THANKSGIVING Thankful Thursday!! (15)

*Random, and I may be the only one who would've noticed this, but every week I write 15 things I'm thankful for, and I love it that Thanksgiving fell on Week 15!!  Makes me happy. =)

This Thanksgiving Day, I'm thankful for...

1. God's love and faithfulness -- knowing that I have purpose, and I will never truly be alone!
2. My parents and Rachael -- thankful for our love for each other, that our family has always been close and had fun together, for being raised in a Christian home, and that we're all in good health and able to enjoy the holidays! :)

3. Malori, for being my closest friend, and for signing up and running the Half with me this year. :)
4. Music, for obvious reasons!  "My heart wants to sing every song it hears..."
5. Surviving my second Half Marathon!  (Pic of Laura and I with our happy race medals + pic of me and all my awesome friends who ran the Half this Sunday!)
 

6. God providing some Gu Energy Chews for us through a random stranger around mile 7.  "I know I've said it a lot, but that was from the Lord!" -Malori
7. Jennifer Grey winning Dancing with the Stars -- she was amazing, and I so want to dance like that someday!!  On an equally random note, I'm thankful for Chili's skillet queso... yum!  =)
8. Getting to hang out and have fun with Malori and Jordan all weekend!  Also, thankful for Toy Story 3... great movie! :)
9. Being able to take off and have a "Spa Day" after the race... thankful for massages and my new blonde hair!
10. My job -- for all the time off and the laidback schedule, for working with good people, and for the increase in transcripts lately!!
11. Health -- that being overweight is my only problem at this point, and it is fixable.  Very thankful that I have the ability and the confidence to sign up and train for the full marathon!!
12. For the freedom that is mine through Christ -- that I can sincerely let go of all that lies behind and give it to God, then move forward as a new person with a renewed mind and heart!!
13. Laughter -- for sarcastic friends, great memories, hilarious movies and TV shows, etc. that make me laugh!!  I am especially thankful for that! 

14. That God has given me the fruit of self-control.  Not always fun, and I obviously haven't always used it wisely, but I'm thankful that it's there!!
15. Finally, I'm thankful for this season of my life.  I know it's all subject to change, but I believe God has a purpose in this time, and I want to make the most of it!  
    

Song of the Week = Good Day to Run by Darryl Worley.  This one always makes me happy and puts me in a running mood! :)

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thankful Thursday (14)

Thankful for...

1. The bright colors of fall... the red trees are my favorite! :)

2. Josh for volunteering to come put up my Christmas lights!
3. That God never forgets me.
4. That God is never exhausted with me.
5. The sad, hollow feeling I can't seem to escape or quench lately - because it drives me to seek Him.
6. Knowing that "this too shall pass."  (Yes, that makes me think of MBFW.)
7. My mom and her love for me, and our daily phone calls. :)
8. DVR!  Enough said.
9. Hoodies... I've probably already mentioned them, but they're so cozy and cute!

10. Hershey Santas! ;)
11. Getting to see Elton John in concert with Malori! And that he sang I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues.
12. Compassion - not really meaning the ministry, though I'm thankful for that too.
13. Discovering http://www.etsy.com/ (thanks to Rachael!)
14. Jogging LaFortune during a random Paws in the Park event this weekend - so many adorable dogs!! 

15. That a week from today, the Half Marathon will be over, I'll be a blond again :) ...and Thanksgiving will be here!!!

Thankful Thursday (13)

Almost out of time, so I'm rushing to keep it on Thursday!  But this week, I'm thankful for...

1. Chocolate Lucky Charms =)  "They're magically delicious."
2. My Mom's cousin, David, who was an awesome and heroic Navy Seal!  (Veteran's Day, so that's not totally random.)
3. Seeing changes in areas I've been praying about.  Yay, God!
4. Trip with Mom to North Pole City (a magical Christmas wonderland).

5. Having my life-altering first visit to Taco Bueno with K-Lamb!  (I so love this picture of her.)

6. Signing up for the FULL marathon in OKC (May 1, 2011).  Get excited!!
7. F-R-I-E-N-D-S re-runs... still really love it!
8. Decorating Rach's house for Christmas for the first time... fun!!

9. Having a day-and-a-half off work in the middle of this week!
10. My car's bluetooth phone thing :) 
11. My job getting busier (I think it's more fun and I'm more productive that way.)
12. Love and encouragement!!  (My Bible study girls all wrote cards to each other with our favorite qualities about each person - so uplifting!)
13. The freeing power of forgiveness. 
14. Our Thursday night Bible studies (our picture with Margaret, the woman on the DVD! lol)

15. My comfy, cozy warm jersey sheets!  And on that note, g'night. :)

Quotables

"Only people of a certain disposition are frightened of being alone for the rest of their lives at the age of 26, and we were of that disposition." ~High Fidelity (courtesy of Malori - I still haven't seen that one)

“But I feel like people are gonna think I’m being mean.” -Me, writing a sarcastic FB comment

“No, no, this is how sarcasm works .....you'll get better with practice!” –Malori

“Not now, Arctic Puffin!” –text from Rach (quoting Elf)

"Why don't you just close your door?" -Martin
"And just concede defeat!?  Better yet, why don't I just move out, let him have the run of the place?  Yes, I'll get two apartments -- one for me, one for my cricket!!" -Frasier  :)

"Wow, sometimes I just don't know what to do with the information you give me." ~K-Lamb, in total shock and dismay that I'd never been to Taco Bueno

"If I ever saw you do anything that wasn't 90% selfish, I'd die of shock!" -Josh

"Oh, that'd be reason enough for me." -Cher (Clueless)

"Seriously, who thinks the little packs are the 'fun size' anyway?  Three M&Ms in a bag?! -- That's not fun!" ~Kristin, discussing Halloween candy :)

“You should see this one hill I tackled. It laughs in the face of the alleged LaFortune Hills of Doom.” ~Laura

"Windsey, can I have a bite of yauh ice cream??" -Triston
"No!!" -Me, Rach, and Josh all at once :) 
(I did share my quesadillas, though, so don't think I'm heartless. I just don't eat after people, especially ice cream!)

"Time turns flames to embers, you'll have new Septembers. Every one of us has messed up too!  Lives change like the weather.  I hope you remember: Today is never to late to be brand new.  It's all right, just wait and see, your string of lights is still bright to me, oh, who you are is not what you did.  You're still an innocent." ~Taylor Swift :)

"Hey, you left a butt-print." -Kristin
"Oh, I leave my butt-print wherever I go.  If I've been there, my butt has made an impression!" -Tara Lynn

“I'll miss you -- 'twill be a long, lonely, Lindseyless LaFortune lap!" ~Laura

"Heeks us now, only in my memory.  What movie?" -text from Rach, supposed to be quoting Titanic :)

"Seriously, what is he looking for!?" -Me

"Well, not the head mistress of his orphanage, that's for sure!" -Malori :)

"He thinks he's a human.  So stupid!" -Ethan, feeding the dog with a fork

"How have you made it this far?  How have you not run yourself over in a car!?" -Peter

"I've done that." -Ethan 'Tremblay'

"Daddy always enjoyed coffee... and in the end, he was enjoyed as coffee.  Circle of life." ~Ethan, Due Date

Days 7-10 ~ It's All Uphill From Here!

Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and get the rest of the "Blogging Challenge" over with today....

Day 7 ~ The nicknames I have and why I have them.

Really not that interesting in my case...
Nina ~ Grandad and Dad call me this - it's been around as long as I can remember, and I really don't know where it came from. ??
Swadie ~ My Mom's nickname for me, and again, it is without definite origin. :)
Letty ~ Rach started calling me this after we watched Fast and the Furious a million times one summer. :)

Nicknames I have for others include Malo-riah, Mary Sunshine, Glamour Shots, Jeffster, Master Blaster, Chet-a-lee, Laura-lai... and for my parents' puppies, Ray-geddy Anne, ReggiePup, and Rye-lister. :)

Day 8 ~ Something I crave.

I crave chocolate and sugar, in a variety of different forms, every single day. (Lately, Braums chocolate mix with Reeses and Panera chocolate chip muffies are topping the list.) Also, carbs and cheese - on the rare occasions that I'm not wanting something sweet, these are the foods I'm craving.  Sadly, fruits and vegetables and protein never make the cut on foods I want to eat.  This is why it's important that I learn to ignore my cravings and go after what I truly desire in the long term - HEALTH!  (That applies in all areas of life, but food is the main one that comes to mind on cravings)!

Day 9 ~ A letter to your parents.

Sorry to disappoint, but all my letters to people will be written to them personally, not to everyone who reads my blog. I LOVE and am deeply thankful for my parents, and if you want to read more about them, see the Tributes I wrote last year... =)
Dad!!
Mom!!

Day 10 ~ A picture of me last year and this year, and how I have changed.

This is where it gets rough... I've been mildly dreading this post. (And at the same time, because I'm funny like that, already looking forward to writing it next year!) The above 2 pictures were taken around this time last year. So many things have changed. The top picture is Malori, Chet, and I getting ready to redo my garage floor! :) At that point, Malori and I were roommates and Chet was one of my closest friends. I was the happiest I'd been in a long time, and not coincidentally, I was in the best shape I'd been in for many years, having lost 35 pounds and seriously training to run my first Half Marathon!

The second picture is the "Diving Deeper" Lifegroup - which had been going strong for a year. At that time, I was co-leading the LG with Carl and Bobbi, and Chet and I were busy planning and organizing the Eugene Field Christmas gifts and parties! (Since this picture was taken, Malori got a job at CHK and moved to OKC, Carl moved to Dallas, Bill moved to OKC for school, and I transitioned to the Church at BattleCreek, and Michael has stepped in as the new co-leader.)

The picture below is from the awesome One Republic/Maroon 5 concert this year!

Obviously, there have been some bright spots and awesome memories, most of which I've captured on this blog. But largely, the past year has been difficult and downhill, in my opinion. (And to be fair, I was at a really high point this time last year - both in relationships and looks and confidence, so the comparison was bound to be rough.)  There have been some unexpected friendship changes, and it's been a struggle to let go and have the right Christlike, forgiving attitude. In addition, Malori moved out at the beginning of the year, which didn't hurt our friendship, but has made me far more aware of being alone than I'd been before. There has also been more family-related stress than normal this year, at least for me personally. And in response to all these changes and emotions, I've gone for the cravings and gained back the weight I worked so hard to lose last year. Awesome!

The main problem is that my heart has not been in it - and by "it" I mean life in general. I've been coasting... which can only happen when you're moving downhill. I haven't been challenging myself, reading, or spending one on one time with God the way I did a year ago. I've become more insecure and found it harder to trust people. I tried a couple groups and activities that really didn't work out, and since then, have somewhat given up trying to get involved in my new church. I have felt completely misunderstood, and more alone and insignificant than normal, and have turned to TV and food rather than anything that might actually help me. I've focused too much on my weaknesses and lost sight of my strengths. I've lost confidence and been very frustrated with myself over the weight gain, to a point that I was trying dangerous weight loss methods, and I've not been able to gear up and get my mind in the right place to be truly healthy just yet. So there is a clear and obvious difference in my race training and running ability from one year to the next. Yikes!

All that to say this: "It's all uphill from here!" I know that's not the proper quote, as pointed out in Due Date, but it totally fits right now. I've gone downhill far enough, and I know the next year won't be easy, but it'll be much better than coasting.  I'm ready to turn around and put my heart into it and do all that is required to move in the right direction! And I'm hopeful that my life this time next year will be dramatically improved! =D

So that's it for this year's Blogging Challenge! You stay classy, San Diego. ;)

Day 6 ~ Music

(List 10 songs that describe you or have meant a lot in your life.)

1. In Christ Alone ~ Avalon
2. I'll Stand By You ~ Carrie Underwood
3. Listen ~ Beyonce
4. The Desert Song ~ Hillsong
5. The Heart of the Matter ~ India Arie
6. I Will Rise ~ Chris Tomlin
7. Love Story ~ Taylor Swift
8. Till Kingdom Come ~ Coldplay
9. Addicted ~ Kelly Clarkson
10. Marching On ~ One Republic

It was hard to narrow it to 10, and I resisted the urge to write my favorite lyrics from every song!  I probably I left off something super important, but I really do love all these songs... for reasons I've probably explained in other posts.

Day 5 ~ Goals & Dreams

(Short term goals for this month and major hopes/dreams for the future.)

I'll list the top 7 in each category, as it stands right now.  Why??  Because 7 is the perfect number. :)
Short Term:

1. Join a BC group or start a women's Bible study group
2. Eat healthy and train hard!
3. Run the Half Marathon in 2 weeks!!
4. Spend more time in prayer!
5. Write Thanksgiving cards & why I'm thankful for them to as many people as possible
6. Go ice skating in NYC (we'll be there a month from today)
7. See the big tree! =D

Long Term:

1. Marriage - in God's perfect will and timing!
2. Adopt a child!!
3. Reach a healthy weight and stay there!
4. Run the full 26.2 marathon - possibly in April 2011!
5. Learn French!
6. Paris, London, & Venice trip!! :)
7. Trust God and move forward with Him

I have a million other thoughts on these subjects that I won't bore you with now, but in all my desires and goals, I know that God is good, and I believe He will do abundantly above and beyond all that I could ask, hope, or imagine!!!

Thankful Thursday (12)

Lately, I'm thankful for...

1. Laura and Michelle jogging with me all 9+ miles... and that the Tulsa Run is officially over! :)

2. Pumpkin carving party fun!  :)

3. Getting to decorate my house and hang out with Mom, while eating sugar cookies and listening to the many saved Joyce Meyer sermons on my DVR... so great!!!

4. My colorful Christmas decor... I just love Christmas, and I'm so happy I get to enjoy it for two months rather than one! =)
5. The seasonal Pumpkin Spice muffins at MiMi's Cafe... yum!!
6. Commercials that crack me up (like AllState's "mayhem" guy - "OMG!  Becky's not even hot!")
7. Fun Halloween night with good friends at TL and K-Lamb's!

8. Seeing cute young Trick-or-Treaters, including a couple who were confused and wandered as far into the house as they could go. :)
9. Chocolate Milk (tasty for obvious reasons, and it's actually an appropriate running "recovery drink!")
10. Dad surprising us by coming down on Sunday to plant flowers and do a few other little projects!  So nice! :)
11. That a Chick-fil-A is coming soon at the Olympic Hills shopping center (really near my house!)  YAY!!

12. Hebrews 12:1,2
13. Discernment, and the right to vote!
14. Ab Ripper X! lol  But seriously, I need to get my core in shape, and it's the perfect 15 minute ab workout.
15. Hilarious texts and good phone conversations with Rach!

Day 3 ~ Cozumel, aka the Dreamgirls Cruise

(A picture and short story of somewhere you've been on vacation...)

In 2007, I went on a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel with Rach and Kate!  So many fun memories, and way too many good pictures to narrow it down to one.  Life is always an adventure with Kate! :)

I'm aware that this is completely strange, but my "short story" or the thing that has stuck with me is the memory of us watching Dreamgirls... they had 3 movies on constant repeat through the week, and we mainly left our TV on that channel.  At first, we were mocking it and semi-annoyed by all the drama of the musical.  But it slowly grew on us, to a point that I remember leaving our room to go lay out, then halfway down the long hall, collectively deciding to go back to watch the end of it first! :)  I remember having Eddie Murphy's ridiculous meltdown song in my head all day at the beach.  I loved Beyonce's "Listen" song, and Kate loved J. Hudson's drama song.  We would all sing along, and I have an awesome video of Kate in her tiny cruise bed belting out the "You're gonna LOVE ME" section with all the passion she could find (see picture below)!  Hilarious!!  It all became funny by the end of the week. "We are a family, like a giant tree, branching out towards the sky..."  I don't know that I've watched the movie since then, but I probably have it memorized thanks to that cruise. 

Other memories include the eventful road trip down and the hotel stay in Galveston...

"Pretty good?  There's not a dark corner in the entire room!"

The safety class at the beginning where we learned about our lifeboats and life jackets...

Kate and I making sure we got to watch Grey's Anatomy (when Izzie and George got together)...

Taking a cha-cha dance class...

Watching karaoke at night (still wish I'd taken the challenge)...

Talking to JB and Emma and Babah (same cruise, different rooms) at the lunch buffets...

Getting excited every time we found a new towel animal on our beds...

Eating chocolate covered strawberries every day...

"Hey, take a picture of me posted up by the elevator!"

Getting all dressed up and taking tons of pics on the fancy dinner night...

Swimming and laying out all day...

Rach and Kate doing shots at every bar on the ship the last day (15+)

Kate constantly getting to know random strangers...

Dancing with the waitress during dinner...

Getting to know the other family (from Norman) at our table...

Rach and Kate getting super-classy fake tatoos...

"Flying" from the back of the ship...

Watching Dream Girls and Eight Below a million times...

Rach and Kate finally getting their bill and Kate saying, "Ohhhh, nizzzzle!"

So after our Christmas trip to NYC, I'm officially ready to go on another cruise this summer! ;)

Day 2 ~ F-R-I-E-N-D-S

Recent(ish) pictures of my closest friends, and what I love most about them...

Malori ~ The best friend I've ever had... trying to sum this up in a sentence is frustrating.  I just love her heart and who she is - her spunky & confident driver personality, her blunt honesty and wisdom, her loyalty, the depth of our conversations, and her hilarious and very quotable sarcastic sense of humor! 

"Ith my birfday today!" :)

Laura ~ I love our walk/jog/talks lately, love her heart - that she is real and genuine and trustworthy, and of course, her self-deprecating sense of humor!

Liz (left) ~ I love the joy and Christlike character that I see in her life (in spite of some painful, confusing circumstances.)  Inspiring!

Natalie (middle) ~ I love her encouragement and kindness, her joy and sense of humor, and her self-confidence!

Bobbi ~ I love that she is always willing to pray with me, and love her heart for God and willingness to serve others!

Kristin (second from left) ~ I love her wisdom and all the encouraging advice she's given me, and her strong faith in God and sense of peace in waiting!

Tara Lynn (far right) ~ love her passion and integrity, her encouragement and belief in me (same for K-Lamb), and her sense of humor!

Chet ~ love his fun and outgoing personality and his willingness to help out when anyone needs him!

Sarah ~ love that she knows who she is in Christ, and that she's real, passionate, and has a great sense of humor!

Day 1 ~ "Blogging Challenge"

I got this idea from a friend's blog, so today begins the 10 Day "Blogging Challenge."  I already blog ridiculously often, but this still sounded fun.  I would love for any fellow bloggers to join in and participate! :)  The idea is to write daily for 10 days, covering these subjects:

Day 1 - A recent picture and 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 2 – Recent picture(s) of you and your closest friends, and what you love most about them.
Day 3 - A picture and short story of somewhere you have been on vacation.
Day 4 - A picture and short story of someone or something that had a huge impact on your life.
Day 5 - Short term goals for this month and major hopes/dreams for your life ahead.
Day 6 – List 10 songs that describe you or have meant a lot in your life.
Day 7 – The nicknames you have and why you have them.
Day 8 - Something you crave.
Day 9 – Letter to your parents.
Day 10 - Picture of you last year and this year... how have you changed?

Day One 
(I'm trying not to re-use my 16 Random Things Note from Facebook...)

1. I know but still need reminders that the opinions of others do not define me, that what I do in life is not equal to who I am, that my life is significant, and God loves me personally!!
2. My favorite numbers are 7 and 222 (my # for change).
3. In December, I will begin my 7th year as a court reporter, and my 5th year living in Tulsa (well, technically Jenks).  Makes me feel old!
4. The personality session at my seminar this year was life-changing, and I wish everyone understood the importance of their personality and how much it influences every relationship!
5. I often take things too personally, but I want to overcome that tendency. “But what’s so wrong with things being personal anyway? Whatever else anything is, it should begin by being personal!” ;)
6. I am definitely what Leo would call an “indoor girl.” I stay as far from bugs and the wild outdoors as possible!
7. I love and adore all things Christmas!  My Mom and I actually decorated my house this weekend... never too early, right? lol
8. February is my absolute favorite month and winter has always been my favorite season. Snow days, snowmen, birthdays, holidays, turtlenecks, hoodies, scarves, boots, coats, hats, gloves, ice skating, Christmas songs, hot chocolate, and lots of great memories… what’s not to love!?
9. My 5 favorite movies: Sound of Music, Titanic, The Patriot, The Holiday, and You’ve Got Mail!
10. I ran in the Tulsa Run (9.6 miles) this Saturday (see picture), and I am training to run my second Half Marathon in November!  How crazy is that!?
11. I know it’s unoriginal and cliché, but yellow roses are honestly my favorite flower.
12. My all-time favorite vacation spot = Vegas, baby!  I'm guessing a trip to Paris and London may change that. :)
13. My natural hair color is light brown, but I’ve tried red, blonde, brown, and several variations of highlights/lowlights. For the most part, I prefer being a redhead because it makes me feel most vibrant and unique, and it goes well with my super-pale skin. :)
14. I don't care for the word "raspberry," and I really hate the word "chuckle."  However, my friend, Laura, wrote me a birthday poem called "Raspberry Chuckles," which I love. =)
15. A few words I think describe me: genuine, encouraging, organized, peaceful, “giggly,” generous, indecisive, emotional, and quirky!