Easter Eve Fun

Happy Easter Eve!!  Here are a few pics from this morning and afternoon with the fam!! =)

Group shot, minus Mamaw, who was our photographer!

The Mini Miss K came over early and, of all the things, she wanted corn for breakfast. Not Fruity Pebbles or chicken minis or anything else offered to her... just corn. =) I for reals adore her, and this pic makes me happy!

Babah brought this lil' photo prop, and Jace was the first to try it out! lol

T-man explaining to Rach the proper way to make the Easter egg dye, and her being thrilled about it! lol

Preshface showing me her new necklace!  She had a "date" with her Dad last night, and he let her pick out any necklace she wanted.  She chose the star of David and LOVES it. lol  Yay, Israel!

This = the Egg-Mazing egg decorator I found through Shark Tank and ordered on Amazon. It was a hit for sure! =)  (Please note Kyndal's mini-manicure with glitter!) =)

It made them really pretty! =)

T-man!

Jace Michael!

Rach with T&C!

K-Faith happy with herself for catching the ball!

Her pitching stance is faaaantastic! lol I love it!!

Carter puts in ALL THE EFFORT!

Jace is starting to really have fun with baseball practice, too!

T-man, not so much. lol  He's the observant introvert hanging out on top of the monkey bars, much like me at that age. =)

Rach with all the kids!

And me with all of them! ❤

Jace Spends the Night (+Quotables)

Last night, Jace spent the night at Mamaw and Bampa's house, and he was excited to learn that I was spending the night with them too!  When I came in, he wanted to tell me the Easter story (they made these in class with little props inside each egg to illustrate and remind them of what happened along the way - the last one being empty to represent the tomb).  He was super cute telling the story and remembered it all pretty well! =)

He showed me how he can write his numbers! =)

And how he can spell Lazarus. lol  I love it!

Then we went to Target for him to get a toy for going 3 weeks without getting in trouble for talking too much at school. (Pretty sure my introvert self would win the award ALL THE TIME for that. lolol)

Even when nothing big is happening, he's just crazy entertaining and full of life and hilarious quotes!

The four of us had dinner at Chequers, where he discovered his magic skills when this cracker wrapper stuck to him. lol  Soooo happy!

"I'M A MAGIC WIZAAAARD!" Lolol

Showing me his Mashems, the toys he bought at Target. Mamaw asked if she could take the wrapper off his eye, and he said, "Don't you dare!" lol

This = him eating a peppermint candy and showing me his sore foot (covered by an excessively huge bandaid!)

Watching some basketball while he practiced his numbers by telling us the score every few seconds. lol

Happy news - his class pictures came in, and he let me pick one out! =)

And now, a fully-Jace edition of Quotables:

"LOOK, I cleaned the windows!!"  -said while spreading his fingers and running his whole hand the entire length of the window to point it out - lol

"All three of you can put up one picture so I’ll remember you!"  ~Jace agreeing to let us put up one picture each in his future house when he marries Claire

"These Mashems are really strong!!  Do you know what they’re called, Lindsey!?" ~J
"No, what?" -Me
"Mashems."  -Jace  lolol

"Did you say, 'Hey, cutie!?'" -Dad, teasing Jace about meeting the Thunder cheerleaders
"No! They would’ve been so devastating!"  ~Jace - we're not sure what he thinks that means lol

"She pulled it off fast instead of slow like an IDIOT!"  ~Jace, telling a story that made us all laugh

Jace, at Target:  "Well, there's this bouncy ball thing that I really wanted!"
Me:  "Okay, I'll help you look.  Was it big or small?"
Jace:  "Umm, it was big ...and little and small!"
Me:  "Hmm.  Maybe hold your hands up in the shape of it."
Jace, forming a circle with his thumbs and index fingers:  "A circle!"
Me:  "Wow, helpful."

"Kyndal opened my toys, so I should get to open hers!" ~J
"Well, we gotta teach her by being nice and showing her the right way to do it." ~Dad
"I am SO through!!" ~Jace, with all the attitude

"Am I really, actually magic?"  ~Jace, after a few minutes of the cracker trash clinging to him lol

"Why do you need glasses?"  ~Jace
"They just help me read." -Mom
"Why don’t you know how to read?"  ~J, very concerned

"Wait!  Where’s my cracker trash!? We gotta take my magic!"  ~Jace, when they were going to see Rach for a minute

"Hey, is that Frankie!?"  ~J, seeing someone on TV
"You mean Frankie, Kristin’s husband?" ~Mom
"Noooo, Frankie on Blue Bloods! -- (pauses to think for a minute...) -- Frank!" ~J

CHA Program Memories

I mean, world's best niece and nephews! ❤

I'm loving their preppy vests and her pretty dress... and the sassy pose and happy smiles!

So I saw these pictures Mom took at this year's CHA Easter program, and I got so cracked up!  ...Oh, the joy and laughter and merriment of the CHA programs! lolol

(Jace)

(Triston)

(Carter)

The CHA tradition is to have the kids memorize the King James Version translation of the Easter story, each grade reciting different sections.  They go over it a kazillion times and really drill it in until tiny children are able to recite the verses verbatim in perfect unison.  You may not understand what you're saying at that age, but you'll have it down forever.  "And the veil of the temple was rent in twain -- from the top -- to the bottom.  And the earth did quake!  And the rocks rent!!"  (I still remember some of it now.)  Anyway, that combined with the generally serious tone of the school administration and the pressure of performing for your parents all dressed up does not make for a super-fun time.  The expressions above seem like good proof of that.

But look, a winning smile from the Jaceman when Mamaw wanted a pic!  Haha, I love how much he stands out here!

That's all I've got for this post.  
Two more niece-and-nephew-themed posts coming your way tonight!! =)

(Good) Photo Friday!

Here's the precious Mini Miss K being the cutest thing ever!! 

I just love her! ❤

I think this was at her class Easter party. =)

A bunny mask with pink glitter ears Rach made for her! ❤

This = Triston and Carter with Riley, Mason, and Bryson... their siblings on Brooke's side of the family!! Super cute! ❤

And here's Rach with the boys at the CHA Easter Program last night!  "Hear the bells ringing..." 

This goes with the rest of this post in NO way, but these were my favorite shoes ever, circa 2004-2008 or so.  I tried to find them via Google, but they're no longer making them and even the used ones are sold out. Sad day.

My biggest transcript to date is finally finished!!  Here's all 4,146 pages (plus the original and two copies of 84 exhibits) ready to be filed this morning. Yaaaaaaay!!

And that's all I've got for today.  Hope you have a lovely Good Friday and Easter weekend!! ❤

New Girl Wedding

I'm super excited about the last season of New Girl coming out next month!  Bring it!!  For this final season, they're doing a flash-forward to three years later... and I've read that someone dies. =(  If it's anyone other than Furguson the cat, I'm gonna be pretty upset!  Here's hoping the last season lives up to the hype and is not a letdown. (Or that it grows on me like the rest of the show has.)

It has slowly become one of my favorite shows... every character has certain quirks and expressions and mannerisms that make me laugh so much - I laugh harder with this than any other show ever! =) And while it's not always super wholesome and appropriate, the writers have done a great job of creating something that's both hilarious and full of heart! ❤

At first, I didn't love the way this episode went down.  Now it's one of my favorites - this scene, specifically.  I LOVE IT.  The beautiful background song, May playing the cello, the guys in their yamakas, Cece's mom being there, Cece talking about his constant mispronunciation of common words, the middle-of-the-night wedding in the loft where their relationship started and where he proposed, the small audience full of close friends and family, everyone throwing flower petals over them, Nick connecting with Jess over Reagan, and them using the douchebag jar as the glass for them to break - I for reals teared up and felt ridiculous, but whatever. lol  It's all golden, and I love it! =)


(I also love love the proposal episode - season 4 finale - and the Rivers and Roads song that goes with it!  Hooray for awesome background music that doesn't glorify abuse!)

And this makes me happy, too.  That's the last New Girl thing.


Anyway, that's my random video post for today.  Hope you're having a lovely Thursday. Now back to printing a kathousand pages so I can file this transcript soon!!

Soul Refresh

I took Wednesday through Friday of this past week off for a much-needed "Spring Break!"   I was physically tired and emotionally drained from working hard to finish a child abuse murder trial transcript, so it was really good to hit the "Refresh" button and refill my soul with more light and joy and peace and goodness!! ❤

Despite being sick with stomach issues on Wednesday, it was a great, relaxing long weekend with the fam!  I drove down and met the fam + Babah, Grandad, and JoBug for lunch at Johnnie's on Wednesday.  Thursday, Mom and I cleaned house, put the rug back in their living room, and baked a Pioneer Woman Sheet cake together. =) We had the Myricks and Charlene over for taco salad and March Madness games and sheet cake and ice cream, and the Parrishes stopped by for a bit, and it was all fun and light and good!  We watched J&K for a while on Friday afternoon/evening while T&C had some friends over.  Mom and I took them to visit the girlfranz, which was great and fun!  Then Grandpa came home and practiced baseball with them outside while me and Mamaw watched and occasionally pushed them on the swings. =) It was perfect Spring weather and just a really pleasant, happy day all around. Yesterday was more baseball practice and fort play time, then Teds with Bill & Jill, then watching Sister Act 2. =) And today was church then Pelicans (surprise! lol), then driving back to Tulsa to unpack and rest a bit, and now write this blog!

I'm thankful for the way sunshine and time with my niece and nephews can brighten my mood!  =)  They're modeling their new Easter clothes here! lol

This = a text from Elizabeth when I emailed her the final volume of my transcript. lol  Yay for Bitmoji cuteness.  And hooray for getting to meet her for a 3.5 hour lunch at Red Robin on Friday, catching up on all the things!! =)

And here's a FB post from my Dad this week that made me happy.  I believe these things more deeply now than I once did. =)

Bob Rutherford (our former pastor and my parents' neighbor) brought this over for Jace after J told him he asked Jesus into his heart!  So nice!!  I don't see him often, but I'm a big fan of Bob... for coming by to bring us this book and for coming to see Mom twice when she was in the hospital. The small acts of kindness often leave the biggest impact. ❤

Here's a short and sweet Flipagram, 90% of which is live photos I took this week! =)
DELETED WITHOUT NOTICE BY VIGO VIDEO. =(

And now, a few J&K Quotables:

"Gimme a drink, Kyndal!"  -Jace
"No."  -Kyndal
"Remember, you said, 'Let's just be sweet to each other today!?'"  -Jace
"YEAH, and you said no!"  -Kyndal

"They have one-ty-six points!" ~Kyndal, when a team had scored 16 points

"Hey, I made a K!! Come look!"  -Kyndal
"Oh, wow!  That's a great K, Miss. I thought you just meant you typed it; I didn't realize you drew it by hand!"  -Me
"No, I didn't. I drew it wif this pencil!!"  -Kyndal (I love how kids are so literal!)
"Ahh, even better."  -Me

"I know how she got so old."  -Kyndal
"Oh, really?  How?"  -Me
"Well, because she just kept on having too many birthdays!"  ~K-Faith

"Ouch! Does that sore make your flip-flops hurt!?"  -Me, (about a big sore on Jace's foot as he had on flip-flops at church)
"No, it makes my feet hurt!"  -Jace  (Got it; the flip-flops don't have feelings. lolol)

"Well, do you know where our house is? Because we have a trampoline, and I could show you how I flip!!" -Kyndal Faith, apparently forgetting that I've been there 70-million times and it's 3 feet away from my parents' house. lol

"Who's as cute as you in your class?"  -Mom
"Umm, nobody!  But don't tell them 'cause it might hurt their feelings."  -Presh Miss K

Okay, that's all I've got for this lovely Sunday!  All of the above (family, friends, and food) plus naps and worship music and reading have been super refreshing for me.  I feel re-charged and ready for a new week at work tomorrow.  

Hope you've had a good weekend, and if you're feeling drained, I hope you take the time to do something or talk to someone that refreshes and refills you!! ❤

Teacher Tribute!

ELEMENTARY

• To Mrs. Susan Fowler (1st grade), who taught me to read by sounding out words using phonograms 
• To Mrs. Laura Moore (2nd grade), who taught addition and subtraction and first showed us how to write in cursive
• To Miss Missy Hall (3rd grade), who introduced us to fun new songs each week and tricked us into memorizing important facts through daily repetition ;)
• To Mrs. Linda Sawyer (4th grade), who made learning fun, and who praised and celebrated my rough, beginner-level calligraphy
• To Miss Jill White (5th grade), who expressively read to us after recess every day just for fun and helped me learn to love books and listening, and who chose me to lead a class play on Hans Brinker
• To Miss Susan Hanson (6th grade), who chose me for the Spelling Bee because she knew it would keep me engaged at CHA in the middle of a hard year...

______________

HIGH SCHOOL

• To Mr. Ralph Bullard (CHA Principal and 7th grade Government teacher), who emphasized the critical importance of self-government and first explained the concept of tacit consent
• To Mr. Doug Law (7th Grade Bible), who introduced some new Biblical concepts and taught about the role of the Holy Spirit
• To Coach Mark Madewell (Volleyball Coach and Biology/Anatomy teacher), who cared about individual students and made learning science fun
• To Mrs. Debi Young (Office Secretary), who made CHA more pleasant by being warm and fun and friendly
• To Coach Aaron Ferguson (Volleyball Coach and American History teacher), whose love of history made it much more interesting to me
• To Mr. Josh Bullard (Pre-Calculus, Bible), who is completely brilliant, but also kind and approachable and capable of explaining major concepts in a way that made sense
• To Mrs. Rebecca Steelman (Debate), who encouraged us to write and share our personal opinions about various topics in a daily segment she called "Jot Spot," and who led our Mock Trial teams in fun competitions
• To Mr. Jack Clay (Choir, Bible, Student Council, Senior Trip), who coordinated three great, memorable trips (choir tour and two Boston trips)
• To Miss Laura Bower (English and Literature), who furthered my love of English, and who helped every Senior year student compile their birth-through-Senior-year autobiography...

(Yes, that was my high school English teacher's name, and we called her class the "Bower Power Hour!"  Super ironic that the second Laura Bower I have known was also an English major.)  

______________

COLLEGE

• To Dr. Randall Ridenour (OBU, Philosophy), who encouraged us to question things and think more deeply
• Professor James Hochtritt (Rose State, Modern History), who was hilarious and fun, who filled in the gaps and taught the fascinating portions of history where my CHA education fell short
• To Gail Austin (Rose State, Court Reporting), who helped me get started in a new career direction and loaned us practice books that helped me move through their program faster
• To Professor Alissa Drescher (SNU, Death, Dying, and Grief), who taught me a lot about caring for and comforting those who are grieving
• To Dr. David Frisbe (SNU, Family Dynamics and Structure), whose strong praise and encouragement and belief in me strengthened my sense of purpose...

______________

OTHER

• To Mrs. Emily Robinson (Beginner Piano), who taught me the basics and how to read music
• To Mr. Leon Whitcell (Piano), who patiently worked with me as I learned to play the songs I loved (Amazing Grace, Valse Semplice, Pachelbel Canon, etc.)
• To Sheri Laster (FSBC Sunday School), who made the Bible come to life and whose family and adoption story inspired me
• To Karli, Jayme, Emily, Jessie, Michael, Audrey, Alex, etc. (Friends & Cousins who are Teachers), who make sacrifices and work hard because they care about their students
• To my Aunt, LaJo O'Brien (Special Education and Individual Tutoring), who does an awesome job making learning fun and building up the self-worth and identity of her students!
• And to my Mom (8th Grade Homeschool teacher, Pre-K through Senior year homework help, Spelling Bee practice, Mock Trial writing help, Court Reporting practice, Proofreader of college papers, etc.), who cared enough to work with me every night and help me learn and understand and memorize and do hard things and feel confident all along the way...

These are just a few of the many wonderful teachers who have had an influence on my life through the years! THANK YOU!! ❤

Oklahoma's teachers are in the news these days, fighting for our state to prioritize the future through education funding and to treat them more fairly. I went to a private school where the teachers actually made even less than the Oklahoma average (which is the very lowest teacher salary in the entire country). Something clearly needs to change!

We tend to take basic education for granted in America, but it is an amazing privilege and a huge blessing to be grateful for.  I've seen a lot of arrogant, condescending, hateful comments directed at teachers on Facebook lately, and it's not okay.  I'm so thankful for all the teachers who genuinely care enough to make a lasting, positive difference in the lives of their students!! Who dedicate their lives to serving and helping others, whose vital job is often difficult and underappreciated, who put in a lot of unpaid overtime working patiently to help their students succeed!  I applaud and support them, and I hope our legislature makes a sincere effort to do the same! ❤

Phoning It In, Part 6

"Phoning It In" = A quick life update where I throw in lots of random pics from my iPhone that haven't made it to the blog yet. =)

1. Playing Code Names with Jon & Kristin's small group from Woodlake at the Bixby Starbucks! =)

2. Fun ImPress nails for our first 2018 Jury Trial! =)  

...The Miss K always tells me the accent nail is her favorite. lol

3.  A happy variety of K-Cups for Tiffany's "housewarming" gift! =) I have to wonder if I'd like the Donut Shop, Cinnabon, and Krispy Kreme flavors... but it's likely the coffee taste would still ruin it for me. lol

4. My healthy Choose 2 at McAlister's with Tiffany and Sarah!  I didn't even get a sweet tea or dessert. lol  I'm not doing a specific diet, but working to limit my carbs after work and eat more salads and veggies in general... this and my Salata salad were both surprisingly good, so YAY for that, and may it continue!! =)

5. This tiny dog (the one behind the lady) was so precious I had to sneak in a picture! =)  It's a live photo, and I've played it several times to watch his little legs walking. lolol #presh

6.  Me and Tiffany before seeing Into The Woods last weekend!

7. Katie shielding herself with the program -- we had to wait outside to see Laura after the show, and it was colder than expected!!

8.  Our group of girls with Laura, who played one of the stepsisters in the show! =)

9.  Tiffany made breakfast for dinner for us (me, her, and Laura) this Sunday to revive us before our second jury term week!  These pancakes with butterscotch chips were a winner! =)

10. And her slippers made me pretty happy! lol

11.  Ready to watch Age of Adeline with her Whispering Vines wine and her cat (Simon or Garfunkel - I can't remember which) watching over her. lol

12. They put in this happy fountain for the Centennial celebration in 2014. It makes me happy every time I walk past it. The sight and sound of the water (here, waterfalls, lakes, pools, Bellagio, etc.) is just very comforting and calming to me! ❤

13. This Wednesday was "Pi Day," so they had $3.14 pizza at Pie Five... YUM! =)

14. This = the falafel pita from Zoe's I brought Chet Lee on Thursday... I told him it looked like a muchaco gone wrong! lol

15. Baby Tate has grown since I last saw him, and he reached up and touched my face a couple times, which made me happy! =)

16. The Wilson fam at the farmhouse! ❤

17. I love love love all these trees blooming everywhere!

18. Last but not least, I'm making good progress on my book chart. My goal is to read 50 books between 2017 and 2018.  (Audiobooks definitely count!! lol)  I color them in when I finish them. lol So it's 33 down, 17 to go! =) I'm on The Attributes of God right now, and loving A.W. Tozer!

Anyway, that's it for now!  It's been a lovely, relaxing Saturday, catching up on Bible reading and eating my crockpot vegetable soup!  Happy Saint Patrick's Day, gang!!  ☘