It's a bummer that we had to leave this beautiful place behind today, but I'm pretty sure we'll be back, so it's not a forever farewell. Plus, next time I'm sure we'll have some aquatic horsepower in tow, and a couple coolers to go along with it, so.. that'll work.
see you next time, loz ♥
The ride home was a mixture of fitfully uncomfortable car napping, shoeless feet, a Fifth Harmony song playing at least 15 times [work work work work work.. you ain't gotta work work work work work...] and finally the arrival back at Dillon's. We literally spared enough time for a bathroom break and some quick farewells, and then Rob and I were back on the road for the 5-hour trip back to Cinci.
3 hours home.
Back at the homestead, there was a 45-minute gap between our arrival and my parents, along with Sydni. I couldn't imagine a better homecoming after a long weekend, and as we spent the evening together catching up on our respective weekends away, it dawned on me yet again that we have blessings in this world that money will never buy.
From our family to yours, and from this pit-iful [har har!] behind, good night and cheers to another week of productivity!
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.
It was a muggy morning as we headed off to church, but the blessings for the effort came tenfold as we sat and let Pastor Chad feed us the message of the day. We continued through the life stories laid out in the book of Genesis, this time focusing on Jacob and his brother Esau. As I sat in the sanctuary with Rob, I let the moments of humility take over me, through the life lessons absorbed by Jacob.
After church, Rob and I headed home, where we did what Sundays declare: Relax. It wasn't much, but at the same time it was everything. We curled up together in the corner of the couch like we usually do, and just sat.. together. I said a prayer of unfiltered gratitude for the 'here and now' that was a stark contrast to the 'then and there' this same time last week. My best friend should be in much rougher condition right now, but he isn't and there's no one to thank for that other than the one who made us all in the first place.
In a couple hours, my parents and Sydni pulled up to the house; Sydni came bursting in with a tupperware container filled with two rocks: one big and one small. The big one was painted with a flower, which was for Rob and me, and other, with a red and yellow "rainbow," for her. We said our formalities and visited for a few brief moments before we were out the door lunch at Fire House.
My family cracks me up. First, my dad and Sydni, dueling it out over lunch with their thumb wars. Sydni's starting to learn and apply new strategies to try and beat everyone; she's a crafty little thing!!
it's all out war!
Hahaha. THEN, there's my mom, who brought along pictures from their mini getaway, but for some reason also brought with her some gems she resurrected from the archives of her in her 30's. I hate to say it, but blonde just wasn't your color, Mama. She agrees with me, but regardless, my mama was a babe! Haha..
then & now! :)
As encouragement for her to get back in and stay in the water, Nana & Pappy got Sydni some new eyewear:
this chick... hahaha
It's been storming on and off all day, and although it was a downpour when we got to the restaurant, it stopped by the time we were finished. Mom and Dad headed their separate way, and we journied on home for an evening of catch up after Syd's vacation up in the Vern.
I spent a small part of the evening doing some meal prep for the week, which relaxes my mind in the present and gives me the assurance that we're both eating well throughout the week, too.
nommmssss
all packed up & ready to go!
It wasn't long until the boxes from the smoker turned themselves into a "house," and then that house somehow merged with another box and became a bigger house, complete with curtains and a window.
These are the things I miss when she's not here, and these are the things that that I needed more than I realized, especially after the events of last week and the recovery from them throughout this week.
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.
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.
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!
We road-tripped it north a few hours today, only to arrive at my parents' and be cattled right back into the car for the short backtrack trip to Foundation Park [aka Mt. Vernon's new pride & joy!]
We picknicked. We hiked a little. We laughed, we played... and we fished.
'Twas a day better cataloged via photo than my words ;)
quality time with pappy & nana
feet & family :)
my better half
lookin' thrilled...
these two made a makeshift fishing pole
Eventually, we made it back to the house to clean up a little and put together the dinner menu for the rest of the family who were due in: Heidi, Jonathan, Emmie & Hanny.
Before the family rolled in, we got to see the progress of Mom & Dad's work on the train set. To say I'm impressed is a huge understatement:
The family rolled in...
All I know right now is that I'm spent, so I know Sydni's well past her limit. It's been such a beautiful day, and I am one content, tired and grateful mama.
