Star-Spangled Celebration & Storm (250!!)

It was a very memorable 4th of July yesterday!  I got up around 6am to get to Bixby in time for the Wilsons' neighborhood parade... I invited myself for this event when I found out this was their first (and potentially only) time to be in charge of the parade and ice cream afterparty. =)  Chet said it might seem cuter in my mind than it would actually be. lol  But it was very photo-worthy, and I'm glad I came!!

For starters, Karli Marie made this balloon flag backdrop - cuteness!!

The lead car for the parade + loads of neighborhood kids walking, biking, and scootering behind him!

GiGi (Melissa's grandma name) and her three grandkids!

Karli goes all out and does such a great job with stuff like this!!

The very cutest! ❤

Showing me her Barbie doll house... and the pink suitcase = her luggage "for when they go to Disney!"

Flag selfie with the kids!

Chet and Craig (Country Crossing co-leaders) with the ice cream sundaes for everyone!

Love the Wilson fam and how much they've brought this neighborhood together!!

Ice cream time + bow by Mom

Grandma Teresa + Parker E*

So many snappers + a rare photo of both cats late that night!

*Me:  I love your pink shorts, Miss!  You look so cute!!

Parker:  They're purple.

Me:  Hmm, pink-ish purple. lol

Karli bought a roll-on glitter stick that was fun for kids and adults! lol

Lunch group pic at our Rib Crib corner booth, (by our waitress who reminded them of Ava)!

Parker selfie + Parker hiding in group pic #1
Silly pics by Parker + pic with Parker and Melissa

Parker marking up the close-up she took of her eye + me documenting the Bixby Rib Crib

Me taking some pics from the car whilst Chet and Tate stocked up on fireworks, followed by a Walmart ice run!

Video wishing Lisa (their fav CFA employee) a happy bday! lol

Presh Paige being happy about her first 4th of July festivities!

Paige Evelyn's first swim day + rocking Tate's hairpiece + the furrowed brow when Karli gave her to me. lol

Pre-dinner talk and alliterative prayer by Chettles (thankful for food, faith, family, friends, freedom, etc.) + the kids tables looking very festive!

Zealand and Parker being cute friends excited about this toy popping! lol

Kid-friendly firecrackers, parachutes, snappers, etc.

Love this pic of Paige unfazed by the fireworks drama around her!

Kyle Brandon and his boys! ❤

An unexpected thunderstorm postponed the planned neighborhood fireworks show, so we all scurried back inside, and the kids settled in to watch Bluey and snacked on watermelon, chips, and cookies whilst we finally got a delightful (reconstructed) balloon flag pic indoors!

Dessert time (pre-fireworks).  I made a Texas white sheet cake - yum! - and the Young fam brought ice cream!  I love that Chet commits to the bit even while the ice cream lid is on!! lol

Group pic by the balloon flag (which is totally obscured here, but whatevs).  Love this group!!
(For future reference: Bill was sick and missed this event.  Melissa and Teresa made it home before the storm.  The Young fam had already left here.  Jessica's mom was in town.  And the Myers are fostering, hence the stickers.)

After all that, I sat in the Wilsons' driveway for almost two hours waiting out the storm whilst editing and posting the above pics and listening to The Princess Diaries score and other fun music!  I got home around 1:45am and got in bed after 2:00... so it was a verrrry long but very FUN day celebrating America's 250th birthday with some of my favorite people!  While others were swimming, I had a good talk with Teresa and Chettles.  At the beginning of the day, Chet and I were planning to swim and both kids were adamant nos.  That completely flipped in the end.  But I will swim on the 18th if not before!

Anyway, now I'm off to a delicious Italian dinner as a belated bday celebration for Kristin Michelle, followed by the watching postponed Tinker fireworks show at Mom and Dad's, hopefully with my feet in their pool - thankful that the major storm allowed me to get the best of both worlds this year!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Thankful Thursday #237!

"Every time I think of you,
I give thanks to my God.
Every time I pray for all of you,
I do it with joy."
~Philippians 1:3-4

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Kristin Michelle, an excellent mom and my fav cousin and awesome friend, who celebrates her 40th birthday tomorrow!!  Super thankful for four decades of shared memories together, including loads of family get-togethers, summer swims, making cheesy music videos, one trip to CityWalk, countless Station walks, Italian meals (and BBQ and CF brunches), family weddings and birthdays and funerals, and lots of meaningful talks! ❤  I hope this has been a great last-day-of-her-30s, and hope it's a wonderful new decade ahead!

2.  Having enough downtime this year for my soul to breathe and my spirit to really connect with God and to feel more like myself again in lots of ways!

3.  Finally being an official Club Pilates member!  I did my first Cardio Sculpt class last night, and it was fun and challenging!

4.  Judge Allen Levi - I loved his first book (Theo of Golden, which he wrote at age 68), and I so appreciate his humility and sincerity and writing advice and Spotify playlist (of beautiful instrumental songs that he used while writing, and now I have been, too)!

5.  Nicklas Rossner, my running coach! =)  He's encouraging and gets to the point with solid practical advice!  After watching several of his YouTube videos, I paid for his Half-Marathon Training Program (did my first threshhold test yesterday - rough times, but I'm excited to push myself in this season).  

6.  These mini-donuts and the white sheet cake I'll be baking for the 4th tomorrow!  Because balance. lol  (This was late June.  It's very new, but working in 150 grams of protein per day is naturally helping me to eat healthier now, and I find that pretty hopeful and exciting!)

7.  Excited and grateful for my coming cruise to Alaska, a Life List item I've been dreaming of for several years now... and open to any other opportunities God may have in store! =)

8.  Katherine Claire, who turned 5 years old today!!  HBD to my adorable honorary niece! ❤

9.  This pic with Parker Elizabeth from this very day three years ago!  (She was helping me hold the umbrella at the very loud and very hot air show, and seeing her presh little hand and headphones made me smile today!)

10. Finally, I'm thankful I finished scoping my case in time to write this blog, and I'm thankful for 18 YEARS of blogging, (as of tomorrow, which is now two minutes away).  #Blogiversary 
*It still makes me laugh that the very first words I ever published here were an Austin Powers quote. lol

❤ ❤ ❤

The Wind and the Waves

My Lake Hefner walk yesterday was good for the soul.  It was a really windy day, which made the lake nice and wavy, and all of that made me feel more alive and in tune with nature. lol

Not gonna lie - this makes me wanna go back!

Flix Brewhouse was showing Twister for its 30th anniversary.  I've seen the sequel multiple times... yay, Glen Thomas Powell!!

...but I had never seen the original!  I always prefer to see things on the big screen for the first time if possible, so this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up!  I even got a fun commemorative cup for attending. lol  My guess is I was the only person in there who wasn't already a fan!

They had the 1984 Jeep truck from the 1996 movie (according to Twister Truck on Facebook), so I got a pic with that too - JEM is a big fan, so it was fun texting with him and Chet about this!

*Side note:  I have no eyeliner because my eyes are still recovering from allergy issues after the puppy class.  They need to calm down ASAP so I can look more awake! lol

I enjoyed the movie and hearing Shania in the soundtrack -- I told JEM and Chet I totally understood the therapist girlfriend who said she thought chasing tornadoes "was a metaphor!" lol

Throwback to me writing a metaphorical post (here) right after seeing the sequel in 2024! lol

Mess Grace!

In other news, we befriended a potentially-injured or vision-impaired butterfly tonight!!

Then K-Faith and Rach practiced volleyball while Jace practiced his dunking skills with the goal set at 9 feet!

"Intention Setting" Peloton walk at the Station after my final Solid Rock strength workout this morning with Coach Lexi!  I was in a rough place at the New Year, so I'm treating this halftime thing with New-Year's-Eve-level reset vibes!!

I had an awe-inspired, calming "Be still and know that He is God" moment at the wavy lake yesterday.

"What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the waves obey Him!?" ~Mark 4:41

Trusting in God's power and protection.  Okay, this is my third and final post for today.  I wish you all a lovely second half of 2026 starting tomorrow!!

This = my Write the Word page for today, and it feels like a kind reminder from God!

After writing about being in a wilderness season, this feels encouraging and affirming.

Here's to moving forward and paying attention to the new things God is doing!

❤ ❤ ❤

Halftime Pep Talk!

And now, some goals and plans for the second half of this year!!

I'm Looking Forward To:  Kristin's 40th birthday, America's 250th birthday, Chet's 38th birthday,  my 1st Alaska Cruise at the end of July!, Dad's 73rd birthday, Kyndal Faith’s 13th birthday, writing my book, another raise (hopefully), taking the Biblical Foundations class in October, and most everything about the holiday season ahead!!

POWER PLAN: 

• PLANTS & PROTEIN:  (My overarching goal is to reach my goal weight before my 3-year surgiversary next summer.)  With that in view, my goal is to focus on hitting 150 grams of protein per day and to incorporate fruit and/or vegetables into my daily diet!
• PILATES & PELOTON:  I'm signed up for 90 days of Club Pilates workouts (goal = 5 classes per week); I also plan to do a full-body strength class on the Peloton app 2x a week
• PEN TO PAPER:  (I will, of course, be typing, but I needed to keep the alliteration going. lol)  Goal #3 is to follow the schedule I've created and finish my Strong Over Small book draft by October 1st; then have some trusted friends/mentors review it and help me make edits, then have it ready to self-publish by the end of this year (I will not actually publish until 2027 just because I prefer those date numbers. lol)
• PERSEVERANCE & PEACE:  Start the Bible Recap plan tomorrow and go through their full Bible reading plan by July 1, 2027!
• PACING PUSH:  Sign up for the Route 66 Half, and train to run it under 2 hours and 30 minutes (which will absolutely be challenging for me)
• PUBLIC PRESENTATION:  Join a Toastmasters group by end of August to practice and grow in my speaking/presenting skills!*
• PERSONAL PRACTICE:  Post 12 new talking-to-camera videos by the end of the year (length and topic of my choice)
• PRAYER & PIVOT:  Prayerfully plan my next life/career move, and be prepared to pivot as needed! =)

So there you have it.  I'll be pressing in and pushing myself with food, exercise, reading, writing, and speaking goals as the year moves forward!  And reminding myself that proper planning prevents poor performance! ;-)

*For the record, Shadé Zahrai inspired the public speaking focus in her Unlocking Strengths MasterClass:

"How do you differentiate yourself in a world where everything is becoming the same?  In the past, people who wrote really well would often stand out.  But now, most people are using ChatGPT to write their emails and presentations, so unfortunately, it's a sea of sameness.  When everyone is suddenly very good at something, no one stands out.  So I think one of the most important strengths you can develop is the ability to verbally communicate, because that is something you cannot go to ChatGPT to do for you.  If you can think about how you can get better at speaking, presenting, connecting, that is going to serve you so well...  In a future that is going to be shaped by AI -- in a present that is shaped by AI -- how you make people feel is your most powerful advantage!"  

I know she's not wrong.  And I want to grow in that!!

PEP TALK PORTION:

Don't get complacent now, and don't let the fierce opposition intimidate you.  This matters.  The power that lives in you is greater than anything coming against you, which means you are poised and ready for a comeback victory!!  Remember that you can do hard things!  Choose goals that are aligned with your values and desires, then pursue them.  Don't be afraid to try new things, and do not be afraid to TRY as hard as you possibly can to reach your goals, to grow, to lead, to step up. #maximumeffort  God's JOY is your strength, and He will empower you for what He calls you to do!  Choose life, choose health, and choose growth -- for yourself and for the sake of the people God calls you to impact!!  Strong and healthy mind, strong and healthy body, strong and healthy soul, strong and healthy spirit!  Do not shrink back and hide, and don't you dare make yourself small to please people - the spirit of fear has no place in your life.  You never walk alone, so move with confidence.  God is with you and for you, giving you His power and love and a sound mind.  

You do care.  

And you've got this!

Keep moving forward - let's finish strong!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Halftime Review!

Surprise, surprise - the big hearing got continued to Thursday!

#huzzah #admintime

That allowed me to do laundry I'd been putting off, go get my car serviced, take a walk around Lake Hefner, and go see Twister for the first time ever on the big screen yesterday (playing at Flix for it's 30th anniversary - yay!!)  And at long last, I have some time today to write a recap/review of Quarter 1 and 2 (this post), then detail my goals and plans for Q3 and Q4 of 2026 (next post)!!  Jumping right in... here's a photo and caption for my top 10 events from each month!

QUARTER ONE:

Mom's 71st birthday at Red Rock * Chet's New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge * Chet's Disney Marathon! * Splash Mountain (aka Tiana's Bayou Adventure) * Movie day! * Group pic after the marathon * Miss K's Rise Volleyball photo session where she brought a Bible as one of her photo props ❤ * Chet trying the famous French bakery dessert he learned about on Instagram * Kyndal's first scrimmage against her former teammates * An extra-cold Wednesday walk with Kristin

Friend trio talk at Utica Starbucks before my bday dinner * Super Bowl party at Mom and Dad's * Anthony's 14th Birthday balloon release * AFD and JW becoming FB official (and giving me more hope for a future relationship) * Tate and Sophia at his 8th bday party (Disney-themed!) * Family dinner for Rachael's 40th Birthday * Teresa, Donetta, and Chet (at Tate's party) * Birthday lunch for Tiffany (yay, matching Swiftie hats!) * Proud grandparents at the Valentine's Day tournament * Pelicans for Jace's Bday dinner with the fam and TJ!

Fun OKC Zoo trip with the Whitaker crew * Catching up with Holly and Tman after Charleston's dinner * Hanging out with Jaceman and Rach at K's tournament (the day I got the cap Rach crystalled for me) * Pic with our star setter * Meeting Paige Evelyn the day after she was born * Megan Elizabeth's wedding reception * Kate coming to support K-Faith in her Texas tournament * Spring walk with Kristin Michelle * Wonderful Wilson fam, party of five * Olive Garden lunch with Teresa in celebration of Paige's arrival!

QUARTER TWO:

Parker Elizabeth feelin' cute at her 5th Bday Princess Party * Starbucks with Triston to design and order his Graduation invites * Baby shower for Paige hosted by Debbie and me (and Mia!) * Jaceman grilling chicken for us (without the shirt that was "weighing him down" lol) * Deppen family officially adopting Carter just after his 18th birthday! * Pic with Kyndal Faith at her final CHA Easter program * Triston Michael looking handsome in the suit he bought for his Senior year JSB * Rise team celebrating an awesome play * The Ranch for Triston and Carter's birthdays! * Kyndal's Washington DC trip slideshow (this = her sitting by Senator Lankford on the plane ride and deciding she wants to be a Senator when she grows up!) #letsfreakinggo!

Early summer party celebrating T's graduation and K's Christian Citizenship Award! * Family pic with extra-tall (AI) Jace on T's Graduation day! * Keller, TX roadtrip to meet my podcast besties, Eddie Kaufholz and Annie F. Downs * Diesel's 6th Grade Graduation * Kyndal Faith getting her 6th Grade Grad diploma * Friend trio pic by Karli's balloon arch at Chet's Block Party #7! * Thunder game with Rach, Jace (our photographer here), and Kyndal * Karli's birthday brunch at Cheever's Cafe * Family dinner celebrating K's Graduation from elementary school * The night the Spurs officially beat the Thunder!

Fun at the Station with Natalie and Walker * Father's Day lunch at Saltgrass * McAlister's with the Whitaker fam! * Peach Truck peaches, round 3 * Kyndal Faith's wishlist for her bedroom renovation! * Husky puppies and yoga class with Kristin! * Hiking in Boulder, CO with Triston * The niece and nephews swimming at Mom and Dad's * Leading the women's LG for the summer! * 16th Street Pedestrian Promenade on our first night in Denver!

That's my Q1 and Q2 summary for now, along with the deeper thoughts I shared in last week's post (here)!!

Thankful for all God has done here.

Thankful for all God is doing now.

Thankful for all God will do moving forward!!

❤ ❤ ❤