Boys and Girls

So this has been bugging me lately (and I'm about to be super honest with you). I honestly want your feedback and thoughts.

I'm a girl...a very girly girl, to be precise. According to Karissa's personality test (which is SO true), I am a guardian provider, which basically means I am a classic, southern hospitality, motherly-instinct kind of girl who wants a fairy tale when it comes to romance. Now, I can rough it with the boys when needed (geo-caching, anyone?), but for the most part, I want to be a girl.

This is what bugs me: Why is it that as a girl, if I say that I want to be in a quality, loving relationship, people automatically label me as boy-crazy and someone who just wants to get married? In this moment of honesty, yes, eventually, I'd like to get married, but not tomorrow or necessarily even next year. However, for guys, when they say they want to find a girl, it's seen as noble and manly.

I just got through rereading a blog from my friend Steven. He wrote it this summer, and it's amazing. He talks about saving himself for his future wife and how much he can't wait to meet her, yet he's content in waiting, as long as he finds her eventually. People absolutely sang his praises after he wrote it. Every girl basically fell in love, and every guy thought he was awesome. Also, on MANY of my guy-friends' profiles, they have "my future wife" or "a nice girl" under their "Who you'd like to meet" section. Yet, if I were to write either of those things, people would think I was crazy.

Especially at Southwestern, people assume the majority of girls are here just to get their M-R-S degrees. Just so you know, there are some girls here who have brains and want a degree and really, really value their school work. Sure, I'm guilty of having no idea what I want to do with my life, but I'm not here just to get married. I want an education. I came for an education. Now, (another moment of extreme honesty) did I hope to find my better half here at the GU? Sure. My brother did, and a lot of people do. Why not? I go to school with hundreds of men in my age group who love Jesus and are obviously smart enough to be pursuing a college degree. Odds are, one out of this group could have some potential. But is marriage my reason for being in college? Heck no. I believe in God's timing and plan completely.

Anyway, sorry for the bitter rant. I just don't understand why girls get such a bad rap. Yes, I would like more than anything to find someone to spend time with just for the sake of pleasant company, but I'm not boy-crazy or a shallow girl. Thoughts??

Christen

To my wonderful friends...

Thank you to everyone who made this one of the best weekends of my life!! I feel like I took a hiatus from school and just reconnected. I'm serious- so refreshing and fun!! I haven't laughed as much as I did this weekend in a really long time.

I have this theory that I have 3 generations of Southwestern friends. My freshman year (pre-Master's commission) I was mainly friends with older people, and now they are grown up and getting married. After Master's, I was friends with people my own age who are either seniors or one year out of school now. And now, my friends are mainly juniors and seniors. These are three very distinct groups that I love for so many reasons, and they overlap to a degree. Karissa tends to be the main over-lapper. haha But I love and appreciate them so very much.

This weekend, I managed to spend very significant time with all these people. It started Thursday night at my house. My newest group came over for pizza and games, and we all just hung out. It was really nice. Then Friday, I went to dinner with several of my older girls because Angie Yandell was in town (she's getting married in 2 months!!!!!). We cracked each other up with our awesome hair styles and cheerleading routines. haha!! Later that night, I got to camp with some very dear friends for Shelby's birthday. We went geo-cacheing which is probably my new favorite thing, for sure! I've really miss being in the woods and enjoying nature (except for those wretched spiders!!), so it was great. We roasted marshmellows and had great "life" talks and even made breakfast Saturday morning. I love my friends so much!

After camping, everyone headed to Southwestern's homecoming football game (which we won!!!!!!!) to see Sigi and Girien crowned Queen and King (and to see me cheer, of course...haha). Shelby had to hand over her Queen title. We had a really great Homecoming Court (shout out to Nate and Chris!), and I would have been pleased with any of them winning. It was a great game and a beautiful day. My parents even came. It was wonderful to see them! :) After dinner with my padres, I attended Angie's wedding shower. It was lovely (Andrea is a wonderful host), and she received some beautiful things. It was so refreshing to see all the girls there. I miss them terribly. Post shower, I continued in the celebration of Shelby's birth at her house. Karissa made her famous cookies, and we all drank hot chocolate before a rousing game of Farkle (dice game). I lost, but it was still a blast. Then, we just goofed off until really late. I miss my roomies. :( But it was fantastic to see them all weekend. :) Thanks to Brooke for spending the night and bumming around with me this afternoon! Love you!

So, here's to my friends who enrich my life and make me who I am. I am so blessed. I was telling Jeanene last night how much I enjoyed myself and almost started crying. I couldn't have asked for a better college experience or better friends. I love each and every one of you and am so thankful you are part of my life. I love you!

Christen

As promised, here are pictures from my birthday! Sorry it took so long, but I've been using the computer at work to maintain this thing, and I can't really upload pictures. Anyway, now I'm at home with the wonderful thing known as wireless internet. :) Thank you to everyone who made my birthday spectacular. Enjoy!

Wednesday, Brooke and I got pedicures! woo hoo!


Cute, huh, with the little flowers!


Then, Friday night, Scott, Erik, Sigi, and I graced Medieval Times with out presence. :)
Birthday girl and Sigi (we wore our crowns proudly):


Me and Scott goofing off before dinner:


Sigi and Erik (such a fun picture):


Though cheesy choreography, it was a great show:


And then Sunday night, we had a little girl fun at Magic Time Machine. :) I love my friends!!
Andrea, Jessica, and Danae being fabulous:


Danae, Birthday girl, and Esther:


I think this picture is SO cute!! Jeanene, Karissa, and Shelby:


Okay, here they are all smiling:


The group: Andrea, Jessica, Danae, Me, Esther, Jeanene, Karissa, and Shelby:


Yay, birthday!!!
If you'd like to see the rest of the pics (not that many more), go to: Birthday Pics

Birthday '06!

Thank you to all the well-wishers on my birthday!  I had a tremendous birthday.  You all made it so very special.

Wednesday, my dear friend Brooke took me to Midlothian for a pedicure.  Oh, it was awesome, and we have super cute little toes now. :)  Then we met up with all my amazing friends at Chick Fil A for dinner. Yum! That night, Scott and I got to hang out for a bit.  Good times on the day of my birth. :)

Then Friday night, Erik, Sigi, Scott, and I went to Medieval Times to celebrate.  (I have pictures, but I haven't had a chance to upload them yet.)  It was so much fun.  I kinda felt like a little kid all over again.  Afterwards, we had some game time, and yes, Erik won Catch Phrase in all it's glory. ;)

Sunday night concluded the celebration of me (just kidding...okay, I'm not) with a group of friends going to the Magic Time Machine (pictures to come). So...it was nothing like what I expected.  In my head, I was thinking Cheesecake Factory meets Chuck E Cheese.  I thought it was going to be semi-nice yet crazy.  Nope, just crazy.  Our waitress was the toothfairy, and she was to the point.  There was no fluff with this woman.  She was there to work; it was kinda funny.  Then, a magician came by, as did Superman.  Yeah, Superman was really in costume. Ekk.
   The food was great, but the whole atmosphere was borderline creepy.  haha  Oh well, it's impossible to not have a good time with those girls (Andrea, Danae, Jessica, Esther, Karissa, Jeanene, and Shelby).  Afterwards, we went back to the Karissa-Jeanene-Shelby household for homemade, made-from-scratch ice cream sandwiches.  I'm not kidding; Karissa is freakin' amazing! (Man, I miss my roommates!!) 
   Oh, I also took a personality assessment from a book Karissa has that could not have been more accurate.  I'm a "guardian provider," which basically means I thrive on family, social engagements, and routine, and I'm warm-hearted and a nurturer.  I don't do well with spur of the moment plans.  I like being courted in the traditional sense: flowers, having doors opened, being affirmed vocally and emotionally.  Relationships are about quality time and togetherness.  Anyway, I promise you, it was like reading a recipe for me.  I was freaking out on how perfect it was.  This guy John was the one reading me my results, and he was laughing so loud because I kept saying, "Oh my gosh, yeah, that's totally me."
  So, good times.  I've had a great birthday week. :)

Happy weekend to you!  Tomorrow is my very first football game as an SAGU cheerleader.  Crazy!  I absolutely can't wait though.  Home games start next week.  I'd love it to see your face in the stands.  Feel free to come anytime. :)  For those who have been asking, here's the home game schedule:
September 23 @ 6 pm
September 30
October 21
October 28
November 4

It's been a crazy busy week.  Sometimes I wonder why I do this school thing, but it's almost over (May!!).  Anyway, have a great weekend.  I'll be in Kansas starting tomorrow.  woo hoo!

OH- and my birthday is in 5 days!!!  I hear there's a plan in the works, but I really have no clue what.  Yippee- I love my birthday!!

Love you all!
Christen

Just so you know, my birthday is in 16 days :)

Life back at school is so weird and different and upside down.  I came into this semester with a lot of expectations, and to say the least, they aren't anything like what I imagined.  All of it's not necessarily bad- just different.  I have a bad habit of imagining, down to the detail, how I want an evening/an event/a situation to play itself out.  Then, when it doesn't meet, or exceed, my expectations, I'm disappointed.

I want amazing.  I want extraordinary.  Is it wrong that I don't want to settle for normal?  It encompasses every aspect of my life: school work, friendships, relationships, holidays, birthdays, cheerleading.  I have plenty of "normal" in my everyday life: watching tv, eating microwave dinners, running errands, going to work and practices and classes.  Is it too much to ask for the other times to be significant?

I don't know.  You probably think I'm crazy, but it's how I feel.  And I'm really being okay with my feelings (however illogical or unfounded they may be).

So, all of that to say, my semester is going okay; it's just super different.  Classes are tough, and my apartment is freakin fantastic.  I'm making a homemade meal tonight (first one since being here).  woo hoo!

Christen

 

And it starts...

Wow, no, I haven't abandoned you, Xanga, but instead I have moved into a fantastic apartment with no internet connection (due to my poorness). However, thanks to the wonderful fastfood chain known as Whataburger, we will still have one another. :) I know you can't contain your enthusiasm.
Where do I even start? Last Saturday, with the help of my padres, brother, and Andrea and Steven, I moved into a great little one bedroom apartment. Then, Mom and I shopped for decor and a bed. I got a super cool bed from IKEA. Oh, my dearest IKEA, what would my apartment be without you? Anyway, after many purchases and my summer savings being depleted, Mom had to go home. So, this week has been filled with organizing, building (oh yeah, I hung all my own curtains, put my bed together, and even hung a mirror with a big bolt thing), and cleaning. And it's all done. woo hoo!! I'll post some pictures later, but it is in fact complete. :) yay!
Then Tuesday night, I began a new (yet very familiar) chapter in my SAGU life. I started cheerleading. We met for dinner and just some get-to-know-you time. We have an amazing squad. We have 3 returning cheerleaders, 2 brand new freshmen, 4 transfers, and me. :) Oh yeah, that's 10! Then Wednesday-Friday we had cheer camp. It was no joke- we met at 8:30 am and left about 10:30 each night. I promise you that I have never had so many muscles and tendons hurt in my entire life. We learned cheers, chants, dances and some great stunts. It's going to be a good year. :) Anyway, here's a few of the girls. I'm so glad I'm getting to do this.
Ashley B and Ashley R:


Tiffany and Kollette:


Me, Tiff and Ashley (we were having pictures, thus the uniforms):


So, we have cheer sisters for accountability and prayer and things. This is my beautiful little cheer sis, Ashley:


Bev took us to Campuzano's on Friday night (yum!!!). Here's Brennan, Krystal and Leslie:


Kim, Tiff, and Donna (our captain):


Me and the Ashleys again:


Here's the squad- Krystal, Brennan, Tiffany, Me, Donna, Kollette, Ashley R, Ashley B, Leslie and Kim:


Though I'm super tired, it's been a great week. I can't believe classes start this week though. ugh. Oh well, today should be fantastic. ;)

Christen