"What I saw as a character flaw, God saw as potential"

We practiced (well, I practiced taking the pictures, and Loren practiced posing for the pictures) for her Senior Pictures :) Jenna Mae thought she would look good in the yearbook too :)

P.S. I love my families chins. Pointy, cute, defined little chins are a trademark. Welp, those cute little chins sure skipped me ;) hellloooo round face ;)

Drew and I were hanging out and he was telling me about how he was gonna get me flowers when he was at the store after work. I look around, don't see any, so I ask, welllll did ya?

He proceeds to tell me that no he didn't actually get them, but he was going to.

Okay. So naturally, I say. Why Not? Which may sound shallow but if you tell someone you were going to do something but then you didn't? I think "why not" is a valid question. :)

He then tells me that,

"Ya know how at Haggen's the flowers are right near the checkstand, so you just get your groceries, pick out the flowers and check out? You don't have to carry the flowers all around the store.

Well, I was at Fred Meyers, which is set up completely opposite. The flowers are outside the store, so you have to grab them, go through the whole store and THEN go to the checkout. So you understand, right? If I was at Haggen I totally would have gotten you flowers :)"

And these groceries he was "toting" all over the grocery store? A six-pack and a frozen pizza :)

So thankful for a honest boyfriend :)

and it's the thought that counts, right? :) Right? Just like how I was going to get you that FIFA12 video game for your PlayStation... but then I didn't :)

Get this, friends. A law is soon to be passed making Mexico City the first place where you can get a marriage license that is only good for TWO YEARS.

Yup. You decide to get married and you sign a marriage license, just like normal. Only difference? In two years, you have the choose to shake hands, and walk away. No fees to pay, nothing to split, no paying to change back your last name. This type of marriage license allows the marriage to be annulled with no penalty after the two years. The contract simply ends.

You decide you want to be married to that person for life? You just sign another form, extending the marriage license for life.

What made officials chose two years? "Two years is the minimum amount of time it takes to know and appreciate what life is like as a couple, "Lizbeth Rosas, another supporter of the legislature told a Spanish news station.

Hmm... So do you know what is SO sad? From a logistical, common-sense standpoint, this probably makes a whole lot of sense. Save people the pricey lawyers, the court fees, the changing of the name back to her maiden name and talk about the title of being a "divorcee". This two year marriage probably will save a lot of nasty divorces and just having to jump through all sorts of legal hoops.

I NEVER thought I would live in a time where something like this was actually real. I just get so sad sometimes when I think about how in some ways, the world we are living in is just going farther and farther away from the world that He wanted for us.

Like really, half of all marriages end in divorce. We are allowed to spend THOUSANDS of dollars that we DO NOT have just because we have a piece of plastic with our name on it. I can literally text my mom while I'm in the living room and she is in the kitchen asking her to bring me my ipad so I can see if it is true that Hailey and so and so broke up by stalking her Facebook profile relationship status. Now, I am NOT saying that divorces and using credit cards are 'bad' or "ungodly." All I am saying, is how I am kind of mad at myself for seriously thinking for a minute that a two year marriage license is a good idea.

In a worldy way, yes, it may be. But to Him? Different story.

The material world we live in is just soooo easy to get caught up in, and it is sooo different than the world God is promising us.

I am soo guilty of getting caught up in all of this of this too, and I also agree that many good and necessary things have came from these developments. I just want to be reminded that my treasure isn't here, even when the world is trying to convince me it is :) and it is reallllllly tempting to bust out the good ole American Express whenever I step foot into Nordstrom's :)

and God is promising me a relationship forever, not just a two year trial. ;)

okkkaaaay. You know it's time to find a new hobby when you see these pillows from apartmenttherapy.com, and really consider learning how to use the good ole sewing machine just so you can make them...

Then I realized... ummm. those are seriously SO weird. and not really my thang.

Any ideas anyone? I think I need to take a crafting break, it's starting to get to me :)

This Week

While I know some colleges have already started, lots of major universities are starting school this week. This week STILL brings me butterflies.

As in, I am SEVEN YEARS past my first day of college and I still almost break into tears when I see the kids (are they still even considered kids?) with their parents at Target filling their carts with stackable bins and microwave popcorn. I literally have to run out of Costco because I get so teary-eyed when I see the "fun" parents taking their son and his three college player football roommates through the bakery and stocking up on Costco Chocolate Muffins. (Totally acceptable breakfast food, duh :)

Like seriously, driving to the bank I saw this girl waiting at the WWU bus-stop. She had on her cute shiney new Nike runners and a cute new LuLu sweatshirt. I had a red-light so I was kinda watching her, and she seriously re-bobby-pinned her bangs like 7 times.

College seems so carefree and like such a fun time of our lives. Living on our own for the first time EVER, we can eat whatever we want, do our laundry however few times we want, kiss as many boys as we want, drink as many "lemonades" as we want...

Growing up and now (even after college) I still feel like college should be such a fun time! They don't have to wake up at 6AM like us working folk and Mom and Dad still help with the bills. :) Your responsibility? Go to class and make new friends :) Umm... Fun?? :) In theory, it should be a piece of cake, surrounded with parties and partner "studying" sessions with the cute guy from the basketball team.

This week, if you live in a college town, or have college kids or friends who are leaving to experience the world on their own, give them a little break :)

I need to stop complaining that the grocery store has been PACKED these last few days and Fred Meyer's was out of instant oatmeal (well Peaches & Cream is left but who likes that??) because of the swarms of college kids. I need to stop being annoyed by all the bikers on the road this weekend (environmentally- conscious WWU students :) and just give them a little bit more grace.

I pray for everyone that has started school in the last few weeks, or are about to this week. I pray that you know He is with you, AT ALL TIMES. Evveeeennnn if your momma may not be ;)