June 2021

 QUOTE OF THE MONTH: 

"Water may change from liquid to vapor and still be fundamentally the same. So powerless religion may put a man through many surface changes and leave him exactly what he was before. Salvation must include a judicial change of status, but what is overlooked by most teachers is that it also includes an actual change in the life of the individual. And by this we mean more than a surface change—we mean a transformation as deep as the roots of his human life. If it does not go that deep, it does not go deep enough... The degree of blessing enjoyed by any man will correspond exactly with the completeness of God’s victory over him.”  ~A.W. Tozer, God's Pursuit of Man

JUNE GRATITUDE LIST

• Elizabeth's friendship, and getting to celebrate her birthday with a fun dinner at Chicken Foot
• My beloved niece and nephews,  and spending a fun day with them (breakfast + escape room + Chicken Foot + playing outside)
• Mom and Dad's 40-year marriage and Dad's health recovery...
• Having wonderful close friends and family who helped us through Dad's hospital stay come and celebrate that with us at Charlestons 
•  My Tulsa friend group, and a fun swim party at the Wilson home
• Hilary and Al's baby girl on the way, and getting to celebrate that with a fun baby shower at Mom's house
• Dad's role in our lives and in the grandkids lives, and getting to celebrate him on Father's Day
• Triston Michael, and getting to take him for his first driving lesson (in the empty Warren Theater parking lot in MWC - he did really well, and it was fun to spend that time with him!)
  
• Annie and Eddie's wonderful friendship, and them being vulnerable enough to share that with us on their podcast over the last year+
• Rediscovering Chick-Fil-A mac n' cheese ;-)
  
• Sarah and Steve and their baby girl on the way soon, and getting to hang out with them and see their completed nursery and set up a meal train for them this week!
• Tara Jeanette, and a lovely lunch with her at La Madeleine!
  

What was life-draining this month?

• Internal wrestling and feeling unseen and misunderstood and asking myself lots of what-if questions, plus writing and editing several drafts of grief-centered posts that are no longer appropriate
• Worrying for my niece and nephews as the family dynamics continue to shift around them
• Basically any time spent worrying or frustrated about relational stuff that is out of my control... any time spent venting about those things rather than seeking real healing and praying about them and entrusting people to God
  

What was life-giving this month?

• Vulnerable conversations where I was honest about what I needed and I ended up crying with trusted friends (not my favorite thing to feel emotionally on edge, but it happens sometimes, and it's far better to feel it than suppress it, and far better to cry with friends than feeling isolated and lonely and crying alone)
• Finally talking with my counselor about all the underlying grief I've been dealing with; feeling permission to miss the good things rather than minimizing them or pretending the unhealthy stuff nullifies everything that was genuinely good and special to me
  
• Praying about my grief and talking to God about my questions...
  
• Hearing from God in a very personal way about someone who has been incredibly important to me
• Feeling validation and divine permission to move forward with more peace and freedom
• Sharing that news with my Mom and seven closest friends
• Talking with my counselor about my crazy church experiences and how that has affected me; feeling ready to step back into a Bible study or church community group
  
• Praying for my sister and niece and nephews and parents
• A.W. Tozer's book about the Holy Spirit and Joyce's CD on speaking the word of God... both a wakeup call alarm in my walk with God that I want to really press into and live out through the second half of 2021
  
• The entire gratitude list above ❤
  

HAPPY LISTS

I Read:  Matthew, Mark 1 & 2 (NLT)

(*I've been going through the four gospels each month, which means 3 chapters a day, but I'm slowing that down through the summer and trying to read with more focus and allow God more time and space to speak, so reading 1 chapter a day for June, July, and August and writing out the verse that stands out from each day's reading.  I'll start back with going through all 4 in September, and by the end of 2021, I'll have read through each book 10 times this year.)

I Listened To:

• Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst
• What is God Really Like? by Craig Groeschel and Other Leading Authors and Pastors
• What Does Your Future Hold? CD set by Joyce Meyer
  
• Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
• God's Pursuit of Man by A.W. Tozer
  
• The podcasts mentioned in January + The Gospel in Life with Tim Keller

I Watched:  The Terminal, Fatherhood, Loki on Disney+

I Made:  More progress in therapy; an appointment with a nutritional counselor, a meal train for Sarah and Steve when baby Kate comes home, my 265-page StoryWorth book, and some Canva design verses and a name meaning canvas for Al and Hilary! ❤

 

*This recap was inspired by Emily Freeman's The Next Right Thing Journal, and I'm writing one for each month of 2021!

Phoning It In (#16)

Happy Tuesday!  Today, I'm sharing several random photos from my phone that make me happy but don't need a full post.  Starting with this FB post from a high school friend of mine that made me laugh way too hard...

What's happening with her is really sad, and I hope justice prevails as soon as possible!  My Peloton groups "swarmed" all the Britney artist series classes this weekend (ride, walk, arms toning, full body strength), so that was fun!  When I hear Britney Spears now, I will always think of her biggest fan, Cody Rigsby!! =)

Also saved from FB - I would totally wear this! lol

A far more important and less fun news update:  My Aunt Nancy is having a triple bypass surgery on Thursday, so please be praying for her and all their family!!

Here's JoBug with her double cookiecakes to celebrate retiring!  (This was a party with her teacher friends at the Gaillardia club, so we weren't there, but I saved the pic when I saw that they had shared it to Babah's digital frame.)  Congrats again to JoBug!

I'd somehow forgotten about this until this week, and now I'm pumped for it!  I LOVE the Olympics and learning about the athletes and their stories... it was so sad when they were postponed last year, but now it's coming soon... July 23rd - August 8th!  Get excited!!

A friendly reminder, also posted in a Peloton group...

Love Donald Miller, love his writing style, love following his story and seeing his progress, love that he and Betsy got married in their 40s and are about to have a baby, and love this quote!

I'm saving all the memes and quotes lately.  The colors and the content make me happy on this one.

How great is Chick-Fil-A's mac n' cheese!?  I think I tried it a while back and didn't love it, but that has changed now - yum!!

The last episode has come and gone... I did cry, but not until the very last two words, which was Eddie's daughter's saying, "Bye, Buddies!"  So good - what a gift this friendship-based podcast was through the pandemic and other life changes.  Eddie's motto lately (and a tattoo he may get soon) has been "Feel it All," and I love that too! ❤ 

This was on a Facetime call with the Miss K and Jaceman... they were debating each other about something and forgetting I was there, and it made me laugh, so I snapped a picture!

This has been another great month with Peloton... I hit my 350th ride and my 400th strength class - no shout-out, but I'll definitely post the video if ever I get one!  

I got to have lunch with Tara Jeanette today at La Madeleine!  We had a great talk that covered friendships, grief counseling, birthdays, medical screenings, Crumble cookies, Bible studies, healing, skepticism, hearing from God, etc.  We also had a fantastic meal - I got their Cafe Sampler and had potato soup, quiche florentine, and strawberry feta salad... YUM... must go there more often!!

Personal Update:  I've built some really good habits and been in a consistent and fun exercise routine through the first half of this year.  It feels good, and I am growing in confidence and strength!  I am following a Peloton group calendar that has a lot of variety and includes daily cardio and core work + 2 days a week of upper body strength, 2 days of lower body strength, and 2 days of yoga/pilates.  I really enjoy it, and I'm thrilled to have found something that works well for me and keeps me going there!  Due to life circumstances and family stuff and more, I have taken more "rest days" (meaning anything between 15 and 75 minutes) through May and June, but I have done something every single day of 2021, and I'm very proud of that!!  My goal for this year was to earn the 15K minutes badge with Peloton, and I am closing in on 11K right now!

All that to say, I've focused my energy and attention on that and established some good habits that were totally not a part of my routine for the majority of my life.  So I'm encouraged by that proof that real change is possible!!  And my plan for the second half of this year is to keep that going, but really focus in on building better nutrition habits.  I am meeting with a nutritional counselor (recommended by Shannon) on July 1st, and I'm really excited about that.  I'm unlikely to share the specifics of that journey here publicly, but I will say I'm so glad to be approaching this topic with someone who will focus on overall health instead of quick weight loss, and who will look at my individual story and help me work through some internal blocks and ingrained thought patterns and find the best nutritional plan for my body and specific health situation and personal goals!  For my life story, this feels like a year characterized by profound vulnerability and personal growth and positive change, and I feel hopeful and ready to move forward with that focus as we cross into the second half of 2021. ❤

That's all for now.  Happy Tuesday, friends and fam!!

MM ~ Graduation Celebration

Just over eight years ago, I earned my Bachelor's degree at SNU... and Laura Allison threw me a surprise party to celebrate that accomplishment!!  Their actual graduation ceremony was six months later on a snowy December day, so I was unable to attend and walk the stage, and I'm still kinda bummed about that.  But it makes me even more thankful to have these "cap and gown" pics now!! =)

I'm guessing we had planned for a Crescent Park walk, then she texted me last minute to change the plan and come to Kristin's house... aww, iPhone screenshots from yesteryear!
*And fun fact: This was the first text she ever sent me, likely before she had a plan that included texting. lol 

 

There was a creative trivia game and prizes... apparently Kristin won since her candy is the biggest. lol

Yay for friends who enjoy cheesy pictures enough to think ahead for them like I do! lol

My plan at that point in life was to pursue a combined Masters/Doctorate, so Laura changed the label so it was a "Dr. Muecke" drink! lol  And there was a fun tiara, which makes me think of Sheldon's gift to Amy.  And apparently Kristin was excited about a trivia answer!? lol

Not entirely positive what she's reading here... I already have my diploma in hand, so it's not that. Also, I was prepped for a lovely outdoor walk, so my footwear is undesirable for Graduation pics!

 

 

My lovely diploma by Laura + fun party streamer pics!  There was also a delightful rendition of Pomp and Circumstance on the kazoo. lol

And some tasty cupcakes because no party is complete without some sort of cake!

This was such a thoughtful, fun, creative idea, and I'm grateful to have friends who care enough to celebrate with me and plan something like this... and who had an extra cap and gown lying around for whatever reason so that we could have an appropriate photo op!

 

 

 I've gotten away from it, but I'm gonna try to do more Memory Monday posts going forward, just for fun. =)

In other news, Happy Birthday to Judge Hammers and Marilyn Hodgen today!! ❤

 

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Thankful Thursday #127

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Babah's improvement... Mom sent me this picture when they went to see her last week, and it's the first time I've seen her sitting up and looking more like herself in quite a while.

2.  Fun summer swim parties with friends... Chet grilled burgers and hot dogs, I made Oreo balls, and Steve brought Chocolate Sheet Cake ice cream, which we had in the pool! lol

 

3.  Hilary's shower for Baby Amelia Belle... which Mom co-hosted, and it all went well and we got lots of fun pictures!  Also thankful for getting to chat and hang out with my cousin, Kristin, as we decorated + during the shower + cleaning up afterward!

 

A happy slideshow...

 

4.  Celebrating Dad on Father's Day (these pics were taken after lunch at Salt Grass Steakhouse). 

 

 

5.  The timely arrival of Mom's couch -- she had it recovered in this houndstooth fabric, and they got it done the day before Hilary's shower -- we love it!  Rach painted the awesome side table next to the couch, and the coffee table is also new! =)

6.  My cousin, Blake, getting engaged!  Very happy for him and Wendy!!

7.  Annie and Eddie and all the joy and encouragement I've received from their strong friendship. ❤  This has been my very favorite podcast every Tuesday and Friday through the past year+, and they are releasing the final episode tomorrow.  I will 100% cry, then I'll go back and listen to all of them one more time.  I've absolutely LOVED listening to them talk about all the random things, and I was so sad when they announced that ending last week.  Praying for good things ahead for them both!  And I'm hoping to find another podcast with a similar vibe - just two friends with opposite personalities but a similar sense of humor talking about the random details of life and occasionally diving into deeper topics.  I miss it already!

 

 

 Happy Thursday, friends and fam!! 

Or as Eddie would say, "Bye, Buddies!"

Lately...

The mini miss Kyndal Faith is extra-adorable and sweet and cuddly in the mornings.  Here we are when she joined me in my chair this morning...

 That's two Mondays in a row that I've gotten up crazy early to come get them, and it's fun being there when they wake up.  Jace goes from zero to 60 in about five seconds -- he jolts awake between 7 and 8 and then goes right into a story about the previous day or something he's looking forward to that day! lol  Kyndal is slower getting up, but then she's all smiles and cuddly cuteness.  Carter took his time getting ready upstairs, but hugged me and chatted a bit when he came down... he had a reading tutoring appoinment at 10, so we swung by CFA for breakfast and then I took him to that appointment, then took J&K to Mamaw's where they were joining Bob and Linda and their grandkids for a trip to the Science Musuem... then came back to pick up T-man, who slept in until I finally had to wake him up at 11:15 so we could meet my parents for lunch! lol

In unrelated but very exciting news, Jessica and Evan's adoption of Sophia was finalized this week!!

This group pic was taken one year ago, and I put a sticker over baby Sophia because it was not official and they were not allowed to publish photos yet... so here's the full group photo! ❤

It's been a very long journey for them, and I was so thankful to see this family pic!

A helpful reminder for anyone feeling tired like me on where we can find real rest.

Creek County is the gift that keeps on giving. lol  The AC unit in the ceiling above my office is leaking again... these pics are a week apart.

And this was the next day, after moving my printer and covering my computer to keep them safe.  They think they've fixed the AC for now, but the lovely water stains remain, and I'm guessing it'll be several months before I get replacement tiles.

I'm working on this.  And I'm thankful to have friends I can be honest with and work through hard conversations.

I went to the movies for the first time in several months this weekend... more time-consuming and expensive than I remembered (definitely more now that I cancelled my AMC Stubs membership), but it was fun!  I saw In the Heights, another musical by the brilliant Lin Manuel Miranda!  (The story was not Hamilton caliber, but musicals are always fun, and I saw some previews I'm excited about, including "Respect," the story of Aretha Franklin played by Jennifer Hudson - yes, please!!)

This is also on that Voila app... a Renaissance painting option where I somehow look more like Kat Dennings than myself. lol

The cartoon characters filter is much more fun!  FB should parter with them to create a more realistic "avatar" that people would actually wanna use!

Something I'd like to learn more about and practice is acrylic pour paintings... where you create this marbled bubbly effect by mixing the paints with different mediums and adding silicone and heat!  I'm in a FB group about that, and I'd also like to learn how to add 3D effects afterward -- the photos below are a "before and after" of a canvas where they did a colorful pour painting and then added the black and white for a shadow effect and the colored dots just for fun.  It's busy, but so cool and interesting to me - so my next project will hopefully be something like this, but less advanced!

That's all my random photos that didn't fit with the 40th anniversary post.  I'll leave you with this encouragement to keep moving and not grow weary in doing good!

40 Years and Counting

Last night, we celebrated Mom and Dad's 40th Anniversary, going to dinner at Charleston's with some of our close family and friends!

Original Muecke Family Pic ❤

Charlene, Nancy, and Georgia... my Dad's sisters and my wonderful aunts!

Family pic with the kids!

Dad and Rach... there were about 12 cameras going at once, so there are several pics where only one person is looking in the right spot. lol

Before dinner, Dad blessed the food and made a little speech about being thankful for 40 years with Mom, and being grateful for his health and for all the love and support this group has shown us over the past few weeks... that was all really great, and my sneaky prayer pic turned out blurry, so I'm really glad Rach got this picture during that speech!! lol

The Minnichs, the Mueckes, the Wallaces, and the Lemieuxs.  ❤

The Fantasy Football crew... I'm so grateful for these friendships and the impact they have made on our lives!

Mom and Dad with their grandkids!

The Miss K with Uncle Alan (who lives in their neighborhood and has come early to get them a few times lately).

The Peavlers, the Mueckes, the Myricks, and Charlene!  Love these aunts and uncles.  It was a night full of gratitude and good conversations!

Dad and his sisters

Dad and his daughters =)

Rach and I were thrown in after they took some couple pics of Mom and Dad, and we both talked about feeling like we posed awkwardly (with my folded arms and her sorority squat) because it was moving so fast. lol  But whatever, the pics are still pretty cute!!

 I think the presh Miss K took this one, and the low angle makes me laugh!

 

We're all very thankful that Dad is doing so well... he's been completely off of oxygen for a few days now, which is such happy news!  He still gets tired faster than he would like, but I told him he's really made A LOT of improvement in a short amount of time and he needs to keep taking it slow!

Carter Lee took this one - a little blurry, but I really love it anyway because it looks more candid than the others!!

 

 

Fairly irrelevant side note, but how great is Charleston's!?  I forget about it and don't really go there very often, but all the food was delicious... great salads, croissants, potato soup, chips & queso, and those who got steaks seemed to enjoy them too!  Rach brought a big cookiecake for dessert, which everyone loved!  A fun night all around!

My Aunt Nancy made Dad a photo book where she took screenshots and printed real photos of every Facebook post and comment through Dad's hospital stay, in case he missed some of it while he was less coherent (which he did)... sooo nice, and something only their generation would probably even think of!

I used these pics in my card and posted them on Facebook... collages going from "Mr. & Mrs. Muecke"

...to "Mom and Dad"

...to "Mamaw and Grandpa!"

Happy 40th Anniversary to my wonderful parents!  I'm thankful for getting to celebrate this milestone with them, and very grateful for all the friends and extended family who make our lives richer and more beautiful!! ❤