Confident in Him We Keep Watch

Merry Christmas, blog-reading friends and family!! ❤

(I'm starting this at 11pm, so assuming I get it posted within the hour, that still applies.)

This Christmas season has been busy, but good.  As per usual, it is A LOT of anticipation and decorating and fun parties and lead-up, and then the actual Christmas day is pretty low-key since we exchange gifts and do most of our celebrating beforehand.

Here's a family pic by the tree last night - I love it!!  I gotta remember to bring my tripod to Mom and Dad's soon, but for now, we've made it work with camera timers and selfies.

Kyndal Faith's Wish List Presentation for the win! lol  She got most of what she asked for, so kudos to her for making a handy shopping list for us!

T-man helping Dad with his iPad!  It's been good to see Triston more in the past week than I have all year since our NYC trip!

Mom carried on Babah's tradition by getting Rach and I some random things like toothbrushes and Kleenex and floss... then she improved on it by throwing in lip glosses and perfumes and such, and putting it all in a trash can, which she knew I needed for my new office room! lol

Jace Michael got a fun punching bag and some awesome LeBron shoes (quite the unboxing extravaganza)!  He is currently very into boxing and "Iron Mike" Tyson, so that was a repeated subject this week!

Mini Miss K also got some cute new pink and purple volleyball shoes, something she's appreciated from a very young age! ;-)

T-man got her the Starbucks Bearista cup she'd asked for - adorable!

Rachael's cards were super creative and entertaining, as per usual!!

Mine were plain and simple, as were my $$ gifts!

Kyndal Faith made a Christmas movie trivia game for us to play.  She's the very best, and I just adore it that she takes the initiative to do fun stuff like this!

Rach put everything in for the online order from Dominoes - when it wouldn't go through, we realized they were closed for Christmas Eve.  We decided to call Saltgrass since we would be in that area for Christmas lights - they had a 90-minute wait, but after playing the trivia game and driving through Gaillardia, that worked out pretty perfectly!  We had excellent service, and their potato soup did not disappoint!

J&K being thrilled to take more photos. lol

Rach got her Kraft mac n' cheese classic Christmas dinner! lol  (The pic of her is from Paul's Place, what I used for ChatGPT. lol)

Our car pic makes me happy - it was fun to sit back there with T-man and Kyndal Faith, and we fought through a bit of traffic congestion to see lots of pretty homes in Nichols Hills!

Including the well-protected home of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA on the OKC Thunder team).

We got back to Mom and Dad's around 10pm, then came over again at 10am this morning for Christmas brunch!  (Triston went to JoBug's for breakfast with Blake and Wendy and co.)

Rach made pancakes and Mom and Kyndal made scrambled eggs and bacon... Jace showed us boxing videos, and I snacked on the cinnamon churro crackers Mom made yesterady - yum!

Mom asked me to bring our Senior year autobiographies, a CHA assignment Triston will do this year!  It was fun to look back through them and interesting to think about how differently we might write certain things now!

I took a sunny Christmas day walk at The Station around 3:30... it was really nice weather, and I listened to Rachel McAdams reading me Anne of Green Gables - so enjoying that again - right up there with Little Women for me!

I went to see David at the Moore Warren and ended up by one of my former CHA classmates and her entire extended family, so having to explain repeatedly that I was there on my own was not my favorite thing, in spite of solo movie nights being one of my favorite things. lol  The movie was really good, though - I love David's heart and story and thought the songs were all well done!

❤

And I ended the night in cozy Christmas PJs with T-Swift and blogging, which feels appropriate on every level.  It's been a very rich and busy Christmas season, and I appreciated a quiet and cozy Christmas night!

I saw a short Christmas video from Amy Groeschel on the Bible App this morning.  She talked about how people in the early Bible days were waiting on the promised Messiah to come, then she said, "But our wait is over - Jesus is here with us, Immanuel!"  On one level, I get what she is saying - God is with us and for us in spirit, but not in the fully tangible way our hearts long for Him to be.  The idea that the wait is over implies that life here and now is all it was meant to be, which is asinine.  My mind cut right to John Eldredge talking about how we do not spend enough time talking about the second coming - how our hearts should be tethered to that hope and eagerly anticipating and awaiting the return of Jesus.  So on that level, our wait is NOT over... Jesus is not tangibly in front of any of us right now.  We miss our loved ones in Heaven, and our lives are far from perfect or complete or whole... but Jesus will be physically before us someday, and things will no longer be partial and incomplete... 

For the final time this year, Merry Christmas.

If you had a rich and fantastic Christmas full of fun memories and great food and music and surrounded by people you love, hold it loosely and remind your heart that that the joy you experienced was a wonderful preview of what life will feel like in the coming Kingdom!  And if you've wrestled with quiet disappointment, loneliness, grief, anger, or broken hopes this holiday season, take courage in the ultimate hope that Jesus is coming again.  Full victory, healing, connection, and restoration are truly on the way!  Happiness is fragile, but hope is freaking resilient.  After the heavy disappointment and confusion I've experienced this year, the promise of a risen and victorious Jesus coming back to claim His bride and His place on the throne as King does a lot more for my heart right now than reflecting on the over-familiar baby in a manger season.  It's all connected, of course, and much like the people in early Bible times, we are now called to wait with hope and expectancy for something we've heard about but not yet seen, and confident in Him we keep watch (Micah 7:7-8)!  ...The God of our salvation will fulfill His promises! ❤

Joy to the World - the Lord IS COMING AGAIN.

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing!

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Twelve Drummers Drumming

1.  Our merry and bright annual friend trio pic!

2.  My Tulsa fam, the Wilsons and Weatherfords!

3.  Kelly's "Favorite Things" Christmas party!

4.  Triston Michael and I at my party on 12-20

5.  Mother/daughter pic by the Christmas banner!

6.  Iwanagas and Wilsons at the Bougie Charcuterie Party!

7.  Pic with Parker after The Nutcracker ballet!

8.  "A Mockey Little Christmas" Year #8

9.  Farewell lunch with Judge Brockman and Doris!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! ❤

This = the final day in my 12 Days of Recaps with a few blog quotes and my top nine photos from each month of 2025!

DECEMBER:

"Resuming an activity after an interruption... extending the validity of a contract... repairing something that is worn out or broken.  Gracious, all of that speaks to me and applies to desires that are resurfacing."

~Renewal, 12-1-25

"I gave all the children's books I'd been saving to the wonderful Wilson fam, knowing they read to their children and have two young kids and one on the way... and it made me really happy to see Tate enjoying it!"

~Marble Jars and Kingdom Hope, 12-6-25

"We have a heart designed for the unending family-style connections and redemptive joy and lasting purpose that will. be. ours. forever. in the Kingdom of Heaven, and all the lovely things we experience here will always be partial and incomplete by comparison.  So make the most of all the joy you are given here, but let your heart find rest in the firm and secure Kingdom hope we have through Christ!  The best is yet to come, truly."
~Marble Jars and Kingdom Hope, 12-6-25

"Jessica was talking to Kantrell about how she has to be more careful about what she eats because her metabolism has changed since she was in her mid-20s, and Jon chimed in with: Pretty sure my metabolism changed when I was 8! lol"
~A Very Bougie Christmas, 12-7-25

"Most of us hide our preferences and conform in an effort to belong... this book is a roadmap for questioning the perceived norms, speaking honestly about our true values, and building healthier environments where AUTHENTICITY replaces conformity!"
~Final Books for 2025, 12-9-25

"Apple Music gave me my 2025 recap - I really laughed about Jon Bon Jovi being my top artist for the month of March!  I was on a Blaze of Glory kick and apparently listened to that one song enough to outrank any other artist that month."
~Blaze of Glory, 12-10-25

"[Kyndal]'s the best.  And watching that made me want to look back at my own childhood pics and videos with more grace and positivity! "
~Sassy, Brave, & Cute, 12-12-25

"I'm never likely to turn down a remote job, but I want to be very clear that I've loved my time in Cleveland County and been treated very well here!  Judge Brockman has given me his own gated parking space, worked with my school schedule, supported my adoption and counseling goals, and been great about taking care of the record!"

~Christmas Remix, 12-17-25

"Mockey and the Boys!  Thankful for the way these two have shown up for me over the past 15+ years... their Godly wisdom, genuine support, and all the laughter they bring into my life has gotten me through some rough seasons and shaped who I am today!"
~Feliz Navidad, 12-21-25

"'Grief must be witnessed, not fixed.'  ...When grief feels sharp for me, writing helps to soften it, and knowing my words will be read by even one person who cares about me helps me feel less alone in hard seasons."
~Surprise Last Day, 12-22-25

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Christmas Eve Eve Recap

Our 2025 Christmas Eve Eve was fun!

This is our group pic after an early lunch at Ted's in MWC. ❤

Table pics of both sides!  Asher and Karsten were at the head of the table. =)

JoBug, Mom, and Jaceman!  It makes me happy that JoBug's grandma name is "Sassy." lol

A few random pics at Ted's

I very specifically remember feeling sad when I saw this pic of me on Christmas Eve 2023 with Asher Kenneth, and feeling joy when I saw the pic on the right yesterday with Karsten Blaire!

I'm thankful for cute babies, and very thankful for health and confidence progress!!

2023 and 2025 family pics - happy and grateful that I feel okay with being up front now!

Asher and Dasher! ;-)

Part of my gift for Judge Brockman (along with an OU hoodie).  He said this quote in every Wellness Court plea I took a record on, talking with the participants about the importance of getting back up and learning from past mistakes, so I made this using Canva and ordered the wood panel at Walgreens. =)

Dinner last night was Paul's Place steakhouse in Shawnee (right next to OBU, as it turned out).  A bit of a drive and lacking in great ambiance, but it was really good food, so we'll probably be back!

K-Faith challenging Rach to a straw duel whilst Rach and I were mid-conversation. lol  She's a funny one!

Jill and I in our almost-matching Christmas attire! =)

More AI photo fun during dinner. lol

After dinner, I stayed up till 1:30 to bake and ice a chocolate layer cake, and I was excited to get to try out my new stand mixer! =)

And that brings us to Christmas Eve!!  ❤

Thus far, I slept in, wrote cards for the niece and nephews, watched The Santa Clause and two episodes of T-Swift's docuseries, and exchanged gifts with the Whitakers (and Frankie checked out my car brakes which have been a little squeaky and shaky lately).  I'm headed to Mom and Dad's in a few minutes for a Christmas Eve pizza dinner and fun family game night  and gifts + a Christmas lights tour of Gaillardia and Nichols Hills (noteworthy fancy neighborhoods in the OKC area).

Sadly, I failed to get a pic with the whole Whitaker fam earlier... Doorbell cam for the win! LOL

That's all for now.  Happy Christmas, everyone!!

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Eleven Pipers Piping

1.  The fam at Jace's first 7th grade basketball game!

2.  Friend group pic at the Wilsons' Gender Reveal Party!

3.  Lunch with Ashley at La Baguette!

4.  OSU game with the Wilsons!

5.  The Finish Line stretch for Chet's 2nd Marathon!

6.  My redecorated room and new Peloton bike!

7.  OSU game with the Whitakers!

8.  Whataburger pic - Chet's Marathon Relay Team (minus Evan)!

9.  Post-decorating pic at Chet's KW Office!

Merry Christmas Eve, friends and family!!  This = month 11 in my 12 Days of Recaps with a few blog quotes and my top nine photos from each month of 2025!

NOVEMBER:

"Rach jokingly called me Harry Potter at one point, and I corrected that to Hermione (pronounced "her-my-knee").  Then Rach said, "Seriously, that's how you say it??  I always thought it was her-mee-own."  Like, get all the way out.  So yeah, she and her children clearly haven't even seen the movies and have zero business visiting the magic that is Harry Potter World! lol #muggles"
~Gaillardia Girls Night, 11-1-25

"The wonderful Wilson family will soon be a party of five, plus one in Heaven!  ...I'm realizing even as I write this that the above sentence now holds true for three of my favorite families on earth, which makes me feel even more grateful for the ironclad reality of Heaven... my heart feels every bit of this more this year, but there is so much joy to be found in life, and I would sincerely rather my emotions be heightened than numb."

~Gender Reveal!, 11-1-25

"A mentally healthy person does not avoid or trivialize their own pain; they acknowledge it, name it, and work through it... sometimes with the help of medication and/or a trusted friend, family member, or counselor! The only way out is through.  Keep going."
~Reality at All Costs, 11-2-25

"It was oddly validating and helpful to hear him say the counseling profession as it stands today is gradually collapsing - (a sad reality, but at least I feel less overwhelmed and alone in it).  He said it will take "phoenix leadership" to rise up and rebuild it...  He said he loves this profession for what it can be, not for what it has currently become.  And he gave me some solid advice on how to move forward if becoming a CCU professor is my goal!!"

~Island Items & Phoenix Leadership, 11-4-25

"I think one of the big things court reporting has taught me is to be more "shrewd."  Not cynical or fear-based or always assuming the worst, but less naive and gullible... being a sharper judge of character, and being more prepared and alert to real evil and danger."

~Courtroom Lessons, 11-6-25

"When my nervous system overreacts, it's liberating to breathe and remind myself, "[David], nobody cares."  Life is messy, and most people are too busy thinking about their current needs or their own awkward moments to stop and scrutinize mine."
~Discomfort Zone, 11-11-25

"It can be interesting to think about the various branches where life might have gone in another direction... there are literally thousands of them in all of our lives, for better or worse.  But remember to frame it with some realism and gratitude.  Adele is right - "Sometimes the road less traveled is the road best left behind."  Truly, through all the twists and turns, God is protective and caring.  He directs and redirects our steps, and we can trust Him to work in all things (tragedy and trauma included) for our good and for His glory!!  ❤"

~Alternate Universe, 11-14-25

"Within a 48-hour period, I received the two best job offers of my life last week!  And yesterday, I gladly accepted a court reporter position with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission! ❤"

~The Path of Peace, 11-18-25

"Today was really fun for me from start to finish!!  Chet so appreciated the relay team support, and I think all of us really enjoyed being a part of it.  I was thrilled to have the final leg with more photos and less running.  But seriously, round of applause for Chettles, who showed remarkable grit in finishing the marathon after being sick all week... then hosting everyone (27 people this year) for dinner a few hours later!"

~"Chet Pack" Relay Team!, 11-23-25

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Ten Lords A-Leaping

1.  Wednesday walk with Kristin at Central Park/The Station!

2.  Fan club for Jace's last home football game!

3.  Parker holding the baby as they provided respite foster care!

4.  Mom and Jaceman after his last 7th grade football game!

5.  11am OSU game fun with Dad and Rach!

6.  RIP Diane Keaton!

7.  My T-Swift inspired pic before seeing her album-launch movie on October 3rd!

8.  Heal Out Loud LifeGroup ladies (Good Boundaries & Goodbyes)!

9.  Gaillardia Halloween girls night with Rach, Kyndal, and Haydenn!

Merry Christmas-Eve Eve!!  Today will be my final day at the Cleveland County Courthouse - I'm excited about the job transition, and I am sincerely very grateful for my time there!  This = 12 Days of Recaps with a few blog quotes and my top nine photos from each month of 2025!

OCTOBER:

"Enough of this tortured poet nonsense.
Welcome back, vibrant and happy T-Swift! lol
Your long-time fans had missed you!!"

~Dancing Through the Lightning Strikes, 10-6-25

"[Emily] carefully asked whether it might be possible that my nervous system has become so accustomed to me being in a state of indecision and limbo that self-doubt feels like the most familiar path - (something I naturally default back into without much conscious awareness).  Umm, wow, yes!!"

~Breaking the Cycle, 10-8-25

"For years, I talked and wrote about becoming a single mom until it became hard to admit that I might want something different now.  In addition to all the roadblocks I encountered, my desire itself had begun to shift.  It’s not that I don’t ever want kids or don't believe I would be a good mom, but the “doing it alone” part began to feel more daunting and isolating than empowering and connecting."
~Safety Nets and Wet Paint, 10-11-25

"The Cowboys lost, but I can't express how little that mattered to me.  They fired Coach Gundy mid-season and their first and second string quarterbacks have been injured.  So it's a rough, slightly embarrassing, rebuilding kind of season for them, and on the metaphorical level, I totally relate to that and wish them all the best!"

~Football is Life, 10-12-25

"Either way, I know I am not alone in this frustrated perspective, but you cannot know how deeply flawed it all is until you're at the epicenter where you've invested so much time, money, and energy into this career that it becomes difficult to change course (the sunk cost fallacy)."
~Reality vs. Expectation, 10-18-25

"Having zero experience to speak from, I'm still firmly convinced I would be an excellent supportive wife, so I may venture back into the dating world eventually, and I will absolutely continue to work on my health goals, but in the meantime, I am truly grateful that, as an admittedly overweight and long-term single woman, I mostly feel cute and loved!"

~Everything Else, 10-18-25

"Embracing my own agency and power to choose and take action is literally the overarching theme of the last several years of my life... Emily and I also talked about how when you put others on a pedestal, it makes you smaller.  Then we talked about the litany of mixed messages I have received over the past four decades about the value of being small versus the value of being strong."

~Pedestals and Power, 10-23-25

"Me:  We've been talking about [dissertation topics], like, what do we want to be known for?
Dr. R:  Nooooo.  No, that's too much pressure!  You want to be known as "Doctor."  You can figure the rest of it out later."
~Photo Friday, 10-31-25

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Surprise Last Day!

Last night was Dad's staff Christmas party at Red Rock by Lake Hefner (love that location).  I sat between Kristin and Triston, and I chatted with them and Mom and Georgia, Alan, and Charlene!

I enjoyed the skillet cornbread, the salad (and my first time trying goat cheese), the potatoes and carrots, and the dessert!  And hopefully Kristin and/or Frankie enjoyed my chicken and ribs. lol  Mom and Triston loved their steaks, and everyone seemed happy with the food from what I could tell!

Asher Kenneth is a big fan of Santa Claus... not so much for Miss Karsten Blair!  Looking forward to seeing them tomorrow for an early lunch at Ted's!!

Doris got this cake for me this morning for what turned out to be my last day at the Cleveland County Courthouse!  (Judge told me around 4:15 that he was taking tomorrow off, so I gave them their gifts and packed the rest of my stuff to do the same - huzzah!!)

A lovely final afternoon walk around Main Street in Norman - surprisingly nice weather lately for December, so I took advantage of that!

The meme on the left made me laugh, in spite of me participating in that trend.

I tried a new prompt, and it randomly changed my eye color.  So now I know what I'd look like with blue eyes - turns out God knew what he was doing giving me brown. lol  I would adore that hair, though!!

For any Swifties out there, or really anyone at all, if you ask Siri to "Play Opalite by Taylor Swift," please let me know what happens??  Nearly every time I ask (which is fairly often, as it turns out), it plays her Elizabeth Taylor song instead -- those titles sound absolutely nothing alike, and it's become both comical and infuriating. lol  What on earth!?

The last of my things as I left work around 5:15 today!  Yay for Mom's rolling cart, and yay for her helping me get most of my things last weekend!!

I'm super grateful that Judge decided to take tomorrow off completely (he was originally just taking the afternoon off).  This will make all of our Christmas Eve Eve family plans feel stress-free for me, and it allowed this last workday to be all I wanted it to be.  I printed and filed my last transcript, backed everything up on SD cards, took a final walk around Norman, said my goodbyes to Judge and Doris (and Melissa and Leslie when they came down for cake), and grabbed dinner from Victoria's Pasta Shop and gelato from Apple Tree Chocolate one last time on my way home!!

My adorable friend, Hogie, at the Christmas Chute on this day last year!!  Gah, Corgi puppies are the very cutest!

Hilarious pic from a fun game night at Nancy's on this day in 2018!

Mel Robbins had David Kessler on her podcast this week, and they had a great conversation about grief HERE.  I'm on the very short list of people who feel drawn to that topic and always want to learn more.  One of my favorite things he says is: "Grief must be witnessed, not fixed."

The idea that it "must be witnessed" resonates for me, reminiscent of the Shall We Dance quote I've mentioned before:  "We need a witness to our lives...  In a marriage, you're promising to care about everything.  The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... You're saying, 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.  Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.'"

So once again, thanks to my blog readers for being "witnesses" to the ups and downs of my life!  This year has been intense - some big and loud accomplishments and some quietly painful losses.  When grief feels sharp for me, writing helps to soften it, and knowing my words will be read by even one person who cares about me helps me feel less alone in hard seasons.

That's all I've got for today.

Happy surprise last day of work to me!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas ahead!!

❤ ❤ ❤