Quotable Kids!!

"Some-onnnne is in the bathroom!!  Let's guess who it is!"  ~Miss K, to everyone in the living room at the family get together, making me thankful it wasn't me in there! lol

"Hey, how come you have on such a pretty dress?"
"Cause I wanted to look pretty for all the people!!" -Kyndal Faith, half curtsying to show off her dress when Mom asked her that (also at the fam gathering)

"Y'all could play car games like I spy." ~Me, talking to Rach about their Arizona trip
"I spy with my little eye a piece of pizza pizza pizza!!" -Miss K, mumbling to herself as she picked up her pizza -- lolol

"Hey Lindsey, why does Taylor Swift's dog not like her?" ~T
"What? Why?" -Me, confused
"Because she has bad blood!" ~T-man with the T-Swift jokes! lol

"Ummmm, why is anybody not letting me say a animal!??" ~Fiesty Kyndal with expressive hands, when we were all playing the animal game and Jace took every other turn 

"Horse!" ~Me, playing the animal game (which is literally just each person naming an animal until you can't think of any more, and Jace LOVES it! lol)
"That's not an animal!!" ~Kyndal
"Yeah, sweetie, it really is. I'm not tricking you." ~Me, kinda laughing that she doesn't know horses
"Nooooo." ~K, looking at me with suspicious eyes
"But horses aren't alive anymore." ~Jace, likely remembering Mom's stories of Grandad's horses
"Some of 'em are!!" ~Me, trying hard to convince them! lol

"Hey, can I talk to Rylee!?" -Jace, facetiming with Kyndal
"But she doesn't have any ha-ands!!" -Kyndal, assessing the situation and being a preshface! (Rylee is my parents' dog)

"Come let me put your floatie back on!  Hey, if you drown..." -JB, getting serious with Jaceman
"Wellll, I'll tryyy not to!" -Jace, trying to reassure her, then jumping in anyway lol

"HEY, stay in the shelter because there's a tomato coming!!" -Kyndal playing a game with Jace in the pool -- kinda sad that make believe tornadoes are on their list of games here -- totally precious that she pronounces it tomato! :)

"We can show Mamaw my suspenders!" ~J
"Yeah, I bet she'll like 'em!" ~Me
"She'll just say, 'Whaaat!? Jaceman, you look SO handsome!'" ~Jace - LOLOL

"Grandpa, do you like my suspenders?" ~J
"No." ~Dad, clearly joking around with him
"Yes, you do!! How cool are they!?" ~J, loving those suspenders! lol

"That was a different Klondike!" ~Jace commenting on the bear mascot
"Yeah, he surprised us, bro!" ~Kyndal -- I love when she calls him "bro!"

They were having a blast and laughing so hard with each other on the drive back, then in the middle of him cracking her up, Jace brought up a fight they'd had on the way there:
"So are you still gonna tell mom on me?"
Kyndal got really serious and kinda closed her eyes as she said, "Yep!"
Then the laughter was over, except on my end!
Dad: "I bet she doesn't even remember what she was gonna tell her about."
J:  "It was because I told you what she did earlier..." 
Kids are hilariously honest, and I just love watching them!! =)

This = K holding her ears bc she didn't like Dad's song choice! lol

First Summer Swim ...and Sunburn!!

Super fun three-day weekend with the fam! ♡♥❤♡  Here are a few pics from my first swim of this summer... it was really overcast and cloudy, and the kids talked about how cold the water was when they first got in, so I didn't think we'd be there long and decided not to worry about sunscreen (until much later). Very BAD choice! :(  Worst sunburn ever!!  
....But look at the cute pics we got in the process. lol

 Summer pics are just the BEST!!

My fearless nephew, the Jaceman... he'll do a running front flip jump into the pool already... (I was only brave enough to try that once at our 9121 pool, and did a total backbuster! lol)

Missa K with her cheese pizza!

Sharing some chocolate pie with Grandad... this was one of those purely candid moments that make my inner photographer heart scream with joy! =)

I got this with my cell phone... such a happy jump shot!

Dad and I took J&K to see Josh at a little 4th of July Bash booth he was doing for Integrity Security. Josh was in charge of the music, and they had a moonbounce set up, fun carnival games for little kids, sno cones, popcorn, a s'mores station, etc. With all that going, the first thing the kids noticed was Klondike, and they were SO EXCITED to see him (this bear mascot that they know from their own HealthCare Express). lol

I'm happy to report that Jace Michael roasted his first marshmallow and ate his first s'more that Saturday! =)

Yummers!!  J was also pretty psyched about getting these suspenders from one of the vendors there! lol

What a PRESH!!

Friday night, Dad used their outdoor grill for the first time since they moved a year and a half ago! =)  He was practicing with it for their Men's LG steak and eggs breakfast the next morning!

J&K had their "cracker soup" on the patio and we all joined them and then watched them play golf! :)

This was from a weekday swim when I wasn't there, but I like this pic of Rach and T-man!

And I LOVE this one... for obvious reasons, and also because Triston requested that they do this pose, which means they're starting to think about and enjoy certain pictures, so yay for that!

We take too many to document it all on here, but this happy Flipagram captures a lot more Summer 2017 family fun!! =)  This is my song of the week, Michael Buble's Everything... so good!!!
DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE BY VIGO VIDEO APP! =(

Photo Friday!

Tiny fierce OSU fans! lol  Mom and Rach took these today to make a gift for Dad for Father's Day... Mom said this was accidental when they were both just tired of smiling for pics, but I love it!!

So much cuteness!!

Kyndal reminds me of someone here, but I can't peg who it is. And I love when Jace gets cracked up at himself. lol This is a genuine silly laughing smile!!

Pistols firing! How cute are they!?

P.S. One year ago today was Mom's back surgery! Praying she doesn't have to go through that again!!That's all. =)

Thankful Thursday! (77)

"I am the Vine; you are the branches... apart from Me, you can do nothing."

~Jesus, John 15:5

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Getting an awesome fascia blaster massage from Michelle tonight!

2.  Mom baking these "brookies" that are even better than the ones we like at Domino's!

3.  Judge moving my printer in time to save it when the ceiling tiles collapsed with a water leak the week I was on vacation!

4.  Facebook being a creeper. lol  Mom and I were looking for a pink and navy rug but couldn't find one we really liked, then decided we were better off to just skip redoing the living room... I went to bed and got on FB and this was the first ad I scrolled to. "Creepers!" I thought to myself, and took a screenshot to show Mom how they watch what you search. However, we both liked that rug, and it led to further searching and now we're changing up the living room in a couple weeks. Well done, Mark Zuckerberg! lol

5.  My entertaining little nephew... I love that he's just listening to my music here yet looks so mischievous!! lol

6.  Fun Sunday lunches with the fam after church!  And that T-man is okay... he was in the ER yesterday after a four-wheeler accident where he fell off into a barbed wire fence. =( Painful, I'm sure, but it could've been so much worse!!

7.  For God teaching me new things, always... and that He makes all things new, even when that doesn't mean having all new things. I've gone in circles for years trying to figure out the right school path or career change or possible move, but oddly enough, for now, I believe I am actually where I'm supposed to be. So I am working (and yes, it will be work for me) to reach out and build new relationships right where I am. To open my eyes and see all the people and things that God has placed around me and to feel renewed love and fresh gratitude for all of it!!!!

WW & Life Update

So I haven't updated on my WW progress with all my posts about the trip. I didn't track at all during our vacation, but I didn't have everything I wanted either. I assumed I'd gained some weight back and really didn't want to go to the meeting the week after, but I knew that was my negative pattern from before, so I forced myself to go and just jump right back in. To my great surprise and mild confusion, I had lost 2.6 pounds! So yay for that!  I lost another pound at my weigh in today, which was also unexpected and good. With vacation and family get togethers and showers, I've struggled to get fully back on track with the program, but these good weigh-ins are encouraging and motivating, and I'm back to tracking everything now.  =) And I'm switching up my workout routine for June and July to start building my walk/jog/elliptical endurance back up!  As the quirky secretary in Wonder Woman says, "Hoorah and huzzah" for Planet Fitness!!

And now, a random pic of happy multicolor roses in my bedroom. (Blue mason jar from JEM at Chet's 25th bday party. And how fun is my cherry blossom iPad cover!?)

Perhaps I have too much time on my hands, but this kind of stuff makes me happy. The top one is Mom then Rach, and the bottom is Rach then Kyndal Faith. =)

A few shots from our family get together Friday night... the Miss K being a presh, Rach and Marilyn chatting, Frankie getting ready to leave with precious Wesson and Nash, Alan playing with Diesel, Georgia and Alan in the middle of Dad's prayer (sometimes I feel guilty about these, but I like prayer pics), Kyndal with her black baby doll that she's named "candy bar!" lolol I love it!! Frankie and Al (who's hiding from the camera), Josh and Dad, then Mom chatting with Nancy and Charlene as Charlene buttered the rolls. :)

I always have fun at those gatherings, even if I'm just listening and watching -- yay for big families!  Here's a sister selfie of me and Rach because I didn't wanna take 1,000 pics and never be in one. It turned out pretty cute, so yay for that!

Gifts for Ashley's baby shower... wrapped by Mom, obvi. 😍

I went with Mom Saturday morning to the Wallaces for Ashley's baby shower brunch. Tasty food and good to see Ty and Debbie. Debbie was so excited and full of her usual energy and joy, then when she came in to start things off and thank everyone for being there, she broke down crying as she said, "We've been praying for this baby for a long time!" Mom and I teared up, too. 

After the baby shower, we stopped at Buttersweet Cupcakes for the first time and grabbed this lovely mini-assortment. My cousin, Kristin, had told me how great they were, so when I saw it, I insisted that we try it!  I had half of almost all of them over the weekend, but I tracked it, so whatever. lol

Anywho, life is good and God is good!  Mom and I spend a lot of the weekend planning a little revamp of my house (she's coming in July when I have the week of the 4th off, and we're gonna change things up a little -- get excited!) =) We went to Hobby Lobby and Mathis Brothers (could their salespeople BE any more annoying!?)  Oh, I'm also on a Friends kick on Netflix, hence the Chandler reference. =)

Another happy email from Tom. I like having an NYC friend!! =)

Today marks 10 years since "the letter." And tomorrow marks 36 years since Mom and Dad got married! =) Both worthy of celebration!! That's all I've got for today!

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." ~Psalm 23:6

Favorite Memories & Trip Quotables!

And now, a few more fun quotes, memories, and pictures from our vacation:

This = one of Jill's pics of the rainbow awesomeness at Niagara!

Strolling through Niagara-On-The-Lake, such a cute little town!

Our lunch cruise table! :)

Eataly gelato with Jill :)

Watching the fireworks and the beautifully illuminated Niagara Falls from Bill and Jill's room at night! LOVE!! ...The spotlights on the falls would slowly change colors, but this one on the American side is classic "'Merica!"

Another happy memory. lol

• "So is Jace stowed away in the suitcase? ...Maxine's gonna be having withdrawals this week." -Bill, on our way to the OKC airport
• "They don't even have Fox News here, so all they have to go by is MSNBC. These poor Canadians must think Trump is crazy!" -Mom, being ironic and funny
• "No one has ever heard that... Have you heard that song before?" - Mom to Dad, thinking the band's song choice was terrible
  "No. So it could've been an original, and WE were here!!" -Dad, seeing the positive and making me laugh!

• "You don't have to worry about any money!" -Band singing Rollin' on the River
  "Well, if you don't have a credit card, you do!" - Bill, cracking us all up after the credit card fiasco
• Dad and Bill joking about how they'd be up dancing if the band would play Stayin' Alive! lol
• Listening to "60s on 6" satellite radio while driving to Niagara-On-The-Lake
• "I've signed housing contracts that required less paperwork than this!" -Bill, preparing to ride the zipline

That was another of my favorite memories this trip:

A great Statue of Liberty pic by Jill

And a great Brooklyn Bridge & Freedom Tower pic by Jill!!

• "My wife has lost her mind!" -Bill, whilst Jill was standing to look out from Shamus' taxi sunroof to get a good pic of Times Square (picture below)

Strolling through Central Park at dusk. All very pretty!

• "We're talking about 42 kilometers!" ~Robin, How I Met Your Mother
  "Thanksss, Canada. I'll take it from here. It's, like, 26 miles!! -Ted Mosby, architect ;-)
  ....I thought of that scene every time I saw a sign with kilometers on it. lol
• "Why would anyone want to live here!??  ...If Jace graduates from Navy Seal training and his commencement ceremony is here, that's the only way I would ever come back!!" -Mom (she does not ❤️ NYC) lol
• Bill washing his hair with lotion instead of shampoo because Jill had mismarked them :)
• "I'm sorry, sir, your credit card has been declined." -Hotel clerk
  "What??  I called ahead and told them we were coming to Canada." -Bill
  "We'll try it with a lesser amount... No, that didn't work either." -Hotel clerk - lol
• This was at the very beginning of our time in Canada, and Bill was so mad at the Tinker Federal Credit Union company when it first happened! lol  Jill had to pay for everything and it all quickly became a running joke. Mom snapped this pic of him with his card that finally worked again when we got to NYC. lol

• "Well, when we checked into the motel today..." -Bill, mid-credit card story
  "We didn't check into a motel!!" ~Jill, cracking me up
  "Oh hotel, motel - Who the hell cares what you call it?" -Bill, lol
• "Give my regards to Broadway! 🎶"  -Tom, our musically-inspired tour guide
• "We heat the pizza for just under two minutes so it's a little chewy. It's really a knife -and-fork experience." -pretentious Eataly waiter
  "Awww, you're missing out on the knife-and-fork experience!!" -Me, when Mom picked her pizza up to eat it like normal lol
• "Well, the selfies are a technique developed over many years and should not be tried at home by those not properly trained or without supervision!" ~Bill, when Mom commented on him taking a selfie everywhere we went =)
• "Thank you, thank you ......idiot." -Tom, under his breath, waiting for NYC pedestrians crossing after their allotted time - the only impatient thing I heard him say all day, and it cracked me right up! :)
• "Calm down, just step back!!" -Bill to Jill, while taking every item out of the suitcase in the airport lobby to try to find the car keys he'd thrown in there
  "Never in all my lifetime..." -Jill, lol
• "That's why I say New York is NOT easy!  You HAVE to KILL YOURSELF!!" -happy advice from Shamus, our driver (talking about how he works through the night shift)
  ...He didn't mean it quite how it came out, but I got soooo cracked up when he said that. It was so abrupt and so fitting for how I once felt about NYC! lol

• "Hey, we should call Shamu to come pick us up!" ~Bill, pronouncing his name like the SeaWorld whale LOLOL
• Finally watching Moana and then listening to the La La Land Soundtrack on our flight from NYC to Atlanta! :)

Finally, Jill sent my NYC Flipagram to Tom, and his response email is the best!! :)

He was already my favorite New Yorker, but that sealed it! ;-)  He's just precious, and I love that he said I have "mad skillz!" lol  I emailed him yesterday to thank him for the awesome tour that helped change my perception of NYC!! I expected that half of the trip to be a letdown after Niagara, but it really wasn't!

Okay. So between the three blog posts, I've surely covered most of the stuff I wanna remember! =)