Happy Birthday, Cathy!!!

I thought you should know that I'm currently crying after reading your most recent blog post...I thought it was fitting to write this while I'm in this state.

Cathy, I am so thankful for you! We are jerks to each other in the way only sisters can be. But we also hurt for each other and fight for each other and celebrate for each other. I am seriously so proud of you. I admire your bravery, your boldness, your passion, and your determination. You are such an example to me of working hard and sticking it out through sucky times to get where you want to be. You show me how to do what I love and suck the marrow out of life, as Kelle Hampton would say. I am amazed at and so grateful for how our relationship has grown. Can you believe it was 5 years ago that I visited you in Massachusetts and went to Spain with you? I can't decide if that sounds like too long ago or not long enough. I'm still grateful to you for listening to me and loving me and understanding me when I was in Spokane. You love me so well. I need to stop because I'm a frickin mess right now but I love you SOOOOOO MUCH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Paperman

You guys! Ok, I realize I am so overloading this blog with videos this week. And I know the feeling of someone sharing a video that I don't feel like I have any time to watch. Like, 6 WHOLE MINUTES?? WHO HAS THAT KIND OF TIME??? I get it. But watch this if you feel like it. I think it is wonderful and sweet and lovely. Darling, really.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aTLySbGoMX0

#choosefun

Why is this kid so cool? This video is a collaboration of two things that I love...Kid President and Krochet Kids (I wanna work for them one day). While you're on the website, check out their mission and their sweet products!!
http://www.krochetkids.org/2012/choosefun-says-kid-president/

A few things that have made this week sweet...

1. I went to a spinning class and the instructor played two Justin Bieber songs, including this one that I had never heard before:

2. Two of my roommates and I did clay masks together last night. Also a couple of my roommates have been making crockpot dinners and they share with me!!!
3. Cathy posted the most precious video on her blog and I love love love it:  http://www.littlelifeadventures.com/2013/01/well-this-is-just-about-cutest-thing.html

Love

I love when people speak truth about the people that they love. This video makes me smile (and cry).

2% of Hope

"Let hope be an option." The context of this quote is really irrelevant to this blog but I think it is so beautiful. It is something that resonates with me and something that I like to think I try to do. Where is this applicable in your life? Let hope be an option.

This weekend was one of deep community and I felt reassured and reminded of the Lord's faithfulness. I felt full of hope. I felt encouraged in my faith and supported in my life.
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Tonight I went to Waffle House with my Wyldlife team (including 2 new members!!!) as is our tradition. We met a man who said he lived over at the Motel 6. He was a tall and skinny black man and was dressed in a suit (in Waffle House, mind you). On his way out he asked us if we knew who the rapper Nelly was. We said yes. "I was his drummer," he said. We said a few things aloud ("Wow!" "No way!" "That's awesome!"), but were all thinking another ("Right, Nelly's drummer is living at the Motel 6 next to Waffle House in Fort Collins, Colorado.")

I was telling a friend this story because I think it's super funny and I said something like, "I mean, I'm 98% sure it's false. But cool!" He said that he was 100% positive it was false, but I told him that I have to have that 2% of hope because it makes me feel good.

I think that 2% of hope that makes me feel good is why I do a lot of things that I do. It's why I wrote a letter to Tim Tebow to tell him how much we had in common and that I was available for marriage. It's why my friends and I called KissFM 126 times to try to win Justin Bieber tickets. It's why I give myself permission to make Pinterest boards full of all of my wedding and travel dreams. It must be why I go to the middle school and try to talk to kids that don't know me and that think I'm some weird high school girl that wanders around the lunchroom on Wednesdays. And I think it's good. It is important to let hope be an option. Important for the human spirit and for my soul. Important for the way I live my life. Important for the way I love other people. I pray that I always allow myself to let hope be an option, even if it seems as small as 2% and even if it feels smaller than 2%. Let hope be an option.
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This feels somehow a little bit related so I'm sticking it in this same blog post. I'm seriously obsessed. "We can cry about it or we can dance about it."

The 50 Cutest Things That Ever Happened

I couldn't resist posting this. It's long but there are some great ones! One of my fav's is the little girl striking a pose (#41). Also the little kids planning their escapes with their pets. Too cute.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/the-cutest-things-that-ever-happened

N3lla's Triple Crown Fund

Even though I don't actually know Kelle Hampton or her daughter Nella or the rest of their family, I feel like I do and I love them (I even have dreams that I'm hanging out with them...weird. and creepy, but it's fine). If you read my blog at all, you've probably seen links to Kelle's blog because I think she's awesome and she writes a lot of great things and posts beautiful pictures. Nella's 3rd birthday was on Tuesday and they've set up a place to donate to the National Down Syndrome Society in honor of Nella and her special day. 
Watch this sweet video:
http://www.kellehampton.com/2013/01/n3llas-triple-crown-video.html
Then make a donation here if you're able:
http://ndssyourway.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1009923&supid=375087798

10 life-giving things from the recent past

If I were to summarize my winter break, besides the fact that is was 6 WEEKS LONG (!!!), I would say that it was very life-giving. Which is just about the best thing anything could ever be. So here are 10 things that gave me life over the last month and a half.
1. Best friends. The 6 of us celebrated our annual Best Friend Christmas Party at a cabin in Estes and everything about it was perfect (even the pushing-the-car-in-the-snow[-twice] part).

2. Denver New Year's Eve. We made SUSHI. Cathy and I were dying to try it and some naysayers thought it would turn out poorly. But it was delicious!

 

3. Justin Bieber-loving, radio-calling best friends. We tried to win JB tickets from Kiss-FM with no luck. But it was super fun and between the 4 of us we called 126 times (or something like that). 

4. Birthday-celebrating best friends. Since we won't all be together on our birthdays, Abby, Amanda, and I bought Butter Cream cupcakes and celebrated together before Abby left for school. I'm telling you, I have the most fun friends ever. 

 

5. Sister Time. Olivia spent the night at my new house and we made pasta, hot tubbed, watched chick flicks, and ate Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I love her!

6. New Roommates. The four girls I live with are wonderful! All so nice and welcoming. And they put pretty things on our kitchen table.

7. Visits with lovely Greeley friends. Olivia and I met Katie and Andrea for lunch in Loveland last weekend and it was the best! They are fun and silly and they mean so much to me. 

8. Puzzling sibling time. Olivia and I headed to Denver to hang out with Matthew and Alex. The 3 of us girls went on a run together, which was very fun (training for another half marathon...ahh!). We also ate great food, watched Looper, and put together some very challenging but very beautiful and fun puzzles! Alex and I rock at doing puzzles.

9. Letter-writing and decorating. I love snail-mail. I love writing letters, love receiving letters, and love pretty stationary. Alex made me some cards for Christmas and I'm putting them to good use along with some other pretty cards that have been gifts. I also put up the canvases that I made over Christmas break to add some beauty to my new room.  

 

10. My Wyldlife team. These guys are the best. I've gotten to spend some time with each of them over the last week and a half and I am so thankful for them!