Cap and Gown!

Get excited!!  Shoutout to Rachael LaJo for all the time and effort she put into this!!  I love it! ❤

Since my CCU Commencement Ceremony will be in Colorado, I decided to bring my cap and gown and get a few pics with friends yesterday - I'll do the same with family soon!  When I came out wearing it, Chet Lee played the Pomp and Circumstance graduation march song on their speaker, and Karli had made me this presh mini-cheesecake with the Cricut topper! lol They're the best!!

The hood is odd and I'm unsure how to wear it correctly, even after multiple YouTube videos, so I'm kind of awkwardly holding it here. lol

Yay, Moss family!!

Sarah Elizabeth and Chet Lee!

Fulton Fam!

The Wonderful Wilsons!

Myers fam!

Shoemaker fam!

My hair looks kinda rough, but hooray again for this grad cap!!

Chettles:  "Turn around so I can get a picture of the cap."

Me - standing with my head thrown back for said photo

Chet:  "Well, don't be awkward about it." lolol

Still not sure what he was going for, but he's a funny one!

YAY!

Best. Friend Group. Ever! ❤

Things I love here:  Every person in the photo.  The setting in the Wilsons' backyard.  The sunshine on a day that was predicted to be rainy and dreary.  Henry and Holly looking at each other and laughing.  Ellie clapping.  Parker presenting me.  All the kids looking happy/content (kinda surprising with the amount of tears and drama throughout the day).  Kate and Sophia being on their dads' shoulders.  And Chettles' squinty eyes, which he noted and complained about... but overall, it's a pretty perfect group pic. lol

❤ ❤ ❤

Best Brothers Ever, Part 2

Friday was the JSB pics, followed by The King of Kings (animated movie) at Warren Theater.  Saturday was a Tulsa trip for Kyndal's volleyball tournament at the Titan Sports Complex, where Jeffrey Edward and Ellie Faye came to watch her 2:30 game!!

This = Kyndal and Rylen, a kind friend who is her current bestie on this team! =)

It was good to catch up with JEM, and I'm so grateful for him and Ellie taking the time to come support Kyndal!

Pic with Mamaw and a team huddle!

Mom's a big fan of Jeffrey Edward, and it always makes me happy when my friends and family get to hang out!

Kyndal had a few great serving streaks, and their team went undefeated all day Saturday!  Rach captured these fun team pictures while they were hanging out upstairs between games. =)

Rach and I snacked and chatted in her car for a bit during the longer break, and we pondered the ironic mismatch of this person's bumper stickers. lol

Kyndal Faith with Ellie Faye and Parker Elizabeth - love them all! =)

Chet and Tate were planning to come for the afternoon game, but Parker heard that and vetoed it, telling them, "Kyndal is MY friend." lol  So the whole Wilson fam joined us for the last game after Parker's ballet pics! =)

That final game started 45 minutes ahead of schedule, which was kinda frustrating!  But still awesome for the Wilsons to be there for the celebratory final set and get some pics with the fam!!

Charge 11's team pic after winning all 3 games that day... Mom and I came home and did not return for the Sunday games, but they won gold in this entire tournament, so HOORAY - go Charge!!

A final pic with the Jaceman, who was hard to track down (outside playing football with his stepbrother, Aden, and their friend, Isaiah).

After learning there was an hour wait for the Riverwalk Los Cabos, we decided on the Little Kitchen at the outlet mall!  Very different menu, but still good and fun, and a better atmosphere for hearing each other in conversation. lol

Mom grabbed a random guy walking by to take our group photo here, and surprise to no one, it turned out Chettles knew him! lol

We stopped by Claire's for the Mini Miss K to get her ear pierced... (just the one - she had them done recently, but one earring came out overnight and the hole closed up).

Parker Elizabeth's first time in Claire's with her adorable ballet bun, unicorn scrunchie/bracelet, and beautiful hair crown! #feelincute  I just love her almost-4-year-old self!!

JEM and Kelly went to the Ben Rector concert that night, and he texted this pic of them running into Laura Allison - fun!  

*Post title is a throwback to this post last year, when Chet and Jeff came to cheer for Kyndal's 2024 team.  I'm mildly upset about a potential injury today - more on that tomorrow - but I feel rich in relational love and support, which helps tremendously for anyone facing any stressful situation.  I am especially grateful for the long-term friendships of the Wilsons and Moss families - having healthy male friendships means a great deal to me, and having kind and trustworthy people who have been around for a while and seen me at my lowest, yet they continue to believe in the most beautiful/healed version of me and to cheer me on as I work to move toward that is a gift I don't take lightly (and hope to reciprocate well).  Anyway, I sincerely believe I have the best friends around, and my heart is full of gratitude for them tonight!! ❤

Happy Sunday, and congrats again to Kyndal Faith and her team!

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Thankful Thursday #224

"For this reason we do not lose heart.  Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is RENEWED day after day.  And this small and temporary trouble we suffer is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine." 

~2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Our weekly family dinners, and more specifically, celebrating the birthdays of Triston Michael (18 on 4-2) and Carter Lee (17 on 4-18) with the fam at Ted's on Tuesday!! ❤

2.  Jon Tyson, who I have now heard in an audiobook he cowrote + the AFD podcast and the Wild at Heart podcast... the sincerity of his obedience and his heart for Jesus has increased my desire to study God's Word and seek Him more diligently, and I'm thankful for that shift!

3.  This once-in-a-lifetime season of marathon training and all God is teaching me through it!! ❤  Grit, endurance, accepting support, pressing past fear, trusting the process, celebrating small milestones, encouraging myself when it's just me and Jesus out there, etc.

4.  An encouraging interview last Friday - hearing "You have the qualities that can't be taught as a therapist who genuinely connects with people, and we can help you with the knowledge and diagnostic tools" felt like a high compliment (with room/encouragement to keep growing).  *Prayers appreciated for God to give me wisdom and open the right doors at the right time for me in this job search.

5.  Supporting T-man at his new barista job at the Choctaw Starbucks - fun!  He was super busy running the drive-through line, but he traded with a friend to come make my drink and chat for a sec before getting back to it! ❤

6.  The Wilsons and Weatherfords, who kindly let me join their family dinner last Friday!  The kids were in playful moods, and we all had a good talk about my interview that morning, the January Disney trip, and Miss Parker Elizabeth's 4th birthday and Belle party later this month, which is sure to be the very cutest!!

7.  A successful impromptu shopping spree on my first real trip to the Tulsa Premier Outlets last Friday... six new shirts, a gold bracelet, a J. Crew necklace, a Vera Bradley travel bag, and a Coach purse - huzzah!  All things I'll enjoy and use well, but it's probably for the best that my shopping time was limited. lol

8.  From my FB post:  Happy National Sibling Day to my younger sister, Rachael LaJo! ❤  Thankful for our childhood memories, our adult friendship, our family dinners, and all the ways you've made my life more colorful and fun and exciting (including my awesome niece and nephews)!!  Also grateful that you've shared clothes with me and become my fashion consultant, and that you're willing/eager to spend hours gluing tiny crystals to my graduation cap.  Love you!!  

9.  A great 4-mile walk with Kristin Michelle last night... with background music by the massive church youth gathering at the outdoor amphitheater part of our Central Park! =)

10.  Reading through Abby's Autobiography (a Senior-year project for all CHA students)... she has overcome a lot in her first 18 years, and she wrote about it with admirable vulnerability and courage! ❤  I told her this will be a great keepsake to look back at later, which I know now from experience - there are so many little memories from childhood and adolescence that would be easy to forget if they were not written down and preserved! =)

11.  Getting to watch Kyndal Faith's team play in the Lone Star Classic tournament from the comfort of my own home last weekend... whoever is in charge of the videos for these tournaments deserves a raise!

12.  Janelle told me (and showed me) that she's seeing "lots of new growth" and baby hairs coming in, saying I'll just have to be patient as it continues to grow and become more noticeable.  #metaphorforlife  (Weight loss surgery and the initial rapid loss typically leads to some hair thinning, but I've been taking the pricey Nutrafol supplements Dr. Apel recommended, and I'm so glad to know they are actually helping!  And I'm grateful for Halo Couture in the meantime. lol)

13.  This Netflix movie being better than I'd expected -- it was in the "We think you'll love this" category from Netflix, and they were not wrong. lol  It made me think about finding true love (and where I've already found it), leaving nothing left unsaid, growing through grief, and how my childhood goals align with who I am today!

14.  “I believe deeply that God does His best work in our lives during times of great heartbreak and loss, and I believe that much of that rich work is done by the hands of people who love us, who dive into the wreckage with us and show us who God is, over and over and over."  ~Shauna Niequist  I'm thankful for Chet Lee and Karli Marie and the way their loyal friendship, steadfast support, timely words of wisdom, and well-stewarded gift for cultivating solid community have been part of "God's best work" in my life, showing me who He is, over and over and over!! ❤

15.  Today's jury trial being continued (YAY), a lunch workout at Planet Fitness, and the gift of coming home to a lovely, fresh and clean house when I leave in a few minutes!!  Ahhh, I have missed Alisa (my once-a-month house cleaner) over the past 3 months... I am extra thankful for the great work she does, and I am grateful she's feeling better and able to come back now!

I'm also thankful for you being here! =)  This is my first Thankful Thursday post since January, so it's a little longer than usual.  Happy Thursday!!

❤ ❤ ❤

Marathon Monday #17!

Kristin and I went for a lovely 6-mile stroll last night, chatting and catching up on all of life while trying to keep warm in the stupidly-cold April weather!  I'm thankful that the predicted snow was overhyped, but I'd like it to feel like Spring again ASAP.

I've adjusted the training plan to be a better fit for what I need right now.  This coming weekend will be my final intense 20-mile training jog, then it's one lighter week of tapering down over Easter weekend, and then the Full Marathon - only 19 DAYS from today!!  Get excited! ❤

Sad-ish news: my 256-week Peloton streak lapsed last week... (260 would have been 5 solid years, so that's kinda irritating, especially when I've been working out harder this year than most).  I've just gradually come to prefer watching TV at night while I do strength exercises or stretches or yoga or cycling, and I often listen to Apple Music or Audible or chat with friends during my outdoor jogs.   I cancelled the auto-renew on my Peloton subscription, and I've decided the Marathon day will be my last hoorah and final send-off for my five-year Peloton journey!  I so appreciate the many ways Peloton has improved and changed my life and given me a more empowered perspective, and I'm super excited for the 7-hours of classes I have programmed in as my official playlist for my first Full Marathon race... (all ones I've done at least 3x and know I love and enjoy)!  I planned them in an order that feels right to keep me going strong, and I think having the great music + the coaches encouragement + the race-day adrenaline + crowd support will be an awesome combo to carry me to the Finish Line!!  That and my Run-Interval timing prompts and my black cherry energy chews, and maybe a donut along the way! lol ❤

And no matter what, when I reach the 26th mile marker, I'm playing OneRepublic's Marching On for the actual Finish Line crossing! =)

Make it a great week!!

❤❤❤

Weekend Update!

Hey, friends and fam!  Last night was a Tulsa trip for dinner with the Wilsons and the Fultons!  A tiny bit of rain and lightning on my drive home, but nothing as terrible as they predicted, so no regrets on my end!  The Wilsons were kind enough to host us - Sarah had an extra-stressful week, and it was good to be able to talk through it with the adults while the kids played on the bouncy house outside.  Here's our happy group pic at the end of the night. ❤

The kids waiting on their friend, Kate, to arrive + Chettles grilling awesome steaks for us!!

The cutest little besties... both in purple dresses and silver "click-clack" heels! =)

Chet with Karli's famous parmesan/jalapeno focaccia bread + Karli sautéing the asparagus... the pics are purely bc I was excited about them both having fun aprons for cooking!! =)

Steaks, mac n' cheese, veggies, potatoes, and bread (thanks again, Wilson fam!!) + everyone watching the International Space Station pass by overhead, thanks to Karli signing up for location-based text alerts (and now I have too.)

Group pic minus Kate and Parker + a bright and cheery assortment of Poppi sodas - better than expected + the kids having Cookie Two Step ice cream brought by the Fultons!  Mom also made brickle bars for us, so we were well stocked on dinner and desserts! =)

Rach texted me on Friday that her hand was cramping from all the note-taking... I applaud her studious efforts and her colorful notes - hopefully this will pay off and help her remember it all for the CPC certification test!

Her hands didn't get much of a break, as she's been busy painting then starting the process of crystalling my graduation cap most of this weekend... get excited!!  My parents shan't have trouble finding me in the crowd. lol


I told her the term "crystalling" in her text made me think of Winnie the Bish and his puzzling song! lol

I've spent part of this weekend working on another creative project, building my counseling website with Wix and Storyline... still an unpublished work in progress that needs extra "tweaking" (#youvegotmail), but it's a fun and uplifting project for me!  Compass Counseling: Empowering Women to Move Forward with Hope. ❤ Yay!

So my weekend mostly consisted of website work + the Tulsa trip + a lengthy jog yesterday morning, and of course, Harry Potter audiobooks and Cobra Kai! lol

That show is a treat - funnier characters and more redemptive storylines than I expected.  I went down a rabbit hole reading entertaining Reddit threads and Googling the actors... I had no idea Miguel was Victor from Parenthood and Sam was the first daughter in Scandal!

A presh duck couple stopping by Mom and Dad's pool for a spring swim - I freaking love it! =)

And finally, a meme from Chet Lee that made me laugh!

That's all for tonight.  Hope it's an excellent week ahead!

❤ ❤ ❤