(1) Disney Madness!

Disney 2024, Part 1: Florida Flight & First Park Day!

Hey, friends and fam!  I'm blogging from sunnnny Florida this morning.  I spent a couple hours editing and collaging photos while watching National Treasure last night, then I was too tired to write a blog before going to sleep.  We had a short day at the park yesterday (9am to 4:30-ish), and we still got in over 15,000 steps!  Thankfully, my feet are doing pretty well with no blisters thus far - yay, God!

Anyway, without further ado, here is the narrowed down version of my pics from Day 1 and 2... starting at the Tulsa airport where we ran into Lesa, which was memorable!

The flight was smooth and fun, then on our way to the hotel, we stopped for lunch at Dairy Queen (Parker pic on the left).  The right pic is Karli and Melissa running into their old pastor from FBC at the Tulsa airport!

We're staying at the Art of Animation Hotel (in the King Triton Building of the Little Mermaid section)... all cute and fun!

After a short break to unpack and rest, we went to Disney Springs for the night.  We had dinner at Earl of Sandwich then shopped around at the Christmas store, the Art of Disney store (where Chettles found several things he wanted!!), Once Upon a Toy, and more.

Cute pic with Buzz Lightyear + a fun carousel!  It was a long day (particularly since I got up at 4am for the drive to Tulsa), and both kids were over it by the end of the night.  Parker Elizabeth was distraught over her parents choosing the glass slipper ornament, which they eventually exchanged for Marie from the Aristocrats (or "Merida" as she called her), which was the only thing she desperately wanted in that moment of life. lol  Tate and I grabbed dessert from Ghirardelli, then we came back to the hotel for the night... where Karli's brother, Trent, had flown in from New York and arrived around 8pm!

Bus ride to Magic Kingdom, Saturday, day 2! (Park Day 1)

They're filming a Disney Christmas special (I think?), so we will get our Magic Kingdom castle group pic another day (I'll do my best to make sure of it).  I got this one from afar, though. =)

This and the very top pic are just before you walk into Magic Kingdom!

The Aurora cone (blueberry/grape Dole Whip swirl) and the cars ride!

Yay for the giant Christmas tree (and the ability to Magic Erase other people in the photo's background)!

It was a 45-minute wait for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster, so we did a rider swap where Chet, Bill, Trent, and I rode while Karli and Melissa watched the kids, then they rode in the Lightning Lane while we stayed back with the kids.  We finally got to use the stools we ordered on Amazon (HERE) in that long line. lol  Highly recommend.  So happy I finally got to ride this one (I skipped it due to very sore feet in 2015).  *Ride photos in the next post.

Other than the one I took (center pic below) while we were temporarily stopped on the big ramp up. lol The top pics are from Chet of them on the Cars ride. =)  The bottom two are the Teacups and the Buzz Lightyear ride!

Ready for the Star Wars ride... we waited in an hour+ line for this in 2015, and there was zero wait for it this year!

Tate excited about losing a tooth last night + Parker happy about getting to be in the pink teacup!

Me and Karli with the kids on the Peoplemover ride + them behind us + Mickey cinnamon rolls at breakfast this morning!

Height check for presh Parker E (who was a couple centimeters short and will wear taller shoes next time). lol  Then Parker enjoying the Amazon stools. ❤

It's fun seeing everything in the park decorated for Christmas and Christmas songs playing!  Feels ironic as the weather is still hot and every pool is full of people, but I'm always a fan of early Christmas!

On our way into the park!

Tate keeps wanting to push the stroller, but struggles to keep it straight, so here he is pushing it with Chet guiding it on the side. lol  Karli Marie and Parker E were matching yesterday and looking ever so cute!

We did a girls teacup and a guys teacup... fun times!

Parker meeting Chewie + Parker's cute Disney shoes!!

Despite being the biggest Star Wars fan, Tate opted out for this group pic!  And despite barely caring about Star Wars, I ended up next to Chewie. lol

Riding the Skyliner (loved it - very peaceful!) back to our hotel with the Wilson fam... the Weatherfords opted to stay at Hollywood Studios a bit longer!

We stopped by the hotel briefly then went to Donetta's.  This = the kids showing me where they sleep (in their separate beds on the floor).  We had pizza + cornbread + ham + beans + pumpkin bread and cranberry bread for dinner/dessert!

It made me happy to see this again... I remember making this family tree canvas and ordering it at Walgreens several years back for people to sign at their anniversary party! ❤

Chet drove me back to the hotel, with a quick stop at Walgreens for bottled water and protein bars.  Then I worked on school stuff and edited photos till I fell asleep.  And that's the highlights of day one and two. lol  Now I'm off to meet everyone downstairs to ride the Skyliner over to Epcot for the morning!! ❤

Thankful Thursday #213

"The LORD protects and defends me; I trust in Him.

He gives me help and makes me glad;

I praise Him with joyful songs."

~Psalm 28:7

Today, I am thankful...

1.  That most problems are not as bad as we imagine they will be.  And for the power of taking action and moving forward.

2.  My happy Christmas house!  (And Mom and Kristin adding a few things while I was at work this week.)

3.  This sourdough cinnamon roll by Karli... and the plethora of brunchy foods that make me happy!

4.  Getting to spend the week ahead with presh Parker Elizabeth and the Wilson/Weatherford crew in Florida!!

5.  Abby working hard and winning a full scholarship to John Brown University - so exciting!!

6.  I see this from many angles and feel genuine connection with people on both sides of the political spectrum right now.  I will say I am grateful the election results were clear - that we aren't spending the next week+ in ambiguous recounts and dramatic debates.  I am also thankful to feel more peace this time around for several reasons I'm choosing not to dive into here.  Random side note: The last time President Trump was elected, Jenna and I were roommates at 522 staying up to watch the results together... it's been a minute!

Yep, I'm going with a peaceful tree bridge pic that has nothing to do with politics. lol

7.  Inner grit and resilience... it comes in waves, but I'm grateful for the strength to keep going... because I deserve to know what not giving up on myself feels like!  Today, I am 5 months out from surgery, and I have some new goals for myself through the two months ahead.

Happy Thursday!  Prayers appreciated for safe travels and a fun vacation week ahead! =)

❤ ❤ ❤

Guess Who?

"It is God who changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and raises up [establishes, appoints] other kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning."

~Daniel 2:21

Happy Election Tuesday, friends and fam!  Based on the polls and the past several election cycles, I'm not at all sure that Americans will know who our next president will be by the end of the night.  Either way, I'm praying we use God-given wisdom and find centered peace in trusting His power, will, and timing for the major and minor events that shape our lives!

Personally, I'm finding real comfort, strength, and inspiration in the verse above and the entire book of Daniel!  His story highlights the value of personal integrity in the midst of national crisis, chaos, and loss.  Daniel and his friends made hard choices in the face of captivity and grief.  They chose to hold onto their faith and integrity rather than caving to peer pressure and blending into the powerful  new culture surrounding them.  There is global drama and change through the course of the book... where God literally deposes kings and appoints others, and through it all, Daniel stays close to Him and is promoted for his valuable, unmatched wisdom.  He sets himself apart through loyalty to God, and God is faithful to Daniel and his friends even as the nations around them repeatedly shift and crumble.  There are some clear parallels between ancient Babylon and modern-day America, and Daniel is an exceptional role model for God's people.  We can pray for God's blessing and peace on our nation, acknowledge the dangers of pride in our leaders, be unapologetically set apart from the surrounding culture through steadfast obedience to God, and live with faith and hope that are deeply rooted in God's greatness (and not in any way dependent on America's greatness).  I haven't done this perfectly by any means, but it's something to strive for!!

Okay, thanks for listening to my election day pep talk. lol  On the lighter side, my adorable niece made a homemade version of the Guess Who? game for us to play at family dinner last night... like, she cut the paper and drew these cards 3x, making up a name and state for each person.  She and I played several rounds and it was super fun... I adore her imagination and creativity!!

I'm tracking my fitness goals and sleep with my new Apple Watch, and even though I understand that 8 hours would technically be better, seeing 7-7-7 this morning made me very happy!! =)

I think that's all for today.  Let your words and thoughts be pleasing to God.  Stop any anxious thought spirals, and don't let election day steal your peace!

In case no one else tells you today, I'll remind you that I love you and believe in you, and that your heart matters.  I know we're all created differently, but in times of national confusion, it always helps me to zoom in (focusing on personal obedience and faith) and/or zoom way out (acknowledging God's overarching plan /Kingdom focus).  "It is God who changes the times and seasons."

May God bless America...

And may His will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven! ❤

Christmas Cheer!

Hey, friends!  What a weekend it's been... including trick-or-treating with Rach and the kids, Christmas decorating with Mom and the Wilsons, celebrating Jon's birthday, driving home in a torrential downpour, taking shelter through a random 2am November tornado warning, buying a new Apple watch, submitting a video reflection for CCU, and catching up with my oldest nephew!!  Stephanie's caption about "the changing of all seasons at once" still feels very on point.

Fun fact:  One week from today, I'll be in Disney World!!

Anyway, here are a few photos from this weekend's Christmas decorating festivities! =)  Starting with our fun Christmas shirts!

The many faces of Parker Elizabeth! lol  She's started asking me to take her picture occasionally, and I'm hoping that mood strikes her during the Disney trip. lol

Mom has been planning and preparing for this since Chet first mentioned it last fall.  We brought six car loads of boxes containing fragile ornament jars, wreaths, garlands, ribbon, glittery reindeer, trees, styrofoam lifts, etc. from MWC to Tulsa, and we finally got to put it all together this weekend!  Here are a few pics of the process and the finished product...

Parker Elizabeth spreading the glittery red Christmas balls everywhere and thinking it was a hilarious joke! lol

Melissa made potato soup + ham and cheese sliders + Christmas cookies for us Friday night, then she made blueberry muffins, breakfast casserole, and fruit salad for breakfast, and Karli made an impressive sourdough cinnamon bread... all delicious!!  And it was fun to sit by Miss Parker and eat at their dining room table!

Parker introducing her new polar bear friend to the nutcracker. ❤  She was all cuddly and cute and cozy while we watched the Muppets Christmas movie together as Mom and Chet finished up some things on Friday night!

An afternoon break on Saturday for Jonathan Matthew's 42nd birthday party at the new Elam Park in Broken Arrow (it had a pretty cool playground and nice safety features for parents).

Group pic! =)

So it's been a busy weekend with loads of glitter and styrofoam snow and the relief of finishing a long-awaited project.  It had some intense weather drama, some pre-election anxiety, some good conversations, some quality framily time, feeling the changing of all seasons in a very tangible and a very metaphorical sense, and a tiny bit of extra rest.  There was a weird haze in the air tonight along with these pretty-but-ominous clouds.  And it's all making me think about the previous time change weekend in March of this year, which also held some extra emotion for me.

I'm grateful for what I'm learning.  Grateful for God's faithfulness through every season.  Trusting Him with all the unknowns (trying to).  And praying for wisdom, grace, and peace through the week ahead!

Happy Sunday.
❤ ❤ ❤

Photo Friday: Halloween at Gaillardia!

Happy November and Happy Christmas season and Happy Friday, my friends!! =)  Last night, I joined the Parrishes for trick-or-treating at Gaillardia...fun times!  (We're starting off at Nick and Reece's house here, JoBug's good family friends' home where Blake and Wendy got married three years ago!)

A couple pics with JB, who comes over to hang out with the guys on Halloween... they hand out Apple Tree Chocolate's caramel apples (like $8 apiece) and have a margarita machine for the adults!

Miss K was initially upset that she forgot her Wolverine mask, but they had tons of fun anyway, and their willingness to pose it up for photos made me very happy!  Jace did the Deadpool heart-hands a few times without ever being asked. lol

Lolol

The homes of Gaillardia did not disappoint!!  My only wish was that JEM and Chettles could join us just to hear their play-by-play commentary on it all. lol

I just needed a pic by this giant pumpkin display! =)

A house already decorated for Christmas and a driveway I thought was cool

This neighborhood has everything... a magical overhead tree bridge for me, and an ugly Cybertruck for Jace! lol

He was so excited - and the owner was awesome and friendly and let him look inside and chatted with him about it for a while. =)

I Googled the bottom one... a 6 bedroom, 6 bathroom home estimated at $2,574,000.   They had a massive entryway chandelier I knew Mom would adore!

Lots of full-size and king-size candy bars along with the usual Halloween fun-size candies... they both got an absurd amount (and gifted me a few things they didn't care for). lol  

Rach and I drove around some and walked with them some - a fun mix, really - and hearing J&K's stories and commentary was definitely entertaining, as was J struggling to see with the mask and Kyndal struggling to grab candy with her claws!! lol

P.S.  I'll try to plan ahead better and spring for something new next year, but that hippie dress has served me well for 23 freaking years.  Babah made it for me waaaay back in the summer of 2001 for Jenny Womble's birthday... then I wore it for the 2008 CLS party (the day Malori learned Lindsey doesn't share food - lol)...

And never forget "Malori's Monster Mash" party of 2009. lol

Everything about that group pic is funny to me now!

Okay, back to present day.  Here's Brandon and Whitney as Bob Ross and a Happy Little Tree. =)  And the Shoemaker fam as Captain Hook, Wendy, Peter, and Tinkerbell... cuteness!

And the Wilson fam as NASA employees, an adventurous astronaut, and the cutest little shooting star!!

The monthly recap episode with Annie and Eddie made yesterday that much better for me!  I LOVE their friendship and hope they continue to share it with us! =)

That's all for today's Photo Friday post.  I'm off to take a lovely morning walk before my afternoon Tulsa trip + hair appointment with Janelle + part one of Christmas decorating at Melissa's!!  I sincerely hope you have a beautiful weekend and a refreshing month of November ahead!

❤❤❤