Thankful Tuesday!!

I'm feeling thankful today!  I'm thankful that I'm mostly all caught up at work and getting a head start on a transcript I expect will be ordered in January. I'm thankful for all the fun Friday night dinner memories, for good friends, for conversations about favorite Christmas memories, for opulent mac n' cheese from Andolini's, and for TK being generous and buying dinner for all of us! =)

I'm thankful for my new car - I went to OKC to pick it up on Saturday!  I adore the red!  So I said goodbye to Elsa and hello to Ruby Claire!!  (My last red car was Ruby, so I gave this one a middle name. lol  There's apparently a Ruby Claire Boutique, so this car gets to have a fun logo! lol)

I am thankful for my crazy generous Dad, who gave me this car as an early Christmas present!!

It has a few new features - remote start and automatic braking and heated steering wheel and a bigger screen, and it reads your texts to you. This was the first text it read me - the asterisks are all the emojis! lol

I'm thankful for MoviePass and AMC Stubs and for getting to see a couple free movies with free concessions this weekend! =) I'm thankful for Sunday lunch with good friends (I went to Bravos with Jon & Kristin and got these nachos, which were awesome).

And I'm thankful for getting to hang out and catch up with Chet Lee for a couple hours during his open house Sunday afternoon!  ...This page is part of his BSF homework, and it went along so well with what I've been thinking about lately that I had to snap a picture. lol  Less about me, more about Christ!  Less about the church's successes, more about the power of Christ and the gospel!! Yes, please!

I'm thankful for fun text conversations and festive Bitmoji cuteness... they even have one that fits my Felony Tuesday feelings. LOL

I'm thankful for the faithful friendship of Tiffany and Chet Lee, two people I know I can depend on and be real with! ❤

I'm thankful for my women's lifegroup and that I get to see them for dinner and the Rhema Christmas Lights tonight!!  I'm thankful that we get to celebrate Kyle's birthday this weekend! I'm thankful that Christmas is just around the corner... then Mom's birthday, then Kristin Foster, then Tiffany, then hopefully the shared birthday of me and baby Wilson! lol  Get excited!!!

I'm thankful for my peaceful FB break through this Advent season... it's been nice! Also thankful that Kristin, Chet, Laura, and Tiffany all checked in to make sure I knew about Kyle's party!! lol  That helps me not to feel FOMO (fear of missing out) as I'm not on Facebook. =)

I'm thankful for Jesus and all He has done for us! I'm thankful for friends who love Him and sharpen me spiritually!  And I'm thankful for all the nostalgia and hope the approaching new year brings!! ❤
Okay, that's all for today. Happy Tuesday!

This Is Me!

Video Here.

I am not a stranger to the dark.
Hide away, they say, 'Cause we don't want your broken parts.
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars. 
Run away, they say, No one will love you as you are.
But I won't let them break me down to dust.
I know that there's a place for us, 
For we are glorious.

So when the sharpest words wanna cut me down,
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out.
I am brave. I am bruised.
I am who I'm meant to be. 
This is me.
Look out, 'cause here I come,
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum.
I'm not scared to be seen.
I make no apologies.
This is me!

Another round of bullets hits my skin.
Well, fire away, 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in.
We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun
'Cause we are warriors!
Yeah, that's what we've become.
I won't let them break me down to dust.
I know that there's a place for us, 
For we are glorious.
And I know that I deserve your love;
There's nothing I'm not worthy of.

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down,
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out.
I am brave. I am bruised.
I am who I'm meant to be. 
This is me.
Look out, 'cause here I come,
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum.
I'm not scared to be seen.
I make no apologies.
This is me! ❤❤

That's my new favorite song, thanks to The Greatest Showman preview... I'm crazy in love with it right now, so I had to make a Flipagram for it! lol

Downton Quotables

Well, I finished my third round of Downton Abbey yesterday, so I thought a quotables post would be good (of course, heavily featuring Granny/Violet).

Favorite character:  Tom Branson

Favorite friendship: Violet and Isobel! =)

The Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith, aka Granny, aka Violet Crawley: You're a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining, and find something to do!

Cora: Are we to be friends, then?
Violet: We are allies, my dear, which can be a good deal more effective.

Daisy: Seems like a lot of food, when you think they're all in mourning.
Mrs. Patmore: Nothing makes you hungrier or more tired than grief! 

Lord Grantham: I thought you didn't like him.
Violet: So what? I have plenty of friends I don't like.

Lord Grantham: You do not love the place yet... You see a million bricks that may crumble, a thousand gutters and pipes that may block and leak, and stone that will crack in the frost.
Matthew Crawley: But you don't?
Lord Grantham: I see my life's work...

Matthew:  Don't worry, there are plenty of hours in the day. And, of course, I'll have the weekend.
Violet: Wh-What is a weekend?

Bates: You can change your life if you want to. Sometimes you have to be hard on yourself, but you can change it completely. I know.

Violet: Don't be defeatist, dear. It's very middle class.

Mary:  Are we to do all of this without telling Papa?
Violet:  There can be too much truth in any relationship.

Violet:  I can't believe it. Last night he looked so well! Of course, it would happen to a foreigner. It's typical... No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else's house, especially someone they didn't even know.

Daisy: I was only trying to help.
Mrs. Patmore: Oh, and Judas was only trying to help, I suppose, when he brought the Roman soldiers to the Garden!

Violet:  You are quite wonderful, the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. 
Isobel: I take that as a compliment.
Violet: I must have said it wrong.

Carson: I know you have spirit, my lady, and that's what counts. It's all that counts in the end.

Sybil: I'm sorry I disobeyed you, but I'm interested. I'm political. I have opinions!!
Lord Grantham:  Of course, I blame Branson...
Sybil:  If you punish Branson, I'll never speak to you again. NEVER!

Violet (about Lavinia):  So that's Mary's replacement? Well, I suppose looks aren't everything.

Cora:  Oh, it must be intimidating meeting all of us here together.
Violet:  I do hope so.

Violet:  "Marriage is a long business. There's no getting out of it for our kind of people... Just make sure you have selected the right one."

Richard:  Do you enjoy these games in which the player must appear ridiculous?
Violet: Sir Richard, life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous!"

Violet: A woman of my age can face reality better than most men.

Mary: He puts himself above the rest of us. Don't you see?
Anna: What I see is a good man, my lady. And they're not like buses. There won't be another one along in ten minutes' time.

Mary: It's not because you're afraid of calling it off? Because I'm not.
Matthew: No. It's because of something Tom said: That I would never be happy with anyone else as long as you walked the earth, which is true.

Dr. Clarkson: So you want me to lie?
Violet: Lie is so unmusical a word.

Thomas (parting advice):  Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Mrs. Patmore:  Well, that gives you a bit of leeway!

Violet:  I was right about my maid. She's leaving to get married. I mean, how can she be so selfish!?

Violet (advice to Edith):  All of life is a series of problems which we must try and solve... first one and then the next and then the next... until at last we die.

Branson to Mary:  Real love means giving someone the power to hurt you.

Violet: Principles are like prayers; noble, of course, but awkward at a party.

Violet: Hope is a tease designed to prevent us accepting reality.
Isobel:  You're only saying that to sound clever.
Violet:  Yes.... You should try it sometime.

Violet (about Mrs. Levinson): Just how long is she here for?
Robert: Who knows?
Violet: No guest should be admitted with no departure date settled.

Branson:  It comes down to whether or not you love me -- that's all! That's it. The rest is detail!

Mrs. Levinson:  You see, I have no desire to be a great lady.
Violet:  A decision which must be reinforced every time you look in the glass.

Edith, on her wedding day: Isn't it exciting?
Violet: At my age, one must ration one's excitement. 

Violet:  There's nothing simpler than avoiding people you don't like. Avoiding one's friends, that's the real test.

Robert: We won't need more than eight servants, tops. So it'll be very economical.
Violet: What about me? Where am I to go?
Robert: Well, we still own most of the village.
Violet, with all the sarcasm: Oh. Perhaps I could open a shop?

Violet:  Sybil, vulgarity is no substitute for wit!
Sybil:  You started it!

Isobel: How you hate to be wrong.
Violet: I wouldn’t know; I’m not familiar with the sensation.

Mr.Green: What can I do for you, Mrs. Hughes?
Mrs.Hughes: Nothing! You can do nothing for me. Because I know who you are, and I know what you've done. And while you're here, if you value your life, I should stop playing the joker and keep to the shadows!

Violet (to Isobel):  Does it ever get cold on the moral high ground?

Cora: Mrs. Patmore, is there any aspect of the present day that you can accept without resistance?

Mrs. Patmore: Well, My Lady, I wouldn’t mind getting rid of my corset.

Isobel: You make me sound very fervent.
Violet: Wars have been waged with less fervor.
Isobel: Say what you like, but I know you care about these things as much as I do.
Violet (laughing): Nobody cares about anything as much as you do.

Edith: Don't demean yourself by trying to justify your venom. Just go! And you're wrong, you know, as you so often are. Henry's perfect for you. You're just too stupid and stuck up to see it. Still, at least he's got away from you, which is something to give thanks for, I suppose.

Violet:  A lack of compassion can be as vulgar as an excess of tears.

Mrs. Patmore: Do you know what your problem is!?
Daisy: I bet I soon will!

Violet: Sometimes it's good to rule by fear.

Denker: Oh, Mr. Spratt, I know you resent me.
Spratt: Why would I resent you?
Denker: Because I'm interesting, because I'm exotic, because I'm attractive!
Spratt: Oh, dear me, this is worse than I thought. Do you always have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction?

Violet (pre-wedding advice): One way or another, every woman goes down the aisle with half the story hidden.

Violet:  I do think a woman's place is eventually in the home, but I see no harm in her having some fun before she gets there.

Violet:  I am a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I choose.

Violet: Never let tenderness be a bar to a bit of snooping.
Isobel: What can I do? I can hardly push my way past the servants and run upstairs to his bedroom.
Violet: I don't see why not. As my late father used to say, "If reason fails, try force!"

Amelia: Mrs. Crawley wants to take you away from your son and your family and kidnap you into marriage. What do you say?
Lord Merton:  How perfectly marvelous!

Violet:  There is a point, Spratt, when malice ceases to be amusing.

Violet: If I withdrew my friendship from everyone who had spoken ill of me, my address book would be empty.

Violet (to Isobel): It's a wonder your halo doesn't get heavy. It must be like wearing a tiara round the clock.

Okay, finally, this is decidedly the strangest thing I've seen on the internet. lol  A short Downton Abbey meets Star Wars film made by Thomas. Delightfully ridic and random.

Randomness

Get excited!  In the process of texting back and forth with Elizabeth, I made a Bitmoji (a cartoon version of me).  Look how cute she is with her bow headband, glasses, freckles, pink turtleneck sweater, tall boots, and red hair parted to the right! lol  Ridiculous things like this just make me happy!  (There are a zillion different Bitmoji things you can use in text messages to cover lots of emotions and activities. lol)

Also, Ashley read my post and mentioned me in a comment - this is big news - YAY! lol

This = my Words of Wisdom for this lovely Wednesday.  TRUTH.

Random collage of Grandad pics... fam get together at JB's in 2011, celebrating birthdays with Emily and Rach, Aunt Betty and Grandad, making mac n' cheese at 9121, and carrying Emily way back in the day at 9121! Even the magnets on that fridge bring back memories for me. lol ❤

Another slightly random one of me and Miss Kyndal Faith celebrating her 4th birthday!

Mmkay, that's all for today!

Memory Monday (Weekend)

This was after the entertaining b-day serenade on Friday! The attorney in blue doesn't want pictures posted online, so I found a sticker solution, and it's making me ridiculously happy!! lol

Melody = the first person I've seen actually order TEA at the tea room!  Their presentation and little pink tea pot were the very cutest!!

Picture by the frilly pink Christmas tree! =)

Saturday morning, I went to watch the Jaceman's first basketball game at the YMCA!  Dad is coaching the team, and it all makes me happy! (J is on the other side where you can't see him.)

Timed this one perfectly as he ran by! =)

Post game pic!  "Did I do so good!??" "How good was I?" lol

Fosters' Friendsgiving and playing Settlers with them and their small group! =)

I got to hear Michael preach at Word of Life Church yesterday!  I love that this church supports them in Haiti and took up a special offering for them as they're home!!

Michael said he was nervous, but it wasn't obvious at all... he was a natural, eloquent, relatable speaker, and his passion for Christ and for the people of Haiti were really evident! He talked about their ministry to the elderly people there, showing a few pictures and telling specific stories. And he taught about what it means to take up your cross, about being willing to follow God wherever, whenever, and whatever He calls you to do!  He told people to write down, "When I said yes to Jesus, I said no to ____." Then he shared a few ways he would personally fill in that blank, and I felt thankful for God's power and inspired by his testimony and really proud of him and how far he has come! ❤

Pretty chalkboard art in their lobby... and a Christmas carol I love!

Chettles making mac n' cheese while Teresa buttered the bread!

The first batch of bread was burned, so Michael threw it out on the porch for the birds to enjoy! lolol

...From that window, I could see the Wilsons' backyard and the yard of the family friends who live next door to them. And I thought for a minute, as I often do, about how the younger brothers in both families seemed to be heading down a bad path full of shallow friendships and dangerous choices that left their souls feeling empty and their families feeling worried. And how Michael was drawn in by the deeper friendships he saw in his brother's life, and how he chose to commit his life to Christ a little over four years ago. And I thought about the starkly different trajectories their lives have taken since that time. It made me sad looking across the fence and thinking how much victory the enemy has had in his efforts to kill, steal, and destroy... but also very hopeful in seeing the victory Jesus has had in transforming Michael and using him to change others for His kingdom!  One is on a lonely path that feels dark and hopeless, and the other is leading others to join him on the path of faith, hope, and love!  The light of Christ makes all the difference, and I'm praying for transformation in the other's life, as well!

Anyway, deep thoughts over.  Back to cheesy goodness... yummers!

Chet Lee was telling us the secret to making great sweet tea ( a "secret" which apparently came from Southern Living, according to Karli. lol)

...Chet: "This is a family trade secret, for family eyes only!"

Baylee: "Family and Lindsey."

Chet: "Well, Lindsey's basically family! If you've known us for 10 years..."

Teresa: "Yeah, if you've known us and liked us all for that long, then you're part of the family!" 

That little convo made me super happy! =)

We had roast beef sandwiches and mac n' cheese, with chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin muffies for dessert! =)

Me and the wonderful Wilson fam! =)  Exactly two weeks away from my 10-year friendiversary with Chet Lee, who I met at an LG Christmas party on 12-17-07. lol  I'm all kinds of thankful for that friendship!!

And on a real Memory Monday note, this = one year ago today, the joint bday party for Gary and Laura... complete with the memorable taco shell fire and JEM presenting the Golden Girls! =)

Okay, I'm done now!  Happy Monday, happy Advent! Hope you have a lovely week ahead!! ❤

Photo Friday!!

So good...

Aaaand this was also really good. lol  This = veggie and ground turkey soup I made with my trusty CrockPot... I just threw in all the things. lol  Green beans, peas, corn, black beans, sweet potato, cauliflower crumbles, carrots, celery, and some random quinoa to make it thicker. lol I was a bit worried that I wouldn't like the finished product after adding so much to it, but it's actually quite tasty, so yay! Veggie-full success!! lol

A text from Lindsay that made me smile yesterday... she has two cards I sent over a year ago on her fridge. It's nice to know they were meaningful! ❤

Our courthouse Christmas "Tree of Remembrance" is all lit up at night (Laura and I were chatting past 6:00 the other day, and it was cool to walk through the lobby with everything dark but this tree).

My lovely new chalkboard by Rach!! =)

Just a pretty shot at the Myriad Gardens - the fall trees and the buildings reflected in the building make me happy. I took this as Mom and I were leaving, then talked about how we should've had the Parrish fam stand rrrright there! #theresalwaysnextyear

I made my bed because there was a possibility of everyone coming to Tulsa to do the pictures here... then I felt the need to document it because making my bed is *not* a regular thing for me. lolol It's pretty, though, so I should make more effort there.

This pic of them with Mom cracks me up... Jaceman threw up the peace sign at the very last second, which completely blocked out Triston's face. #mess

Thanks to Chettles "activating my RAS" (I think that's a BOLD class term, not sure) and giving me the name and # of a painter he works with, I had my garage door painted on Friendsgiving Tuesday!

Here's a before & after shot... looks good!!

I "read" (aka listened to the audiobook) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up recently. Girlfriend is crazy and literally believes all of her possessions have feelings (like she talks about waking up her old books by clapping and worrying about the emotional tension poorly-folded socks must feel after working so hard for the person and getting stepped on all day... I laughed out loud a lot, but none of it was intended to be funny). And yet, her cleaning method is fairly legit, going category by category and holding every item and choosing to keep only what presently brings you joy!!  She talked about how we tend to keep things we have no current need for out of fear for the future or clinging to the past, and it's really so true. 
Anyway, I started out with my clothes, and eventually, I took 13 bags of clothes to Goodwill! Craziness. Hopefully someone else will enjoy them.

It's sad when you have cute clothes you forget that you own because they've been tucked away in a drawer for so long. So this was good to really go through it all and remember what I have and get rid of what no longer has real value to me!

I may not keep using it, but I did try her method for folding and storing things... and my sock drawer makes me happy! =)

Miss Kyndal Faith bossing her brothers around and demanding a "crisscross applesauce" picture! =)

...They gladly complied, and I think she looks ever-so-precious here as she's proud of herself for that! lol ❤

Bagels and book club with Monica and Elizabeth early this morning... we had a good talk about prayer and the big things we're praying over!  I've been feeling a bit off emotionally this week, partly because it's just been lonely with nowhere to be after work most of this week (other than watching the dramas of the Crawley family on Downton - lol), but today is a full day with friends, and a well-timed change!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY on this lovely Friday to Lauralai Allison!  Here are two nine-picture collages to commemorate our nine years of friendship, and almost four years of being co-workers! =)

 (There were too many good ones to just stick with one collage. lol)

Our Court Clerk, Amanda, made her a Milky Way cake this morning, then she received a very memorable birthday serenade from one of our Assistant DA's and Judge Hammers! lol  And we're off to Miss Scarlett's Tea Room with Tiffany, Leah, and Melody for lunch soon! Fun day. =)

Then I get to meet Elizabeth in OKC for dinner tonight... it's been a while since we've been able to get together, and a lot of life has happened and been discussed via email between then and now, so I'm super excited to see her tonight!! =)  Anywho, happy Friday, gang!