To Easton We Go!

Dear Future Self: 

It's late in the evening, and I'm still smiling as I think of the day we just had. It wasn't anything huge, but it was everything to have had it, anyway. I hope that on a dark day somewhere down the road, you'll look back at today, in all its simple perfection, and remember how much love you felt today. 

Love, 

Your Present Self. 

**********************************

My mom's birthday was last Sunday, but since we can't be in six places at once, I wished her happy birthday over the phone. We decided mid-week that the weather would be just fine for us to meet up for lunch in Easton, which is just barely an hour drive for them. 

Oh, and in case you haven't been in Columbus in the past 15 years, the answer is yes, we are STILL under construction. 

I'd forgotten how ridiculous parking at Easton is on a Saturday, but we finally made it to the restaurant to meet up with Mom.  

could she be any more adorable?!

happy birthday, mom!

Since we were at Brio, Sydni got to have some fun of her own: 

And entertainment: 

^ I can't handle this girl ;) 

Anyway, more fun from mom's birthday lunch and trek around Easton: 

3 generations ;) 

gosh, these two... 

hahahaha

dad!

i may be partial, but i'm sure my mom is the cutest! 

so. much. love.

After lunch and a quick stroll around Easton, Sydni and I headed another 15 minutes north to stop in and say hi to Maricor.. 

cousin time! 

We're back home now, and with another good Whole30 dinner under my belt, I think this was a pretty good way to wind down the day. A friend of mine just got tattoo #1 tonight, so now I'll be on Pinterest for the next definitely-unhealthy-length-of-time digging around mandala elbow pieces.. because I'm the type of addict who can't bear hearing about it without also going to get one.. haha. 

All ideas welcomed. For now, as Iliza puts it, "PINPINPINPINPINPIN"

Happy Saturday, blogbots.

xo | cms

Buon Compleanno, Mamma!

IT'S MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY! 

look at that hair! ;) 

I'm not the kid that can say she and her mom have always been best friends. We fought a lot in my formative years, but here's the deal: she didn't then, hasn't since and I'm fairly certain never will not have my back. She's fought for me every day of my life, even before I was born (because yenno, adoption). She made sacrifices I can't imagine making, to be sure that the child she chose - not birthed - would have a well-rounded life. She invested in me with everything she had, and even though we can agree now that the good intentions didn't always hit their mark, they were there. Even when I felt most alone growing up, she was there. She is always, always there.

I wanted to say some things about her - my mom. 

The first of those things is this: My mom is  not the perfect mom. She never has been. She won't ever be. HOWEVER, the fact remains that she started that journey almost an entire year after her child was born. If you're anything other than blind, you've understood that I'm adopted; by definition alone that means that I am not her biological-born, and so the choices she made on my behalf were, in my eyes, just that much more intentional. She had none of it figured out when I got here. She didn't have to. My mom is the type of person who shines even brighter after moments of failure or mistake. I've never met anyone who so thoroughly uses a setback as an opportunity to do and be better on the next chance. That's been a hallmark of her personality for as long as I've known her, and from what I hear from my family, long before that. 

Another thing: My mom is the epitomy of the finite balance between endless positivity and an almost annoying air caution. I don't know how she achieves both so fully. She chooses to find the light in everything, even if that light is a buried underdog in the battle. In the same breath, she's warning me to check my fruits and vegetables for pesticides and not to use toxic chemicals when I clean the areas my pets and family might use. She has an unwavering smile through it all, as though the sun being out in the sky is the best thing since the sun existing in the first place. 

And then.. she's been the logistics coordinator and structural brain of our family for years, and is still somehow hilariously and adorably aloof. 2017 was the year she and my dad finally emerged from the leashes of FLIP PHONES, and went straight to smart phones. I now get to hear her say things like, "Oh, I just love the Google." 

Us too, Mom. Us too. 

If ever there was a non-celebrity human being who invested herself into the well-being of others around her before herself, it's my mom. She's a professional samaritan, which by proxy is likely one of the biggest contributors to her endless supply of joy. Oh, and if you've known my mom for more than 5 minutes, you'll know that that compassion is distributed in this order: Animals, Family, Food (aka, for everyone else). Those legends you hear about animal activists in the 70's with clipboard petitions to save caged pigeons are not just tall tales. That was her, in all her Farrah hair and bell-bottom prime. She channeled that into 20+years as the president of our hometown humane society, and has every ounce of credit for surrounding me with vets, trainers and breed advocates who taught me the fundamentals of animal well-being. I assisted in my first hands-on feline spaying surgery when I was 9, and was pulling rounds of deer ticks off stray dogs for multiple-hour sessions in my garage by the age of 11. I could recite the foster-to-adopt program by heart before I finished middle school, and it's because my mom was (is!) so passionate about any creature - 2 or 4+ legged, who don't have their own voice. 

Lastly (for purposes of this blog, but certainly not lastly in general), my mom is HAPPY. She is happy with the life she's built, with what she's lost and what she's gained. The joy that is in her eyes isn't fake. It's not forced. It's there because she obliged her passion for adventure and loving others. For being a part of a community, a family, a business, or an excursion. She's happy because the things she's poured herself into were not always rewarding, but then when they were, it was tenfold. She is happy because she has surrounded herself with people who share her beliefs and her passions, and who continue to encourage and keep her accountable to her goals. And she's happy because she still has goals. My mom is genuinely happy with her life and what it has given and continues to give her. Our running joke is that she'll be the one still riding her bike 13 miles a day at 212 years old, when we're long gone. I mean, it's unlikely, but we'll see ;). 

Mom, you deserve every bit of love and light today. I love you to the moon & back.

Happy Birthday ♥

xo  | cms

35 Years Strong

January 2, 1982:

Rick & Sandy got married. 

They got married. They chose to commit their entire lives to the sacrifice, service & love of the other, vowing to put everything they had, into them. 

These are two people that adopted a little orphaned girl from the other side of the world. They have loved outside of themselves since before they were even they, and I became the product of a love that was willing to reach across oceans. 

These are two people who diligently played their respective roles as responsible adults in a world that could have caved in at any point. At one point, for him, it did, in a way. They fought tirelessly not to maintain a lifestyle, but to prove to the world and to themselves that they would not be broken, swayed or ill-manipulated. They lived life not perfectly, but honestly and with heart. 

These are two people who gave, and gave, and gave.. and then gave some more to those around them. And they haven't stopped! They delight in service, and find joy when they have played a part in enhancing the world around them for the benefit of someone else. 

These are two people who love all creatures, and believe in loving everything in exactly the season they've found it - whether it be a person in a dark season, or a sick animal. They have loved unconditionally, they have restored, and they have accepted. 

These are two people whose resolve to live clean, and be healthy. Their bodies are in no way reflective of what the number on paper says. They are diligent, dedicated and accountable in ways that are contagious to those around them. 

These are two people whose faith precedes them. They have been shown firsthand that where there is a will, there is a way, and that HIS will is always the best way. They have allowed themselves to be taught, mentored and loved in faith. 

And these are two people who today are celebrating 35 years of everything that is them: The beautiful moments and the ones that terrified them into sleepless nights filled with tears prayers. These are my parents, and these are two of undoubtedly the most phenomenal people I will ever know. 

Happy Anniversary, you two. May love always win ♥

xo | cmd

Happy 29, Best Friend

We have this human tendency when something goes wrong, to focus only on the parts that went sour. I'm guilty of having done this over the past 3 days, with this whole accident thing: 

Rob's injured, and in pain. 

We're 5 hours from home. 

We're holed up in either a hotel or hospital room all day. 

The bike is wrecked. 

We've spent a lot of money on this already. 

We're both missing work. 

When really, while those are legitimate concerns, they should be only be part one of TWO: 

Rob's injured, and in pain... but he is alive.
We're 5 hours from home... but with friends and family to keep watch while we're gone.
We're holed up in either a hotel or hospital room all day... but we are together.

The bike is wrecked... but it is salvageable.  

We've spent a lot of money on this already... but we have saved and will not struggle. 

We're both missing work... but we have jobs that understand the situation.

So today, we spent the morning packing up our hotel room, checked out of said hotel room, and headed back to the medical center to prepare for the day's outpatient surgery. I have to admire hospital staff for their compassion and patience with people like Rob [and very much so myself as well, in these circumstances], who try but don't succeed at hiding the fear of anesthesia, surgery, blades and that unknown gap that comes from being unconscious.

pre-surgery

They wheeled him back for surgery, and I sat patiently in the waiting room, praying for steady doctor's hands and a seamless procedure. The sigh of relief came about an hour later when Dr. Carlson appeared in the waiting area to tell me it went exactly as planned and that Rob was in recovery. 

We are given every single new day and every moment of that day not because we deserve it, but because there is grace and mercy. By the miracles of modern medicine and the exacted training of doctors and surgery technicians, we are able to be put to sleep and awoken again at bidding. Through it all, we are held safe in the protection of God's hand, because He does not leave nor forsake us, even for a minute. It's incredible. 

post-surgery

And that was that. Rob came back to the real world, the sleepy parts of his brain falling back into a conscious step with one another, until he was ready to journey downstairs. We ate lunch in the cafeteria, filled his final prescription, and then loaded into the car for the 4.5-hour ride home. 

heading home! 

beautiful view along the way! 

The first thing we saw upon pulling up to the house was that someone had taken the initiative to mow the lawn. There were about 3 options in my head of who that could've been, but before I could fully process them, the most obvious - and obviously correct choice came walking out of my front door, right between my parents. Becky, you are a saving grace and one of the best friends I think I've ever had.

My parents and Sydni were elated to see us, and Mom wasted no time getting down to business on the dinner she'd prepared in advance as a way to welcome us home and alleviate the burden of cooking dinner on top of a 5-hour drive. They truly are amazing.

Sydni is heading back up to Mt. Vernon with my parents tomorrow, and Rob will stay here and relax. I'll head back to work [finally], and we'll continue on with our week as scheduled.

For now, I'm off to volleyball, because the world doesn't stand still for long, and I've got a game to play :).

Happy 29th birthday to my best friend.. and good night to you, dear blogbots!

xo | cmd

Family Fun Day!

Nana and Pappy are heeeeere!!
And Sydni's here, too! After her mini getaway with my parents, the three of them returned to our house today.

Before that, Rob and I were busy bees, running errands and cramming in some last minute tasks.

i got arrested.... [just kidding!!!] 

 ^ Meanwhile, at Wal-Mart [I mean, are any of us that surprised?] The poor couple of elderly ladies parked next to me had something or someone scrape the back corner of their car, damaging both the paint and the body work. :(

I wish I could've referred them to my next destination, where I met up with Rob and his boss Chip, where they were transferring a motor for Chip's boat.

boat motor! 

It wasn't long before all the errands were wrapped up and we were home, cleaned up and awaiting the arrival of Syd and my parents.

And then.. they were here!!

look at this little gardener!

Sydni was super excited to show Pappy her pumpkin plant, birthed after she and the kiddos "planted" pumpkin seeds last year. We thought it was just something fun for them to do while they were painting pumpkins at Halloween, but now we have an actual pumpkin and that's that. Oh well! :)

our pumpkin plant! :) 

syd & pappy ♥

It was past the halfway point of the day when the party started, so we did dinner at the house and then headed out to see the new Pixar movie, Inside Out. We all know that Pixar is notorious for making us all feel things, so when I saw this online, I couldn't help but share.. haha: 

truth! 

Ya'll.. this movie was a cute one. Not my favorite of the Pixar family, but still super cute! 

Sydni and Nana's favorite character [because would it be any other way?!]: 

joy!

It's been such a fun little family night, and tomorrow we'll have some more adventure time before Nana & Pappy return home. 

We are a happy little bunch tonight! ♥

xo | cmd

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!!

STOP IT.

Sydni graduated Kindergarten.. today. STOP IT. STOP IT. STAAAAAHP.

Already?!

syd & her class!

When I woke up and got ready this morning, it was hard for me to believe that I would have a first grader by the time the afternoon started. Rob and I met up with my parents at Sydni's school, followed eventually by Joe, his mom and Nikea.

We followed the crowd of parents and family outside [Sydni clearly had the biggest fan club], where Syd and her class had prepared this little number for us:


I mean... get outta here with all that cuteness!

action shots :) 

The celebrating continued, family style:

her dad's side

my parents! [aka nana & pappy]

my world! 

group shot

Syd's dad and mamaw had to leave, so that left us with my parents to enjoy the rest of family day and explore what Sydni's day looked like.

r: "what do you wanna do this summer?"
s: "um..... boat. and swim. and play in the park!" 

^^ Those two :) :) :).

making a tye dyed shirt! 

playing on the playground

Pappy, the patient observer: 

this guy... hahaha...

bubbles!! 

The playground time came to an end, so we headed inside to show Syd's classroom to Nana, Pappy & Rob:  

the book cover syd duplicated

the "clip" system - i love this! 

My heart was so happy today, watching Syd accept her certificate of kindergarten completion. As much as her dad and I have our differences, and likely always will, she looked so completed, and so content to have all of her close family there.. and that, really, is all I could've asked: for her to be this genuinely happy:

my heart. 

After the celebration, we grabbed lunch with my parents, then headed off on our own to return to our day at work, while my parents spent a few more hours with Syd. They eventually dropped her back off at her dad's before heading back north themselves, completing their daytrip. I am so thankful for them and for their willingness to make that journey.

Work finished with a big meeting, which was a great thing [I'll fill those blanks in later; it's a lot], before I finally made my roundtrip back to Rob, rendezvousing with him at the gym.

AND, we wrestled a Pinterest recipe into submission for dinner tonight, and it was pretty daggone good:

turkey & sweet potato skillet! 

nom nom nom!!! 

Whewwwwww! What a day! Life is good. Life. IS. GOOD.

xo | cmd

Happy Mother's Day 2015!!

It's MOTHER'S DAY!

To My Mom:
There aren't words. You are incredible. Your adventurous spirit, love of the simple world around us and relentless pursuit of a Godly life have made me who I am. The road wasn't perfect, but it was ours & your sacrifices did not go unnoticed. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM. I love you to the moon & back!

the best mornings look like this

Sydni and I woke up in that back bedroom of my parents' house - the one that holds all of my childhood memories, and now serves as her room whenever she's there. The bed I had for most of my later childhood and teenage years is still there, and still has the same familiar feel as it did over 11 years ago when I slept in it each night. Today, I woke up in it with this little girl, clad in her favorite flowy dress and tiara. Cuddles and kisses first thing in the morning? I. Will. TAKE. It. 

We ate breakfast, made by the house sous chef [aka Nana], followed by a breather - frozen in time in our favorite log-home getaway, with the sunshine and birdsongs singing the morning hours by.

oh boy, these two... 

Rob, as usual, was able to accomplish a minor repair project for my parents [thank you, thank you], which marked the culminating point of our weekend. We soon loaded up and made the trip back to Cincinnati. The evening was barely setting in when we arrived home, so Rob and Sydni took to the quick task of mowing the lawn before the evening hours set in.

mow mow mow your grass... 

This girl..

my little flower child ♥ 

dirty feet, happy hearts

^^ She is my reminder that there are bigger things in life than staying perfectly manicured and sophisticated. She is the embodiment to me of my childhood, and of a way of life that is quickly dying among children. She is grass and dirt and laughter and fresh air. She is dirty fingernails and sweaty hair. She is my technology-free, creative little munchkin who encourages me to explore, appreciate and stay creative.

Happy Mother's Day to me, and to all of you mama's out there. Your work isn't easy, but I hope you would agree that we have the best and most critical job on the planet. I hope your days have been full of light and love, and that you are reminded today that what you do every day is so greatly valued!

What a beautiful way to start the new week!
See you there!

xo | cmd