KRYN'S FIRST SNOW DAY

When they cancel school for the day at 8:20... but you're already in your 8am class.
 Even though I did live in Montana for a couple years, we never had the luxury of snow days because our school was um, in our house haha. So you can imagine how excited I was when the forecast predicted sheets of sleet and snow. The entire walk to class in sleeting hail I was praying that a.) I wouldn't slip and b.) that school would be cancelled for the day. And Jesus was listening! I wish he maybe would have anticipated the prayers so I could have stayed in bed all together but either way, we got my wish. A snow day! No school!

Honestly, I've seen better snow and if I'm REALLY being honest, I wouldn't have minded going to class anyway. But hey, now I can say that I've officially had my first snow day. And when I'm 80 years old, I'll be sure and exaggerate the details and say that I was walking uphill to class both ways through deep drifts of snow and my grandkids will no doubt be very impressed.

Or at least, they'd better pretend to be :)

(Mal and Haley were great sports in the snow. They were my first friends here and I'm happy we got to dance in the snow....i mean slip on ice, together!)

TWENTY IN TEXAS // weekend sweeter than sugar

If the calendar year is like a cake, then December is the frosting on top. And the only thing sweeter than a copious amounts of sugary frosting is friends who throw you a surprise party and give you copious amounts of said frosting! December 1st is always my favorite day of the year because it always puts everything back into perspective for me and reminds me how blessed these years of my life have been. Life isn't always easy but there are so many people in my life that make each day so much sweeter. Turning 20 in Texas reminded me of just that. 

My dear sweet human Mallory threw me a surprise party. And by surprise I mean, she accidentally told me about it the day before and then made me walk in twice because she forgot to film it but either way, what a win. What did surprise me (actually) was how freaking thoughtful every detail was. Apples because I eat like 16189 a day, frosting because theres nothing gluten free in the bakery so that's all I can eat, pink everything because duh and LANY was playing in the background because nothing describes my life more than those lyrics.

Every detail was so thoughtful and wow. I could cry just thinking about it!

"Because Diet Coke with Lime is your favorite!"

On my actual birthday I wore my favorite little plaid pants and even though I had classes all day, it was so fun. After class we had a little photoshoot then hit the road because what place is there to spend your 20th birthday other than Lubbock, Texas?

Our time at Tech began with some technical difficulties for me, but the next day I went to Sugar Browns for a couple hours to do homework and it was definitely a good decision. Never in my life did I think I'd spend the day after my 20th birthday in a random coffee shop in a random town in Texas, but I love how life works. You know what else I loved? The acai bowl I inhaled SO quickly that I forgot to take a photo.  

(Mallory, Mallory, Me and Sarah. Apparently homeschool girls don't know to wear black.)
The actual real reason we went to Lubbock was to attend a formal for a fraternity that we are definitely not apart of (because uh, we're girls?) at a school of which we most certainly do not attend (because uh, we go to ACU?) either.

Our dates were super fun and absolutely precious.  And considering that we met them 5 minutes before walking into the formal, I think the entire night went very well and definitely wasn't as awkward as we anticipated.

(Unfortunately our dancing was just as awkward as we expected.)

The next morning we went to church, ate the most amazing taco's our life and frolicked around downtown Lubbock which is actually pretty dang cute. Plus I found a pink house! What more could I want in life/for my birthday weekend celebration?

A week before I turned 20, I was terrified. Today, I'm thankful because through another year of life I have learned that The Lord can provide in ways we never expected. He has given me amazing friends, a wonderful time in Texas and He went above and beyond and blessed me with everything from the acai to the pink house on Broadway.

HAPPY DECEMBER / DEFINING DECADE! 

Birthdays past...

14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 // I never turned 19 apparently // 

ABILENE, YOU'RE THE DREAM.

When we moved back to Florida in 2010, I thought I was finished with small towns forever.

When I was 3/4 of the way  through senior year and hadn't submitted one application, I assumed going off to college was just a childhood fantasy.

And when I swore that I'd never wear grape purple again well...just look at my hat (and the 4 shirts I bought in the campus store.)

I'M MOVING TO TEXAS IN FIVE DAYS TO ATTEND A SMALL SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

And I couldn't be more excited.

I was sitting in the dining hall back in February, wondering what I was doing 10 million miles from home, considering a school in a town in Texas that was so small I wasn't even sure it had a target. On paper the school looked good, in person it was pretty good too, but I wasn't convinced. I wasn't convinced until God spoke to me as clearly as the plate of french fries I was eating had spoken to me earlier. For whatever reason, this was the place where healing would begin. In the Dining hall at Abilene Christian University, of all the places God could pick!

For whatever reason, thats what He chose for me.

And so, I'm going.

I move in two days! I picked out a pink comforter. I'm still trying to figure out how I can bring my dog. I'm nervous and anxious and stressed but at the end of the day, I'm going where God wants me. And that matters way more than if Abilene has a Target or not.

Which PRAISE THE LORD, they do.

Now I can be broke forever!

Sunset at the Shepard Inn

Have you ever been to West Texas? I'm just going to warn you, in case you ever find yourself there, that there seems to be a shortage of Sprint Cell coverage and hotels with wifi. It's beautiful and wild and there's a lot of barbecue restaurants, but be prepared for some forced unplugged time. (Which isn't bad! Just bring a book.

We stayed at the Shepherds Inn, an air&b out in the boonies...I mean Buffalo Gap, Texas! Unfortunately we didn't realize there was no cell coverage for us there, and unfortunately we didn't think to ask the  homeowner for the wifi password before we got there at midnight. I grew up in Montana, so normally no wifi isn't an issue for me but with orientation the following morning, I had some last minute info I needed to access. 

So what else is there to do but drive back into town and park in the McDonalds parking lot and mooch the free wifi till 2 in the morning. Ah, country living.

After we got back from orientation the next day, it had just stopped raining and I can't even explain it, but the light was warm and red in the most magical way I'd ever seen. Several deer were enjoying the wild grasses in the empty field across the street and the sun was setting behind the mountains. 

And I was ruining all the serenity by running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, trying to capture everything before the sun slipped away. 

(not an uncommon practice for me)

Even though our arrival to the Shepherds Inn was a little tumultuous, the following evening made up for it. The way the golden light spilled across the flowers and courtyards was beautiful....and the deer didn't hurt either ;) Last time I visited West Texas it was the dead of winter, but this time it was in full bloom and such a treat to see it in all it's Texan glory. After all, They say everything is better in Texas, and I'd have to agree.

(except where cell coverage is concerned!)

Happy afternoon in Highland Village

Do you ever just go somewhere and feel COMPLETELY out of place? Normally that feeling for me is reserved specially for the gym, I'm always a fish out of water where workouts are involved. That being said, I experienced that feeling in a totally new setting while in Dallas. Located right near SMU, Highland Park Village is brimming with designer shops, couture grocery stores and parking lots that resemble those of an Audi dealership. Normally I love to slide my way in to an expensive area, pretending (even if it's just for a moment) that my reality of college student isn't true and that I can actually afford all the $8 latte's my heart desires.

Unfortunately, that isn't the case.

And also unfortunately, I couldn't even find a way to feel like I fit in at Highland Park. 

Too many Nike swooshes on ladies dressed to the nines in athleisure. Too many judge mental looks....so what if my bag is from old navy! Sorry I got a better deal than you! Too many overpriced gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free desserts. It was all just a little too much for me.

We took our cupcakes and ran to the nearest park, and while it was still in the Highland Park vicinity, it proved to be much more peaceful and felt a lot less pressured to put on a perfect facade. I can only pretend to be rich for so long! 

Like, 5 minutes. My bank account doesn't allow for much more than that.