Photo Friday!!

The Jaceman demonstrating his best "dab" skills tonight at the Homecoming game! lol

Dylan and Jace (photo by Jill, who was kind enough to come on one day's notice and take some pics with her awesome zoom lens).

Mamaw and Bampa and J-Michael!

This one makes me happy!  He was so excited!!

Coach Kufahl jumped into a Parrish fam pic! lol

Jace with his Mom and Dad =)

The Miss K got to cheer before the game! They did a little cheerleading clinic last week, and she's been practicing her cheers, so that was fun to see too. =)  She and Brynlee are besties at the moment - so much cuteness!!

That's all for now, but I'm sure there'll be more to come.  I got a couple cute videos, too, so hooray for that!  I'll try to post them here at some point.  It was weird being back at First Southern (where we went to church from 3rd through 11th grade, and the home of CHA's football stadium).

'Twas my first CHA game in several years... and I saw about 20 people that I knew from my time there within the first 5 minutes of walking around.  Mr. Clay was still doing the announcements.  The head coach is still Mr. Merrell, but now it's Tony instead of John.  Andy Smith was helping with something on the field.  The Bullard fam, Heather Clark Benedix, Lindsay Law Thompson, Chloe Chrisman, Johnny and Heather, the Kufahls, Brooke English Bullard, etc., etc. 
...It's crazy how much things change, and how much they stay the same. lol

Happy Friday, friends!! ❤

Thankful Thursday!! (88)

"How kind the LORD is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!"  ~Psalm 116:5

Today, I am thankful for:

1. My awesomesauce DVD cabinet, painted by Rachael!! ❤❤ Me and her and Mom have been texting back and forth through the last month with ideas and movie logos and progress photos... I'm super happy with the way it turned out, and excited to pick it up this weekend!!  I love it, and I love my sister who made it!! =)

2. That I forced myself to go to Fleet Feet even though I wasn't feeling great and didn't want to go yesterday... I always feel nervous before we start, then always feel proud of myself when we're done.  We went 2.22 miles yesterday and there were a couple big hills, and it was hot and humid, especially for being October.  But I did it, so huzzah!! (Before and after pics.)

3. For the 15/30 group being small enough that I know I will be missed if I don't show up... it's become a group of 4, and there are two Christinas.  So it's me, Brenda, Christina, and Coach Christina.  I like the small group and the intervals and the challenging-but-not-ridiculously-challenging pace of it all.  And I like that our coach takes a pic of us every day when we finish!

4. Triston Michael, aka T-man!!  He was punched twice by a bully in his class this week when he stepped in to stand up for a friend... always surprising when stuff like that happens at CHA.  But the teachers said he handled it well, so that's awesome, and I hope he feels proud!  I love him, and love that he stood up for his friend!  ...He's selling candy bars to raise money for next year's Washington D.C. trip now, and he has already raised lots of money, thanks to Josh posting this pic on Facebook! =)  Makes me happy (and so does the candy I'm picking up this weekend)! lol

5. Carter Lee!  ...He's really struggling in school again, and we're trying to figure out if there is a learning disability involved and how to move forward.  He feels overwhelmed and then lies to try to avoid work or avoid feeling stupid, and it's all messy and hard.  I love him, and I'm praying for God to give Rach and Josh and Brooke and Mom wisdom and discernment in dealing with that, and that God would guard Carter's heart and self-esteem - that he would feel confident and affirmed in what he does well, and supported and encouraged where he is struggling.  I love that Mom has been helping him with homework and notebooks every day he's with them - I think the individual focused attention and help is so valuable for him!

6. Jace Michael!  He got to take home "Buzzy the Bee" for being a good leader in his kindergarten class, and that makes me happy. =) This pic makes him look like he's putting on a ventriloquist act. lol  I just love him and his energy and confidence, and I'm so looking forward to seeing him carry the crown tomorrow night at the Homecoming game!

7. Kyndal Faith, aka the preshface mini Miss K!  This is her and Jack, a boy in her class who really likes her.  Jack and Kyndal, Jace and Claire - all the little blonde cuteness! lol  (Jack = the son of Lyndsay, who was also my classmate at CHA).  I'm happy she's doing well and making friends and loving school!  I love her so much, her sweet spirit and her fiesty, sassy side.  The pics below of her playing with the big bubble wand are just pure cuteness!

Mmkay, so that's the niece and nephews update for the moment!  Happy Thursday, gang!!

Weekend Update!

I finally got to meet baby Theo this week - I love holding babies when they're so new and so peacefully asleep and precious! lol  I was scheduled to take Neil and Amber a meal on Monday, but decided to use DoorDash so that I wouldn't miss the first day of my 15/30 group... so I was happy to get to see him when Kristin invited me to a girls night on Thursday!

Audrey and Amber admiring Theodore George!

Audrey, Amber, April, Theo, Kristin, and me! =)  

I came home on Friday night and met Kristin for dinner at Olive Garden.  We had a great talk, and I'm proud of myself for staying in my calorie range there - yay for soup, salad, and breadsticks! lol  (My usual ziti is over 1,000 calories all by itself - yikes!  It's always eye-opening when you start paying attention on this stuff.)

Saturday, Mom and I ran a few errands, and we met Josh and Jace on the road. lol  (Josh and Rach have been doing special one-on-one stuff with each of the kids more lately, and everything about that makes me happy!)

Mamaw helping J Michael and the Miss with their magical painting book!  I had to try it myself because it looked pretty fun! =)  They did this + hoverboarding + fort time whilst me and Dad and Josh and Rach went to Jayme's wedding (where the kids weren't invited, and Mom, of course, was happy to watch them).

The wedding was at "The Stone Barn at Blueberry Hill," which immediately made me think of Richie Cunningham singing "I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill!" lol  Parking was super limited, and I didn't realize it would be an outdoor wedding, so you can imagine how excited I was about that surprise and all the bees and flies buzzing around. The weather was actually pretty nice, though, and it made me laugh to see Kristin and Tracy coming down to feed this goat when we first arrived. lol

(The enchilada dinner was also outside, but we skipped that part and went home to hang out with Mom and J&K.)

I like the guest book Bible idea, but it did make the line move much slower.  A lot of things about this reminded me of Michael and Baylee's wedding.

Me, Dad, Rach, and Joshua!  I was definitely happy to be sitting with them during the prayer ministry portion.  I'm glad I know Rach well enough to read her facial expressions, and I found myself wishing I could hear her exact inner thoughts that night. lol

Jayme and Gene coming down the aisle.  (Shhh, I broke their no cell phones rule taking this pic, but whatevs.  Mom wanted to see lots of pics, so I was happy to oblige!  I also took it after she passed me bc I'm happy to not offend. lol)

Rach and Josh... I've ordered a dress that's kind of similar to this one, and I'm excited for it to arrive - I'm a fan! =)

Sistah pic!!

Al and Charlene!  He hates posing for pics, but obliged me when I said it was for Mom. lol

Dad and Uncle Gus! =)

I drove back to Tulsa after the wedding, then got up waaaay earlier than normal to attend the 8:30 service at Woodlake. Then met Tiffany and Steve and Sarah for the Tulsa Fair!

He picked the crown, so she went with the mustache. lol

Steve was super excited about watching the dog show, which turned out to be much more cuteness and fun than I'd expected!  Plus I'm never opposed to sitting down for a bit in the middle of a day full of walking. =)

Impressive! =)  (Both the dog and my camera-work capturing this moment. lolol)

The butter and/or cheese sculptures always make me laugh!  They're seriously impressive, but also beg the question, how does one get into this field and WHY?  The hair being string cheeses made me happy!! =)

Steve trying out the shake-plate thing. lol

I had cheese curds (always what I want most at the fair) and some nitro ice cream, and both were tasty and satisfying! =)  It makes me feel empowered and happy when I manage to stay in my calorie range on a weekend like this!  It's progress, not perfection, and yay for that!! 

And yay for a rest night and going to bed early!  G'night, friends!

The 15/30

Yesterday was day one of Fleet Feet's "No Boundaries" 5k training... I've done their programs at least twice in the past, so I knew a little of what to expect.

They've started a new group called 15/30 where they do that same interval the entire time... run for 15 seconds, walk for 30 seconds, run for 15, walk for 30.  The interval time will never increase, but the distance will.  Their website says this interval training is great for your heart and much easier on your body than running longer in the regular couch-to-5k program, so I decided to sign up!  I nearly talked myself out of it after listening to the info session and thinking I really might not be able to keep up - it's a brisk walk in between the runs - but they said I might as well try it and see how it goes, and that I could always change groups later if needed.  And I knew that they always circle back and won't just take off and leave anyone behind in the group runs, so that was comforting, even though I was hoping not to be dead last.

This = me, Brenda, Rita, Cristina, and Doug.  The 15/30 group from yesterday.  I got some new Hoka tennis shoes, and I'm liking the extra cushion!  The walk recovery between was fantastic, as was knowing that each run wouldn't last very long.  It didn't feel too fast, and aside from going down a street with a fire hydrant spewing water everywhere so that we had to run through a couple puddles, it was a great first day!

It was a little challenging for me toward the end, but I kept up with them, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.  It seems like it'll be a great fit for me in this season and up my endurance a bit!  The weather was nice, our coach talked to us a lot and kept my mind occupied, and it brought back lots of memories of the days of running those neighborhoods with Bobbi and Angie, or later with Natalie. =)

We just did a mile and a half last night, and they'll gradually increase the distance over the next few weeks.  I'm not really planning to do a race - I just wanted to get more outdoor exercise in, and I figured a group was a good way to do that safely.  I'm really happy I tried the intervals thing, and I'm thankful it went well. So huzzah! Try new things! Be strong and do the work! =)

I can run/walk with them every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday that I'm free, shooting for three interval workouts a week. Between that and TheoFit's short weight routine I can do at home, I'm all set. Get excited!

In other news, this made me smile on my FB Memories from three years back.  "Someday" has finally arrived. =)

This = my new Thanksgiving season chalkboard from Hobby Lobby.  I like that you can change it out every so often, and it's cute and a nice reminder to be grateful!

Well, that's all I've got at the moment, and I'm about to head into court for "Felony Tuesday" pleas.

"May you grow every day in the knowledge of God's love for you. May that knowledge bring you great healing. And through that healing, may you become all you were intended to be!" ❤

Lately

I decided to wait till Saturday to drive to OKC, thanks to the crazy rain on Friday.  Worked out well, as I got to meet the Wilsons for dinner at Texas Roadhouse before they left for Hawaii... fun times!  (Kyle and Sarah's wedding is this Wednesday, and the Wilsons, Mosses, and Myers all flew down to celebrate with them!)

We got a pic of Tate on the saddle, but he wasn't very amused by it. lol

Lunch with Elizabeth at Swadley's on Saturday! ...Great 4-hour talk about allll the things! =)  She's been super encouraging about my book, so that's helping me stick with it and push myself to write. ❤

Jaceman showing Dad his notebook. =)

The title page made me happy!!

J, looking at me with suspicion:  "I kinda feel like you're not the *real* Lindsey with your hair done like that!!" lolol

Flagpole climbing fun. lol

Miss K practicing her Little Mermaid pose! lol

Checking on a caterpillar. They make me happy! =)  Also, Dad's ankle tan line cracks me up!

Artsy pic of me almost touching the lowered basketball rim. lol

The Jaceman trying on his Homecoming clothes! =) 

(The lil' bow tie is from Mo's Bows, as seen on Shark Tank.)

Mom and I started a new project this weekend - typing several recipes out to create a cookbook for the DeBusk fam! 

This = a post-it note from Laura that made me laugh!  The sewage smell is back in our courtroom because Creek County prefers quickly masking things over actually doing what's necessary to fix the problem.  Anyway, it's off and on, and they keep thinking they have it fixed, then it comes back.  So Laura was wanting me to check and see if I still thought it was bad.  It was.  It's just lovely breathing that toxic air every day.  Grrrr.

Finally, a quick mini-rant on a growing pet peeve of mine:  There are a number of attorneys who come in to make copies and then pretend that they find our copy machine utterly bewildering and baffling, as if they were trying to put a car together piece by piece.  It immediately irritates me every time.  They'll talk about how they never understand these new-fangled machines and their secretary always does this stuff at their office.  Like, they passed the Bar Exam with flying colors, but putting paper into a very visible slot and pressing the clearly marked "copy" button is just more than their brain can possibly handle.  (They obviously think it's a task that's far beneath them and want the little women of the office to do it for them, then think I'm stupid enough to believe what they're saying, which is why it irks me so, particularly when multiple men join the conversation and all act baffled.  Insert all the eyeroll emojis.)  Not once have I ever heard a female attorney act that way.  

Anyway, two such attorneys came into my office the other day while Judge and Laura were still in court, having walked right past the copy machine to come see me.  I thought they were coming to order a transcript, then one of them said, "Judge told us we could come in here and get some copies."  I said, "Oh absolutely, our copy machine is just right over there by the door you guys came through."  Then I smiled super-politely and put my headphones back on. lol  #noregrets #notmyjob #nottheimpossibledream #dontinsultmyintelligence  They walked over together and looked at it for a minute as if it were a massive book written in a foreign language, quietly pondering the many complications and risks of taking out the single staple and putting the paper into this terrifying machine.  They whispered something to each other, likely something unkind about me, then they went downstairs to the Clerk's Office to have them make their copies.  At least the Clerk's Office will charge them for it.  I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt, then got really cracked up by the absurdity of the whole thing.  My gosh.  GET OUT ALREADY! lol

Mmkay that's all I have for today.  Hope you're having a lovely Monday! =)