MAY 2022!

 QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

"You are not the darkness you endured;

You are the LIGHT that refused to surrender."

~John Mark Green

MAY MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• Watching the weather on possible tornado days and talking about storm memories over family dinner
• Fun swim days playing sharks and minnows or just shark (aka water tag) with the kids
• Lunch and a courthouse tour with Kristin and the twins! 
• Mother's Day Cheesecake Factory brunch (just me and Mom) after we singlehandedly finished packing my entire house!
• Writing a 522 memories post
• Our pay raise being approved (goes into effect in July)
• Catching up on life and work at our various courthouses over Napoli's dinner with Laura!
• Catching up with Sarah over phone calls + Facetiming with Kate!
• Finally meeting baby Amelia when Al came to pick up my washer
• Having All My Sons move all my stuff into storage - yay!
• A memorable dinner conversation at Upper Crust with Holly and co.
• Lots of fun golf course walks and neighborhood walks with all the kids... and a few fun Planet Fitness workouts with T-man thanks to their high school summer pass!
• Theater movies making a delightful comeback for me (four this month!)
• Jace having me look through his notebooks with him to reminisce about the schoolyear
• Watching Kyndal get a character award at the assembly on their last day!
• A potluck "Welcome Lunch" at work for me and Desiree (a bailiff who started around the same time as me) where I finally tried H-Tea-O (yum!)
• Booking a few extra days on the Vegas trip so Tman can join me and experience my favorite city! lol
• More cooking - making veggie bars with Mom, making pancakes for dinner with the kids, and making soup + chili + pasta to divide and freeze for future lunches!
• Sifting through Babah's pictures and memorabilia with Mom... reminiscing and narrowing down what we need to scan in someday soon!
• A fun Cheesecake Factory brunch with my cousin, Kristin!
• Two buyers in a row changing course (it's been a hot mess), but I'm finally under contract again now and praying all goes smoothly!
• Our fam taking Babah for a belated birthday dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse last night!
• LIFE-GIVING:  Time with all the family.  Being DONE with packing and moving and getting more time to rest since then.  Theater movies.  And planning for a Vegas trip!
• LIFE-DRAINING:  Stressing over things outside my control - it's been a lot of internal work in that department lately - on prayerfully giving things to God and trusting His timing rather than complaining, stressing, or scrambling to redirect things on my own. #workinprogress

HAPPY LISTS

I Listened To:

• How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
• Acts, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians
• The usual favorite podcasts + Triston's Apple Music playlists

I Watched:  

• Top Gun: Maverick -- really great! (Saw it with Dad and Charlene, then again with T-man)
• Downton Abbey: A New Era -- predictable, but lovely!  (Saw it with Chet and Karli)
• Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness -- pretty dark for a Marvel movie, and I was sad about the villain character, but appreciated the ending! (Saw it with T-man)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -- a fun sequel, and a memorable movie experience with Jace's consistent narration! lol  (Saw it with Jace and Kyndal)
• New episodes of Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things, both of which are a woke hot mess, but I'm trying to stick with them to the finish line. lol

I'm Celebrating:  

• God's kindness!
• An upcoming pay raise!
• Making it through my first full month at the new job!
• Them finally breaking ground on my new house today!  It has begun!!

That's all I've got for today, friends.  Back to working on my transcript so I can get it done and filed before Vegas!  Hope you have a lovely short work week!! ❤

When people fail or abandon you,
May the Lord stand with you and strengthen you!

Friendly Reminder

Dearest friends and family who love and follow Jesus,

This post is just a friendly reminder that our life here on earth is short.  And our understanding and experience of the LIFE Jesus came to give us is partial and incomplete.

The most beautiful places we've ever seen and the very best moments of triumph or connection we've experienced here are only a  sneak preview of the joy and beauty that await us...

We really don't think about this enough.  The hope of life in heaven is supposed to sustain us and anchor our souls through all the hard things we face here!  Here are a few pictures to encourage us to pause and remember...

...the awe-inspiring beauty, epic cuteness, adorable playfulness, delicious foods, amazing books, transcendent music, unbreakable connections, freedom, peace, creativity, parties, laughter, renewed youth, fun, and love that await us there!!  This hope is real, "firm and secure."  And even without knowing all the details (God loves to surprise us), we know we cannot outdream God, so it's worth dreaming about all that we might see and do and become there!  Someday, all of creation will join us in our resurrected bodies in what the Bible calls "glorious freedom from death and decay" at "the restoration of all things!"  Yes, please to  every bit of that!!  No more wrestling with sin and evil.  No more grief and loss and saying hard goodbyes!  Yes to grand reunions with friends and family and animals we've known and loved here, and yes to meeting and forming new friendships with people and animals we haven't met yet (or animals that haven't been safe enough to approach here).  Yes to restored youth and health and beauty in vibrant bodies that won't decay or grow old.  And yes to seeing Jesus face to face... listening to Him, laughing with Him, and learning from Him directly!  

The Kingdom of Christ is coming, friends.  Set your hope there and find joy in that promise today!!

Song of the Week = Hymn of Heaven by Phil Wickham ❤

May God arise and may Jesus come quickly!

May we keep watch and be ready,
for we don't know the day or the hour of our Lord's return!

Weekend Update

Some Monday morning encouragement for you!

Four years apart:  One of my fav pics of the Mini Miss K posing as Super Girl, then her helping make our spaghetti dinner (I like that she still needs the step to be tall enough)!

Tman and his brother, Bryson!

Freddy's frozen custard... she just gets vanilla with sprinkles and thinks its the best thing ever! lol

The Jaceman at Dad's office holding up our last bottle of M&Ms that we used for his birth announcements!  #jacehasarrived

Fun times walking the empty golf course with the niece and nephews!

❤

Tman decided it would be fun to try climbing the trees...

J&K were not far behind him on trying that, but they didn't get quite as high! lol

Jace's shoe got stuck in this tree... he had to take it off to climb down then go back and get it.

"The hills are alive with the sound of music!" lol  (You can't really tell, but she was twirling at the top of a big hill here).

Tman was brave... he scared me a little here, but I'm glad they were all having fun!

Mom took this from her backyard! =)

I'll miss our scenic walks when they reopen the golf course later this summer!

Later that day, Rach and Holly and Megan joined us for dinner at Upper Crust, followed by Andy's custard!  At Holly's request, we had "a civilized conversation" where each person offered a life update followed by Q&A time.  It was fun to hear from everyone and good to update everyone on all the recent changes in my life!

Megan and Holly with Optimus Prime himself!

At Kyndal's request, we went to Rachael's to see her 2nd grade timeline...

Jace's is hanging on the wall at Mamaw's house.  Triston told Holly that his was long gone... then Rachael said "I beg to differ" and got it out of a closet!  We had fun looking through the pics and talking about past memories, etc.

Then at Jace and Kyndal's strong insistence, we watched The Bad Guys, (and by "we" I of course mean the fam because Holly wasn't up for anything animated.)

Yesterday I packed up the remaining cleaning products and such at my house... it's weird to be there with it so empty... and since there's no TV, no computer, and no chairs at all, I didn't stay very long!

I dropped off the foot pedal on Laura and Tiffany's porch, then met the Wilsons for the Downton Abbey movie part 2!  A predictable and slightly ridiculous storyline, but lovely to see everything wrapped up for our friends at Downton, and it's always a treat to hang out with the Wilsons!!

I wished Karli a "Happy Birthday Eve" yesterday, but today is her actual birthday - YAY!  I made this collage to celebrate (repurposing the fun banners she made for me - lol).

That's all I've got for today.  Hope you have a fabulous week ahead!

*Also, I'm going to start ending each post with a Biblical blessing phrase, so prepare your hearts for that goodness. lol

May you set your hope in God alone!

May your heart be steadfast,
and may your spirit be faithful to Him! ❤

Thankful Thursday #144

 "Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.

Let the whole world know what He has done!"

~I Chronicles 16:8

Today, I am thankful for...

1.  Kyndal Faith!!  And how she always wants to sit by me or have me swim with them or whatever they're doing. ❤

2.  Apple Tree Chocolate! lol  A fun store with chocolates and gelato located two minutes from the courthouse!

3.  Dad!!  And State Farm!  And going to visit Dad and Charlene at State Farm after making a Crest run!  And going to Vegas to celebrate State Farm's 100th anniversary in a couple weeks!

4.  A long-awaited pay raise coming this summer for all Oklahoma court reporters and bailiffs!!

5.  Baby steps!  I'm getting back on the Peloton wagon little by little doing short workouts after the kids leave at night... and I've started bringing my lunch to hang out with the girls from work more often, and both are good/healthy changes for my body and soul! =)

6.  New work clothes!  And Mom feeling inspired to shop for them (since I almost never do)!  And Kyndal Faith telling me she liked my "very businessy outfit!" lol

7.  Family dinners and feeling more connected all around! ❤

Happy Thursday, friends and fam!  Hope you're having a great week!! 

Movin' On Up

Yesterday was moving day -- huzzah!!  So here's a memory Monday post to celebrate that.

But first, a meme I saved because it's true and applicable.  Comfort zones are delightful, but pushing yourself toward new things (when God leads you there) opens the door for personal growth (a less delightful process, but with such important and lovely results)!

I came to Tulsa on Friday night and met Laura for dinner at the Napoli's in Sand Springs!  We were there for 3 hours, plus another hour and a half in my car, so we got to catch up on life at our separate courthouses + family news and non-work life updates!  Then I went home and watched Grey's Anatomy and went to bed around 2am... a fitting last night alone at my house. =)

Saturday morning, Mom came to help finish packing and organizing everything.  My cousin, Al, came by to pick up my washer (now Rachael's washer) and big chair (being recovered soon).  Hilary and baby Amelia came with him, and I'm very sad I didn't think to get a picture!  But it was great to see them all and finally meet Amelia!  I'm hoping we have a big family gathering sometime this summer with Dad's side of the family... so many cousins I haven't seen in a while and new babies I'd love to meet!

Jeffrey and Kelly gave us several of their moving boxes and paper to wrap stuff in -- SO VERY HELPFUL!!  I didn't know about liquor boxes being extra sturdy, but it makes sense when you think about it.  JEM had gone to get several of them for their move, and Mom and I were happy to take them off their hands.  We tried to use them for all my books and heavier stuff!  Whilst packing this one, I started singing, "Let's set sail with Captain Morgan and never leave dry land..." then I was singing Two Pina Coladas the rest of that day!  Another day, they said something about Louisiana on the news, and I got Callin' Baton Rouge stuck in my head.  What a fantastic time for my random Garth Brooks kick! lol  #Vegasawaits #MonAmiplease #yayGarth

We stacked every non-fragile box in the garage to try and streamline things and save time when the movers arrived.

This = their truck filled with every box I own... I was stunned how much room was left...

But once they disassembled the beds and shrink wrapped all the furniture and added that, it filled right up!

It was a very strange feeling seeing my house empty!  But once again, a day where there was way too much activity all day to stop and feel very emotional about it all.  (And that's okay.)  

Mom and I were vacuuming and sweeping as they finished loading up each room, then we all headed to the storage unit in Moore!

My storage unit was/is CRAZY FULL!!  Nearly all of my belongings stacked floor to ceiling for the next several months... also a strange feeling!  What I feel very aware of is how little I need to actually live an enjoyable life day to day.  And while I'm sure I won't suddenly become a minimalist, that's a good thing to know and be aware of! =)

Fare thee well, all my stuff!  I'll see you around Christmas time. lol

On Jeff and Kelly's recommendation, we used All My Sons moving and storage company!  And based on our experience, I would also recommend them... they worked really hard and made very good time, they were careful and kind, they wrapped furniture and pictures and such, they helped unload some extra stuff in our cars, etc.  So once again, thanks to the Mosses for this recommendation!

The only thing that accidentally got broken was this picture frame, which I haven't had hanging up since around 2009, so I threw it out after snapping one last pic of it and laughing at myself for including Jim and Pam in the photo collage! lol

The four-man team of movers got to my house at 8:15am, and it took less than 3 hours to load most everything I own on one truck... we all left there by 11am, and everything was safely packed in my new storage unit by 2:45!  Mom and I were exhausted, but we got a lovely relaxing night after all that - I took a shower followed by a long nap, then Dad got us McAlisters to go for dinner - yum!  I'm so grateful that the moving part is over now!!

*Sadly, the official closing day will be further out now.  My intended buyer backed out at the last minute, so my house is now back on the market with lots of showings today and tomorrow.  Pray for God's will and good things ahead there! ❤

And my Song of the Week = Two Pina Coladas by Garth Brooks ;-)