"Woot WOOOOT!"

Because I had to...
["Mik-Mik-Mik-Mik-MIKE!!"]


... & because Rob sent me this earlier this morning:

[Love him. The camel, too, but I meant Rob. Love him more ♥]

Today was in fact hump day... the good ol' mid-week that took its sweet little time passing by. On the bright side, tomorrow is Thursday and then it's Friday and then I head to Columbus with Sydni to celebrate her cousin Madison's 4th birthday! I'm not complaining, at all. It even rained some during the day; I never really know if it's raining or not out where I live, but... I thought perhaps volleyball would've somehow been spoiled.

Not even!

Kalyn & Keif were at the Reds game tonight off tickets that KP's dad bought, not realizing we had vollyball on Wednesdays, but it's okay. Beth recruited her friend Meg, and I somehow guilted Ladd to stand in as well, and our half-sub team did some WORK! We put up a couple WINS, so that's always a plus, too [Thanks, Ladd & Meg for standing in!].

OH.. and while all of that is just.. champion stuff, the most critical thing I wanted to post today was that Ryan & Octavian's surgery, aka that "Creccianu" [dubbed from a combination of their last names] yesterday was a success, and at this point the recovery is looking fantastic.

loveloveloveLOVE this!! [check out ryan's shirt!]

carrie & molly
happy birthday!

Amen? AMEN.

Also, happy birthday to the cutest pair of twins I've ever known.. and fellow adoptees, Molly & Carrie! I hope today's been fantastic for you girls! [& Congrats again Molly, on your engagement!!]

Today's pretty much been an awesome day. I topped it off with a Skype date with Rob, which has been a saving grace lately; I have no idea why we didn't think of this a couple of months ago, but it's been a recent thing and it's working out great. We're down to eight days until he comes to visit!!

We are all so blessed, all the way around.
I'll dream on that note, tonight (:

xo | cmd

Going Away Party : Part 1

My going-away "festivities" began today. As I sit here at the end of the day, all I can is that I feel incredibly blessed and thankful for these people.

I thought I'd share just a couple of highlights from today.

For this week, I've been booted out of my old desk so that MB could move into the "neighborhood," and have been shacking up temporarily at Matt's desk on the other side of the divider. With this arrangement, I can no longer see anyone on the other side, but I sure as Sam can hear them. The conversations haven't changed, but I realized today how funny it is when you can only hear people that you're used to seeing as well. In NO way poking fun at the visually impaired, I made the comment that this is how it must be sometimes to be blind. I looked over at Ali, who was trying to absorb what it would be like.......... with her eyes shut ;). We got a giggle out of it, because obviously if you can't see with your eyes open, you don't need to them shut to get the same effect.. haha.


"how blind people listen???"

We agreed earlier last week that the destination for all things going-away would be Edison's, down the street from our office in Edwardsville. We toted ourselves there after work, sans Linda or MB due to family stuff [you.were.MISSED!], but added Jay & Rob to balance it out. Edison's, as always, didn't disappoint.

mmmm.. edison's! | edwardsville, il

My FOC-slash-best friend..... was there, of course.... (: Jay came along, too, but of course we didn't think to grab a picture. I have no good excuse. Sorry :( :( :(

love her, to the moon & back!!

And the boyfriend... who made the trip straight from work in O'Fallon... because he is amazing like that...

adore.

Once we thoroughly exhausted our welcome at Edison's, the party disbanded and went our separate ways; Rob and I headed over to Ali's house for about an hour so that I could say a farewell to Padre Lackey, DeShawn and Tim. DeShawn, with whom I also failed to get a picture, got me the first of my favorite going-away gifts, ever..... and I love it, and I'm wearing it tomorrow, and the END! ;) 

whooooooo has terrific friends! [me. that's who. me.]
thank you, damanji!!!

Ali also got me a picture frame... that I love love & love.... I'll show you that tomorrow, because the happy stock family in it now, despite their joyous marketing-appropriate smiles, are nothing that will stick around ;)

*Sigh. Tomorrow's the potluck at the office, which will include everyone who couldn't make the dinner tonight. It'll be a bittersweet day, that's for sure.... but I'm going to be thankful this entire journey happened, rather than be mad that it's over. How ... bout... that.

See you in the mornin'!

xo | cmd

HBD! : The Greenes & Miss Madison

August is definitely one of the heaviest months for birthdays for my dear friends and family! My dad and cousin, niece, and many of my friends have birthdays throughout the Leo month and I wish I could be everywhere all at once to help them celebrate :)

Today goes out to a little munchkin who I just cannot wait to see again! My cousin Maricor's little bean turns THREE today, and I am oh-so-stinkin'-bummed that I'm not there to party til the cake is gone with her. I sound like an old geezer when I say that it "seems like just yesterday" when my cousin called a still-very-pregnant-me to tell me she was headed into the hospital. Hours later we had pictures of beautiful baby Madison, and were fortunate enough for at the least the first year and a half to have some quality time for her and Sydni to spend together. Not that they'll remember that, but we certainly will :).

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY,
BEAUTIFUL MADISON!!



growin' like a weed!
baby madison | syd & mad shopping ;) | big girl!

Today also goes out to my beautiful friend Whitney back in Ohio [and coincidentally her older sister Meg, too! 4 years apart.. but still funny]. As it goes with all of my darling gal pals from back home, she is dearly missed by me and I look forward to seeing her again sometime hopefully soon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WHITNEY!!!
[[and Meg, too!!]]

loves loves loves.... whit!

^ Oh, and just in case you're wondering, that center picture is in fact a floorset at Pac Sun, during our run there as managers.. Pac Sun After Hours, if you will... when those stupid face hoodies were first shipped to us - we decided Manny the Mannequin was looking a bit lonely so we took a picture for his ... Myspace, because it was like 2007 and that was the fad then.. I think. Haha. Goodness I miss her. Haha.

As for me - well, today's been packed to the brim with absolutely nothing except chores. Riveting, right? Well... yenno.. I'm a wild one these days. It's gonna be an early night, too. Man. I'm outta control.

xo | cmd

Front Page Fame?

And the Dills name goes live worldwide in 3...2...1 :
The first challenge Joe gave me when he came home from work this morning was,

Guess who was on the front page of Yahoo! last night.

-- No idea?

A short blurb of background info for you:

<< This is Joe's cousin. She's a model, semi-famous at that. This is who was on the front page of Yahoo! last night. As the every-day folk that we are, it's a little surreal to see someone we know, let alone a relative posted up on the front page of article highlights. 

I realize that little article there is pretty dinky, but if you follow the Yahoo! newsfeeds, you've already seen it. I personally, was amused if nothing else. We'll leave it at that; interpret how you will... :)

Oh, and on an unrelated sidenote, here's another gem of comparable interest we saw today:



chevy lincolns - rare breed.



Yeahhhh.



It's clearly been a uniquely *classy* day.

"Nite." 

xo | cmd