Star-Spangled Celebration & Storm (250!!)

It was a very memorable 4th of July yesterday!  I got up around 6am to get to Bixby in time for the Wilsons' neighborhood parade... I invited myself for this event when I found out this was their first (and potentially only) time to be in charge of the parade and ice cream afterparty. =)  Chet said it might seem cuter in my mind than it would actually be. lol  But it was very photo-worthy, and I'm glad I came!!

For starters, Karli Marie made this balloon flag backdrop - cuteness!!

The lead car for the parade + loads of neighborhood kids walking, biking, and scootering behind him!

GiGi (Melissa's grandma name) and her three grandkids!

Karli goes all out and does such a great job with stuff like this!!

The very cutest! ❤

Showing me her Barbie doll house... and the pink suitcase = her luggage "for when they go to Disney!"

Flag selfie with the kids!

Chet and Craig (Country Crossing co-leaders) with the ice cream sundaes for everyone!

Love the Wilson fam and how much they've brought this neighborhood together!!

Ice cream time + bow by Mom

Grandma Teresa + Parker E*

So many snappers + a rare photo of both cats late that night!

*Me:  I love your pink shorts, Miss!  You look so cute!!

Parker:  They're purple.

Me:  Hmm, pink-ish purple. lol

Karli bought a roll-on glitter stick that was fun for kids and adults! lol

Lunch group pic at our Rib Crib corner booth, (by our waitress who reminded them of Ava)!

Parker selfie + Parker hiding in group pic #1
Silly pics by Parker + pic with Parker and Melissa

Parker marking up the close-up she took of her eye + me documenting the Bixby Rib Crib

Me taking some pics from the car whilst Chet and Tate stocked up on fireworks, followed by a Walmart ice run!

Video wishing Lisa (their fav CFA employee) a happy bday! lol

Presh Paige being happy about her first 4th of July festivities!

Paige Evelyn's first swim day + rocking Tate's hairpiece + the furrowed brow when Karli gave her to me. lol

Pre-dinner talk and alliterative prayer by Chettles (thankful for food, faith, family, friends, freedom, etc.) + the kids tables looking very festive!

Zealand and Parker being cute friends excited about this toy popping! lol

Kid-friendly firecrackers, parachutes, snappers, etc.

Love this pic of Paige unfazed by the fireworks drama around her!

Kyle Brandon and his boys! ❤

An unexpected thunderstorm postponed the planned neighborhood fireworks show, so we all scurried back inside, and the kids settled in to watch Bluey and snacked on watermelon, chips, and cookies whilst we finally got a delightful (reconstructed) balloon flag pic indoors!

Dessert time (pre-fireworks).  I made a Texas white sheet cake - yum! - and the Young fam brought ice cream!  I love that Chet commits to the bit even while the ice cream lid is on!! lol

Group pic by the balloon flag (which is totally obscured here, but whatevs).  Love this group!!
(For future reference: Bill was sick and missed this event.  Melissa and Teresa made it home before the storm.  The Young fam had already left here.  Jessica's mom was in town.  And the Myers are fostering, hence the stickers.)

After all that, I sat in the Wilsons' driveway for almost two hours waiting out the storm whilst editing and posting the above pics and listening to The Princess Diaries score and other fun music!  I got home around 1:45am and got in bed after 2:00... so it was a verrrry long but very FUN day celebrating America's 250th birthday with some of my favorite people!  While others were swimming, I had a good talk with Teresa and Chettles.  At the beginning of the day, Chet and I were planning to swim and both kids were adamant nos.  That completely flipped in the end.  But I will swim on the 18th if not before!

Anyway, now I'm off to a delicious Italian dinner as a belated bday celebration for Kristin Michelle, followed by the watching postponed Tinker fireworks show at Mom and Dad's, hopefully with my feet in their pool - thankful that the major storm allowed me to get the best of both worlds this year!!

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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!!

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Party with Puppies!

Yesterday was the Puppies & Yoga class, part one of Kristin's 40th Birthday celebration!!  Part two will be a delightful brunch or meal of her choosing, but nothing quite this adorable or exciting. lol

So much cuteness and so much fun! 

It was a 45-minute beginner yoga class followed by 30 minutes to play with the puppies.  (After seeing the middle pic of myself during the class, I promptly stepped out to grab some lipstick before that last 30 minutes.) lol

Puppies are just the cutest and most playful and sweet!! ❤

This = a cousins pic with all three sets of puppy siblings (there were 3 cream-colored Siberian Huskies, 2 gray and white Siberian Huskies, and 3 black and white Alaskan sled dogs - eight puppies total, and about 12-15 people in the class)!! ❤

Their eyes are so pretty!

We had mild concerns about it being a scam, as the location is a little sketchy.  But once we were inside, all was well and we both had a lot of fun!  Yaaay!!

All in all, a really fun experience!  I definitely appreciated the degree to which no one was taking the yoga too seriously.  I avoided touching my eyes and I changed clothes right when I got home.  Next time, I would wash my hands immediately after the class and shower right when I got home (to avoid allergy issues with itchy/watery eyes - that's been a little rough last night and this morning), annnnd I would wear socks during the class - Kristin made a good call on that one. lol

Anyway, I'm glad it was fun, and I'm happy with all the cute pics we got!  I plan to watch their page and come again if ever they host Corgis or Pom puppies!! =)

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Kristin and I split a pizza at Hideaway for lunch just before the class (yum!), and I hosted LifeGroup earlier that morning!  We had a new woman join us this time, which was awesome, and we had a really good talk where everyone shared part of their stories!  The pics = Walker showing us the jungle scene he created while we were meeting + the pigs in a blanket I made for everyone whilst catching up with Chettles yesterday morning!

Sadly, I had to miss Katherine Claire's 5th Birthday party that morning -- her actual birthday is this coming Thursday, and I sent my gift via Amazon, but hopefully I'll get to see her sometime soon, too -- Chet said it was a great crowd, and these pictures made me happy... Sam's cakes for the win!!

"I got my ticket for the long way 'round..." 
This = two years ago today, two weeks post-surgery for me!

Cups with Kyndal Faith + watching Jaceman play golf (Mom and Dad's backyard backs up to a golf course).  This was the summer of the red mohawk (inspired by Hawk from Cobra Kai). #CobraKaiNeverDies #mustwatchthatagain

And this = four years ago today... my Taber home coming right along!  That bottom pic was taken from what has become my recliner spot in the living room - they very agreeably moved those two small windows on the left up before closing day, which allowed me to hang my lovely tree-bridge painting in the living room! =)

I appreciate what AI can do to spice up any pic with a white background! lol

Happy 4th from me and the CCU roomies!

I'm having a very restful Sunday, as tomorrow I have my first PSO rates case at work, an all-day remote court hearing that will require an expedited transcript -- (yay for the extra $, but it will absolutely require some extra focus, so I may not be back here until Friday).

Happy Sunday!

Finish strong for this first half of 2026, friends!!

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Six Seven

I'm writing this one from the DoubleTree Hotel in Cherry Creek, Colorado!

June 7th has been a memorable day for me over the past six years:

2021 ~ A fun-filled day with IHOP breakfast, the Escape Room, Chicken foot lunch, etc.  My first time watching the niece and nephews on my own!

2022 ~ Vegas, baby!  Mon Ami Gabi breakfast + M&M store and Bellagio fountains + the State Farm convention that included a full concert by GARTH BROOKS at the Allegiant Stadium - yes, please!!

2023 ~ A road trip from Edmond, OK to Lakewood, CO with Michelle + In-N-Out and settling into our dorm room for Residency 2 in our Master's program (preparing for the counseling internships ahead).  That was the trip where I really fell in love with CCU!

2024 ~ Surgery Day!  I was in the middle of Mel Robbins' inspiring final Launch course (where her "project sprint" was writing The Let Them Theory)... and after an important talk with Chet on 5-18, I booked the safe-sleeve surgery at Blossom in Vegas for 6-7, (and I was patient #7 that day, which mattered to me).

2025 ~ The first residency for the CCU PhD program... (the day before this, I received the final embryo adoption email match while in Colorado, and I remember not loving that it came on 6-6) -- anyway, this day was great and memorable - meeting up with my mentees from 2024, a fun dinner with the girls on our final night at CCU, and seeing a Marvel movie with Alicia and Terri! ❤ 

2026 ~ And that brings us to today... a short hike at the Chautauqua Park trail in Boulder, CO followed by a trip to the CU Bookstore, lunch at the Pearl Street Mall, a side trip to the Brainard Lake area, a final apartment tour, and dinner at BeauJo's!

So there you have it... it's random but kinda fun that five out of the past six years, I've spent June 7th in Colorado or Vegas!  I'm voting to make it six out of seven and hit Vegas next summer!!

More on this Colorado trip soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

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