Awkward & Awesome Thursday

I don't always do this feature {via Sydney from the daybook}, but every odd Thursday, I like to pull it out and tell you what is awkward and awesome about my life :)

Awkward:

• Walking in those bad boys at Flaxee's wedding.
• At same wedding, changing into my dress in the backseat of a vehicle and frantically looking around to make sure no one is coming by. 
• Thinking I had locked the door at a Grassland's bathroom when really I hadn't. "Oh, hello, Jocelyn. Nice that we got that close this soon."
• Getting told by the Air Canada representative at the airport that I was going to lose my seat on the airplane. Um what??? First time hearing that, EVER!
• Being asked to remove my hat at airport security. "Ok, security guard, I will comply, but you run the risk of viewing the world's greasiest, dirtiest, unkept, knotted hair . . ."
• Getting asked by five different Chapters' employees if I needed help, which I didn't at the time. You think I could find one of them when I had a question????
• Rainy/Windy weather equals Silver-walking-to-school-while-umbrella-blows-inside-out . . . why even carry an umbrella at this point????

Awesome:

• In Red Deer, we had the friendliest McDonald's drive-thru attendant. All of us in the vehicle were quite appreciative {and blessed}.
• Um, . . . Flaxee's wedding :)
• Hanging out with Tim at Flaxee's wedding.
• Great school & tutoring sessions so far. So far, third year is rocking!
• My rental SUV, Stephan. He was awesome.
• Pumpkin spice lattes.
• New music: Some Nights by fun. and 50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train.
• Seventeen more days until the season premiere of ONCE UPON A TIME {check out the promo below}!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ty & Flaxee

Goodness knows I've talked about and pictured Flaxee lots on this blog, and this past weekend, my girl got MARRIED!!!! What a beautiful wedding. Pastor Johny called it "Something right out of Pinterest" which was exactly true. Here are some snapshots.

Congratulations to Tyler & Flaxee!

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Friday's Letters

Check out this picture I took on Saturday night. 

This is what happens when I actually brush my hair.

Brother said I looked like "that red-headed girl from Brave", which prompted me
to go around in a Scottish accent saying, "I'll be shooting for me own hand".

Anyways, today I am participating in Friday's Letters featured by Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now, so here goes . . . .

Dear Labour Day Weekend: You were a wonderful time that prepared me to go back to school. Dear Once Upon A Time DVD Series: You are an amazing solution to a show that doesn't begin until October 30th. I am learning so much that I didn't pick up the first time around :) Dear Autumn: You are my favourite season. I love boots and scarves and hot chocolate and falling leaves and crisp mornings and pumpkin spice lattes and coziness. Dear Flaxee: YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW! How awesome is that? I am so excited to see you start this new chapter of your life. Dear First Week of School: You have been a lot less scary than I originally mentally prepared myself for. I have a really good feeling about this year. Dear Traveling: Please be nice to me. This is a record fast trip for me, and I don't do well being rushed. Dear Young Adults Group: I love just being around all of you. That is all. Dear Tuition: My bank account and you don't get along very well. In the future, please refrain from robbing me. Dear Blog: I am starting to get in the swing of things without the 365 photo a day challenge. I think posting every other day {with a few extras} is working out quite nicely for us. Dear Meal Planning: I want to figure out how to incorporate you into my life. Dear Lord: Thank you for grace.

So excited to read some of the other Friday's Letters. Happy weekend! I'm off to Crowsnest Pass ♥

  
 

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No. 313 - I Can Hear The Bells

A bunch of us gathered together to celebrate Flaxee's upcoming marriage.

I just love this girl so much {she's been on my blog a lot}. 

I am so happy for where life will take her.

♥

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No. 229 - CGFP (Wedding Attire) & OUAT

Time for another edition of College Girl's Fashion Project. This one is an 

alteration of a dress into a skirt I wore to Eric & Liz's wedding.

Here is the dress before alterations.

I took off a layer and the straps.

Finished product.

Blouse: Rikki's

Dress: I forget

Tights: Bargain Shop

Shoes: I forget

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Normally, when Once Upon A Time brings in guest stars, I get worried that it's just a filler episode.

I was wrong. "Hat Trick" was an amazing episode, and it moved the overarching storyline along.

• Best Moment: I loved all of Jefferson's convincing speeches to Emma. "All worlds have magic. Some need it more." "Wake up, Emma." "There are several worlds all connected." All of his reasonings were compelling without sounding cheesy.
• Disappointing Moment: I wish Emma wouldn't have faked believing Jefferson to the extreme she did. I know her subconscious probably believes more than she is letting on, but I was somewhat disappointed when she knocked him out with the telescope.
• Evil Moment: Regina. Yep, that's it.
• Creepy Moment: The whole episode was creepy, but an intriguing type of creepy. I liked it.
• Betrayal Moment: Just when you think you've figured out Mr. Gold, he double (or triple) crosses you yet again . . .
• Fairytale Moment(s): This episode was full of historical stuff - tea parties, rabbits, turtles, old witches, Wonderland, Queen of Hearts, etc.
• Girl Power Moment: Emma & MM were kind of kick-butt in this episode.
• Suspicious Moment: What was that vault Regina got her dad out of? It looked surprisingly similar to the vault she retrieved Graham's heart from (RIP).
• Promising Moment: Emma asked to keep Henry's book. Points for Henry!
• Next Episode: We finally figure out what Snow did to the Queen!

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No. 227 - Mr. & Mrs. Benner

Congratulations!

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No. 220 - Health & Beauty, Part 2

A few weeks ago, I did a blog entry about self-esteem and beauty entitled "A More Beautiful You". I felt as if it was a good beginning point on the journey to find health and beauty . . . or to rephrase . . . to live health and beauty. Today, I want to talk about the practicality of the matter. 

1. Recently, a friend gave me a list of verses that say who we are in Christ. One of them is Ephesians 2:10a which says: "I am God's workmanship." Workmanship means handiwork or artwork.  I think it is important that no matter where you are starting on the journey of living in health and beauty, it is important to start with this attitude.
2. The second attitude, and I have said this many times before, is health is a lifestyle. I am a firm non-believer in dieting. Last year, I gave up sweets for 6 months, and I remember how incorporated into my lifestyle it become. In those moments, I wasn't dieting. I was living healthily (made-up word). 
3. The third step is knowing how much health is integrated into all aspects of life. Physical: You can't have health without BOTH activity and eating choices. Emotional: If you are not being poured into AND pouring out, chances are your emotions are unhealthy. Spiritual: I have definitely touched on this one too, but the source of all health is our Creator. I am coming at this from a nursing perspective in which we care for people holistically.
4. The final thing is that sometimes you just have to do it. Sometimes you just have to cut out a certain part of your life cold turkey (whether it's a food or a negative influence). Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet (awful phrase) and go for a run. Sometimes (not always or often), you just have to have an extreme action in order to kick-off the reaction. However, extremes have potential to be dangerous so prayerfully consider the step before taking it.

Alright, I am coming down off my soapbox now. I felt it was important to touch on this part of life again, because I feel as if it has been surfacing more and more. In my life, I know that this is something that has come under attack lately, and so I imagine, there are others as well. Health is attainable.
And beauty . . . well, beauty is everywhere and in everyone!

♥Silver

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On a fun note, I caught the bouquet in the 

impromptu bouquet toss at the wedding last night. Haha.

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No. 219 - Mr. & Mrs. Wells

Congratulations!

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No. 209 - Going To The Chapel . . .

. . . and we're gonna get married.

It seems like there are a lot of weddings happening currently. All of this marital stuff has got me thinking about relationships and marriage. Not in the oh-I-wish-I-was-getting-married-now way, but more in the what-should-I-aspire-to-do-now way. Two weeks ago, Pastor Glen preached a sermon called "The Marriage Covenant", and he made an excellent point that has stuck with me.
He said, "Being single is not about waiting for someone to serve you;
it is about preparing to serve someone." 

This really hit home with me. Sometimes I am too busy thinking about how great it would be to have a relationship, because then I would "feel this" or "this" or "get to do this". All very much focused on myself. What if I began thinking about relationships as then I would get to "give this" or "serve this way" or "encourage in this manner." I believe this attitude can be transferred in any interaction, but I believe it is essentially important in a romantic relationship. 

I am nowhere near to being an expert on marriage, 

but I am an expert on what I want to strive for in myself. 

I want to be slow to speak, so someday I can hear what he is saying. 

I want to be compassionate, so someday I can understand where he is coming from. 

I want to be strong in the Lord, so someday I know how to pray for/with him.

I want to be healthy, so someday I can live a long life with him.

I want to be friendly, so someday I can be a part of a welcoming household.

These are just some of the things I think about before going to the chapel . . . 

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No. 206 - Bridal Shower Time

So happy for this girl!!!!!!

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No. 198 - February 25th

Two things happened today.

This . . .

. . . and this.

Happy Jack-and-Jill, Eric & Liz!

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No. 194 - Coming Soon . . .

 . . . to a wedding near you.

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No. 41 - Josh & Shawna

Look at what I got in the mail today! Weddings and invitations in general are beautiful, but this one holds a special place in my heart. The first time I met Shawna, she and I had just co-inhabited the same tiny bedroom for our Discipleship Training School at YWAM Montana (along with our third, fabulous roommate Hannah). She and I became fast friends. Actually, I think we shared a workout at the gym on that very first day, swearing to ourselves to stay in shape during YWAM ... lol. My first impression of Josh was that he was the only one who took a bus to the base in Montana (30 hours in fact). Over the next weeks and months, the three of us formed a special bond, only bolstered by the fact that all three of us were going to Indonesia as our outreach destination.

I have two very special memories of our times together. The first many in our school find nostalgic. In the stairwells of our dorm, you would often find Josh along with his guitar belting out lyrical melodies - whether his own or covers. Many a night we would all crowd into the stairwell and just listen and laugh. 

The second memory comes from Indonesia. I can't even remember the full details, just the context, but we played a "what if" game. Usually the questions involved marriage and love...haha, Shawna and I liked that best, but the three of us played it nonetheless.

These two are amazing people, and strong children of God! I am unbelievably happy that they have decided to walk the rest of their respective lives together. I wish them all the blessings and happiness in the world! 

Congratulations, Josh & Shawna!

Princess Kate

Alright, it had to happen. I had to write about the fact that Canada has a new princess who will someday be queen.

I realize that there is a lot of controversy over this wedding. That's fine. Anything this big will have opposition and a bundle of different opinions.

However, I will say I am a fan of the newlyweds. Blame it on my gender. Blame it on my hopeless romantic side. Blame it on whatever. This was another event in the history books, and as silly as it sounds, I was a part of yet.

Yes, I loved her dress.
I loved the church.
I loved how much of God was interwoven in the ceremony.
The carriage ride was divine, and...
The balcony kiss was fairytale-like.

I truly wish the prince and princess happiness in their new life together.