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 Workaversary To Me!

Once upon a time, I started a job with this company called Express: 

my first express family : cincinnati east, oh
photo circa 2010

I'll never forget it - March 15, 2010: It was a Monday, and it was my first day on this new job I'd found on Craigslist, at a place I'd never heard of a month before that. I jumped in with both feet and remember very clearly my first full week at Express Employment Professionals: computer training [yay!]. It was an overload of information, a time I look back at and laugh at how many pages of notes I took, on things I wouldn't need to know, really. I had no idea where that job would take me, or if it would lead to anything at all that would be stable, or permanent.

When the news came down that I'd be moving to Illinois, I lost a lot of tears grasping the idea of leaving behind one of the best teams on which I'd ever been. And then, I met Marc & Diana, and became part of their team as a transfer. As part of that team, I would go on to experience almost 3 years of team restructuring, process adjustment and even an office expansion. I became a staffing consulant, and eventually grew into a sr. staffing consultant role. I met Ali, who is now one of my best friends, as a product of working together there, and still to this day have lasting communication and friendships with that team. 

my 2nd express family: glen carbon, il
photo circa 2012

The decision to move back to Ohio wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but out of that came the opportunity for me to work alongside Dave and Elisa [& some other endearing characters: Nancy, Lizzy & Nikki.. and then some other more questionable thankfully short-lived cast members, but I digress >_<...] 

my 3rd express family: cinci central [part 1]
photo circa 2014

It wouldn't become the longterm Cinci Central family unit, but the time I spent working with each of them is invaluable.

Then came the revolution; Dave sold the business to Paul, Elisa went to grad school in Chicago and the last toxic cell was cut from the team all in the span of a couple months. From there was born the new and battle-ready Cinci Central team. It's a world of difference in dynamic, but we're steadying the foundation together and it's amazing to see how far we've come!

my [technically] 4th express family: cinci central [part 2!]
+ our significant others, along with chris & deb!
photo circa 2016

It's been a crazy ride: 3 different offices, 4 franchise owners, a multitude of different co-workers, events, seminars and the like. I wouldn't trade it for anything; this place is just as much a part of me as the 8+hours we invest into it daily throughout the week. I never would've envisioned myself working for a company like this, but now that I do, I'm grateful for every chaotic minute and wouldn't have it any other way. 

Six years later, here I am - still in one piece and ready to see what's next. 

Let's go, year 7! 

xo | cmd

Friends & Family on Friday

Breakfast out of town is usually a far cry from whatever dietary regimen I'm trying to follow, but I can't say I was upset about some turkey bacon and eggs to get the day started. To top it, we stopped by my old stomping grounds to say hi to a few familiar faces, and the new ones I'd not yet met.

Man, I miss these guys!

oh, how i miss these two! [& the rest of that team!]

We didn't plan it, but it turned out we'd see Marc twice today; we ran into him several hours later at Bindy's. We were set for the afternoon to celebrate Christmas with Rob's mom and stepdad, which provided the final item on Rob's Christmas wish list. We've now got a new acoustic for the house, and I have to say, it's beautiful.

he's in love! 

A couple hours later, we wrapped everything up at Rob's mom's and headed back to Dillon's to decide how to allocate the remaining hours of the night.

Bindy's it was. The crowd started pouring in as it does every time I've seen the place, and with it came Marc, who we just saw earlier this morning, and even Taryn, who was at a birthday party just before stopping through to see us. There were plenty of other familiar faces, which made for a fun [long, but fun] night!

hi jesse, hi taryn! :) 

taryn :) 

random snapchat? 

I'm not even sure who that SnapChat ended up going to, but if I had to guess, it was probably Ali & Damanji. Either way, it's been a night with these folks and I'm happy to have spent it the way we did. I'm also happy to be home for the night.... ;)

That being said, G'Nite!

xo | cmd

Tuesday & We're At It Again

yay!!

That's right, my office has officially been open for one full year. I just looked back at the entry I made this time last year; it does and doesn't feel like it's been a full year since we opened our doors, but here we are, growing steadily and running full steam. Happy Expressaversary, to us!

To celebrate, the ladies of the office closed up for lunch and treated ourselves to Seasons 52.

seasons 52 | rookwood | cincinnati, oh

Fooooooooooooood...

bring on.. the lunch (:

We do things in rounds when we celebrate...

a proper 3-course lunch:
pesto chicken flatbread appetizer | cedar plank salmon | mini indulgence desserts!

Oh, and Nancy bought cupcakes from the Sweeterie. 

sweeterie! ;)

After work, I stopped by to pick up Sydni and headed home, pulling in the driveway just as Rob rolled down the street on the bike. We wasted no time switching clothes and adding work gloves for night 2 of some catch up on yard work.

We've had small brick pavers in the bed of Rob's truck for almost two weeks now, and tonight we finally moved them to the backyard, where they'll eventually become a miniature firepit. It was a quick process, especially since there were three sets of hands to help!

such a great helper!!

taking a break... after 3 whole minutes of work... whew! ;)

We contemplated using them for the front yard, but decided instead for the back yard.

this is how we transport around here.. haha.. toys..

As a reward for her hard work, she got to cruise down the block and back with Rob on the bike. Don't worry, friends, I could've probably run faster than they were moving, but she took to the bike like a charm and it was harder to peel her off than get her on it.

little harley girl!

For dinner, it was an easy decision to skewer up some meat & potatoes for the grill. I snagged one of the cupcakes from work for these two, and all together it became dinner for 3, and we are happy little campers!

grilled-up deliciousness [is that even a word? ...who cares]

Tomorrow it's volleyball, willing the rain holds off.
Hopefully it does.
Because hey, volleyball double-headers are the best ;)
See ya then!

xo | cmd

HAPPY 32nd ANNIVERSARY!

1...2....3.........4......10... 20....30...

32!!!!!

Today is the 32nd anniversary of two of the greatest parents to hit planet earth, and today, I wish them the absolute best. I wish I had stolen at least a digital copy of a few more pictures of my parents in their "yesteryears," as Mom calls them; I wanted to illustrate how although they have certainly put a few more years under their belts, their youth is more defined than most of my peers.

check these two out! ♥♥

Words really don't give proper justice to how much I love them, but for what it's worth, I literally owe them my life... but not in the traditional capacity of a parent-child relationship. The fact that I'm adopted isn't news to anyone who knows me, but there is never an inopportune moment to pause and be thankful for that transpiring of events. I would know a very different lifestyle if not for them; with the recent tsunami tragedy in the Philippines, there is no telling if I would even still be on this earth today. To commit your lives to raising children not born to you is something I don't yet know, and something I only hope I have the compassion to do if that blessing presents itself to me.

Happy 32nd Anniversary to my beautiful parents. Thank you for the examples you've set along the way, for the realistic expectations you've helped me to develop and keep, for the standards you've taught me to have and for the unconditional support, forgiveness and love you've given me in spite of the times we all know I did not deserve it. Here's to another year of your lives together; I am beyond thankful to have you in mine.

I love you!

xo | cmd

Churchaversary & Some Pibble Love

Happy 15th birthday, SonRise!

Say hello to the digs I've recently been making my weekly pitstop to fuel up for the rest of the week. It's been both challenging and fun exploring the various churches in the area, but the search has been narrowed and I think we may have a finalist.

sonrise | cincinnati, oh

The lesson this morning?
>>> Also a huge dose of medicine that I needed more than I realized. I don't need to tell anyone [again] that I am a dire mess in progress on the way to becoming what I know I am meant to be, what I can be and ultimately what I want to be. I am transforming, one day at a time, and I know when I am finally in a place to look back without falling over myself, I will have places like this and the people inside them to thank for that.

Speaking of transformations, I spent the day tasking around my house, and for some odd reason I missed my dogs today. I mean.. a lot. I have two of the most loving, ornery meatballs I've ever met, but I love them and today was one of the first times recently that I just craved having them mulling around my feet and leaving slobbery kisses everywhere.

And yes, my dogs are pitbulls.
And no, they are not violent.
And yes, I am proud of them.
And yes, so are other people.

... And yes, I chanced across two transformation stories today that brought me to tears.

PATRICK'S STORY, one that unfortunately is not confined to any certain type of breed, makes me both furious at the human ability to be cruel. Adversely, I am so glad there are other people in this world put here to counter this type of evil and save a life. Look at this beautiful boy!!

And then there's MAMA JADE. I found this story in a FB newsfeed [thanks, Melissa!]. I don't know why I felt so compelled to share both of those today, but I honestly just... miss.. my dogs.

Hmm. So yeah. It's raining again and my house isn't quite clean yet.
I'm off to finish that and rest up for the week (:

xo | cmd

H-A-P-P-Y Saturday!

apple tree | granite city, il

First things first:
Places we've - well, I've - never been... and breakfast.

Rob introduced Syd and I to the Appletree Family Restaurant in Granite today. It's not a spectacular venue by most standards, but my hometown has very similar places and I love them... so I wasn't opposed at all.

It turned out to be much more like a diner than anything else, and I happen to love diners. Breakfast was delicious, Sydni was happy... we were all together in the same place at the same time... life's good.

From there, we headed down to a car show in Belleville, hosted in part by a guy Rob works with. Today was the perfect day for this (: 

perfect day for a car show!

And then it was off to Dawne's! It was so good seeing her, and if I'd had my stupid phone with me, I would've taken a picture to commemorate the first time I've seen her in months. She and Sydni had some long-overdue catching up to do, so we chatted for a few minutes and then went on our way.

We stopped by the mall for a few minutes, snagged some Orange Julius and checked out the new trends at Zumiez [luckily nothing spectacular enough to take home this time], and were back at Rob's in no time.

These two got some quality play time in today (:

tug tug tug tuuuuug...

Once the pups were a little tuckered out, we geared up for an afternoon ride out on Rob's [newest] bike. It's sad, but this is the first time we've ridden together.. haha. There's a first time for everything! Ours is just usually... delayed. (:

knockout bike. knockout boyfriend.
all around win (:

We rode over to Jesse's, where I finally got to see his little Zepplin [new puppy!], who is far too cute for his own good. I didn't have my phone with me, so these are borrowed.. but trust, the next time I see this little one, I'll have some shots of my own ;)

zepplin! adorable growin' lil brute (:

The three of us took off in search of a hangout, landing us at a pool table and a drink before deciding not to risk the chances of rain on the bikes for the night. Rob and I headed back to change and trade a chopper for a diesel.

goofball. & i love everything about him.

Before long it was back to Jesse's, to pick up him and his friend Kelsey.. and off to Fast Eddie's it was. We were in the mood for some grub and chick-on-a-stick sounded just about right. Y-U-M. (:

fast eddie's bon air | alton, il

Then to Rajun Cajun piano bar, where Jesse, Kelsey & Rob all failed at convincing me to get up on the stage and play anything. I thought about it, yes, I did... but I didn't. Sorry guys.. maybe next time. Haha ;)


rajun cajun piano bar | alton, il

We dropped Jesse & Kelsey off before our final destination of the night: Bindy's. Alicia made Rob promise the last time he saw her that I'd come by when I was in town next. So... it seemed perfectly fitting, especially with it being Bindy's 24th anniversary party!

♥ alicia!! [not my best picture, but we'll deal...]

This is backdated, fo sho. We made it home, had one of those liquid-encouraged, brazenly-candid conversations on the way, and at that, called it a night.

¡Hasta Mañana!

xo | cmd 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

mom & dad | i love you.

Today is my parents' anniversary.

I do and I don't have words to say about them. I could sit here for days and tell you all of the little ways they've impacted me, as well as the bigger, more obvious footprints that only they could claim having in my life.... but I would still have more to tell and feel less like I'm accurately conveying the point in spite of my own efforts.

They are amazing. Role models, support team and of course, my fallbacks through thick and thin. We've had our ups and downs, as just about every family does, but through it all, especially most recently, they have been there for me in ways I couldn't have expected, imagined or hoped.

I'm so indebted to two people who chose to adopt me, chose to raise me as their own, love unconditionally, keep me safe when I needed it, let me fall when I needed that too, but above all gave me examples of what I needed to become in this world.

Thank you, Mom & Dad. Happy Anniversary.

For the rest of you, my lovely blogbots: Make it a great day!!

xo | cmd

New Text Message: THANK YOU!



happy textaversary!

I'm lacking orginality in my thought processes [processees? - ssi? smh, I dunno] today. Bigtime. I started to formulate a line of really interesting, thought-provoking diatribe on my way in to work this morning, but Monday got the best of me and so instead, I just drove my little commute in song to Alison Krauss.

You can't go wrong..... with Alison Krauss.

Anywho - guess what factoid I [along with anyone else who plugged into the news] heard today?

That text message I just sent has an ancestor that just turned 20.

Consider this my token of sheer gratitude to Neil Papworth [&& if that's not a British name, I don't know what is] for his contribution to the technological era. Thanks, Neil, for that 1992 Christmas well-wish that revolutionized the world of mobile communication and is now a staple for insta-contact here in 2012. You're pretty stellar.

I've got real work to do today. Happy Monday (:

thx!

xo | cmd

Sundays With Sweet People

I'm ashamed to admit that this was my first Sunday back in Sunday School in about 4 weeks. I have no admissible excuse; my only explanation consists of failed attempts to heed the alarm clock, hiccups with coordinating the entire family, and on one occasion, a migraine. I know, I know.... far from valid. I was reminded this morning how much I love my Sunday school class, my church, and especially the people.

Speaking of people, there's a lot going on with any given person or people at the Tower, and today was no exception.

First....

Happy 4th Birthday, Landon!! 

We love this kid. The Babots were one of the first families with whom we connected here at Towerview, and we're blessed to have them as friends. We've had a few awesome play dates with Landon, they're in our small group extension, and naturally we see them at all the church functions and outings. Syd even referred to Landon as her "little brother" [although yes, he's older] for a bit until she decided he was better as a friend :). Happy birthday, to our little buddy - Hope it was an excellent day!! 

shot from mother's day 2012 | landon!
happy birthday!!

Also, 

Happy FORTIETH Anniversary to the Bests!!!

Ironically, by Bests, I mean THE Bests, literally! John & Ellen Best, that is. Ms. Ellen is our nursery director at church, but she's sooo much more than that. She's an amazing person, and John is nothing less than just as awesome. I'm so inspired by their generosity, and by the example they set as a married couple for those of us far less seasoned in the art of being married. This is the kind of example more of us need to follow!

40 years ago today :) 

As if it weren't enough that Jimmy brought and sported a stick mustache [originally for the skit, but it worked throughout the entire service this morning], the funny times with our friends carried out over the course of the day, and eventually into the evening, even after choir practice. The Woods invited us to Arby's for some last minute munchies, and we had some fun with Sydni's kiddie meal "toy." It was a cowboy, but totally resembled someone else we know, if that someone had a boxy head and a permanent plastic-esque glow. :p In my defense, I wasn't the first or only one to notice.... 

cowboy? ... or... joe? haha ;) 

Ahhh, I'm such a sucker for fun times with fun people :).

It's about time to call it a day; I'm due for an early start tomorrow.
Oh, and The Voice starts tomorrow. [*squeaaaaaaal!]
Here we go, work week!

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

Expressaversary | KONY2012

Oh my word.

Happy Expressaversary to meeee..... again! Haha.

celebrate ;)

My track record with my company goes back a couple years now, but today was the 1-year mark of my tenure at this office. I was met this morning with a cute little cake and a white board decorated in my honor. It wasn't elaborate, but it certainly started the day off right. (:

What I was even less prepared to get was a handwritten note of gratitude from my owners, containing kind words and a little something extra. They really, really shouldn't have; I'm grateful and very blessed.

oh my word. unexpected. | many many thanks.

It's already felt like such a discombobulated day; it's Thursday but feels like Monday to those of us who had yesterday off only to return to work for two days. Joe departed again today for another short round of store visiting. We'll see him shortly, but it's going to be one heckuva jampacked week in the meantime. VBS starts on Monday, and that'll last until he gets back. I'm sure I'll be exhausted by that point, but that's the joy in being part of any good VBS.

kony2012 | liberty triangle | invisible children

Oh! And I almost forgot! This little guy came and surprised me today as well. I'd forgotten all about it, so it was a great little perk when it showed up in the mailbox. This is part of my effort to support the KONY2012 campaign initiative for Invisible Children. I would highly suggest you check it out. It's easier to turn a blind eye in the swamp of "noteworthy causes," but this is one I've chosen to follow. It really is the least I can do. 

Today's winding down; time to go hang with the mini before bedtime.... TG[Tomorrow's]Friday!

xo | cmd