New Phone System

 

Mid-Week Ramblings | Pizza Parties, Phone System Chaos & Just Getting Through the Week

Today is Wednesday, June 3rd, and honestly, this week has flown by pretty fast — thankfully. We’ve had a lot on our plate lately, so there hasn’t really been much time to slow down.

First and foremost, we’re getting everything ready for Brody’s birthday celebration Thursday evening around 6 p.m. I did a grocery pickup after work yesterday and got most of what we’ll need. We decided on a pizza party this year, which honestly feels easy and fun for everyone involved.

We already have our order figured out: six different three-topping pizzas, boneless wings, and breadsticks. Elizabeth is bringing salad, cake, and maybe cupcakes too, so there should definitely be plenty of food for everybody. I’m really looking forward to it.

Now let’s talk about work for a minute.

Y’all know I mention work stress fairly often, but yesterday was a whole different level. Two weeks ago, they gave us less than a 30-minute training class on a brand-new phone system, and yesterday morning they basically just threw us into it and said, “Good luck.”

I was LOST.

At one point, I texted Mr. C and told him this whole thing was some kind of BS and I wanted to come home. Thankfully, my boss Sherry kept reassuring me that we’d figure it out together, and eventually we did start learning as we went along.

But here’s my salty moment of the day…

Why do companies always release systems before they’re fully functional? Why are we the ones expected to work out all the bugs while still trying to do our actual jobs?

We couldn’t tell when calls were coming in. Emails weren’t working properly. I couldn’t star important transfer numbers. I couldn’t transfer members to supervisors correctly. It was one thing after another.

And every answer was:
“We’re working on getting the bugs fixed.”

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fix them before rollout?

Still, I made it through the day. And honestly, I had to keep reminding myself that if I ever left this job and started somewhere new, I’d still have to learn another system there too. Whether it’s a doctor’s office, a school cafeteria, a convenience store, or anything else — learning new things is part of life.

So I took a breath, asked questions, kept trying, and survived the day.

Another adjustment this week is that because our department didn’t perform well last month, we’ve temporarily lost our “desk activities.” Normally during downtime I might journal, color, or work on small Lego sets at my desk. Starting Monday, all of that stopped.

I’ll be honest though… giving work my full attention for two straight eight-hour days hasn’t been a bad thing. Different? Absolutely. But manageable.

Sometimes you just have to play the game smart, do your job well, and make your money.

That’s life sometimes.

Tonight after work, I’m planning to grab Sonic for supper, pick up a couple bags of ice for the party, and then come home and clean up around my end table and kitchen counters. Most of the birthday party will be outside, but people still come inside to use the bathroom or wander through the kitchen, so I want things looking decent.

And Friday night, we get to wrap up the week by going to Lane’s ballgame at 7 p.m.

So despite the stress, the bugs, the chaos, and the long days… it’s shaping up to be a pretty good week after all.

Happy Tuesday

Good morning, friends. Happy Tuesday! Today is June 2nd, 2026, and this morning I woke up feeling very motivated to start tackling some of the things that I have been putting off for way too long. You know those little projects that stay in the back of your mind for months? Well… today is the day to finally start checking some of them off my list.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything at once, I decided to break things down into smaller goals and focus on one thing at a time.

Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish this week:

• Closet clean-out and donation pile
I have officially started going through closets, shoes, purses, and all the extra “stuff” that I keep hanging onto for no reason. Clothes that are too big, too small, too worn out, or things I simply never wear anymore are all going into a donation pile. Honestly, I have shoes I haven’t touched in years, so why am I still keeping them? It feels like the perfect time to let go of excess clutter and simplify things a little.

• Decluttering my devices and storage
My iPad has been begging for storage space because it refuses to update until I clean things out. So that’s another big project on my list this week. I’m going through photos, apps, downloads, and files on both my iPad and phone to free up some room and get everything updated properly again. It’s definitely time-consuming, but it needs to be done. I’m also planning to start ordering printed photos again instead of keeping thousands of pictures stored on my devices. I miss having actual printed memories to look through.

• Finishing Moira’s  journal
Mora’s journal arrived yesterday, and she included the sweetest little packages of pens and goodies inside. Now I need to focus on finishing my part of the journal and gathering a few fun things to send back with it. I’m also going to message her and ask if she would mind giving me about two weeks to finish everything up and get it mailed back to her. I really want to take my time and make it special.

• Planning Brody’s birthday party
Thursday, June 4th, we’ll be celebrating Brody’s birthday here at the house with around 20 family members and friends. We’re keeping things simple and fun with a pizza party — six pizzas, breadsticks, drinks, and all the paper goods. Elizabeth is bringing the cake, a big salad, and possibly cupcakes for the little kids.

One thing I’m really excited about is setting up the karaoke machine outside along with cornhole. I’ve had that karaoke machine for a couple of years now, and we’ve honestly never used it. So I figured… why not? Even if nobody sings much, it’ll still add a fun vibe to the party.

Brody is going to be VERY surprised by his main gift this year because several of us all chipped in together to buy him a large gun safe that holds around 36 guns. He is going to absolutely love it. I’m also putting together a small gift bag with Monster drinks and some of his favorite candy so he’ll still have a few things to open at the party. I think Elizabeth and Savannah also picked up a few smaller gifts for him too, so he’ll definitely have some surprises waiting.

Overall, this week is shaping up to be a busy but productive one, and honestly, I’m looking forward to it. Sometimes it feels really good to reset, declutter, and focus on getting life a little more organized.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. I’d love to know where you’re reading from, so leave me a comment below and say hello!

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and blessed day ahead.

Hello June

 

June 1st, 2026 — A New Chapter Begins

Today is June 1st, 2026, and somehow we are already standing at the halfway point of the year. It honestly feels impossible that six months of 2026 have already come and gone. Some days seemed to fly by in a blur, while others felt long and heavy, but here we are beginning a brand-new month and stepping into the second half of the year.

First of all, I want to wish everyone a blessed, peaceful, and fulfilling day ahead. I hope this second half of 2026 brings happiness, better health, success, laughter, comfort, answered prayers, and many wonderful moments with the people you love most.

Do you happen to have anything special planned for June? Big vacation? Summer projects? Family gatherings? Fresh goals? I honestly do not have any huge plans myself, and maybe that is okay. Sometimes the quieter seasons end up being the ones that matter the most.

Personally, I am really going to focus on spending more intentional time with Mr. C, my family, my friends, and especially my grandbabies. Life moves so quickly, and I have realized lately that I do not want to always be rushing from one thing to another without fully soaking in the moments right in front of me. I want to make memories instead of just making to-do lists. I want more front porch conversations, more laughter, more little road trips, more hugs, and more moments where I put the phone down and truly enjoy the people around me.

One thing about June 1st that always gets me thinking is how I tend to look at my life in seasons or chapters, almost like a book being written one page at a time. Today feels like opening the very first page of Chapter Six in the book of 2026.

Five chapters have already been written.

Some pages have made us smile.
Some pages have made us stronger.
Some pages have tested us.
Some pages may have even changed us forever.

There were probably moments we wish we could relive again and moments we are grateful to leave behind. But that is the thing about life — every chapter teaches us something, even the difficult ones.

And now today gives us a blank page.

A fresh start.
Another chance.
Another opportunity to notice the beauty instead of rushing right past it.

As I move into this next chapter, I really want to work on carrying more gratitude, more wonder, more kindness, more joy, and honestly… more positivity. I have noticed as I have gotten older that sometimes I have become a little more grumpy and negative than I used to be. Maybe life and stress and responsibilities can slowly sneak that into our hearts if we are not careful. But I do not want to stay there.

So this month, I am going to intentionally work on shifting my mindset. I want to become softer instead of harder. More optimistic instead of expecting the worst. More thankful for the little things instead of focusing on what is missing. I want to laugh more, complain less, and truly appreciate the people and moments that make life meaningful.

Summer is here.
The days are longer.
The sunsets are prettier.
And maybe this chapter still has some beautiful surprises waiting for all of us.

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending a little part of your day here with me. I truly appreciate every single one of you who takes the time to read my ramblings, reflections, stories, and little pieces of everyday life.

Now I would love to hear from you:
What are your goals, hopes, or thoughts for June 2026?

Let’s step into this new chapter together and see where the pages take us.

Have a marvelous day, friends.

Food Compilation for May 2026

Great American food.  Hot dogs and hamburgers and cheese dip and chips! Was a great Senior Celebration for Maisey.

Candice had decorated the house so cute 

Don't ask how many energy drinks I drink each month! Some days I may need two to make it thru the work day. This monster drink mixes well with a peach mango slush from Sonic. 

 

Tulsa Bound

 

Tulsa, Oklahoma Bound

This weekend was finally our Tulsa birthday adventure, and let me tell you, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. Me and Cherrie loaded up and headed out bright and early Saturday morning. She made it to my house around 7:30 a.m., and before long we were officially Tulsa, Oklahoma bound. The drive takes several hours from my house, but honestly, the excitement made the trip fly by.

Our first stop was the Tulsa Farmers Market, and I absolutely loved it. There were so many vendors set up with fresh produce, beautiful flowers, handmade soaps, lotions, and all kinds of goodies. They even had a live musician playing while everyone walked around shopping, and it just created such a fun atmosphere. I was actually surprised by how many people were there. It felt lively and cheerful and was such a great way to kick off the trip.

After the farmers market, we headed over to The Outsiders House Museum. I have to say, it was a really cute setup. The gift shop alone was huge and packed with all kinds of merchandise and memorabilia. Walking through everything honestly made me want to sit down and watch The Outsiders all over again. It brought back so many memories.

Next, we made our way to the Fire Department Museum. They were serving hot dogs, hamburgers, and root beer floats, plus admission was free for the event. I’ll be honest though — I was a little underwhelmed with the museum itself. I think I expected there to be more exhibits than there actually were. But even so, I’m still glad we went. I got to take a few pictures and officially mark it off my list.

We did also get to see some of the Vintage cars that was in the Route 66 car parade. Celebrating the centennial celebration of Route 66. 

From there, we drove over to Jenks where they were hosting a food truck festival. That place was packed with people, live music, and food trucks everywhere. It was definitely one of those fun community events where you can just walk around, people-watch, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Of course, no girls trip is complete without a little shopping. We stopped at Ross where I picked up a charger, and then headed over to Ollie’s. I found a book about U.S. state parks for only $3.99 that I originally planned to decompose for pictures and journaling. But now I’m debating if I can actually cut it up because there’s so much good information in it. That’s always the struggle with creative projects, isn’t it?

Later in the day, we headed downtown to visit the Center of the Universe. I’m glad we stopped there, but they’re currently redoing and revamping parts of it, so it’s kind of in transition right now. Also, let me just say — they tell you when you stand in the middle and talk, nobody outside the circle can hear you. Not true. Not true at all. But hey, we still had fun and got another thing checked off our Tulsa bucket list.

By this point, we were exhausted. We had walked so many steps, seen so much, and taken tons of pictures. But we still had one more stop to make before calling it a night.

We headed over to the Blue Whale in Catoosa for their big celebration weekend. There were vendors, food trucks, live bands, and lots of people enjoying the festivities. We walked down to the Blue Whale itself and checked out the brand-new gift shop since it was opening weekend. It really was a huge celebration and such a fun Route 66 stop.

Finally, we made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to check into our room. To top off the night, we went to see Neil McCoy in concert, and he absolutely put on a fantastic show. It was the perfect ending to a very full and very fun day.

Overall, this trip was exactly what I hoped it would be. Lots of laughter, lots of memories, lots of walking, and lots of fun celebrating birthdays with my best friend. We made it back to the hotel around midnight, which honestly wasn’t too shabby considering everything we packed into one day.