Thankful Thursday (192)!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

For His steadfast love endures forever!"
~Psalm 107:1

Today, I am thanking God for...

1.  Growing up in a Christian home with parents who provided stability, support, and love... thankful to celebrate Mom and Dad's 43rd Anniversary at BJ's tonight with the fam!!  And thankful for good conversations with the kids about my surgery, trip, and recovery!

Rach made this fun sign for them! ❤

2.  My Internship 2 class on Tuesdays through this summer... some good staffing discussions and feedback with Professor Bienert, Robin, David, Ali, and Kaitlyn!

3.  Grateful the fam got to celebrate with fun pizookies, and grateful that I'm practicing and learning to distinguish physical hunger from visual/mental cravings!  The next six months is going to be a learning curve as I retrain my brain around food and health!

4.  My two new books I started this week (one printed, one audio, both great so far)!

5.  Drinking lunch (chicken broth) at the Bon Broth Bar whilst catching up with the Wilson fam!  (*Also grateful to have the day off work today as Judge is out!)

6.  The gift of my mini-BFFs and niece and nephews...  The great majority of the changes I've made over the past 3+ years were internally motivated by the hope of adoption and motherhood.  I'm uncertain whether that will ever happen, but increasingly confident in God's goodness and power to change things quickly... and I think part of His goodness to me in this season is getting to love and connect with my close friends' and fam's kids, who are very precious to me!  Parker Elizabeth picked out the toy mop and broom to play with (so cute!)... and Tate wrote this note: "What does he like? Chinese hibachi" (with a pic of a bowl with chopsticks and people seated around a hibachi table) - I freaking love it!!

7.  This swim party memory and these pics from this day four years ago... not at all sure what we talked about, but drinking our virgin pina coladas and chatting by the pool that night stands out in my mind as a fun pandemic-year memory!

Thanks for reading!  I love you and I believe in you, and I believe dwelling on the people, experiences, and things you're grateful for will improve your perspective and decrease your stress!!

❤

Wednesday Wins!

Past Win:  I'm thankful for seeing God's hand as I look back through the entire trajectory of this year so far.  And I'm counting it as a win that I continued moving forward with hope for other meaningful goals when the motherhood/adoption path was blocked repeatedly!

Present:  My weakness is #3 on this list, defining myself too much based on what others think and say... but I'm growing in basing my confidence on who God says I am and finding freedom and rest from the need to prove myself or people-please!

Future:  Along that line of thought, I want to support others wholeheartedly, and to move forward surrounded by the core group of people who sincerely care about and love and support me in good times and bad.  I'm trusting that God will continue to clarify that... a trustworthy, growth-oriented support circle is a future win I will continue to pursue and claim!

Celebrate your wins and victories, big and small!!

*I am continuing to recover from surgery -- my bruises and five small incisions are still fresh and sore, and I'm fumbling through learning to reprogram my mind and work within these new physical boundaries.  Today, I am down exactly 50lbs from my highest weight ever (on 1-17-23), and I'm down 31lbs since I began the pre-op diet on May 24th (under 3 weeks ago).  The 50 milestone is a first for me, so that's exciting!!  Five days post-op, I am already at my lowest weight in several years, and it's happening faster than my mind can fully process... this is new territory, but I am cheering for myself and very grateful for the sincere support of others (while reminding myself to "drop the sword" and to believe most people's intentions toward me are good, and that my identity is safe in Christ if I do get hurt).  I am thankful to say I've joined the super-encouraging Blossom Support Group on Facebook and found an experienced counselor to start working with next week... I was drawn to her warmth and competence, and it turns out she has a history of working with weight-loss surgery clients, so that's a God thing and another present-day WIN for me!!  #thankful  Finally, I am thankful for strong connections and for the opportunity to encourage a hurting friend this afternoon.  Praying God continues to bring those opportunities and that I stay alert for them!

Friends and fam, I love you and believe in you,
and far more importantly, God is with you and He is for you!!

❤

Shoutouts!

Happy Tuesday, friends!  Today's my first day back at work, and thankfully, it's a light and easy one at the courthouse. ❤  Taking things one step at a time.  And right now, that step is writing a fun shoutouts blog, just because I want to! =)

1.  First off, a very well-deserved shoutout to my wonderful friend, Chet Lee!!  For being a dependable, fun-loving, and insightful friend... and for repeatedly serving as a perspective-shifting Guide in my life story when I have felt stuck or confused (offering solid advice and God-given wisdom on friendships, job interviews, dating, health, adoption, family stuff, and other life decisions).  Yay, Chettles -- seriously, thank you!!  (And a shoutout to Miss Parker for being the very cutest!)

2.  Shoutout to Ally Fallon for this inspiring new book that offers an excellent 10-part framework for writing your life story (potentially Project Sprint #3 for me)!!!

3.  Shoutout to Lysa TerKeurst for this 30 Days with Jesus devotional book looking at the prophecies, promises, provisions, protections, and presence of Jesus throughout the Bible!  Lots of timely reminders, and I'm grateful to have completed it this morning!

4.  Shoutout to me for recovering well and finishing strong with a quiet time and a neighborhood prayer & praise walk this morning - 30 Day Project Sprint #1 complete!!  (And yay for getting a little more comfortable with makeup-free pics, not that I'll be making a habit of that.)

5.  Shoutout to Jace Michael for checking in with me via FaceTime every day since he heard I would be having surgery (asking if I was feeling nervous, then seeing how I was doing post-op).  I know he was hoping to see me loopy from the pain meds - lol, but still, it's really kind of him to care and to show me his new karate kicks and transformers stuff, etc.! ❤

6.  Shoutout to God for timing the Launch course and every other detail of this season soooo perfectly.  Mel's video lessons made me feel more open and hopeful and ready to embrace change.  And 6 days into the project sprint was the life-changing conversation(s) with Chet Lee.  It's still amazing to me how quickly things moved at that point, and I believe I will be forever grateful for the way these 30 days have changed my life!

7.  Shoutout to Mel Robbins for her entertaining and inspiring videos and for creating the supportive Launch community!  Part one of three has been pretty epic, and I'm hopeful for more good things ahead!!

Hope you have a great week, friends and fam!  And in case no one else tells you this today, let me say that I love you and I believe in you, and I believe in your ability to step into the full and abundant life Jesus came to give you!!

❤

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!

Vegas Trip #11

Our Allegiant flight to Vegas was delayed by around 30 minutes, so I took a lovely airport worship walk and did my standing core Peloton workout in a random corner of the airport with no one else around.  Yay! lol  We were seated on an exit row, and it was just the two of us, so we got to space out after getting this pic. =)

Bojan ("boy-on"), our Uber driver from the airport to our Silverton Hyatt Hotel - Mom chatted with him the whole way - he's from Macedonia and won a green card to move to the US.  He and Mom were friends in no time, and she asked if she could get a pic of him with his Tesla car (Tman's favorite). lol

The hotel had a Blossom care package bag waiting for me at check-in, which included two protein waters I needed to drink before surgery.  Not awesome, but not bad.

Friday morning, I received several kind texts and messages, along with an encouraging FaceTime call from the Wilson fam as they were all at Whataburger for lunch with Teresa - fun!!  Then around 10:40, another Uber picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the Blossom Bariatric clinic. 

The initial consult with Lori was great, then we met with my surgeon, Dr. Matt Apel.  Lori warned us that he can be blunt, but I love that quality, so we got along well.  He answered a few questions for us, then told me where to go to prep for surgery!  They give you sweatpants and a T-shirt instead of a hospital gown, and I appreciated that.  I'd always wanted to know what the squeezy leg compressors felt like, and now I do.  (My calf muscles are oddly sore from that + compression socks + lots and lots of walking.)  They used an ultrasound to do the IV and got it on the first try, collecting blood for lab work, etc.  Mom came in and we held hands and prayed together, and I loved that!  One of the nurses mentioned that I was their 7th surgical patient that day, remarking "Lucky number 7!!"  Mom and I both looked at each other and smiled - so many little nods from God.  Including this final question in my 30 Days with Jesus devotion that morning:

The thumbs-up pic is back at the hotel after surgery, and the other three are pre-op.  Waking up was hard and strange bc I could hear everything but could not keep my eyes open for a while - but one of my very first thoughts was "victory - it's really done!!"  Dr. Apel had warned us that day one would be "terrible" - that I should not panic if I vomit blood or blue dye or whatever else, and that I'd likely be nauseous and dizzy and in a lot of pain.  I was braced and ready for the worst, and it went so. much. smoother than that!!  My worst pain was like a 3 out of 10.  I never threw up, and I only felt nauseous twice.  I was able to stay on my intense medication schedule and to walk the hotel hallways repeatedly (getting up every other hour to do so), and I was able to sleep and rest well in between.  Thanks, God!

This morning, we were picked up at 7:40 to go in for IV meds and hydration.  Dr. Matt came and talked with me for a few minutes, then asked if I had any other quesions and I said "No, but I'd love a photo with you!"  He said, "Let's do it - let's selfie this thing up!" lol  Tonight, I get to sleep normally without worrying about getting up for regular walks, which will be a treat!!

We were done there and I was fully discharged around 9am.  Mom mentioned that if we went to the Bellagio today, we could take it easier tomorrow and not have to worry about bringing our luggage and storing it somewhere else.  So before long, we were at Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast!!  Of course, I couldn't have anything but water, but I was happy just to be there in that environment!  It was Mom's first time trying it, and she was a fan of their mini-waffles and whipped cream!  I am already learning to sip and drink very slowly with my newly-smaller stomach.  I'm used to chugging a lot of water at once, but too much at once is incredibly painful now, so I have to consistently be sipping small drinks to stay hydrated!

After breakfast, we did a slow walk over to the Bellagio and caught the noon fountain shows (Whitney then Andrea Bocelli) - FUN!!  The 105-degree heat didn't agree with Mom, so she went back inside and I met her after the fountains.  I asked another girl to take this pic of me, and I'm so glad to have it - I'll get a similar progress pic when Kristin and I go next year.  My stomach still has some gauze and tape around the five small incisions they made, but those wounds should naturally heal and repair over the next 3 weeks, then I'll have no scars.  Amazing!

Mom and I looked around Gucci and Louis Vuitton, finding an adorable pink clutch purse for the low price of $4,200.  Yikes.  Then we moseyed over to the Conservatory, which is currently a display called Higher Love with lots of flower-filled hot air balloon decor - love it!!  (This = a professional pic by Vanessa Rodgers).  

We got a few pictures and this one of us together, then we decided going back to our room was probably a much better idea than doing more walking in the crazy heat today.  

Fun fact:  The dates of this surgery trip line right up with Vegas trip #10 from summer 2022, so I've been seeing those memories on FB! =)

So glad I got to see the fountains and get a few fun photos in, and that Mom got to experience Mon Ami!  We took this just for Jace, who was distraught that he didn't get to come to Vegas and told us we better not gamble without him. lol  Didn't actually put any $$ in here, but this is my cheesy pic to remind me that I'm betting on myself this weekend! lol

I've slowed way down on the pain pills, so I'm feeling this a little more today, but it's still not terrible at all.  They have to use gas to inflate the abdomen to see well for the laparoscopic surgery, but the gas pain everyone warned me about was never a major issue - Lori gave us a massage gun to borrow last night - yay!  Mom used that on my back and the sides of my spine, and it was awesome and probably helpful in alleviating the gas pain.

Mom and I both love our hotel, so that's happy news.  We're having a delightful and restful afternoon and evening - may have overdone it a bit this morning.  Pray for a safe and smooth flight home tomorrow, and for me as I make the mental adjustments necessary to support healthier choices and habits!  I'm grateful for the daily grace of God through this rapid transition... and I'm excited to find out what He has in store for my life moving forward! ❤

Surgery Day

My Word from God for 2024 = BELIEVE (Post Here)

My Theme = EVERY SECOND COUNTS (Here)

My Verse = "In the days to come, Jacob will take root.  Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit." ~Isaiah 27:6

(Metaphorically, the deceitful old self is buried while the new, God-given identity rises up, grows stronger, and bears fruit!)

The first half of my 2024 was characterized by a lot of internal work, inner transformation, and renewed mental strength and integrity.  And I believe the second half of my year will be characterized by more external work, outer transformation, and renewed physical strength and energy.  My hope is that in all of that, my life becomes a brighter reflection of Christ.

❤

Today is surgery day.

I'm excited and grateful God opened this door
and allowed me to step into it quickly and boldly.

Every second counts, and I firmly believe
God is with me and for me in this pivotal step.
Praying it leads to a healthier and more fruitful future!!

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Okay friends, I love you and I believe in you!
Happy Friday, and have a beautiful summer weekend ahead.
I value your prayers for a smooth surgery and recovery!

Thankful Thursday #191!

❤ ❤ ❤

Today, I am thanking God for:

1.  A delightful summer swim with the niece and nephews!!  (Tman was also there for the first hour or so.)  I won't be able to swim for 3-4 weeks post-op, so this was at the top of my list on Saturday!

2.  Mom and I came by to "see their rooms" (which we decorated) after our fam dinner at Rib Crib, and I told the kids about my upcoming surgery.  I'm very grateful that conversation went really well!  And I'm happy that J&K both really love their new rooms!

3.  They also both got their summer hair done on Tuesday and FaceTimed to show me because they were so excited -- bright and FUN!  (Jace's was a natural-looking orange-red in the beginning, but Rach was able to amp it up to the RED-red he was looking for! lol)

Here, J was going for the Robby from Cobra Kai look... nailed it! lol  His obsession with that show is entertaining these days!

3.  My 75-minute Himalayan Salt Stone Massage & hot oil scalp treatment at Mokara Spa (at the Omni Hotel in downtown OKC) on Sunday.  Highly recommend - Jeni was my masseuse, and she was great!!  This was partially inspired by my upcoming surgery, and partially inspired by Mel Robbins suggesting we do something new that sounds fun to us at a place that is new to us - mission accomplished! ❤

4.  Rib Crib chicken and the frosty-version of the Fairlife protein shake -- both feel indulgent and awesome to me right now in the midst of my pre-op diet!  (I am down 22 pounds in 2 weeks, which is crazy and worth celebrating!)  *Also grateful that today is the final day of the pre-op diet. lol  I'm at work right now, and it's completely surreal that I will be sleeping in Vegas tonight!

5.  Facetime calls from J&K... when Jace called to show me his new karate kick, I got cracked up at how different Facetime calls are with him vs. Kyndal Faith!  He also randomly put a small orange cup lid on his chest and said, "Look, I'm Iron Man!" lolol  (I love that they call to show me things when they're excited!!)

6.  Miss Holly Marie, who was literally born yesterday! ❤  Praying for the Moss fam as they adjust to being a party of five!! 

7.  God's peace, protection, and presence.  My Bible study for the past five days has been focused on the Protection of God throughout the Bible, and the next five days I'll be studying His Presence.  Not a coincidence, and I'm grateful for the way He timed that!  (Also grateful for my worship walks and Wednesday walks with Kristin at The Station!)

❤