2013 RECAP!

"I discovered that I had a strong will and more discipline than I had suspected. I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies... You will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won. And it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned."
~J.K. Rowling

2013 MEMORABLE EVENTS:

JANUARY

• Very rough start to the year
• Diving Deeper LifeGroup South disbanded
• Caught stomach flu from the fam
• Zumba Marathon with Laura
• Saw Sound of Music in theaters :)
• Read The Utter Relief of Holiness (John Eldredge)

FEBRUARY

• Jace-man's 1st Birthday Party (and first haircut)!
• Anthony's 1st Birthday Party!
• Kristin and Tara praying with/for me when I was hurting
• My 29th birthday (roadtrip to Sam n' Ella's)
• H&H Gun range with Rach and Josh
• Downton Abbey party and Zios dinner with K-ster and Laura
• Celebrated one year at SNU (20th)
• Pope Benedict XVI resigned

MARCH

• Baby Anthony died on March 1st. =(
• Attended worship concert with Kristin Harris that same night.
• Listened to Hope in the Coming Kingdom (7-part blog)
• Took Open Carry Class with Mom, Rach, and Josh
• (Rach used the gun with the silencer bc she was pregnant)
• Kufahl's $20,000 half-court shot at the Thunder game! (5th)
• OneRepublic Native album released!
• Marlene quit; she and her family moved to Okemah
• Went back to red hair :)

 APRIL

• Co-hosted Engagement Party for Chet and Karli at Phoenix Library
• Triston turned 6 and Carter turned 5! :)
• National Sibling Day! lol  (the 10th)
• Cheered for Laura in her two Half-Marathons!!
• First appt with Dr. Land (29th)
• Boston Marahon Bombing (16th)

MAY

• Easter Sunday with the fam
• Bailiff "K" was fired (I had to be a witness)
• The Office finale (16th)
• Malori got her storm shelter installed
• Category 4 Tornado in Moore and Shawnee (20th)
• Joey Wallace and family lost home / Joey's interview with Craig
• JEM dancing pic on cruise
• Decorated Kyndal's nursery room
• Karli's Bachelorette Party at Osaka

JUNE

• Finished school / Bachelor of Science Degree (17th)
• Bailiff "D" started at work
• Lauralai threw me an impromptu Graduation Party
• Summer fun at JB's Pool!
• Made wedding signs with Mom
• Chet and Karli's wedding!!
• C25K with Tahlia / Arbonne diet
• Mom and I built awesome book shelves for my "Library Room"

JULY

• Celebrated Malori's 30th Birthday in OKC on July 1st!
• July 4th with the fam and the Shabaj's
• Leah and family returned from Japan!
• Outdoor OneRepublic concert at Center of the Universe Festival
• Celebrated Chet's 25th Birthday at JEM's house
• Shower for Kyndal Faith at the Shabaj house
• Received anonymous roses and very encouraging letter!!
• Royal Baby born - Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge (22nd)

AUGUST

• Dad celebrated 30 years at State Farm on Aug. 1st
• Celebrated Dad's 60th Birthday on Aug. 3rd!
• T-Swift concert in Tulsa (7th)
• Sam n' Ella's, gelato, & Golden Girls night! (10th)
• Precious Missy K was born (Aug. 14th)
• Miley's infamous VMA performance (25th)
• Took GRE exam for the second time (26th)
• My best friendship ended via email (26th)
• JEM met me for Yolotti and we had a long and helpful conversation (26th)
• You've Got Mail Night (28th)

SEPTEMBER

• Received my SNU diploma and Blog Book =)
• Started this new blog
• Attempted break-in (?) and police called to my house
• Spent the night at the Dewey's with Laura!
• Came back there a few days later to swim with Laura! :)
• Celebrated Kelly Marie's 25th Birthday :)
• Beth Moore Conference in Tulsa with Nancy and Georgia
• She prayed specifically for women hurt by female friends
• Spent lots of time with Missy K
• Awesome new Fall wreath from Rach and Mom
• OSU game (suite tickets) with Laura

OCTOBER

• JEM's 33rd Birthday (Baylor-theme surprise party at The Phoenix)
• Stayed up all night making J-E-M letters with Mom :)
• Painted garage and furniture at Chet's house
• Kept my blog posts more positive all month
• "Graduated" from therapy with Del :)
• State Fair with Talhia
• Government shutdown
• Obamacare implemented :(
• OSU Homecoming "Walk-around" with Georgia, Alan, and Charlene
• Guthrie Green "Food Truck Wednesday" lunch :)
• Pumpkin Patch with the Women's LifeGroup
• Mom and I decorated my house for Christmas on Halloween!

NOVEMBER

• 30 Days of Thankfulness... so good for me!
• Celebrated 5-year Friendiversary with Laura!
• Took Parrish family pics with Mom
• Time with my niece and nephews
• Lunch with the girls when Melody was in town
• Applied to 3 colleges... long process
• Justin Timberlake concert with Tiffany!!
• Women's LifeGroup Christmas project party
• Friends-giving dinner at Chet and Karli's!
• Family pics at Rach's after Thanksgiving lunch
• Paul Walker died (30th)

DECEMBER (so far)

• Lauralai Bower's Birthday!  (1st)
• Bailiff "D" fired (with me as a witness again)
• Lauralai Allison hired (finally)!!
• "7 in 7" poetry challenge
• Nelson Mandela died at 95 (4th)
• Snow days / Ice Storm
• The Nutcracker with Talhia, Linda, and Lindsay (17th)
• Watched God's Will is Whatever sermons
• Determined to change some things
• Going to get my Pom puppies on the 28th! :)

And finally, some of my favorite FB status quotes from this year:

"The ugly truth is, comparison steals celebration. We stop celebrating our own good and have a really hard time celebrating others' good."

~Lysa TerKeurst

“One of the most poisonous of all Satan’s whispers is simply, 'Things will never change.' That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present... We must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will NOT always be like this. Jesus has promised to 'make all things new.' Eye has not seen, ear has not heard all that God has in store... which does not mean 'we have no clue so don’t even try to imagine,' but rather, you cannot outdream God!”
~John Eldredge

"We can choose to let suffering soften us or harden us... We can choose whether we will love Jesus in it or resent Him for it! Only one set of choices will make us more beautiful."
~Stasi Eldredge

"I'm finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is, it's okay. The last thing I need is to be heard, but to HEAR what You would say. Word of God, speak! Would You pour down like rain, washing my eyes to see Your majesty, to be still and know that You're in this place - please let me stay and rest in Your holiness. Word of God, speak!"
~Mercy Me

"At the end of the day, you can either focus on what's tearing you apart or the God holding you together!"