perspective

2012
1. i lived out of my suitcase this year more than i ever have before.
2. i found out i will gain the status of 'aunt' in the coming year.
3. i was in one wedding and went to plenty more.
4. i planned a project for RHO Missions.
5. i made new friends & kept old ones.
6. i grew in relationships with family, friends, and my savior.
7. i worked at summer camp and loved on some little girls for two weeks.
8. i spent a large chunk of my earnings on skinny ties for the future husband and dishes for me.
9. i made the bulk of my money from coloring and playing with 2-6 year olds.(who can complain about that?)
10. i was given a pair if hunter boots. (love at first sight)
11. i left 2012 behind with the status of 'single' and didn't mind one bit.
2013
1. i will start a new box of letters for my husband-to-be.
2. i will make life less about me and more about others.
3. i will take action on the project i planned for RHO Missions.
4. i will "officially" gain the status of aunt with bay-bay coming in june.
5. i will fall more in love with Christ.
6. i will bake more, love more, and eat more.
7. i will be more diligent at the task of shaving my legs.
8. i will step out of my comfort zone more often than not.
9. i will probably not go to as many weddings as i did in 2012.
10. i will do more art & take more pictures.
11. i'm entering 2013 with the status of being 'single' and don't mind one bit.

LBD video

happy merry

it's a happy merry christmas over here.
we just got done with the chaos of opening gifts after a nice breakfast. there's a pile of wrapping paper up to my knees sitting in the doorway.
i am now the proud owner of hunter boots, some lacey unmentionables, a load of dishes and ikea knives, art books, and a french record. i like all those things, but most of all, i like my family.

happy christmas to you.
i hope you like what's important most of all.

mandy

it is so

i am not a feminist, but i did take pride in cutting the tree down this christmas. so much so, that i might do it from now on.

this love is seasonal

my house is full of love lately.
i blame the holidays.

lights are up. cookies were made today. presents under the tree. there are twelve boxes of gifts laying around the living room. much blessing is being poured into our little home this season. i am so thankful.

i am counting down my days of freedom with much dread and uneasiness. i love these days so much i don't want them to go. who could complain of such holiday bliss? thinking of the school term ahead doesn't make life any sweeter. yet, i remind myself this special time comes once a year. that's what makes it so special.

i hope you are having a very happy holiday.
hold your love ones tight and enjoy every single second of it.

tree.

a g a p e

[Agape love] is spontaneous. There was nothing of value in the persons loved that called forth such sacrificial love. God of His own free will set His love on us in spite of our enmity and sin. [Agape] is love that is initiated by the lover because he wills to love, not because of the value or lovableness of the person loved. [Agape] is self-giving and is not interested in what it can gain, but in what it can give. It is not bent on satisfying the lover, but on helping the one loved whatever the cost. [Agape] is active and is not mere sentiment cherished in the heart. Nor is it mere words however eloquent. It does involve feeling and may express itself in words, but it is primarily an attitude toward another that moves the will to act in helping to meet the need of the one loved.

D.W. Burdick

i'd rather have donuts than a pat on the back.

finals.
i take my last exam in a few minutes shy of three hours.
it seems unreal. i wore pink lipstick and a new pair of lacey unmentionables for luck. <--but that's just pretend, so i pray instead.

at 5o'clock, they'll be two ladies in the donut aisle at the grocery store. it's how we celebrate. i might even buy myself some coffee.

goodbye: 5:30am and late night study sessions.
hello: holiday.

[click through image for link]

wish

one//
two//
three//
four//
five//
six//
seven//
eight//

baby

sunday laughter

introducing

it's been a long time coming.

i have been planning a project for some darlings in Africa. i mentioned them in this post here.

and now,
you can take a look at my project here and here!

love to you all.

feel

my prayers are for the orphans of Cambodia tonight.

life kicker

happy sunday everyone!
i'm sorry for less words of love as of late. between planning projects and getting through final exams, life has been a handful. plus, you could probably attribute much of my absence to the holiday season. hog-of-time.

(above photo: i'm pretty sure my neighbor just came to sit out on his porch to watch me run back and forth with a red umbrella.) humor me.