Ho! Ho! Holy Snowballs! It’s almost Christmas!

How has it already been another month?  Time? Please slow down… The house is decorated, almost done shopping, and all the presents that are in the house are wrapped and under the tree.  This year, we assigned each person in the house a Christmas themed name for other gift tags, so no one (except the elves) knows whose package is whose. We have Fruitcake, Noel-It-All, Hot Apple Cider, Sleigh BElle, Jack Frost, and Silber Bells.  Still don't want them o shave all the presents, but this way no one knows who's is who's.  They think I chose names to suit their personalities.  But, Did I?????

We had a pretty low-key Thanksgiving.  Lara was staying with my parents due to her sorority house being closed for the week, and the boys (Britt, Jake, and Finn) and I went to Perkins for a nice lunch, so family time, board games, and all the storytelling we could handle.

Then, after that brief break, everything hit the winter stride.  When basketball season starts, we just get so crazy busy!  Add to that, Jake went to the eye doctor ad now has glasses and contacts – all new a week before his first game!  It’s been an adjustment (he missed ALL his shots first practice with contacts), and his lenses are on BACKORDER (thank you, global supply chain issues), so we are wearing contacts only for games and trying to save them while wearing glasses all the rest of the time. (PS - Britt measured the boys last week.  Jake is 6'7" and Finn is 4'6")

So while we have been in many gyms watching many basketball games the past few weeks – including our beloved OSU Cowboys, we also squeezed in some other fun as well.  We took Finn to the OSU Merry Mascot Christmas party with Pistol Pete at the Alumni Center.  He liked the inflatable slides, tolerated the line to get a picture with Pistol Pete, and LOVED all the Pete’s Pet Posse (P3) therapy dogs.  He has started a collection of their trading cards, and is already up to 8 or 9 in his collection! 

On campus, I was also able to participate in a fun activity during finals week to help get the students through a busy and stressful time.  We have a “Hugs from Home” event a couple of times a semester where a parent-led group partners with the Residential Life and Student Affairs staff, and we hand out gift cards, snacks, and HUGS!  We also have P3 therapy dogs on hand for cuddles as well.  It was SO COLD, but we were determined to be outside so the kids could see us.  We ran out of hot chocolate in about 30 minutes, handed out all the warm Chick-fil-A sandwiches in about 45 minutes, and by the 1-hour mark we were out of gift cards as well.  But we got to hug so many kids going to and from their final exams!  And the therapy dogs were of course a huge hit!  I even got to hug on my own kid, and her “little” as well!

Today is Cousin Kayleigh’s 15th birthday.  I haven’t seen her in a while, but the grandparents went down to Texas late last month to see her in her school play.  I can’t believe she is FIFTEEN!  And that means Jake will be 15 in 5 weeks, too!  HOW are these babies so old already???  We are wishing her a VERY happy birthday and hope she gets treated like royalty today!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAYLEIGH!

My college kids are done for the semester, and the boys go to school all this week, then Monday and Tuesday next week.  I am working Monday – Wednesday next week, then I will get a bit of a break as well.  So thankful to work at the university so I get a nice long break as well.  Not as long as the rest of my family (Lara gets like 6 weeks! Emma about 5, and the boys almost 3), but long enough to recharge some very drained batteries.  Still learning new things every day, and we are in the middle of having several systems ready for “go live” on Jan 24, so the next month will be intense!  I can’t wait for the next steps…

A time to be thankful… and KIND

Here we are over halfway through November.  Reflecting on the upcoming holiday and all we are thankful for.  I am so thankful for my amazing family.  And my new job.  I’ve been here a month now.  Challenging in s an understatement, but so is rewarding!  When you are learning something new, with others who are learning something new, every victory – however small – is celebrated!  And we celebrate with memes, gifs, and laughs.  We have had WEEKS of 2 steps forward followed by one step back, then one step forward and TWO steps back, but we are learning every day!  Add to that, we are all getting to know each other -professionally and personally.  What a way to be stretched!  While I am physically and mentally exhausted, I am energized by the newness of it all.  And oh so grateful for the opportunity.

In reflecting on all the changes I have endured the last few weeks, I keep coming back to the word KIND.  I see it everywhere these days.  T-shirts, mugs, stickers…  People say it, and probably mean it, but then I see things that honestly aren’t very kind from some of those same people.  And believe me, I fall into that category more than I wish I did.  So, what is it to be kind?  And not just kind when it is convenient.  Or it fits your platform.  Or when being kind gets the results you want.  What does it mean to BE KIND and to ACT WITH KINDNESS all the time?

Here is what I think it looks like, to me anyway: Grace.  God’s grace. God’s grace flows from the essence of his being: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).  Read that again.  Merciful.  Gracious.  Slow to anger.  Love. 

So, in everyday situations, it means no judgment.  It means your story has WORTH and it is HONORABLE – and so is mine.  Your choices, while they still have consequences, are to be met with love and mercy.  And so are mine.  You are WORTHY, Loved, cherished.  AND SO AM I.  Kindness is a two-way street, with no end.  If you want kindness in return, be kind.  If you show kindness and it is not returned, BE KIND. You can only control your own actions.  So just BE KIND.  No matter the intent, no matter the IMPACT (which can be in conflict), show God’s love, grace, and mercy.  Love conquers all.

And a quick Weaver Family update: We are looking forward to Thanksgiving week!  A few days off our routine, good food, and family.  Emma is going to Louisiana with her paternal grandmother and her boyfriend to see some extended family.  Lara must move out of her sorority house, so she is bunking at Nana’s for the week.  Jake and Finn are glad to be out of school, but Jake is going to fill some of his time off by working out with the Varsity and JV Pioneer basketball teams since his 9^th grade team is off the whole week.  I know the girls are both looking forward to their Fall semesters ending!  Lara ends the term as a junior and is already enrolled for the Spring.  Emma’s courses roll forward and she will have a few schedule changes as well.  We are excited for Freshman basketball – the first game is December 6!

All 4 kids in one place! 11.07.2021 

Relentless Basketball (Jake's travel team)

Austin, Emma (and Finn!)

Finn says GO POKES!

Austin and Emma

Jake: STRONG MAN

Lara all dressed up!

ADPi Philanthropy Night

Veteran's Day at Finn (and Dad's) school

 

Weaver Life Update

As I posted about the new job, I realized it has been NONE MONTHS since the last post.  Still working our way out of the Pandemic Fog, and adjusting to life with two 19-year-olds, a 14-year-old, and a 10-year-old.  TIME FLIES!  Two in college, one in high school, and one in elementary school.  Full-time job, part-time jobs, driving carpool, all the things to make a home run...  We keep pretty busy!  So, here are a few updates on the Dream Weavers and what we're doing as Fall 2021 is in full swing.

BRITT: Britt started his job at Westwood Elementary school last December.  After navigating a Spring 2021 term with scattered attendance, remote learning, and lots of challenges and changes to navigate, he was happy to return to a more normal environment this Fall.  He works lunch and recess for Kindergarten, 2^nd grade, 4^th grade, and 5^th grade (lunch only).  He is very good at opening chips, drinks, yogurt, and any other pre-packaged food!  And he is a master of dad jokes – which particularly irks the kindergartners.  For the first 9 weeks of school, they had the playground segregated into different areas and only a certain number of kids could be in each area due to Covid protocols.  Just a couple weeks ago, they opened the playground back up and all the kids are playing together again!  At the end of the day, he works dismissal for all of the van rider students – the kids that go to daycares and other after-school care and activity facilities after school.  Between all those obligations he also completes “other duties as assigned.”  He keeps the office ladies giggling and truly embodies the sign at his desk, which reads “CHAOS COORDINATOR.”  Working part-time also gives him LOTS of time to drive junior high carpool, take kids to doctor’s appts and haircuts, and still keep our home running smoothly. He is going to be a hairband rocker for Halloween – going to confuse all his playground friends with a head full of black hair on the Friday of Halloween week!

BETSEY: I finished up my Master’s Degree, in a PANDEMIC!  So many twists and turns, obstacles, and opportunities to pivot.  It all culminated in an OUTDOOR, socially distanced commencement ceremony at Boone Pickens Stadium on the beautiful campus of Oklahoma State University.  Truly one of the crowning moments of my life.  In the three years it took me to complete my degree, I learned so much, met SO MANY people, and got to use my new skills hands-on in so many ways.  Just this month, I started a new position at OSU after a lengthy, and adventurous, post-grad job hunt.  I am so happy to be in my new position and to be able to impact students at OSU.  I truly bleed orange, and this is a dream come true.  I am sad to leave my Registrar friends, and I also had to rescind my membership on the Executive Committee of the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officials.  I will miss those folks, the evens we put on, and the fun we had.  My last duty with them was to present at the Fall 2021 Annual Conference, appropriately called “PIVOT!”  My presentation was called “OK Boomer!” and it covered the differences of the five generations we have on college campuses today and how to best meet the service level expectations of Gen Z on a college campus.  Seems appropriate that I started this new job just days after that presentation! I am going to be Wonder Woman for Halloween, since, well, the last 20 months have tested me…

EMMA: After a year at OSU, living in the dorms, as an Engineering major, IN A PANDEMIC, Emma has started a new educational path.  She is in her first year of courses at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas.  She is studying non-destructive weld testing.  She will graduate in 2 years with an Associate Degree in Technology.  She will work towards a Certified Weld Inspector certification after graduation and aspires to work in the oil field.  She had started working at Auto Zone in Stillwater while at OSU, transferred to the Ponca City store in the Summer while she lived there with her grandfather, and was able to join the Ark City team when she started at Cowley.  She works (too) hard and has earned herself a nice promotion and raise recently.  She’s great at what she does, and there are many customers who ask for her specifically.  She has also gotten to taste a little bit of the farm life as she befriended a local family who put her to work on the tractor a few times.  She lives in a “dorm” that is part of the campus; it’s a converted retirement home!  She has a single room, and she and her plants are really doing well in Kansas.  She is really thriving and maturing by being up there and more on her own.  I love it when she calls me about once a week with a “life update!” We like having her there because it’s not TOO far away, and we get to go see her and explore new towns and restaurants!

LARA: Lara has been perfecting her time management and organizational skills by managing life as a college sophomore, working 2 part-time jobs, and being an active member of her sorority.  At the end of this semester, she will be just a couple hours short of being a junior in the Spears College of Business at Oklahoma State University.  She is a double major and recently declared 2 minors as well.  She works 20-ish hours a week at the Stillwater history museum (the same job she had last year), and another few hours a week at a local church in their nursery and children’s ministry.  She worked at the museum all summer from a grant they received, and she was able to sort, catalog, and learn so much more about textiles and the curation process.  This semester, she lives in a brand-new palace with 150 of her sisters.  Alpha Delta Pi has made her a “BIG” sister this semester, and she is currently awaiting elections to occur as she is running for an executive board position.  This opportunity has really stretched her!  She is VERY grateful for a more “normal semester and being able t participate in more college activities like game days, homecoming preparations, coke dates, and sorority parties.  She is going to be red-headed big sister Candace from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb for Halloween.  Fits, she since has two annoying brothers and red hair…

JAKE: Jake is a Freshman (!!!), and he is measuring 6'6" tall these days.  But in our school system, 8^th and 9^th grade are paired in one school – the junior high.  He is taking several advanced classes and is playing school basketball.  He has a GREAT group of core friends.  They carpool together, play ball together, go to church youth group, high school Christian fellowship groups, and men’s bible study together, stay at each other’s houses, travel to football games together, and generally have a great time as a crew.  They have a lot of the same classes, even if not in the same hour, so they have a group chat for each subject for homework help and assignment reminders.  He loves his phone – since that’s where Snapchat lives, video games, and making sure he knows where his next meal is coming from.  His bedroom is currently decorated with LED color-changing lights, an American flag, a print of all the NBA logos, and a flag of McLovin’s fake Hawaiian ID (from the movie Superbad).  He also plays for a travel ball team which is a few Stillwater boys and some from surrounding communities called Relentless.  They are 9^th and 10^th graders, and they're super fun to watch.  If he is not on the hardwood, he is probably playing XBOX.  Rocket League, Fortnite, MLB The Show, and others I can’t remember the names of.  And he likes Clash of Clans on his iPhone. His favorite question (besides “what’s for dinner?”) is “When do I get my braces off?”  We’re close, but I am not sure when they will come off…  He is going to be Phineas of Phineas and Ferb cartoon fame with his friend Sam (who will be Ferb).

FINN: Baby Finn.  He just turned 10 a few weeks ago, so I guess he is not a baby anymore.  Fourth grade and he LOVES it.  He has the very best teacher!  She and Finn were made to be in a classroom together!  Finn has several good friends in his class, and he also has a few neighborhood buddies he plays with outside.  He LOVES his baby doxies, Ama & Jasper, and usually tolerates the Mutt, Evie, pretty well as well.  He likes reading books that have a comic book feel, all things MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) LEGO bricks, and video games.  He plays all kinds of games on his Nintendo Switch and his phone, and sometimes Big Brother will let him play XBOX when he is out of the house.  He is going to be some version of Spiderman for Halloween.  Since there’s like a dozen now, I can’t keep them all straight.  Finn misses his sisters being in the house, and he sure is excited when we get to see them every once in a while.  He is NOT, however, excited to watch all of Jake’s basketball games…  He spends some weekends with Nana and Grandpa (who spoil him) so he doesn’t have to go on trips to Oklahoma City.  He is set to have some orthodontic work starting soon to work on his severe underbite.  Hope to get that ball rolling before the new year.  He is sweet and kind and smart, and has a stubborn streak a mile long!  

And the dogs! 

Evie will be 3 next month.  She thinks she is a lap dog – loves to hug and cuddle, but 60 lbs of fluffy white fur DO NOT belong on my couch.  She loves tennis balls, mealtime, and catching snacks that are thrown to her.  

Ama turned 1 in April.  She is a tiny ball of long-hair love. I spend most of my time trying to get her ears back to “factory settings” as she loves to pinch them down and fold them back.  She gives lots of kisses, likes to be close to someone, and never tires of chasing her brother.  

Jasper just turned 1 this month.  He is my velvety baby who makes noise constantly!  He just learned to catch tennis balls in his mouth, eats his food like he’s never been fed before, and has 2 speeds – 0 and 100.  He sleeps like a rock, and barks at every single thing.  They just got their orange fall collars last week, and I am already looking for Christmas ones! We love having fur babies!