A Short & Sweet Update.

I miss blogging so much. I even have a super long entry saved in my draft...it's been sitting there safely unseen for over two months. It's dying for a good edit.

Two things:
-I'll be back
-God is good. I can't let myself forget that.

<3

Deception & Truth.

I am so frustrated! It is really all starting to sink in that everything in this life and on this earth is totally one big deception!

Every time I watch or read the news I get so aggravated because one site will portray an event THIS way, and another site will portray an event THAT way. Well, which one is the truth then? Everything is so completely twisted. Videography and photography used to be incredibely helpful tools in proving if something is true and if it actually occurred or not. And now that technology has increased vastly, video clips are edited, and photos are "photoshopped". A fertilizer plant blew up in Texas, and somebody decides to slow down a video to show that it was actually a missile which caused the explosion. Really, now? Do we have to put a conspiracy theory to everything? What is truth?

It is so completely annoying having no idea if what I read on the news is true or not. Why do people have to lie? Why does every story have to have two sides to it (two sides which are polar opposite of one another)?

I cry out in frustration: what is truth? Is there anything in this world that is without a hidden agenda? Is there anything in this world that isn't twisting the truth all for the sake of MONEY and POWER?

And suddenly, the answer is clear in my mind. Just as I was about to lose all hope in this life, I realize that I do know what is truth, and I hold it here in my hands: The Bible.

The BIBLE is TRUTH. This world is certainly swimming in its lies, and Satan (the "Father of Lies") is doing his duty all too well, but the Bible still is and will always be God-Breathed and true.

I wish I could leave it at that, I really do, but people who call themselves Christians/Followers of God are taking something true (The Bible) and are totally twisting it into something to suit their lifestyle. Example, "New Age" Christianity is all about the idea that if God is a loving God He wouldn't send anybody to Hell, therefore Hell does not exist. Another example, somebody decided to alter The Bible and call it "The Queen James Bible" to convince Christians that homosexuality is not wrong.

Since when did it become possible to put God in a box and make Him into the God YOU want Him to be? Last I read, in THE BIBLE, God NEVER changes, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. What kind of God would totally change himself in order to fit a persons lifestyle and to help them feel justified of their sins?

Honestly, when I feel like all hope is lost, I feel great comfort in being in a relationship with a God who is the way, the truth and the life. I cannot help but sometimes hold my Bible close to me, and be so thankful to even have such an amazing, comforting, encouraging, TRUTHFUL book to guide me every second of every day.

Matthew 24:
³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death,and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Deep Fried-Faturday.

I have just returned home from a college & career group supper evening of deep-fried goodness. EVERYTHING we ate was deep-friend! (mozza sticks, french fries, pickles, fish, perogies, sweet potato fries, pickles wrapped in bacon, spring rolls, and of course, deep-fried Mars bars!!) So yeah, what better thing is there to do while feeling extremely bloated than fill out a blog questionnaire??

1: The last person you kissed screams they love you, you say... 
I LOVE YOU TOO BABY!!
2: Did you get to sleep in today? 
Oh I only wish! I had to wake up at freakin' 7 AM. (Haha)
3: You never know what you got until you lose it? 
Nah, usually I realize these things firsthand.
4: Do you have siblings? 
I do! I have three, but honestly I wish I had like 10 more. I would love some little sisters!
5: How many kids do you want? 
I want four boys and one girl. Or maybe just boys... :) I totally wanna be a soccer/football mom when I grow up. ;)
6: Who was the last person you held hands with? 
My boyfrieeeeend. (Did I really have to say "boyfriend" like that? Was that really necessary?)
7: Did you stand on your tippy-toes for your last kiss?
Ha ha ha....I don't think I'll ever need to do so...
8: Do you think if you died, the last person you kissed would care? 
Um. YEAH.
9: Last person to talk on the phone? 
My boyfrieeeeeend. :)
10: Did anyone watch you the last time you kissed someone? 
Probably; it was at the departure terminal at an airport. Even so, I don't blame 'em for watching.
11: When’s your birthday? 
January 9th! 'Tis a good day, despite the fact that it's in the dead of winter.
12: Remember the first time you kissed the last person you kissed? 
March 11th 2011 :) Outside, under the stars, on a bridge, near the forest, in Germany. It was the best first kiss ever! <3
13: What kind of phone do you have? 
Nokia crap-phone. Oops, I mean flip-phone. But hey, the cheap-o phone payments are worth it!
14: Are you wearing jeans, shorts, sweatpants, or pajama pants? 
My Alaska pajama shorts! They have moose on them.
15: Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? 
Absolutely! Five years ago I was a little -naive- 17 year old girl. It really is amazing how much you can change and grow in five years! I was also skinnier...
16: What were you doing at 4 am? 
Sleeping! Is that even a question??
17: Would you rather write a paper or give a speech? 
Good question.
18: Are you lying to yourself about something? 

Actually yes..."Don't worry Jennifer, you don't gain weight easily..."

19: Last night you felt…? 

ZONKED.

20: What’s something you cannot wait for? 
May 8th!! After almost 5 months I get to see my boyfriend again for the first time!! Gah!!
21: Ever told your parents you were going somewhere but when somewhere different? 
Whaaa? Haha...what a funny question that is...haha...
22: How many hours of sleep did you get last night? 
Five? Six? Definitely not enough.
23: Are you a morning or night person? 
Nights. Firstly, To be honest, I LOVE working the evening shift, just because it means that I get to wake up in the morning when my body is actually ready to wake up and then I can just relax and slowly ease into my day. It's wonderful. :)
And secondly, I am filling this questionaire out at 1 AM. I'm definitely a night person!
24: What did you get your last bruise from? 
I don't bruise all too easily.
25: Do you reply to all of your texts? 
HA! Nope, I am notoriously horrible at not doing so!
26: Your phone is ringing. It’s the person you fell hardest for. What do you do? 
Um. Freakin' answer it :D
27: Did your last kiss take place in/on a bed? 
No, as previously stated it 'twas at the Baltimore airport. <3
28: Anyone you would like to get things straight with? 
Not that I know of...but if somebody does come to mind I'll be sure to spill all details on my blog. (pff!)
29: How many months until your birthday? 
Honestly, I'm too lazy to count OR care. I'm turning 23! That's way too crazy for me right now.
30: Favorite thing to eat with peanut butter? 
I'm not really a peanut butter kinda girl. But I do love me some Reese's buttercups.
31: Did you like this past summer? 
Yeah this summer was the best! It consisted of moving into a condo with two awesome girlfriends of mine, working full-time at an Orchard all summer, and watching countless episodes of 24 with my brother and my boyfriend.
32: What were you doing before you got on the computer? 
Watching hockey with a bunch of people, feeling extremely B-L-O-A-T-E-D. Too much deep-fry for one night!
33: Your ex is sitting next to you, with their new partner. What do you do? 
No ex exists!
34: What is the last thing you said out loud? 
Lyrics to a Justin Bieber song. Don't judge...I like to support my fellow Canadians...
35: Your mood summed into one work? 
Seriously quirky.
36: Are you doing anything else besides taking this survey? 
Drinking water with lemon juice. (my new favourite drink!!)
37: What are your initials? 
JF...almost like JF-Kennedy.
38: Are you a happy person? 
I'd say so. I tend to give off that vibe. But sometimes I can be a total train wreck. :S
39: Do you still talk to the person you liked 4 months ago? 
Why yes I do! :)
40: Where do you want to live when your older? 
With my husband in whatever town/state/country God leads us to! (Dear God, that excludes places with the season of winter. Please and thank you!)
41: Have you had your birthday this year? 
I totally did! It was rad.
42: What did you do yesterday? 
Drank some instant coffee (luxurious, I know), gave my two-weeks notice at work, watched some Fireproof, and then returned to work for my closing shift!
43: What will you be doing tomorrow? 
Church in the morning, lunch with my parents & brother, and then supper in the city at Original Joe's with a girlfriend! So excited! Sundays are the best days.
44: How late did you stay up last night? 
1 AM. Too late.
45: Is there anyone you would do anything for? 
I'd like to think so: Jesus.
46: Is it hard to make you laugh? 
Actually....not really. But some people do receive pity laughs from me. Just sayin'.
47: Do you believe ex’s can be just friends? 
Pff not at all. Like show some respect to your current boyfriend/girlfriend and get your past lover out of your life!
48: Do you think any of your exes will eventually want to be with you again? 
No exes to worry about!
49: How many people have you had feelings for in the year of 2012? 
One, and he's the best. :)
50: Do you wish your ex was dead? 
Alright, number 1) this is a horrible question, and number 2) enough about the exes!
51: Have you ever dyed your hair? 
Blonde, red, blonde with brunette layers underneath, and light brunette. Blonde definitely wins though.
52: Would ever take back someone that cheated? 
A boyfriend...no, because it's not like you are formally/officially committed to each other yet and are stuck with each other. And come on, if you are cheating on each other while you're only still dating, then obviously you don't even like each other that much.
A husband on the other hand...yes...maybe...perhaps... I would take him back. I would like to think I could be that strong. I mean, when you say your marriage vows to one another you promise to endure and love each other both for better AND for worse. These "for worse" moments definitely INCLUDE when you make really stupid mistakes and when your spouse makes really stupid mistakes, such as cheating.
Love is not a feeling, it's a commitment. It's a commitment to stick it out through better or for worse, because you care about the other person as an individual in Christ who is constantly growing, struggling, and sinning (just like you are!).
Honestly, if God can send His own Son to die on the cross for us to forgive us of our past, present, and future sins, then how would we NOT forgive our own spouse? How could we not show that kind of grace to everyone?
And don't tell me I don't understand or I don't have any clue of what I'm talking about because I'm not married yet. I KNOW how hard it is to forgive and be forgiven--it doesn't start when you are married, it starts the moment you're born.
53: Was New Year’s Even enjoyable? 
New Years was verrrry enjoyable! I was down in Maryland visiting my boyfriend, and I FINALLY got my very first New Years kiss! :) We also then watched The Dark Knight Rises till five in the morning on an 85" TV and ate vodka soaked gummy bears. Mmm!
54: Bet you’re missing someone right now? 
Always am :)
55: How would your parents react if you got a tattoo? 
They'd most likely react the same way they did when I got a nose piercing...that concerned blank stare...
56: Sleep on your back or stomach?
I never sleep on my stomach! That's so bad for your spine!! I always sleep on my side in the fetal position. It's so warm :)
57: If you could move away, no questions asked, where would it be ? 
Somewhere with no winter. Or snow. Hot weather ONLY!
58: What would you change about your life right now? 
Actually I am in the middle of change as we speak. I think a blog post is definitely on the way about this!
59: Has anything upset you in the past week? 
Haha! I'm a female. Of COURSE something is ALWAYS upsetting me.
60: Are you on the phone? 
No...I wish I were though.
61: Today, would you rather go forward a week or back? 
Forward!!!
62: Would you take $40,000 or a brand new car? 
Definitely the cash. I mean, think of all the traveling I could do with that money! :D
63: Have you ever talked to someone when they were high? 
I'm pretty sure I've had some high people come into my workplace. Super awkward.
64: Ever cried while you were on the phone with someone? 
Ha! Of course! I'm such a crier!!
65: Have you ever copied someone elses homework? 
More like, people are always copying MY homework!! Geez!
66: Are you the type of person who liks to be out or at home? 
I'm definitely a pretty good balance. I love being out in the city, shopping, dinner with friends, ect. But to be honest, the scale leans a little more to the being at home side. I love being home. It's so wonderful and relaxing.
67: Do you automatically check your phone when you wake up? 
Yeah I seriously do! I can't even imagine getting out of bed without checking for missed phone calls or texts. That's almost kind of sad...haha!
68: Have you ever stayed up all night on the phone? 
Yep!
69: Could you use some sleep right now? 
Despite the fact that I took a 2 hour nap today...yep!
70: Are you going to have a baby by the time you’re 18? 
I think I'm a little late for that one...even so, I don't want to have ANY babies with my husband for another 6-8 years. But if it happens, it happens.
71: Does it bother you when someone hides things from you? 
YES it really does. It makes me feel like the trust that I have in them is not reciprocated. Which then makes me feel like the friendship is at a serious plateau and has no potential for growth.
72: What’s your favorite color? 
Baby pink. Or Tiffany blue. :)
73: Have you ever slept in the same room with someone you liked? 
Yep! (It's not what it sounds like, trust me)
74: Have you ever been looking for something and it was already in your hand? 
Most likely that's happened with my keys or pen or day planner or something.
75: Do you get annoyed easily? 
Yes and no, it all depends on certain factors I guess.
76: If someone liked you, would you want them to tell you? 
No. The guy better keep his pride intact and not say a word because all he'd be getting is serious rejection. Haha!
77: Do you have a person of the opposite sex that you can tell everything to? 
Yes :) Honestly, I never thought I'd ever find somebody whom I can talk to about ANYTHING with. He knows everything about me, and I know everything about him. That's how dating relationships should be; there never should be anything to hide...except wedding rings and plans for proposals of course :)
78: Does anyone call you babe? 
My boyfriend does!! I LOVE it :) We say it to each other at like the beginning or end of every sentence haha!
79: How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? 
If we are talking fully trust, then definitely my boyfriend and my Dad. Two amazing and definitely trustworthy men.
80: What do you prefer, relationship or one night stand? 
Gee this is a tough one. :P
81: What color hoodie did you wear last? 
My white American Eagle one!
82: Is there someone who meant alot to you at one point, and isn’t around anymore?
Yes there is. In the beginning there was alot of bitterness on my end just because I felt so out of control of the whole thing. But I just needed to accept the fact that people change, and that as a friend, the last thing I should do is keep my friends from becoming who they really truly want to be. Even if I don't agree with what they're doing, I still need to genuinely love them.

Yay!

Sooo00o0o0o0oo... thanks to Kaila's harassment about me not blogging enough, I have decided to write a blog post containing this little nugget of information:

Exciting things are happening in my life!!

To be continued -on-a-day-when-I-am-not-working... ;)

P.s- I want to make a playlist on my iPod of inspirational/motivating/life-is-exciting songs! Any suggestions??

Love & God.

Replace the word LOVE with GOD and you get something so miraculously true:

GOD is patient,

God is kind.

He does not envy,

He does not boast.

He is not rude,

He is not self-seeking.

He is not easily angered.

God keeps no record of wrongs,

God does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

He always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

God never fails.

All of this 1 Corinthians love stuff is so easy RIGHT NOW while I'm at home alone and cozy on the couch. It's easy to trust and be kind and patient when there's not a soul around to bother you. But I want to be able to remember this stuff and practice this stuff in the moments that really matter, like when I'm interacting with people. When I'm in the fiery heat of the moment with another person and all I can think about is myself and my own feelings. I don't want to be selfish, I want to be an example of ultimate maturity, which is to strive to be like God. Sometimes I'm scared living out the characteristics above will just cause me to be a doormat, but in all actuality it's just taking the high road. Think of how God trusts YOU and is patient with YOU and never keeps any record of wrongs from YOU...I mean, if God can do that with us, then why on earth can't we be the same with our friends, boyfriends/girlfriends, spouse, siblings, parents, ect? Why not?? I believe it's possible, not by our own strength but by God's strength.

Blog Reno's!

It is 3 AM and I have officially completed my blog renovation! I am so incredibly excited about this {but not so excited about the major lack of sleep part}. I have been on an--unintentional--blog hiatus and I felt like this was the best way to inspire myself to be the avid blogger I once was! We'll see how long that lasts... haha.

A few random facts about the visuals you see before you;
The title of my blog..."Forever and Always", was originally named after my favourite Taylor Swift song back in 2009 when I first started this whole thing. But now over the years, the phrase has aspired to a much deeper meaning. It's about God and how He will exist Forever and Always, and how He will love us Forever and Always. I want this blog to be less about me and more about Him, but at the same time I know He still can use me & the events in my life to glorify Him...and I just simply want to be a light.

The colour...Tiffany's blue! Sigh... only my boyfriend will understand my obsession with this colour. {Hee hee!} But seriously now, it IS a gorgeous colour! Also, you'll notice some pink hearts and pink font; baby pink is my favourite colour ever...even more-so than Tiffany's blue. Just saying.

My background...anchors! I love anchors and all things nautical and East-Coasty! They make me feel happy, like I can almost feel the sunshine kissing my shoulders and smell the sea-salt in the air...like I'm living in the almost-predictable setting of a Nicholas Sparks book. {Too bad I live miles from any ocean!} I also felt that the anchors went well with my blog description...

My blog description..."for in Him 'I have a hope, an anchor of the soul, firm and secure' -Hebrews 6:19. This is an amazing verse that can be found in The Bible, which pretty much states that in this rocky/scary/crazy/unpredictable/not-so-pretty world that we live in, Jesus is the one thing that is CONSTANT, RELIABLE, and SECURE. We can trust in Him because He will never change, nor will He ever leave us. <3

Well, thanks for reading! It is time I let myself sleep after these long and gruesome hours of hard laptop labour. Good night! :)

Beloved.

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need 

And give me your life
The lust and the lies
And the past you're afraid I might see
You've been running away from me, yeah 

You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
And Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery 

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need 

I'm the giver of life
I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be
Oh, come running home to me, yeah

You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
And Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me, yeah

You've been a mistress, my wife
Chasing lovers that won't satisfy
Won't you let me make you my bride
You will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life

You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
And Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery

-Tenth Avenue North-

I could read this a thousand times...

"You may never feel good enough to anyone in this world. But God will never fail you and there are no “enough’s” to Him. You are you. So beautiful. So unique. Lovely in every imperfect perfection. When you are tasting your tears in the middle of the night or hiding them in the middle of the day, know that God loves you just the way you are. Pain will enter your life, but He will comfort you when no one else is there to taste your tears. He knows. He knows your pain...

So often we push God away when pain enters our hearts. But this is when we need Him the most. Cling to Him when you want to run from everyone. Let Him hold you. He will meet you where you are and bring you out of the darkness, if you are willing.

Take His hand.

Betrayal was a faithful word in my life until I took God’s hand. It was there, in the comfort of His healing touch, that I found the faithfulness I’d been longing for. No man. No woman. No parent. No friend. No one can ever be God in our lives. When I finally experienced His faithfulness my tears didn’t subside, but they finally had a safe place to land. Pain will come and go... Bad days and good days will rollercoaster through your heart like they never have before. But there is peace, comfort, and joy. There is a gift and a protector reaching out to you. There is One, and only One, who can show you the true meaning of the world faithful."

Words.

“Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is believing you're worthy of the trip.” 
― Glenn Beck,


Confronting our feelings and giving them appropriate expression always takes strength, not weakness. It takes strength to acknowledge our anger, and sometimes more strength yet to curb the aggressive urges anger may bring and to channel them into nonviolent outlets. It takes strength to face our sadness and to grieve and to let our grief and our anger flow in tears when they need to. It takes strength to talk about our feelings and to reach out for help and comfort when we need it.

- Fred Rogers

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean condoning their behavior. It doesn’t mean forgetting how they hurt you or giving that person room to hurt you again. Forgiving someone means making peace with what happened. It means acknowledging your wound, giving yourself permission to feel the pain, and recognizing why that pain no longer serves you. It means letting go of the hurt and resentment so that you can heal and move on. Not because what happened didn’t matter, but because harboring that level of anger and bitterness take up too much energy and cause too much pain. You don’t need any more pain. You need to heal. And in order to do that, you need to forgive. Not for them, but for you.

- Daniell Koepke

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before—more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.” 
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.” 
― Michel de Montaigne

“When someone cries so hard that it hurts their throat, it is out of frustration or knowing that no matter what you can do or attempt to do can change the situation. When you feel like you need to cry, when you want to just get it out, relieve some of the pressure from the inside - that is true pain. Because no matter how hard you try or how bad you want to, you can’t. That pain just stays in place. Then, if you are lucky, one small tear may escape from those eyes that water constantly. That one tear, that tiny, salty, droplet of moisture is a means of escape. Although it’s just a small tear, it is the heaviest thing in the world. And it doesn’t do a damn thing to fix anything.” 
― Chase Brooks, Hello, My Love 2: First Love Deserves a Second Chance

“Is it useful to feel fear, because it prepares you for nasty events, or is it useless, because nasty events will occur whether you are frightened or not?” 
― Lemony Snicket

“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” 
― Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral’s Kiss

Maid of Honour

Hello all! It has been far too long! I cannot believe I haven't thoroughly blogged since November of 2012! I should definitely make it my New Years Resolution to be an avid blogger.

The other day I was organizing my room/closet/life, and I came across my Maid of Honour speech for my sister Kristina's wedding. As I typically do, I wrote it the night before her wedding. Even worse, for my other sister Elena's wedding, I wrote my speech on the drive in the car between the ceremony and the reception. Ridiculous, yet nothing outta the ordinary for me!

Anyway, after I found this speech--written messily on five double-sided sheets of graph paper, mind you--I reread it and found so much joy in it! I realized that a) I would hate to lose this precious speech in a house fire so I'll save it on my blog, and b) I want my sissy to be able to read it whenever she wants to!

"Good evening beloved friends and family of the bride and groom. I want to personally thank all of you for being here to celebrate the beautiful marriage of Cody and Kristina--I know that quite a few of you traveled long distances, so your presence here today is very much appreciated.

My name is Jenny and I am, always have been, and always will be known as 'Kristina's little sister'. In all honesty, within our childhood years Kristina and I were never quite too fond of one another. And our mere 5-year age difference always felt more like an entire 2 decades of age difference. And with my intolerance to Pepsi, Kristina and I couldn't have been more different. So what happened between then and now you ask? If we were such polar opposites growing up, then how did I manage to land the Maid of Honour seat at her wedding?

Well, the beginning of our beautiful friendship all happened some ten years ago when our parents took the two of us to Germany (and apparently pretty good things happen in German, hey Cody??) Anyway, on this family vacation, it was just the two of us girls and no other siblings. Kristina was the only person I could hang out with, and I was the only person she could hang out with, 'cause let's be real here...at that age the last thing you wanna do is chill with your parents! (No offence mom and dad, you know I love you both!)

Anyway, the close quarters in the land of lederhosen and schnitzel forced Krissy and I to finally see eye-to-eye. Her dark skin always made it harder for us to bond since my pasty-white siblings and I were positive that she was adopted! But that's besides the point. After that trip, Krissy was no longer my big, mean, evil sister and--hopefully--I was no longer her awkward and overwhelmingly annoying little sister. Rather, we were two sisters on the road to a some-what civilized friendship.

The following years were spent with me looking up at Kristina with big dreamy eyes, bursting with admiration. I had a head filled with thoughts like 'I wish I had been blessed with big, luscious curls like hers!', 'ohhh to think I could get anything in the world if I had Kristina's long-shaving-cream-commercial-legs!', 'why can't I work night shift at Loewen Windows too?', 'I wish I knew how to drop a hot pan of freshly baked apple crisp all over the kitchen floor like Kristina does!', or...'if only I had Kristina's talent of downing a 12 pack of Pepsi everyday of the week, then my life would be complete!'

Kristina has a big heart and with the eyes of an observant and watchful little sister, I always noticed it most whenever she would have Andrea and Val over to watch movies, because she would always make room on the ugly-floral couch for little ole me to sit beside her and her treasured box of empty Pepsi cans. And whenever she wasn't too busy helping Dad with chores in the chicken barn, or nursing sick kittens back to life with a bottle of eye-drops, or mowing the lawn with a bag of Spitz in her hand, she was always there to offer me much-need life advice and fine words of wisdom like, 'don't stress about high school because it's such a tiny part of your life' or 'work hard and spend your money wisely' or 'Pepsi is better than coke'. Kristina's honesty and strong-will have always been admirable to me and have made her nothing short of a role model in my eyes.

So when Kristina took off on a plane to Germany to attend Bodenseehof Bible School in 2005, the thought of our young and frivolous days coming to an end brought me great sadness. In fact, as soon as we returned home from the airport after sending her away, I cried all over her old pillow. With all of my siblings also gone off to college, who was gonna take me for four-wheeler rides in the bush and gravel pits? Who was gonna sit outside and watch thunderstorms with me? Who was gonna play XBOX with me through all hours of the night? But most importantly, who was gonna finish off all the Pepsi in the house? My life without Kristina's big, brown, blinky eyes felt incomplete and empty, and at such a young age I never could understand why my big sister wanted to run off all by herself to live in a foreign country! But looking back now, I cannot help but see that she was letting God use her adventurous and free-spirited personality to fulfill his plan of bringing something or someone incredibly GREAT into her life! And it is mind-blowing to think that if she had not had the strength to step onto the big, scary airplane six years ago, then she and her wonderful man would not be sitting happily before us today! God is SO good!!

Kristina, even though I can't stand your habit of leaving a trail of Pepsi cans behind you everywhere you go, I still think that you are the best big sister anyone could have asked for...other than Elena of course. ;) From seeing you graduate from high school going to Bible college in Germany, falling in love with a big red and hairy Scottish man, moving to Calgary, and now finally getting married, you are truly an inspiration to me! You have always had God as the centre and leader of your life and you don't even know how much joy it brings me to see you married to Cody!

Krissy, thank you so much for asking me to be your Maid of Honour. It has been wonderful being able to be a part of this experience with you. I want you to know that I love you, and I love the man God picked out for you, and I also hope that he will be almost as much fun to cuddle with as I am. :) God bless!"

❤ ❤ ❤

Then; Brad Paisley.

This is how I feel, every single day with my boyfriend Jarryd :)
Happy TWO YEAR anniversary baby!!! <3 <3
I love you to the moon and back!

I remember trying not to stare
The night that I first met you
You had me mezmorized
And three weeks later
In the front porch light
Taking 45 minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
I thought I loved you then

Now you're my whole life
Now you're my whole world
I just can't believe
The way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than its ever been
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I remember taking you back
To right where I first met you
You were so suprised
There were people around
But I didn't care
I got down on one knee right there
And once again
I thought I loved you then

Now you're my whole life
Now you're my whole world
I just can't believe
The way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than its ever been
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I can just see you
With a baby on the way
I can just see you
When your hair is turning grey
What I can't see
Is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

Now you're my whole life
Now you're my whole world
I just can't believe
The way I feel about you girl
We'll look back someday
At this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then

And I thought I loved you then...