Back in the summer, I decided I would mark the 50 days before my birthday with all the things that made me who ai m am and brought me to this day. I didn't really have a plan when I started - just let the ides come day by day. Towards the end I my time recording these, I did end up getting out a calendar and making a lit for the last couple of weeks. There were a few things I wanted to make sure I included, so I had to make a plan. But the first 40 ~ish days, i just come up with an idea as I was going to bed each night. I think it turned out to be a pretty cool list. I was reading back on it today, mu 5oth birthday, and I decided I should document it all here. So, here we go!
50 Before 50As I approach my 50th birthday, I am going to reflect on 50 things that have gotten me to where I am today, The good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly.
Day 1: Thankful for my health and the choices I have been making for ME! One year ago, I set a goal of losing 100 lbs by my 50th birthday (15 months to do it). I am at 60 lbs lost right now. And while I still want to keep going, I am THRILLED to be here! Working towards a healthy future!
Day 2: MY MAN! Everything about our relationship is unconventional. From the way we met, our age gap, how we manage our household, and the way we make decisions. And for those, plus a million other reasons, I count myself the luckiest girl on the planet.
He met me when I was incredibly broken. And he didn’t try to fix me, he just loved me. And my red headed twin girls. And for the next 19 years he did all of that, AND gave me 2 sons. Britt Weaver is the epitome of AMAZING. To know him is to love him, and more importantly to BE LOVED by him. God truly broke the mold with this guy. Kind. Generous. Compassionate. Patient (most of the time). Intentional. Smart. Funny. Caring. Full of Grace. He’s not perfect, but he’s pretty dang close.
Perry, OK
Stillwater, OK Sarasota, FL Stillwater, OK Ponca City, OK DFW, TX Stillwater, OK Tulsa, OK Stillwater, OK Edmond, OK
And since pics of the twins solo is rare as littles, they get 2 baby pics. 
Day 6: this ball
As I sat in Gallagher-Iba Arena today, watching my 2025 son chase his dreams, I thought a lot about basketballs, orange rims, nets, and all the rest. I played in elementary and middle school. I was a big fan of my Stillwater High team, and I was at OSU with my half season student pass - right behind the goal with my sorority sisters and making friends with the camera man so my family could see me on TV! Those were the glory days of the Rowdy Confines!Then Jake started playing when he could walk. Finn played pre-Covid. This game changes lives. And we’ve met so SO many friends throwing an orange ball through a hoop… forever grateful! (And here’s to many MANY more!)
Yes, the Alan Jackson song… “Livin' on love, buyin' on time
Without somebody nothing ain't worth a dime
Just like an old fashion story book rhyme
Livin' on love.”
There’ve been several times in my life where love was all I had. Literally. From when I started 9th grade sleeping on a fold out couch that was decades old, to about a decade ago when my husband and I both lost our jobs within just a few days of each other. But, there’s always Love.
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| These are videos on FB! |
I’ve always been a dog girl. Had a couple cats along the way, but mostly dogs. So on this National Dog Day I’ll highlight some of mine from the past. When I was little, we got a beagle puppy named Lady. I remember my grandma having Schnauzers, and mom did too. My first dog out of my parents house was a miniature schnauzer named Annie. We had another one named Einstein when the kids were little. And Jake’s mitt Jessie that ran away…We adopted our “found in a box” mutt Evie 5 years ago, and we adopted 3 miniature dachshunds from pandemic days to today. Evie is with Lara in Stillwater, and we still have our Doxie Babies Jasper and Opal. Love being a Dog Mom! (And grandma.)
I remember going door to door as a kid. And I remember Emma winning a prize for all the Girl Scout stuff she sold in 2nd grade. I’ve been on Booster Club boards for both Stillwater and Edmond. We’ve done choir, sports, graduation nights, and all the things!Tonight, we’re working on Sequoyah Middle School Choir (travel, completions, sheet music) and Edmond North Husky Basketball (we travel to the 918 SIX times - they need food before and after the games, plus gas…). DM’s are open for donations!
Day 14: Inside jokes, shared stories, and “Rickerisms.” Like when my dad told my mom any city in Oklahoma that he wasn’t sure where it was that it was “over there east of Tulsa” until my brother and I cracked the code as young adults. And then didn’t tell mom… We were always masing with mom - the three of us. But then Dad and Brian turned on me, too! I never liked that. Then when I married Britt and brought my family “isms” into the relationship and I would say something - he looked at me like was was crazy! For instance: “in a parking lot, always face your car towards an exit onto the main road. You know what was going on when you went in, but you never know what’ll be happening when you leave!” Ahhhh, “Rickerisms.” (There’s a lot of them. Just ask Britt Weaver!)
) Music. My adolescence was marked by a soundtrack of the GREATEST - nothing compares to the country music of the 1990s. And I still listen to new country artists today! I always have a special place in my heart for Oklahomans. From Reba and Vince, through Garth and Blake, Carrie Underwood to Zack Bryan, and the incomparable, late and great “Big Dog Daddy” - Toby Keith - may he rest in peace. God bless country music. Never apologize for being a Patriot. (I may or may not have just cried my way through the Toby Keith memorial concert… Dude may not have been a Cowboy, but he should’ve been… Incredible human. Sorely missed.)
Day 22: 4 years in Florida. The summer after fourth grade, we moved to Sarasota, Florida. I was 10. We were there from 1985-1989. Brian graduated from high school there. I LOVED it. My grandparents had moved down there a couple years earlier. And they lived on their 42” boat in a marina on Longboat Key. We had so many beach adventures on Siesta key! It was idyllic at my age. I went to 3 schools in those 4 years. I went back as a young adult to attend the wedding of one of my best friends from those years. I am so glad I got that experience
1 - my scientifically engineered precious baby girl twins. I was never going to be a mom. But God… he laid out all our steps and put the right plans in motion for these blessings to be part of our lives.
2 - my tenacious middle child who made us a family. I thought I’d never love again. Never be surrounded by love daily in the way I’d imagined as a little girl. But God. He sent me Britt at my lowest point after being broken for a long time. He married me and gave me a fabulous son. The three of us were the family I always dreamed of, and his sisters were the cherries on top.
3 - my sweet surprise baby boy who came on the heels of losing my big brother. We were told we couldn’t have any more. Then we lost my brother suddenly and unexpectedly. But God. He gave us all the surprises when we found out about our bonus baby! And he is a miracle for all the things he has overcome!
"…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" Isaiah 61:3
Growing up in Stillwater, my family didn’t have a lot to do with campus beyond sporting events and dance recitals. But when I was in high school, my mom started working at the University Credit Union, which had its office on the 3rd floor of the Student Union. I had a little clerical job after school starting when I was a sophomore. That was my first job on this campus. Fast forward a few years, and I was a student. During my time on campus I lived on the 12th floor of Kerr, the 11th floor of Willham South, and both housing floors of the “old” Alpha Delta Pi house. I worked a few work-study jobs along the way as well. After I got my Bachelor’s degree, I left Oklahoma for the better part of a decade, then came back to Stillwater and to OSU for more jobs, and then another degree, and more jobs. So, I have been on this campus for most of the last 35 years.
I have worked in Student Affairs / Campus Life (Greek Life, Dining), Athletics (Football), Academic Affairs (Registrar’s Office), The Business College, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, Technology, & Architecture, and Institutional Research. I’ve worked in Willard Hall, Engineering North, the “Old” Business Building, the Classroom Building, the PIO building, half a dozen locations in the Student Union. I’ve been an administrative assistant, recruiting assistant, marketing coordinator, Assistant Registrar and CRM Coordinator. I’ve been a student twice, a parent of THREE students, and this semester I joined the faculty. I have done a lot and seen a lot! And I love it all.
Having this much history, and this much affinity for a place was yet another thing not on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. And let me tell ya, when the OSU haters start in on me, I give this whole story and a million other facts right back at them (Did you know I have one of the original $1,000 bonds that sealed the land for the college?), and ask them if they know that much about their school and if that school has basically been the cornerstone for every aspect of their life. If they can match my saga, passion, and purpose, then I will hear them out. If not, then please just sit down. I will forever bleed orange and be one of the loyal-est and truest out there! (And yes, I am a lifetime member of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association!) #go<freaking>pokes #loyalandtrue #orangeisthehappiestcolor
Day 27: Adventure. When the kids were little, and time we left the house felt like an adventure! This is one of Britt’s favorite words. And we used it a lot (still do). Sometimes the “adventure” was as simple as dinner out. Other times it was a well planed, week long road rip. Still others it was an Oklahoma day trip destination that was new to us. We explored towns, cemeteries, parks, old buildings. We saw the sites, did the things, ate at the places. Always an adventure.
Tonight’s adventure after dinner out with Lara (who turned up at our house midday), was to scout locations for Jake’s senior pictures. I find it a cruel irony that my milestone birthday is so chronologically close to my child’s 18th birthday and high school graduation…
Day 28: All the things my people have taught me. This could get really long, so I’m going to limit it to big things my kids taught me… Emma taught me about country living. Horses, rodeos, bison, goats, plants, farming, and SO MUCH MORE! Lara taught me about sports by being a high school manager for so many, then laser focusing on wrestling in college and professionally. I still don’t understand it all, but I love it and how excited she gets about it. I’ve always been a basketball fan, but Jake has taken it to a whole other level. I have met so many people, seen so many new places, learned all about college recruiting, and had so many experiences I would have never had without him. And Finn taught me about the NICU, March of Dimes, and all the amazing people associated with both. He has overcome so much, and all the lessons I’ve learned along the way helped me be a better human.
I have worked in Student Affairs / Campus Life (Greek Life, Dining), Athletics (Football), Academic Affairs (Registrar’s Office), The Business College, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, Technology, & Architecture, and Institutional Research. I’ve worked in Willard Hall, Engineering North, the “Old” Business Building, the Classroom Building, the PIO building, half a dozen locations in the Student Union. I’ve been an administrative assistant, recruiting assistant, marketing coordinator, Assistant Registrar and CRM Coordinator. I’ve been a student twice, a parent of THREE students, and this semester I joined the faculty. I have done a lot and seen a lot! And I love it all.
Having this much history, and this much affinity for a place was yet another thing not on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. And let me tell ya, when the OSU haters start in on me, I give this whole story and a million other facts right back at them (Did you know I have one of the original $1,000 bonds that sealed the land for the college?), and ask them if they know that much about their school and if that school has basically been the cornerstone for every aspect of their life. If they can match my saga, passion, and purpose, then I will hear them out. If not, then please just sit down. I will forever bleed orange and be one of the loyal-est and truest out there! (And yes, I am a lifetime member of the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association!) #go<freaking>pokes #loyalandtrue #orangeisthehappiestcolor
Tonight’s adventure after dinner out with Lara (who turned up at our house midday), was to scout locations for Jake’s senior pictures. I find it a cruel irony that my milestone birthday is so chronologically close to my child’s 18th birthday and high school graduation…
Day 28: All the things my people have taught me. This could get really long, so I’m going to limit it to big things my kids taught me… Emma taught me about country living. Horses, rodeos, bison, goats, plants, farming, and SO MUCH MORE! Lara taught me about sports by being a high school manager for so many, then laser focusing on wrestling in college and professionally. I still don’t understand it all, but I love it and how excited she gets about it. I’ve always been a basketball fan, but Jake has taken it to a whole other level. I have met so many people, seen so many new places, learned all about college recruiting, and had so many experiences I would have never had without him. And Finn taught me about the NICU, March of Dimes, and all the amazing people associated with both. He has overcome so much, and all the lessons I’ve learned along the way helped me be a better human.
I remember when the girls were little I had a thought once where I was imagining all the people I’d never met that I would meet because of them: parents of their friends, future spouses and their families, etc. It’s crazy to think back now at all the people I have met because of the kids and I still have a lot more to meet! Life is learning.
That’s when my life motto strengthens me and reminds me of who I am and WHOSE I am. I even won a contest one time and got my motto on a bracelet sold in stores around Oklahoma. Grace WINS y’all!
I’ve always loved a good sunrise. But I was usually too “busy” in the mornings to see them. Since I stared commenting 45 miles a few days a week about 2 years ago, I’ve seen MANY! Oklahoma sunrises are a treat. When I leave my house, there’s a few different routes I can take to get to the interstate. One of my favorites crests a hill overlooking far south Guthrie over I-35 into Arcadia. When it’s clear (and the windshield is clean), it’s breathtaking. Thankful for the time in my car most days, and enjoy seeing Gods masterpiece on display.
Day 34: The OSU Cowboy Football years! For almost 4 years, I worked in recruiting with Cowboy Football and was the Orange Pride sponsor. During that time, I also met my husband and had my 3rd child/1st son. I’ve always been a Cowboy, but this was NEXT LEVEL! Office outside of Heritage Hall in Gallagher-Iba (also where Britt proposed), window on Boone Pickens Stadium, weekly meetings in the Varsity Room, traveling with the team, Bowl Game Trips, Recruiting Weekends, Official Visit meals… WOW! What a trip. It was so much FUN, but so much work. With 3 kids, I had to call it quits. Cherish those memories! (And got Finn in on the trend when he joined us later!) Always LOYAL AND TRUE! Go Pokes!
Day 37: Flowers. I never been much of a flowers girl. Don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate the gesture, the surprise, the beauty. But I’m a practical kind of person. There’s so many other things I could have done with the money spent on a very temporary gift. Someone told me once that flowers weren’t a very good gift to show love because they wilt and die. I think - in my vary practical way - I may have taken that to heart. But! I love how in the past few years I’ve heard the phrase “give them their flowers” when talking about recognizing others for their accomplishments. Words of affirmation are my love language, and I can “mat talk” (iykyk) with the best of them. So I will give you those flowers all day long when they’re deserved. I like to receive those kids of flowers, too! (For the record, a Gerbera Daisy bouquet makes me swoon.)
Day 39: Work Besties! I’ve had some great coworkers in the past. And I’ve been friends with many of them. Sometimes we kept in touch, sometimes not so much. But for the last 7+ years, 2 of my (now former) coworkers have become my best friends. Age, geography, vmand various stages of family life have not kept us apart. This fall, we all finally ended up back in the same zip code (sort of - I’m a commuter.) I love my work besties and doing live with them. Since we met we’ve had one wedding, 3 babies, 2 high school graduations, 2 moves out of town and 1 back, 3 college graduations, and a whole lotta life lived. So thankful for my girl squad! Chelsea McElroy Emily Gibbs
Day 43: The NICU. As we close out September - NICU Awareness Month- I can’t help but reflect on Finn’s 84 days almost 13 years ago. Born at just 26 weeks gestation and weighing a tiny 1 lb 14 oz, he has been fighting ever since. But without those doctors, ARNPs, nurses, RTs, Chaplin, social workers, staff, March of Dimes Family Support, and ALL OF YOU for praying, we would not be where we are today. We made lifelong friends in those baby rooms, halls, wash stations, waiting rooms, and treatment rooms. That whole experience changed me from my core. Eternally grateful for the NICU. Finn is a miracle and the NICU a miracle worker. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but I know I have been changed for good.
Day 44: My parents. Never perfect but always present. I love them so much! My mom is proper. Sassy. Opinionated. A story teller. My dad is loud. Funny. Smart. Adventurous. And together, the are THE BEST. Married 56 years. 2 children. 5 grandchildren. Countless lesson learned, memories made and traditions upheld. The most impactful probably being loyal and true to our Alma Mater! Thanks for everything. You set the bar high and I’m still striving.
Day 45: Emma Marie. Twin A. Stubborn from day 1. Makes life happen. Willful, fierce, independent. Adventurous, wild, daring. Never steps back from a challenge, always learning new things, loyal when it matters most. She’s so many things I am not, and she had taught me so much. She’s too far away, but she calls me often so I’ll forgive her. She’s a joy and a wonder. I’m so grateful God gave me you so I could learn to be bolder. Thanks for being my girl, Emma!
) Thanks for making life more interesting, Jake! 
And for all the labor today. Finn for learning new things about party planning. And my husband Britt Weaver for all the tiny details, sweat, anxiety, and LOVE! I love you so much babe! This was THE BEST day!
Day 50: YOU
Every single one of YOU! If you can see this, you have impacted my life. Some good, some bad, all worthy of remembering. Thank YOU! For everything. I am EXCITED for this next chapter.
As my newly minted teenager just reminded me as he went to bed, next time you see me, I’ll be FIFTY!
Every single one of YOU! If you can see this, you have impacted my life. Some good, some bad, all worthy of remembering. Thank YOU! For everything. I am EXCITED for this next chapter.
As my newly minted teenager just reminded me as he went to bed, next time you see me, I’ll be FIFTY!