Radiant with Joy

❤ ❤ ❤

Coming in strong with two February videos on the final day of the longest version of this month. lol #leapday #24in2024

(The vulnerability hangover is real, so I edited this one down a bit...)

 

Not wrestling with anything uncommon to man, but I'm relieved to have broken through the shame-hold after confessing to a trusted friend this week - one act of courageous obedience has a stunning ripple effect in shattering Satan's false sense of power over us.  He is clever and good at what he does -- the subtle triggers and temptations, the accusations, shame, condemnation, playing on our fear of rejection, convincing us we are trapped and isolated, and pushing the idea that God is barely tolerating us.  I understand having a lot of things together but hiding the cringey, messy stuff.  I understand reading and writing about God's love but quietly wondering if He's ready to give up on you or deliberately keeping His distance.  I am starting to remember and understand the power of confession and getting real and feeling God fight for you in a new way.  The very best news is NOTHING we've done and NOTHING done to us can separate us from God's love -- His fiercely protective, merciful, patient, and personal love!

No. shadow. of. shame.  ❤

Based on the surrounding voices, the Christian temptation can be to work within church culture to hide and cover our sin (focusing on shame and punishment; keeping what's dark tucked away in the dark)... OR to gently blend in with a worldly culture that normalizes, dismisses, justifies, and even celebrates sin (focusing on a twisted version of "grace;" pretending what's dark is actually light).  In stark contrast, God asks us to confess sin (to call darkness darkness and be clear about what is vile and evil), and then repent (realigning ourselves within His light and separating our identity from that darkness).  The word "separate" is a powerful reminder to me that no sin is a real part of my identity - my core identity is shining in the light of Christ, and "there is no darkness in Him." (1 John 1:5)

There is value in confessing to a trusted person when you want help and freedom.  God is also reminding me I cannot put too much stock in the opinions of people, particularly when I'm in a vulnerable place and they may be quick to minimize or sharply condemn sin (check the comments section of literally any controversial post on social media, and you'll see both reactions).  That's one big reason why God pulled me back from oversharing publicly, as I need to fully uproot this and work through it before writing in more detail (and bc writing to one individual person forces me to 'be seen' and intensely connect in a way I might've cleverly avoided via online sharing).  As flawed humans, we personalize things and naturally lean one way or the other in our grace vs. truth reactions - His standard is exceptionally high, but "there is no condemnation in Christ," so Jesus is always our most trusted source for the balanced grace-AND-truth response that leads us into real FREEDOM!! ❤

For now, I'll say this - if you are in a dark season of your own making or a dark season with external causes, you are not as alone as the enemy wants you to feel!  Our God will not abandon you or leave you there, truly - He is pursuing your heart even now.  "Do not gloat over me, my enemy.  When I fall, I shall rise, and even when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." (Micah 7:7-8)

The Lord will clarify the path to life, freedom, and victory!

We gain clarity with each step toward His LIGHT,
And the shadows of shame fall behind us.
Freedom is closer than we think.

Keep pressing forward.

Happy Leap Day.

❤

Thankful (Leap) Thursday #177

"The Lord guides us in the way we should go
and protects those who please Him.
If they fall, they will not stay down,
because the Lord will help them up."
~Psalm 37:23-24

Today, I am thankful for...

1.  Watching Jace's joy in destroying my lovely birthday balloon garland... and this cathartic gif of the confetti balloon explosion! lol

2.  For the first time since Summer 2007, I ran into Josh's mom at J's b-ball game last Friday.  (It was more than a little weird for me, but I can already see how God used it as a catalyst for more freedom in my life).  Things between us ended on such weird and rocky ground, so I'm grateful she sought me out and was warm and genuinely kind.  We hugged and made small talk about the niece and nephews and her 7 grandkids and how it's "been so long" since we've seen each other.  Mom joined us in that convo and JMM was never directly mentioned, and all things considered, I am grateful for the way it played out.

3.  Today being the end of my brief bailiff-ing career... byeee Felicia!  Me and Judge and the many attorneys I've blunderingly attempted to help all agree that it couldn't come soon enough! lol  (Our new bailiff, Doris, starts tomorrow - haven't met her yet, but I'm already super grateful for her arrival, and I'll be oh-so-happy to turn these group phone calls back OFF.) 

4.  That God (and the warmth of our hotel room) work me up early enough to join the Wilson/Weatherford fam for Sunday donuts at Morning Glory before they went to church!  So much cuteness, as I expected it would be with their kids!  (*Karli and Bill left early to serve at FBC, and I didn't ask for a group pic till everyone was getting ready to leave.)

5.  This cute and extra-friendly little bunny!  Also thankful for Tate, who promptly announced his second loose tooth to me when I walked in for donuts! lol  (This pic was taken at Bill and Melissa's house - Mom and I met them all there at 10:30 Sunday to discuss the Christmas decor plan - bc you can never start too early! lolol)

6.  This preshface - Miss Parker Elizabeth and her love of my long necklaces and her willingness to smile for photos - gah, so cute! =)

7.  Discovering that there's a downtown Brook 3 minutes from the VB tournament gym (Cox Convention Center) and 1 minute from our hotel (the downtown Hyatt) - FUN!  Mom, Rach, Kyndal, and I very much enjoyed a girls dinner there on Saturday!

8.  A fun Tulsa club tournament weekend at the Kaizen Invitational, and good times riding there and back and staying at the hotel with Mom!

"Awwwww, ACE!"  ❤

9.  A flood of positive feedback that came at an excellent time!  I've been in a mildly self-critical, self-doubting place this semester about my counseling skills and calling, but I forced myself to sign up and give my big presentation early, and it was extra encouraging to hear my professor tell me that psychoeducation (teaching coping skills and therapeutic concepts) is a strength for me, then she talked about seeing growth in my presentation and self-confidence since last semester, and that meant a lot.  Hearing peers and friends comment on the interventions and the clear connection with my client, etc. was also good for my soul - and a great reminder that our simple words of encouragement, love, and support have tremendous power to build others up! ❤

 

*Mel Robbins uses a similar sign-off on her podcast, of which I'm rapidly becoming a fan!  She says you can sincerely feel love for people you don't know and you can want the best for them and believe in their God-given worth and potential even before knowing their name, and I agree - so why not share more of that love and energy!?

10.  LEAP DAY - HOORAY!!!  (If that doesn't make you think of Cam's bday meltdown and/or Frasier singing Buttons and Bows, I dunno what will. lol)  I love that this day only comes around once every four years - an Olympic year and a leap year and an election year - 2 out of 3 sound super fun!  Kristin and I are having a classic Olive Garden dinner tonight to celebrate!! ;-)

❤

February Reading!

This has been a pivotal growth month with some challenging reading...

1.  How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key

Biggest Takeaways:  1 - Exercising Godly wisdom/caution, prayer, and healthy boundaries in friendships with married men.  2 - The power of funny and deeply honest/vulnerable writing to connect and change people (loved the way he writes).

2.  The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathanial Branden (post HERE)

Biggest Takeaways:  1 - Saying "only I will know" while living a lie shows a lack of self-respect. Good self-esteem means respecting myself enough to honor my own word.  2 - I loved the comparison of healthy self-esteem to a healthy immune system - that it cannot fully prevent problems, but it strengthens your ability to resist, to cope, and to heal!

3.  Good Sugar, Bad Sugar by Allen Carr

Biggest Takeaway:  To be honest, my biggest takeaway at the end of this book was a sharp feeling of defeat... not the fault of the author.  He spelled out very clearly the destructive nature of sugar, and it didn't take long to know I fall into the sugar addict category, but the idea of literally stopping it all forever feels impossible and like I would lose more than I gain (which is probably the addiction speaking).  Anyway, I am now starting a John-Eldredge-recommended book called Addiction and Grace, and I think it will pair perfectly with this one and help me to find a more balanced middle ground!

4.  Do the New You: 6 Mindsets to Become Who You Were Created To Be by Steven Furtick

Biggest Takeaway:  “Christ is in me.  I am enough."  ~Steven (sermon HERE)

Loving these sermons and got a lot out of this audiobook - encouraging and motivating, convicting without being condemning!  He loves wordplay and alliteration even more than I do, so I appreciate his creativity there.

 

My heart's song for today - 2-27-24.

 ❤

Self-Esteem

This = a recent audiobook that I read based on my cousin, Ashley's recommendation.  Convicting and motivating!

*For the record, Branden defines the six pillars of self-esteem as:

1. The practice of living consciously
2. The practice of self-acceptance
3. The practice of self-responsibility
4. The practice of self-assertiveness
5. The practice of living purposefully
6. The practice of personal integrity

Favorite Quotes:

Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire with ourselves... what we feel about ourselves when everything is not all right.

The unresolved issues within oneself set the limits of one’s effectiveness in helping others... We must become what we wish to teach.

If my aim is to prove I am “enough,” the project goes on to infinity — because the battle was already lost on the day I conceded the issue was debatable.

We are not moved to change those things whose reality we deny.

***The mindset that 'only I will know if I lie' implies that you think your opinion doesn’t matter, and that only the opinions of others matter.***

The challenge for people today, and it is not an easy one, is to maintain high personal standards while feeling that one is living in a moral sewer.

The temptation to self-betrayal can sometimes be worst with those about whom we care the most. No amount of admiration for another human being can justify sacrificing one’s judgment.

No one is coming to save you; no one is coming to make life right for you; no one is coming to solve your problems. If you don’t do something, nothing is going to get better.

Self-respect is the conviction of our own value. It is not the delusion that we are “perfect” or superior to everyone else. It is not comparative or competitive at all... Their joy is in being who they are, not in being better than someone else.

Most of the issues of integrity we face are not big issues but small ones, yet the accumulated weight of our choices has an impact on our sense of self.

Self-esteem diminishes anxiety and depression... Just as a healthy immune system does not guarantee that one will never become ill, but makes one less vulnerable to disease and better equipped to overcome it, so a healthy self-esteem does not guarantee that one will never suffer anxiety or depression in the face of life’s difficulties, but makes one less susceptible and better equipped to cope, rebound, and transcend.

I am responsible for the achievement of my desires. I am responsible for my choices and actions. I am responsible for the level of consciousness I bring to my work. I am responsible for the level of consciousness I bring to my relationships. I am responsible for my behavior with other people—coworkers, associates, customers, spouse, children, friends. I am responsible for how I prioritize my time. I am responsible for the quality of my communications. I am responsible for my personal happiness. I am responsible for accepting or choosing the values by which I live. I am responsible for raising my self-esteem.

High-self-esteem people can surely be knocked down by an excess of troubles, but they are quicker to pick themselves up again.

~Nathanial Branden

❤

Line Dancing

Sooo I'm not typically a fan of Beyonce's music, but her new country song is super fun! =)  And as a classic Swiftie, I applaud it when people try new things and conquer new ground and embrace the power of reinvention, so this all makes me happy!

...Cut to me learning this line dance and reminiscing about the Caravan days! lol  (I especially love the moves during the pre-chorus of "Oooh, run me to the left, then spin me in the middle, boy, I can't read your mind.")

One minor regret is not taking more pictures in those days... this could be an epic photo Friday post, but instead I have to find stock photos on Google Images.  I didn't post many pics in the early blogging days, so I took very few through all our fun weekend nights at The Van.  The countless mental pictures will have to suffice.  Line dancing, the "ghetto" line dance, "the pretzel" spin move, Nater-tot's entertaining commentary on their bathroom mirrors, learning who to say yes to and who to say no to when asked to dance, the suffocating fog of cigarette smoke, etc.  Aww, memories. lol  I will say the opening notes of Copperhead Road or Boot Scootin’ Boogie would still send me right onto the dance floor - I love me a dramatic lead-up! lol  Line dancing is just the most fun!! =)

I have a few pre-Caravan line dancing memories too... Cimarron Steakhouse with the high school gang, Jason's hoedown bday, playing Shania and line dancing with JMM and Rach in a random parking lot, learning new dances in Mom and Dad's living room... then later in Bobbi's living room and then in my office room... and occasionally line dancing at friends' weddings through the years!  Anyway, yay line dancing and dance-worthy country songs... always fun!!

Mmkay that's all for now.  Happy Friday!

❤

Thankful Thursday #176

"Blessed is the person who places his confidence in the LORD

and does not rely on arrogant people or those who follow lies."

~Psalm 40:4

1.  The Wilson fam -- for all the reasons detailed in the last two posts, and for being caring friends who let me be involved in their kids' lives, which are becoming more and more fun and entertaining!

2.  Kristin Renee... I was so happy when Miles showed me this color-block puzzle/stool in Hope's room... Rach and I have the exact same one with our names.  And Mom noted that we all have 7-letter names, which also makes me happy!

3.  These cute cousins - I love being involved in their lives and so enjoy their personalities and getting to see them growing up! ❤

4.  Friends who consistently help me be the best version of myself (who are involved enough to notice when something is off and bold enough to speak truth in love). 

5.  My Peloton workouts have been lagging this year, but I was super happy to hit the 200-week streak on today's lunch walk (on 2-22, YAY)!  *Also thankful for spring-like weather lately!

6.  Looking forward to a belated birthday dinner with Megan Elizabeth tonight! =)

7.  The Fulton fam... and the FB memories feature! =)

Keeping it short and simple today, because it's 5 o'clock and I'm ready to go! lol

Happy Thursday!!

❤

Everything Else...

Most of my friends left between 3 and 4, and the rest of my actual birthday was low-key, as my plan had been going to Tulsa!  Mom and Dad and I had dinner at Bricktown Brewery, and it was nice to spend time with them... I feel really thankful that they're both healthy and doing well and able to celebrate this milestone birthday with me - one of many gifts from God that I'm doing my best to savor and soak in this weekend!! ❤

On Sunday, I slept in a little and then headed to Cheesecake Factory for a belated birthday brunch with Mom and Dad (who decided to join us at the last minute).  We talked more about the party the day before, as well as my future plans and timeline moving forward, and we ate delicious bread and waffles with strawberries, pecans, syrup, and whipped cream.  YUM!  (Dad had a boring omelet, but seemed to enjoy that too. lol)

That afternoon was Anthony's 12th birthday balloon release... I mis-timed things and was running a little late, but they were kind enough to wait for me, which was appreciated!

Lock/Whitaker families!

Baby Clara smiling at her Grandma! ❤

Amelia's little laugh is so cute, and watching her run is entertaining.  It makes me happy to see her and the boys all playing together as cute little cousins!

After all that, the Whitaker fam treated me to a birthday dinner at Toby Keith's, which was fun times and much appreciated! ❤  *Kristin also gave me the first bite of her buttermilk pie - surprisingly good - so I'm counting that as one of the new things I'm trying in 2024! lol

**And now, a quick throwback to my 30th birthday hiking in Vegas!!**

Jeffrey was right - the pictures were worth it! lol

Eric is also a 2-17 birthday, and I was thankful to see him looking better in this photo Sarah posted!  He has been transferred to a rehab facility in the Tulsa area, and he's come off of dialysis and seems to be recovering well now, so lots to be thankful for... and praying for growing inner strength as he moves forward!

Yesterday was President's Day, so I got a 3-day weekend for my birthday!  I had a hair appointment with Janelle in Tulsa that morning - got more blond put in and threw in some fun bangs... she also had cute headbands for sale. =)

I went with the black one with colorful confetti (or sprinkles, as Parker called them).  Around 3:30, I met the Foster fam at their place, and Audrey and Walker were there picking up some coffee.  She asked about how my adoption stuff was going, then we got into a long talk about embryo adoption.  Audrey teared up multiple times being so thrilled for me and loving that plan, talking about how great it was that I wouldn't have to miss out on anything, which was all really sweet and supportive!! ❤

We were outside for that whole convo while the kids were upstairs sleeping.  Mr. Miles came downstairs and quickly ran over to hug me and started showing me around the house.  Hope was less sure about me and barely warmed up by the time I had to leave. lol  I love seeing the personalities of kids!  Miles thought it was hilarious when I took a picture of a picture that he showed me, then after that, everything he pointed out, he added, "You can take a picture of it if you want." lolol  Yes, please.

And finally, I met the Wilson fam for a long-awaited (really just two days delayed) dinner at Los Cabos... we had a lovely talk going over all the things we hadn't been able to talk about leading up to and on my birthday... and my favorite moment of that dinner was Tate quietly naming who all was in their family, then including various stuffed animals ("If we count bunny, then there's six of us"), then looking across the table at me and saying, "And if we count you, there'd be nine of us."  I said, "Count me in!" lol  Yay, Wilson fam!  This = us walking to Marble Slab/Great American Cookies after dinner.  Riverwalk still has colorful Christmas lights on all the trees, so I wanted a pic with that festivity in the background - love it!

Parker let Karli braid her hair, so maybe she's coming around and will start to enjoy having her hair fixed! lol  She's such a delight to me, even when she's being stubborn or mean-mugging someone for taking away her favorite knife. lol

And then I drove home and drank the remainder of my Sweet Blueberry Tea (best thing at H-Tea-O).  

Today begins Lent (Lindsey's Version) -- I will be fasting sweets for exactly 40 days from now through March 30th, then Easter falls on March 31st this year - I feel ready for it and much more motivated and committed than my last very brief fasting attempt!  Kristin and Chet Lee are joining me on that, so yay for being in good company!  This is a big year, and shockingly, stress eating is not actually solving anything... so I'm planning to be intentional about daily workouts and praying over all the future things that feel a bit overwhelming to me lately (adoption, motherhood, graduation, licensure, starting a business - all exciting but also daunting, and I need God's peace and grace to cover me day by day).  

Thankful for a truly fantastic birthday weekend, and happy to be pressing forward now with new hope and determination and a fiercely loyal support system!! 

God has great things in store...

Let's walk with Him!

❤

Forty!

On Saturday, 22 of my favorite people made the trip from Tulsa to OKC to celebrate my 40th birthday with me and the fam!!  This photo makes me really happy for a myriad of reasons! 💗

The Party Planning Committee. =)  The Wilsons came to Mom and Dad's house early that morning to decorate... Chet & Karli worked behind the scenes for several weeks, coordinating with Mom (via coded phone calls instead of texts - lol) to plan all this, ordering and shipping tons of fun decor from Amazon (including a pink tinsel backdrop, iridescent heart streamers, pink plates and napkins, colorful heart glasses, gold candles and heart hands, #Swiftie friendship bracelets, etc.)... Karli also made the "Birth-tay" banner and an "In my Birthday Era" long-sleeved t-shirt for me using her Cricut, which can do so many cool things... AND they made this amazing balloon garland that made the road trip with them from Tulsa... it matches the Merritt's cake and fun confetti toppers they ordered (I so love all of these colors and that there are different size balloons and some with fun glitter confetti)!  And I really can't say enough how sincerely grateful I am for their friendship and for the time, effort, energy, love, creativity, money, and thoughtfulness that went into this surprise party!!!

The above-mentioned heart streamers and t-shirt... SO FUN!!

A random pic that made me laugh out loud when I saw Chet’s meme-worthy expression in the background.  Jon said, "Hey Lindsey, we are 4 you!" knowing I would hop up and take this photo, which also makes me laugh!

Aunt Lindsey Claire and Katherine Claire... she was taking a photo of our selfie. =)

Presh Parker Elizabeth ready for a nap and very willing to be held. ❤

A classic Mocky and the boys pic before Jeffrey had to leave!  (And Jonathan Matthew photobombing us).

Group pic!  I'm slightly sad that the granite cuts off the numbers, but still a fun pic by the balloon garland and in front of the stain-glass M (which once graced the entryway at 9121).  Side note: I have so many very tall friends, and I'm glad Kristin and Karli are near me to help even things out. lol

The Fulton Fam - Sarah Elizabeth, Katherine Claire, and Stephen Todd!! ❤

*They are in the midst of a very difficult, trauma-infused season as Sarah's youngest brother is recovering from a nearly-fatal Fentanyl overdose and they literally hosted a memorial gathering for Steve's dad the night before this party - I emphasized to Sarah not to feel any obligation to come to my party (when I thought it was in Tulsa), but she told me I'm family to them and they wouldn't miss it, and she wrote me such a kind and heartfelt card - I deeply appreciate them making the 4-hour road trip with their 2-year-old daughter that day!

The Young Fam - Sarah Bradley, Lachlan Brandon, Kyle Brandon, and Zealand Bradley! ❤

This was my first time meeting baby Lachlan in person. =)  I feel badly that I didn't get to talk to them more that day, but I did wish Kyle and Sarah a "happy first-date anniversary" ...while our group was waiting in line for the Mercantile (the day the Wilsons announced Karli was pregnant with Tate), Kyle mentioned that he and Sarah had their first date on February 17th, so that's been an easy one for me to remember!  So thankful they were willing to make the trip with two little kids!

The Wilson Fam - Chet Lee, Parker Elizabeth, Karli Marie, and Tate Haywood!! ❤

I just love them all.  *When Chettles responded to my group text invite saying, "LINDSEY!  You can't plan your own birthday - I'll take over from here" I laughed about that and made a mental note to remind him to get a headcount and make the restaurant reservations, and I tried to keep it simple and choose a dessert option that wouldn't require anyone to spend money on a cake.  Needless to say, this went well above and beyond my original plan. lol  So THANKS to Chet and Karli for putting this event and this group together, and for all you did to make this day special and memorable!!

The Myers Fam - Sophia Elizabeth, Evan Tyler, and Jessica Renee! ❤

*(Kudos to Chet for knowing Evan and Jessica's middle names - I could only remember Sophia's.)  I sat by Jessica at lunch, and she enjoyed Jace's repeated visits to our table and his colorful commentary about his own bday party at "the break room" the night before! lol  T-man sat by Evan and Jeffrey, and I was happy to see that, as he'd been a fan of both of them at the 4th of July event last summer!  Very thankful the Myers fam made this trip - I really do understand that it's more complicated to travel with young kids, and it makes me extra grateful for each of these families showing up! =)

Parker Elizabeth ❤

She knew it was picture time and didn't wanna be left out, so she asked me to hold her and cheesed it up for a picture!  I was very much on board for that plan! =)

The Foster Fam - Jonathan Matthew and Kristin Renee! ❤

Jon said to please note that he was advertising for Dad's State Farm business with his water in this photo! lol  I got to see Miles and Hope today, but Kristin's parents watched them on Saturday.  The Fosters have had a long and difficult year, but Jon continues to improve.  I'm grateful for their friendship, for their very generous gift, and for getting to hang out with them twice over this long weekend! =)

The Moss Fam - Jeffrey Edward and Ellie Faye (& Kelly Marie and Henry Edward, who were home getting ready to celebrate Kelly's mom's bday, which is also on the 17th)! ❤

So thankful to see JEM and Ellie in OKC again, and for the spoon-rest gift that made me laugh and appreciate Kelly's thoughtfulness and good memory!  Jeff and I texted a bit about Los Cabos the night before - both he and Sarah Elizabeth really played that up and threw off any suspicion.  I appreciate that Jeff had told our waiter to bring him my check (pre-Dad's generosity).  I also love that when Jon jokingly said I was asking a lot when I suggested the heart-hands group pose, Jeff chimed in, "Well, it's her birthday!" and went for it! lol And I love that all my friends were willing to pose for these pics and humor me with the heart glasses! =)

The Shoemaker Fam - Mark Anthony, Harvey Lane, Heidi Claire, and Rachel Elizabeth! ❤

Another family I'm sad I didn't get to spend more time with that day - I love the Shoemakers - Mark and Rachel are both licensed counselors which gives us a lot of common ground (and makes them a good source of wisdom/encouragement), and Rachel and I share a love of T-Swift and documenting life with fun photos!  She's one of two people I know who actually attended the Eras tour concert!! =)

*To be fair, I think Chet is also in the Swiftie club now,

just not as intensely as me and Rachel. lol

And last but not least...

The Fam! - Mom (Mildred Maxine), Jace Michael, Rachael LaJo, Kyndal Faith, and Dad (Michael Willis)!!  ❤

This was the first photo we took (Kyndal had a basketball game to go to) so we hadn't established the heart-glasses-for-everyone idea yet.  Triston had to work at CFA after lunch, but I went by for a shake later that night! =)  I'm thankful the fam was there to celebrate with me... and thankful Mom and Dad agreed to host my friends, and that Dad kindly bought everyone's lunch! =)

Me and Triston at Charleston's (which happened before all of the above photos, but blogger got the order wrong yet again).

I love this chalkboard Rach made for me - a fun surprise gift that I didn't even realize was double-sided when I first came over to say thanks.  *Jaceman isn't actually sure what this hand sign means, but it's his favorite go-to pose lately.  I feel confident that in a few years, he won't love that he did this in every photo taken of him at age 12, but such is pre-teen life. You live, you learn. lol  He's a funny one!

A memorable card from the Mini Miss K! lol  ...I hope my laughter really "makes everyone happier," and I can attest that my life is "expecially" happier and would not be nearly as great if she wasn't around!! ;-)

We had three tables that filled the back room at Charleston's... the fam was at the smallest table, then there were two tables with my friends... this = the table behind my table (note Jace standing up talking to me and Jessica in the background).

My table - Mosses, Wilsons, Fosters, Myers, and me! =)

Despite the fact that I now own five Swiftie-themed shirts, I'm really not among her *craziest* fans.  Still, I can't deny that I'm a big fan of T-Swift's music... when I saw this meme, it made me laugh and think of my friendship bracelet pics and heart hands pose and how some people may find it all fun and endearing, and others may have done a hard eye-roll and gone straight for the block button.  Which made me laugh bc I'm learning to embrace that everyone doesn't have to like me. #polarizing :-)

This makes me happy... I wanted to recreate a 2020 photo, and it caused some confusion!

Chet says it's super obvious that half my cake is gone in this year's pic, but I'm just choosing to ignore that. =)  #nailedit lol 

Speaking of, how fantastic is this cake!?  So pretty, although it didn't quite live up to Chet's vision/expectation (not enough white).  The confetti toppers and Cricut 40 are great, as well... it's currently my profile pic, because why not!?

A Charlie's Angels trio pic where you can see the 4-0 balloons more clearly!  Still getting used to that number! lol

My friends (and sister and cousin) have the cutest kids!  I'm thrilled that I get to be Aunt Lindsey or honorary Aunt Winsee to so many of the kids I love!  ❤

Believe it or not, this post is the narrowed version of the bday pictures. lol

 After briefly wrestling with some existential dread about turning 40, God spoke to me the night before and gave me fresh peace and hope (see previous post), then this birthday was light and fun and relationally rich and colorful - so hooray for starting off my 40th year surrounded by the world's best group of friends and my wonderful family!!

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤