day 192 - goldilocks vs. freckle face

if you are going to have a nickname it had better be one you approve of - says my almost 9 year old.  goldilocks it is! lilly has never said anything negative or positive with regards to her freckles.  i find them to be one of her most adorable features!  it did make her smile when her dad said, he was called freckle face too when he was younger.

i was a bit baffled by the whole nickname thing and found out tonight the kids at day camp are giving nicknames to everyone - luke has been coined "dirty blonde".  i forget what caleb is being called (obviously wasn't that memorable).  oh kids and the funny things they do....

today is also our wonderful mimi's birthday!!  we love you mimi and are so thankful for you - hope you have an AMAZING day!!

Day 191 - insane

i think i must be insane!  why i have agreed to such an insane thing is beyond me!  i'm pretty sure i almost died today..... dave and i started the insanity challenge today (60 days).
i had a bit of a "come to jesus" moment as i stepped on the scale for the first time in almost 2 years.  talk about INSANE, that would be the amount of weight i have put on.  i should be expecting a child or something - yikes!  i was totally inspired by daves cousins who have collectively lost over 60lbs. over the last several months using "lose it".  it is an online resource and app to help you track your caloric intake and exercise.  huh? so it's not rocket science - don't eat more calories than you plan on burning..... i thought there was a pill or something i could take and the weight would just melt off - you know, right next to the cream that erases stretch marks...

wish me luck - i'm sure i will post more as we get further in our challenge.  i'm guess it will mostly be complaining about how sore i am - since i can already feel my body hating me after finishing the 25 minute fit test.

Day 190 - till next time

we have had a wonderful time with our family.  watching the kids play, giggle, and hang out together is one of those rare gifts you didn't know existed until you become a parent and watch your family grow.  the past week has reminded me of how precious family is and how even though we are thousands of miles away from one another - blood is deep, really deep.

the kids and daddy's played a friendly game of soccer in the backyard.  

 dave - are you getting schooled by your big brother?  yes, i think you are!!

lilly, i think you call that goal tending :)  

 all of the kids are fun and fabulous but i LOVE watching these two.  we have said over and over that we would be in WAY more trouble if they lived closer to one another.  sylvie and lilly are two weeks apart in age and are cut from the same cloth -- family -- nothing like it in the world!

hey - what do you say we meet up in florida and go on a cruise?!  we love you portland dillers, mimi and papa and love all the adventures and fun we are able to share together.  till next time!

random :: leap of faith

When was the last time you actually took a leap of faith? Not just thought about it or romanced the idea of it - but actually stepped off the ledge and lept. Even in asking the question I am reminded of an image I saw this weekend. My sweet nephew jumping off the ledge of the pool. The most impactful part of this image was watching him fall with no hesitation and then sink. Of course one of his parents was near by to pull him up above the waters, but there was always that moment with every step from the edge when he just sank. What I found to be so remarkable was that when he came out of the water he wasn't frightened or scared - he was laughing. He didn't know to be afraid of drowning. He stepped off the edge knowing his parents were within arms reach, although not necessarily open to catch him and he enjoyed the ride. For whatever reason I haven't been able to get that imagery out of my mind. Yes, it was adorably cute and who doesn't love to see a baby belly laugh! However, the imagery stirred something deeper within me. I tell myself I am available and willing to leap believing my creator will catch me or pull me from the waters, but I'm afraid of drowning. I find myself afraid to take the journey. I find myself debating within myself if I am being called to jump from the ledge at all or if I am making the entire story up in my mind to begin with. Why do we play these mind tricks with ourselves - why can't we believe what we say we believe in. Why can't I trust like my nephew.

day 189 - how much can we fit?

if you've ever wondered how much you could fit into one day - hang out with the diller family on vacation!  we know how to have a good time.

we started our adventure driving into the city to go see million dollar quartet at the apollo theater.  dave and i had the pleasure of seeing it this past october - it is AWESOME.  i couldn't wait to experience the show with the kids.  we are a johnny cash loving family and i knew luke would be smiling ear to ear when "ghost riders in the sky" began to play.  seriously the show is fabulous and a wonderful show for kids.  we all loved it and had a blast singing along and dancing along during the finale.

then.... bring on the food!  it has been said that the diller love language is FOOD!  we headed over to navy pier and went to riva's for dinner (steak & seafood).  the view was amazing overlooking the pier watching all the boats coming and going. 

the place was packed and we found ourselves next to a lovely couple celebrating their 12th anniversary.  you ask, how do i know this? well... i'm not the quietest girl on the block and when the largest piece of chocolate cake i have ever seen was placed on their table i couldn't help but comment and invite them to share.  before i knew it i was eating their cake with them and sharing it with the rest of the family.  who doesn't love someone elses cake before your appetizers have even come out!

yes, this is the random couple i made friends with.  we all had a really good laugh and i'm sure i embarrassed both my husband and my kids terribly.  it's a good thing they love me for me :)

we sat and enjoyed one another, ate till our bellies were stuffed and then ate more dessert!  we finished our dessert to an amazing fireworks display outside the windows.

 amazing night - amazing family!

day 188 - so it's HOT

i refuse to complain about the heat.  yes, it is HOT - but, i'm not cold!  summer is so short in comparison to how long winter is - i just can't bring myself to do more than comment on the fact that it is really, really, really hot.  you know, in the very factual sort of way - not in the it is really hot as hell outside sort of way :)

so what do you do when it's this hot......

.... you prove it isn't hot enough to cook an egg!  see, just call me polyanna!!  the kids were convinced it would cook - to their dismay it just sort of dried out, YUCK.  we did head over to the mall to cool off and do a little shopping.  caleb had it in his head he needed a beanie hat.  no, i'm not joking - caleb bought a beanie hat during the hottest days on record!

the little girls and i headed to all the girlie stores in an effort to buy a matching outfit for our two peas in a pod.  it was so much fun watching these two fashionistas going through rack after rack after rack.  i know you can't tell in the photo but they are both wearing make-up and are each carrying one of mimi's purses.  hilarious! 

day 187 - lazy day

there is no good reason i didn't take any photos today.  the duffy kids brought their mom over to hang out by the pool and we had a blast recouping from a busy few days.  it was so nice to lounge around drinking lots of water and floating around in the pool and chatting about life.  i'm sure i missed a zillion photo ops but i was too lazy to go inside and get my camera.  oh well....

Day 186 - 4th

it was a long - hot - fun - full day!!  bob and shar hosted a ginormous 4th of july party at their house this year.  after we came home going on and on and on about how delicious and fun the taco truck was at our friends party the other day - shar had me call and see if they were available for her party.  to our delight and surprise they were.  it was a HUGE success and everyone had a blast going to the back of the truck and ordering their food. 

**side note: if you live in the aurora/naperville area and are looking 

for a fun and delicious alternative to catering 

call Taco Movil at 708-955-8010 and ask for Clara - they are AMAZING!!!**

we had a blast hanging out with all of our family and friends.  thanks for all the laughs family - we love you all!!!

day 185 - the amazing spiderman

we took the boys and met up with our friends the duffy's to catch THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN on opening day!  if you haven't seen it - GO!  it is really good - my favorite out of any i have ever seen.  it's easy to follow, fun to watch, and just an all around a good flick.  everyone loved it! 

today is also my brothers birthday - we love you james and wish you the best!!

day 184 - working on vacation

when you work for yourself - working on vacation is a necessary evil.  i can't help but be excited about the prospects of what i'm designing and the opportunities that may come as a result.  however, it does suck when you are sitting in front of your computer and your family is splashing and playing in the pool and laughing around the patio - boo! 

in other news - you can view or buy some of my newest art pieces at meijers.  this is what you can find out on the shelves right now....

Day 183 - taco truck!!

since we are in naperville for vacay and family fun - we were able to join in on the 10th birthday festivities for our good friend harlan (whoo hoo for 10th birthdays!!). 

so, harlan has the coolest parents on the planet and ordered a taco truck for the party.  to say it was delicious is an understatement - it was AMAZING!!!  yes, i'm not too proud to say i ate 7 tacos. 

harlan and caleb share the same birthday - they are exactly 2 years apart for each other.  the boys were the first in line to order their tacos!  happy, happy birthday harlan - thanks for sharing your special day with us!!

Day 182 - nothing like a good friend

friends are such a fun part of life.  life long friends are priceless.  as a mom i am so happy to know my boys have their best bud nathan.  these boys have been friends since back in the church nursery days when we still lived in illinois.  i love that they can pick up exactly where they left off.

caleb found a new love for skateboarding due to nates enthusiasm for the sport.  they got good and sweaty out practicing.  nate is such an awesome encourager.  caleb is working on mastering his ollie.

Day 181 - Olympic commercials

I cry at almost every commercial about the Olympics. I find them more emotional than a hallmark commercial! I'm not sure exactly what is - but I'm a big baby!!

Day 180 - worn out

as i walked into the living room this afternoon and looked at caleb sound asleep on the couch.  i couldn't help but remember back when he was a toddler and he would play and play until he would crash and then fall sound asleep.  

dave and i laughed thinking about when the last time was that we wore caleb out to the point of needing a nap!! 

Day 179 - 12 years old

our amazing - talented - creative - inspiring - tender - loving - caring - gentle - smart - oldest son turned 12 today.  i love this boy so much there aren't enough words to express. 

caleb requested his birthday party happen at his uncle jesses pizza shop, JD's Pizza.  the whole family came out and a few of his closest friends.  all the boys went to see men in black 3 after the pizza-palooza!  fun times!

Day 178 - meat eater

we like to joke around about how much caleb loves meat - but the truth is lilly can put down a slab of red meat as easily as her big brother.  around our house we don't eat a lot of meat.  although there may be a trace amount of meat at every dinner meal - it isn't often the main event.  so, when we go out to eat; "MEAT - it's whats for dinner" is an all true statement. 

yeah - she ate the whole thing. 

Day 177 - blah

do you ever have those days that are just plain BLAH? when you feel off, unavailable and like you can't make a decision to save your life.  today was one of those days.  i have been working and working on new designs and nothing seems to be coming together like how i initially envisioned it.  i have spent weeks painting, scanning, sketching, designing and it all feels BLAH.....  here's to hoping i have a spark of genius and some catalytic epiphany that brings it all together.

day 176 - homeward bound

what a fun weekend!  i forget how much fun road trips are - especially when there are no kids whining from the back seat.  i made dave stop at this fine establishment for breakfast.  HILARIOUS!

 i can't say the food was all that great - but the novelty of the whole thing made us miss the kids and dave couldn't help but wish his dad was with us.  i mean - who doesn't love family style, all you can eat, picnic table dining?!

 the drive was uneventful and nice.  i made sure we stopped and picked up some motion sickness medicine in preparation for the ferry ride.  the ride over went 100x smoother than the previous ride and i made it through like a champ.  we will FOR SURE come up with some reason to ride it again with the kids - they would love it!

once we were back in ludington (on our side of lake michigan) we stopped by a local brewing company for dinner and a beer.  i love IPA's and although i don't remember the name - it was quickly gone.  after which dave and i had a good chuckle about beer goggles. 

Day 175 - beautiful wedding

rain, rain, go away..... that's what i found myself thinking and saying all morning and afternoon.  knowing the wedding was planned to be outside i couldn't help but worry for christine and max as they were preparing for their big day.  fortunately the clouds broke just in the the nick of time and the wedding was able to take place outside as planned.  it was GORGEOUS and christine and the entire wedding party were beautiful!

after having dave gone for so long i was one happy camper to get to spend a few quality days with him.  i love this boy!

Day 174 - ferry's aren't for sissy's

we set off early this morning and drove 50 miles north to ludington to ride the ss.badger across lake michigan to wisconsin.  the morning was beautiful and the water calm.  as soon as we boarded we found a great table next to the large open windows and we set up shop for the next four hours. 

lord knows i had a TON of work to finish up and dave (who is always working on at least 4 books at one time) was ready to start reading.  i don't think we were even 20 minutes in before i started getting sick - YUCK!  i'm not sure why it never dawned on me to prepare for being sea-sick - considering i get motion sickness watching a 3-D movie or even being in a pool for too long!  all that work i had planned on doing took a back seat to a puke bucket and the need to just lay my head down.  **note to self - make sure you have meds for the ride back**

this is the pier as we were pulling out of ludington - beautiful!  once we got to wisconsin and on firm ground i was fine.  we began our next leg on our road trip driving about 3.5 hours north.  we are so looking forward to a fun weekend celebrating with a sweet family as dave officiates a wedding for one of his old youth group kids.  it never ceases to amaze me how fast time goes by.