What Might've Been

If not for the global pandemic, today would be the first full day of touring Washington D.C. with Triston Michael and his class!!  And right in the heart of their famous cherry blossom season! ❤

I'd be spending quality time with my nephew and taking lots of pics of the sixth graders by the reflecting pool and the Washington monument, etc.!

Touring Mount Vernon and thinking of Hamilton lyrics and National Treasure as we talk about the Founding Fathers all through the trip!

Visiting the Lincoln Memorial again (as an adult with more appreciation for the way he changed history).

I was also excited about the idea of visiting the Bible Museum for the first time! 

In addition to all the historical value and nephew time, I know seeing the rows of cherry blossom trees would delight my soul!! lol  I will have to plan a future Spring trip to D.C. at some point.

 (*There's talk of a possible rescheduled trip this summer, but I think it's unlikely that things will reopen on that level by summer.  And I'll probably be needed more than usual at work with the crazy amount of cases we'll have backlogged!)

Finally, on our last day there, Triston and I were gonna take an Uber to visit the National Cathedral before heading to the airport for our flight home!  (Per Jeffrey Edward's suggestion - I've never been, but it looks beautiful!)  Another must see for a future D.C. trip!!

Aww, what might've been...

(The fam's State Farm reward trip to Disney World in July has also been cancelled, but now we can reschedule for sometime not in the crazy dead heat of summer, so that's really a bonus!)  As for my Alaska cruise, that remains to be seen.  Cruises are suspended for most of the summer, but may be available by September if we still want to go at that point.  We shall see.  Either way, there'll be plenty of time for travel in the future!  For now, there are higher priorities and simpler joys, and I'm very okay with that.

I hope you are well and having a good weekend! ❤

Thankful Thursday! (109)

Happy Thursday, friends and fam!! ❤

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  The life and legacy of Mr. Ralph Bullard, CHA's former headmaster, who died and moved on to Heaven yesterday at age 82.  (Pictured here with Kyndal, Jace, and a very young Carter).

2.  Forgotten photos... seeing pictures from moments I'd forgotten about with the friends I've reconnected with now.  Like this April 2007 Melting Pot dinner and Riverwalk hangout with Sarah and Christa (who were ORU students at the time).  From my shirt, it appears I was volunteering with the youth in LifeChurch's Switch program at that time.

 3.  Babah sending me these pics of Grandad painting my nails back in the day! ❤

4.  Getting to see Tate and fam at my house for a few minutes (whilst getting an estimate on some possible future home projects).  Tate was super polite and didn't touch the beanie babies until I handed them to him! =)

5.  Peloton... I'm listing it repeatedly because I'm continually grateful for the bike, the coaches, the community, and the workouts!

6.  The Office.  Rewatching some of my fav episodes during my free 30-days of Netflix.  I wanna print this pic and have it framed to put up at work along with the quote "An office is a place to live life to the fullest, to the max.  An office is a place... where dreams come true!" ~Michael G. Scott lol

7.  Outdoor time and seeing friends!  Yay for the Fultons doing yard projects, as that's been one of very few times/places I've gotten to see people I care about over the past month!

Also thankful for a relaxing rainy day yesterday.  And for at least one more week of a toned-down work schedule!  We may be opening back up beginning of May, and I'm curious to see how that works out.  Anyway, hope you have a wonderful day and great weekend ahead!!

Monday Memes

Happy Monday!  Hope you and your families (whether you're all together or in separate homes) are all doing well and holding on to peace!

Today, I'm sharing some more pandemic memes:

LOL the fresh rolls are definitely the best part of Texas Roadhouse!!

I'm actually thankful to be going in to work 2-3 days a week simply to break up the monotonous routine. lol

This one cracked me up.  My Google search history is delightfully random!

Yay for the Friends theme song being appropriate now!  And yay for real live friends who are there for you when the rain starts to pour, just like they've been there before... because you're there for them too! lol

Hahahaha

I've heard about some crazy cheap flights and hotel rooms, but still not trying to book a trip anywhere just now. lol

Me on some of my non-work days! lol

Lol District 12 Salute!

My goal at the beginning of April was to not go grocery shopping again until May 1st.  My supply of all the things is getting low now.  I'd have to live on protein shakes for a week if I wanna make that happen, and something tells me I'm not that committed to it. lol

"WILSOOOON!" lol  The quarantine/ Castaway parallel makes me laugh.  The loss of Wilson was genuinely a tear-jerker moment in that movie, though.

It makes me happy that you can sign up to complete a run on your own and buy this medal to commemorate it.  Perhaps I should do a socially distant marathon where the miles are also distanced from each other... 5 today, 3 tomorrow, etc. till they add up to 26.2. lol

Okay, so taking a more serious turn... 

Andy Stanley shared this story about the importance of holding on to hope without deceiving ourselves about our current reality, and this was such a good example and quote!

James (an 8-year POW survivor): "I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end." 

Jim:  "You made it out. Tell me about the people who didn't make it out." 

James: "That's easy - the optimists. The optimists were the ones who said, 'We're gonna be out by Christmas,' and Christmas would come and go. Then Easter, and it would come and go. Then pretty soon it was Christmas again. Those men died of a broken heart. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." ❤

Very different scenario here, and I'm in no way trying to make a prisoner of war comparison!  But the paradoxical idea of having strong faith that things will turn around and you can make the best of this season and come out stronger than before, while simultaneously acknowledging the awful reality that people are suffering and dying and just beginning to feel the financial crisis throughout the world AND the harsh truth that we cannot control this pandemic or wish it all away by a certain date -- that combo is a powerful perspective (and rare these days)!

I'll end this post with some verses that were encouraging to me yesterday:

"Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.  I say to the Lord, You are my Lord! Every good thing I have comes from You... Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance... I have set the Lord continually before me; with Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken... You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; at Your right hand are eternal pleasures." ~Psalm 16

Disney Day!!

Happy Friday, gang, and hope you have a lovely weekend ahead! =)

Here's a Disney-themed survery, just for fun:

*I'm not including Marvel movies, and I'm just going with my first thought because there are multiple answers for most of these!

1. Favorite Animated Movie:  Frozen, Robin Hood
2. Favorite Classic Disney Movie:  The Sound of Music, Pollyanna, and the original Parent Trap
3. Favorite Live-Action Disney Movie:  Cinderella (2015)
4. Favorite Song:  Something There (That Wasn't There Before) from Beauty and the Beast (video below) - I've always loved that song, and I think the idea that people can change and your first impressions are not always correct is so important!
5. Favorite Character:  Olaf, so precious and funny!
6. Favorite Princess:  Belle (*I would say Elsa, but she's a freaking Queen! lol)
7. Favorite Prince:  Prince Ali, aka Aladdin (now I'll have that song in my head!)
8. Favorite Heroine:  Jasmine in the new Aladdin, fiesty and strong!
9. Favorite Hero:  Derice Bannock, Cool Runnings, determined and humble!
10. Favorite Animal:  My heart most goes out to precious young Dumbo
11. Favorite Sidekick:  Timon in the new Lion King - so cute and funny! lol
12. Favorite Serious Quote: "I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer: Have courage, and be kind." ~Ella's mother, Cinderella  
13. Favorite Funny Quote:  "Heeey, we were just talking about you!  All good things, all good things..." ~Olaf to the snow monster, Frozen
14. Favorite Singing Voice: I'm sure they meant a character's voice, but I'm going with Christina Aguilera singing Reflection from Mulan -- so good and powerful!!
15. Favorite Couple:  Undoubtedly Georg and Maria von Trapp! =)
16. Favorite Villain Song:  Love is an Open Door (Prince Hans sings half of it)
17. Favorite Movie Scene:  So impossible to narrow down, but I'll go with the von Trapp children learning to sing Do-Re-Mi whilst bonding with Maria and roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes... and having a marvelous time! ;-)  That Sound of Music montage was magical for me as a child, so I'll always love it!
18. Favorite Soundtrack:  Beauty and the Beast, Sister Act 2
19. Favorite Sequel:  Sister Act 2 - this was a movie moment that stands out in my childhood as it made me think being part of a choir would be the greatest thing ever - I still really love the movie and the songs!
20. Favorite Pixar Film:  probably Finding Dory. I definitely prefer Disney to Pixar, even though every Pixar film is extremely well done!
21. Favorite Love Song:  Aside from Something There which I mentioned above, I love La Valse De L'Amour that plays during Cinderella's ball dance (video below)
22. Saddest Disney Moment:  Freaking baby Dumbo being rocked by his mom while she's locked up and singing to him and they can't see each other but they're both crying - it's way too much!  Close second is the bitter best friend breakup and resulting loss/sadness/anger in The Fox and the Hound - even as a child, that whole idea affected me deeply.
23. Character Most Like You:  I'm sure the INFJ personality charts have influenced my thinking here, but I do see my earlier self in Elsa's tendency to be overcautions, hide her imperfections, view her full-strength self as potentially dangerous and try to protect others by playing it small and distancing from them, and fear of letting people know too much... then later on in her growth, creative freedom, choice to let go of the past, realization that love is more powerful than fear, and desire to help and connect with others!  *I also strongly appreciate that she's the only one whose entire story arc didn't revolve around a man.  Clearly, I've thought about this a bit. lol
24. Movie Moment I'd Most Love to Experience:  Cinderella's ball dance (video below). Love the magically perfect shimmering puffy dress, the music, the romance, and the subtle sense of karma with her being chosen as her awful stepsisters watch! lol
25. Favorite Movie Ending:  The epic slow clap Olympic finish line crossing and celebration in Cool Runnings!!
26. Favorite Disney Memory in Childhood: Watching Robin Hood, Jungle Book, and Cinderella with Grandad!  Playing Liesl and Louisa with Rach.  Our excitement in learning Dad had rented a van and TV for our road trip to Disney World in 1996! lol  And my first Splash Mountain ride that same year!
27. Favorite Disney Memory in Adulthood:  The rainy day bakery visit at Disney World with JoBug and co. in 2004. Watching the fireworks from our hotel balcony with the fam in 2011! And watching them by the Magic Kingdom castle with friends (and the many conversations about that afterward) in 2015! lol
28. Disney's Impact on My Life: I won't get too deep here.  Y'all know I'm a movie girl, and I loved watching their movies as I grew up.  I will say they make their kids movies way too sad sometimes - just completely tragic and heartbreaking in some scenes, but overall, you come away with positive, hopeful messages that life goes on and there is new joy after loss.  I've been to Disney World four or five times and it's always been fun, in spite of being overcrowded and too much walking.  I'm thankful for Disney+ these days... it's the most wholesome streaming service out there, full of movies I know and love and can use as happy background noise at this point! =)  In conclusion, I'm thankful for Walt Disney being determined to pursue his dreams and starting this company that's brought joy to so many people!!

*Yas, Queen! lol

Thankful Thursday! (108)

"'Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken,

My steadfast love and kindness will not depart from you,

and My covenant of peace will not be broken,'

says the LORD, who has compassion on you." 

~Isaiah 54:10

Today, I am grateful for:

1.  The privilege of writing a letter for Mark's son for a memory book Mark's mom is making him. ❤  "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever!" ~Psalm 73:26

2.  Hydro-seal Bandaids. lol  For real, though.  My psoriasis flares up with crazy weather changes and extra hand-washing, and sometimes my fingers crack (even with all the moisturizing creams), which makes hand-washing or court reporting or any number of daily tasks painful.  These Bandaids are designed for fingers - they're waterproof and nearly invisible and very flexible, and it says you'll know it's working when a white bubble appears over the wound (so cool!) - anyway, I was happy to find something that lets me wash my hands several times without removing it. They work impressively well!

3.  The #BooCrew group on Facebook (just fun posts and ride suggestions for fans of Cody and Peloton).

4.  The gift of praying friends... and that Dad is healing well, going for walks most days and feeling good and strong!  (This pic was taken Easter Sunday on this day 3 years ago.)

5.  Pandemic-related Facebook ads that make me laugh and roll my eyes.  ...Such fantastic news - this question was really keeping me up at night!! lolol

6.  Keeping-our-distance hangouts with friends... the was a selfie fail moment because I didn't realize Karli and Steve were smiling on the other side of Tate in the bottom left pic... then I turned the camera to get everyone in, but Steve turned around in mock protest since I left him out of the first one, then I managed to cut my own face off on the top right. lol #epicfail Anyway, it was nice seeing them all and chatting a bit as the Fultons chose plants for their front yard!  And YES, I'm wearing a Christmas shirt in April (copying Sarah, who wore one as they started working in the yard), and it made me really happy, as did Tate's backwards cap! lol

7.  All the healthcare workers who step up in difficult and stressful work environments in order to save lives (during this season AND every other season - they're just getting more deserved recognition right now).  And since she's one of my favorite people, I'm especially thankful for - and praying God's protection over - awesome PICU nurse, Sarah Elizabeth!! ❤

That's all here for today, but I have a fun theme post in the works for tomorrow.  Lots of extra time to write and read lately, which has been nice.  For now, I'm off to workout then watch movies.  In case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night! ;-)

Gratitude + Survey Time

Happy Wednesday, friends!!

The weather was beautiful and springy today, and I'm getting into a good rhythm with the on-and-off work schedule and feeling genuinely happy!  So I'm choosing to embrace and savor that... documenting it here with a random bathroom selfie. lol

I absolutely understand that this is a tense season across the world, and I have friends and family members who are dealing with financial losses and/or high-stress situations, but I'm getting better at keeping the waves outside the ship (praying with and for others but not taking on their troubles as my own or feeling guilty about feeling joy). It's okay to feel deep emotions and it's okay NOT to be okay -- I'm big on preaching that truth.  But it's also okay to be happy and productive and find peace in the midst of global chaos.  I am feeling a lot of gratitude and finding a lot of joy, beauty, and connection in my introvert quarantine life, and that's a great thing! ❤

Wherever you find yourself in life, I hope reading this blog can be a bright spot in your day! =)

On that note, here's an adorable photo of Tater-tot ready to dye some Easter eggs on Sunday.  So much cuteness!

Shifting subjects again, my preshface 6-year-old niece had a scary fall on the hoverboard this afternoon... while doing a trick she'd done several times before, the seat-cart thing tipped over backwards (it's attached to the hoverboard and the weight was toward the back, which made it start moving backwards).  She was positioned where she had to use her neck muscles to keep her head off the pavement... she was unable to reach the hoverboard to turn it off, so she was dragged going backwards at a high speed and unable to sit up or control the direction very well until the grass finally stopped her and Carter caught her.  Mom was the only adult present for all that.  We're thanking God because it could've been much worse in any number of ways (like her head hitting the pavement hard, the hoverboard hitting a curb, colliding with her brothers on their bikes, being stopped by the bricks, rolling under a car, or moving further out into the street).  She's tiny and precious, and her initial reaction was irrational fear of being in big trouble.  She is physically okay but undoubtedly traumatized and shaken and will be sore... I'm super thankful for no major injuries!  

*Say a quick prayer for her if you would, please!

And now, a fun survey with the rapid-fire questions Brene Brown asks her podcast guests:

1. Vulnerability is:  Brave, hard, and really beautiful with the right people.
2. You're called to do something big and brave, but you feel nervous and afraid. What's the first thing you do?  Pray and power pose (link explaining that here - it really works to make you feel more confident, calm, and capable) while breathing deeply where I take longer to exhale than inhale (which sends signals of safety and comfort to your brain)!
3. Something people often get wrong about you:  Aside from the pronunciation of my last name, it's probably assuming that I'm unfriendly or snobbish - just introverted and bad at small talk. lol
4. Last show that you binge-watched and loved: I think Full House was the last one that I really enjoyed watching all the way through again... next up, Downton Abbey or The Office!
5. Favorite movie:  Titanic and The Greatest Showman (which I watched tonight - yay!)
6. A concert you'll never forget:  My first of four One Republic concerts... Mandalay Bay Beach, Las Vegas. July 3, 2010. Sitting in the sand near the water and listening to their awesome music with Chet, JEM, and Malori.
7. Favorite meal:  A late breakfast/brunch at Mon Ami Gabi with people I love whilst watching the Bellagio fountains - yusss, please!  (The nutella waffles or the quiche is my go-to, but everything I've tried there has been excellent).
8. What's on your nightstand right now?  My notepad from Elizabeth where I write 10 things I'm thankful for each day, alarm clock, cute lamp, two books, and a pic of me with Rach and Jace on the day he was born! (My phone will also be there when I get in bed.)
9. A snapshot of an ordinary moment in your daily life that brings you joy:  Walking by the happy fountain outside the courthouse. Laying on the couch with my windows open listening to the birds outside.  Texting with friends throughout the day.  Getting a call from Mom after the kids leave and telling each other about our days.  Listening to podcasts while cooking. Singing and dancing along on the bike and laughing at Cody's commentary.  Blogging.
10. Something you are deeply grateful for right now:  A bedtime Facetime call from Kyndal Faith!  She seems to be doing well, so yay for that!  She wanted me to put on my turquoise glasses so we could match. ❤

I'll end this post with two fun videos.  First, a Sound of Music parody where they replaced the scary thunderstorm with scary coughing sounds! lol

Y'all know I love reading Ashley's blog!  This short, creative video was made by her son, Hudson, comparing introverts and extroverts in quarantine.  It's pretty awesome, accurate, and hilarious!! =)

"I wish someone would kidnap me." lolol

Feeling pretty thankful to be an introverty-introvert right now, but also looking forward to more in-person connections coming soon!!

Happy Easter 2020!

Happy Easter Sunday, friends and family!! ❤

My favorite nephews!

And my favorite niece!  

They're all looking very grown up in these pics.

Going to see the fam this Easter weekend felt more special than usual... after much debate and pondering and getting approval from friends and family, I decided to go down and back for the day yesterday (bc of the predicted rain today).  It was so good to see everyone!  Here's me, Jaceman, and Mom in a mask selfie to mark and remember this COVID-Easter season! lol  (One of Rachael's teacher friends at CHA made several cloth masks, and Dad bought some for his staff and the fam.)

I was only there for part of one day, but that was plenty of time to admire the absurd boundless energy of children. lol  There were bike rides, hoverboards (on a new cart thing you control with your hands), swimming, snorkeling, playing on the fort, gymnastics tricks, etc.

Miss K greeted me in her bunny mask from a couple years ago... so much cuteness, always!

Jace Michael was excited to show me his new screensaver pic of Claire, his long-distance "girlfriend" who's been living in Italy for 3-4 years now... a truly fascinating but sweet ongoing friendship!

The Mini Miss K on her pretty new bike!

We all had lunch together (which included lasagna, ham, mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, cheesy bread, and chicken nuggets), then the boys went to Brooke's around 3:00.  J&K stayed with Mom and Dad, and they played on the fort for a while. Jace's new favorite thing is to grab a hammer and pretend he's fixing stuff on the fort... or use it as a fake gavel and pretend he's a judge! lol  We told him to say "Order in the court!" but he misheard us and yelled "Order in the fort!!" while banging his gavel and overlooking the yard atop the fort. lol  Super cute, and still appropriate!

This = Dad "arresting" Kyndal at Judge Jace's request. lol  ...She made a quick jail break a few seconds later!

Kyndal showed me this happy red phone Mom bought them to play with - (real, just not plugged in).  She said, "It's not a real phone because you can't text people on it." lol

Some of these are out of order, but swimming was in full swing... it was really pretty outside, but windy and slightly cool to just sit and watch them play... so I have no doubt that pool water was ice cold!  It brings me so much joy to watch them swim, though! =)  There were also tons of golfers out at the golf course that backs up to Mom and Dad's backyard, so it's apparently not closed.  With everyone playing and laughing and all the activity outside, everything felt very relaxed and summery and normal and awesome!

Carter and Jace making a wave pool... always fun! =)

I sat on the couch chatting with Mom and T-man and petting Miss Reagan!

K-Faith joined us later! =)  (There was plenty of hand washing and sanitizing on both sides, but there were also plenty of hugs, and I'm not sad about it!)

Dinner was just me, Mom and Dad + Rach, J&K.  We played "the question game" where we each got to ask every person at the table a question, and I vote we always play that from now on! lol  Kyndal's questions took her a while to think of but they were cute, like "What's my fifth favorite color!?" lol  (Silver, in case you're curious.) She asked me my favorite part of The Greatest Showman, so that was fun.  Jace's were hilarious, super-specific animal questions about facts only he would know so he could tell us the right answer (like, "If you were a peregrine falcon, where would you live!?" or "If you were a beluga whale, what would be your favorite thing to do!?" I told him the echo-sensing thing and his eyes got really big bc he knew what I was talking about and was probably surprised I knew it.  Thanks, Finding Dory! lol)  Dad asked our favorite Bible character outside of God and Jesus, and it was fun hearing the kids' answers on that!  Jace said John the Baptist bc he got to baptize Jesus, then changed it to Daniel bc of the lion's den story.  And Miss K said Noah because he obeyed God even though people laughed at him.  Presh. ❤

Anyway, I stayed ahead of the crazy rainstorm and ended the night back in my own bed.  I'm thankful to feel refreshed and hopeful today!

I'll end with this quote from one of my favorite worship songs:

Happy Easter!