Today's tribute post goes to my youngest nephew, Jace! ❤
Jace Michael, you are awesome because...
You're the life of the party wherever you go!
You are so outgoing, and you love to play and make new friends!
You make other people feel special when you're really excited to see them!
You challenge yourself and are excited about CrossFit Kids and becoming stronger!
You love Jesus and you talk about heaven a lot, and your childlike prayers are my favorite!
You are crazy picky about most foods, but then you dip Oreos in ketchup and love it! lol
You're learning to sound out the letters and read books, and that makes me happy!
You love The Greatest Showman almost as much as I do, and you went all out in your efforts to imitate P.T. Barnum! =)
You have a clever mind and you're good at the "finesse," and you would already make a great salesman! lol
From a young age, you've loved having an audience and performing and making people laugh, and I love that about you!
You say "I love you" often and give sweet compliments really well! =)
You're protective of the people you love, and you fight for them when they're being mistreated!
You're handsome, charming, funny, confident, carefree, and athletic... all qualities that will serve you very well in life! =)
Your Great-Grandad, Babah, Mamaw, and Bampa are all so delighted by you and so proud of you, and you're always as excited to see them as they are to see you!!
I'm grateful for all the joy you've brought to our lives over the past 8 years (from when we first heard you were coming)... and I'll be cheering you on as you grow up and boldly live the life God has planned for you! ❤
Getting up early enough for Sunday School - check!
Panera drive-thru lunch - check!
2.5 hour Sunday nap - check! =)
Now time to write a blog with a few random things floating through my mind lately... this week's This Is Us episode was about Beth and her backstory, and I so related with the pressure teenage Beth put on herself, the way she would internalize certain comments and struggle with false guilt, and with trying to figure out the right path for her life and wondering if she should've fought harder for certain things. It was the first episode this season that has made me cry - but still nothing has hit me as hard as the season 1 episode with Dr. K's story - not one many people talk about, but it really got me. ...Also, kudos to the casting team and whoever added the computer generated inner-eye freckle on teenage Beth - impressive attention to detail!!
Next on the list = horror movies. I know most people do not understand or relate to my feelings on this topic, but they're still strong and certainly still valid for me. It is decidedly a deal-breaker for me if a guy loves horror movies - right up there with spiritual incompatibility and hot tempers. Protective strength is my favorite quality in a man - feeling safe and protected matters deeply to me, and I get an immediate creepy, stay-on-guard vibe with men who enjoy horror films. Like, don't sit so close to me while you talk calmly about cannibalism and strangling and other evil subjects in your movie collection. I do not understand the draw in any way - it doesn't even stem from any sort of healthy, God-given desire - it's the enemy's playground from start to finish. Over and over, God tells us not to be afraid, not to give in to fear, to pray for Him to deliver us from evil, reminding us that He has given us a sound mind and that we have the mind of Christ... He clearly never intended for people to desire or delight in the emotion of fear. I've talked to multiple women who've seen one or two horror movies and cannot get those images and that sensation of fear out of their minds and spirits. I've never seen one, and I avoid the previews if I can help it. (*The first time I saw a movie by myself was when a group of high school friends decided to go to a horror movie and I refused to join them, so this has been a firm thing for a while in my mind. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for the win! lol Movies that seek to generate fear = something I will never invite or allow into my life or my mind or my home or my children's lives.) Maybe most men don't watch horror movies because they enjoy feeling fear - but whether it's that or it's an idiotic macho thing trying to prove that they don't scare easily... or perhaps they enjoy the horrific, gory, paranormal, evil-overcoming-good storylines... OR, most disturbingly, they might get a power-trippy pleasure kick out of watching others be frightened, tortured, and brutalized, which seems to be the substance of most modern horror films... and I gotta say, whatever their reasoning, it's a NO for me. Not now, not ever. Hard pass! Mmkay, next subject: Must get back on track with calories!! This ecard is so me, only it's the whole dinner meal where my good intentions typically go haywire. lol
I'm doing well with every other resolution - getting connected in a new church, working out 5-6 days a week, staying up to date on Bible reading, an hour of prayer every week, and the one-sentence-a-day journal. I tracked my calories really well through the month of January, then fell off hard in February! #treatyoself But now that the Super Bowl and Vegas and ALL THE BIRTHDAYS are over, I really need to reign it back in, and it's proving rather challenging. I want to eat all the junk food, and I feel more ravenous than usual - it's amazing how quickly you can undo your hard work if you're not careful. I get hungrier when I'm working out like this, so I'm definitely gonna have to incorporate more fruits and vegetables and less sugar in order to make my 1600-calories-a-day target filling enough! #goals #mustgoshopping #backontrack On that note, here's a diet-related video someone shared on FB that made me laugh! (If it starts with an ad, fast forward to a minute into it!)
That's all I've got for today. Off to watch When Calls the Heart and soak up the cheesy joy of Hope Valley! lol Happy Sunday!!!
Kelly took this one! I love Jeff's Dad shirt and how happy and proud he is! =)
Tate was excited to be there, too! lol So cute!!
Nurse Jessica stopped by for a minute!
The Moss fam, minus Penny! =) They will be such wonderful parents!!
Some celebratory strawberry cupcakes and a journal gift for Kelly & Ellie to share eventually!
Uncle Chet holding Ellie Faye!
JEM holding Tater-tot!
A little book with her footprints and birth stats that they're having visitors sign. ❤
Group selfie in the hallway before we left! =)
I'm very thankful that the labor and delivery went smoothly, and I'm glad we got to hold baby Ellie and hug Jeff and Kelly yesterday! They should be going home sometime today, so I'm praying it will be a smooth transition (and hopefully Ellie will be a better sleeper than I was at that age)! lol
Happy Friday, friends! Hope it's a great weekend ahead! =)
Happy President's Day! I celebrated by sleeping in till 11. Huzzah!
Now catching up on blogging today by throwing in tons of recent pictures!!
First things first, the adorable mini Miss K had her first Father/Daughter dance this Saturday. She was so overjoyed!! She and her friend, Kynlee, got matching dresses, shoes, jackets, mani/pedis, and tiaras! They insisted on their Dads matching each other too (and Josh and Chase obliged). lol If she's not the cutest thing you've ever seen, you should probably have your eyes checked! ;-)
I'm thankful she'll have this memory - feeling beautiful and knowing her dad adores her and delights in her! The girls holding the K is super cute! I'm impressed that they can walk in high heels at age 5. And I love that they got little corsages, too!❤
Friday night, Sarah and Kyle had us all over for dinner and a game night at their new house. I was running late and was most definitely caught off guard when everyone yelled, "Surprise!" as I walked in. Laura had turned it into a surprise b-day event for me, which was perfect as I'd been trying to figure out a time to celebrate with this group! It was a really fun night, and it will feature in an upcoming Quotables post. =)
Entertaining times with JEM being the code-giver in Code Names!! lol
Bundtini cakes courtesy of Laura!! I had chocolate, red velvet, and lemon - birthday success!! =)
Some TK and baby Tate cuteness!! Tate waved back at me, and it kinda made my night!
I put this chalkboard by Rach out the very morning of Valentine's Day... makes me happy! ❤
Seeing these memories made me laugh out loud! I hope you were in 2008 Lindsey mode and enjoying it this year, but I empathize if you felt like 2007 Lindsey. lol
(I had a pretty good Valentine's Day this year... I had the day off work, and it was the first time in all of life that a guy I was interested in asked me out on Valentine's day, so that was fun and exciting!)
Just a recent pic of Dad and his office staff that made me happy! =)
Elizabeth sent me this one. =) "Can you mumble louder!?" and "I'm mentally rolling my eyes" made me laugh! Keeping my face free of irritation is a definite struggle sometimes. lol
I love the Psalms, and I'm going to memorize this section from chapter 19 because it was so encouraging to me as I read it... God's Word is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, and firm. It refreshes our souls, makes us wise, brings joy to our hearts, lights up our eyes, and endures forever! ❤ Yes, please!!
Happy hot chocolate (that I ever-so-gracefully choked on for a minute) from my date on Saturday. lol For reasons I could explain in person, I don't see it going anywhere, but I still left feeling really good about it all... proud of myself for going and being relatively confident and comfortable and cute (minus the choking incident), happy to know that online dating sometimes results in an actual date - not just men being creepily aggressive or too passive, thankful that I know my own worth and values and don't feel any sense of desperation or urgency that would lead to poor decisions, and hopeful and encouraged to stay open to the often-crazy-ridiculous world of online dating! ❤ (*Mom and Rach were the only ones I talked to beforehand, so don't feel offended. I just prefer not to bring these things up or get too much outside input until I feel sure it is or is not going somewhere. Thanks to Rach for the fashion advice and great encouragement, and to Mom for being excited for me and very supportive of my decision!)
...The Jaceman, on the other hand, continues to have all kinds of success with the ladies! lolol He and Claire still write each other and send letters and have the cutest (and only) long-distance childhood romance I've ever seen. Meanwhile, Ellie (pictured below) and Kynlee (Kyndal's dance friend) have both told him they "have a crush" on him. So the boy is not lacking in charisma or confidence!
Mmkay, now on to my birthday! I picked Olive Garden for lunch with the fam - Mom and Dad are not big fans, but were happy to oblige on my birthday. lol I had the breadsticks, chicken and gnocchi soup, baked ziti, and a chocolate mousse cake dessert! #winning #justnotwithcalories
The Miss has been super sweet lately! She sat by me and told me all about the dance, hugged me and sang me happy birthday a few times, and we played several rounds of tic-tac-toe and took a few selfies together!! =)
The kids came over and sang me Happy Birthday, then we got this lovely pic together! ❤
After lunch, Charlene picked me up for Anthony's 7th birthday balloon release!
Al, Charlene, Kristin, and Heather! ❤
Me with Kristin and Frankie and Heather - thankful for a close extended family!!
...Charlene is ready to join me on the Alaska cruise with Bill and Jill next year, so I'm super EXCITED about that!! I went to see Isn't It Romantic with her and Dad last night, which was fun times and the first movie I've been to in over a month! (A long drought for me, not for most people.) Then I came back home and relaxed and caught up on my shows whilst eating the Johnny Carino's chocolate cake Dad got for me! =) All in all, it was a great birthday weekend, and I feel very rich in love! ❤
*Yesterday was also Babah and Grandad's 65th wedding anniversary!
I was born on their 30th anniversary. Here's a classic pic of the three of us. 💗
Song of the Week = The Sign parody by the Holderness Family
(Thanks to Stephanie's Girl Talk band in Full House as well as the Barden Bellas in Pitch Perfect, I'm really a fan of this tune!! The dad playing the recorder in this video cracked me right up. The "giant petri dish from hell" line did, too! It all made me think of the Parrish fam with all the sickness going around lately. Enjoy...)
I'm rushing to post this at 10:21 pm, the exact time I was born 35 years ago in 1984!
That's right... I'm 35, and my dear friend Laura reminded me that means I'm eligible to run for President... get excited! ;-)
A happy through-the-years photo collage:
My thirties have been my favorite decade, mostly because I feel like I've become more comfortable and confident in who I am and what I stand for, having more grace and accepting my own imperfections, and just enjoying life and all the great things God has given me - and letting go of a few things I've lost. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, and He knows what He's doing and we can trust Him!
So I feel thankful and blessed!! Thanks for being part of my life! ❤
So this past weekend was my ninth trip to Las Vegas!! ❤
(*Trips 1-7 here... Trip 8 recap here.) We booked this trip on Cyber Monday to celebrate Tiffany turning 30 and me turning 35 -- a fun Vegas birthdays vacation! I invited Sarah and Steve, and they were able to get the same Allegiant flight + Paris Hotel deal, and I'm so glad they decided to join us!!
And without further ado, thanks to my very detailed phone notes, here's a recap of our awesome trip... followed by fun Quotables!! ❤
FRIDAY NIGHT -- Tiffany came to my house, then we went to pick up the Fultons. I was very impressed that they were ready a little early! =)
Tulsa Airport Chili’s for dinner, where our waiter mentioned that the flight coming in from Dallas was delayed, so I knew we wouldn't get to see Jeffrey Edward that night. Lame.
Tiffany was the only one who got patted down (both flights) and got her carry-on searched. She was not amused. lol
Very smooth flight, and Sarah let me borrow her headphones so I could listen to my happy music.
Guy sitting by us was nice and helped with my suitcase... he got kinda drunk as the flight progressed, though. I was definitely the most introverted person on my row. lol
Took an Uber to Walmart - super unfriendly driver, which became kinda funny - we grabbed some water and snacks, and we were off to the hotel!
We were put in smoking rooms (1658 and 1660 Paris) even though we'd booked non-smoking =( ...but the smell wasn’t too bad in the end, and we all thought the beds were super comfy!
La Pizza for a midnight dinner + Biscoff gelato to-go from Cafe Belle Madeleine (YUMM!!).
Ate our gelato whilst watching the end of The Replacements and chatting in our room
SATURDAY -- Mom Ami Gabi breakfast on the patio (awesome weather that day, and Chocolate Nutella waffles for me - yum) ❤
Bellagio fountains at noon + Bellagio lobby and Conservatory - all fantastic!
All the hotels were celebrating the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Pig. It was pretty cute!
We walked to the Caesar's Forum Shops and caught the Atlantis show, then sat down to recover and plan the rest of our day...
Memorable Uber ride to Coca-Cola World and M&M World - lots of fun pics, and we all got some M&Ms
Walked to Hershey's Chocolate World, followed by lunch at Shake Shack outside New York New York
Took the tram over to Luxor to check out the drone competition (guy sitting next to Steve on the flight told him about it)
Uber to Wynn - walked around the lobby then stopped for drinks at "The Lake of Frogs and Dreams." lol #Wynning (hashtag by JEM)
Back to the hotel to change and rest a minute
Tiffany and I went to Planet Hollywood around 7 to get our tickets for the concert
We shopped around there and found a cool art gallery and took fun Presidential pics! lol
Got a free seat upgrade (12 rows from the front) - yay!!
Our usher girl was super fun and came over to dance with us a few times, then gave me Jelly Beans when we mentioned we were there for a birthday trip! lol
Backstreet Boys concert was better than expected - I knew more of their songs than I realized! They came into the crowd right behind us, but Tiffany and I both failed to get a good video fast enough! lol
(...Sarah surprised Steve with Blue Man Group tickets that night!)
We caught the fountains after the concert (Viva Las Vegas and Uptown Funk)
Then we met the Fultons for midnight pizza in our hotel and talked about our shows!
Dessert = M&Ms from M&M World and watching Oceans 13 while getting ready for bed
SUNDAY -- Mon Ami breakfast again (Quiche Lorraine for me) - we all tried something different and all tried part of each other's food. lol
Long walk to Venetian and Palazzo hotels - always fun - shopped around and took fun pictures!
Uber to M&M World (Sarah wanted more Jalapeno M&Ms - yikes!) and Marshall's to buy earbuds for the flight back!
Rainy walk to Earl of Sandwich at the Miracle Mile of Shops
Weather app said wind, but failed to mention the rain and snow that fell for the better part of the afternoon and night! Whaaat!? Definitely a Vegas first for me!!
PBR Bar - Sarah and Steve ordered the Fish Bowl 100-oz Margarita... crazy big!
Bartender gave Sarah a ladle so she could make them both to-go cups! lol
Rainy walk back to our hotel to rest for a bit!
Uber to Fremont Street... soooooo miserably cold outside!
Went in the Golden Nugget to get warm.
We all got player cards there but the girls didn't end up using them. Steve tried roulette and did pretty well!
Dinner at Nacho Daddy + reading the rules of roulette so we could try it later!
Uber back to Bellagio... checked out the Jean Philippe Pattiserie, which is now just the "Bellagio Pattiserie" with the world's largest chocolate fountain!
Crazy cold midnight fountain show with a hilarious group hug for warmth! lol
Running back to the Paris arm-in-arm with Sarah and cracking up at the whole situation =)
Got player cards there, but we were all super tired, so we went on to bed that night!
MONDAY -- Packed up and did the express checkout, then went downstairs for Mon Ami round 3! lol (I had the Bananas Foster waffles, and I highly recommend them!)
$10 match play roulette at the Paris, then slot machines at The Cosmopolitan!
Got our luggage then took an Uber to the 5.11 store so Steve could shop a bit
Got to the Vegas airport really early - which was good, as they left Steve's CPAP machine at the hotel!
(Tiffany and I held their luggage and had Einstein Bros Bagels for lunch while they ran back to get it)
Our flight home was not full, so we got to spread out more, which was nice!
Not so nice was the crazy turbulence as we went through a storm when we got closer to Tulsa... first time I've been lifted out of my seat a couple times - did not love it!
But now we're home safe and sound. Huzzah!
QUOTABLES:
"Jeff said he hopes our flight is delayed so he can see us here. But we really don’t need any more delays!" ~Me (Allegiant already moved our flight time from 1 pm to 9 pm) "Don’t you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby!" -Steve lolol
"Your flight is on time. Lame." ~text from Jeff lol
"This flights goin to f---ing Vegas!! If y’all are offended, you shouldn't be here!" -random douchey guy responding to his friend shushing him - he was loud through our whole flight there (occasionally funny, mostly obnoxious)
"I promise I’ll look a whole lot perkier tomorrow!" -Sarah, talking about having pink eye the week before and not being able to wear eye makeup for a while
"Do you guys smell peppermint!??" ~Sarah in the Uber car from the airport
(.....YES - the smell was really strong, and I'd thought it was the car!)
"My eyes are burning!!" ~Steve
"Oh, stop being a baby!" ~Sarah (probably thinking it was from the smoky air or something)
*His beanie hat had been in their bag where the Peppermint essential oil Sarah threw in had leaked all over it - by the end of the night, his forehead was red and his eyes were swollen - not funny right then, but it definitely made me laugh by the end of the trip! That stuff really does burn when it's undiluted.
"You know, my nose wasn't sure, but my lungs seem to know that this is a smoking room!" ~Me, after coughing for a while that first morning
"Peace and luck to you!" ~random lady handing out bracelets
(She tried to put a necklace on Tiffany too and was messing her hair up. lol)
I was already being stand-off-ish and handing mine back. Tiffany was being nice and got out $1 to give her, to which the lady said, "Five dollars!" so she gave her necklace back too! lol (*We had a few aggressive salespeople and a couple very unfriendly Uber drivers this trip - made me feel like NY and Vegas have switched personalities)
In a convo about songs I should download: "Oh, do you have Imagine Dragons' song Natural?" "No. I have Demons and Radioactive." -Me "Yeaaaah... it’s 2019!" ~Steve with all the mockery lol
"We’ve bonded in a new way on this trip... our thighs have become one!" ~Sarah on one of our smaller car Uber rides (Steve laughed at that)
"You stop it; we are beautiful souls!" ~Sarah lol
"I can take you bi-atch!! ...That’s how I felt! --It was not like Jesus." ~Sarah, telling a story about their cruise
"Glorious! Imagine Chet and me are also at the table." ~JEM responding to a Mon Ami pic lol
"Boats and hoes!" -Steve quoting Step Brothers (during Time to Say Goodbye) and ruining the girls' dramatic fountains moment lol
"And that's when Jeff started calling it the lake of frogs and dreams!" ~Me
"You mean that's not really what it's called!??" ~Sarah
"No, definitely not!!" ~Me lol
"Could we get some air back here, please?" ~Sarah to our Uber driver
"Would you mind turning the AC on??" ~Steve a couple seconds later
(Steve slowly rolls his window down...)
"There we go - that's better!!" ~Steve
(I was laughing so hard at the awkwardness but doing my best to stay silent. That girl was so rude and awkward!)
"If I'm dating someone, y'all can tell him I want him to propose at the Bellagio fountains! Well, that is if I'm dating someone very seriously - not just if we've been on a few dates." ~Me "And that was how it ended!" ~Tiffany lol
"I want to hear Whitney. You know when that is." ~text from JEM encouraging me to go to the midnight fountain show
"I've got us; don’t worry!" ~Sarah, as we walked arm in arm on the slick pavement "Yeah, that’s comforting... you’ve had such good luck with waking lately!!" ~Me (she had already dramatically tripped twice during our Fremont Street extravaganza lol)
Hilarious Uber driver: After finding out where we're from: "OMG, I lived in Oklahoma for 8 months!!!"
"...Finally I just said, please, we’re takin' the dog, we’re gettin the hell out of here, and we’re moving to Vegas!!" (on stealing her abusive neighbor's dog and getting out of Oklahoma) "But women from Oklahoma are kick-ass chicks, you know! They can whip up a pie..."
(Not even sure what else she said bc I was laughing pretty hard at that observation!)
"What time does the frog come out!?" ~Tiffany at the Wynn bar! lol
"Why aren't you helping your friends with this drink!?" ~Random drunk guy talking to Tiffany at the bar
"I’m allergic to lime - it’ll kill me!!" ~Tiffany
"You son of a b--ch!" ~Drunk guy being an idiot lol
"It might kill us too!" ~Steve "Yeah, we’re all risking our lives here." ~me with all the sarcasm
(Later in our room talking about that guy:) “Oh, my mom was about to come out! I knew he was drunk, so I just told myself, he don’t even know! You may be in Vegas, but you still have Jesus in your heart!!" ~Tiffany lol
"I have a little hidden Pinterest board for tattoos I think are cool!" ~Sarah
"Are you judging me right now!??" ~Sarah
"No." ~Tiffany
"No, I don't care. I've moved past people's judgments!" ~Sarah making me laugh
"My lips feel weird (--moves lips bizarrely--) like I can’t talk right. Why are you laughing?" ~Sarah cracking me up a little ways into the Fish Bowl drink
"biggulpshuh?" ~Chet, responding to pic of Steve and Sarah's margarita lol
"Who has the 3rd straw???" ~JEM responding to the same pic lol
(I had a couple sips, but I'm not a big fan of those or of drinking after people, and Tiffany is highly allergic to lime.)
"Are you gonna do it?" ~Sarah, asking Steve if he would do the free bull ride "No, I got a hangnail!" ~Steve lolol
"Boots off - hair off - so much better!" ~Me, back at our room ready to rest! lol
"Man, these shops go on for a ways!! I guess it's probably a mile." ~Me during our rainy walk at night passing "the Miracle Mile of Shops"
"Hmm, if I had to guess..." Sarah with all the mockery lol
"Who sings this?" ~Sarah at Nacho Daddy
"It’s the Pussycat Dolls!" ~Tiffany and Steve in unison "Oh wow, they’re super classy!" Me (with all the sarcasm) watching their music video "Yeah, before I met Sarah, I was super classy too!" ~Steve lol
"We're all leaving as winners! (looks over at me) ...well..." ~Steve
"Hey, three out of four of us - that's not bad!" ~Me (the only one who lost all my $ because I wasn't playing it very safe in roulette - lol)
On the Bloody Mary drink at Mon Ami: "I just ordered that but I actually have no idea how much it is!" ~Sarah making a concerned face
"YOLO!" ~Steve lol
"Just move right up here, and you can be by Sarah when she gets to the front." ~Me, in line for our player cards
"Don’t tell me how to run my life!" ~Steve lol
"Are you prayed up?? Are you ready!?" ~Sarah, tapping me on the shoulder from the next row back during the turbulent flight back
"WoooOoo!" ~Steve and Sarah acting like they were on a fun roller-coaster whilst me and Tiffany were going pale and freaking out at all the turbulence! lol
Vegas Picture Traditions: These make me happy because I'm slightly ridiculous. lol Pics are from 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2019. Drinks at the Wynn + making a wish at the Palazzo Fountain
Fun pics at Hershey's World (the one of me and Chet is actually in the real NYC) + Mon Ami Gabi group pics + cute little birds wanting food and getting way too close!
M&M World t-shirt pics + cheers-ing with M&M bottles + Coca-Cola Bear hats! =)
"Glamour Shots" on the stairs at the Venetian shops! lol
Slot machine fun + concert time + saluting for the National Anthem at the fountains! lol
Finally, the full 2019 Trip SLIDESHOW: How could I not go with a Backstreet Boys song!? lol (Hold your phone horizontal to see it best.)
That's all, folks!! Hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day tomorrow!!
