Beware of Christians.

Need something to do on this cold and rainy night? 

Curl up by that cozy fire and watch the film: Beware of Christians (trailer:here)

I watched it just the other night and it honestly challenged my faith 

more than any sermon or message has in a long time. The film follows 

4 college guys through Europe as they leave behind their 

preconceived ideas of Christianity as a religion and try to

 find the Christian perspective on 6 key areas of life that everyone struggles in.

 Go check it out on Netflix and let me know what you think!

xo

A little distraction from finals, a large amount of cuteness.

1 PUPPY + 1 CUTE BOYFRIEND = THE EPITOME OF CUTENESS.

1 more day of finals, I can do this.

xo 

Disneyland Study Break

Because why wouldn't you go to Disneyland the Friday before finals?

 Goody and I learned some valuable Disney knowledge:

1. It's worth ditching the 60 minute wait for small world to get a picture with your niece's favorite Disney characters.
2. We're really good at timing Fast Passes
3. If you order a 3 pack of Mickey beignets, you might just get lucky and get six!
4. God is everywhere(duh), including Disneyland. We watched a candle lighting ceremony that honored and celebrated the birth of Christ.
5. You only live once, so why not go on Splash Mountain as the sun is setting and risk getting soaked for the rest of the night (we lucked out there again!)
6. If you're patient, Indiana Jones and Pirates will open up before the night is over!
7. Go with you're best friend, it makes Disneyland that much more magical.

This ones for you Aubrey Ryenn. 

Found our favorite dessert at the French Market in New Orleans Square: Lattes and Micky Mouse Beignet's                  

Moustaches for days.

Dessert #2

Lipstick and a very hairy red beard.

       

 & it doesn't matter how many times I've seen them, the Disneyland fireworks show still gives me chills.

Thanks for a day away from studying Disney, 

You always guarantee us a day full of bliss and a sugar overdose.

Until next time,

xo.

P.S.While writing this post, Emily Osment, walked into the Starbucks I am at.
No big deal.
I played it cool. 

Lucky me.

Want to know how I lucked out and became the luckiest girl in the world?

Simple answer, this guy.

Thanks for always being there for me and loving me Teig.

You know how to clear any doubt in my mind.

You know how to give me confidence.

&

Most importantly you know how to make me smile, I love you!

Now lets go take on Disneyland! (pictures to come...)

xo.

Rediscovering Me.

source

Within the last four months, I have learned more about myself  than
 I have in the last nineteen years of my life.Upon recognizing this, I
realized that for the majority of my life I have deceived myself to
 be the Kaleen that I wanted to be, not the Kaleen that I am deep down inside.

 I think that for the longest time, I have designed up in my head who I want to be
and how I want to be portrayed Simultaneously, I became that girl and my character
 just fell into sync.This new season of life as a college student,
alpha leader, friend, girlfriend, etc.
 has required me to step out of that routine of being
who I want to be and distinguishing who I was created to be and living that out.
It is not to say that I have been a fake my
 whole life, but that I am just now discovering the person that
God created me to be: an extroverted introvert, a leader, a learner,
a woman who acknowledges her weaknesses, an authentic friend...the list goes on.
This development of discovering my true self has been a journey
 and will probably continue to be one for the rest of my time on earth.
The timing of this self phenomenon could not have been more perfect, thanks to God!
 I am  surrounded by an authentic community of people who love me for me
and will stand by me in this journey to rediscover myself,

The Real Kaleen.

Fall Favorites!!!

Cardigan :: Madewell

Everything else fall: (good ole')Pinterest

Fall is BY FAR my favorite season of ALL favorite seasons.

 ( if you really admit it, each season has something great about themselves though...)

Fall: The crisp air as you take your first step out the door, the crunch of leaves beneath your brown boots, a warm fuzzy scarf and a hot apple cider in your hands...

There is truly nothing better.

Oh wait, I live in Southern California now where there is NO fall...

It really is the worst thing about living down here.

No bright green,yellow, brown, orange, OR red leaves, 

no crisp air, 

no cold mornings(unless you call 70 degrees cold)

No need for scarfs...i sweat it out anyways.

The list could go on and on and on...

So here is my tribute to fall and all the beauty it brings...

Enjoy it everyone.

Sincerely, 

Ms. Envy.

Friday Theory.

So I have this theory,

Some of you might agree,

That any day that starts with Friday is a good day.

(I think Rebecca Black would support me in this)

Here is some solid evidence to back that theory up:

1. I woke up for the first time in a week without backpain...Thank you Jesus.

2. It is hotter than Haiti in Azusa but APU is paying for me to blast my AC all day long.

3. I finally got my parking ticket appealed. Hallelujiah I saved $30.

4. My only class today, which is my favorite class, which is usually a 2 hour class, lasted about a half hour today. #graphicdesign

&

Drum roll please....

5 . I am going to see Rascal Flatts tonight in concert with some amazing girls.

That is why Friday is the bombdiggity.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Thirteen.

Thirteen individuals..

Four boys.

Nine girls

(just about right for the APU ratio)

One family.

A year ago we were all strangers, unaware of the role we would all play in each others lives this year. 

Unaware of the experiences we would go through together.

Unaware of the bonds that would form

Unaware of the challenges we would have to face.

Unaware of the family that we would become.

I am thankful for each and every one of these people. Within the time we have spent together in the last month they have each challenged me, supported me, and loved me in a way that I have never really experienced before.  

I am in awe of how God placed us all together with of our differences, personalities, and strengths and has allowed us to be so honest and vulnerable with one another in this journey. 

And to think that this is only the beginning...

I guess thirteen must be my lucky number. 

Long Time, No See!

But literally, I feel like a horrible person when it comes to my blog...There's a layer of dust because that's how long its been since I've had the time to even think about writing a post. And even now as I sit here in the dark in my new apartment, I really have no time to spend on here, but college life is about procrastinating..especially when it is sleep. 

In all honesty, I could write about 10 more blog posts about what has happened in my life the last 3 weeks, and I may get to all those events at some point in time. Knowing that life is only going to speed up for the next nine months however, I'll stick with sharing just a synopsis of my late adventures.

After my mom, sister and I arrived in So Cal, we did our absolute best at just relaxing for a few days on a family vacation that took us to Knotts Berry Farm, Newport Beach, and the side of the hotel pool.

Having only been in California for 4 days, I started training for my leadership position at APU this year in the ALPHA program that helps freshman transfer into college successfully.(a short glimpse at my job)

Once my family helped me settle into my new apartment on campus, it was time to say those awful goodbyes again...although I know what to expect this year after living on my own all of last year, those last goodbye hugs are never easy. My hope is that they never will be.

The next day I embarked on an adventure called BRIDGES which definitely deserves its own post but to sum it up: I spent a week living in the Tenderloin of San Francisco serving God's people, the homeless, who are individuals just like you and me. In one week I learned more about myself than I had the last 19 years of my life and challenged myself to live intentionally in everything that I do. 

I have now been back at school for a week and  have finally hung up most of my clothes in the tiny closest my roommate and I share and have continued training in preparation for the great arrival of APU's (huge) freshman class! Whoooop Whooooop!

I am tired, overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and getting sick but I have a joy that's radiating inside of me that is allowing me to persevere through this crazy time of life. I can not wait to see what even the next week of my life will look like...how much I will learn from my freshmen and all that we will go through together.

So...ya got all that? Yea, I'm lost too but thats okay. Someday it will be fun to look back on this craziness and smile...at my darling adventure. 

The Trunk is Full.

Dear Summer,

"Here is to the nights we felt alive, 
here is to the tears you knew youd cry,
 here is to good bye, 
tomorrow is going to come too soon."

Love, me

Well, the trunk is full. Actually packed. If there was a max capacity for a little honda civic I would be breaking the law. But a girl needs her clothes, as well as her shoes, some wall decor, BBW hand soap, her tennis racket, some more shoes and her Ikea blanket of course!
Tomorrow morning at around 530 am, that little honda will be pulling out of my driveway and venturing out onto the grand I5 for a couple thousand miles...with three girls in the car and a lot of luggage...but no big deal.
Sacramento is our goal. That'll take us a little over 11 hours if we don't have around 5 pee stops, 3 Starbucks trips and the occasional "I am sick of driving, lets pull over..." So if we make it in 12 hours, I will be proud.

Wish us luck. I will miss you dearly Washington. Your yummy tap water, your fresh air, your familiarity, your lack of traffic, and the people whom you keep captive from me while I am in California. boo.

But its okay to be sad. My friend Maddie sent me a text that made it all make sense

"...its okay to be sad because it means you are blessed enough to have thing in your life worth missing"

Ain't that the truth.

Good night Washington.

I love you.

xo

Here's to Another 5 Goody.

Holy Cow! 

5 years...

I was fourteen (barely) and Teig was seventeen. It is our ridiculously cute myspace messages that document that August 8th was the first day that we both had the nerve to tell each other we liked one another for the first time, as if it wasn't obvious already. And so it began. The best adventure I will ever go on in my life...with my redhead by my side. 

God definitely had fun creating our love story. It is rather unique and a little crazy but I wouldn't have had Him design it any other way, especially the last five years. We have taught each other so much. We have been able to go through high school and college together. We've been able to travel to several different places around the world together. We've become each others best friends. We've cried in each others arms and we laughed until we couldn't breathe. We have learned to love with no limit.

As great as it is to look back and think of where we have come in the last five years, I am honestly more excited for the NEXT five years of our lives together. We have so many more milestones coming up...

and I am so excited to start supporting Teig as he starts optometry school.

But before I go off daydreaming again, I just want to say that You, Teigen Paul,mean more than the world to me. I am THE luckiest girl to have a man that loves me the way you do. There are few people in this world who can say they've experienced a love like ours. 

I thank God every day for you Teigen Paul. Thank you for loving me no matter what,
I love you. 

& Here's to another 5 Goody. 

xo

And that is all my Iphone has to say about that week...

Summer Nights with our girl.

                                           

                                                           Coffee with my redhead

                                            

                                                           I came home to find this in my bed!

Dressing Room Boredom

Pierced

                                                                                             

Last Week With Lil Jimmie

and the fashion statement of the week: Bright Pink B&BW Apron...Wearin it like it's going out of style.

A touch of teal in Seattle with a cupcake or two...

                 This is the order of events that occur once you have dropped Megan O Hara's parents off at the airport..

  1. Magically cordinate the color teal into both of your outfits...
                            **ever since we were tennis partners in high school we've mastered the art of matching.**

2. Find a parking spot in Downtown Seattle that won't cost you your lifetimes savings and whip out the Nikon to take a few pictures...

3. okay...maybe a little bit more that "just a few pictures"...

 4. Capture that "Oh that could go on Pinterest" photo...  *above*

5. Pick out the most scrumptious cupcake at Cupcake Royal...and FEAST!

 6. Take some more pictures .....

7. and end the day with a little shopping and another feast at Coldstone...whoops!

 Thanks for a fun day Meg! You are beyond beautiful inside and out and I am lucky to have a friend like you! 

xo