All is Calm, All is Bright

Good morning, dear friends and family!  I hope you had a lovely Christmas and hope you get some time to rest today.

Here's our group pics from our Christmas Eve family lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse - one normal and one with crazy glasses!  (I love that Emily even put them on Asher. lol)

JB got Dad this cool OSU rock, so I had them pose for a pic as we waited to be seated!

It was our first time meeting Asher Kenneth, and his first Christmas ever, so yay for that! ❤

I got Jace Michael the 4-pack of Transformers he's been wanting - he was super excited, and then super obsessed... he and Mamaw spent hours watching videos and meticulously working to transform each of them!

K-Faith helping to cook her favorite spaghetti... I love that she's still using this little stool! =)  J&K opening presents from Rach, and the Friends wrapping paper on Rach's gift for me (she color-coded her gifts where she assigned a specific wrapping paper for each person - smart)!

Christmas pancake breakfast!  (Rach and Kyndal made them while Jace was working on his Transformers!)

This was our first Christmas Eve without Babah... I made this collage after going through all the pics for her Memorial Service.  She wore this sweater to several Christmases from 1986 (with Rach and Santa) to 2021 (with me, Emily, and Rach at The Veraden).  Blake had a matching one in his Santa pic, and the other two photos are from Grandad's last Christmas with us in 2018. ❤  It made me happy to think that it was their first Christmas together in Heaven!

Homemade cards by Kyndal and Rachael

Whilst listening to movies and podcasts, I finished my puzzle-Advent calendar recommended by Annie F. Downs... 1200 pieces (24 individual 50-piece puzzles), and of course, one stupid piece is missing in the end. lol It was fun, though, reminiscent of stacking puzzles with Grandad!

Speaking of podcasts, John Eldredge's Christmas day podcast started with these awesome verses about Jesus!  He also counseled us to spend some time with Jesus, resting and recovering our strength and hope instead of jumping straight into New Years mode after Christmas ends.

I feel like we didn't take as many family photos as usual, so here are some lovely 2023 Christmas pictures of other families I love, including but certainly not limited to the Campbells, Bullards, Carpenters, Mosses, Shoemakers, Wesselhofts, Ingersols, Niles, and Logsdons!

Two of Katherine Claire Fulton with her Christmas gifts ❤

Wilson fam cookies for Santa, Moss fam, Miles and Hope with Santa, Lindsay's ornament honoring Sharon, and Rachel and Heidi! ❤

Melissa helping Tate and Parker make a birthday cake for Jesus! ❤ (And what Chet called "Parker's progression of unhappiness" after her knife was taken away. lol  I so love them all - Tate in his little chef apron is the very cutest!

After our traditional family breakfast, I spent most of Christmas day on my own this year... laundry, napping, going to The Station's light show (not too exciting), eating leftovers, and watching movies in my pajamas.  I'm an introvert who typically adores time to myself, and I honestly needed the rest, but there's more pressure on Christmas day for every moment to be sparkly and merry, so I was tempted to sink into irrational self-pity about it.  What helped pull me out of that nonsense more than anything else was reading a couple of vulnerable/honest Facebook posts & my group text with Chet and Sarah... almost everyone is dealing with some level of frustration, stress, and/or unmet expectations over the holidays, so no one is alone in that sentiment.  It's valid to feel those things and good to be honest about it... but then we have the option to remember that we are LOVED and to focus on all we're grateful for rather than sinking into the mud the enemy so cleverly laid out for us.  I've hosted or attended at least 7 fun Christmas gatherings this year, and there's nothing wrong with having some restful, quiet time on Christmas day, just me and Jesus! 
"All is calm, and all is BRIGHT!" ❤❤

So whatever yesterday looked like for you,
I wish you much love, joy, peace, hope, and rest today.
And Jesus is our source of all these good things!

❤

Happy Christmas-Eve Eve!!

I'm a big fan of Christmas-Eve Eve!  It seems like we always do something fun, but it's a different crowd and activity each year.  And it's a holiday in my mind, but with less pressure than the official holidays sometimes carry.  Anyway, today has been great!  I slept till noon, for starters. =)  Then Mom and the Whitakers came over around 5:00 and we did Christmas presents at my place (along with a few photos - shocking, I know)! lol 

Mom got refurbished iPads and Christmas candy for the boys, which was a hit! 

When I opened the door, the boys yelled "Merry Christmas!!" and all three of them had a gift bag to hand me... so this = us recreating that moment inside. lol

Whitakers + me and Mom

Yaaaaay, Christmas!

Mom ("Aunt Maxine") and the boys

Santa stopped by our table at Toby Keith's to give the boys candy canes

Frankie was kind enough to buy our dinner, which is much appreciated (and impressive to me when anyone pulls that off with my Dad there, as he always insists on buying)!  Love this group pic of our table!  ❤

Yay, glasses (me and Wesson)!

Loads of cute pictures of the boys and by the boys! =) Nash being a robber and taking all Mom's money was entertaining... Nash: "Gimme all your money!!"  Mom:  "Well, I don't have cash on me, but I have lots of receipts." Nash: "Oh... well, I'll take all the receipts then!" lol

Kristin and I ran back inside out of the crazy wind to get one last picture! =)

So grateful for my cousin/bestie!  She got me this pink T-Swift sweatshirt (and a matching t-shirt for warmer days) & these comfy slippers - love it all!   And I love that her non-Swiftie self was willing to buy these things for me! =)

Throwing in a few memes, just for fun!

Sent this to Chettles and Sarah! lol

A different take on this popular song. lol

As I sit here in my cozy slippers and Swiftie shirt beside the twinkling lights of my Christmas tree blogging about my friends and family and snacking on a mini-tin of butter cookies, I'm feeling extra grateful for all the ways God is working in my life, for Judge Brockman's kindness, for my clients and internship sites, for worship music, for being surrounded with freaking amazing friends, for all the family fun ahead, etc.  In stark contrast, I had a very low moment only two days ago, and I may write more on that later (or maybe it doesn't need to be written). As I've said many times before, this season amplifies our joys and our sorrows, our hopes and our worries. The light feels brighter and the darkness feels more encompassing.  So the more we invest our time and energy in focusing on what we are grateful for, the more joyful and grateful we will feel!  And the more we dwell on the light of Christ and our hope in Christ, the more clearly we will see His light and feel empowered by His strength even in the sad and bittersweet parts of this earthly life.  The best gift we should cling to in this season is the peace Jesus gives us. ❤

Anyway, thank you for being here!  Happy Christmas to you and those you love!!

Now I'm off to bed watch the end of The Crown!

Photo Friday - Holiday Fun!

Happy Friday, friends and fam!!! ❤

We've exchanged gifts and cards, Christmas movies are being played, and Christmas candy is being eaten.  Today is such a non-worky workday that it's kinda fun to be here. =)

Last weekend, Mom and I went to see Kristie's house (she is Mom's long-time nurse friend who was so amazing and helpful earlier this year)!  ...I like it when people accidentally color coordinate. lol #bluechristmas

The giant nutcrackers, the Faberge egg, the tissue paper floral art, and their tree with ornaments from every year of their marriage all made me happy!

It was nice to catch up with Kristie a bit, and her home is really beautiful!  My parents' former rug is now in their living room, so yay for seeing that again! lol

On Monday night, I joined Mom and Dad and Charlene at Tacos 4 Life - fun and tasty!

Shoutout to my concealer for working harder than usual these days... the unexplained rash/breakout is gradually improving a bit, but I did suuriously consider cutting bangs in the meantime. lol  This = me at Restore on my last day of counseling work for 2023!  What a gift this year has been. ❤

Last night, the whole fam + Bill and Jill met for dinner and dessert at The Ranch in OKC!  Here's our pics around the table. =)

Jace teasing Dad and laughing at his own jokes, Miss K and I planning ahead for our "Try 24 new things in 2024" resolution, my spinach and berry salad, and Dad and Kyndal!

Rach with all four kids!

And Mom with all four grandkids!

Spider-Jace (in his best Spider-Man pose)!

My happy Christmas tree - the Amber Marie round snowflake ornaments are not hard to spot! lol  I was  just admiring it all and basking in the glow of the happy Christmas atmosphere the other night when Mom (pondering what she'd like to change) announced, "Man, we'll do your tree so much better next year!" lolol #whatarelief #lookatthistrash

An annual reminder from Annie... the metaphor that the light grows and grows starting today makes me even happier than the reality of more and more sunshine, but yay all around!!

I feel this one.  I want a day of NOTHING but Christmas movies in pajamas.  But I also want to see all the people and do all the traditional things and take all the pictures and bake all the cakes and get ready for Internship and read my new books and write all the essays and finish all my transcripts and more...

Not a Christmasy meme, but one that brought me a lot of joy as a big RDJ fan who needed this encouragement!!  Past behavior is *not always* the best predictor of future behavior - our choices matter, and our trajectory is up to us... small changes, remarkable results! #atomichabits

Nearly choked on my water laughing at this meme. #accurate

Yippeekiyay!  Must find this and watch it this weekend.

"Now I have a machine gun.  Ho...Ho...Ho." lol

Speaking of Alan Rickman (the transition makes sense in my mind), I am listening to my favorite Harry Potter book this week, and I gotta say I just ADORE Neville!  Christmas on the Closed Ward = one of the most poignant chapters ever, and the way he buckles down and improves dramatically when Bellatrix escapes - he's ready to fight for what matters to him, and I am SO HERE FOR IT.  

And in the real life muggle world, I'm so here for my amazing friends who are fighting for their dreams goals!!  ;-)

Sorry for the lengthy and fairly random post, but really, what else do you expect here?

Happy Christmas weekend, friends and fam!!

And Merry Christmas-Eve Eve tomorrow!

May we prepare our hearts by making room for a little time each day to pause and truly connect with Jesus! ❤

A Convivial Cozy Christmas & More!

Happy Sunday, friends!  A week from today is Christmas Eve, which feels a bit crazy to me!!

Anyway, I'll jump straight into the photos.  Yesterday was the 7th annual Convivial Cozy Christmas party at Moss Manor... here's me with Kelly and Alex, with Rachel and Heidi, with Evan and the Shoemaker fam (minus Harvey), and with Jeff and Kelly! 

Shoemakers + Jeffrey and Henry + Danielle + me!

Me with Ellie Faye, Heidi Claire, and Henry Edward! ❤

And a couple where JEM joined me and Henry! lol (Please note Home Alone playing on the TV behind us). =)

Rachel and Danielle with their baby girls (Heidi and Juliette); Ellie showing me the photo props - yes, please!; The Moss fam stockings (stockings make me very happy for whatever reason); Jessie and Kelly with their babies; Evan, Brent, and Jeffrey with their clear glasses; and one more pic with Ellie!

I hadn't been there since Jeff and Kelly redid their backyard earlier this year, but wow, I was very impressed!  It was super nice out there -- a big couch and table, picnic table, TV, bar area (with the "naughty punch" and other adult beverages), fantastic porch swing, covered patio, wood-burning fireplace, and several chairs!  I know there were tons of people there for this party, but it didn't feel crowded because we had all that room outside + the kitchen and living room and the whole upstairs playroom area/theater room for the kids -- such a great house for fun parties!

I tried Karen Bullard's cookie recipe and brought those for the Christmas party!  There were also chips and queso and sliders and meatballs and two tables full of other dessert choices - lots of great food that I failed to get a photo of, but I got the people and that's what matters most.  I got to catch up with the Shoemakers & Mosses + Evan + several old LG friends (Elizabeth, Jessie, Alex) + met a couple new people!  We missed the Wilson family, who were home due to a very unwelcome stomach bug.  But it was a fun party and I feel deeply grateful for my Tulsa friend group!

Earlier yesterday, Mom joined me in Tulsa for another trip to Amber Marie (we hit both locations).  As her Christmas gift from Dad, she got these very large Mackenzie Childs' reindeer that she'd been admiring!  Getting them loaded into the car was quite the entertaining process, but they're now safely back in MWC with her! =)

Pre- the sudden onset stomach bug, Chettles joined us for Cookie Mama and a CFA pep talk! =)  The pic on the right is one I took of the Moss fam when I first arrived (with the Santa Clause playing in the background - yay)... the pic is a little blurry, but still makes me happy!

Speaking of a little blurry, I want a new fancy camera that takes suuuper-crisp photos like these... Chet's Santa pictures event was a hit last week (with his photographer neighbor, Steve Doak, taking the photos).  Here's Kate, Heidi Claire, Tate, and Parker E. ❤

Our intern group pic from the Restore Christmas Party... this group = Fily, Cecilia, Kayla, Melissa, Holli, Eram, Reese, Angel, Logan, Kelli, Brien, Jeremy, Hannah, Jen, me, and Jacey (12 women and 4 men - which is actually a much higher percentage of men than you see in court reporting, so that's something)!

I met Michelle and Amy at Pub W in Edmond this afternoon for a fun celebration lunch for finishing our grad school semester!

That final case study project was intense!!  When I was up at 2am working on the DSM diagnostic part, this chant was happening inside my brain, and it took me a minute to realize it was Das Sound Machine! lolol  So now I like the DSM book at least a tiny bit better. =)

Today officially marks 15 years of friendship with Chettles and Sarah...

Soooo here's a short and cheesy video to commemorate that... 15 pics for 15 years + the Three Best Friends 'song' from The Hangover, an Instagram reel suggestion that made me laugh! =)

And I'm done now...

Almost.

I'm having some sort of allergic reaction (or bug bites or rash or something?) that's causing what looks like the world's worst adult breakout all over the left side of my face and neck.  All over may be dramatic, but there are 11 itchy red bumps, and one would be too many.  And when anything affects only the BP side of my face, it's a stressor for me.  So that's a fairly minor issue thus far, but prayers appreciated.  Here's hoping and praying that I figure out what's causing that and get it to caaalm down over the next week!  For now, I've taken some Benadryl and I'm heading to bed early, which sounds like perfection.  Love and appreciate my regular readers, and I hope you've had a lovely and restful weekend!

❤