Hide & Seek: The Silver Lining on a Monday

I was not overly impressed by how the work day ended. It's an ongoing plight, really; I struggle more than I'd like to admit on days like this, to convince myself that I'm not operating like someone who hasn't resigned herself to the path of someone who's blinding circling around in Einstein's definition of insanity. It just.. today was not the best day I've had recently. 

But it's okay, because ya know what? It wasn't the worst, either.

There's a silver lining in everything, I'm certain of it. Plus, I'm a firm believer that where there are valleys and unfruitful seasons, that they only exist because there are mountain tops and bountiful spans to contrast [and vice versa, obviously]. But seriously. Today was a wash; I'm letting it go.

my friends.... 

Tonight was different. I'm among the lucky to have my best friend by my side through thick, thin and days like this that otherwise make me question myself. As we continued on with the project in Sydni's room, we talked. We talked, and talked, and talked. We didn't have phones out. We just... worked and talked. It was relaxing, but above that, made me realize that I owe so much more for the gift of him and the rest of my mini clan of friends & family than I could give.

amazed by this guy!

Speaking of our quality time, this guy impresses me every day with his ability to do something he's never done before - in this case, building a loft bed fit for an almost-7-year-old and an adult or two if needed. He is patient, understanding and confident that if he doesn't know something, he will figure it out and make it work. #bragmoments♥

Tomorrow, we paint! Sydni's room is nearing completion, and I can't wait. In time.. in time. We're on a roll though and I see no signs of stopping, until it's done.

See ya next time, blogbots - it's gonna be a long day tomorrow, I'm sure.

xo | cmd

Sydni's World!

I concluded four years ago that I was no longer the pilot in my own world.
I am now a co-pilot in the world of a bright, beautifully spunky 4-year-old.
I am probably the luckiest woman on planet earth to have her [says every mother, ever... and rightfully so if their kids are half as cool as Sydni].

Today was another chilly day, topped off with some icy sputters that I couldn't really decipher as rain or wannabe snow. It stayed a muted color pretty much all day; the brightest part of it all came at 6:30 when I sat and watched Sydni do her little fish thing at swim lessons.

She's getting better.. and better.. and better every single time I watch her. That little girl definitely loves water..

Afterwards, we headed home, eager to get out of the testy weather and into some snuggly PJ's, dinner, a movie and a bedtime storybook.

We accomplished all of those things, including a pre-bedtime photo shoot.

..... Complete with a mini video clip!


With that being said, tomorrow is FRIDAY!
There's an Express outing scheduled for tomorrow night at Fearfest up at King's Island; it should be a good time.. we'll see (:

my goofy girl!

For now... that's a wrap. Goooooodnight!
xo | cmd

"MY BED!"

This is what happens when you have a toddler who believes that every square inch of the house belongs specifically and entirely, to her.

Today started off with a fixed bed and a tidy room. It ended with Joe and I taking care of some other things before calling it a night. We attempted to settle into our bed, but were both quickly dismissed by little miss this-is-my-bed-and-you'll-touch-it-when-I-say-so. I couldn't resist capturing the moment of her relaxing after she'd first brought in her clothes and scattered them on the bed, climbed up and jumped on it for a few minutes, then rolled around in all the blankets until they were in a satisfactory state of disarray. She finally parked herself right smack in the middle and dedicated her focus to the tail end of a Phineas and Ferb episode.

* I will miss these moments, I know. *

For now, I love them. ♥

xo | cmd

And A-Thrifting We Go! [Again]

It’s been one heck of a weekend, in terms of sleep schedule and time management. Joe started into his mid-shift rotation a few days back, and since then it seems like the zany sleeping hours have spilled out onto the rest of us. For instance, Joe headed out for work around 10pm last night; I was up until almost 4am. Don’t ask me how that worked itself out, but it’s my hope that we’ll nail down separate sleeping agendas sometime before his next rotation rolls around.



christopher. loralye. easton. sydni. carlee
&& santa! :)



Anywho, we managed to pull it together and make it to church this morning, which was followed by lunch at the Woods’ with the Werner’s and Page’s. The somewhat bittersweet blessing better known as our small group expansion, has taken off so much so that it was mutually voted upon to split our one bulk small group into three smaller small groups, if that makes sense. That being said, it was decided that Dan & Robin, Adam & Cathy, and Joe and I would be the three couples accountable for hosting and discussion generation during our bi-weekly gatherings. At the last group gathering at the Woods’, names were drawn randomly to assign out all the couples or families to one of the three groups. We’ve landed three of our groups extraordinary couples, as well as two other ladies looking for involvement with Koinonia. Today we met with the other couples and the Woods in a spearhead planning session. We nailed down some solid ideas on how to move forward collectively, which can’t be shared for the sake of being a spoiler! J



ok, fine... i'll take it!

 Upon leaving the Woods’, we made a bee-line back to the house so Joe could get a start on his sleep. Sydni went down for a nap as well, and I headed out to run some errands. I decided to hunt down a mattress for the [Goodwill] bed frame I’d toted home a few weeks back. Along the way, I must’ve blacked out, and when I came to, I was walking through the door of Plato’s Closet. Go figure. I realized the reason for the unplanned stop when I landed one of those deals that remind me why I rarely deviate from thrift-fueled shopping. I finally made it to my original destination and found exactly what I was after: twin mattress. The whole thing is set up now and I must admit it adds a nice touch. I like it!



twin bed :: finished!



It’s been a long day; the work week starts tomorrow. *Sigh.

ZzZzZzzzz….

xo | cmd

Where to Start?!

Oooookay.

So Joe had to go back to work today, and that meant Sydni and I were left to our own devices for the larger portion of the day. That meant beginning the task of tackling box.. after box .. after box of packed house.

Where in the world to start. Every room is stacked with bins and boxes, and climbing over clutter to get from space to space is the current mode of transitioning throughout our house.

Sweet.

Long story short, today consisted of my hunting down clothing bins and slowly piecing together our closet. Let me preface with the fact that I, over the years, have become quite the shoe fanatic. It didn’t help that my first two retail gigs in college were for Aldo and Journey’s. So, today was a monumental day for me in the fact that I loaded a bin with 67 pairs of mostly mint-condition shoes to donate to the Airman’s Attic. Thirteen of those were Chuck Taylor’s, with which I found hardest to part. It was tough, but I’m sure in a week I won’t think a thing of it. Along with the shoes are going half a closet of clothes, and everything from socks to heavy coats. I must say, it feels good.

Today also included my assembly of our bedframe. It was a chaotic event, but I somehow managed to balance head & foot boards, sideboards, and finally crawling underneath to secure support rails. King size bed, meet Cori. Boo yah. Ha.

Joe came home and made dinner, which we proudly ate on our 30-gal Rubbermaid coffee table substitute. Don’t be jealous ;)

It’s late, and I am exhausted!

Good day, though. Good day.

 xo | cmd