In The Midst of It All

I took a walk this morning. The first thing I thought when I woke up was that I needed, desperately, to get outside, touch my feet to the earth and reconnect myself to it, to the circle and to the Creator. I stopped and sat for a minute, just outside the cabin, and prayed. There isn't enough gratitude in my body to fully express the way I feel today. 

Rob slept through the night just fine, with minimal pain. He went to bed with arms and legs fully in tact and functioning. He has no back injuries. Aside from the visible damage on his face, his head is fine. He is damaged, but he will be okay. Most importantly, he is still himself, but now with a heightened sense of awareness to his own vulnerability. 

But he is still here. He is alive, by the grace of a God that I will never fully understand, but praise and thank daily for the blessings - both big and small - that somehow find me, despite my (our) undeserving state. 

I called off work today. Our first task as a group was recovery of all the bikes; we visited two separate places to get Rob's, then Dillon's. 

there she goes... 

TO THE OFFICER WHO TOLD ME YESTERDAY, AT AROUND 2AM ON THE PHONE THAT ROB AND HIS BIKE WERE ESSENTIALLY TOTALED, YOU OUGHT TO BE CAREFULLY RECONSIDERING YOUR OATH TO HONESTY. You do NOT tell someone's family member a course of events that did not happen, your certainty in the matter stamped only by the status of your badge. We were told that Rob's bike was a complete lost cause, and that upon impact, he had flipped off the bike and into the unknown at that point. 

Does this look like the aftermath of a bike abandoned by flight?! 

bikes going to illinois

 No, it doesn't. 

No.... it... doesn't. Urgghhhh

The guys managed to get her up and onto the trailer, with the help of the backyardigans's flatbed. Sidenote: Here in TN, it's very lucrative to own and operate a tow business out of your house. These guys are pros at it, and if I should ever find myself living in this region, you can go ahead and know now what business I'll be pursuing.

We headed back to the cabin to do the final pack-up of our things and get all 3 bikes situated on the truck and trailer, before saying our farewell-for-now's. Dillon, Matt, Courtney & Cadence took off back to Illinois, while Rob and I made our way back here to Knoxville. We stopped at Panera for lunch, and started formulating a plan on what to do for the next couple of days. As it turns out, we'll be stuck here, since on such short notice, we aren't able to get in to any Cincinnati facilities for the surgery he'll need on Wednesday. Womp womp.

Rob found a hotel on Expedia, and long story short, we're here now, checked in and planted here for the next two nights.

The consultation appointment is tomorrow. I'll put this prayer out in the blog world for tonight: for confidence, easy nerves and painless completion of the whole ordeal.

See you in the morning!

xo | cmd

Not The Plan...

It was late last night before my head hit the pillow. It's always a strange sensation adjusting to an empty house; even the dogs weren't entirely sure if making noise and ruckus was the way to go for the evening. They were snoozing long before I climbed into bed for the night, but it wasn't about to stay that way.

I was somewhere in a dream, when the soundtrack of my phone ringing started cutting in. I don't know much about the dream states, but I know I've been there before, doing some random dream activity, and the sound of an alarm clock or a ringtone becomes surround sound, and there I am, in a concert blend of dream and reality.

And then I woke up, to Rob's call that he'd wrecked his bike. It was 1am. I'd been asleep for probably just shy of 2 hours at that point, but I was awake in no time. In the 40 minutes that followed, I gathered what information I could from Rob and Matt on the accident, and was bags packed in my car on the way to Tennessee.

Five hours. Five hours driving, texting and calling Matt with updates. 

Rob is at Leconte Medical Center in Sevierville. Dillon was not involved in the accident and is okay.

Rob will be transferred to the trauma unit at UT Medical Center in Knoxville. 

Rob has been transferred.  Matt texts back. Jesse texts back.

Matt is meeting Courtney halfway between Kentucky & Illinois to get his trailer for the bikes. 

Rob's mom calls. His dad calls. Becky calls. Matt calls. My mom calls. Jesse calls.

Calls. Texts. Driving, driving, driving. I'm relatively good at keeping calm through things like this, and for some reason, I had a strange peace about it all even as I navigated through the mountains in the dark. I was over halfway through the trip when the sun met me to rise, and I pulled into the hospital in the golden light of early morning, into a front row parking spot of the garage just outside the main entrance.

My heart broke when I walked into his room. I've never seen him like this, even though I know he's been in situations of mishap before. I've never experienced it, not until today, and I can boldly say I am not a fan.

:( 

Now, as with every other hospital I've ever been in, when you want or need something, you've gotta speak up. It's not being rude, it's just a fact of life. You're one of many in that place, and they'll get to you quicker if you just ask. That's the part I hate, as I'm horribly nonconfrontational about these things. However after arriving in his room at 9am, the clock turned over to 1:30 pm and I decided it was time to pipe up. My requests were met with polite smiles and promises of attention which were fulfilled within the hour of my asking. I had faith in the UT Med Center staff :)

The trauma surgery team came down to do an assessment. Then the maxillofacial team came down. A doctor explained to us the extent of the damage as shown by x-ray, and their intended steps to correct and mend. He began to suture the gash in Rob's nose, while I opted to wait in the lobby.

I came back to find a semi-mended Rob. His face still held the damage, but at least now it was contained, both aesthetically and on the scale of pain. We began our discharge, and after eating some food, made the walk together out of the hospital.

look at those snazzy socks.. haha

I stopped to fill the prescriptions, then continued onward for the 45ish minute drive to the cabin the guys had rented in Gatlinburg. The prayers I said today were that of gratitude, for safety and for healing. I know the next few days aren't going to be fun, whatever they hold. We're not even sure yet.

Walking into the cabin, we met Dillon, who looked as exhausted as I felt. Within the next half hour, Matt, Courtney and Cadence arrived with the truck and trailer. We made dinner and sat down, each at the end of his and her daily energy supplies.

It certainly wasn't how I'd intended to rendezvous with these friends, but we're here together regardless, and it's a nice spot in a cloud, if that makes sense.

Tomorrow, we'll leave this cabin and decide if the next few days will be spent here in Gatlinburg, or if we'll be heading home. We'll see. We'll see.

For now, gooooood night, world.
And Lord, THANK YOU for all that You are and give to us. We are so, so undeserving of Your mercy.

Amen..

xo | cmd

"I Will NOT Pee My Pants"

This one goes out to all the mothers of small children out there. It's actually more of a plea for confirmation of our efforts, along with perhaps an affirmation that we're not the only ones who are dealing or who have dealt with this.

Basically, my 5-year-old is in a phase now where potty "accidents" are back to being a regular occurrence. Simply put, it's frustrating, discouraging and on nights like this, when we've been through the ringer for [now] 4 consecutive nights on the same subject: NO MORE ACCIDENTS.

Here's the thing: Sydni's not not potty trained. She doesn't get confused or intimidated by the big bad toilet. Sydni is insanely intelligent and knows right from wrong. She understands the concepts of disappointment, guilt, deception [lying] and covering up something. She also understands the practice of consequences and will respond honestly when asked if she feels her consequences are fair or not [and most of the time, she feels they are warranted]. HOWEVER, even given aaaaall of those impressive traits that she does have, it's ironically one of those traits that cripples her when it comes to this whole... not peeing pants thing.

See, Sydni takes after both her dad and me in distinct ways, though it's usually clear which one she resembles. One thing she inherited by no fault of her own from both of us though, is a sense of intensity. While his and my natures of intensity are truly very, very different, they seem to have combined into one big, solid and nearly impenetrable wall of stubbornness when it comes to certain options with Sydni.

What do I mean by that? Well, here's what's been happening lately: Sydni's in the 4th or 5th week now of potty accidents, both at school and after school before either her dad or I pick her up. We've already been through the phase of frequent accidents when her dad's second child was born. That string of accidents eventually dwindled down to nothing, and now... almost 6 months later, we're in another round daily pants swapping.

*Sigh. Oh, Syd.

Sydni's issue is this: She will get so engaged with whatever it is she's doing, especially if it's a craft or art project [that's from me], or a sport or otherwise potentially-competitive anything [ugh, from both her parents], that unless she has someone to remind her to take a potty break, she won't do it. She knows what she's doing, but like I said, she's so intense that more often than not, she'd rather finish the task at hand than let anything step in between her and completion.

Get what I'm saying here? Does ANYONE out there have a similar issue with their 5/6 year olds?
If you have, then WHAT is your advice for me, for her dad and for all other parents who are dealing with this?

What we've done so far:

1. Implement an incentive program, in which she earned a dollar for each day she didn't have an accident. That worked out well while it lasted; I'd purposed that to be a one-time thing to boost some confidence and get her back into the habit of trying her best to take breaks, etc.
2. Take things away: This included toys, technology, even being able to sleep with 'her' dog Stella at night. It seems to have made a little traction this week, but clearly weren't breaking through entirely.

So tonight, I tried out one of the oldest book tricks I could muster: The age old art of writing sentences. Lots. of. sentences.

oh... syd... :|

Mama's out there, I'm really hoping you'll pray for me on this one.. for me, and for her dad when she's there. If nothing else, I hope perhaps this will encourage another parent or set of parents out there who are battling the same or similar issue with their minis. I'm hoping this is just another phase of adjustment, and that we'll be able to crack through her bright but stubborn little drive so that she'll realize taking a breather isn't just an essential part of potty usage, but in life, too.

Parenting, guys. It's a learning process and we're all in it together.

Stay tuned :).

xo | cmd

Oh Poor, Poor Decisions

I can't believe this week is almost gone; I feel like it's flown right on by without notice.

Today was a day of poor decisions. I gave in to a lunch craving and ate something I'll regret until my next run or yoga session burns it back off, and wasn't entirely satisfied with the lack of comfortability in my wardrobe choice for the day [I opted for a skirt. Pants would've been much more.... me.]

The weather was also in a pickled mood - it rained on and off for the majority of the day, and then when it came time to start heading away from the work day, it poured just long enough for the surface oil to get super slick, slowing down the commute in the process.

This gal had a much worse day than I did:

ouch. 

We inched past that, and made our way to Kroger for a grocery stop. On the way out, I stopped by Redbox, and made my next-to-last poor decision for the day:

yeah.. you already know where this is heading. 

In Ali's defense, she cautioned me against watching this movie in any setting other than holed in a room by myself with a box of tissues where I could cry uncontrollably and as loud as required to finish this thing.

Well, I did just that - the crying part - but dragged poor Rob along with me [his volunteering = his poor decision for the day] for the 90 minute journey through the book-turned-movie tale of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters.

That being said, you've been warned.

For now, I hope you know I write these entries more-so for my own recollection down the road, but I enjoy reaching out to anyone who may bother to read them, as well. Have a wonderful evening!

xo | cmd 

WHAT.. A .. WEDNESDAY

Today started off with a 4-hour commute to work.
That's right, FOUR... HOURS.

I'm totally accustomed to a lengthy commute whenever I take Sydni out to Milford before heading to the office, but today was an entirely different story.

This... a 5-car accident on the Beechmont Levee, was to blame for the severing of a major commuting artery between basically two sides of Cincinnati:

borrowed this from the cincinnati enquirer
photog: liz dufour

^ I didn't know exactly what had happened or see any of the pictures until I got to work.... at 10:30.

There's nothing like an extended stop-and-go drive to make someone crazy, especially when it's in Cincinnati, where the traffic already flirts with the line of insanity when it comes to commute congestion. I left my house at 6:30, like usual, to drop Sydni off in Milford.

7:25 am.

First, I thought it was an unusually-slow advancement through a routine light that does lag, but not like it did today. Every 30 seconds showed another driver doing a 5-point turn in the middle of the road to turn back and find an alternate route. But not us... we're gonna brave it.

ummm....

Crap. Those flares advised us all that not only was our on-ramp closed, but that it was proooobably going to be a long trip back around. The cars coming the other way weren't doing much coming at all.. they were mostly just sitting as we inched on past.

squad car lights

So we followed each other back onto eastbound Beechmont, which, mind you is the exact direction from which I had originally came about an hour and 15 minutes earlier by this point. Squad cars with flashing lights and sirens driving down the medians never really mean good things.

bumper to bumper :(

And back on up the hill, which by this time in the morning [8:25 or so] gave a discouraging glimpse of all the traffic that was clearly headed in the wrong direction.

I decided to share my confusion with my phone's camera:

So long story short [and I do mean long], after using an entire quarter tank of gas in touch-and-go traffic for the next TWO hours of our lives, through stoplights that had been manually disabled and replaced with cops directing traffic, I finally got to work.

The way home was an entirely different, barren in comparison story.
fafa
There was also a much better view (:

gorgeous!

= HAPPPPPYYYY ME (:

selfie joy : no 4-hour commute!!

There are worse things.
And there are BETTER things!
Liiiiiike.. Becky texting me asking to see us tonight! (:
[Sushi it was!]

nom nom nommmmm

Of course, the fish who were not part of the meal had a special admirer, too:

her courtesy half-smile, because
mommy, the fish want to play with me!

Life's good, yeah?
... Yeah (: (: (:

xo | cmd

Road Trip Ruckus

Have you ever heard it said that if something can go wrong, it will?

Well, it wasn't that bad [for us at least], but it struck me today that literally each time I've been out to Illinois to visit, some sort of obstacle materializes and challenges my determination to get there. Today it was an overturned semi lying across both lanes of the highway, just across the OH/IN state line. The good news, I heard later on, was that the driver was okay [contrary to the rumors from other bystanding OTR'ers that he'd had a heart attack, etc.]

yikes. :(

We waited, parked with vehicles off, for almost three hours. At one point, I spotted a group of people throwing a football, others doing cartwheels in the grass, and someone tailgating in the bed of a truck. We bade our time by picking flowers.

making the best of time-consuming situations!

There's nothin quite like a road-side flower patch. Haha...
They finally righted the truck and dragged it out of the way; we were fortunate to have been just 10-15 cars behind the actual accident so we skirted through in no time. From there, it was smooth sailing aside from the forever on-going road construction on the other end of Indiana... but we finally made it! 

reunited!

^ And no, Stella is not eating Sasha's head. I just realized it looked that way. Haha.

Sooooooo.. we're HERE, and we're spent.

Goooooood night!

xo | cmd

FIASCO FRIDAY

I'm all about alliteration ;)

Anyway, HOLY CRUD I am glad to see this day come to an end. [hello, backdated entry]

Today was my first run at dropping Sydni off at Mindi's before work; I came all the way from Northside and it didn't take as long as I'd thought - a reassuring thought since I'll be over halfway closer when I finally move. It was an early start though after a restless night; I was running on empty today outside of my excitement for the weekend.

I got my work phone today, along with some more Express swag... I don't know why I'm still surprised at how much stuff my company actually prints with its logos, but I suppose it's that way everywhere and it's a sign of good faring if nothing else ;)


helloooooo, express... ;)
[[this is just a taste of it, too.. haha]]

I really had no complaints when it came to my day at work. We're starting to find some consistency to a routine and things are picking up. I did decide to get my oil changed in the middle of Norwood today, and aside from the boisterous gal on her cell phone for a half an hour next to me in the lobby, there was also this to keep me entertained:


only here......

Yeah. The day was progressing just fine until it came time to head out. I made my way to Milford at a snail's rate, partially due to traffic but moreso by my own choosing of a varied route that took much longer than I'd thought. I finally got Sydni, and together we started out on the road to Illinois.

There was no making this an easy trip:
1. Car fire on 275, blocking all but one lane.
2. Motorcycle/car accident on 75/74 interchange.
3. Sheets of RAIN in the dark as we headed into Illinois, realizing then that there were tornadoes touching down not more than an hour from us.
Long story short, the usual 5-ish hour trip to Illinois wound up lasting 15 minutes short of EIGHT HOURS, and when we got to Granite, the storm had knocked power out completely. Rob's entire neighborhood was pitch black, save for the flickering candles barely visible through some of the windows.

jackknifed fed ex ... :(

I realized tonight how thankful I am for Rob's Macgyver-like ability and problem-solving skills. Since the power was out, the pump in his basement stopped working, and the water started flooding up over the drains. If it were me, we likely would've been floating by morning. Rob on the other hand, had more than one solution, and had the room looking like Frankenstein's laboratory with wires, batteries, pipes, but more importantly without overflowing water. It was a lengthy process though, one that he didn't finish until about 3am :(.

Like I said, we made it safely [amen], but this day could not be over sooner.

Nothin' like a rocky start to a weekend. Here's to the rest of this weekend (:

xo | cmd

& A Wednesday to You!

One thing I did appreciate about my commute to and from work in Illinois was that even on the major highways, there really wasn't that much congestion. Maybe there was, but I definitely didn't notice it. Today I realized that's because I'd been accustomed to driving around CINCINNATI, where the highways are always bogged down during prime drive times and it's brakelights for miles. I noticed today that it was more stuffy than usual; I know they're doing a bypass expansion project on part of 75, but the real reason for the empty southbound lanes and flashing police lights was this:


yikes.

... & in a weird way, assuming nobody was injured, you have to admit that's kind of funny. Certainly not the way I'm sure that driver had anticipated his morning going, but I haven't heard of any serious injuries from it, so that's a good thing.

Work today went at about the same lightspeed pace that it has for the past few days; we're doing our initial ramp-up and it's pretty much been a blur this week. Between a full schedule of interviews and payroll, it was certainly a burst of a day.

I was so excited when I got theeeeeese finally [not that I waited long, at all..] in the mail. I'm pretty excited - THANK YOU to Danny & the team at BeOhioProud for being so quick to send these. I'll send ya'll a picture per your request as soon as possible!


Ohio (:

I decided today also that with everything that's going on and a small hiccup with the move I was scheduled to make this weekend into the new digs, that Syd and I will be taking a road trip out to IL/STL this weekend. That means.... DAWN....... ALI...... ROB....... THE [#amazingandalsofree]STL ZOOOOOO.... can we say EXCITED??!

Countdown's on.


= dawne. = ali. = rob. = stl zoo.
'nuff said....

I just got back from Milford, it's super late, and I'm going to bed.
..........So there. (:

xo | cmd

Remembering : Kat



lovely girl | 7.16.87 - 7.28.05
missing you, kat.

 Okay, so I realize I already posted this particular set of pictures of Kat and me 12 days ago on her birthday, but I had to share it again simply because it's one of the better collaborations, but moreso because today marks the 7th year crapaversary of the accident that changed everyone in her life.

Dear Kat,

Thank you for being you, for being the roommate, friend, and cohort that you were to so many of us while you were here. It really was a blessing to have spent that time getting to know you, laugh with you and share hilarious moments along with the more embarrassing and life-lesson ones. You were one in a million.

Thank you for having a huge heart, and for always putting your family and your friends before yourself. It's rare to find such selfless people in a selfish world, but you were certainly one of them and I will always remember the ways you so thoughtfully showed me that you valued me as a friend to you as well.

For your parents, I can't imagine that their pain has been lessened any by your passing, and I know that this day each year is particularly difficult for them. I can only hope that you're watching diligently over them and that they can find comfort in knowing they will see you again one day.

Beautiful friend, I miss you, and I too look forward to hanging out again when that time comes.

Love, Corin

*sigh. It's a sombering thought to reflect back on life as short as hers. It's a gentle but stern reminder that my time here is never guaranteed, and that love is the one of the only legacies I could hope to leave when my name is called. So dear friends, whether I've told you lately or if we've not spoken for years, please know the footprints you've had in my life are not taken for granted. (:

Live today like it's the best day ever :)

xo | cmd

VBS Finale | Family | Bitter Goodbyes

Before I get into the meat of this one, I want to THANK Christine for bringing me this little diddy today! Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for all things charitable, and I try to do my best to support causes that serve the needs of under-developed countries, the less-fortunate or otherwise forlorn. This one, Puravida Bracelets, donates a portion of all proceeds to the development of resources that enable local artisans in Costa Rica to find and maintain full time jobs. Sure, it's a far, far degree of separation between myself and the hands-on part, but with these kinds of things, I firmly believe that every little bit counts.


the small beaded bracelet [puravida] hanging out with my invisible
children liberty triangle! many thx, christine!! i love it!

Soooooo,


from lara: "we're going home!"

Good news passed on to me from the Babot family: They're all home now! Woo! Mama & Emilia are doing phenomenally; I'm so thrilled for them!

We are definitely chompin' at the bits to go and see the Babots, and shower that little munchkin and her big brother with some fun stuff.

Here in the Dills house: we are ALL here. My family came in from Ohio to visit for the weekend! Joe came back from Albuquerque, and the VBS parent night/finale was tonight. *WHEW. We had a BLAST. I was so thrilled that my parents, sister, nephew, and sister's beau were able to come and see the last bit of what we've been doing all week for VBS with the kiddos. It was so much fun :) They're all here at the house now, hanging out and having a family jam session with the guitars. I love my family, and I love when they visit. ♥



the little ones [with some help] doing their vbs song!

mo! love this girl. love our shirts, too ;)

PS - VBS IS DONE!!! It's bittersweet, but for the moment, feeling slightly more sweet than bitter. Talk to me tomorrow and I might feel differently ;) Heh. On an absolute positive though, I believe that 6 kids this year dedicated their lives to Christ and committed to following in His path. All music jokes aside, that really is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Amen? Amen!

*

Last but absolutely not least, on a somber note:

I recently caught up with Dusty, an old friend of mine from back home, who I've known since we were about 6. We were close friends for a long time, but just happened to lose touch over the last few years. It's been great reconnecting with him and updating on our lives since the last time we saw each other. He and his family used to live on our street, and I fondly remember the shenanigans of our days as the 'neighborhood kids.'  



from the newark advocate & a shot borrowed from fb... :(



My heart breaks today for his family; Dusty's older brother Mark lost his life today in a motorcycle accident back in Ohio. I can't imagine the strain of losing a sibling, especially in the midst of other trying obstacles. Our deepest and most sincere condolences go out to the Runyons today and I pray that whatever peace can be found, is embraced.

Life is short.

Embrace it.

Love your family.

You really don't ever know.

*

With my family being here this weekend, I plan on doing exactly that - I love them to the end of the earth and I'm so blessed for them being here.

Happy weekend, friends :)

xo | cmd

Micah 6:8 Laundromat Outreach | Somber Loss

Today was a bittersweet day. Emotions are all over the board in my church family as the day closes with a ministry success shadowed by a tragedy.

caitlin

We've met so many fantastic people so far as part of the Towerview family. Jarod and his daughter Lyla are just two of them. Late last night,  Lyla's mother Caitlin was involved in an ATV accident that cost her her life. I personally didn't know her, but what I do understand is the effect that losing a parent can have on a child, and even on the other parent, regardless of whether or not they are still together.

My heart breaks for the Thompsons, and for Caitlin's family. The gravity of this, the freshness, proved to be a dark shadow not easily cast from our minds over the course of our morning on ministry. It's going to be a long road for Jarod and for Lyla; My continued prayers for peace, comfort, and strength are theirs.

It's hard to transition from that. If there is one thing I have discovered about my church family, it is that they are able to emanate their own sense of mercy and grace while simultaneously displaying perseverance and strength unlike any other. Today's example of being faced with news of this tragedy yet still completing the ministry we had planned, with genuine smiles on our faces and in our hearts for its purpose, not only encouraged me, but made me proud to be a part of it all.

towerview bus!

Back during our 40 DITW study, my study group had developed a plan for our Micah 6:8 project. It started with a church-wide yardsale [remember that??], the profits of which would fund a community outreach. We collectively decided that we would break into teams and hit a few of the local laundromats, armed with coffee, donuts, laundry detergent and quarters, and just pay for people's laundry. No catch, no fee, no sermon. Just free laundry and breakfast. 


 << Oh, btw, our Towerview bus is now complete! Just in time for the youth group missions trip, which heads out tomorrow. It looks great! :)

We arrived at the church this morning and divided up into three teams, quick to plan our routes and off we were. I joined Diana, Olivia, and three of the youth group at the Maytag in Fairview Heights. Our very first offer was met with flat-out denial. I was amazed over the course of the morning at the wide range of response elicited by our desire to load quarters into washers and dryers and provide the detergent to go along with it. While it was slightly discouraging to be turned down, what mattered more was the handful of people who accepted, perhaps questioningly, but accepted nonetheless, and were so deeply moved by it that some of them even began crying. I met a woman today whose husband is in the hospital for a medical condition that has almost taken his life twice. Her two children's lives with their father consisted more of hospital visits and stays than it did of him being home. The trips to the laundromat are a family outing for them. I sat and listened to her story after we'd loaded quarters into the washers and dryers, and realized that this was more than just gratitude for her laundry being covered for today. She poured out her heart to us, and I would be willing to guess we'll see her soon, at the Tower. I was moved by this, in a sincere way. I was reminded today just how powerful God's love is on a simple Saturday morning, in a laundromat, over coffee and a donut :). I was blessed to be a part of this.

look at this little guy!! adorable friends at the laundromat

these things are expensive!

yummm summer salads!

The other two groups had very similar stories: rejection by some, whether by pride or fear that a 'church group' would demand an ear for preaching if they ceded to them paying for their laundry. Others were more than receptive, appreciating our efforts, and even delving into conversation over life in general. We all ended up at the Page house, where the kids had spent the morning along with Lara and Cathie. We ate lunch there before we all headed home. 

It's going to be a very difficult remainder of the weekend for the Thompsons and Caitlin's family. I hate that tragedies like this are what it takes sometimes to put life in perspective. Our very deepest condolences go to their families, and our love and support will be among the flood of such for which our church family is so well-versed.

xo | cmd