Trevor headed back to North Dakota

 

A Bittersweet Thursday: Family Goodbyes and a Big Work Goal

Well, today is going to be one of those bittersweet days. Trevor, Melissa, Kyndall, and Liam will be leaving around noon, and I have to admit, my heart is a little sad about it.

I really don’t feel like I got to spend as much time with them as I would have liked. Trevor even mentioned that he didn’t feel like he got enough time with me either, and I completely understand that feeling.

But as I told him, when I go to North Dakota to visit them, it is a little different. When I’m there, I pretty much have their undivided attention. Unless Trevor has to work, they don’t have anywhere else they need to be or a dozen other people they are trying to visit.

When they come to Oklahoma and Texas, though, there are so many friends and family members who want to see them. I completely understand that. Everyone wants a little piece of their time while they are here, and I certainly can’t blame anyone for that.

So instead of dwelling on the fact that the visit went by way too quickly, I’m choosing to be thankful for the time we did have together.

And I’m already thinking about a possible trip to North Dakota in October. If everything works out, I’d like to go for about four days. I don’t think I need to stay a really long time. What I really want is some good, uninterrupted, one-on-one family time. Sometimes those shorter visits can be pretty special.

I also can’t get over how much Kyndall has grown! That girl is getting so tall, and she is becoming so independent. And Liam—well, he is becoming quite the little independent guy himself.

The best part is seeing how happy and healthy these two babies are. You can tell they are loved, well-fed, well-cared-for, and yes…probably a little spoiled! And you know what? That’s exactly how grandchildren are supposed to be.

Kudos to Trevor and Melissa. They are doing a wonderful job raising those babies.

Now, About That Work Goal…

And then there is work.

Y’all know I have talked about how stressful work has been about a million times, so I’m sure nobody is surprised that I’m going to talk about it again today!

Yesterday, I saved 15 members.

Fifteen!

So this morning, my manager, Sherry, looked at me and said, “Hey Karen, today your goal is 20.”

I think I may have choked just a little bit.

Twenty?! 😂

But I told her, “Well, I’ll give it a whirl!”

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

The more saves I get, the better my paycheck can be—assuming those memberships stay on the books for the required two months. So I’m really trying to get my numbers up and put a little extra money in my pocket on payday.

With Christmas coming, every little bit helps!

I’m also going to work through my lunch today and stay an extra hour. I’m trying to make up some of the hours I missed Tuesday when I had to leave early, and staying later gives me another hour of opportunities to make those saves.

So today I’m going to buckle down, make those phone calls, and do my best to make every single member interaction count.

Twenty saves, Karen. Let’s see what you’ve got!

Taking Care of Mr. C

After work, I’ll probably pick up something for us to eat on the way home.

Mr. C told me this morning that he has a sore throat and isn’t feeling all that great. I don’t know if he’s coming down with a little summer cold, if he’s simply exhausted, or if his body is telling him to slow down.

Whatever it is, I don’t want him overdoing himself.

I’ve got enough on my plate worrying about everybody else. I certainly don’t need my husband wearing himself out, too!

Since I’m normally good about leaving work at 3:30, staying until 4:30 will feel like a long day. But I’m determined to make the most of it.

A Special Project From Trevor and Melissa

There is one more thing I’m really looking forward to working on.

Trevor and Melissa picked out a special book for me. It’s one of those “tell me your story, Mom” books where you fill in pages by answering different prompts about your life.

I absolutely love the idea.

My goal is to work on it a little at a time over the next several months. Maybe one or two pages every day. It may take me longer than I expect, but that’s okay.

I don’t want to rush through it.

There are so many memories, stories, experiences, lessons, and little pieces of my life that I want to put down on paper. Someday, my children may look through that book and learn things about their mom that they never knew.

And honestly, that makes me smile.

Making the Most of Today

So that’s my Thursday.

A little sadness because my family is leaving.

A little gratitude because I got to have them here.

A big work goal staring me in the face.

A husband who needs to take it easy.

And a special book waiting for me to fill its pages.

Life really does keep moving, doesn’t it?

Today I’m going to focus on what I can control. I’m going to make my phone calls, work hard, make every opportunity count, and see just how close I can get to that crazy goal of 20 saves.

And when I get home, I’m going to enjoy the quiet and probably miss those four crazy kids who have filled our house with so much life over the past several days.

Goodbyes are never easy.

But I’m thankful that I have people worth missing.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my blog. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Thursday.

Cheers,
Karen ❤️

Shawnee Oklahoma Trip

A Tuesday Girls’ Day in Shawnee 💕☕️

Today was Tuesday, August 25th, and what I thought was simply going to be a busy Tuesday turned into one of those days that I will probably remember for a long time.

I went to work this morning and worked from 7:00 a.m. until noon. Then I headed home because I needed to get ready to drive to Shawnee, Oklahoma, to see my lawyer and take care of some paperwork.

When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised to find Trevor, Melissa, Liam, Kyndall, Brody, Sophie, and Mr. C there. I visited with everyone for a little bit while I got myself ready to leave.

Then Trevor asked me, “Can Kyndall go with you?”

At first, I wasn’t sure. I thought, Hmmmm… I don’t know.

But then I thought, Why not?

And I’m so glad I said yes.

Because if Kyndall hadn’t gone with me, I’ll be completely honest—I probably would have stopped by the casino after my appointment. But instead, I got something so much more valuable: about four hours of one-on-one time with my granddaughter.

And really, isn’t that worth so much more than anything else?

I would love to see all of them again in October if finances allow me to make that trip, but today gave me a little glimpse of that special time I hope to have with them again.

Our Shawnee Adventure

We headed toward Shawnee, and somewhere along the way, Kendall announced that she was hungry. So, of course, we had to make a McDonald’s stop.

I got her a Hello Kitty meal, and then she started talking about wanting a “kids coffee.”

Now, let me just tell you—I had absolutely no idea what a kids coffee was!

So I texted her mom and asked, “What exactly is she wanting?”

Melissa explained that she usually just gets Kendall something from the coffee shop that happens to be on sale.

Well, that made a little more sense!

I had ordered myself a medium mocha frappe, and Kyndall looked at me and said, “I told you! That’s what I wanted was an iced coffee!”

Ohhhhhh! 😂

I told her I didn’t know, and then I asked McDonald’s for an extra cup. So there we were, two girls traveling down the road to Shawnee with our little mocha frappes.

And honestly, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

When we arrived in Shawnee, we got there early, so the first thing I did was drive straight to my lawyer’s office. Since this was my first time going there, I wanted to make sure I knew exactly where it was.

Once I knew where I needed to go, I had some time to fill, so I got on the internet and started looking for free, kid-friendly things to do in Shawnee.

That’s when I discovered the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center.

And let me tell you—what a wonderful little find!

The museum was beautiful, clean, and full of history. The workers were extremely friendly, and there was so much for Kyndall and me to look at and learn about.

If you know me, you already know that I absolutely LOVE museums of just about any kind. So finding a museum filled with so much history was right up my alley.

Kyndall and I took lots of pictures, explored the exhibits, and even picked up two children’s pamphlets written in the Potawatomi language. I thought that was especially neat because it gave us a little more insight into the language and culture.

And, of course, we couldn’t leave without visiting the gift shop!

You know me… I’m going to find the stickers. 😂

Kyndall and I each picked out stickers, I bought a magnet, and I let her choose a little puzzle she could put together. The prices were very reasonable, and we were both really happy with our little treasures.

After we finished exploring, it was time to head back home.

We stopped for gas before leaving Shawnee, and then we made our way toward Chickasha because I had ordered chicken-fried steak dinners from Interurban. I knew I could stop by and pick them up on our way home.

But honestly, the food wasn’t even the highlight of the day.

The highlight was Kyndall.

It was the talking.

It was the laughing.

It was sharing a mocha frappe.

It was exploring a museum together.

It was sitting in the car and just having time to visit.

It was those few hours where I didn’t have to worry about anything else. I could simply enjoy being Nana and spending time with my granddaughter.

On the way home, Kyndall declared that we had a great girls’ day.

And you know what?

I have to agree with her.

We explored a museum, drank our iced coffees, talked about all kinds of things, laughed, and just enjoyed being together.

Sometimes the best days aren’t the ones you plan.

Sometimes they’re the ones that happen because someone asks, “Can I go with you?”

And I’m so thankful that today, I said, “Yes.” ❤️

Thanks for checking out my blog. Leave a comment down below, and have a blessed day!

Karen

Sunday errands

A Peaceful Sunday, a Little Shopping, and a Whole Lot of Family ❤️

There is just something about a peaceful Sunday morning at home. Maybe it’s the slower pace, the coffee in your favorite cup, or simply knowing that family is coming home later that day. Whatever it was, this Sunday started out feeling pretty darn good.

Mr. C and I got up and decided to knock out a few of the easy household chores before Trevor, Melissa, Kyndall, and Liam made it back to the house around 7:30 that evening.

We worked together and got the house freshened up. I wiped down the kitchen counters, emptied the trash, and took care of the laundry and laundry room. Mr. C cleaned the bathroom really well, swept and mopped, emptied the bathroom trash, and wiped everything down. We also straightened up the living room. It really didn’t need much—just a little dusting and a quick vacuum.

Once we had the chores out of the way, we headed out to run a few errands. We stopped by the ATM, filled up my Jeep with gas, and then made the most important stop of the morning… Sonic for breakfast!

Lately, I have really been enjoying their Supersonic Burrito. It has eggs, sausage, cheese, tomatoes, and jalapeños, and it is filling enough to keep me going for quite a while. Of course, I also had to get myself a peach mango slush. Because breakfast without a little something sweet just doesn’t seem right to me. 😂

After breakfast, I knew I needed to make a little trip to Duncan. I wanted to stop by Dollar Tree for a few more energy drinks. They carry the Bang energy drinks for $1.25, and I have really been enjoying the Strawberry Kiss flavor. For $1.25, I don’t mind grabbing a few when I’m there.

Then it was off to Hibbert Sports because I had another important mission.

I needed to find Lane a pair of football cleats.

I told the young man working there that I needed a size 13C, preferably solid black, although black and white would work too. He brought out two different pairs—one Reebok and one Nike.

Well, you probably already know where this story is going.

I chose the Nike pair.

They were mostly black with the little Nike logo in silver, and I just liked the look of them better. When the young man rang them up, I was expecting to pay around the $65 I had seen online.

Imagine my surprise when my total came to only $38!

Now THAT was a win!

I couldn’t believe it. Grandpa and Nana Karen are buying Lane’s football cleats, so saving that much money made me very happy. And now I can’t wait to see him out there wearing those cleats and playing football.

As a matter of fact, I believe his next three games are going to be right here in Rush Springs—less than two miles from our house!

You better believe Nana and Grandpa will be sitting in those stands cheering him on. ❤️

After we got back home, we realized we needed a few more things for dinner because Trevor and his family would be arriving that evening. We decided to make a Mexican casserole so everyone would have something good and easy to eat when they got here.

Luther ran me up to our local grocery store, Delbert’s, and I picked up the few things we needed for the casserole, along with some snacks and other odds and ends for the house.

When we got home, we started putting everything together.

And this is where our little “romantic cooking class” came into play.

I jokingly told Luther, “Hey, I signed us up for a romantic cooking class!”

His immediate response?

“Nope, you did not.”

😂😂😂

I told him that I thought it might be something fun and new for us to do together. Of course, I already knew he wasn’t going to be signing up for any romantic cooking classes anytime soon, but I had to tease him.

Then I told him, “Well, actually, I feel like we’re having our own little cooking class right here at home.”

And honestly, we kind of were.

We were working together, figuring out the casserole, preparing everything for the family, and just doing what we have done together for so many years—making a life together.

Luther and I are definitely different in a lot of ways.

He is much more comfortable staying in his own little comfort zone. He’s not a big crowd person and isn’t particularly social. I, on the other hand, am usually the one wanting to try something new, go somewhere, meet people, or push myself outside of that comfortable little bubble.

Somehow, though, those differences have worked for us all these years.

Maybe that’s part of what makes a marriage work. You don’t have to be exactly alike. Sometimes you just need to love each other, respect each other’s differences, laugh together, and meet somewhere in the middle.

And when I look at my life, I am incredibly thankful that Luther is by my side.

He really is everything to me.

Around 7:30 that evening, Trevor, Melissa, Kyndall, and Liam finally pulled into the driveway.

And just like that, the house felt a little fuller.

We visited for a good while, the kids got their baths and got ready for bed, everyone got fed, and there was just that wonderful feeling of having family home.

Eventually, I headed off to bed around 9:15.

Of course, my body apparently didn’t get the memo that it was bedtime because it seemed to take forever for me to actually fall asleep. 😂

But even lying there awake, my heart felt peaceful.

There is something comforting about knowing your son is home safe.

I know Trevor, Melissa, Kyndall, and Liam have truly made North Dakota their home, and I’m grateful that they have a place they love and a life they are building there. But there is still something special about knowing they are home with us, even if it’s only for a visit.

Sunday wasn’t extravagant.

We didn’t do anything earth-shattering.

We cleaned the house, ran errands, found a great deal on football cleats, went grocery shopping, made a casserole, joked about taking a cooking class, and welcomed our family home.

But sometimes those are the days that mean the most.

The ordinary days.

The family days.

The days filled with little moments that you don’t realize are precious until you stop and really appreciate them.

I’m thankful for my husband.

I’m thankful for my children and grandchildren.

I’m thankful for a home that can be filled with laughter, noise, dirty dishes, football cleats, and little ones getting ready for bed.

And most of all, I’m thankful for the blessing of being Nana Karen.

I wouldn’t trade these ordinary, beautiful family moments for anything in the world. ❤️

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. I would love to see where you’re reading from.

#SundayStories #FamilyTime #NanaKaren