Lately

Happy Monday!!  I am making the blog(s) public today, thanks to a writing opportunity where it would help them to see that I've actually been writing for several years. lol

Last Wednesday, I got to go to Tara Lynn's book signing at the Bound for Glory bookstore in Tulsa - fun times!! I am so impressed with people who are able to write fiction. The ability to dive into your imagination and bring rich new characters to life and weave them into a plot and setting that is entirely your own creation is beyond me!  I can write what I know - my story and friends and family, what God is teaching me, how I see Him working in the world - but fiction will never be my strong suit, and that's okay! lol  We all have our gifts, and Tara Lynn is an awesome author, having just published her second fictional novel in a trilogy series!  It was great getting to see her and Jon and Kristin for a bit!!

Thursday at work was Bobbie's Retirement Party. (She has been a quiet, kind, generous, and diligent worker in the Court Clerk's Office for several decades now, and she is fighting aggressive cancer, so prayers are appreciated.)  It's always nice to end the workday with cake and punch and fun conversation. It was good to get to celebrate Bobbie and very fun getting to chat with the other court reporters and Judge Hammers, who is an absolute delight - so feisty and entertaining! =)

Friday night, of course, was dinner at my place with the friend group!!  I made garlic parmesan chicken (a crockpot recipe I had never tried, but it turned out good, thank God - lol), shells n' cheese, asparagus, cheddar biscuits, and strawberries & dip for dessert!  My fear of the oven is still in play, so I had Tiffany take a pic of me with my happy oven mitts! =)  I did better on the timing this week so we got to eat food that was actually still warm. lol  It was the original six (Tiffany, Angie, Laura, Kyle, Sarah, and me).  After dinner, we all shared about one person we really admire and why, then we played Scattergories, which was definitely entertaining! =)

I spent most of the weekend sleeping in, finishing my new John Eldredge book (full post on that later), re-watching New Girl, and catching up on my workout plan at Planet Fitness!  I guess that's all for now.  Glad to have readers again!! =)

The Awesomeness of Aunthood!

Ohhhh, how I love them!! ♡

I LOVE being Aunt Lindsey to T-man, Carter Lee, JaceMan, and the Miss K!!  They are precious beyond words, full of spirit and sass and swagger, and legitimately four of the cutest kids I've ever seen!

They make my heart sing with joy and delight, and it's a privilege to get to watch them grow up and see their awesome personalities as they change and develop! =)

I mean, look at this summery cuteness!  Get out already - it doesn't get any cuter!!

I get to see these two a lot more often than I get to see T&C, but I love them all so much!!

Here are a few pics from the beginning of their 2017/2018 school year these past two weeks...

Oh, the JaceMan! =)  We turned around to see him sitting at the teacher's podium while T-Man was there to meet his new 4th grade teacher!  ...Confidence Level 10,000! lol

And here's the Miss K running her little heart out to come see me and Mamaw... "Here comes the sun," indeed!" =)  (I was so focused on taking her pic that I failed to notice until I edited them later that my former classmate, Sarah, is there with her children, along with another CHA alum, Tabitha, walking near Rach in the backgound! lol)

Watching Jace on his "Meet the Teacher" day at CHA was fascinating. He went up to a few different kids, saying, "Hey, I'm Jace. What's your name!??" With one boy, he randomly started a funny dance right after introducing himself. With this kid, he did a long and kinda funny handshake... (as the Miss K looks on while eating her 3rd sucker!)

Kyndal found the "K" on this rug and was so excited! We called Jace over to stand next to her on the "J." Now I kind of wish I'd grabbed a spot on the "L." =)

He introduced himself to this girl, then she told him her name, then he immediately reached over and gave her a long side-hug, which she gladly returned.  I whispered to Mom, "So it begins." He's a popular one with the ladies already. lol  There was another little girl who sat next to him at the assembly the first day, and right after the teacher introduced them to each other, Jace said, "You wanna hold hands?" She said, "Okay."  Then they sat there quietly holding hands for a bit. =) What in the world? Lol If only adult relationships were that simple.

Not my best look, but it's the only pic I have with him on his first day, so I love it anyway! 

He was excited about this. Rach told him she'd written him a note on his lunchbox so he could always look at it and remember that Mom loved him, to which he said, "What about Dad!?" So Josh drew the "eye heart U" under Rachael's note, which Jace read to us very specifically. So much cuteness!

The Miss K didn't start school until a few days later, but she didn't like Jace getting all the attention with his school chalkboard and fun dinosaur lunchbox. She ran to the pantry and grabbed this and came back, saying, "Wook at my wunchbox!!"  PRESHFACE.  I freaking love it!

Triston Michael with his teacher, Mrs. French (a brand new teacher at CHA, but he was happy that Mr. Alexander left - as he put it, "Some kids didn't survive that class." lol)  So many fond memories from my fourth grade year at CHA... Noah Webster Day, the bug collection, Land Run Day, bake sales, starring in the Christmas play, etc. I hope it's a great year for him!!

Carterman and Mrs. Champion, who was T-Man's teacher last year. He's so cute and confident, and I hope he has an awesome 3rd grade year!!

The Mini Miss K on her first day of PreSchool (not at CHA - that'll be next year). I love that T-man bent down to be at her level here. She loves her oldest brother!!

Gah, how could you not adore her?  So much joy and effervescent energy!

Look how cute he is with his dinosaur backpack on! =)

Kyndal Faith making sure she got to be in a few of the pics on the boys "Meet the Teacher" day. lol

Triston is studious and serious about doing well in school. While all his siblings were playing, he was reading and re-reading the school supply list, and checking to make sure Rach and Brooke had gotten everything right. "Do I have pencils in here?" "Yes, they're in the zipper bag." "But are they sharpened!?" lol I love that he cares about being prepared and doing things correctly - that quality will serve him well at CHA!  He's seated between a boy named Reese and a girl named Reece, and there's a third Reese in his classroom. That wasn't a popular name in my day, but apparently, 2007 was the year for Reeses!

Carter Lee was excited to show me his desk and tell me all about who he would be sitting by. He has such a fun energy and love for life, but definitely was unconcerned about his notebooks and school supplies. lol  I'm glad he has a teacher who already knows and likes him, and I'm thankful all around for so many reasons that they all get to go to CHA!

When he wasn't sitting at the teacher's podium or holding hands or hugging girls he just met, he was in the corner eating his sucker and asking if this girl wanted to hang out and play a game. Miss K suggested "Duck Duck Goose" but there weren't enough people for that. I love that she joined in and spoke up, though!  Also, this pic makes me wanna get better at braiding my hair. =)

I love this one of Jace and Rach on his first day! She was fake crying, and it cracked him up, which made her laugh, too! =)

"Two boys," as Jace tends to call them. Backpacks on and ready for whatever their first day has in store! Love them!

Such a great pic of all three boys that first day!! One of my all-time favorites of the three of them -- the other is the 2013 pic below it, and I love that they're in the same order! =) 

One final pic of Carterman hugging Miss Kyndal, who is so precious I can hardly talk about it. I'm thankful that she was just excited to go to school and see Miss Miranda, that she didn't feel nervous or anxious about it, but ready and confident!  I hope they learn a lot and make friends who are kind and fun. I hope no one hurts them, but I know that's not real life, so I hope that God protects their hearts and helps them to learn and grow from all that they will experience. And I hope all four of them continue to "Have courage and be kind!"

They are each fantastic and so unique and awesome!

They're my favorite kids ever, and I'm excited to watch them grow up!! ❤

Memory Monday (Mindi)

On Friday, we celebrated Mindi and we said goodbye. (After 15 years in Oklahoma, she is moving back to California this week to be closer to her fiance and her big family there.)  We had a pizza & pool party at Sarah's apartment, The Remington, where several of my Tulsa friends have lived through the years.

Sarah rented out the clubhouse area, so we were able to use their kitchen and tables for our pizza and cookiecake! =)

We ate and chatted about life, about work, about the Wilsons becoming parents, about Friends and Downton Abbey.  It was lighthearted and fun and good.

(Here's Chet Lee and Sarah preparing the salad. lol  Cuteness!)

I picked up five medium pizzas from Dominoes, but we had 11 people in the end, so it was barely enough!

(My card.)

Mostly, I will remember our time at the pool. Tiffany, Sarah, Steve, Eric, and I got in and swam. Karli, Chet, Mindi, Laura, Kristin, and Jon put their feet in the water (Jon actually just pulled up a chair and sat at the edge of the pool). We were there from 8 to 10 that night, so I was happy that the pool lit up as it got dark. We went around and talked about our topic for the night (the best advice you've received or a favorite verse or quote you try to live by). Everyone had great things to share, and I always love getting to specifically hear from every person there and know that everyone feels seen and heard and valued. It's even better when I get to rest in the water and play with a pool noodle while I'm listening. lol  Then Chet suggested that we go around the circle again, each saying how we met Mindi and one good quality we see in her. 

I talked about meeting her in the middle of her breast cancer battle (when Chet got a few friends together to help out and clean and pray with her as she was weak and sick from chemo - I remember those prayer circles well).  I said "faith-filled" as the main quality I see in her life. Others spoke about her joy, her kindness, her sense of humor, her inner strength, her perseverance. When we got out and got ready to leave, after loading up the cars, we had a prayer circle where Chet prayed over Mindi - thanking God for what she has meant to us and praying that He would bless her future and her marriage. It was a meaningful and perfect way to say goodbye to someone we love and admire! ♡

Quotables!!

"Just to give you a heads up, whatever card would be the rational, normal choice -- that's not the way I would go!"  ~Laura (trying to help Sarah in our Apples to Apples game)
"Okay, I'm looking at you, and you're wearing a tutu and a shirt that says, 'I run to burn off the crazy,' so I think I got it!" ~Sarah - so funny!

"One of the questions for another week will be: 'What were you like in high school? And if you could give your high school self one piece of advice, what would it be?" ~Me
Laura, immediately:  "STOP STALKING OLDER BOYS!! And stop calling the radio to wish them good night!" LOL

"I love spending time with you in my spare time!!" ~Jaceman, grabbing Rach's hand at the mall
"Ooooh, I love that, too!" ~Rach
....a bit later:
"What does spare time mean?" ~Jace hahahaha

"Ma'am and sirs, MA'AM AND SIRS... what would you like to drink?" ~Kyndal Faith (playing the waitress and talking to me, Dad, and Jace) -- so precious!

"Oh, fun!  What games did you guys play?"  ~Audrey (when Jon & Kristin said they found a good game store in Oregon)
"I think one was called Pandemic and one was called Lotus!" ~Kristin
"Oh, you knoooow, just Pandemic and Lotus.  ....I don't know why I asked." ~Audrey (quietly to me) lolol

"Nobody's surprised by your cuteness!"  ~Jon Foster (commenting on my home decor choices - lol)

"Is that a new shirt?  I like it!!" ~Mom
"Well, I just don't wear it often because on windy days, it tends to blow up a little, and I just think, 'What a gift to people that must be!'" ~Charlene lolol

"Mom, you need to spank Jace!!" ~Kyndal
"No, y'all were both messin' around over there." ~Rach
"But I'm the birthday girl!" ~Kyndal Faith lol

"Oh, wait!  Did anyone get a pic of the cake before you cut into it?  I'll just take it now, I guess."  ~Me
"Yeah, there's pretty much nothing about this party that's not ghetto." ~Rach, after Miss K chose soup over a restaurant, then we had her "blow out" lighters because we couldn't find actual candles - hahahaha!

"Lindsey!  Look at how big my thumb is!" ~Miss K, super serious, holding her thumb with her other hand like it was hurt
"Oh gosh, what did you do, Miss!?" ~Me, assuming she'd pinched it in something
"It's because I'm four now!!"  ~Miss K, smiling at how grown up she is but completely serious about thinking her hands were suddenly bigger! lol  PRESH.

"I get 'em all, I get 'em AAAALLLLL!! ....Seriously!??"  ~Jaceman, singing a happy little song after Mamaw said he could grab the handful of crackers for his soup, then so irritated after immediately dropping two of them on the floor - LOL, I laughed way too hard at that!

"I just don't get what the big rush is. They're only going into adulthood, and there's nothing magical about that!!" ~Mom on why Jace should be in PreK over Kindergarten - lol

Mom and Dad attempting to have a serious chat with Jace about stranger danger:
"If it's anyone you don't know at the door, don't let them in. Just go tell Mom!" ~Mom
"But if it was a bad guy, then I wouldn't want Mom to be, like, dead!" -J (the way he said it made it really funny)
"I have a Nerf gun, and I could kill a stranger with that!"  ~J
"Just don't open the door at all if it's someone you don't know."  ~Dad
"Because it might be the Joker!!"  ~J
"Jace, listen - we're being serious." ~Dad
"...Is the Joker real?" ~Jace
"No, he's not real."  ~Mom
"But if he waaaas, then he would joke me!!" ~Jace, clearly very amused by this whole talk LOL

"Mamaw, I didn't hit or kick or punch anybody today!"  ~Jaceman, at the end of his first day of school, standing next to his teacher! LOL
"I'm so proud of you, Bud!  You need to do that every day at CHA."  ~Mom

"Oooh, it says it's time to go play outside!!"  ~Kyndal Faith, showing me her play watch, being a tiny presh!

"I'm just sad I won't be able to see you two as parents!"  ~Mindi, to Chet Lee
"It's... gonna be something!  Sometimes I feel scared about it, but here's the thing: If B.F. can keep one alive, then I can sleep soundly at night!"  ~Chettles, on parenting

"Have you been pretty successful with that!?" ~Kristin, on hearing that Chet was taking the year off sweets
"Oh, haven't lost a pound!" Chet's immediate response - lol

"Well, Season 3 made me question a lot of things, like: Was I gonna move on? ...My family is falling apart!"  ~Chet Lee on Downton Abbey

10 Reasons Why...

I may try to journal and keep building this up and do a 100 Reasons post down the road, but for now, I've been writing down one reason I'm committed to Weight Watchers every other day for the past 3 weeks. I'm hopeful that this will help keep me focused and thinking about why this health journey matters to me. Hooray! =)

♡♡ 10 ♡♡
8-1-2017

Proving to myself that I can do hard things!

That pretty much says it all! I know what it feels like to go halfway, to make a bit of progress and then quit, to give up when it gets too challenging.  Now I want to know what it feels like to stick with it, to push through and finish my weight loss journey, and to practice maintaining my goal weight!!

♡♡ 9 ♡♡
8-3-2017

Joining Dad as a WW Lifetime Member!

Today is Dad's 64th birthday!  ...You don't notice it as much when you see someone a lot and the weight loss is gradual, but before and after pics like this show just how far he has come!!  He's lost 75+ pounds and has been a lifetime member with Weight Watchers for several months now. Impressive and inspiring!

♡♡ 8 ♡♡
8-5-2017

Having a higher quality of life and being more adventurous!

Weight issues have gotten in the way and held me back from trying new things more often than I probably even realize. I want to be more active and willing to take risks and have adventures, and I know weight loss will help with my confidence and ability to do that!!

♡♡ 7 ♡♡
8-7-2017

Getting off of my blood pressure medication!

My doctor told me today that if I lose another 20-30 pounds, I should be able to come off of my high blood pressure medication, so that's another great reason to keep going!!

♡♡ 6 ♡♡
8-9-2017

The awesome feeling of realizing I've gone down a size!

This happened today with some designer jeans Rach gave me that I'd assumed were too small. Always exciting when fun clothes unexpectedly fit!

♡♡ 5 ♡♡
8-11-2017

Learning to genuinely enjoy foods that benefit me!

I eat a lot of foods that I love, but not a lot of foods that love me back... Mostly, I enjoy unhealthy foods that I crave but not the healthy foods my body needs for fuel. I want to gradually change that and incorporate more fruits and veggies and find a new normal!

♡♡ 4 ♡♡
8-13-2017

Feeling more comfortable standing in the front row in photos!

Feeling confident like I felt after my 2009 weight loss (above), rather than hiding behind others or standing at the edge and cropping most of my body out of the picture!

♡♡ 3 ♡♡
8-15-2017


Staying out of hospitals (for weight loss surgery or preventable medical issues).

Enough said.

♡♡ 2 ♡♡
8-17-2017

Learning to enjoy and focus on the people more than the food!

So many great people in my life, and I want to be more tuned in to their hearts and less focused on my own cravings.

♡♡ 1 ♡♡
8-19-2017

Becoming more mindful about what I am eating.

Tracking with WeightWatchers helps me pay more attention and "budget" so that I can stay in my healthy points range and have foods I enjoy! =)

That's all for today! ♡