Random Extras

Throwing in a few extra thoughts and photos, because I'm really not doing enough blogging this month. lol  Look at this cuteness... Jace Michael in his happy Christmas hat, 9 years ago today! ❤

Another memory that popped up and made me smile... concert-ready Kara, Rach, me, and Megan Elizabeth, circa 2001 maybe?

I'm grateful for friends who see me and support me well.  I feel like I've had a breakthrough this week.  Keep talking through things and untangling what feels messy, however far back you need to go.  What you work through and detangle may just become a source of color and light that brings joy and comfort to others. =)

Six mile walk/jog at the Station this afternoon (after sleeping in and enjoying my day off).  The weather was great, but six miles feels a lot further than it did a few months ago! lol

Mom's house is coming right along! ❤

Me with my 3 degrees and working on a 4th... or Rach with two trades under her belt and contemplating learning a 3rd...

Meanwhile, here's Dad with his high school diploma and very successful self-made business! lol  (Which we're all very thankful for!!!)

Just saying, Kanye may have had a point in the Lil Jimmy skit. lol

A 2017 pic from Kelly's Diving Deeper Women's Lifegroup!

Our Christmas mission project... I miss this group!

The complimentary menu at my dentist's office. lol  Thus far, I've taken them up on the laughing gas, warm blanket, and noise cancelling headphones. =)

I would argue that not all things can be mended, but I still love this quote.

Intentionality matters, and that last sentence resonates with me!

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"Vorld Ravelers" at Disney World, one year ago! ❤

I was cold enough to use my fireplace last night, and the cozy vibes made me happy!!

I'll close this post with a poignant quote:

"Perfectionism doesn't believe in practice shots.  It doesn't believe in improvement.  Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly - and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly, we might, in time, become quite good at it.  Perfectionism measures our beginner's work against the finished work of masters.  Perfectionism thrives on comparison and competition... Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead.  We correct our originality into a uniformity that lacks passion and spontaneity.”
~Julia Cameron

Be an original,
let yourself try new things,
and keep a growth mindset!

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Island Items & Phoenix Leadership

Day 4:  You’re stranded on an island and can bring three items—what are they and why?

Hahaha this is never a question prompt I would choose for myself - my mind goes dark way too fast. lol  I would need it to be a tropical paradise with abundant, safe-to-eat food easily available - in that case, the answer below might actually fit, substituting a pillow or tent for the knife.  If there are (predictably) scary bugs, dangerous animals, dangerous people, excessive sunlight, lack of safe food, and lack of shelter there, then I'm a very short-timer no matter what I bring.  With my fair skin and hypervigilant mind, it just would not end well.  I mean, I can't even explain how quickly I would deliberately take myself out of Survivor or Amazing Race.  So I'll just let ChatGPT answer this one for me...

Knowing you, Lindsey — thoughtful, faith-anchored, and practical — I’d imagine your answer might blend spiritual grounding, comfort, and resourcefulness. Here’s how I think you might answer:

---

If I were stranded on an island, I’d bring:

1. My Bible – because I’d need truth, comfort, and perspective more than ever. God’s Word would remind me that even in isolation, I’m not alone, and it would keep my mind and spirit anchored in hope.

2. A journal and pen – to process my thoughts, prayers, and lessons from the experience. Writing helps me find meaning and maintain emotional clarity, even in uncertainty.

3. A multi-tool (like a Swiss Army knife) – something practical for survival: cutting, building, cooking, or opening coconuts. I’d want to use my creativity and strength to make the best of the situation while trusting God for provision.

Lolol a much better and stronger answer than where my mind first went. ❤

...In other news, today is my 17-year friendiversary with Laura Allison - we met on Election Night 2008!  I'm grateful for lots of great memories together, and praying for health, strength, and peace for her as she continues to recover from surgery last week!

I met with Dr. Burkhart yesterday afternoon, and it was such a good conversation.  He understood everything I've been feeling and seeing lately, and 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 - of course, my mind went straight to Order of the Phoenix - I LOVE that concept and that phrasing, and I was so encouraged to hear him talk about all of that!  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!!  Super grateful for these conversations and for his honesty and leadership!

This day two years ago was the final Bedlam game in Stillwater... such a fun memory with Kristin and Frankie, and I'm really thankful I got to be there for it!! ❤

Love this so much! lol

If all goes as planned, we have a misdemeanor jury trial starting this morning, so I'm taking a minute to write a quick blog before I leave for work.  Now I'm off... I hope you have a wonderful day ahead!!

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Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, my friends!  Happy Birthday to Holly Dei, Happy Halloween to those who celebrate the cuter side of it, and Happy last day of October!  Huzzah!!!

Okay, so first off, I was sad to hear that Blossom Bariatrics is closing soon (November will be their final month for surgeries, then they will stay open into early 2026 to care for those patients).  They listed rising costs, the growing impact of weight loss medications, and an oversaturation of bariatric clinics among the factors behind that decision.  Several past clients are now posting gratitude notes and success-story photos, and it's been uplifting and inspiring to see those!

The depression/shame cloud is lifting.  I am still working toward my goal weight and feeling ever-more determined to reach it, but I've come a long way since summer 2024, and I am very grateful to Dr. Apel (pictured above) and the team at Blossom in Vegas for the life-changing jump start on this continuing health journey!!  They were the only clinic I found that offered the fast-tracked surgery date and the safe-sleeve process, and that was vital for me in signing up! ❤

In other news, I feel like I had a real breakthrough with school this week...

I'm in a qualitative research group where our project is interviewing CCU professors about their experience teaching with a trauma-informed approach.  I got to interview two of my former professors - both women with great answers and powerful life stories.  I realized looking back that both of them taught me during Spring 2023 when I nearly left the master's program.  It was a gift to connect with them again, and one of them gave me some great advice on choosing a dissertation topic...

Me:  We've been talking about it, 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 and do (slower) in-depth research on things you're more passionate about later. lol

She encouraged me to think about the populations I have access to for research surveys (Tinker military, tornado survivors, attorneys, court reporters, CHA students, etc.) and to seriously consider quantitative research, noting that it makes reporting the results much more clear, quick, and simple!  That convo inspired me to work harder in my quantitative class, and on our most challenging week so far, I felt like I understood the concepts and completed everything on my own in better time than I'd expected.  Anyway, life opens up when you do.  And when you honor God, He honors you.  So I'm very grateful for all of that, and looking forward to my meeting with Dr. Burkhart next Monday!!

* * * * * * *

A couple pics from family dinner and game night this Wednesday!

This = Kyndal Faith and I being totally gridlocked in a very strategic game of checkers! lol

Didn't know that could happen, but here it is.  We started over, and she won fair and square.

Earlier that day was the CHA Patriotic program!  It's my favorite of CHA's programs (as it's the only one that changes regularly), and it was Kyndal's final one (she's in 6th grade, and it's elementary only).  They did a family dinner play where she was the daughter.  She told us she got permission to write her lines on an index card on her plate, so I grabbed a photo of that after the program! lol  She also asked the teachers if they could remove the candles so they wouldn't block people's view of them - when we realized it was the very thin taper candles, we all got cracked up by that!  Maybe she was thinking of the scrapbook photos and not wanting anything in the way.  She's the very best!! lol

I cried (like, real tears rolling down both sides of my face) during the armed forces tribute.  They sing the songs of each military branch, and the parents and grandparents who served stand up when their branch's song is sung.  That one hit me extra hard this year, and I was not doing well. lol

Failed to get a photo, but Kristin and I met for a fun lunch at La Madeleine yesterday!  (Frankie is out of state at a 2-week training for his new job, so we did lunch instead of walking together this week!)

I watched the Swiped movie with Lily James about the founder of Bumble (an ex-Tinder employee who hated the way that company treated women).  That inspired me to try Bumble again.  One of my first match suggestions was a married couple clearly looking for a third partner.  I was quick to screenshot it when I realized it said, "Things we have in common: Christian."  Threesome on Saturday, church on Sunday - that's pretty much the absurdity level of the world we're living in, though. lol

Anyway, I'll let you know if something more promising comes along on Bumble.

Something random I've spent a stupid amount of time on lately is watching people's reactions to Taylor Swift songs - Terry & Kaniyia's reels are my favorites - so entertaining for Swifties!!

Now I'm off to throw on my graduation gown (yay) and warm Gryffindor scarf (thanks, Kristin), then meet Rach and Kyndal for a girls' night of trick-or-treating at Gaillardia! =)  (Jaceman is at a football game with TJ & friends.)  It feels like the end of the year always moves more quickly, but I'm very happy to be moving into November, and psyched to find out the gender of future baby Wilson tomorrow!  I'll be doing a 30-day writing challenge here, just for fun and to mix up the topics a little.  Hope you have a fun night and a peaceful weekend ahead!

❤ ❤ ❤

Everything Else

Happy Saturday!  I have a bit of homework to finish, but first things first: catching up on the blogging!

This afternoon was Week 1 of the Good Boundaries and Goodbyes study with my women's lifegroup.  This = Me, Ashley, Haley, Katie, Josie, Christi, Natalie, and her son.  

(Very funny to me that this Moore group also has a Natalie Reed and a Jennie Curran.)

Anyway, this illustration was on point... Lysa said there is always tension when we give people a high level of access to our heart, energy, and inner world who do not handle those things responsibly.  She said we often try to fix and control things by asking them to be more responsible/kind/compassionate, but we cannot change other people.  The thing we can control is our own boundaries and the amount of access we give them, making it match the level of effort and care they put into the relationship.

Pretty much condensed my 7-year former friendship into one little screenshot. lol

It was a fantastic reminder, and we had a good group discussion about that!

The presh mini-Miss K has been a volleyball star for five years already, with her entire junior high and high school years to come!  What a little preshface on her first team back in 2020!

Feeling this, but also just fully embracing it as hoodie season even if it's hot outside. lol

Aww, memories of when I had this much hair!  The hair loss post-weight loss surgery is very real.  Still worth it, and I believe it's coming back now, but thank the Lord for Halo Couture (aka Vivian) in the meantime!

Okay, stick with me on this one...

You know how people who have lost a good amount of weight sometimes talk about how they still see themselves as larger - the whole body dysmorphia thing where your brain tells you you are bigger than you really are.  Habit-wise, I totally get feeling pulled toward the old identity.  Image-wise, I kinda feel like I had that in reverse. lol  Like, I was interested in losing weight, but I genuinely felt cute and happy with my looks pretty regularly as a woman who weighed 250+ in all these pictures.  And it's only now that I sometimes think, "Wow, I honestly never realized I was that big" as I look back at certain photos.  Even now, I'm not skinny by any definition, but I feel good about the weight I've lost.  I'm a little more self-conscious about my looks sometimes now, but for the great most part, then and now, I think I tend to view myself as smaller and cuter than I might actually be, so I'm gonna just take that as a freaking win. lol

On a somewhat related note, I've spent my entire life being a single woman without much male interest or attention, but I have spent less time worrying about that dynamic than people probably imagine.  When I think about the vast unknown future, I don't like the idea of "being alone" as I age - but that's more about a mild fear of aging than being un-coupled.  On a day-by-day basis, I am usually aware of the company of Jesus.  I'm an introvert who has good quality relationships, and I very much enjoy living on my own and very rarely feel deeply lonely.  Maybe all of this is the Ennegram 9 in me finding ways to be unaffected by hard things?  Whatever it is, I'll take it.  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! lol

Mmkay, back to present-day pics... thanks to Carter's game being rescheduled, we made a last-minute family dinner plan last night!

Friday night dinner at Ted's... Dad, me, and the Miss K, and all of our unused and unappreciated salsa! lol

This ice cream place is new to the shopping center with Ted's, so we ventured over for dessert, and I was delighted to see they had Cookie Butter ice cream!

Yay for the Jaceman's colorful Nike shoes! =)

Group pic on our way out + photobomb by the customer behind us! =)

Here's a cute pic of Teresa with her grandkids at her Hideaway bday dinner! ❤

Mmkay, I'll focus on finishing my homework now!  After all, the homoscedasticity and skewness and kurtosis and multiple regression analyses and scatterplots and Q-Q plots and collinearity statistics can't wait forever.  Persevering through it for now, but gracious, quantitative research is NOT my strong suit!!!

It's been just lovely to catch up with you here, and I hope you have a fantastic and relaxing Sunday ahead!

❤ ❤ ❤

Monday Musings

Grateful for a sunset prayer walk this weekend.

The fall weather was perfect, and being by the water is always good for my soul.  I put on some classical music and talked to God, doing my best to listen for His voice... I eventually turned the music off altogether hoping to feel more focused.  

Tuning into God's voice feels more difficult than usual in the midst of big decisions.  The memes I've saved lately reflect the inner conflict I've been feeling... decidedly unhelpful when you see them all together. lol

I've had a couple of helpful talks with Mom and Chet lately, and I had a 7:30am Zoom meeting with Dr. Ku today.  Getting his perspective and some extra information was helpful and more encouraging than I had expected.  He compared the fibroid to an iceberg, which is an analogy I understood well, and he said my odds of success are 60% if I have the surgery and then move forward.  I don't have perfect clarity or any sort of guarantee of motherhood, but I feel a peace from God that He will be with me and I will be okay if pregnancy does not happen for me.  On some level, I think that's what I was missing before - imagining myself alone receiving that news as crushing and devastating.  I am reminding myself even now that God's grace is with us moment to moment -- it is not there for our imagined future fears or losses - so our pre-grief can feel sharper and more painful, but in any real and present loss, His grace is sufficient to meet our daily needs.  So I am leaning into that with more faith that He has a good and hopeful plan for my future.  No firm decision yet, but processing all of this with more peace.

I think we all want clarity on God's will - as Erwin McManus put it, "We want a detailed road map, but we are handed a compass."  I want to honor God and do what is best for my future, but I am also very motivated to avoid/escape pain, whereas God is very motivated to transform me through it.

"WE DON’T KNOW what God wants us to pray for.  But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers IN HARMONY WITH GOD’S OWN WILL.  And we know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”  ~Romans 8:26-28

These verses feel helpful right now.  I hear Romans 8:28 on its own so often that I had forgotten this comes right before it - the Holy Spirit is praying for me in harmony with God's will - what a comforting  and powerful thought!  The members of the trinity are working together on my behalf, so I can feel the dark stress cloud lifting even before I make this decision.

Okay, back to fun photos:  An adorable pic of the Lock/Whitaker cousins!

Charlene, Al, and Hilary went to the OSU game on Friday while Kristin and Frankie kept Amelia and Clara!  This picture made me happy!

Here's Perry and Caroline Shankle + Ellie Faye in her cute new pom uniform + Lindsay and her kids on Phoenix's birthday!  (Happy Birthday in Heaven to Sharon today!!) ❤

A beautiful pic of AFD -- her Instagram stories this weekend included a fantastic mini-sermon reminding us of the intensifying spiritual warfare surrounding us, to pray the armor of God and pray for our spiritual leaders!

Fun fact: 13 years ago today, Chettles closed on his first home!!  Lots of fun memories from that day.

Spent most of the weekend lounging in my Let Them hoodie and the Yale PJ pants I bought at Yale in 2005!  They were a little small for me back then, and I'm grateful they fit now.  I had a pretty healthy weekend, and I'm planning to continue that streak this week!

After finishing allllll the homework last night, I watched Tower Heist.  It holds a special place in my heart since it was being filmed while we were in NYC in 2010!  I remember several streets being shut down, and we asked around and someone told us they were filming a movie with Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, then this came out in 2011!

Okay, I'm not devoting a full post to it, but Friends in Low Places, Two Pina Coladas, Much Too Young, Callin' Baton Rouge, Standing Outside the Fire, Rodeo, The Thunder Rolls, Beer Run, The Dance, and The River... it's a travesty in my book that so many people will never hear these great songs because Garth is over-protective and won't embrace Apple Music or YouTube.  I have seen him in concert twice now (Tulsa and Vegas), and both were fantastic!

"Now I gotta say that the wind and the waves 

and the moon winkin' down at me*

Eases my mind by leaving behind

The heartaches love often brings.

Now I've got a smile that goes on for miles

With no inclination to roam,

And I gotta say that I thank God I stayed,

'Cause this is feelin' more and more like home!"

*The five-syllable "me" at the end of that first sentence just floors me - it brings me so much joy the way he sings it, and the "smile that goes on for miles" line feels fitting! lol  Also, apparently the real lyric is "I think I've gotta stay," but I've always heard it as "I thank God I stayed," so I'm sticking with my version!  Leave it to me to spiritualize the joy he feels being in a bar. lol  Love Garth.  Really need him to come to the 2000s and hop on Apple Music!

Okay, that's all for this Monday morning.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

❤ ❤ ❤

Football Fun & More

 Hey, friends and fam!  I have a tiny minute at the end of this day where I am ALL CAUGHT UP on transcripts, so I'm writing a quick blog.  'Twas a fun family gathering at Jace's first Junior High football game last night!  (Their official first game was cancelled due to a muddy field after all the rain a couple weeks ago, so game one was an away game at Casady, which is pretty close to JB's house, so she joined us!)

Team huddle + fierce team pic (the lack of smiles cracks me up!)

Amanda (TJ's mom) and Jace + Jace on the sidelines (for a brief minute - he played the great majority of the game) + Mom and I with our Chet Wilson fans!  The sun hit hard on the vistor's side of the Casady field, so I was happy I had those with me.  I mentioned that I'd have had a 3rd one, but I had to use it to kill a bug in my car.  JoBug laughed at me for throwing it away rather than washing it off (which never for one second occurred to me) and said, "Gah, I'm glad y'all aren't poor." lol  Rach:  "We are too, JoBug!!" lol

Team huddle (love that he is #77 this year!!) + me and Kyndal!
(Mom and I switched sunglasses for a bit.)

They won 28-8, and Jace got a tackle, so he was thrilled and making sure everyone saw it. lol
Here's the proud grandparents + a selfie with a K-Faith photobomb! =)

Jace with Axel, TJ, Fielder, and their Coach!

With his mom, and with his Aunt Lindsey!

Yesteryear and yesterday... Jace Michael and his friend, Fielder!

Jace had trouble removing his jersey, which was fairly entertaining. lol

A post-game dinner with TJ and his family at CFA! =)

From Mel's latest podcast... something I hope to come back to and spend time really writing about later.  Just sharing it in case you want to do the same.  The idea is to write down your highest possible hopes, then share them with someone you trust... then save it to look back on years later!

Often accurate. lol

A cute collage of Sarah and Lyndsay (my former classmates) on day one of 3rd grade and day one of sending their kids to CHA this year! =)

Totes legit.

I'm caught up on The Gilded Age.  In spite of her flaws, Bertha Russell is one of my favorite characters ever - I am so cheering for her success and joy!

My big accomplishment for the Labor Day break week was a closet clean-out and taking a few bags and some old boots to Goodwill - huzzah! =)

This idea... has merit.  I'd be buying a vinyl album ASAP if T-Swift made this announcement. lol

I ran right over to meet this fluffy white dog on my latest walk with Kristin... her name is MoMo... she is a prancy 3.5-month-old puppy, and she looks like the freaking adorable dog (Kevin) from The Proposal!!

Yesterday was Jill's birthday, so HBD to her!  Love the Lemieux fam, and I'm grateful for their loyal friendship and loads of fun memories with them!!

That's all for today.  And now I'm off to family dinner.
Tomorrow will be all about homework!!

Thanks for being here.  I love you and believe in you, and I want to remind you that God is always with you and for you...  strengthening you with the right desires and all the grace and power you need to live a life that is pleasing to Him!!

❤ ❤ ❤