Re-Cappin' It All

{At Cuppa Yo (West Side) with my sister Kaitlin, my bro-in-law Nate, Naomi, Leah and Carl}

Since I last left you, I spent a weekend with my sister Kaitlin, her hubby Nate and my adorable nieces. They came over the mountain from Newberg to have a mini-vacation in Sun River and visit me! Along with my family, Carl's parents came to visit as well. We all enjoyed lunches together, a beautiful afternoon at the SHARC (the Sun River water park), spending quality time together and FaceTiming the Beaver game for Nate (they didn't get the channel out at their house). I cannot express how thankful I am for my sisters. Spending that quality time with Kaitlin was so nice and sometimes it's nice just to get a reality check from your sister when it comes to your life and relationships. Kaitlin is my oldest sister and I love her so much, she is so thoughtful and kind while trying her best to love me as I am (sometimes it's not so easy haha). She gave me wise advice when it comes to relationships and taught me how to turn my annoyance of things into appreciation. First, you have to recognize the feelings, second you need to desire to change them, third you need to ask God to help you change your attitude and finally you need to implement those changes. If that person wasn't around to say silly jokes or do those odd things, then you might miss them. Learn to appreciate a person as a whole, not a section. 

Bachelorette party weekend flew by and was very fun! We started out at Del Alma in Corvallis for a large party dinner with full-on sassy gifts for Cor (but let's be real, mostly for Evan). After dinner we jaunted off to Portland to stay at a hotel called Hotel 50 (very Portland-y modern deco) and went to this club called The Rose. My sister Nichole got us in on the VIP list since she knew the guy running the event. The night was super fun, with free drinks and lots of dancing (check out video above for a little Gangnam Style!)! In the morning, we went to a place called, Mother's Cafe where I got eggs benedict (delicious!) and then trucked it back to Corvallis while hitting a lot of game day traffic on the way. We took a back route and stopped by Cor and Ev's new place and I have to say that it is very cute and comfortable, perfect for a newlywed couple! They are about a mile from the freeway but Cor says that if she closes her eyes it sounds like the ocean haha. It's true though (I tried it haha)!

 

Wedding weekend was a whirlwind. It was over before I felt like I had time to blink. It was refreshing getting to see some of my extended family and close friends. I almost started crying when I saw my mentor from Corvallis at the wedding. She gave me a big hug and reassured that she missed me as well.  My sister was absolutely stunning and Evan looked as handsome as ever. I ended up catching the bouquet (doesn't mean anything) and leading all the bridesmaids in a little Gangnam Style dance. All in all, it was a beautiful wedding and I could tell my sister was happy and that's what matters.

Oh and my Beavs are 5-0 and ranked #8, WHAT'S UP BEAVER NATION!! Just had to throw that in there haha.

Lately I have been feeling like I have been rejecting working on myself though. A lot has been going on inside of me but I have been feeling a bit of anxiety. A good portion of that is due to the fact that I just found out that I have an unpaid balance on my student account at OSU since I didn't register for Fall term (didn't it notice I graduated?). Turns out this balance is a little over $3000. I have to pay it back over the next 5 months and am semi-freaking out since I live pay check to pay check (which is about $300 a month). I'm looking to God asking, "what do I do??" but maybe I'm asking the wrong question? Maybe I need to be trusting that God will provide, He always does. What is difficult though is knowing and feeling confident that He will pull through. This is my own fault and mess so why should I make it God's responsibility to provide for me? I don't know... This morning I read my devotional about how God reduces our fears and anxieties as they result from not relying on God for what I need. He takes care of the lilies and birds so why would I be any different? I'm not. I just need to repeat over and over to myself that God will provide, He always does. He never leaves me high dry.

Then Jesus spoke to his disciples. He said, "I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. There is more to life than eating. There are more important things for the body than clothes. 'Think about the ravens. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t have any storerooms at all. But God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds! Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? You can’t do that very little thing. So why worry about the rest? Think about how the lilies grow. They don’t work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you! After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small!"

~Luke 12:22-28 {NIRV}