Pamper Time: Subie & Lexi

Okay, okay, okay, let's not pretend like I am the only one out there who's ever taken her car's ability to function despite an exactly-routine oil change for granted. Whether it's surprising or not, I am generally not that bad about preventative maintenance and ensuring repairs are done as needed. Oil changes though? I could do better.

I said all that to say that today's top priority was getting my dear little Subie a well-overdue oil change! Not just that, but she got 2 brand new tires, an alignment and a full internal/external wash & detailing. That girl got pampered today! She wasn't the only one; Lexi got her fair share of attention today, too. It was definitely a day dedicated to the cars we've been blessed to have. 

lexi getting a bath...

It was a beautiful day outside. We're in the last couple days of January, and as we adventured out for a day of local tourism, we couldn't help but laugh at the masses of like-minded folks, clad in tshirts, shorts and even a few sandals were sighted! 

It would've been easy to commit today to a marathon of TV shows, lounging, perhaps packing for this upcoming move, or any number of other things, but it felt good to get out and about, contrary to what I'd originally thought I wanted to do today. Haha. Our city, Cincinnati, was wholly appreciated today, as we journeyed across 275, 52, 50, 28 and 125, and drank in everything from downtown to the east end. We didn't make it north, but the quality time I got to spend with Rob will supercede the fact that we spent the afternoon tucked in the car ;). 

We're home now, after a dinner of hibachi, sushi and edamame. 

Tomorrow is the first official meeting for June's SonRise Panama trip, aka Panama, Part II!!! I am beyond excited for this, and am praying there will be a healthy turnout of folks who are interested and able to join in. From what I've heard, it sounds like this trip may be a bit more mild than last year, with less physically-demanding hikes and seclusion; hopefully that provides a more conducive opportunity for a diverse collection of our church family to join in. 

See you bright & early tomorrow! 

xo | cmd

Sweet, Sweet Saturday

There's nothing better to me than waking up surrounded by my favorite creatures - human and furry ;). Saturdays are usually a prime time for that to happen, and today was as perfect example: 

reading to her animals ♥

Sydni woke up early, as the sun was beaming through the blinds. I was still somehow asleep, even after she'd toted in half her stuffed animal collection and a few books. I came to and heard her little teacher's voice, "reading" to her stuffed animals that were sandwiched between all of us in the bed. I immediately remembered my mom telling me how I used to memorize books. Be still my heart.. this little girl ♥.

The dogs had a rough morning, also....

sasha.. fading into bliss ♥

these two. haha..

we call this... sashavasana.. ommmm
#namaste #savasana

Once the day finally started moving, it didn't stop until there wasn't any daylight left in sight.

We took the Subie down to the shop to give her a full body makeover. Naturally, Sydni had first go at the mission when we got there...

Weekends around here can certainly get crazy. It's days like today that I'm especially thankful for the fact that we can hustle around and get things done, yet at the end of that breath can reconvene in our home to refocus on what's most important: family.

I am in love with my two humans: Rob & Sydni. It's been a long time since I've had to dismiss that creeping sensation of loneliness on a beautiful Saturday. Between Sydni making our plans, or our ability in her weekends away to find the joy in spontaneity, I have a very imperfect but beautiful, beautiful thing going. I wonder often what I did to deserve this kind of blessing from the universe, but it renews my belief every day that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me in spite of my inadequacies. These two in my life remind me constantly that I am loved, and that I have love to give. It sounds crazy, but I've been in that dark place where I wasn't sure if I was lovable or capable of loving again. It turns out that I'm both... and I have these two to thank for that.

Sweet, Sweet, SWEET Saturday. 

xo | cmd

Here We Snow Again...

It's baaaaack!

snowy snowy snowy! 

^^ Ok, so that's a dumb shot out of my window, but here's why I took it:
That mirror was clear when I stopped at the stop light. And this is what it looked like when the light turned green. YAY, snow!

lovely. 

Yeah, so I live eight miles from my work. The clock in my car is set 20 minutes fast [yeahyeahyeah, I'm one of those people... I know...]. So in reality, it was 6:49am when I hit the route from my house to my office... My car said 8:16 when I got to work, which meant it was just before 8am in real life. I stopped for a couple of donuts on the way, but that's just a detail.

because, well.. because. 

I'm not a huge fan of driving through this stuff, but I have always and will always love to play in it!!

♥ snow snow snow! ♥

Here's a glimpse of what the rest of my clan did while I was working:

i was so. stinkin'. jealous.

I missed a lot :(

i've taught her well ;) 

I unfortunately missed Syd today since it was her dad's evening of the week, but I'll see her again tomorrow when she's back. She's a lucky little bug having been off school so far 3 days this week; for the sake of parents everywhere, here's hoping they're back to it tomorrow!

Be SAFE out there, friends!

xo | cmd

Sunrises & Subies & Some Food, YAY!

gorgeous! 

Rob sent me that panoramic shot this morning from his work, just as the sun was making its appearance over his shop. It's not the Grand Canyon, but it is a nice solid reminder that even the ordinary doesn't have to be mundane. Not an awful view to start Monday, right?

So, yesterday as we were running errands with Syd, we rode past a dealership that happened to have a used Crosstrek sitting in the front lot. Anyone who's ever had a Subie knows that it is not often that you find a decent used Subie up for sale. People don't really part with Subarus, because well.. Subaru.

They're pretty awesome.
Yes, I'm partial.

love. ♥

For the record, all those things you hear about Subaru owners are probably true.  I believe there to be generally two types of Subie owners: The ones who have Subies to race, add functional and aesthetic modifications, and the ones who use their vehicles as road-tripping, all-terrain vessels of adventure. Whichever camp, we bond together in a weird unspoken way [kinda like Jeep owners do]. We're AWD, so yes, we do love trying to drive through snow, mud and other things that get our cars dirty. We have an affinity for roof racks and will use them. We generally enjoy doing things that include hauling other things that are necessary: canoes, kayaks, snowboards, skis, tents, backpacks, etc. [thus the need usually for a roof rack..]. A lot of us own Chacos, which we wear in and out of our Subies. We have an unwavering faith that our cars will remain reliable and persevere through whatever we ask of them.

I could literally be that "everyday average person" Subaru spokeswoman. Bring it on.
So all of that being said, we stopped yesterday to test drive the Crosstrek we saw in the lot; Kalyn has one now so I was vaguely familiar with them when they came out a year or so back. I liked hers, and am at a point with my Impreza now that it's realistic to weigh out the options of an upgrade... so after our test drive yesterday, Rob did some digging and found another couple to check out at the Subie dealership close by.

If you're not sure what a Crosstrek is:

lol.

^^ Okay, I'll admit that's a hilarious picture of a car.. any car. It looks like Heaven literally just sent that to become some sort of wonder-of-the-world and inhabit the Earth. I don't value my car that much, but I still love them. :)

My fiancé is the best for mapping out these things for me. [[♥Thank You!♥]]

Stay tuned; I didn't commit to any changes today, but it may not be far off ;)

Oh, here's a free plug for The Anderson Pub:

go there. goooo there :)
cincinnati | oh

It's amazing how many places are a hop skip & a jump from me that I've still never visited. We ventured across the street from the Subaru dealership tonight and had our first experience at the newly-reinvented Anderson Pub.. and it was delicious. If you're a quesadilla lover like I am, this is your place!

nailed it.

Their wings are apparently pretty good, too. Ask Rob ;).

Nothing like a good solid Monday to get the week going. Here's to the next four days! ♥

xo | cmd

Mini Car Wash

After the baby dent my car suffered yesterday when it was backed into, I of course needed to gather up all my car insurance, plate information, etc. to report to the insurance company. I stepped outside to photograph my plates, because I dunno if I'm alone in this, but I don't have my plates memorized off the top of my head.

I realized my car was filthy.
To remedy this, Rob helped me to dig out the power washer and the car care stuff. I enlisted the assistance of the best small helper there is, and the three of us had an evening of detailing the Subie.

dirty car? noooo.. problem

By the way, washing cars is tough work. My poor girl climbed in the car for a quick errand afterwards with a treat she very well earned for her dedication.. and within two minutes was out like a light. Don't worry, she'd already finished the candy on the other end and was gnawing on a soggy stick by the time she passed out. Still, it just goes to show that being 4 is a rocky journey, but *sighh... someone's gotta do it ;)

zonked!

I'm thankful for the nights like this. I love my little family and know that some of the best quality time is the time spent doing even the most menial things [i.e., washing a car] in the company of each other. ♥♥♥.

Oh, and tomrrow's FRIDAY! YAY!!

xo | cmd

Subie Snafu

My poor Subie.

First it was the two tires that needed to be replaced. Then it was the rock chip in my windshield on the trip to Illinois for Ali's birthday bash. The perpetually recurring splotches of bird poo won't stop until I either shave down the tree that hovers over our driveway, or find somewhere else to park.

Tonight, it was sheerly an accident, but Subie happened to land in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Someone backed up out of a parking spot right into her. In his defense, she's fine aside from some cosmetic damage, and the driver did everything he was supposed to do post-collision.

ouchie :(

Fortunately for me, Becky & Mike just happened to be standing by Becky's car, which was parked right behind mine, and witnessed the entire thing. Rob was just a few hundred yards away and was able to break down the cost of repair to the kid as an itemized list for parts, paint and labor. The kid was more than compliant to get it all taken care of, and from what it looks like now, we'll be settling this outside of his insurance. All is well.

After settling details over the Subie, we all decided we were hungry, so off to VT it was.

yummmm!

I. FORGOT... that they had fried green beans here. Folks, if there's one food vice-slash-maaaajor-weakness that I have, it's fried green beans. It's become a tradition whenever we visit Illinois to stop at Bindy's for no other reason than the fried green beans. It was the only place I'd found so far that has gotten them right. How I forgot VT serves them too is beyond me, but I'm definitely remembering now. Haha.

this. this half-eaten pile of fried gb's..

It really is the small things in life that keep me entertained. (:
Here's a candid shot then of my friends trying to define the difference between Bindy's gb's and VT's gb's. They weren't exactly the same, so off they were on an internet quest to figure it out. Who knows if they ever did..

sleuths!

Tomorrow's a new day.
I hope you and yours have a great rest of the week!

xo | cmd

What a PITTIEful Day ♥

As I woke up halfway late and rushed around my house, I was met with these adorable, pleading little faces. I couldn't help but pause and take a picture before I left them for the day:


"hiya mom.. so about this whole... you-leaving-for-work-AGAIN thing..."
♥ #sashapittie & #stellapittie ♥

I managed today to make it out to the BMV [always a knot in the gut whenever that has to be done] to stand in line and transfer my plates to the Subie. It's official; little Subes is now a legal beagle on the streets! I'll get some new pics up of the little thing as soon as this weather clears up and I can get the BeOhioProud sticker on the back, too ;)

After work, it was leg day at the gym; I feel like a noodle from the waist down right now, so that means soreness tomorrow but above all a successful workout! Dinner = something quick, because honestly I was a little whipped after today. That didn't stop it from being delicious [chicken, red potatoes & zucchini!] Yummmm!

dinnner tiiiiime (:

And then... because it only seemed natural to end the day where it started, I caught the pups showing off their personalities right before bedtime. Stella, the stoic, talkative one on the floor, and Sasha, the forever kid up on the bed. In the absence of Rob & Sydni, these two definitely put a goodnight smile on my face.
I'll leave today at that!

Gooooodnight!

xo | cmd

NEWS, Part 2: New DIGS (:

Today started like this:

breathe it in!

^ I love ... winter at my parents' house.
I also love getting to see my little [well, not so little, I suppose] Maine Coon fuzzball Kobi (:

kobi cat!

There is a season for everything, as it's said:

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time forpeace.
-Ecc 3:1-8

This has definitely been a year of many, many different seasons. The underlying themes have been a balance of challenges to overcome, accompanied by the grief and admittedly the stress that comes with it, and countered by the pure joy in realizing God's timing is never a millisecond too soon or too late in His answers - which, by the way are likewise never in anything but my best interest.

Rewind this year to May, when I completed the first phase of my transition back into Cincinnati. Becky became a saving grace to me, as I found myself living with her for nearly a month in between finding a place of my own. I lived off a small collection of my things and had a split life between her apartment and a storage unit. When I found the house I have now, I counted it a profoundly-timed answer to months of prayer. Sydni and I found a soft place to land, finally, in June of this year.

settling in

I cried the first night Sydni and I both slept in our little house; the first half of the year had been a roller coaster of anxiety, nerves, prayer, supportive friends & job transitioning as well, and somehow I managed to get us back to Ohio and back into a track of stability. We had a "new" place of our own, a new job and new starts on many other levels.

We have thoroughly enjoyed living in this little community, specifically our little dead end street neighborhood; it's teaming with small families and relatives who knit together to ensure it stays safe and that each other are provided for. I've been welcomed by many of them and while we've not necessarily grown close, it's absolutely been a massive encouragement, nonetheless. My closest friends are within a short drive of us, and Rob has had no problems finding us to visit.

And we started planning. Rob had intentions of moving here in July of next year, but an unexpected riff in his job security brought his employment to a premature halt, which accelerated the need for revised plans. My little house quickly became perfectly adequate to something of a primary element of consideration in weighing out our next steps.

With time not necessarily on our side, I was faced with the need for a new car & apparently a new house as well, within a very limited span of what I deemed ample time. I have never idolized or hungered for excess money, but time has always been something I value in the highest regard. You can't take it away once you've given it, and those you earnestly give it to usually don't thwart or dismiss it. In this case, we were faced with needs outweighing our financial limitations... or so it seemed. Time was ticking away loudly in my head, day and night. I set a deadline of December 31 to finalize vehicle plans. Those materialized from start to finish in about four days after nearly five months of searching; that was yesterday's celebrated blessing.

TODAY, I received the paperwork signifying a three-way commitment between a new landlord, Rob & myself that will begin in February. 

we... can't wait (:

February 1 will be the official date that we convene again as a unit. We have accepted and managed the task of a long-distance relationship since April, which has proven to me that I have never felt so dedicated and synced with a significant other, ever. I for the first time have felt appreciated for what and who I am and what I can give, not the measure of my professional success, size of my bank account or notariety of my friends' names. I am recognized as a competent individual playing a partnership role, not an employee or muted voice in joint decisions. I am held accountable by realistic standards, and trusted with transparency. I've never had that before... and now, finally, I will have him, the man who has catalzyed my distanced mind and heart, at my side to support, encourage and love me the way I will him. Like I said, time is the most important thing we can give in this world; it's also the most important thing we'll ever receive. We, along with our dogs & of course my incredible Sydni, will finally settle for the first leg of our time here in Ohio, alllll together.

*Squeal!!

More updates on the new digs as I have them.
I'm blessed, beyond measure & beyond what I deserve.
Amen!

xo | cmd

NEWS, Part 1: Hello, Subie!

So, I mentioned yesterday that I've been on the cusp of transition in a few different things. The course of events over this year have certainly tested me in many arenas, but just as I was afraid that feeling of being overwhelmed would take over completely, I was proved wrong. Which is what usually happens, because I serve and love a God who knows what timing is best, despite my constant and futile efforts at predicting or demanding my own schedule. Let me be clear first that I count myself among the elite few to be blessed exactly as I have desired in specific requests. I have learned over time that the biggest blessings sometimes come in the form of a declined request from my prayers. This time around, though, I had one of those gut feelings that this one was meant to be, and it came to fluition within a matter of days from discovery to completion.

Without any further adieu, meet the new Subie!!

drove up in red, drove home in blue!

playful thinking at the goetzman dealership, circa 1939!

you... are... mine ♥♥♥

subaru love ;)

No, folks, it's not the STI I thought I wanted, but it's my new muse and I am beyond excited to name her, drive her and of course add her to the membership roster of what apparently is the Subaru club of Kalyn & myself. I joke, I joke.
Anywho, that's the bulk of the excitement for today; there is one more big ticket item on the agenda for tomorrow & I'll letcha know if/when that pulls through, too!

For now, I'm fireside with a fleece blanket at my favorite place on planet E:

winter glory!

Happy Saturday!

xo | cmd