Character Breakfast

Good morning, friends and fam!  Here's a fun "Photo Friday" flashback to the Artist Mickey Character Breakfast (featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy) at Topolino's Terrace on the top floor of Disney's Riviera Hotel!!

This = a sunrise photo by Chet just before our Skyliner ride to the Riviera, me with my new Minnie-backpack at the start of my four-park adventure day, saving the best for last!

I love breakfast food more than the average person, and I would always try to book one of these for any Disney trip I take moving forward - excellent food, super fun atmosphere, and the best photo ops!!

The characters rotate around the room and come to you, stopping with every group for hugs and pictures.  There were Mickey hugs and Mickey waffles for the kids... so much cuteness!

Yay for my Disney Christmas t-shirt, rosegold magic band, leopard Minnie ears, and this classic Disney pic with "Artist Mickey!" ❤

My quiche gruyere and breakfast potatoes did not disappoint - nom nom for us, David!!  Melissa loved the POG juice (pineapple, orange, and pomegranate), and I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed their food!

Group pic with Mickey, the first to come visit our table!

The kids looking ever so cute with Daisy Duck, who's doing a little curtsey move that makes me laugh!

This bread basket was chef's kiss perfection. lol  Mini croissants, chocolate chip muffins, apple cinnamon muffins, and more, with sides of butter, strawberry jam, and chocolate frosting!

Love this cuteness!!

Donald! ❤

We checked out their wrap-around patio balcony before leaving...

The weather was nice that day, and the balcony had a lovely view!

Then we were off on our next Skyliner ride, ready for our final day at the parks... this may be my fav Parker pic from the entire trip - so much spirit and joy!! ❤

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Happy Friday, and Happy Valentine's Day to my few but faithful readers!  I got cracked up at lunch yesterday when I realized I had on my fun Valentine's headband, and I was using one of my last 4th of July plates and a festive Christmas napkin... just really celebrating all the holidays at once, red being the vibrant (year-round) theme that binds them all together!!  =)

Anyway, I love you and believe in you, and I wish you rest and joy and peace, and I hope you feel truly seen and loved today!

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The Golden Years

Yesterday was the Retirement Party for Judge Golden, who served as the only District Judge for the Creek County Courthouse in Sapulpa from 2004 to January 2025.  I was his court reporter from 2007 to April of 2022.  In spite of some rough jury trials, boring pleas, crazy bailiffs, and often seeking work that would give me a greater sense of purpose, that job was easily my favorite and the cushiest and longest-running CR job I have had (and it will remain so, as my court reporting career will likely end for good this year).  Judge Golden was always kind to me, and I feel very grateful for my time working with him!!

Judge Golden's bailiffs through my time at that courthouse were Michelle Smith (who spoke with me when I called about the opening in December 2006), Marleen Long (who created the Bailiff Bible notebook), Kathleen and Debbie (both short-lived for good reason), and finally, Laura Allison (from 2016 to this present day)!  Lord willing, Laura will continue her Secretary-Bailiff career with the next District Judge appointed by Governor Stitt.  In October of 2017, Tiffany Joanne joined us as a Court Clerk in Creek County.  Exactly 7 years later (10-2-2024), she became the First Deputy, the highest ranking member of the clerk's office under Amanda, the actual Court Clerk!  I'm grateful for my time working with these ladies in Creek County, and I was happy they saved me a seat at this party!  I saw several judges and attorneys I hadn't seen since I left (including Judge Golden himself - that was the first time I've seen him since then)... that was mostly fun, but as a classic introvert, I was very happy to have a table spot with people I know well enough to skip the small talk... Cheers to that! ;-)

Judge's wife, Phyliss, and his sons (Zach and Jake) and their families hosted this party at the Kellyville Mountain Creek Lodge.  Not sure where they got the cake, but it was excellent, and I appreciate that they gave everyone a small piece of both chocolate and white! =)

LB and I at the entrance!

The party was 1-3pm.  We mingled around whilst they had some technical difficulties, then they started the judicial roast around 2:15.  Judge Serner, Judge Vassar, and Judge Woolery spoke, then Judge Golden gave what he called a "rebuttal." lol  Everyone's speeches were 90% kind with a little humor thrown in, which I appreciated.  The idea of being roasted at a party with my friends and family is an actual nightmare scenario for me... I would walk right out and promptly de-friend whoever hosted and planned that.  I will only accept complimentary-toasting speeches. lol

So anyway, partly in his honor and partly because it makes sense and I like the sound of it, I've decided to call Round 1 of my time in Tulsa "The Golden Years" (the 15-year time span from January 2007 to April 2022 when I worked as the Official Court Reporter alongside the Honorable District Judge Douglas W. Golden at the Creek County Courthouse, age 22 to 38 for me).  Obviously, life wasn't all golden and sparkly for 15+ years - six months into my time in Tulsa, my heart was shaaattered and I'd never felt more friendless and I wasn't sure I would ever recover or find a new reason to keep living... but looking back, I feel immensely grateful and honestly very proud of the way I rebuilt my young adult life and found new dreams with God's help.  I would go through the pain again to have the beautiful memories, the personal growth, and the core relationships that were forged in that season!!  ...The pics just happened to fit best this way, but it makes me happy that it's a sparkly gold background in that center photo! ;-) #GoldenYears

This pic is from my last day of work, April 14, 2022 (documented here).  It's on the "Tulsa wall" in my laundry room, and I love it!

Okay, moving on... I had lunch before the party with the wonderful Wilson fam at McAlister's Deli! ❤

Parker Elizabeth sat by me, and she was in a fun mood.  I adore her! ❤

P.S. I'm sad you can't see my new jeans in any of the photos from yesterday - they are extra sparkly and fabulous and go well with my diamond boots, which I was also wearing! I'll be sure to get a pic that shows them next time.

The night ended with a 3+ hour catch-up session with Tiffany and Laura over dinner and dessert at BJs - yum!!  This served as a belated bday dinner for Laura and an early bday dinner for Tiffany! lol  I'm grateful for their friendship and glad we all got to hang out!

Okay, this goes with nothing else in this post, but whatever.  Here's the Bullard fam 11 years apart... I just love them, and these pics make me happy!

Huzzah for brighter days ahead, literally and metaphorically!

This also has nothing to do with anything, but gracious, a few of the sunsets and sunrises I've seen lately have been really pretty and extra colorful! ❤

Tomorrow is Tiffany's birthday, so Happy Birthday-Eve to her!!  Thursday was Kristin Renee's birthday, so here's a fun through-the-years collage I made for that - kudos to her for being my longest-running Tulsa friendship, my only friend who included me in her wedding party, and one of my top 3 most-deeply-trusted people!! ❤  Praying God continues to bless her and the Foster fam as life moves forward!!

Peace out, friendo! lol

I'm off to conquer 10 miles and finish my CCU doctoral application essays and videos (keeping that door open, just in case).  I love you and believe in you, and I believe in your ability to set meaningful goals and establish positive momentum in life!!

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God's Faithfulness

Happy 70th Birthday to my wonderful Mom today!! ❤

I'm excited to celebrate her with the fam and the Wilsons later tonight!  Just checked my phone, and Mom and I have had 13 phone calls in the past 3 days, and that's probably fairly average for us.  I'm grateful for who Mom was to me through my childhood, for all the ways she showed up and listened well and helped with homework and took us shopping and made our home beautiful and fun and always welcomed our friends joining in... AND I'm grateful for the close relationship we've had through my adult life, knowing I can always call her for big and small things (and clearly, I do), knowing she will take my side in any argument ever - lol, and knowing she cares and would notice very quickly if I went missing or something went wrong!  Finally, I am grateful that she gets to be "Mamaw" to Rachael's kids - her grandkids are her pride and joy, and I'm thankful for God's grace in getting her through the 2011 wreck and multiple rounds of cancer and major surgeries, very thankful she is healthy and sharp and able to host our weekly family dinners and be actively involved in all of our lives!! ❤❤

In other news, I learned this fun fact since my last post - yay!

My new fav pic of J&K... it was camo day at CHA, and Jace really went all out. lolol

Miss K wanting to be a vet when she grows up! =)

Random meme that made me laugh!

Made me think of this scene:

Martin:  "Nooo, don't give him that stuff!  Chocolate's bad for dogs!!"

Sarcastic Frasier:  "Ironic, considering its vast health benefits for humans." lolol

I joined Rach in a lunch-hour meeting with Tracy, then she walked over with me to see my office and the courthouse for the first time... yay!!

One of the best and most simple illustrations for this I have seen.  Fixed mindset is self-protective and focuses on your limits and keeps your life and your ambitions small... growth mindset feels more unfinished, but it leaves room to keep expanding and building a bigger life! 

I wrote this calendar note to myself in January 2024.  Listened to the podcast again, but I have zero idea what journal I was referring to... which led to me sifting through about 25 journals I've written in through the years trying to figure that out. lol

I did find other gems, though. lol  Like these 25-year-old photo booth stickers from our Hawaii trip. I wish we had a bigger pic of me, Rach, and Emily... and it's funny to me that we even saved the top one! lol

Classic 1999 Lindsey, feeling guilty for being an imperfect human and confused about what would fix that + dotting my i with a Christian fish symbol and adding a snowflake at the end bc I was hoping to marry Daniel Snow down the road! lol  Mess.

Aww, the randomness of HDW from yesteryear. lol  Rach and I both laughed out loud at her quote about being Vice President!

Speaking of randomness, here's one of my prayer lists from 6th grade summer... my immediate family being at the bottom of the list that included all of America and "all catholics" is comical. lol

Still trying to figure out whether I was trying to draw a waistband and button or a midriff-baring crop top shirt, which I've worn zero times in my entire lifespan - the first makes far more sense, but the second is what I'm seeing. lol  I like that my 8th grade self chose this cheesy gem as "my song," though!

I so remember that trial in Chickasha... him and Kenneth Smith are the two defendants in my 20-year career who I was adamantly for and believe they were wrongly charged and prosecuted... the jury agreed with me both times, so yay!  Then I decided to write about JMM memories "because I was bored..."

Annnd 17 actual pages later, I stopped for that day at #50!  Gracious, 21-year-old Lindsey was a hot mess. lol

Why did I feel the need to draw my fav Marble Slab dessert? lol I dunno, but that and me saving the movie flier from 2001 bring me joy!

Me diary-venting five days before she and God gave me the chance to prove it.  I've been aware of this entry and the timing of it for a while, but just today noticed the verse at the top of this page (about God's faithfulness in seasons of lament, His goodness and mercy to those who depend on Him and seek Him).  My emotions and feelings about Malori have shifted approximately 100,000 times since I wrote this.  That verse and God's faithfulness have never shifted. Seriously, what a gift for that to be on this particular page!

There are 31 journals/diaries pictured here, not including my blog books, Write the Word journals, Bible study homework journaling, various scrapbooks, Xanga and MySpace blogs, and this 17-year blog.  A great deal of the content is mundane nonsense, but I'm grateful that I lead a ridiculously well-documented life!

And I'm ready to sift through it for the stories and details that matter most as I start my memoir book this year!  I need to average 500 words a day from now to June 21st - some subjects will need more and some less, but that's the general goal.  The game plan:

• Personal writing style inspired by own blog + the writings of Shauna Niequist, Donald Miller, John Eldredge, Ally Fallon, Annie F. Downs, Eddie Kaufholz, Melanie Shankle, Sophie Hudson, Ashley Campbell, and Mel Robbins!!
• 77 brief essay chapters (already outlined), averaging 900 words each = approximately 70,000-word memoir book!! ❤
• Draft 1 Goal = June 21, 2025 (2 days per 1000-word essay, narrowing it all down later!)
• 70 days to go back and make personal edits from June 22 to September 1st, then give it to a few friends/family to read and get their feedback!
• Have an actual draft ready to submit or self-publish by Christmas of 2025!

I love this navy mud bench with cheerful yellow decor in my entryway, and it makes me happy to be using it for actual coats and scarves this year!!

Excited to see this preshface and her family later today! ❤

On that note, happy half-birthday to Chettles!!

Well, this post is super random, but such is life.  Happy Saturday, friends and fam!  I'm sore from my 7.3 miles yesterday afternoon, and I'm supposed to do 4 more today.  It's getting real now!!  Hope you see God's faithfulness any time you look back on your own life story, and hope you enjoy the long weekend ahead!  

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