Today is our first snow day this season - YAY!! I woke up around 7am and was happy to get to watch the snow actually falling for a few minutes - it was big, pretty snowflakes today. Then I went back to bed and slept till noon. lol I was already off work for Veteran's Day, and it's been a lovely, lazy Monday so far!
This weekend was the baby shower for Kelly and baby Ellie Faye! =) Lindsay Morris hosted, and it was cute and fun! I was sad that I missed seeing JEM because I left early to go to OKC. =(
This = our Play-Doh baby, all wrapped up and swaddled... kinda creepy! lol
Mom and I decided to try out a couple recipes from the DeBusk fam cookbook we're working on, so we made a Mexican cornbread casserole - yum!
And a pineapple sheetcake, which had a strange texture, but was pretty good!
❤❤ Someone shared this verse on FB and it was a good reminder of how these things are so tied together, something I'm extra aware of lately.
When I'm struggling emotionally, I struggle to eat healthy and connect with God well, and vice versa - they're all linked. I'm not even sure what set it off, but it's been difficult for the last week and a half - wanting to binge eat all the foods and be lazy, and feeling disconnected and unable to write more of my book. I'm trying to climb back out of that now and regain control. It's really important for me to stay disciplined and keep these things in a healthy place of balance! I'm also still fighting for healthy relational boundaries, something that will always be a challenge because relationships are messy by nature and because of past damage. For my own sanity, I have to be done forcing myself to fake it for the sake of faux-peace with those who disappear and treat me poorly. I'm so thankful for every true friend in my life, but I'm done fighting to keep people who don't actually want to be here.
Anyway, here's a happy pic of Mom hard at work tying bows and getting stuff ready to decorate Al's house on Black Friday! =)
This = my back porch with the icicle lights all around it (and Carter Lee hanging out at my lil' table) -- I love it!! I love the look of those lights, and next time, I'll do them around my whole house for sure! =)
Anyway, hope you're enjoying a relaxing snow day, and that you are healthy in body, mind, and spirit!! ❤
Seven years ago tonight (11-11-11) we got to celebrate the wedding of Bill and Jill, one of my very favorite couples!They got married at a little chapel in Las Vegas and then had their reception at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel. Jill has excellent taste... the view and décor were fabulous, and there was champagne and delicious food and dancing.It was all perfectly wonderful, one of my favorite weddings I've ever attended!! ❤
Dad was the best man and gave a nice toast to them.Bill also spoke during their reception, specifically thanking me for my calligraphy of the addresses on their invitations, which was an unexpected but fun surprise. =)Bill is a major Green Bay Packers fan, and his groom’s cake appropriately reflected that.He and Jill had rehearsed an awesome dance for their reception, and his Saturday Night Fever style stole the show.He autographed some 8x10 pictures from that night as "Disco Billy" and gave them to us at that year’s Super Bowl Party.These guys make me laugh so much!
Only three days after that wedding, my parents were in a terrible car wreck (photo below) as they began their drive home from Vegas. Mom’s knee and forehead were cut badly, and her shoulder was also injured. They brought her to the Vegas Hospital via MedFlight helicopter, and Bill and Jill were the first to arrive. (Rachael was pregnant with Jace at the time. She and I had already flown back to Oklahoma, and Dad tends to downplay how bad things are when he talks to us... but Bill and Jill kept us updated with full details and assured us we did not need to fly back there.) They spent the better part of their honeymoon days standing by Mom's hospital bed, bringing her whatever she needed, and helping and comforting both my parents as they recovered. And I cannot adequately express my gratitude for that!
In summer 2017, I joined my parents and Bill and Jill on a trip to Niagara Falls and New York City! Jill worked as a travel agent in the past, so she planned things for us and knew all the best sights and activities. It was my first zipline experience and helicopter ride, and the entire trip was fantastic, among my favorite vacations ever. I love that I never felt out of place as a young adult traveling with my parents and another couple their age, and it’s because they feel more like family to me now!!
❤❤❤
Ever since I can remember, Dad has been part of a fantasy football league. It is him and his three closest friends, Bill, Bill, and Rick! The winner hosts that year’s Super Bowl party for all the families. At halftime, they do a trophy presentation, usually accompanied by entertaining commentary from the guys. =) ...They all met during their college days, so they have been friends for over 40 years now. This means they have seen each other through marriages, divorces, moves, big celebrations, and unimaginable losses. In February 2008, Rick's oldest son and my Dad's father died on the same day. It was the first time I fully appreciated the value of those longstanding friendships... seeing all four of those men standing together at both funerals that week was almost more than my heart could take!
(This pic was at Bill and Jill's wedding.)
This August, the guys all rode the rapids together to celebrate my dad’s 65th birthday! Jill and I followed them, taking pictures all along the way. =) Debbie brought some old photos of the guys that we passed around at dinner, then we listened to them tell stories and laughed and had a blast! =)
I am deeply thankful for these men and their families, and for the years of solid friendship we have all been blessed to share in! We have so many fun memories together, including holiday events, birthdays, vacations, cookouts, weddings, and Super Bowl parties. But what I love most is the way they come through for each other in the hard times… that they show up for the funerals and the hospital stays and the moves and the difficult projects. The stability of these family friendships means a lot to me - it is such a gift from God! ❤
Anyway, a very Happy 7th Anniversary to Bill and Jill!!
Thanks for being awesome people and great friends to our whole family! =) (*And bonus points for recommending Mon Ami Gabi, which has become my favorite restaurant! lol)
(This last pic = dinner at The Ranch Steakhouse last night... yum!)
If my math is correct, I have seen 70 movies in theaters since getting my MoviePass card around a year ago! lol I've seen 56 in 2018, and I will be sure to use the 6 more opportunities I have before the calendar year ends... this means I paid a one-time grand total of $90 to see 62 movies in 2018, (and $20 for the 14 movies I saw in the two months I used the card in 2017).
My average cost per theater movie =$1.45. (In 2018 and overall with MoviePass.)
The price of one movie in theaters now is $8 to $12, and that's if you don't go for IMAX or 3D. Absurd. So this has been lovely, but it is 0% surprising to me that the company is struggling to stay afloat as they make up that difference for all their customers. For a while, MoviePass allowed you to see one movie per day, and you could see the same movie as many times as you wanted -- (hence, seeing The Greatest Showman 7 times)! Then you could only see each movie one time (unless, of course, you cheat the system and buy a ticket for something you have no desire to see, then go again). Then it became a 3-movies-per-month limit. And now, only 1 or 2 of the currently playing movies are even available each week on the app. Sad day.
I'll be surprised if the company is still around after the new year. I'm guessing they're holding out so that they won't have to refund money to people like me who paid for a full year up front. But it's likely going under sometime soon. This emoji logo made me laugh. lol
I've always loved going to the theater, but lately, movie nights at home are also pretty great!! An unexpected side effect of this whole thing is that it has lowered the value of theater movies for me. Like, I am no longer willing to pay full price to see anything that I'm not crazy-excited about, and even then I would pick a matinee or discount Tuesday. Four out of my 76 movies would make that list of being worth full price to me (Greatest Showman, Jumanji, Avengers: Infinity War, and Bohemian Rhapsody). I'd be fine with waiting till they come to Netflix or Hulu on over 90% of them. So it's entirely possible that I'll go from seeing more in-theater movies than ever to seeing less than ever next year. And I'm totally fine with that! =)
(This was taken when Chet's closing guy rented the theater for Pitch Perfect 3, a movie I saw without having to use MoviePass, which brings my total to a perfect 77!)
So there's my random MoviePass update. lol
The full list as of now = Geostorm, Thor: Ragnorok (x2), Let There Be Light, Wonder, Daddy's Home 2, Bad Moms' Christmas, Just Getting Started, The Mountain Between Us, Star Wars Episode VIII, The Greatest Showman (x7), Jumanji: Into the Jungle (x3), Downsizing, Commuter (x2), The Post, Molly's Game (x2), I, Tonya, 12 Strong, Paddington 2, Maze Runner: Death Cure, 15:17 to Paris, Black Panther, Game Night, A Wrinkle in Time, I Can Only Imagine, The Miracle Season, Ready Player One, I Feel Pretty, Avengers: Infinity War (x2), Overboard, Life of the Party, Book Club (x2), Solo, Adrift, Ocean's 8 (x2), Tag, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Ant-Man and Wasp, Skyscraper, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Hotel Transylvania 3, The Darkest Minds, Crazy Rich Asians (x2), The Spy Who Dumped Me, Peppermint, Unbroken: Path to Redemption, Night School, A Star is Born, Indivisible, The Hate U Give, Bohemian Rhapsody (x2).
This year marks my 10-year "Tinfinity" Friendiversary with Lauralai Allison (11-4), Sarah Elizabeth (12-17), and Chet Lee (also 12-17)! I know it is a gift, and I'm so very grateful to have friends who have been a significant part of my life for that long!! ❤
This means I spent part of my lazy morning making slideshows to commemorate these friendships. It was fun looking back through all those pictures and memories, pondering all the things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same! I'll save Chet and Sarah for next month, but here's one I made for my Tinfinity friendship with Laura, which was technically on Sunday. This song choice will probably seem random, but we both like it, so I went with it. lol
We met through Kristin Foster (my longest-running close friendship) at a Presidential Election watch party on November 4, 2008. 'Twas a memorable night, and the first of many deep conversations we had about God's plan and political views and blog writings. lol (She was reading my blog before we even met, which made me happy.) Laura is a great listener and a loyal confidant, someone who thinks deeply and is determined to follow her convictions! She was also a wonderful "Grandma" to the girlfranz, and she's an awesome bailiff for us at work! =)
------
In other news, this ad popping up on Facebook today made me laugh out loud! ...A lovely t-shirt for holiday gatherings and parties. lolol
This post also came up today and it made me happy. (I'm not about to give up hope in any direction, but it was just a good reminder to hold on to my faith in God's timing and goodness!)
Read this old blog this morning, and Jace's Christmas prayer made me smile!! ❤
I had today off thanks to Judge being in Okemah for Drug Court, but I woke up feeling a little under the weather... sore throat and sinus issues and such. So I've obviously been taking it suuuuper easy today, sleeping in, staying home all day, reading old blogs, sifting through old pictures, and watching the first seven episodes of 24 - I'm definitely hooked now! (As if I needed a new show.) Anyway, I think that's all I have for today. Now I'm off to continue relaxing. =)
Can we talk for just a minute about how precious she is!? My one and only niece, the mini Miss Kyndal Faith... so full of joy and life and boldness and sweetness, and such a natural beauty and gift from God!! ❤ She is all about the pictures now - running from one rock or tree to another and striking a new pose before anyone else was near her... this was one of many, and it's one of my favorites of her. Her sassy confidence makes me happy every time I see it shining through! =)
Get it, Miss K - you go, girl! lol
A rare and happy sight -- Rach and the kids at my front door!
Josh and his coworker Michael came early to install outdoor Christmas lights for me!
What. A. Preshface!! Just sitting in my sink, getting her hair curled. =)
The Jaceman got water and ice about 20 times just bc he thought it was fun! lol
One of many random hiding spots he found throughout my house... hot mess! lol
Silly faces pic... Carter was back getting ready when we took these, and I'm sad we didn't take another one with him!
Love them!!
Miss K got a mug with some ice water to be like her brother... they love to cheers with glasses, so I had to snap a photo of that! lol
Pic by the white tree!
A fun family lunch at The Brook! We watched the OSU game, and at the very end when all the fam was upset at once, I looked up and realized they were playing Baylor, then remembered JEM was there for the homecoming game, so I was the only one at our table who was happy about the last minute Baylor win!! Every team should get to win their homecoming game, but real sports fans seem to disagree. lol
Sister pic!
Jace: "If you don't work, you don't eat. Right, Mom!? But I've been working hard at school!!"
Kyndal, with so much attitude: "I've been workin' at school, too!! I've been nappin'... I've been coloring... I've been tracing!!" ❤
These pics are a little out of order. They came back to my house to get ready after lunch, then we went to Woodward Park to get some Parrish fam pics for their Christmas cards. The Miss was all about it! lol
So much cuteness! And Woodward Park is so pretty with all the leaves!
I like this one better than our more posed one - their smiles are more real here!
T and C are getting so big and handsome! They had so many questions for me about my job and what type of cases I've heard. I like that they care - I wish I had more funny stories and less stories that I'm uneasy about telling them.
Look, it's me taking their picture! lol Mom was further back and got this one. =)
The Jaceman kept making me laugh. He did this loud, exaggerated, open-mouthed cough occasionally... then he would smile with big crazy eyes or just be looking around at something instead of at the camera... then he was busy jumping for leaves or climbing trees or doing chin-ups. Hot mess express! lol
❤❤❤
So much cuteness!
Leaf-throwing fun!
Kids running all around them!
The Miss thought it'd be fun to have a pic of just her running around the rest of the fam all posed, so everyone humored her for it! Hahaha, she's the best!
The tree pics were my favs, so this is the last one I'll post here!
