Thirteen!

The one and only Kyndal Faith turned 13 on Friday!  ❤

Above = her FaceTiming to show me the new necklace from her Dad! ❤

Throwback to her day of birth 13 years ago on 8-14-13!!

 Bday cake for K-Faith and friends!

Crystalled basketball and chalkboard by Rachael! ❤

Her party started at Main Event - she invited her "squad" core group of friends, Colin, Ellery, and Storey!

Party decor by Rachael, Kyndal, me, and (because she couldn't help herself) Mom!

Kyndal blew most of these balloons up herself - totally worth it! =)

The fab four!

Kyndal disapproved of the way Rach was arranging the candles, so she took over! lol

May all her wishes (that line up with God's best plan for her) come true!! ❤

Table pic because she worked hard on the decor over here too!

Party #2 with her Rise VB teammates at the YFAC gym, followed by cake at her Dad's house on Saturday!

Kyndal, Aniston, Addie, and Tatum! ❤

Aiden, Kyndal, and Liam (her step-brothers at her Dad's house)

She FaceTimed with Mom and I last night to show us various gifts from her friends... 
"Then I got this $20 bill, and this $10 bill..." (holding them up for us) lolol

Love her!!!  She's the absolute best, and I'm so glad she had two really fun parties with her family and friends!  Crazy that she is already a teenager.  Praying she has a great year ahead!

❤ ❤ ❤

Thankful Thursday #240

"LORD, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future... I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely."
~Psalm 16:5-9

Today, I am thanking God for...

1. Dad's life and kindness and generosity, and getting to celebrate his 73rd birthday with all the fam and Bill & Jill on Monday!!  ❤

2.  Bday cake - yellow cake with chocolate icing is a very solid combo! =)

3. Megan, whose study of Psalm 16 inspired me to focus on that chapter - comforting and encouraging!

4. This sweet moment watching a Dad and his sons skip rocks on the water (the playful joy in hanging out with their dad and finding the perfect rocks to throw caught my attention, even as we were next to a powerful waterfall, the Mendenhall Glacier, and the Coast Mountains - the little things in life can be just as beautiful). ❤ 

5. Judge Brockman, and my time working with him in Cleveland County - at the end of July, he stepped down as Special Judge to work as an attorney, and they are celebrating him here!!  (Pictured Judges = Ortega, McGuire, Conyers, Stanley, Childers, Brockman, Puckett, Hales, Virgin, and Tupper -- thankful for my time getting to know and work with all of them in Cleveland County!)

6.  Beth Moore's inspiring life and heart for Jesus, and God opening the doors for me to join her in Alaska on Living Proof's farewell cruise - a gift where God showed up from start to finish!!

7.  Annie F. releasing a new book soon - (the last book she will write as a single woman in her early 40s) - excited with and for her, and excited to read this one!!

I had a wonderful late lunch at Panera catching up with Natalie today - grateful to see how God is working in her life and strengthening her confidence!  I went for my second "threshold test" run tonight (going as hard as possible for 25-30 minutes in this crazy summer heat) - rough times, but I'm grateful my speed is improving! =)  Also VERY thankful that God scheduled "desk week" to ease my return and readjustment to work.  I'm staying pretty busy with transcripts lately, but the ability to sleep in and work from home is a major perk, for which I am grateful!  

Hope you're having a delightful week, and hope this inspires you to consider your own list of at least 7 things you're thanking God for today!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Chet Lee (38)

Yesterday was also the 38th Birthday of Chet Lee Wilson,
aka Chettles, aka "Your Favorite Realtor!"

Above = him leaving Lifetime Fitness that morning after doing 38 reps on all his exercises! lol

This = the FB collage I made for that:  Mockey & The Boys (Mockey Little Christmas #8 at Mom and Dad's last December), Chet's 7th Annual Summer Block Party, Sarah's 38th Bday Brunch, me with double-Chets at the Bougie Charcuterie Board Christmas Party, Route 66 Marathon photo op! lol, Post-race pic at the Disney Marathon, my fav Disney Marathon day pic of him, Pool Party last summer, Paige Evelyn's second day of life, and our finisher pic when we had a relay support team for his Tulsa Marathon!


Balloon garland, decor, and banners by Karli Marie!


Ice cream bar + kids being excited for that 

Happy Birthday, Dear Chettles, Happy Birthday to You!

(This = his Keto-ice cream, and I sincerely applaud him for staying true to his goals!)

On a related note, I teared up when I read this post Chet shared yesterday.  He already does this better than anyone I know, lifting others up in the process - myself included.

Shocking no one, it was quite the crowd for this party!!  Bill & Melissa, Teresa, Michael & Baylee + Lincoln and Finn, Jeffrey & Kelly + Ellie, Henry, and Holly, Jon & Kristin + Miles and Hope, Jessica & Evan + the twins and Sophia, Steve & Sarah + Katherine, Kyle & Sarah + Zealand and Lachlan, me, and the Wilson fam: Chet & Karli + Tate, Parker, and Paige!  (18 adults and 16 kids + one on the way)

Stephen Todd and Tate Haywood having a backyard chat! =)

Another fun banner by Karli!

Chaotic pool party fun!!  For a tiny minute, I sat in that chair by Kristin Foster... then she mentioned seeing a black widow spider, and I promptly went back indoors. lol

Looking out the window a bit later to see Chet fanning himself with three fans at once brought me back out for this photo op! lol  Also, please note the Whataburger swim trunks (to go along with his t-shirts, hat, and Christmas sweater). lol

Indeed, that was our dinner destination for those who stayed all day... here's Sophia and Parker proudly posing it up when I asked for a pic! =)

One of the older kids thought Paige deserved a sticker.  Preshface!

Kate was proud of this tower and distraught when one of the boys knocked it down - (then comforted by the fact that I had a photo).  Aunt Lindsey's camera to the rescue. lol

Impromptu dance party with the kids in the parking lot... I told Karli we've come a long way from the Caravan days! lol

Group pic by Chet (standing in the booth to get the best angle for us)! lol

HBD, Chet Lee, and I hope it's a phenomenal 39th year of life ahead!  In spite of not swimming at either party (lamesauce), it was a very fun day celebrating with lots of people I love!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Diesel (12)

Diesel Eugene turned 12 yesterday, celebrated by family and friends at a pool party at Mom and Dad's house!

This is the collage I made for a FB post - pics = me holding him at the hospital on 7-18-14 (one of very few kids I can say I've known since the day he was born!!), us at his 6th grade graduation, him high-fiving me just before the marathon finish line, and our OKC Zoo trip this spring!

Frankie blowing up one of many inner tubes for the pool party!

Me and Kristin Michelle!

Heather and one of the moms... (the outdoor furniture is covered with trash bags after getting soaked in a thunderstorm the day before).  We've had a lot of those lately!

Presents!  Guess which ones Mom wrapped. lol  (She got one for all three boys!)

Fun in the pool!

Birthday boy - chillin out, maxin', relaxin' all cool! lol

Lunch time!  Charlene and Georgia went to pick up the pizza and most of the kids ate with their feet in the pool! =)

His cousin, Clara, in her adorable sunglasses!

Alan:  "Happy Birthday, Sneeze Sneeze??" lol

Frankie and Raphael (another dad) joined in the swimming fun!

Cake time - a marbled chocolate-and-white cake from Sam's... it did not disappoint!

Present time - (Mom got them Lego cars and a basketball, football, and soccer ball; I went with a gift card for a fun family day at Urban Air).  The party started at 9am - I left just after noon to head to Chet's party in Tulsa - Kristin said Diesel had a great birthday and that the boys were all exhausted when they got home - swimming on hot summer days will really zap your energy sometimes!!

Fun times, though, and I'm so glad he had a great 12th b-day!

❤❤❤