on thursday, two of my dearest friends from home stopped in da EC to see me and spend time with me for a bit in the morning en route to chicago!  we ate a little breakkie in a sunny window of the nucleus and talked and laughed and just enjoyed!  i was, and still continue to be, so floored that they would carve out that time for me.  it meant the world!

on saturday, i didn't do the homework i should have... instead, i did lots of watercoloring, painted my nails gold for becca's birthday, and ate grapefruit and watched friends. (:

on saturday evening, i got to celebrate the life of miss becca zimmerman!  we wore any gold we had (22 on the 22nd!), drank sophisticated beverages like the grown women we are (: and ate really good cheesecake. (honestly, jenna could just quit this whole intervarsity staff business, open up a cheesecake shop and do veeery well for herself (:)  just kidding, jenna, please stay on staff!

i love you, holland kabat, my buddy!

^^ showin off our gold bling (:

isn't becca beautiful?!  i am not the same person for knowing her.  and the earth is filled with more Jesus-loving because she exists.  thank you for being my friend, becca!  i love you!

also, on saturday evening, these mega-talented friends performed isaac originals in the cabin for open mic night... wowza!  i remember thinking "this is the moment i'll look back on and remember when they make it big" (: ha, but seriously.  i'm so proud they're my friends!  really talented, humble, good men.

i am a blessed woman.

do somethin adventurous today!

last thursday, i met with my dear friend ang and we talked about what a crazy, rare thing that being a college student is, and what a treasured time of life it is.  she told me they might be four of the best years of life and she begged me to remember the moments this semester.  things that angela says about being a senior always mean extra to me because she's looking at things from a year out.  so that night, i believed her. and i let it shape the way i thought about the rest of the day.  it's kind of amazing what happens when your eyes start searching for things to cherish.

things to cherish, like dinner with alexis, savannah, and mikayla, showing snapchats and shouting across the caf at nik doll.

things to cherish, like going to becca's room, laughing with her about her valentine's gift for sam of justin weber's laugh recorded.  and talking about her wedding and about things we're thinking and things we're learning.  becca living with molly, only two dorms away.

things to cherish, like walking back to my room and seeing ethan and rachael in the towers lounge on my way and ethan really wanting to do a jam session in the practice room.  rachael and i pretending we know how to drum on overturned cardboard boxes and all of us singing really loud, not caring if anyone and everyone could hear.

things to cherish, like afton and i walking down a floor to visit zach and aaron, our buddies, and listening to silly ocean sounds on spotify, talking about all of the "decorations" they've stolen.

things to cherish, like telling becca between classes that i could really go for a doughnut with pink sprinkles in honor of my favorite day, and justin tossing us his car keys so we could make it happen, skipping class, because um, hello, doughnuts.

things to cherish, like dreaming with syd about the places we'll go and the things we'll do in life over cups of coffee.  hearing how she's so in love.

things to cherish, like afton and i starting sunday caf homework night and bringing stuff to work on to the caf because we want to make it cool to do homework there, and all the friends who joined, even just staying in the caf extra long to hang out with us (luke suggested we start #HWatHT... homework at hilltop)...we'll get that trending soon.

things to cherish, like all of my very favorite people, living in the same city.  this will never happen again!  i never want to look at this time of my life and think i could have done it better, could have embraced it harder.  guys, it's amazing what happens when you're looking for beauty in everyday happenings!  i want to challenge you to do that today!  make a habit of it.  these days, this life, it's all so very precious.  so precious.  the next person you run into, the next friend you hug, the next adventure you go on, the next class you skip, the next person you walk up the hill with.. thank the LORD, the mighty good Giver.

and one day, i won’t be living a floor away from zach and aaron, and i won’t be roommates with afton, and justin won’t be around to toss his keys to two doughnut-craving friends.  becca won’t be talking to me about her wedding invitations, because she won't be two dorms away, and because one day, the cake will have been cut and the knot tied.  the faces i see every day will be different than the ones i see now.  so for now, i decided i’m going to suck all the sweetness i can out of every single day.  and that will be my life.

^^ for your entertainment... that's embarrassing... ha #sideponytail #wonkyteeth #datbanglyfe
mom & i always had so much fun with my valentine boxes!  ya know, i have a really good mom.. isn't she cool?! ^^

today was a sunny one, and i'm grateful!  so grateful.  i just really hope you know how loved you are today, tonight, tomorrow, forever.  and the only way we can understand love is because of Jesus. isn't that cool?  God created love, He is love, and He loves us the best!  our love for one another is only little fragments and glimpses into His love!  i hope tonight, instead of looking at your relationship status, you are looking at Jesus and thanking Him for this life we get to live and the love we get to know because of Him.  and i hope you hugged your friends, and ate something not-so-good for you with pink on it, and maybe looked at a flower, and wore pink pants, and listened to happy songs, and greeted at least five people with "happy valentine's day!" (:
hey, guess what?  the love doesn't stop tomorrow!  wooo!  #partylyfe #Jesuslyfe

valentine's day (or valentiMe's day if you're junie b jones... or nic ferch..) has been my favorite day for a long time!  and i know everybody has mixed thoughts about this day, but i don't care, i just LOVE it.  it's just so fun & you get to be reminded to tell everyone how much you love them and say it a lot and wear pink and go on a date if you want and really, what's not to love?!  but actually i totally get if you're not too into v-day.. i really do.  for the ^grumpy cats^^ out there, it's a day of obligation.  a "hallmark" holiday.  but don't let it be!  don't buy the hallmark card or box of chocolates!  (please don't.. we all can do better ha)  how bout this year we use valentine's day as an excuse to think creatively and outrageously of how we can show the people around us that we love em.  let's do it big and lavishly and unreservedly.. after all, that's always been Jesus' style!  so let's stop with all that "singles awareness" crap k? haha

^oh, & these pics are my favorite little lovely ones i found online.. i just like em!  they make me happy!
& thanks, God, for love, huh?!

tonight, after my night class (i have an unfortunate habit of taking those, don't i?), i found myself crabby and just kind of annoyed at everything.  today was one of those days that started with a quiz where i accidentally spelled "etiquette" as "edicate" and ended with me saying "mornin!" to a very confused cafeteria worker on my way to grab dinner quick before my class.  it was definitely 6:00 PM when that happened.
so when i was walking up the hill after class, i put my coat hood up like a pouty little kid (and because it was cold... very cold.) and was just crabby.  but then actually i felt better having my hood up like that, because it did make me feel a little bit like a kid.  this made me realize that maybe the reason i was so pooped and crabby was because i wanted to be taken care of (bear with me... i know this sounds a bit like a diva) and because i really don't know how to rest, either.  when i'm here at school, i'm taking care of myself all the time and if i don't do things, they won't get done, and if i forget to eat, i forget to eat.  mom's not gonna remind me.  (makes sense, that's the whole growing-up thing) but also, in the midst of those thoughts and as much as i like taking care of myself and being a real, live, responsible, and contributing grown up, i just kind of really wanted to be taken care of.  i craved rest.  and in that moment, i remembered amy's words from last semester that had hit hard for me... "Jesus takes care of us."
wowie, He does!  my soul feels lifted by that.  i'm not in this whole life business alone.  He takes care of us.
He takes care of us.
He takes care of us.

He takes care of us.

^^ one of the ways i feel most taken-care-of: when God gives us sun.  (the past coupla days, i have woken up just saying, "oh LORD, please?  the sun?!" ha!  
He restores my soul.  [rəˈstôr/ : return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position.]
and this is one of the most major ways he does it any day.
(feat. my favorite bottle sitting on my desk in the sun.  it says "pure & good."  mmh, i just like that!)

in what ways can you recognize and say "thanks, God, for the ways You restore my soul"?
how do you see Him taking care of you?

hey, you guys!  i really have been stumped the past coupla weeks over what to blog about.  i've had thoughts & feelings & i'm learning new things, but for some reason i just haven't been too inspired.  not good, not good! 
so, instead of really knowing, how bout i'll tell ya a couple thoughts on my mind these days?! 

first of all, this pic is afton's & my "front door."  our little home here in eau claire, and i'm quite fond of this room!  i took a picture of the door because i always smile when i see all of those notes from our dear friends.  some of them funny, some of them the kindest, but they all bless us like crazy!  because really, when else in my life am i gonna have a door where all of my friends can just leave sticky notes whenever they want?  #theperksofbeingaseniorinthedorms #therearen'ttoomany (; #justkiddinglovinthatseniordormlyfe

this morning i decided that flowers shouldn't just come from boys.. so when i get more money, i think i just wanna buy all of my friends flowers! ...also, i may or may not have googled "flower shops in eau claire" because i'm itching to just walk around in one.

i am convinced there are few things better for the soul than adventuring in the woods, climbing stuff and whipping down dead trees, and crossing treacherous frozen-over streams, laughing like little children together with friends.  i got to do that this weekend a little and it's been a long time since i have felt so ALIVE (:

i kind of just really want to go on a date... a datey date date!  haha, doesn't that sound fun?!  i think that sounds fun.

i want to leave people better than how i found them.. you know how people say that about rooms and places?  well, i want to do that with people.  and not in the sense of me being Jesus or a savior or anything, just in the sense that it would be my greatest joy if i could care for people well and at all times.  i want to develop habits of listening well, and loving well and in personal ways, and telling them the things i always think in my head but forget to say (like, "wow, you're beautiful!" or "you're so good at that," etc.)  i want friends and strangers to know their value better because of how i treat them.  along with this, i have come to learn that the only way i can do that is when i remain in the Vine, Jesus, the One from Whom all of these things flow.  i can't love people without or apart from Him.

God is teaching me extra lately that He is steady.  and i just really like that.

it's almost valentine's day and holland day... HOLLER.

isn't this song good?!  this morning i got to listen to little chief on repeat in a quiet room with coffee while i journaled.  because it's tuesday, ya'll!  tuesday is becoming my favorite day of the school week.

i don't think people understand how much i love being called lex or lexi and what it means to me!  it seriously is my favorite thing though.. i can't say it enough!

i don't really know what else.  if you live in eau-cleezy, you should stop by our room.  and maybe even leave a little note?! hmm?  924 sow-tow! (:

have beautiful days!  remember the LORD today.

"we need the sounds and words and rhythms of hope and longing and beauty.  we need the drums and the strings.  we're desperate for great music, and there's so much out there, but never, ever enough.  we're desperate for great storytellers, great painters, great dancers, great cooks, because art does something nothing else does.
art slips past out brains straight into our bellies.  it weaves itself into our thoughts and feelings and the open spaces in our souls, and it allows us to live more and say more and feel more.  it matter, art does, so deeply.  it's one of the noblest things, because it can make us better, and one of the scariest things, because it comes from such a deep place inside of us.  i know that life is busy and hard, and that there's crushing pressure to just settle down and get a real job and khaki pants and a haircut.  but don't.  please don't.  please keep believing that life can be better, brighter, broader, because of the art that you make.
do something creative every day, even if you work in a cubical, even if you have a newborn, even if someone told you a long time ago that you're not an artist, or you can't sing, or you have nothing to say.  we hope those people develop adult-onset acne really bad. (:))  everyone has something to say.  everyone.  because everyone, every person, was made in the image of God.  if He is a Creator, and in fact He is, then we are creators.
pick up a needle and thread, and stitch together something particular and honest and beautiful, because we need it.  i need it.
thank you an keep going."

i apologize that it's been so long!  i kind of went into a funk of not having too much to say these past few days, i guess.  and my last semester of college classes just started, so my attention's been there and reading love does in my free time. (:  but hey, wanna see a spattering of pics from my last few days at home with the fam a week ago?!  and wanna hear some little thoughts of mine lately??  oh good, i was hopin you'd say yes!

these are from an evening together before paige and i headed back to school.  we went to one of my faaaavorite places, the copper hen, for dinner and three words for you: OM NOM NOM.  that place and it's coziest atmosphere... so divine!  i'm such a sucker for the wholesome homemade in a dimly-lit, mason jar drinking, stringed-light kinda place...

i looove uptown at night.. every tree all lit up!  ^^

and these are little snapshots around home that i want to remember:

baybay guuurl... one of my favorite things: being close enough to sidney to see those tiny freckles she has on her nose and on the top of her cheeks... she's a real beaut!  

oh, and some thoughts.. eh, nevermind.  i don't really have much to say.  but tonight, before you go to bed, tell God one thing you love about Him and thank Him for being God, k?  let's do that together.

oh, one more thing:  i've recently heard from a couple friends that they read my blog, and i gotta tell ya, it's my honor that you, dear reader, are here!  most sincerely!  thank you for being here and following along.  when i heard that, i was (and continue to be) so touched!  

sweet dreams!  peace & blessings, too!