Watch. This. Video. It's crazy awesome. 

I really wish I could whistle....

P.S.- Stay tuned this week for a playlist that's sure to enrich your summer sunshine happiness :)

Happy Birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday to YOU,

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Happy Birthday dear Laur Baur,

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!

Today you are 21!

Wanna read 21 reasons why I love you? I know you do...

1. You are my best friend.
2. You are so loyal.
3. You are beautiful.
4. You are hilarious.
5. You love teen novels like me.
6. We named every Disney movie today with "animal companions."
7. You have beautiful brown eyes that do not look like poop even though you say that all the time.
8. You cry with me.
9. You are such a good listener.
10. We have known each other for so long. A decade to be precise. 
11. Everyone thought we wouldn't stay friends in college. How wrong were they?!
12. We have the same personality type. ESFJ's UNITE!!
13. We wear the same size clothes. Great for sharing. And being twins.
14. On the twins note, we like the same food. All food. 
15. We have the same love language :) Quality times are the best times.
16. You are so giving. 
17. You can sleep forever. Weird that I'm bringing this up? No. I love it.
18. You are so supportive.
19. You are so godly. I find myself naturally gravitating to your encouragement.
20. You have the same major as me!! We are the same person geez. {Insert high five/hug here}
21. The last and final thing: Heather described our friendship this morning as unconditional love. I don't know if I've ever seen it the way she was describing us. How we can fight and get annoyed and laugh and cry together but still love each other so deeply. Monday night is the best example, we can literally scream at each other with tears covering our cheeks and still end up embracing. It's funny how I picture our friendship in my head. I know we will always be friends. I know it. If you don't know why, see this post. 

Obviously 21 reasons I love you will never describe the friendship I have with you. You mean so much to me Lauren Marie Christensen. More than I could ever explain through email, texts, phone calls, notes, photobooth videos, wall posts or just words in general. My heart instantly feels fuller around you. 

I love you so much my dearest friend. This special day is YOURS. You rock.

Someday we'll have precious children like this. But for now, let's pretend these happy preshies are us, celebrating YOU :)

21. 21. 21. 21. 21. 21. 21.

I never knew...

Dear family, I never knew how strong you were until that was our only choice we had. 

Thanks for letting me be a part of all of your crazy lives. You are so loved. 

Kam

sista sista.

Dear Lauren,
I'm finally doing a post about you. I know that it has bothered you that I haven't haha. I just have so much, too much to say about you. I don't even know where to start! Here goes....

Laur, there are many things I love about you but the first that comes to my mind right now is the knowledge that you will always be there for me. What a comforting thought! When I visualize my life I see a few people standing next to me as the scenes change behind us. Jesus, my family, Apey, and you. I don't know if I've ever really developed that thought till now but I really do see that in my mind all the time! It's a combination of two things: 1. you are an amazing friend and 2. I never want to lose you. I will expand on point 1. You always listen to me, whether I'm sad or happy or mad or scared or worried or stressed. I find so much comfort when I think that I know I can always come to you and talk. And I do always come to you. I love that you are so wise. Whenever I talk to you about things, I know I'll get a good response. I love that sometimes those good responses aren't what I always wanna hear, and even though I may react badly to that, I love that you care enough to tell me I'm being ridiculous. I love that when I found out about my dad, you held me while I cried. I love that every time I am sad, I can be completely broken with you and not have to think about judgement. I really really love when I can be there for you when you are sad, I love it when you walk in my room after a hard day and crumple onto my bed and I scratch your back. I love how you love your family. I love how you genuinely care about everyone's life. I love how you ask a million questions to people when you first meet them! You make me laugh. I love to laugh with you. We both love the same things: coke, nail polish, reading (teen books), sci fi, mushy gushy movies, foooooooood, sunshine, etc etc etc. I love that you are so intentional. I love that you are bible study/discipleship chair, I'm so proud of you!! I'm so proud of who you are and how much you've grown since 6th grade. You are such an amazing woman. You are so loyal and caring. You are so selfless to help me with Tshirts every time. You are so understanding! I love that we are both non-confrontational but we can confront each other ;) I love that we can talk about what we struggle with and it's usually the same thing.

Your friendship means so much to me my precious sister. One of my favorite things is hearing songs or seeing movies or reading quotes that remind me of our friendship. The best thing about us is that we have been friends for a decade :) I cannot wait to graduate and teach together. I can't wait to have little play-dates with our kiddies! I am constantly reminded of the verse in Philippians 1:3 when Paul says, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." That's how I feel about you Laur. I am so thankful for you. For who you are. For your selfless friendship. For your example.

I can't even imagine how much He loves you, so lavishly, wildly and immensely!

I love you more than I can explain, my best friend.

Mountainview Mustang.

Today was my last day as a Teaching Associate at Mountainview Elementary!!!!! Really bittersweet. I have been awaiting this day pretty much all year but now that it has arrived, I'm so sad!

Reasons I don't want to go:

1. I love the girls that I taught with. Our 3rd grade little team has been such a blessing to my year. Erin, Jessica and Kelsey have blessed me beyond what they could ever know. Seeing each of their face at 7:15 every morning, doing life together, sharing stories and laughs, and just being a team. I loved it. I am going to miss them so much next year as I'm interning at a different school.

I will share one story I love to tell: A month or so ago, I was having a really rough week. I felt like I was drowning, being forced down beneath the raging waters with the reality of situations and even lies that I was believing. I was feeling useless, not good enough, selfish, stupid, emotional and just downright depressed. I remember coming to the point in my prayers where I cried out saying, "Lord I just really need encouragement today. I need joy and happiness that comes from you. I need encouragement because I feel so utterly discouraged." So I go to school like every other day and had a mediocre lesson. My little team could tell I was upset and as I was leaving Mountainview to go back to Baylor, Erin handed me a card. When I got into my car, I read it and started bawling! Erin was so unbelievably encouraging and my heart felt so full!! It could not have come at a better time, thank you Jesus!!! Erin even said that she had the card for a while :) PTL that He has perfect timing. PTL that He blessed me so much with 3 amazing girls to work with and love!!!!!

2. I love my students. I loved seeing their sweet, shining and sometimes obnoxious little selves every morning! My favorite was Jami. Yes I know I shouldn't have favorites but I just can't help it. She was HYSTERICAL. She wore a parka when it was 80 degrees! AND she was such a Belieber. She wore a Justin Bieber shirt every day. Don't worry that they were "hand-crafted." She also looked like the little chunker from Up, except a girl hehe :)

this little gem is Jami. #1 fan!!

Another story: today one of my students said to me that she "had to tell me something right away."
Me-"Yes, Angelina?"
A- "I have to say that I've always thought of you as an older sister."
AW. I just about teared up, what a sweetheart. See, those moments are the moments in teaching that I live for. The moments I know I was called to do this. Because that's what teaching is all about for me, that's why I'm going to do this energy consuming, majorly underpaid job. I really believe that this is my calling. I can't wait to be the teacher that really affects her students. I can't wait for the parents of my students to think, "Hey there is something different about her. She has something I want." GOD!! JESUS!! THE HOLY SPIRIT!! Ah! I can't wait!!!! I just want to love my students. Bah I can't believe He loves me so much.


So basically to sum up this post, I just can't wait to teach my own students. I have said this before and I'm sayin it again! Not many people get to have true joy when doing their job, and I'm so thankful that I am called to something that compliments my gifts and my interests! I love kids and I cannot wait to teach 20 some odd little ones :)

Before our last day of class! We played Math Kickball :)

Hugs for me!

My favorite girlies!

P.S- I love being called Miss Caldwell.