Family Boating Day

We've launched into a new series of lessons today at SonRise, and I think it's really gonna be a good one! Cheers to Genesis, one of the most understated books of the Bible, and all that it holds for us if we really dig into it the way we should!

lovin' it! :) 

After church, we made a beeline back to the house and packed our gear, for a day out on the lake.

Raft and all, we made a day of it!

my girl 

my guy

an action shot! 

This girl cracks me up... 

Today was the first time Syd & I really tested out the raft together, & I must say it was a pretty good time! 

We're into our second season of boating lessons for Sydni, too - I'm wholly convinced that she'll have this down before long... especially if she stays at this pace.

It goes without saying, but should be reiterated basically all the time, that this guy is the reason behind days like this - this guy that I don't deserve, is the rock and reason behind fun days like this. He works his tail off every day to share with us and make sure that we not only live a good life, but that we can sprinkle in some extras to go with it. I'm marrying up here, folks. ♥

A day in the sun made for one tuckered out kiddo, so we were as quick as possible on the ride home, as we stopped off for some groceries before continuing on home for dinner, laundry and time to wind down.

It's gonna be a summer of sights much like these - I can tell already!

Have a BEAUTIFUL week, friends!

xo | cmd 

Lake Norris!

Today was excellent from top to bottom.

First, I of course was off work today, in lieu of our impending mini-getaway into the Tennessee Smokies. That lent me the chance to drop Sydni off at her bus stop, something I haven't been able to do since her first day of school exactly one month ago. We got an early start, so we made a pitstop at the gas station to get mama some coffee, and an extra cup for apple juice for Sydni. Then we were off to the bus stop, where we sat for a few moments alone together eating breakfast before the other kids started showing up.

"look mommy: i look like i'm drinking coffee!"
.... (she isn't... she isn't.)

Sydni boarded the bus and Mindi gave me some final tips on what to expect and what to avoid on our trip to Norris, then I was off to head home and get going.

I read this cover to cover on the way down:

:) 

^ It's a little romantic in nature, but every once in a while, it's nice to absorb something painted a little more brightly than some parts of the real world around us. I borrowed it from my first trip to the Oakley library earlier in the week, and finished the last page just as we were entering the foothills of pure mountain landscape.

I might not leave this place. ;)

I got the bright idea to do a mini video-tour of the cabin property, instead of try to piece together 25 pictures that would do a Picasso job of the same task. Here it is: our mountain-set, lakeside slice of Heaven that we'll be inhabiting for the next two days. You can find us at the bottom of the half-mile gravel driveway ;)

It is... sublime here.
Rob and I made it in first, surveyed the scene and then left the boat parked at the top of the gravel driveway that required 4WD to travel down to the cabin. We unloaded, set up our little camp for the weekend and awaited Jesse's arrival.

I was immediately drawn to the boat dock, where I headed with yoga mat in tow.

inversions. inversions... inversions.....
#scorpion.

more work. 

Jesse arrived an hour or so after we did, so the three of us set off in search of a boat ramp, loaded in and took off for our first cruise of Norris Lake.

here we go! 

floating houses! 

Within minutes, I fell in love with this place. The water is green, but not because it's toxic. You can see the bottom in many places, and the shoreline for this place extends for several hundred miles.

We cruised until eventually we found ourselves at Shanghai Marina, where we stopped for the evening to explore and eat. We snagged a map of Norris while we were at it, certain that it's going to be put to good use tomorrow.

shanghai marina | norris lake
lafollette, tennessee

Here we are now, back at the cabin. Tomorrow will be our day to play on Norris and see what this place is really about. We already decided that our next trip here will span over more than two nights, and with any luck, we'll plan it more than a week in advance ;) Hehe.

G'Night, Rocky Tops!

xo | cmd

Labor Day Lake Loungers

Labor Day Weekend, Day 2.

As expected, we spent another day on the water. Dillon's dad lent us the pontoon for the day, and we cruised our way out to the middle of the lake in Holiday Shores, where we anchored down with several of the other lakers for an afternoon of floating and friends.

There are some pretty fun people out here, and I'm glad we got to spend a day with them! Once we were off the water, we loaded up and headed just down the road for some grub.

Don't judge me; I've already accepted the fact that I shouldn't eat these, but I've also accepted that I really don't care. ;)

this is the.. third time this weekend that i've had these..
this is the first time ever, that i've had them served in a dog bowl. 

Haha. Oh well.

Tonight was the perfect end to a Sunday, even though it feels like Saturday since we're not leaving until tomorrow. We parked ourselves on tailgates and chairs in the driveway for what seemed like hours, just talking and watching some Supercross, before friends started dispersing and we called it an early night. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels the demand of this whole getting old thing.. ;)

G'Nite!

xo | cmd

[The Baja's] Maiden Voyage!

The moment of truth was upon us! [Will she sink or will she purr?]

Before the day got started, Rob and I set out on our separate tasks to prepare for the day: He readied the boat and I headed out to grocery shop for the cooler. Our timing was perfect; Jessica & her friend Andrew arrived right on time and we were on the road by 11.

Eastfork, we have to admit, is not necessarily a place of any sort of splendor. It is however, very convenient for us, and the perfect place for Rob and his new toy to really get to know each other. Norris Lake & Cumberland are on the list and we'll get to those as soon as we can plan the weekend out.

We were so excited to get going that I skipped taking any pictures right away. You know it's intense when my camera isn't out ;). We held our breath as Rob throttled out for the first time and we were off into the day. We cruised around for a bit to feel out the ride [which was pretty. daggone. awesome] before settling into a cove for a bit of swim time.

It wasn't long before Brittany and Wayne joined the party; the rest of the day passed by without a care in the world, and I'm pretty sure we were a bunch of happy little campers by the time it was over :)

happy people, happy day!

There's nothing better in this world than enjoying life in the moment, whatever that moment may be. Today we did just that.. in the company of some awesome friends and a day that was at our disposal.

We. Are. SPENT.
Rob's burnt, too.. and it's time for us to call this one another awesome day for the books.

G'Nite (:

xo | cmd  

Memorial Day 2014

First things first:

To my cousin Jeremy, my other family in service, my friends back at Scott AFB in Illinois, and to the ranks of men & women before and after them who have laid or are unconditionally laying down everything to serve our country, THANK YOU. Today is for YOU, your families and the service you give to the rest of us.

thank you. thank you, thank you, thank.. you.

Our little family started the morning off with breakfast out, since nobody felt much like cooking.

little toes by little flowers out to breakfast!

After breakfast, we took our time deciding what to do for the afternoon. With it being Memorial Day, the possibility of canoeing was immediately nixed once we realized the rest of the city was out on the same mission and rentals were booked through tomorrow for the most part. We defaulted to the boat, which seemed to be the best alternative.

Brittany, Chad and Kalyn met us at East Fork, where we loaded up, dropped in and prepared to haul out for a day on the water.

That went just fine until about 10 minutes into the outing, when a part on the boat prop broke and left us floating in the middle of a wake zone. It seemed like it may have been a sad, premature end to our efforts, but then I was reassured that my friends are a lot like me in the spirit of attaching to the bright side of even the most annoying circumstances.

So what did we do? Well, we tossed anchor and hung out! Sydni had a blast swimming, showing off her crazy fish-like skills to the rest of us, and of course got to practice her casting with the fishing pole that has been repaired since the little hiccup two days ago with Papppy.

We laughed, we swam, we ate lunch and hung out. For having zero horsepower to move us through the water, I'd have to say it was nothing but a fun time and I'm not complaining!

love those girls!!!

All good things eventually do end, and when it came time for us to haul in, we managed to flag down a passing boat and grab a tow for the short ride back to the dock.

womp womp womp... haha

favorite girls!! ♥

Well, boat.. it was a good start to the summer, and this is just a hiccup. It's the end of the night now, and Rob's already got a tentative plan built as to how he's going to fix it [one of the many things I love about him!].

Today wasn't wasted, at all. After we hauled off the lake, dropped Sydni off for her week away from our home and tied up our poor dead boat, we headed to Brittany's for the most delicious veggie burger I've ever had. That, plus friends and Brittany's adorable dog Daisy, proved to be the best unwind for the day.

c'mon, aunt kalyn... just a bite?!

Happy Memorial Day to you, your family, and most importantly to the service men and women who have rightfully earned the praise due their way. We salute you!!

xo | cmd

Mother's Day On The Water!

Today was part 2 of Mother's Day.

Today...

... was...

amazing.

I thought I'd start today with a tribute to my own mothers. Yes, plural. If you're just now tuning in to this itty bitty little life of me, hang on tight. Here's the super-abridged version:

I was born in the Philippines, to a mother who decided she would rather her child live a fulfilling, prosperous life than raise her in a world of intense poverty and instability. I was consequently adopted by an American family, which was, has been and still is spearheaded by the self-sacrificing, unconditionally-generous woman who I've called my mom for as long as I can remember. So yeah, I have 2 mothers; they are both two of my greatest heroes.

Today, I wanted to pay tribute to my adoptive mom and her mother, my Nana. These two women taught me some of the most fundamental things I learned in my early years. My Nana passed when I was 12, but I smile even bigger every time Sydni calls my mom, "Nana."

3 generations of love ♥

To start off our Mother's Day, we headed to SonRise, where we were able to witness a Sunday full of baby dedications and baptisms! The sun was shining bright today, giving signs that it was a perfect day for both of those things. AMEN!

baptisms @ sonrise

my coordinated little family..

After church, I attempted to take a family shot, but Sydni had the grump face plastered to her head because we'd told her we were heading out in the boat for the day.... and it wasn't happening fast enough. Haha.. rough life, kiddo.

But yes, we did vote yes to boating for the afternoon. We stood and cotemplated the skies for a bit, and after a little while decided that the worst that could happen was us turning back around and heading home. So off we were, for Sydni's first time on the lake!

To say she was excited is a bit of an understatement... She finally got to sit in the front seat!

little stingray girl!

Sydni took to the boat like she does to just about everything else: seamlessly. Five seconds out of the loading area and she looked like she'd done this a million times.

oh, just another day, eh? ;)

happy mother's day, to me!

We cruised out to a cove, where Rob went flying off the back of the boat, and Sydni shortly behind him. They're both crazy; it might be May, but the water felt even colder today than it did when we had our last crowd with us. Little fishies don't mind though; I remember being a kid, unbothered by frigid water, and wondering then why all the grown-ups just wanted to stand around and watch. Now I get it ;)...

because we left her pretty life jacket at home, this will do!

i'm ready, mommy!

leap!

big & little fish ♥♥♥

Some footage:

Love them. Back on the boat, we set our sights on a little cruise around the place. Sydni got her first lesson in functional steering today, and I must say she didn't do half bad! On a side note, I heard a news brief on the radio earlier about a mother who passed out while driving, and her 8-year-old daughter steered the car to safety. The daughter later told police that she knew "kinda how to do it," because she'd been allowed to steer the tractor and lawnmower sometimes. This, folks, is one of the reasons I love these kinds of small lessons. My kid will be able to steer this boat on her own by the time she's 8 [not that she will, but I'm just saying...], and won't be panicking on a quad or a lawnmower, either... I can guarantee that.

Plus, she looks adorable doing it!

mini driver!

cruisin' around!

More footage of my little boater:

"You mean THAT cone??"
Hahaha.. I love her.

More lounging around on the boat.. checkin' out the itty bitty fishies swimming under our feet..

the best mother's day yet! ;)

On our way back in, Sydni expressed her frustration at the very idea of a no wake zone. We explained to her the logic behind it, in a way that she then re-defined. Frankly, I like her idea better, all logic and reasoning aside ;)

In case you couldn't hear over the boat motor [dangit!], Sydni is explaining to me which parts of the water the SUN is allowed to touch. When the sun touches it, it wakes up. When it doesn't, it's sleeping, and therefore is in the no wake zone. The sun's not allowed to touch anything inside the floating cones. We'll worry about correcting her when it matters; today's not that day though, amiright?!

Back at  home, it was some big relaxing in order, and that's exactly what we've done. Sydni is playing with the dogs, Rob's gotten everything from the boat put back in its place, and I'm well into the last round of laundry.

Thank you, Rob for giving Sydni and me the most perfect Mother's Day experience I could've imagined. You are the best!

Happy Mother's Day, to the rest of my fellow moms out there - AND to the dads who are on a solo mission right now - your TIME & PRESENCE is more important than any amount of money you could ever give.. I celebrate all of you who give of yourselves every day for your children!!

Love & More Love!

xo | cmd

Woooonderful Wednesday!

I may've gotten a smidge carried away with the new laminator we have in the office. Well, not really, but I did decide I'm going to take a stab at doing some dry erase stuff where I would otherwise be wasting paper. Let's see how that works.


lamination!

Sounds good in theory, yeah?
.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Anyway, after work it was time for my rescheduled session with a personal trainer. I can't accurately tell you how long it's been since I worked with a PT on a formal level. Probably... college? Yikes.

Well, he did some work on me and made me realize just how much work I have yet to do. No worries; I'm all over it and I feel pretty good about it. I felt especially hopeful today about reinstating some of the things I've missed for so long now that I'm back on familiar turf and finding once again some sort of stability.... and consistency, for that matter.

One step at a time. Just ya'll wait and see... this girl will be cut again in no time. (:

Once I'd been whooped by the trainer, I headed back to Northside to meet up with Mike and Becky; Becky and I loaded up the kayaks and took off to Winton Woods for a quick paddle to unwind. It was exactly what I needed.


grab yourself a kayak, a peaceful lake & a great friend.. you're set!
winton woods lake | cinci, oh

Ahhhh. Perfect. To top it off, we got back to Mike's to find he'd already put dinner together. I know I'm an avid fan of The Comet, but I will have to say that even for my indecisive self, I absolutely would have chosen this over Comet any day. Delicious.


tofu. kale. couscous. peppers+onions+carrots. mt.carmel.
= heaven.

I have some great friends, that's for sure.

They're even greater for doing things like late night Graeter's runs with me. Haha. Nothing says, "Let's negate a workout" like some good old fashioned Graeter's. Oh well. Truth is, it was totally worth it and I'm not sorry ;) hehe..

There really isn't much I didn't like about today. It was an even-tempered day at the office, I spoke briefly with Ali, visited the gym for the first time in a few weeks, kayaked, and spent time with some of the wonderful people I call friends. Of course, the night ended with a phone call across the states with Rob, who I'll be seeing in just a short couple of weeks, too.

Who can complain about that?

G'nite!

xo | cmd

Hello, Lake

It felt so good to sleep in with Joe and not lend a single thought to any unpacking or cleaning. Sydni somehow ended up snuggled between us, so the three of us indulged in the complete nothing that Saturday mornings should be. That’s the stuff perfect is made of.

When late morning rolled around and we finally got moving, we loaded up cooler, cornhole, and kid and headed to base to pick up Lorne [or Sheppy, for his last name Shepherd, as Syd calls him]. The four of us drove out to a secluded spot on the base next to a lake and an on-base campground. There we met up with the Sandvens and the Paulsons [Steve & Tiffany] for some fresh air, cornhole, volleyball, and exploring around the lake. I couldn’t have imagined better weather for it, and the company certainly wasn’t bad, either.

We rounded out the afternoon with dinner at the BX and some winding down back at the Sandvens.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow; Joe attended a church right down the street from our house and from what I hear, he thoroughly enjoyed it. I read the email that the pastor sent Joe after he attended, and I must say I was impressed. We’ll see how it is tomorrow!

xo | cmd