Friday, July 13, 2012

PitaPit! [VBS Day5]

I found this place yesterday.
I ate there again, today.
I don't feel bad about it.

yup.
This place is going to be a problem for me, more specifically for my wallet. In the realm of all places fast food, I have to say it's going to take me quite a while to tire of this new discovery. I'm a firm believer that food is much better served in a pita, no matter how you spin it. :)

Sorry, that's about all I've got for now, other than Day 5 of VBS, which would fool anyone into thinking it's still opening night - major kudos to the VBS crew at the Tower - you.. guys... ROCK :)

It's late. See you tomorrow, bloggerbees.

xo | cmd

Thursday, July 12, 2012

WELCOME BABY EMILIA!! [VBS Day4]

So as we all went to bed last night with the anticipation of little miss Emilia's arrival, the Babots headed to the hospital where Lara was induced at midnight. The journey started for them while the majority of us were asleep. This morning around 11am, little Emilia made her grand entrance!

I.. Am.. SO.. Excited!
welcome emilia leigh!
WELCOME EMILIA!!!!
[& Congratulations to proud Mama & Daddy Lara & Alex, and of course big brother Landon]

proud mommy, flawless & beautiful, as always :)
gorgeous daughter & mama!
I cannot wait to meet little Emilia, and I will gladly stand in that line to do so. We're continuing prayer for the proud parents, and perhaps even more proud big brother Landon! I pray everything goes well for the next couple of days and that you're home in no time. We are so excited for you. Yiieee, babies! ♥

----

Today, as we all know, is day 4 of VBS. It's been an energetic week so far, and we crossed the halfway point. I took a break from all things VBS to stop by Tracy's house and snag the giant bag o' T-shirts that were ordered for the Towerviewers participating in Relay for Life. I got them all home and separated them into labeled bags for the picking. Since my team co-captain is pictured above doing ridiculous other things like having a baby [sheesh... c'mon ;), heh.. jk!], I made sure to take care of this. It was a bit of work, but an oddly-refreshing breather from the cardio that is VBS music ;) Hah. Fun stuff.

relay for life | bellville il | july 20-21, 2012!
It's been a whilrwind week so far! We are so blessed :)
The almost-Friday is just around the corner!
xo | cmd

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Thrifty Office Deco | VBS Day 3

Tips for office deco:
Don't spend more than necessary.
Done, and done!
why thank you, goodwill!
^ Magnetic dry erase board, in pristine shape, making its new home on the wall next to my desk. Since we moved out of the janky neighborhood on the other side of the dividers, I no longer have the overhead that previously attached itself above my desk. First world problem, I know, but as it stood, I had a cup full of homeless magnets that were taking up desk space. I decided I'd consult the inventory at Goodwill, thinking I may on a whim find something fun to brighten up the day. Goodwill so rarely disappoints; today was one of those days in which I felt I was almost expected. Ah, thrifty finds. :)

Oh, and VBS is in full swing!

meet your vbs music directors: kirsten & cori
see them taking a break? yeah... :)
Three days down, three to go. We are on fire! The kids are incredible.. and we are.. exhausted ;) Haha. All in good fun, and really we're having a blast doing it.

Y-E-S to V-B-S!

What a day... :)

xo | cmd

VBS Day #2 | Softball

I wanna walk, I wanna talk, I wanna live in your power! I wanna pray, I wanna stay, I wanna move in your power! I wanna walk, I wannt talk, I wanna live in your power! I wanna pray, I wanna stay, I wanna move.. IN YOUR POWER!
^ Day 2, complete.
*Whew.

Conveniently enough, Dawne had asked early last week if Sydni could spend the night at her place tonight with Olivia and Lu, the two other little ones that she watches, for a slumber party. That left me free to really gauge how much time I would need to get from work down to church. I found I was good to go with enough time to stop at the house and let the dog out before heading over. With fifteen minutes to spare, I snagged some food with the rest of the VBS staff downstairs [many thanks to Miss Margaret, Miss Shirley, & the volunteers preparing this all week!]. Then it was upstairs for three hours of cardio ;)

we stole a vbs'er! ;)
cori. lyla. mo | softball

It seems to go by much quicker once the end approaches, but we're having a blast and doing our part to exhaust the little ones before we send 'em back home to their parents. Haha.

Tonight was extended by the weekly softball game to which us VBS workers slowly trickled once we were finished with our festivities at the church.

We didn't walk away with wins this week, either, but us bystanders had some fun of our own.

That being said, it's late, folks.

I'll be up and at it again in a few short hours!

xo | cmd

Monday, July 9, 2012

VBS Kickoff: Amazing Wonders Aviation!

What's up, SUNDAY?!

I'm pretty sure one of us ran the other ragged today. It actually seems to be that we both exhausted each other. This day's on its last drop and I don't feel like a bit of it was wasted.

First: I would like to request a prayer for my neighbors. I don't know exactly who they are or whose car this is, but it seems to be the sole victim in my subdivision of the storm that plodded through here last night. Bummer.
:( 
Hm.. So yeah - Whether it was the anticipation of today's VBS kickoff, or the unrelenting heat that has settled into my AC-deprived house, I spent the bulk of last night tossing, turning, listless for the most part.I must've lapsed at some point sometime after 2:30am, brought back to by my alarm declaring it was 6:30am and time to get moving.

the runion brothers: derek & ryan | gabe [not pictured]
congratulations!!!
Grawr. < That's the sound my body and mind makes when I'm out of bed long before I should be on a weekend. *sigh. Anyway, it was just before 7 when I met up with Kirsten outside Walmart to pick up the VBS choreo DVD for practice later between church and the kickoff. I made a pitstop at the gym on the way home, since I was already up.

Church flew right on by in the usual phenomenal Towerview fashion: It started right off with not one, not two, but three baptisms. I love these kinda mornings! [congratulations to the Runion brothers Derek & Ryan, and little Gabe, who snuck up there after I'd put the camera away!]

Once church let out and lunch had been devoured by grumpy, nap-needing little fingers, I made a date with the VBS DVD and committed myself to memorizing the last of the VBS music for the week. I apparently dozed off during a little break; I awoke to Mo calling me to come and help w/ her classroom setup. Off we were, back to church to put final touches on all things VBS.

towerview vacation Bible school 2012!
And V-B-S.... BEGIN!


I'm spent. Kirsten and I did about as much jumping, waving, signing, and dancing tonight as I could manage for one night. As is customary for any good VBS week, we're gonna be ready to fist-fight this stuff by the time Friday comes around, but in an endearing way. Haha.

Many, MANY thanks to Laura for "managing" the production of this year's VBS, to all the teachers, to the nursery workers, and especially to my church family as a whole for having me participate! It's gonna be a long but totally rewarding week!

Tomorrow starts early. G'Nite :)

xo | cmd

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Hangin' Out With the Mini! (:

It's obviously not unusual for Sydni and I to have plenty of mama-mini time whenever Joe is out of town. Our solo weekends vary from the tame nothin'-at-all days to the more adventurous days. Today fell into the category of spur-of-the-moment outing, which might seem, at face value, ridiculous considering it's still 110+ degrees out. Wellllll.. when the AC in your house is just blowing air, not cold air, it almost seems like a better avenue to get outta there for a bit. Check.

We started off with some errands, some long-overdue [grocery shopping], some just plain overlooked. We knocked out all of the more monotonous pitstops on the list and geared ourselves into downtown Belleville. My original thought was to stop and see our new friend Bulent and get some gelato, but I'd forgotten he was closed Saturdays.. this one at least. *Sigh. We spotted another digs right down the block and decided to check it out - I'm so glad we did! YAY, for local businesses!!

Welcome to Peachy! It's a frozen yogurt bar, surely no stranger to the locals, but a new discovery for us, and a perfect reprieve from the heat.

peachy | goofin' around.. biodegradable spoons, duh  ;)
i. let's see what this is all about | ii. tryyyyy it....
iii. love it, mama | iv. approval!
= a+ from the foodie critic!
Good stuff. Of course, since we were down in the heart of the Belleville local adorably unique shop district [that's obviously not official, but that's how I feel whenever I'm there!], I took Sydni in with me to check out the latest happenings at Peace by Piece. She was the smash hit of the staff, especially the owner's dog, with whom she immediately bonded and even kissed on the head before we left. I ended up ceding to a mega TOMS sale [shocking, I know], and left with some ballet flats. < First time with these; I'll have to see how they fare compared to the classics. Of course, TOMS are TOMS, and I support the core mission there, too, so I have less reservation about spending less than msrp on them today. Bwah bwah bwah.....

Oh! Almost forgot. I met Heather today, who both works at Peace by Piece and is a local artisan. Her jewelry [kindred spirit!] sells at PxP, and in an effort to continue supporting local folk, I ordered a little something that she'll be crafting. I won't say or show what just yet; I'll share that whenever she's finished :).

park baby
Anyway, from the time we got up this morning, Syd had been asking: "pretty please, can i, caaaaaan iiiiii???" to go to the park. I ultimately obliged, but not without trying to redirect her desire in another - any - other direction. It was her afternoon, but I certainly was thinking, sure kid. The park. It's as cool out as the sun's surface, but let's go to the park. ;) 

Like I said, I caved, so for a full 45 minutes, we were the only people outside I'm sure, within a 10 mile radius. Haha.

I realized I must've been asleep or somehow otherwise not paying enough attention to her all the other times we'd been to the park recently, because it seemed so sudden when she turned on some avid climbing skills. Yeah, I'm sure it's probably a standard developmental landmark, but I was prepared to aide her somehow. Not the case.


She's a regular little monkey! I'm so proud :).
mini monkey mode - she's fearless!
To my surprise, I was met with absolutely zero protest when I finally decided it was time to head home. Every surface of the play equipment at the park was "too hot, mommy, it's too hot," so after about 12 times up and down the spiral climby thing, we brought our day out and about to an end. She was asleep by the time I had the car started. Hah.

oh hey, sweat..
Now, I'd heard on the radio a day or so back that it's been clinically proven that prolonged extreme heat affects mental functioning. I think I knew that before I heard it, but it certainly made sense and I'm certainly blaming my random afternoon decision on it, too. I for some odd reason thought it would be smart to go running. Any other day, absolutely, but I'm declaring it official that the heat warped my logic so much that I actually forgot.. about.. the heat. Sad, sick irony.

Anyhow, 3 miles later, I was back home, more thankful than ever that I'm headed to Heaven when my time here is through. This weather made me think of a preview of the other neighborhood, and my sentiment on it is that that rat Satan can take and keep this weather ;).

110+ degrees. Running. Outside. I need to suck it up, I know... I just wasn't quite prepared for it today. Haha. Ohhhh well. Three miles is three miles no matter which way you spin it, even if it meant sweating my weight before I was halfway done. Mehhhh...

We are done runnin' around for the day. We're about to head down to camp out in the basement and watch The Little Mermaid for the umpteenth time. Speaking of which, as a sidenote: I was emptying out our dishwasher earlier and Sydni exclaimed, quite articulately:

"Mommy! Look at aaaaall those dinglehoppers!"
[[ credit: Mo.... haha ]]

Whoa. Moments in the life of a toddler girl's mama. Unscripted!

Haha. It's gonna be an early day tomorrow. The VBS kickoff is less than 24 hours out at this point; say a prayer for us!!

'Nite, beloved blogbots.

xo | cmd

Friday, July 6, 2012

TWLOHA [The Reprise] | HBD, JIMMY!

twloha.com | [go]check.it.out.
It's been a little while since I last sported this one. I found it tucked in a pile of short sleeve shirts in my closet, its turquoise lettering peeking at the visible edge and reminding me that it's spent long enough on the shelf without being worn.

I always get asked, expectantly so, first the question, "What's your shirt say?" The second question once I either recite it or stand up straight and still enough for it to be completely visible: "What's it mean?"

mercy ministries/barlow girl '08
♥ ali | good times, love this girl!
Bear with me, because this one strikes me on a personal level a little deeper than some of the other equally-respectable causes. TWLOHA is a non-profit movement purposed to extend real hope, encouragement, wisdom, and help to those struggling and/or suffering from depression, abuse, addiction, self-injury/suicide. The initial project launched over 6 years ago; my first exposure to it came about 4 years ago when my darling friend Ali [*miss you, far-away-friend!!] and I were on a mission assignment for Mercy Ministries. It opened to the door for me to TWLOHA [not affiliated w/ MM], and it moved me.

For the people who inspired me to join and continue supporting TWLOHA over the past few years [in absolutely no particular order]: Mili, Jena, Ben, Mike, Robbie, Asia, Daniel, Dustin, Nick, Skye, Ashley, Hannah, and the rest of what is a very long list: I loved or do love each of you in a unique way, and I support missions like TWLOHA either in honoring memory of you or in a token of my utmost support and pride for each day that you continue to choose life - real life - over the alternatives of this broken world.

If you've not yet explored opportunities to advocate a cause like this that moves you in its own way, TWLOHA's not a shabby place to start. Mercy Ministries is another one. Invisible Children. Bloodwater Mission. The list is seemingly endless. One thing I can count on is that life is too short not to be the arms and legs of Christ in some way and reach out, unconditionally and unbiased, to the suffering and the broken. It's the least I can do in my little flash of a journey here. xx.

****
Speaking of really stellar people:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMY!!! 

woooo! happy birthday jimbo!!!
Jimmy celebrates another year young today; happy birthday to one of our great friends here in Belleville!! This is one truly stand-up guy, and very proud daddy-to-be, might I add. We love these two [Mo & Jimmy]. They've proven to be two of the kindest, selfless and flat out fun couples we could've asked for when we made Illinois our new home. We are so very thankful for both Jimmy & Mo, and wish him the very best birthday yet!

*****

Oh, on a sidenote - it's still a tad bit warm around these parts. I shouldn't very well complain about the blanket of everywhere heat that has settled over the midewest. What I can say is hooooly hot one! I stay thankful to have the amenities to avoid overheating, but not-so-secretly even more thankful for the 90 degree cold front that will be passing through this weekend. Haha.

Notice the 7am temp [top] and the 1pm temp [bottom]. I didn't grab a shot of the 111 temp at 5pm, but I figured by that point hot was hot and it reaaaally didn't matter. Hah.

OHHHH YEAH! And..... after almost a full week of unrelenting asking.. and asking.. and s'more asking, my boss finally ceded to myself and the other staffing consultant to move out of our Green Acres post-up to the other side of the "fence" to where our old desks now sit. Good news, we'll now have our old spaces back [sorta], and with a wealth of added privacy. Yay, little victories!! (:

Lastly, but certainly not of a lesser priority:

IT'S THE DAGGONE WEEKEND!!!! Two days of relaxing before the workweek picks back up. Next week's gonna be an especially eventful time as VBS kicks off on Monday. Exhaustion, here we come ;)

I can't wait.

Time to kick it with the mini - Umizoomi style. Yenno. ;)

xo | cmd