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

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Easter Eve!

Happy Saturday, friends and family!  I just booked the Colorado flights for Mom and I for my graduation - get excited!  I know this isn't the best Spring weather for Easter weekend, but I'm loving the sound of the rain as I sit here blogging in my PJ shorts and hoodie.  If I'm choosing 3 emotions on the emotion wheel for today, I feel grateful, relaxed, and hopeful... very Easter appropriate. =)

I also feel reflective.  Today is the 30-year anniversary of the OKC bombing, something I remember vividly from my 5th grade year.  Mom took me to lunch that day and told me about it, then Miss White made the announcement to our class before school ended.  And a week or two after that, I wrote a poem that became a bigger deal than I'd anticipated.  Watching all of that on the news was jarring, and it had a big impact on my 12-year-old self to know that Mom's former office was right across the street from the Murrah Building.  The race next weekend will be the 25th "Run to Remember," and along the course, they have posters with individual photos honoring each of the 168 people who were killed that day...

The term Silent Saturday is not nearly as familiar to me as Good Friday or Easter Sunday, but I LOVED the message here...

My deep thoughts for today were about how Good Friday speaks a message of deep love, Silent Saturday calls for strong faith, and Easter Sunday speaks vibrant hope! (1 Cor. 13:13)

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Okay, so Marilyn (our court reporter friend pictured bottom left) got us a table for the soft-launch opening of the 7th Neighborhood JAM location (which is in Moore)!  Apparently, her daughter's husband came up with the idea for it, and it's been a great success in OKC and in Tulsa, so that's awesome!  It was good to catch up with her a bit - she's retiring in December and looking forward to becoming a grandma soon!  Our server talked us into a cinnamon roll appetizer (yum - he didn't have to work too hard on that) and my French toast was awesome, and all our food was free since it was a practice run for them, so that's always a delight!

Last night, I joined the Wilsons and Weatherfords for dinner (Bill and Melissa picked up Rib Crib for us) and a musical at the PAC... Chet and Tate are on the mend after a rough week of sickness.  Melissa thought I was mildly crazy for coming on a potentially stormy night, but I so love hanging out with their fam, and the long drives are never a deterrent to me!

This = Parker in her fun colorful shoes (she came to greet me with the best excited scream when she realized I was there!), Bill and Tate playing on the mini-air hockey table (so cute!), a fun Easter wreath, and a random pre-dinner candid I snapped when my heart was full thinking how very fortunate I am to be friends with them! lol

The Myers had to cancel last minute, so I got to join Chet and Karli for a third time on their PAC season tickets... fun!!  The play was fun and very well done, and it was lovely chatting with the Wilsons and Paul and Stephanie!

In the end, 90% of my drive back home was dry and smooth... there was heavy rain for about 15 minutes when I reached the Kickapoo Turnpike, followed by a bout of feeling dangerously tired when the rain calmed down and I was 15-20 minutes from home around 1am.  (That really doesn't happen often for me, but it was intense, and I'm thankful for God's protection!)

Friendly Reminder:

Not sure how this hadn't occurred to me until today, but I'm going for the diamond boots as my graduation footwear... YAY - yes, please!  (I'll likely be wearing black slacks instead of a dress.) Between the diamond boots and my crystalled-out cap, I'm not sure CCU will believe I'm "respecting the solemnity of the occasion," but I'm excited, and all of that feels right for me!  Pics on the right = my living room chair-side table with some happy yellow roses I grabbed today, then the strawberries and dip I made for tomorrow!

Spring/Easter pics are always the cutest!  Yay Shoemakers and Moss fam! =)

And speaking of Easter, I attended the CHA Easter program Thursday night...

Mini Miss K looking lovely in her new dress!

She was accidentally twinning with her art teacher's daughter, but I love that she embraced the fun of that and asked for a pic with her!  On the right is Jaceman with his friends TJ and Jace!

The 5th grade girls!

Pics with J&K!

The 6th grade boys!  (This one was J's final elementary school program!!)

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Ending with a couple memes, just for fun! =)

How cute is this dog!?  And the writing is super accurate and made me laugh!

Okay, the rain is still going strong... I'm grateful to be in my cozy house, off to watch Ted Lasso and do a short bike ride now, then eat my delish cinnamon roll leftovers, because balance! lol  

Reminder:  God is working behind the scenes - He is with you and for you - and His words are more reliable than our feelings.  Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Easter tomorrow!!

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Thankful Thursday #225

"You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this [generosity, administered] through us is producing thanksgiving to God [from those who benefit]."  ~2 Corinthians 9:11

Today, I am thankful for...

1.  Ridiculous reels and fun memes that lighten the mood and make me laugh!

2.  Fam dinners and the Miss K bringing diamond art for us to work on together. =)

3.  Sarah tagging me in this happy post - Leslie is back as Aaron Burr on Broadway, and the tickets are flyyying!

4.  Rest, ice, and elevation... I'm over it, but I think it's helping a bit.  I've done a couple bike rides and a lot of visualizing myself pushing through to the finish... praying for the strength and healing needed to do that!

5.  Carter Lee, my rodeo champion nephew who turns 17 tomorrow!  #HBD

6.  Abby, who I need to set up a lunch or dinner with soon!

7.  Having Good Friday off tomorrow, and having extra time this week to slow down and consider my options and pray for wisdom and clarity and peace - so many big decisions looming, and I really need God's guidance in this season!  *Also grateful for Levi Lusko, whose wise words have been an encouragement this week!

Two Thursdays in a row - I'm on a roll!
Happy Easter weekend ahead!

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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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