Easter Sunday!

Easter 2025 was a delight from start to finish... MWC Life Church, Olive Garden lunch with the fam in Norman, then a Tulsa trip, cute Easter egg hunt and dinner at the Wilson home, and lots of photos with people I love! ❤

This = our family table at Olive Garden!  (We had reservations at BJs, but they were very slow to seat us, so we headed across the street and had pretty great service at the OG!)  We had a good talk about next week's race, poster ideas, Jace's fish (always), and potential future vacation ideas!

And now, some 2025 Easter Sunday pics of several families I love... starting with the Schoolcraft fam!

The Shoemakers

Harvey Lane and Heidi Claire - so much cuteness!

Moss Fam!

The Shankles (my podcast franz - lol)

The Foster fam!

The Wilson/Weatherford crew!

The Maguires!

Me, Rach, and Kyndal Faith!

Jaceman has been serving in the 4-year-olds room lately and doing a great job - it makes me happy to see that!!

The kids just before the Easter egg hunt! =)

Everyone listening to "Uncle Chet" laying out the rules! lol

After the Easter egg hunt! ❤

Pile-on-Tate game, Parker watching closely while the dads were hiding the eggs - lol, snacks and dessert options, egg hunt, Parker being a dramatic storyteller, and Katherine Claire playing us a lovely song. lol

Gracious, I adore her!  Happy Birthday Eve Eve to her today! lol

Had not put together that it was 4/20 until Chettles sent this! lol

And now a more Jesus-centered meme, but still throwing in some rap. =)

In all sincerity, I am deeply grateful for the work of Christ, the only hope strong enough to anchor our hearts for anything this life throws at us!!  And I will write a separate post with some deeper thoughts on that later today.

❤ ❤ ❤

Marathon Monday #19!

Happy Monday, friends and fam!!  I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend, and I hope this week is off to a good start so far.  However temporary, I am currently caught up at work, so brace yourself for a barrage of blog posts today! =)

We've made it to the final week of marathon training season... for recovery reasons, the past week has mostly been filled with short bike rides and a few strength exercises and stretches for me.  My foot is feeling much better, though, so I'm entirely grateful for that progress!  And I'm planning to go to a chiropractor and try the KT tape before the race, as suggested by Chet Lee.  Also planning to do an extra-short walk and dinner with Kristin on Wednesday.  All in all, I would appreciate your prayers for endurance and stamina on race day - and for good weather!!

In pretty characteristic fashion, I didn't bother to look at all the fine-print details until the week before, so I learned yesterday that this race will begin at 6:30am... and that there are two spots I must reach by a certain time (Mile 7.5 by 8:45am, and Mile 20 by 12:00pm).  Verrrry good to know... not impossible, but not easy either.  It will require me to push myself and pay closer attention to my time as I go.  The idea of being shuttled to the Finish after reaching Mile 20 is painful, so barring a foot injury flare-up, I will not allow that to happen!

I also looked at the course map for the first time... I'm not going to overthink the distance, but I love that they've listed the times when they will reopen the streets for each mile marker - helpful to know!  And there are so many water stops, bathrooms, and medical aid stations, which makes me feel more confident!

Something I'm grateful for is the Mile by Mile thing on the FB page where they post a daily video covering one full mile of the course track.  So far, there are big hills I'm glad to be aware of at Mile 2 and Mile 9, and several notable landmarks (Botanical Gardens, OU Reproductive Medicine, the State Capitol, Gorilla Hill, Classen Curve shopping center, Nichols Hills neighborhood, Lake Hefner, etc.) that we'll pass along the way...

I sincerely hope my next Marathon Monday will be a victory post after Finishing Strong!

Despite this "slight singultus" with the minor injury, I'm feeling proud and well-prepared.  After years of talking myself out of trying, I have finally pushed through my own inner drama and fear and trained hard.  I'm almost there now, which feels surreal and a little scary, but also exciting!  As it goes with most things in life, I cannot control everything, but I am determined to give it my absolute best effort!!

❤ ❤ ❤

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!!)

❤❤

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!!

❤ ❤ ❤

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!

❤❤❤

Marathon Monday #18 (+ Memes)

Hello, and happy Marathon Monday!

This is my friend, Kristen, with her parents.  She had her final chemotherapy treatment at MD Anderson last week - praising God for the progress she has made, and praying for her continued health journey!! ❤

On this "holy week" leading up to Easter, that is sooo worth celebrating!  I also wanted to start this post off by reminding myself of truth and of the major themes in life - that our God is at work bringing life and hope and healing - that His power and goodness are what sustain us, and He is with us and for us, working all things together for our good and His glory! ❤

Okay.  Less than two weeks to go till race day...

And all is not exactly well.  My game plan was to conquer 20 miles on Sunday... look at me all fresh and ready to go the distance.  That plan was thwarted by a random (and hopefully minor) injury to the top of my left foot. 

The pain started Saturday on our way back to the car at the outlet mall...

Walking by some lovely, well-placed outdoor couches and chairs...
Me:  There's no rush - we can sit down here for a minute if you need to. 
Mom:  Oh, I'm okay.
Me:  Yeah... welllll, I need to sit down! lol

I wore some cute Sketchers sandals I hadn't worn in a while... they fit me well last year, but I had to hold my foot in just a slightly strange way to keep them on right this year.  Anyway, the top of my left foot was suddenly in pain Saturday night... and I said out loud, "The last thing I need is a foot injury right now!"  

After a mini-break, our car wasn't far, then I drove home and changed into flip flops and figured all was well.  Sunday afternoon, I did my dynamic warm-ups and got everything prepared (body glide, sunscreen, energy chews, fresh shoes/socks, etc.) to do my final long training run at Central Park Sunday afternoon.  And 5.5 miles into it, that same foot pain started up.  I slowed down a bit, changed my socks and shoes, and tried to mentally push through it.  "Pain does not exist in this dojo.  Fear does not exist in this dojo." lol  

Shocking, I know, but that delightful mantra didn't solve anything. lol  I made it two more miles at the slowest. jogging. pace. ever with two more sitting breaks thrown in, and by then it was off-and-on shooting pains from the top of my foot through my left shin, and I knew finishing was out of the question... so I hobbled back to my car and called it quits for the day.  (Not sure how to describe it - to wiggle my toes or flex or point my left foot is painful, and there's intermittent pain on the top center of my left foot with regular walking.  LAME.)  I called Chettles and Mom feeling very frustrated, concerned, sad, and irritated... it helped to breathe and talk through that a bit.  On almost any other day, I would feel pretty proud of 7.5 miles, but I really wanted to finish 20 one more time, and more than that, I want to be strong enough to finish the Full in 13 days (without causing myself any lasting damage).

Anyway, I came home and took some Advil, hobble-walked the big trash can down to the curb, blogged for a bit, then took it suuuper easy, elevating/massaging and icing/heating my foot while watching Brittany Runs a Marathon (something I thought of during those last 2 miles at The Station, an inspiring movie where the lead character gets injured fairly last minute after a long span of intense training, then ends up having to do a different race than the original one she had signed up for).  Cried my way through the ending of that again - it's so well done!  I'm sincerely hoping the injury and postponing things is not my story here, but I need to be extra careful over the next two weeks.  I will say the movie was a reminder to me that I am determined to complete a marathon no matter what - I'd highly prefer two weeks from now to November!  Please join me in praying that this is a very short-lived injury and that all will be well by race day so I can finish strong and healthy - that is still the goal and plan!!  Obviously, time will tell (and either way, God will be good and kind, and I will be proud of the effort I've put into all this).  Resting easy for now, and I may try a shorter walk on Wednesday or Thursday.

Okay - thanks for listening and for praying with/for me.
To lighten the mood a bit, here are some Monday Memes - enjoy! =)

Women's magazines and/or my own brain...

Hope you have a fantastic Easter week ahead, friends and fam, and that God continues to bring new life and hope and healing wherever we (individually and collectively) need it!!

❤ ❤ ❤