You heard the crickets?

I know I did...

Obsessing over... the chinese take out we will be having tonight!  {side story} When I was little we used to live within five miles of the best chinese ever.  Since we've moved (ten years ago) we have yet to find anything remotely as good.
  

Working on... catching as much sun I can today.  {side story} This past weekend we got 3 inches of snow and today it's in the mind 50s!!  I was one happy girl walking out of class today, I actually enjoyed my walk to the car.

Thinking about... how important friends are. {side story} Today I got a sweet text from an amazing friend, and saw another friend on campus who I haven't seen for two years.  I'm reminded yet again how important the little things are when it comes to friendship.

Anticipating... summer adventures!  {side story}I offered my summer up to God, willing to do whatever He wanted.  I thought God was calling me to a mission trip in Uganda..  But not this year, instead He's got something bigger and better in store.

Listening to I've found quite a few new songs I'm loving thanks to Pandora.  Best place ever, trust me.

Eating, I had a peanut butter sandwich with honey for lunch I'm broke and don't have any money. {side story}  Ever since I can remember I have hated pb & j with a vengeance, and within the past two weeks I've had a peanut butter sandwich four times!!  Still not my favorite lunch choice, but it's better then dishing out five bucks for a greasy something.

Wishing, the warm weather would stay around and spring would come!

Here's proof that I'm not lying, January, in Michigan and 55 degrees... an abnormality for sure.

Inspiration from The Paper Mama

better me update

---

Remember this past October, when I publicly committed to working out?  I made it blog knowledge and signed up for a 5k just to keep myself from not backing down.  Guess what???  I didn't back down, I've stuck with it!!

You know how it goes, you think, man I'm not liking the image in the mirror I've got to change that.  Next day you're working out like no tomorrow, a few weeks later you forget the whole working out thing even happened.  I've been there many times before, but not this time I've actually stuck with it, 471 miles to be exact!  Yeah it feels good.  

There hasn't been a major scale change, but there have been other changes.  My jeans fit better, a few weeks ago I slipped into some older pants and they fit, they were short, that's how long I haven't been able to wear them!  AND my belt has gone in two notches, not gonna lie I was happy dancing.

Even if I wasn't seeing the little changes, I would still keep working out.  There is just something about sweating and working hard that makes the day better.  I've noticed if I don't bike in the morning the rest of the day I'm in a fog.  But when I do bike I've got an extra spring in my step the whole day.

  

Dinner and a Movie?

Why yes please!  

Who wouldn't pass up an opportunity to dress up?!

Project 31: Masterpiece

----- encourage another beautiful woman -----

Please don't cover up the masterpiece God created.

YOU

There is no one like you,

don't be afraid to showcase what God created.

He did one heck of a job!

-----

holiday socks and comfy sweats

 
   Finished my first week of the winter semester!  I'm already ahead of some of my homework assigned (yeaah!)  I strangely like being on campus four times a week, I actually see people!  In one day alone I saw not just one but five people I knew, talk about an answer to prayer and campus size shrinking!

   I think all the stress of new classes and first week craziness has knocked the wind out of my sails.  All I want to do is curl up with some Ben and Jerry's and watch a good chick flick.  Realistically, I don't want to wake up tomorrow with a growing waste line, so instead I'm munching on some m&ms in my comfy sweats and holiday socks!

Project 31: Seek to Find

----- jaded beauty, has the world's definition of beauty ever jaded you? -----

Beauty by the world's standards is aquatinted with outward appearance.  There is a constant pressure to look your best, to the extent of losing yourself, becoming artificial, achieving artificially beautiful.

If everyone is striving for this 'beauty' is it real beauty?

We cover ourselves in paint hoping to find beauty, what we need to do is start unpeeling all the layers of artificial to find the true beauty.

Although culture tells us beauty is all about looks, it's not.  Beauty is sun kissed checks.  Eyes dancing with happiness.  Laughing so hard, you start crying.  Beauty is unique imperfection.  Beauty is authentic.  Everyone doesn't posses the same type of beauty, but still beauty none the less. 

-----

Project 31: Alive

----- thank someone who made your heart come alive -----

My sisters make me come alive, these girls know me better then anyone.  They are able to bring a smile to my face when no one else can, and vis versa.

Whenever our parents leave we have our special little thing, the music gets cranked up nice and loud and as Fairygirl likes to say, "let's spaze out guys!"  Oh yes, we know how to throw a good old dance party!  

When I  was visiting my dream University, the hardest thing for me to handle was the thought of my sisters not being there, not there to talk about what happened in class or giggle about a cute boy Soccegirl encountered.  I take so many of these things for granted, sometimes Soccergirl and I will talk all night and into the wee hours of the morning, talking about everything from boys to future hopes and dreams.  I wouldn't give that up for anything in the world.

These girls give me an extra spring in my step when no one else can! 

The Zoo in January? What?!

We have been receiving some unseasonably warm weather this winter.  We decided to take advantage of warmth and headed to the zoo!

We saw Tigers,

a massive gorilla,

and lions!  

Have I ever mentioned that I saw wild lions while on a safari in Kenya?!  Pretty cool.

Seeing lions always brings back African memories.

Sweet sister moment between Soccergirl and Fairygirl, love those girls.

Normally this dead flower stalks would be covered in snow, think I like this instead.

Check out this guy's awesome Adventure Time hat, that's what I'm talking about!

A one of a kind Saturday in January for sure.

Project 31: Style

----- post a picture of you in your favorite outfit -----

jeans: levi, shirt: old navy, floppy hat: forever 21, shoes: Toms
Are these picture ever not awkward?!

Ever have that frantic moment where you have to leave in five minutes and you haphazardly through together an outfit not really looking at what you're putting on, only realizing later you really like the combination?  Well that's how this outfit was born, love the hipster element thrown in.

My trusty Toms

I bought my first pair of Toms in October, I don't think I've got a day without wearing them.  Love them!

a collections of some of my many necklaces

love these 'leafy' earrings.  Forever 21 people!

Shout out to the Little Sis for being behind the camera!

Remember when?

Some of you may remember last year when I joined Project 31which Mandy over at She Breathes Deeply created. Well I sort of got derailed, but I've decided to pick it back up again. I've even got some posts already written (yeah me!)  Here's to finishing something no matter how long it takes :)

You can read all my past Project 31 posts here!

Oh Little Man,

  You hold a special place in my heart.  Your mischievous toothy little grin, the way you nestle your head in my legs when you want up, your slobbery big kisses given in pure love.

   The time is coming when those little smiles, and slobbery kisses will be no more.  So I hug you longer, love you harder, kiss you often and pray diligently for you.

  You are loved, make no mistake about that.

Kisses from Katie book review

"We aren't really called to save the world, nor even to save one person, Jesus does that.  We are just called to love with abandon.  We are called to enter into our neighbor's suffering and love them right there." -- Kisses from Katie

   When Kisses from Katie came out this fall I was beyond excited, I was elated, I wanted nothing more then to get my hands on that book!  But being a college student, and a poor one at that, I knew I probably wouldn't get my hands on a copy till Christmas, and I was right!

   I finished this book within 24 hours, I loved it.  I was glued to the book, I cried and laughed all within the first few pages.  It's easy to place people on pedestals, but Katie makes it perfectly clear.  She's not any different then us, she has just responded to God's Word.

   Her love for Christ is inspiring, she left everything and traveled to a country where she only knew one person.  A year long commitment turned into a lifetime adventure.  She carries courage that I can only dream about.

   

   I knew before I started reading that this book was going to make me want to drop everything and move to Africa.  I was right...  Don't really know when it will happen, but God has been laying Africa on my heart again and again recently that I know it will happen all in His perfect timing.  I'm really excited at the hope of traveling to Uganda and being in Africa again, but all the current unknowns are a little intimidating right now I'm just trying to respond in faith.

Tuesday Tunes: Responding in Faith

This song is my prayer for year, a dangerous pray but also exciting to see where it will lead.  Stepping out in faith.



Yes, it's within the last hour of Tuesday... but it still counts :)