with the decision resting in the hands of the current board of deacons. We'll hear the final verdict here soon, but we are okay with whatever timing God's gonna lay on this one. (:



syd @ bandana's

The kids had fun, too. Very funny ;)



loralye's rendition of the dills fam ;) hehehe.. notice joe!

After quite an eventful morning, we took advantage of some down time with family-wide naps and lounging around before Joe took off with Sydni to Jarod's to help Alex & his dad move the bathtub out of the house. I'm telling you, that place will be whipped into shape before we know it; they're doing a great job! I got ready to head to volleyball, and made my way over to Clayton without a hitch. It was great seeing the SM folks again and laughing myself stupid by the end of the evening. Good times.



SMMU volleyball time!

these people... haha.. love 'em. post vball @ bw3

Yeeeeeks, it's late. I've gotta be up bright and early for work tomorrow, so I'm gonna bid this one adieu.

Hasta mañana (:

xo | cmd

2012: A NOT-to-do List

Dear 2012,

Heya. Nice to see you.
Bring it on. :)

Love,
Cori

It's January 1st, folks! Whoa. It still hasn't fully registered with me that I'll be writing 2012 on everything I date at work now. Oh well. I'll eventually make habit of that minuscule change, but more importantly, I'll embrace this new year, and every opportunity I'll have within it to seize each day :).



the page girls



First, I wanted to wish both Miss Kathy K. & Adam Page a very happy birthday! I would love to have a January 1st birthday - I'd have all kinds of motivation for re-vamping my life every year ;), hah. Anyway, we celebrated this afternoon with a late lunch at Bandanas to celebrate. We had a blast! Happy New Year, and Happy Birthday!!

Today at church, my pastor gave us a message on approaching the 'new year' from an agle with a bit more depth than the traditional resolution. I don't know why I hadn't ever thought of it this way, but perhaps that's why my ears were opened today to a new, refreshing perspective.

my [silly]  loves. they deserve my all in 2012 ♥

I know that yesterday, I gave a list of just 5 fairly broad goals I wouldn't mind accomplishing by the next time December 31st rolls around. Don't get me wrong, I would be thrilled to cross the finish line of another marathon, to obtain professional advance, and maybe even add to my family. Fitness and health are always a priority; our bodies are vessels and therefore required to be respected. Of course, I absolutely plan to get more involved with my church; if one or more of those things are in God's plan for me, then I have no doubt they will happen. What I didn't add, was a list of things I plan on NOT doing in 2012. As I left church this morning, I thought to myself, "Duh, Cori. Isn't that just as important, if not more?"

Well, of course it is. From where I'm sittin', there's a slew of things I could identify in my life that don't need renovation, they need removed, completely. I figured I'd start by sharing some of those things. This will be a running list, so expect to see additions over the course of this year. I'm not numbering these, because there shouldn't be a priority of one over the other. Hold me accountable, yeah?

--*--

NOT-to-do, 2012

- Prioritize anything work, home, or family-related over my one-on-one time in the Word.
- Deny grace to anyone, regardless of circumstance, deed, or perspective.

- Speak brashly, out of anger or frustration towards my husband or child.

- Turn away from an opportunity to share the greatest news of all, no matter how uncomfortable.

- Take for granted of any relationships with which I've been blessed - family, friends, or colleagues.

- Take for granted the moments with my daughter.

- Make excuses for not going after the things I want.

- Hold a grudge, for any reason.

- [Piggyback] Refuse to accept the path God chooses, even if it is steep, rocky, and solitary.

--*--

That's just a start. I'll be the first to tell you that it's not easy to admit that every single thing on that list is to some degree a shortcoming in my life, perhaps not over my entire life, but at the very least at some point in 2011. I don't often wear my heart on my sleeve, but I felt led to put these on paper. It's not going to be easy, but even that shouldn't be a shock to me. The realest walk with the Lord promises that there will be struggles in this temporary life.

My pastor asked us a question today:

Why should we give our lives on purpose to the realization of God's purpose for us?

Answer:

The home we have secured in Heaven is our home for all of eternity. Our lives here on earth are the single, ONLY chance to fight, wholly, on behalf of our Lord & Saviour.

There's not much else to say after that. :)
My one, solid resolution for this year is to adhere to that list, and add to it as I'm reminded.


happy 2012!



I'm still Cori. I'm still a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. I'm still an athlete, colleague, and friend. I'm still blemished, and I'm still undeserving of each blessing I have. I'm still goofy, and I still laugh at myself. My prayer for 2012 is for the wisdom to recognize the plan He has written for me, the courage to share His ultimate plan with those around me, the humility to understand when my choices are not part of the plan, and the perseverance to get back up when I fall flat on my face. :)

All right, kiddies. Happy New Year.
Let's get started!

xo | cmd