A Belle Birthday!

Miss Parker Elizabeth (age 4) at her Belle Birthday party! ❤

Impressive dining room decor!

And an awesome balloon garland by Karli Marie!

Present time... Mom wrapped mine and Parker clapped for the bow before even seeing the present! lol

Pic with Ellie, Jeffrey, and Henry before they left!

Yay, pizza!!

True story - "the gray stuff" was cookies and cream icing by Karli - really good!!  Also, "Be Our Guest" is one of my fav songs from Beauty and the Beast, a movie with an exceptional soundtrack to which I know every word!!

Photo by the birthday girl (being held by Bill, so it was from a better high angle - yay).  They had all these fun photo props, but we never took pics of the kids wearing them, so I decided to remedy that before I left! lol

Yum!!  And what a cute Chip cupcake holder! =)  I'm sad Chettles missed out on these with his #sadgflife, but I sincerely applaud his commitment to getting healthier!! 

Healthy snacks and awesome silverware chandeliers by Karli!!

Presents (thanks again to Mom for wrapping mine!)  Parker has the perfect reactionary personality for this part of a party - so much genuine joy and excitement over every fun gift and card! =)

Wilson fam - she was much happier through this whole party than last year's! lol

Legit ice cream cake with an Oreo ganache middle layer by Karli!!

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The freeze-dance party was entertaining and fun, and a good way to pass the time before the Domino's Pizza arrived!  Here's JEM and Chettles at their best entertaining all the kids! lol

FREEZE... then hop!! lol

I got one pic where I laughed about Chet's side-eye expression, then I made this collage of him and 3-year-old Parker with all the suspicion!! lol

It was raining as I was leaving, and this cute lil' bunny (Tate named him "Muffin") was taking shelter under their van, so of course I snapped a pic of that!! ❤

All in all, I think Parker Elizabeth had a very fun 4th birthday party with pizza, dancing, ice cream cake, and lots of fun friends and presents!
Post-party crash -- cuteness!

I got her a cute doll bed and an Our Generation doll (basically a cheaper and more modern version of American Girl dolls) named Emily... I laughed out loud at these texts from Chet:

Preshface.

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That's all for today, I believe.  It's super rainy and dreary here, but I finally got a really good night's sleep last night, and it has made a world. of. difference. in how I feel physically and emotionally today!! #yaysleep  I sent two important emails this morning, and I feel good about both.  So I'm grateful now for hitting my limit yesterday - I was very tired and *very* sore and feeling mad and sad about lots of things I don't really need to get into here, but I needed to cry and do the work to process it all, so I'm thankful for that overwhelm and the power of extra rest, for a very timely Mel Robbins podcast on trusting yourself and making hard decisions, for a lighthearted night of spaghetti and Scattergories with the fam, for good talks and genuine support lately from Chet Lee and Mom and Kristin, and for feeling a bit of relief and greater clarity about what I want moving forward long-term!  In the near future, I'm currently looking forward to fun dinner plans with Kristin tonight, Kyndal's final 11s club tournament in Tulsa this weekend, and my CCU graduation ceremony next Friday!! #almosthere #getexcited ❤

Four Years of Sunshine

Happy 4th Birthday to my Mini-BFF, Princess Parker!! ❤

"Though she be but little, she is fierce."  ~Shakespeare

Today marks four whole years of sparkles, strong opinions, Disney princess movies, the cutest laugh, and the one-of-a-kind magic that is Miss Parker Elizabeth! ❤

Her mom and dad didn't find out the gender ahead of time, so getting the bow pic was a memorable and happy surprise that called for lots of pink hearts! lol  From the moment she arrived earlier than expected, this tiny preshface has brought color and joy to every room she enters -- the world is truly brighter with her in it!! ❤

As a close friend of the Wilson fam, I have loved watching her grow and seeing her personality develop!  Lately, it makes my day when her eyes light up with excitement and she screams "Lindsey!!" running to hug me when I come over!  Her laugh is contagious and her energy is magnetic, and she does everything wholeheartedly - including her sweet hugs!

Parker is a wonderful combo of playful and silly, opinionated and passionate, sensitive and bold.  She feels things deeply and freely, and (much like her dad) her face is very expressive about those feelings, which means you rarely have to wonder what’s on her heart!

I love that she knows what she wants and how to speak up for it, and she can be entertainingly sassy and strong willed -- not easily swayed into changing her mind!  She also has a kind and caring heart - it's the whole recipe for a wonderful leader down the road!!

She has two incredible parents who have poured love and guidance into her life, along with exceptional grandparents who delight in her and a big brother who is already her protector and sidekick.  With that kind of supportive crew behind her, there's no limit to where she’ll go!
#worldscutestshootingstar

Parker Elizabeth, thanks for being my friend and Facetime buddie and honorary niece, and thanks for posing for so many pics with and for me!  You are a sparkling ray of sunshine in a world that needs more light - keep shining!  You are beautiful inside and out, and I'm grateful for all the pure JOY you bring to the world!  I love and adore you, and I'm here to cheer for and support you however I can as you continue to grow. ❤

God made you very special, and I hope you always get super excited about your birthday, because YOU are worth celebrating big!  I hope this birthday and your much-anticipated Belle party this weekend are all you've been dreaming of -- full of chocolate, candy, ice cream cake, mo-mos (tomatoes), Ranch dressing, bouncy houses, Disney princesses, heels and hair crowns, laughter, fun presents, great friends and family, and everything you love most!!  (And honestly, I hope you continue to feel the safety and freedom to be sad and cry and side-eye the cake if you need to, even at your very own amazing party.)  You are a delight, and I'm excited to see the good things God has in store for you!

Happy 4th Birthday, Mini-Miss!

❤ Love Always,

Your Forever Fan and Honorary Aunt Lindsey

"Let her sleep, for when she wakes,
she will move mountains."

“She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.”

~Proverbs 31:25

Okay, last but not least, here's a fun slideshow to end this very-extra birthday tribute post! lol

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Thankful Thursday #224

"For this reason we do not lose heart.  Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is RENEWED day after day.  And this small and temporary trouble we suffer is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine." 

~2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Our weekly family dinners, and more specifically, celebrating the birthdays of Triston Michael (18 on 4-2) and Carter Lee (17 on 4-18) with the fam at Ted's on Tuesday!! ❤

2.  Jon Tyson, who I have now heard in an audiobook he cowrote + the AFD podcast and the Wild at Heart podcast... the sincerity of his obedience and his heart for Jesus has increased my desire to study God's Word and seek Him more diligently, and I'm thankful for that shift!

3.  This once-in-a-lifetime season of marathon training and all God is teaching me through it!! ❤  Grit, endurance, accepting support, pressing past fear, trusting the process, celebrating small milestones, encouraging myself when it's just me and Jesus out there, etc.

4.  An encouraging interview last Friday - hearing "You have the qualities that can't be taught as a therapist who genuinely connects with people, and we can help you with the knowledge and diagnostic tools" felt like a high compliment (with room/encouragement to keep growing).  *Prayers appreciated for God to give me wisdom and open the right doors at the right time for me in this job search.

5.  Supporting T-man at his new barista job at the Choctaw Starbucks - fun!  He was super busy running the drive-through line, but he traded with a friend to come make my drink and chat for a sec before getting back to it! ❤

6.  The Wilsons and Weatherfords, who kindly let me join their family dinner last Friday!  The kids were in playful moods, and we all had a good talk about my interview that morning, the January Disney trip, and Miss Parker Elizabeth's 4th birthday and Belle party later this month, which is sure to be the very cutest!!

7.  A successful impromptu shopping spree on my first real trip to the Tulsa Premier Outlets last Friday... six new shirts, a gold bracelet, a J. Crew necklace, a Vera Bradley travel bag, and a Coach purse - huzzah!  All things I'll enjoy and use well, but it's probably for the best that my shopping time was limited. lol

8.  From my FB post:  Happy National Sibling Day to my younger sister, Rachael LaJo! ❤  Thankful for our childhood memories, our adult friendship, our family dinners, and all the ways you've made my life more colorful and fun and exciting (including my awesome niece and nephews)!!  Also grateful that you've shared clothes with me and become my fashion consultant, and that you're willing/eager to spend hours gluing tiny crystals to my graduation cap.  Love you!!  

9.  A great 4-mile walk with Kristin Michelle last night... with background music by the massive church youth gathering at the outdoor amphitheater part of our Central Park! =)

10.  Reading through Abby's Autobiography (a Senior-year project for all CHA students)... she has overcome a lot in her first 18 years, and she wrote about it with admirable vulnerability and courage! ❤  I told her this will be a great keepsake to look back at later, which I know now from experience - there are so many little memories from childhood and adolescence that would be easy to forget if they were not written down and preserved! =)

11.  Getting to watch Kyndal Faith's team play in the Lone Star Classic tournament from the comfort of my own home last weekend... whoever is in charge of the videos for these tournaments deserves a raise!

12.  Janelle told me (and showed me) that she's seeing "lots of new growth" and baby hairs coming in, saying I'll just have to be patient as it continues to grow and become more noticeable.  #metaphorforlife  (Weight loss surgery and the initial rapid loss typically leads to some hair thinning, but I've been taking the pricey Nutrafol supplements Dr. Apel recommended, and I'm so glad to know they are actually helping!  And I'm grateful for Halo Couture in the meantime. lol)

13.  This Netflix movie being better than I'd expected -- it was in the "We think you'll love this" category from Netflix, and they were not wrong. lol  It made me think about finding true love (and where I've already found it), leaving nothing left unsaid, growing through grief, and how my childhood goals align with who I am today!

14.  “I believe deeply that God does His best work in our lives during times of great heartbreak and loss, and I believe that much of that rich work is done by the hands of people who love us, who dive into the wreckage with us and show us who God is, over and over and over."  ~Shauna Niequist  I'm thankful for Chet Lee and Karli Marie and the way their loyal friendship, steadfast support, timely words of wisdom, and well-stewarded gift for cultivating solid community have been part of "God's best work" in my life, showing me who He is, over and over and over!! ❤

15.  Today's jury trial being continued (YAY), a lunch workout at Planet Fitness, and the gift of coming home to a lovely, fresh and clean house when I leave in a few minutes!!  Ahhh, I have missed Alisa (my once-a-month house cleaner) over the past 3 months... I am extra thankful for the great work she does, and I am grateful she's feeling better and able to come back now!

I'm also thankful for you being here! =)  This is my first Thankful Thursday post since January, so it's a little longer than usual.  Happy Thursday!!

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