Thankful Thursday #221

"Don't worry about anything,
but pray about everything.
With thankful hearts
offer up your prayers and requests to God."
~Philippians 4:6

Today, I am thankful for...

1.  My New Year's Day 10k!!  I will be in NYC this weekend #surreal, so I made a solid last-minute decision to get up early on my day off and complete my long run for this week before Mom came over at 10:30... I did a 90-minute walk/jog for 6.4 miles featuring 3 Peloton classes: The Nutcracker ballet music, a New Year's Eve party mix, and Wicked: the movie soundtrack... genuinely FUN, and a solid way to start off the new year!  #thrivein25

2.  A wonderful final podcast with heartfelt thoughts on relationships + laughing about random stuff with Annie and Eddie on New Year's Eve, and learning they plan to continue the monthly episodes in 2025 - yes, please!!

(Their personalities are kinda reversed, but their friendship dynamic often reminds me of my friendship with Chet, and I always enjoy their random conversations!)

3.  Ringing in the New Year by the glow of twinkling Christmas lights with a quiet prayer to consecrate my year ahead to God + watching the 7 Fishes and Forks episodes of The Bear... my absolute favorite episodes in all their glorious chaos and dysfunction and growth and change!  (It was brand new to me a year ago, but I ended 2023 the same way, so maybe it's a new tradition. #everysecondcounts)

4.  The Wilson fam toasting in the new year (at 8pm) -- this pic is the absolute cutest!! ❤

5.  Mom and Kristin coming over and the three of us working hard to take down all my Christmas stuff yesterday and get my house ready for the meeting with Shane (my OKC realtor) on Monday!  The flocked tree and garland was a beautiful new look but a decidedly messier clean-up process, which all became funny to me as Kristin and I were wearing black!! #soflocked  I appreciated this relaxed timeline, thanks to my Christmas party being after Christmas this year.  I am grateful for the visual representation of transformation and creating a fresh start on New Year's Day, and I'm glad it's all done now, and I'm thankful for the extra help in getting there!!  (Next step - staging and listing my home!)

6.  The God-ordained ability to change and mature + God's mercy being new every morning + the hope of new beginnings and clean slates!! *

7.  God's redemptive power and grace + experiencing beauty for ashes!  I appreciate the sentiment of hope and agency in the meme below, but for what it's worth, I firmly believe that no season of our lives is ever "lost" to grief or darkness or wounds - God draws near to the brokenhearted and dependably renews our minds and restores our hope as He walks with us through painful seasons.  He brings beauty, restoration, hope, growth, healing, and redemption -- the ashes do not have the final word.  So press in and keep walking with Him, trusting that nothing is wasted and He knows how to bind your wounds and bring light into dark places!!

*I wrote about this song in December 2023, feeling sad and lonely and afraid, but hopeful for a 2024 comeback.  I'm extra grateful to feel more victory in some areas and more hope for continued growth and victory in others today!

 

 Happy Thursday, and Happy 2025!!

❤ ❤ ❤

The Way You Make Me Feel

Everything about this picture makes me happy!! ❤  Tate took it for us, hence the low and slanted, artsy angle.  The Betsy Johnson sparkly boots and pink crystal headband are actually mine... but Rach provided the sequin jackets Melissa and I are wearing, and the gold sequin skirt Karli has on!  Just for the group photo, I wanted Chet to have some sequins too, so Karli mentioned that she had an old hat he could wear.  Chet: "The leprechaun hat!?" lolol  Anyway, it all brings me lots of joy!

Thanks to Victoria covering my last court hearing, I was able to be in Tulsa around 4:30.  Tate and Parker were cute and entertaining, as usual, and we grabbed an early dinner at Mission BBQ (new to Tulsa).  The smoked turkey, green beans, cheesy potatoes, mac n cheese, chicken, etc. did not disappoint.  Everyone loved their food, and they gave us free samples of a few things - the caramel apple cobbler would be worth a second trip all by itself!

It probably helped that Chet and Teresa knew Justin, one of the guys working there.  Yay for this group pic with the Disney crew... we'll be there in less than 3 weeks!

Presh Parker Elizabeth was in a fun mood! ❤

This was take #1 by Tate, and it also makes me happy... kids are the best! lol

Girls pic - photo by Chet!  Thanks again to Rach for all the sequins!!  They were flashy and fun, but too hazardous to wear often. lol  The minute I got there, I hugged Parker and the sequins caught her hair and messed up her perfect braids... eek... they really do catch on everything!

The people in front of us let Chet borrow the sequin glove for this pic - hahaha, I love it!

The musical itself was great - Rach and I (along with our very entertaining friend and carpool buddy, Mark) listened to Michael Jackson's HISTORY (Greatest Hits) album through much of my sophomore and junior year at CHA.  So many of our drives and from to school were spent with the freaking Earth Song, Tabloid Junkie, History, Black or White, Remember the Time, Billie Jean, This Time Around, They Don't Care About Us, etc.  There are also cousin memories with the song from Free Willy, memories with Mom talking about his Off the Wall album, the fantastic Thriller dance scene from 13 Going on 30, and flashbacks to Undercover Brother whenever I hear the first notes of Beat It. lol  Needless to say, this musical brought back tons of memories for me, and I ended up texting with Rach about it all for a while!

The young kid who played Jackson 5 Michael was very impressive, as was the man playing adult Michael -- he nailed the epic dance moves, singing, awkward mannerisms, and breathy voice!  What they did with the beginning of Thriller was intense and made me see it differently (with kid Michael singing a slow version of that first verse as he's visibly afraid of their abusive dad who becomes the twitchy wolf from Thriller)... then there was a bright flash of light and they moved into the well-known version with full lights and costumes and dancing, but that beginning shook me up for a minute!

My personal favorite song was They Don't Care About Us...
"But if Martin Luther was livin', he WOULDN'T LET THIS BE, no, noooo!"
Clap, clap -- pause, pause -- clap, clap. lol 

It's powerful and poignant - anyway, that was their final song just before the intermission, then Man in the Mirror was the actual final song - both very well done!

         

Sneaking in one picture at the end when it was too late for anyone to care or kick me out! lol

Top pic = the Wilsons with Paul and Stephanie - they all have season tickets for the Tulsa PAC shows!  *Side note: Paul is a big OSU fan and has seen all my pics at the games, so he naturally assumed I'm a big fan and started talking to me about the coaching and certain players, and I was getting a little cracked up at how little I know about all that.  Bottom pic = them cleaning after literally everyone but our group had left the theater! lol

We stayed back for a minute to get a group photo with Denist Gary and his daughter, Emma!  (Melissa actually sat with them through the second half as they had closer seats that were better for her eyes.)

Anyway, I'm grateful Bill had zero interest in this, and thanks so much to the Wilson fam for letting me join them on this one - a really fun day all around!!  And now it's time for me to buckle down and do some actual court reporter work.

In closing,

You are not alone;

I am here with you.

Though we're far apart,

You're always in my heart.
And you are not alone.

Lol another fav MJ song that they didn't include in the musical! ❤

Sunrise, Sunset

A peaceful sunrise view on my neighborhood walk this morning...

And a serene sunset with a cute little duck-couple to accompany my 30-minute Eminem Peloton walk last night. lol  I did laugh about the music not quite matching the setting, but gracious, musical genius!!  I also missed Kristin Michelle, who was sickly this week - praying she recovers ASAP!

Side note: That line in Lose Yourself is one of my all-time favorites -- you can feel the energy change, and I love the grit and force behind it! #nomoregames #maximumeffort

I'm currently studying for my NCE (National Counselor Exam) on September 21st and the CPCE (Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam) on the 28th.

(In theory, that means I won't have much time for blogging this month, so I wanted to let you know that.  In reality, it may mean I'm here more than usual. lol)  We'll see.  These are both major exams, if that wasn't clear from their titles.  Thankfully, I have a good memory and don't really struggle with test anxiety or brain fog there.  Indecision has been more of a problem for me, so I am praying for peace and wisdom with all the big future-focused decisions I'm facing ahead - feel free to join me in prayer.  That's all the time we have for today. ;-)

Happy Friday! ❤

A Sparkly Souvenir

We arrived at the Harry Reid International Airport (I miss it being McCarran) a few hours early yesterday, so Mom and I took turns guarding our luggage and listening to podcasts/music while the other would walk around a bit.  Mom bought several Vegas t-shirts for the fam, along with this lovely pink cup for me - I love it!!  ❤  A sparkling souvenir from my least "fun" but most life-changing Vegas trip!!

Our flight back was on time and fairly smooth, another exit row seat where it was just the two of us.  (*Having just experienced both, we recommend the mid-plane exit row over the very front.)  The stewardesses sat directly across from us a few times, and that was a weird dynamic.  Chet texted asking about flight times right as we got on the plane both times, which inspired me to take the airplane pics (although I'm sure I would have anyway).  The lady behind us joined our pic here and it made me laugh! =)

Then Dad picked us up at the airport, then I drove home from their house and so enjoyed sleeping in my own bed again!

A couple more Vegas pics:  the Chihuly glass flowers in the Bellagio lobby ❤

The entrance to Mon Ami from the Paris Hotel!

Jaceman's red hair is still going strong, although he's talking about dyeing it purple soon.

LOL - the Hawk obsession is also still going strong.

Annie's NYC podcast recap... Seize the Day was the title of episode #7 released on June 7th (my surgery day) when I was the 7th surgical patient!  I'm sure some people would dismiss that, but I'm just taking all of that as God being in this!!

I appreciate that they have these signs along with courtesy phones throughout the airport.

This "Cake ATM" made me laugh, but I for sure would've gotten one on a prior Vegas trip.  

Some crazy-expensive LV sunglasses & the 4K clutch purse (The L twists to match the V to unlock it).  NO, we did not purchase either of these things, but it's always fun to look there, and Dennis was quite the salesman!

A perfect match for my living room - YAY!

This all-liquid diet is just thrilling.  I'm grateful it's only ten more days!  I felt disheartened and discouraged yesterday by how painful it was to drink too much water at one time... but today has already been better there, and I watched their post-op videos where they said your ability to tolerate drink and eventually food will gradually increase over the first two weeks (hence, the liquid diet first).

Zero desire to see the new Deadpool movie, but I so enjoy both of them as human beings -- each of these poses bring me joy!!

This morning I got up early for CCU Fall Registration - I got 2 out of the 3 professors I was hoping for, which I'm counting as a win!  Then I got back in bed and slept till noon.  I am incredibly thankful that Judge offered me today off from work - the extra rest was healing and much appreciated - good for me physically and emotionally.  

Tonight, I co-led my first virtual grief group for Calm Waters, which went well.  And tomorrow will be work + Restore and then Internship class and then a virtual counseling session... busy!  Life keeps right on moving, so I will keep learning and adjusting as I go.  As of this morning, I am down 25 pounds from the day I started the pre-op diet.  Grateful for that first quarterly milestone number, as it's the only one I will achieve mostly without the help of the sleeve!  I'm also really grateful to have that help at this point, because it drastically increases my internal hope and belief that I can achieve the vision I've had in mind for a long time!! ❤

"For all of the times I've stopped,

For all of the things I'm not,

We put one foot in front of the other,

We move like we ain't got no other

We go where we go

We're marching on, marching on!

There's so many wars we've fought.

There's so many things we're not.

But with what we have, I promise you that

We're marching on!"

~Marching On, a Vegas classic by One Republic!