Sarah's Birthday Weekend

There is simply not enough time or space to write about all the photos I take. lol

So this post includes a lot of collages and a simplified recap!

But first, here's a full-size pic of me, Karli, Chet, and Sarah outside of Waterfront Grill for her birthday brunch on Sunday!

I came to Tulsa early Saturday morning, arriving around 11am and quickly shopping Walgreens and Walmart for care package items for Sarah's extended family waiting in the hospital room.  ChatGPT had some great ideas, so I grabbed a glittery pink gift bag from Walmart and threw in some snack foods, activity/color books, crayons, chapstick, wet wipes, hairbrush, hand cream, handwritten card & gift cards, and (most popular) an assortment of cookies from Cookie Mama! =)

I ran into Steve and Kate in the lobby under the Chihuly glass flower ceiling (which briefly made me feel like I was at the Bellagio).  Then I spent around three hours there mostly catching up with Sarah and talking  a bit with Steve, Kate, David, Eric, and Daniel and his kids.  (I was there a while, but never actually saw Nancy).  She had a major surgery to repair her fractured tibia (shin bone by the knee joint) on Thursday, then she was having her clavicle surgically repaired on Saturday morning.  In this wreck caused by a careless and likely-impaired driver who seems to have gotten away (praying they find him and he has good insurance!!), her right side airbag failed to deploy, so in addition to the right clavicle and tibia fractures, she is dealing with a bruised and collapsed right lung, five fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, a lumbar spine fracture, and a fractured femoral head (right hip joint).  Breathing is painful and difficult, and developing pneumonia is a real risk.  She cannot effectively use her arms, and she will have to be non-weight bearing for 12 weeks after the leg surgery, so they are beginning discussions around handicap-accessible care options, inpatient rehabs, and skilled nursing facilities.  David is also in a lot of pain and cannot be the main caretaker, so a lot of big conversations are happening around all of the above.  It's a long road ahead, and everyone is overwhelmed and in a bit of a fog, and I can feeeeel it.  The wreck being so reminiscent of my parents' 2014 wreck (with more catastrophic results), and knowing the intense weight of responsibility I would feel if this were my mom has put this on my heart a lot - I feel deep empathy and a continuing desire to help.  They had lots of snacky foods but no real meals in the room.  We could see Jimmy Johns across the street, so I grabbed some sandwiches there for a late lunch or early dinner for Sarah and her fam.  Prayers are appreciated.

I deliberately left before Nancy got back to the room, knowing most people would prefer family-only in an immediately-post-surgery state.  Then I met the Wilsons for an early dinner at Texas Roadhouse - it had been a while, and I was happy to be reunited with the rolls and cinnamon butter!  I laughed when the birthday-announcement waiter was going all out in his LOUDEST voice, and Parker immediately put her hands over her ears. lol

After some deliberation, I decided to stay the night in Tulsa, checking into the DoubleTree right across from Saint Francis - (yay, DoubleTree cookies - they legitimately impact my choice of hotel - lol).  I had planned poorly for an overnight stay, but I managed with the hotel amenities and a couple travel-sized  items from Walgreens.

In the end, after washing my face with hand soap and moisturizing it with body lotion (eek), I was genuinely happy eating my warm cookie and leftover roll whilst watching We're the Millers and a bit of Top Gun: Maverick! =) #noragrets

Fascinating thing I learned from Sarah:  Redheads require more anesthesia and are more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.  That makes SO MUCH SENSE with the way Mom is consistently hotter or colder than the rest of us. lol  (That came up because Nancy dyes her hair brown, so Sarah told her to be sure the anesthetist knew she was a natural redhead... and indeed, her pain was far better controlled after the second surgery than the first!  So interesting to me.)

Sunday morning, I joined the Wilson/Weatherford crew for donuts at 8:30 (woof to getting up that early, but yay for fresh chocolate long johns!).  Chet's discipline and consistency continue to be very impressive, as he brought healthier foods to snack on there!

FBC is doing Summer in the Psalms, right along with my women's group! lol

Sunday was Sarah's 38th Birthday.

Terrible timing, but here we are.  So I made this happy collage for that.

Steve was sick, so the four of us met for brunch at Waterford Grill (Sarah and I had never been there before).  Chet was happy about the omelet bar, Karli went with shrimp and grits, and Sarah and I went for the waffle (Sarah's with added chicken).

We had an hour between church and brunch, so I grabbed the last three cupcakes at Lauranae (one strawberry and two funfetti, so that worked out well).

Chet (responding to Sarah running late):  No worries, we are getting your tiara and happy birthday sash opened up.

Sarah: Lol! That better be a joke!  I'm in a fragile state.

#notajoke

Closer food pics, just for fun.  (The cookie was her free bday dessert, which she shared with everyone but Chet, who is off sweets).

My favorite pics of Paige Evelyn to date, smiling and laughing at Aunt Sarah after brunch!

I couldn't resist driving by my old home, which was sold again recently (for a nice profit from their 2022 purchase from me).  Apparently the new homeowner has a big white van like Lare-bear, so he'll fit right in on that street. lol #why #vantwins

I went to LifeChurch South Tulsa to change into my workout clothes in their restroom, and it was fun to see their storybook At the Movies setup! =)

Then I took a delightful but crazy-hot afternoon walk/jog at my fav neighborhood trail in Addison Creek!

And after alllll of that, I drove straight to the Warren Theater in Moore to see the 6:30 showing of the live Moana, which I'd been trying to work in since Wednesday and very much enjoyed!  I appreciate the focus on leadership and charting your own course, and there was some "green light at the Red Sea" symbolism that I'm still processing.

Anyway, that concludes my very full weekend recap!

"What can I say except: You're welcome!?"  ;-)

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Halftime Pep Talk!

And now, some goals and plans for the second half of this year!!

I'm Looking Forward To:  Kristin's 40th birthday, America's 250th birthday, Chet's 38th birthday,  my 1st Alaska Cruise at the end of July!, Dad's 73rd birthday, Kyndal Faith’s 13th birthday, writing my book, another raise (hopefully), taking the Biblical Foundations class in October, and most everything about the holiday season ahead!!

POWER PLAN: 

• PLANTS & PROTEIN:  (My overarching goal is to reach my goal weight before my 3-year surgiversary next summer.)  With that in view, my goal is to focus on hitting 150 grams of protein per day and to incorporate fruit and/or vegetables into my daily diet!
• PILATES & PELOTON:  I'm signed up for 90 days of Club Pilates workouts (goal = 5 classes per week); I also plan to do a full-body strength class on the Peloton app 2x a week
• PEN TO PAPER:  (I will, of course, be typing, but I needed to keep the alliteration going. lol)  Goal #3 is to follow the schedule I've created and finish my Strong Over Small book draft by October 1st; then have some trusted friends/mentors review it and help me make edits, then have it ready to self-publish by the end of this year (I will not actually publish until 2027 just because I prefer those date numbers. lol)
• PERSEVERANCE & PEACE:  Start the Bible Recap plan tomorrow and go through their full Bible reading plan by July 1, 2027!
• PACING PUSH:  Sign up for the Route 66 Half, and train to run it under 2 hours and 30 minutes (which will absolutely be challenging for me)
• PUBLIC PRESENTATION:  Join a Toastmasters group by end of August to practice and grow in my speaking/presenting skills!*
• PERSONAL PRACTICE:  Post 12 new talking-to-camera videos by the end of the year (length and topic of my choice)
• PRAYER & PIVOT:  Prayerfully plan my next life/career move, and be prepared to pivot as needed! =)

So there you have it.  I'll be pressing in and pushing myself with food, exercise, reading, writing, and speaking goals as the year moves forward!  And reminding myself that proper planning prevents poor performance! ;-)

*For the record, Shadé Zahrai inspired the public speaking focus in her Unlocking Strengths MasterClass:

"How do you differentiate yourself in a world where everything is becoming the same?  In the past, people who wrote really well would often stand out.  But now, most people are using ChatGPT to write their emails and presentations, so unfortunately, it's a sea of sameness.  When everyone is suddenly very good at something, no one stands out.  So I think one of the most important strengths you can develop is the ability to verbally communicate, because that is something you cannot go to ChatGPT to do for you.  If you can think about how you can get better at speaking, presenting, connecting, that is going to serve you so well...  In a future that is going to be shaped by AI -- in a present that is shaped by AI -- how you make people feel is your most powerful advantage!"  

I know she's not wrong.  And I want to grow in that!!

PEP TALK PORTION:

Don't get complacent now, and don't let the fierce opposition intimidate you.  This matters.  The power that lives in you is greater than anything coming against you, which means you are poised and ready for a comeback victory!!  Remember that you can do hard things!  Choose goals that are aligned with your values and desires, then pursue them.  Don't be afraid to try new things, and do not be afraid to TRY as hard as you possibly can to reach your goals, to grow, to lead, to step up. #maximumeffort  God's JOY is your strength, and He will empower you for what He calls you to do!  Choose life, choose health, and choose growth -- for yourself and for the sake of the people God calls you to impact!!  Strong and healthy mind, strong and healthy body, strong and healthy soul, strong and healthy spirit!  Do not shrink back and hide, and don't you dare make yourself small to please people - the spirit of fear has no place in your life.  You never walk alone, so move with confidence.  God is with you and for you, giving you His power and love and a sound mind.  

You do care.  

And you've got this!

Keep moving forward - let's finish strong!!

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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!
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Faith, Hope, and Love

Today was a blessedly short day in court, followed by some transcript work and a carb-loading lunch with the Whitaker fam at McAlister's! ❤

Eek, I chose the very sunniest spot for our photo op. lol

Last night was family dinner + Kyndal Faith's Birthday Wishlist presentation! lol  She has a very detailed plan on how she would like to redecorate her bedroom.  She brings me so much joy with these slideshows - good practice for her future Senate run, and just look how cute she is with her new jean shorts and orange shoes and sparkly Nike shirt! =)
K:  "And the reason I'm showing you all this today instead of later is that this chair (indicating) is on sale right now!!"

Proud of Jace Michael, who has been working out with RJ several times a week and playing basketball and swimming most nights at Mom and Dad's!  This = dunking pics, with a little help from ChattyG. lol

Rach also got an AI Dance app that entertained us all for a bit. We screen-mirrored K's Thriller dance on the big TV, and it was good times! lol

❤ K running to Rach to hide and play innocent after deliberately aggravating Jace as they played basketball. lol  Sibling rivalry is always more entertaining to me than it should be, and they're both at such fun, playful ages - I just love it!!

If the Holy Spirit leads you, say a prayer for wisdom and peace for Jaceman as he makes a difficult decision about the path ahead next year.  (I'm confident God has good things in store for him either way, but he has three potential options and a growing list of pros and cons to weight out.)

I tried an Intro class at Club Pilates on Wednesday... I enjoyed it and would love to join soon... but alas, I am committed to Solid Rock longer than I'd intended, thanks to their 30-day cancellation notice policy.  #ugh #onemoremonth

YES to courageous, wholehearted leaders who speak with Godly authority, love, and a sound mind, not wounded bravado or a spirit of fear.

Hair makes such a difference, always.  And I am sincerely grateful for competent stylists, quality extensions, good vitamins, slow growth, and the ability to *virtually* try new things! ;-)

Judith (my former Compassion child) turned 25 last week, so I sent her a bday gift.  She is beautiful and thriving, and her family is doing well... I love that we are friends on social media now with an ongoing connection that really matters!

Toy Story 5 did not disappoint.  Pixar knows how to bring all the emotions, and this scene got me!

Looking forward to a morning walk with Natalie and Walker tomorrow, then working on the "book promise" and chapter outlines, then likely baking some sort of peach dessert with my peach truck peaches (an annual treat - yay!), then celebrating Dad on Father's Day!!

Finally, on a far more serious note, today marks one year since Kristen Harriss went to Heaven.  I vividly remember my last earthly conversation with her (a long phone call where we laughed and got vulnerable and caught up on life and prayed together - on the very day she received the eventually-fatal pneumonia diagnosis during her treatments at MD Anderson).  I also have crystallized memories of a few specific moments from her funeral service, which was powerful and emotional.  Praying for her parents and anyone else deeply affected on this grief anniversary.  For faith, hope, and love to shine through and strengthen their hearts.

"Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love."
~1 Corinthians 13:12-13

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Timelines and Testimonies

Happy last day of May!!

We had a pizza party at Mom and Dad's to watch Game 7 of the Playoffs last night... a sad loss for the Thunder, but at least the Jaceman was happy!!

Watching the game, Paris (Bill & Jill's dog - Jill used to live in San Antonio), and the Spurs with their trophy!

GIF of Jace high-fiving Wemby at the beginning of Game 5 (the white hand closest to the camera on the left).  It made his day!

Sour Patch Kids' marketing team is the best... the "first they're sour, then they're sweet" commercials are the cutest, and seeing this nonsense brought me instant joy (in spite of it being fake news in my personal life at times). lol

Speaking of cuteness, here's Katie and Kaden after his Kindergarten graduation - little kids in caps and gowns is so adorable to me!!

Nana with Carter and Emberlee as he was competing in the high school rodeo finals this past week!

Cousin pics from 18 years ago this week... 2008 sincerely does not seem that far back to me!!

Also in that Shutterfly stack was this gem when we were grabbing a few things from 9121 for my move to 522 in the summer of 2007... Dad, Grandad, Babah, Rach, and Emily.

And this gem - my last-ever photo with JMM from June of '07 - (I never loved it as he'd just gotten a buzz cut and didn't look like the version of himself I was accustomed to, and I was wearing vertical stripes, which are almost always a mistake without a sweater or overshirt to change up the angle).  It's crazy to think that Triston is now the age Josh was here... and wearing his own Harvard shirt from the Senior trip to Boston!

Mini Miss K and her friends playing cards at Mom and Dad's... she opted not to swim that day because "Well, I just got my hair done, and it looks really good!" lol  She's not wrong.

I hosted, led, and shared my testimony and the condensed version of my life story with my women's LifeGroup on Saturday.  I'm thankful to say it went well, and we had a memorable discussion about Psalm 23 and Psalm 34.  It had a strengthening effect on me to really think through the whole timeline of my story again, to consider new ways I can see God's hand in it, and to specifically speak the gospel part of it out loud this time as I recounted the story of Mom leading me to Christ!!

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We're doing "Psalms and Stories" this summer - reading through and discussing Psalms then getting into our personal stories and walks with God.  I wrote mine out before sharing to help myself mentally organize it, and the themes I saw paired well with Christine Caine's email today:  "He's not distant or disinterested.  He's not too busy or too important.  He misses you when you drift.  He's calling you to come back, to come close, to come home.  God's heart is revealed throughout Scripture.  He wants relationship with you."

Hosting also inspired me to fully clean my house for the first time in a minute, so I had to snap some photos of everything looking put together!

The final portion of what I shared yesterday...

My favorite things about Jesus:

• His fiercely protective strength on behalf of His people
• His delight in the details of our lives

Looking back, I see a few themes in my story:  I am very relational, and I've spent a lot of my life looking for belonging in close relationships.  All while God has continually reminded me that my deepest belonging is found in Jesus - I belong to Him and I belong with Him.

I've learned to hold on to Kingdom hope and remember that we rarely understand the full picture while we're living through it.  One of my favorite verses says: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."  ~I Corinthians 13:12

And finally, God is far more attentive, personal, and involved than I once believed.  I don’t always understand what He is up to even now, but I will know it completely in Heaven (if not before).  And I know with confidence today that He loves me deeply, He cares about every detail of my life, and He deserves the highest place of honor in my heart!

Okay, friends... 5 months down, 7 to go... here's my 1SE video for 2026 so far!

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