Halftime Review!

Surprise, surprise - the big hearing got continued to Thursday!

#huzzah #admintime

That allowed me to do laundry I'd been putting off, go get my car serviced, take a walk around Lake Hefner, and go see Twister for the first time ever on the big screen yesterday (playing at Flix for it's 30th anniversary - yay!!)  And at long last, I have some time today to write a recap/review of Quarter 1 and 2 (this post), then detail my goals and plans for Q3 and Q4 of 2026 (next post)!!  Jumping right in... here's a photo and caption for my top 10 events from each month!

QUARTER ONE:

Mom's 71st birthday at Red Rock * Chet's New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge * Chet's Disney Marathon! * Splash Mountain (aka Tiana's Bayou Adventure) * Movie day! * Group pic after the marathon * Miss K's Rise Volleyball photo session where she brought a Bible as one of her photo props ❤ * Chet trying the famous French bakery dessert he learned about on Instagram * Kyndal's first scrimmage against her former teammates * An extra-cold Wednesday walk with Kristin

Friend trio talk at Utica Starbucks before my bday dinner * Super Bowl party at Mom and Dad's * Anthony's 14th Birthday balloon release * AFD and JW becoming FB official (and giving me more hope for a future relationship) * Tate and Sophia at his 8th bday party (Disney-themed!) * Family dinner for Rachael's 40th Birthday * Teresa, Donetta, and Chet (at Tate's party) * Birthday lunch for Tiffany (yay, matching Swiftie hats!) * Proud grandparents at the Valentine's Day tournament * Pelicans for Jace's Bday dinner with the fam and TJ!

Fun OKC Zoo trip with the Whitaker crew * Catching up with Holly and Tman after Charleston's dinner * Hanging out with Jaceman and Rach at K's tournament (the day I got the cap Rach crystalled for me) * Pic with our star setter * Meeting Paige Evelyn the day after she was born * Megan Elizabeth's wedding reception * Kate coming to support K-Faith in her Texas tournament * Spring walk with Kristin Michelle * Wonderful Wilson fam, party of five * Olive Garden lunch with Teresa in celebration of Paige's arrival!

QUARTER TWO:

Parker Elizabeth feelin' cute at her 5th Bday Princess Party * Starbucks with Triston to design and order his Graduation invites * Baby shower for Paige hosted by Debbie and me (and Mia!) * Jaceman grilling chicken for us (without the shirt that was "weighing him down" lol) * Deppen family officially adopting Carter just after his 18th birthday! * Pic with Kyndal Faith at her final CHA Easter program * Triston Michael looking handsome in the suit he bought for his Senior year JSB * Rise team celebrating an awesome play * The Ranch for Triston and Carter's birthdays! * Kyndal's Washington DC trip slideshow (this = her sitting by Senator Lankford on the plane ride and deciding she wants to be a Senator when she grows up!) #letsfreakinggo!

Early summer party celebrating T's graduation and K's Christian Citizenship Award! * Family pic with extra-tall (AI) Jace on T's Graduation day! * Keller, TX roadtrip to meet my podcast besties, Eddie Kaufholz and Annie F. Downs * Diesel's 6th Grade Graduation * Kyndal Faith getting her 6th Grade Grad diploma * Friend trio pic by Karli's balloon arch at Chet's Block Party #7! * Thunder game with Rach, Jace (our photographer here), and Kyndal * Karli's birthday brunch at Cheever's Cafe * Family dinner celebrating K's Graduation from elementary school * The night the Spurs officially beat the Thunder!

Fun at the Station with Natalie and Walker * Father's Day lunch at Saltgrass * McAlister's with the Whitaker fam! * Peach Truck peaches, round 3 * Kyndal Faith's wishlist for her bedroom renovation! * Husky puppies and yoga class with Kristin! * Hiking in Boulder, CO with Triston * The niece and nephews swimming at Mom and Dad's * Leading the women's LG for the summer! * 16th Street Pedestrian Promenade on our first night in Denver!

That's my Q1 and Q2 summary for now, along with the deeper thoughts I shared in last week's post (here)!!

Thankful for all God has done here.

Thankful for all God is doing now.

Thankful for all God will do moving forward!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Mid-Year Check-In!

Next week, I plan to share my goals for the second half of the year.
Today felt like a good time for a part one check-in!

Disney trip, January 2026

Most years, I write out my New Year’s resolutions here, but I realized I never actually did that for 2026.  The end of 2025 was rough, and I came into this year a little wrung out.  I chose Renewal as my theme word, and that still fits and feels relevant.

Writing:  Day one of this year, I said I was going to shut this blog down, write one post all year, and force myself to focus only on book writing.

Clearly, that plan went super well! lol ;-)

But honestly, I’m glad it didn’t.  After pausing the PhD program on January 12th, I felt like I had the needed space to breathe and think clearly again.  After reading Theo of Golden and Big Trust, I finally have a more solidified book plan than I’ve ever had before (another goal for the next half of this year).  I believe blogging still matters for my mental health, documenting the memories, and the sense of connection it brings!  I think I was just exhausted and tempted to hide when this year began.  Thankfully, God is bringing some renewal there.

Growth:  Last week, I saw a timely FB post from Dr. Leaf about how trying new things and experiencing new places can be a great catalyst for personal growth.  That has definitely been true in my own life, and it’s something I’m pondering and praying about for this next season!

Health:  This has been a journey.  Last year, I tried a compounded GLP-1 for a couple months, lost 12 pounds, then stopped abruptly while considering pregnancy.  The food noise surged back to life and I regained the weight while struggling with intense emotions, soon accompanied by the uterine fibroids news and the hard decision not to move forward with the embryo transfers.  It was a long, messy season covered by God's grace!

This year, I did more research and decided to try the more expensive but FDA-regulated Zepbound (instead of the potentially-sketchy compounded option).  After three months of gradually increasing the dose, I somehow maintained the exact same weight while losing more and more hair.  Obviously not the desired or expected outcome.  So I’ve gradually tapered off, which made me a little nervous about food noise... but this time I was more careful to go slowly, and it appears I’ve avoided any emotional roller coaster.

Between health and dating goals, I believe God has been using the lack of progress to gently redirect me, leading me to trust Him and move in a different direction without allowing me to give up hope or drown in shame.

I’m in a good routine with my vitamins, and I’ve pushed myself in more intense strength-training workouts at Solid Rock over the past two months.  Since the theme of my book is becoming strong over small, I’m trying to set physical goals that align with that mindset.  More on that next week.

Here I am on a windy Summer Solstice walk yesterday!   It was the longest daylight day of the year, and now the days slowly begin getting shorter until the Winter Solstice on December 21st - I'll miss the extra sunshine, but yay for being on the path to Christmastime!

Dating:  The only other goal I remember setting and specifically writing about here was the "Year of Dating."  With renewed hope inspired by AFD and Megan, I pushed myself to really try the apps and stay open to friend set-ups.  And I’m proud of myself for not giving up.  It's challenging to stay in faith and stay open-hearted about a major desire like this while facing repeated let-downs over a six-month stretch.

I’ve only had one man ask me on a real date this year, which I drove all the way to Texas for (and I’m proud of myself for that, too).  I have messaged more seriously and/or had phone calls with a few potential candidates along the way, the most recent ending on Sunday.  And I can now confidently say that Kyle, Phillip, Dallas, Joey, Ryan, Sam, Joseph, Tom, and Chris were *not* the right fit for me.  And I'm counting that as progress and narrowing the field.

The process has been tiring at times, and it has taught me a lot.  I’ve gotten better with initiating closure conversations, learned more about spiritual compatibility, and internally clarified my relational expectations and personal deal-breakers.  I am not interested in men who love horror movies, have hot tempers, make minimal conversational effort, are technically separated, or those who seem unambitious and disenchanted with life while looking for a woman to fix that for them.

Surprisingly, I’m in a pretty good headspace about it.  I don’t feel like I failed because I know I've genuinely tried, and I haven't given up hope.  Right now, I believe God may be blocking certain things, protecting me and guiding me toward what is actually aligned with Him and the direction He has for my life!

I'm at a point where I know what I want and deserve.  I’m financially secure, deeply loved, and enjoying a pretty full life, and I am so uninterested in settling for less than God’s best relationally.  (Still hopeful and praying toward that.) ❤

Family:  As I mentioned earlier today, we’ve had regular family dinners that I treasure, including game nights, trivia, slideshows, and basketball fun with the niece and nephews.  I’ve loved my walks and talks with Kristin.  Mom and I talk multiple times a day, and I’ve grown closer to Triston over the past few months - we’ve had some important conversations during this pivotal season in his life, and I’m grateful for the role God has given me there!

Colorado trip, June 2026

Friends:  I’ve continued to stay connected with my Tulsa friends, and I've made a few more friends in the OKC area lately, reaching out to some of the women God has put on my heart!  Stepping up to lead and host the women’s LifeGroup for the summer has been a really great experience!

Work:  I’m still loving the flexibility of my remote-hybrid court reporting job with the OCC, and I’m set to receive one raise next month and another in November!  For now, it doesn’t feel wise to take a massive pay cut and step into an emotionally-intense full counseling schedule just to earn my LPC.  Unless God redirects that or marriage changes the income need for me, counseling may become my retirement job after 55.  And I’m okay with that idea!

Either way, I’ll always be grateful for everything I learned at CCU!  It continues to add value to my life and writing, and it equips me to respond with more wisdom and confidence when I have friends and/or family members who need good counsel.

I'll recap specific events at the end of this year.  That’s the general update for part one of 2026.  Some personal growth, some great reading, some interesting challenges, and some new goals and ideas brewing (more on that next week).  I’m believing God for continued renewal as the year moves forward!

Thanks for checking in here!
❤ ❤ ❤

New Year, New Outlet

Happy New Year!! ❤

It's been a light and fun day connecting with God + friends + family + audiobooks and eating some great food!

Friends, this will be my first and last blog post for 2026.

Famous last words, I know, but I'm going to try to stick to that.

For lots of reasons, I believe this is the right season for me to let this go (taking it down on 1-7-25).

To put my considerable writing energy into a memoir book.

To take a deep breath and trust that the world will go right on spinning and my single life will still have value even if every moment and decision ahead is not witnessed or publicly documented.

To recognize that this has typically been a one-sided conversation that built a false sense of intimacy for me - the strong relationships and Kingdom purpose I desire will not be achieved here.

To stop performing or feeling pressure to live up to a certain image based on the expectations of others or of past versions of myself.  To release people from any pressure to prove they care for me by reading this content; to free myself from unfair judgement and unnecessary pain or insecurity.

To keep growing and healing and to live with more freedom based on my values, beliefs, and desires today at age 41... not feeling boxed in by the viewpoints and hopes I sincerely expressed here at age 24 or 33 or 38.

We can do hard things.

THANK YOU for being here with and for me through the past 15+ years.
It mattered to me very deeply.

For one last time here, I love you and believe in you, and I’m confident God has wonderful things ahead for each of us, and the best is yet to come!!

❤ ❤ ❤

A Time to Keep and a Time to Cast Away

Happy New Year's Eve!! ❤

This = tonight's Wednesday walk with Kristin and a pic by the train at The Station - if you blur your eyes, it kinda looks like NYE fireworks going off behind us! lol

Happy trees and my favorite verse as today's verse of the day!

Jace and TJ riding the bikes they got for Christmas (and Kyndal joining them for a bit)!  They rode from Rachael's house to Mom's house, which sounds slightly worrisome to me, but I'm sure they had fun!

Okay, the following prompts are courtesy of ChatGPT, who I often wanna call Chattles, but that would just get confusing. lol

❤️ Best of 2025

• Best Decision I Made This Year:  Setting boundaries and sticking with a difficult no

• Best Yes I Said (Even Though It Scared Me):  Joining the PhD Program

• Best Trip / Day / Moment:  My solo trip to NYC / Relay Marathon + Friendsgiving #14 / Reaching onederland for the first time since 2009

• Best Book That Changed How I Think:  Collective Illusions

• Best Podcast:  Mel Robbins & David Kessler or Craig Groeschel (Leadership Podcast) & Vanessa Van Edwards 

• Best Laugh:  The ER trip with Rach

• Best New Restaurant / Comfort Food:  Paul's Place / Laurannae cupcakes

• Most Life-Giving Relationship:  Friendship with Chet Lee

• Most Unexpected Encourager:  Dr. Burkhart

• Most Meaningful Goodbye:  My long phone call with Kristen Harriss the week before she died

• Most Honest Prayer:  None of this makes sense - where are You?

• Most “God Was Quiet but Present” Season:  August

• Biggest Shift in What I’m Asking God For:  Asking for renewed security in Him

• Most Healing Scripture or Truth:  "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." -1 Timothy 1:7

• What I’m Leaving in 2025:  Striving to prove my value within the church through motherhood and/or marriage

• What I’m Carrying Forward:  God-given value

• What I’m Still Becoming:  Securely attached

• One Word I’m Choosing for Next Year:  Renewal

• One Thing I’m No Longer Rushing:  Family

• One Thing I’m Saying Yes to Next:  Peace

• The Decision That Taught Me the Most:  Adopting the Embryos

• Most Unexpected Plot Twist:  Turning down two good counseling job offers and taking another court reporting job for now

• Best Moment That Wasn’t on My 2025 Bingo Card:  Dr. Burkhart saying I would be a great professor and being willing to personally mentor me

• Hardest Thing I Did—and Survived:  Quietly walking away from my decade+ adoption plan and trying to make sense of that whole journey

• Most Proud-of-Myself Moment:  The cold and rainy February day when I rallied and ran 14 miles on my own (my longest run ever up to that point) - of all my runs this year, that one required the most inner grit

• Most “Why Did I Say Yes?” Moment:  Hitting the mental wall during Mile 22 of the Full Marathon - grateful I pushed through it

• Most Spiritually Stretching Season:  August & September

• Biggest Lesson I Didn’t See Coming:  That I am good with kids, and I can trust that (Epiphany on Epiphany post), and because of that, I don't have to strive or prove my value within the church through motherhood

• Most Peace I’ve Felt All Year:  Immediately after making the decision to close the door on embryo adoption - that peace lasted about 24 hours before I got very caught up in the whirlwind of spiritual warfare and worry over the opinions of others, but it was a God-given sense of peace that eventually returned as I prayed and got more confirmation there.

• Most Unhinged Thought:  "Okay, I'm totally calling Rachael on my drive back (from Dallas IVF) to find out if she's still willing to carry the baby for me!" *That was while waiting on Dr. Ku's ultrasound after my heart sank hearing about the fibroids, BUT then he said all was well to move forward so I was overjoyed and never made that phone call... he left a voicemail the very next day saying we would need to run further tests, then no one in OKC could do the test he ordered and it took over a month to get back into their office, then I needed another surgery to move forward, and by then, my mindset had shifted very gradually - I am seeing God's hand and timing in all of that now in ways I really couldn't before.  Most people will never get the depth of it, and that's okay.  At least I'm familiar with ambiguous grief.  For the level of inner determination I felt, I had to adopt the embryos.  I had to spend the money and try the IUIs and at-home insemination and do the home studies and profile books and sign the legal contracts and have the surgeries and be repeatedly disappointed and hear the hard medical news (2x about me and 2x about nonviable embryo matches) and deeply question God's will and my abilities then repetitively seek wise counsel and reassuring words from Chet, Mom, Emily, Kristin, etc. and go through that ENTIRE exhausting emotional path in order to ever reach the end of my rope and prayerfully choose to let. this. go.  "There is a time to keep and a time to cast away," and both seasons mattered deeply for me here. ❤  I kind of feel like I am saying a final goodbye to that hope here as this year comes to a close, and it's bringing up some quiet grief and sadness for me (an odd contrast as I listen to my neighbors holding a comically-loud NYE party).  Knowing how to move forward with a sense of purpose is still tricky and difficult, and I'm choosing not to tie a neat bow over that wound today.

• Phrase That Describes This Year:  Learning Curve

Praying God blesses us with hope and peace as we seek Him in 2026!

❤ ❤ ❤

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

❤ ❤ ❤

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

❤ ❤ ❤

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

❤ ❤ ❤

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!!

❤ ❤ ❤