Physics and Philosophy. . . Our Own Special Flavor

     Here we are. March is upon us. How did this happen already? Who knows. Not us. We're just living our lives, trying to make the best of the time that goes by way (way, way, way, way) too fast. 
     Today's post is an insight into the minds of the Twisted Sisters. (For those of you who haven't heard this term before, it's a little something Abbz and I came up with sophomore year - a loving nickname we created for ourselves.) Before I dive into my little anecdote, it's important to note that we've been best friends for almost 4 years now. And it feels like even longer than that. At this point, we are able to almost read each other's minds. We find ourselves thinking the same thing at the same time, and even finishing each other's sentences. For example, the other day, we had a whole conversation at lunch without saying a word. All it took was a few seconds and a look. . . Yes. We are much like an old married couple. 
     Well today, our physics teacher made the mistake of letting us sit next to each other during the second half of class. As soon as we sat down, the comments began to roll. The best (or worst, however you want to look at it) part is that we totally feed off of each other. When the teacher informed us that we'd be receiving a time period to research for our project, Abbz quickly stated that she hoped we got the Inca period. . . "The only important thing during that time was corn. Piece of cake." 
     Meanwhile, I'm sitting next to here pickpocketing her jacket pocket without her realizing it. By the time she looked over, I had her ipod camera on ready to creep on people. . . 
     Later, our teacher announced that we would loose points on our project during class next week if we talked too much during work time. I looked over at Abbz and said, in quite an excellent professor-like voice, "You must work in SILENCE." This statement was followed immediately by both of us resuming rigid poses and stoic facial expressions. Looking back, I realize that it's a good thing that our classmates are like our family. Anyone else would probably attempt to get us committed to the local loony bin. 
     The real zinger came when our teacher was explaining the part of our project that involved Rube Goldberg. Our first response was to have a whole conversation on the name.
Abbz: "Ruby??"
Me: "Rube. Like tube."
Abbz: "What if it was RubE. Then you'd have to put an apostrophe above the 'e' so you know to pronounce it that way."
Me: "RubE. . . Rubeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."
Abbz: ". . . . Wait. . . is this a person??" 
     Much to the frustration of our poor teacher, we both busted out laughing at this moment, unable to stay silent in the midst of the moment of genius that had just taken place. 
     The only means of communication we haven't mastered over the years is lip reading. But  I'll take the blame for that one. No matter how many times Abbz mouths something to me from across the room during class, I am simply left dumbfounded. I get nothing. Well, that's not true. I get "ooogdrfamabe fraggistibrurg." Go team. 
     What can we say? When you put together two quirky girls who are too prone to giggling, things can get interesting. It's just the natural order of things. 

God gave me you for the ups and downs <3 

~Kenz

#twopeasinapod #RubeGoldberg #Twistedsisters #giveuscookiesorgiveusdeath #ThugLife

Bright Lights and the Bronco City

Greetings!!! 
So as Abbz has already informed you, both of us have chosen where we are going to college next fall. She filled you in on her journey to decision, but left mine up to me. Well, it's time. 
As of a week ago (when I applied for campus housing) I am officially set to attend Boise State University in the fall of 2013. I'm gonna be a Bronco and I'm super excited about it! Although I only recently sent in my housing request, the decision has been made since December, when I received my acceptance letter. But the story really goes back to September, when I decided to road-trip over to Boise to check it out for myself. 
Naturally, since I had gone with Abbz to tour Pullman almost a year earlier, I announced to her that this time, she was coming with me. So we left school early on a sunny Friday afternoon (smirking at all the "suckers" that still had to be in class for another 2 hours) and hit the road. My dad was the designated driver for the trip, so all Abbz and I had to do was occupy the back seat and relax. 
The six hour road trip was a breeze. It consisted of long talks about school, life and growing up; "who do you think would survive the Hunger Games" trivia questions; and, obviously, road trip snacks - because we all know those are a key ingredient to a successful drive. All in all, we made it to Boise in one piece, (although I think my dad's ears were burning from the incessant sound of our voices) and hit the city to check things out before we toured the campus the next day. 
It was pretty late when we arrived so we got to see the night lights and life of Idaho's capitol. I instantly loved it. We drove around the city for a while, then parked in the garage and tackled some blocks by foot. My favorite aspect of the city was that it had all the feel of a big city - the energy, the lights, the sights - without the sketchy feeling of a city like Portland. (Sorry to those of you who love P-land, but let's face it, it can get a little shady.) Also, everything felt clean and new and vibrant. Altogether, it felt like a place I would love to be. 
After we were done exploring the city, we dragged our tired selves back to the hotel and after a few shenanigans, we hit the sack.
The next day was the tour. I won't go into all the details because it was your standard college tour; lot's of talking, walking, and buildings. But for me it was an awesome experience. The day was beautiful and sunny (the dry climate is DEFINITELY a contributing factor in my decision to go there) and the campus had a great feeling to it. I had never been there before and usually when I'm in new, large places, I feel like I'm perpetually lost. But on the Boise campus I never felt overwhelmed. I loved seeing college students walk past us in their orange and blue and getting a feel for life as a Bronco. 
After the official tour was over, we went to the cafe and ate lunch at Chick-fil-A. (I know, right? That's enough to sell anyone.) Then we went to the swag store and I purchased some memorabilia. We finished the day by catching part of a rugby game. What better way to get a feel for college life than to pop a squat on the lawn with the other students and cheer for the boys? :) 
During that day, my dad and Abbz would ask me, "What do you think?" and "How do you like it?" and "Is this the one?" Honestly, at the time, I could already tell I loved it. But with so many options out there, I felt the pressure of, "How do I know if this is right? Is it wise to make the decision so soon?" Questions about finance and the presige of the school were kinda swirling in my head. I wanted to be excited, but I didn't know if I should be. In the end, though, I realized that if I loved the school, why stress out about other options? It works for me in so many ways and somehow, in considering all of the schools that were on my list, Boise was the only one that already felt like home. I was drawn to it way more than anywhere else and I think that might have been God leading me in the direction he wants me to go. And guess what? I am absolutely happy with that. 
So there you have it! My dad is talking about taking another trip down there to check it out again and maybe show the whole family. I really hope we do, because I want to visit again, this time knowing for sure that it's where I belong. 
It's a strange next step, and a big one, but I'm very excited for the future and can't wait to see what college life holds for me :) 

~Kenz
#BroncoNation #Collegelife #Bestbuddyroadtrip #ThugLife

A Joy That Surpasses That of Cookies

Hey everybody. This post is actually going to be a sister post to "From a lover of footy pajamas, grace, and all things confusing." One thing that Abbz and I have always shared is our faith. Over the years we have been on our faith journey together, encouraging each other as we have drawn closer to Christ. This in turn has drawn us closer to each other, and it is something that I am extremely thankful for. All that being said, I'd just like to add my own post to the encouragement that Abbz wrote previously.
With the recent events in gun violence and other social tragedies, there seems to almost be a dark cloud hanging over us right now. In the last week I've gotten some bad news of my own concerning family and friends. A couple of nights ago, after receiving what seemed like the 100th piece of bad news in a week, I went to my dad, feeling broken and at a loss for hope. I have always believed that our God is a sovereign, perfect God who has everything in His control. I also believe that all things work according to His perfect purposes. In fact, in Romans 8:28 it says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." But at that moment that night, I just couldn't understand why there had to be pain and suffering; Why God's plan, though perfect, has to hurt so much sometimes.
Unfortunately, I don't have a perfect answer. My dad didn't have a perfect answer either. When it comes to the mind of God, and the balance between his perfect goodness and the sin in the world, things get a little mysterious. But we do know that because we live in a fallen world, there are going to be trials and tragedies. When we face tough situations and when bad things happen to us, it's not because God does not love us. It's because we are sinful creatures in a broken world. If you drive a broken car, chances are, it's going to be a tough ride. You're going to break down and have countless problems along the way, but if you have a correct map, you're going to reach your destination eventually, despite the difficulties. As Christians, we do have the right map. As long as we keep our eyes on God, and trust Him completely with our lives, we will be going in the right direction.
This brings me to another point. In the last year, I've taken big steps in my faith. God has used things in my life to teach me important lessons. One of these is the true meaning of putting my focus on God. Granted, I don't have it all figured out. And I sure as heck don't do a perfect job of keeping my focus on God. But I did learn an important lesson. As I have encountered personal struggles in the past year, I have done my best to take them to God. I learned a long time ago (and am still learning) that despite my tendency to be a control freak, I am not strong enough to conquer my struggles on my own. So in the hardest times, when my mind was overwhelmed with the things that I was dealing with, I would pray. Usually my prayers looked something like this, "Lord, please rescue me from darkness. Take away my struggles and help me to overcome them for Your glory. Help me to put my focus on You instead of my problems." Over and over again, I would pray prayers like this - asking God to relieve me from my worries and hardships. Then one day, triggered by a sermon I had heard from my pastor and some MercyMe songs I'd been listening too, God revealed something to me. In all of my prayers, I prayed that God would turn my focus to Him and away from my difficulties. This is a good prayer to have, the only problem was my mindset. Although I was praying for a God centered focus, I wasn't working to achieve it. All of my prayers focused on what I wanted God to give me, instead of simply trusting in Him. In praying that God would take away my struggles, I was actually focusing on them too much. I realized that putting my focus on God does not mean praising Him for what he could give me, it means praising Him for who He is and what He has already given me. His son shed His blood for me, and as a result I am washed clean of my brokenness and sin in God's eyes. What more could I ever ask for?
So from then on, although I still ask God for strength, I've striven to focus on the grace that I have already been shown instead of the things that I'm struggling with. I try to ignore the desire for self-pity and put my trust where it belongs.
In telling this personal anecdote, my hope is that this can be an encouragement. Sometimes, we know these things, but it is very beneficial to be reminded. His love is enough, and those of us who live in grace can experience eternal joy and peace despite the darkness of our fallen world. Sometimes, that world is a hard place to live in. But there is always hope if we can remember this truth.
Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
Isaiah 12:2 "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

~Kenz

#Hisloveneverfails #BestillandknowthatHeisGod #ThugLife

From a lover of footy pajamas, grace, and all things confusing.

It's treat week everybody, two posts in one week! This post is inspired by a conversation Mckenzie and I had at school this week. We were both grappling with the grief and yuckiness that sometimes comes with life and what God's plan is in all of this. While neither of us have the answers, we have a God that, while he may keep some of the answers hidden from us, He will never hide himself. He is a constant comforter, healer, and carer of the broken hearted. I thought that since there has been a lot of things in the news these last few months that have been devastating I would take some time and share some things Kenz and I believe and that help us get us through it. 

   Footy pajamas are magical. Saturday mornings are magical. A lot of things about life are magical. But a lot of things about life are hard too. Like growing out of your footy pajamas- thats hard. And failing a test- thats hard. And parents divorcing, siblings dying, children starving, thats hard. It’s really easy to put your thoughts on the dark things of life, to have your mind consumed by the darkness. But by doing that, you are giving Evil glory. Because all that the Lord does is good and though it really does not seem that way sometimes, it's true. We cannot see it because we are broken and we aren’t God. Therefore we cant understand what God does because He is perfect and only does perfect things. He has a plan for everything and everyone and does everything for a reason. There is nothing that He does not understand. We have bruised, discolored, and broken hearts but we have a God that will take those hearts for us in a minute and make them brand-spanking new( 2 Corinthians 5:17) He will take your insecurities, doubts, and grief and hold them in His hand. He will walk you through the pain and give your life new breath. As humans, we want to control everything, even the bad stuff. But the bible reminds us to cast our anxiety's on him, because he cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7) So when darkness is covering your thoughts, let go. Take all your fears and throw them into the deepest of sea, bury it there, it has no power over you. Pray for understanding and I promise the Lord will bring it. He has a reckless love for you that will never fail, never run out, and never give up. 

- Abbz

#hislovehisreckless #glorytotheking 

Fine, Fresh, F13rce

Hey friends, it has been too long! Kenz and I hope you had a happy, happy New Year and we apologize for being so behind the game. Life has been absolutely crazy for the both of us and some major changes are coming our way pretty soon! Changes like graduating high school( I cant believe we only have less than 5 months before it's here) and moving off to college! Since these two things are pretty prevalent in our lives right now I thought I would take some time to tell you what our plans are and the adventures we have had in making these decisions!

Last year, Kenz and I were juniors and every day more aware that we were growing up and college was coming soon. Like any antsy high school students, we were both lightly researching schools we were interested in but ready to take the first step, a campus visit. At this point I had spent a lot of time looking at WSU and UW and decided to make my first stop at WSU. Knowing I needed a faithful, fun sidekick for the 6 hour drive to Pullman and to giggle around a college campus with, I knew Kenz was the prime candidate. We packed up the bags, grabbed a McDonald's kids meal, and hit the road.
  Late, Late, thursday night we arrived at some dear friends house bubbling with excitement that we were hitting the college scene! The next day was a "orientation" of some sort for future students where we were able to ask questions, pick up some WSU knowledge, and tour campus. I'm pretty sure Kenz and I had way too much fun on the touring campus part. We "conveniently" scored a cute tour guy who gave us a lot of good info about the school and even though he was paid to talk up the school, we could tell he genuinely loved it and that was really important to me. Kenz and I both talk about how we want the school we go to to have a lot of school spirit and  I could tell WSU was going to fill that requirement. Almost every student I saw on campus looked happy to be there and that was really impressive.... it being Friday probably had nothing to do with that...














For me, the trip was eye-opening. WSU far surpassed my expectations and it was totally somewhere I could see my self living. The beautiful fall colors playing shadows on the rolling hills certainly helped the choice but I'm not going to say that some cute boys around campus weren't a big factor;) Anywho, I think somewhere in my heart I knew this place was going to be special, even though it was the only place I had visited, and tucked it into a special corner of my heart.
   Fast forward almost a year and WSU became one of my top choices. While I looked in to other schools, I compared everything to Pullman. I think this realization was the final push I needed to make the choice. I couldn't lie to myself anymore that this was the place I wanted to be! After getting my acceptance letter and spending some time in prayer and conversation I accepted the offer and am now a officially a WSU cougar!


 















But I'm not the only Twisted Sister to make a college choice! I'll let Kenz fill you guys in about her process so you'll get every nitty, gritty detail! But to clue you in, Kenz and I will be about 295 miles from each other, in some direction! That will def be a change for both of us! But dont you worry, Kenz and I will still have plenty of adventures via Skype and will of course be blogging about it!

- Abbz
#pullmanbound #cougarcountry #dontyouforgetaboutme

Sugar and Spice and Something Way Cooler Than Nice

Happy Holidays everyone! Abbz and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and got everything on your wish lists :)
Now, as you may have seen from a couple weeks ago, Abbz surprised me with a post about . . . Well, me! She told me she was writing about one of our adventures but then surprised me with that sweet post. Well guess what? It's my turn now. Besides, you all need to know what an awesome person Abbz is.  So this is really a necessity.
From a statistical view, Abbz is a 5'6"ish, Caucasian female with black hair and blue eyes. She's 17 years, 4 months, and 20 days old. She likes chocolate, Michael Buble, dancing, whole apples, Starbucks, and the Bachelor, to name a few. She LOVES cookies. And she may or may not have a special place in her heart for boys.
But those are just the cold, hard facts. If you were to ask me, this is what I would tell you:
Abbz is one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Whether she's known you for 6 years or 6 minutes, she can instantly make you feel at home. Her bright smile and easy conversation will make you laugh (she makes everyone laugh; she could make a widow laugh at a funeral) and brighten your day. Especially when you don't have any friends yet - that would be me 3 1/2 years ago. See, I was the new kid at school Freshman year. I was confident that I could find friends (I'm a fairly outgoing person) but it was more intimidating than I thought. But in the middle of the swirling high school hallway, filled with unfamiliar faces, there stood Abbz. She was one of the first people to talk to me and suddenly, I wasn't friendless anymore.
But her bright personality isn't the only beautiful thing about her. She is also a girl of faith - a faith that inspires me every day. She loves the Lord with all of her heart and strives to reflect His light to the rest of the world with her life. In the times that I get distracted, or the times that I find myself in interesting situations, or even in the times where I'm just trotting through life being me, she always holds reminders for me of what a Christ centered life looks like. One of my favorite parts of our friendship is our conversations. We talk about life, love, faith, and growing up together all the time. (Along with our more frivolous conversations, which do happen obviously. We can't be saints ALL the time.) And in all of these talks, we are able to encourage each other and grow together because we are both centered (or try our hardest to be) on our relationship with Christ. And I am so blessed to have a friend to share that with.
But don't worry guys, she's not ONLY beautiful on the inside. I've got a pretty hot best friend, just so you all know. She's got a rockin' sense of style, and you should see that girl rock her sparkly heels :)
Obviously, the list goes on and on. If you can't tell, I love this girl. Since that first day of freshman year, we have been best friends. We've traveled the road of high school together - all the ups and downs. We've come a long way since we were 14. Sometimes we like to reminisce about our old selves, comparing them to our now-selves. We sure have grown up some since then, but the best part is that we've grown together. Now, as we near the half-way point in our senior year, we are some of the only kids in our class that have decided where we're going to go to college. She's going off to be a Cougar in Pullman, and I'm gonna be a Bronco in Boise. And for the first time in 4 years, we're not going to be taking our journey together. Not physically at least. But don't worry. There will be many skype dates, phone conversations, late-night facebook messages, and maybe some quick flights on that private jet some millionaire out there is going to buy for us ;)
All in all, Abbz is a pretty cool cat. Anyone who knows her is lucky, and anyone who doesn't, doesn't know what they're missing. Some guy out there is going to be blessed beyond measure when he gets her. Only after he get's past ME that is.
Love you Abbz! You are the bestest best friend a girl could ask for. We're about to walk into adulthood. Let's ROCK it!!

~Kenz
#partyprincess #cookiemonster #ThugLife

Two Pea’s in a Pod and One Pea in Particular

Hey friends, thanks for stopping by the little piece of our hearts! Today I was going to post about a particularly wonderful and disturbing adventure Kenz and I once experienced on a Friday Night Lights kind of night but I decided to surprise Kenz and post about that later (don’t worry, the epic adventure I just mentioned will be discussed another time!) Because our blog is fairly new I thought our lovely readers might want to learn a little bit more about the girls writing and who better to write about Kenz than me!

  Three years ago I walked into a new hallway and new chapter of my life, a freshman, full of new hopes, excitement, and so ready to meet new friends.  I mean, I was really, really, excited to meet new kids. You see, Kenz and I go to a very small high school that shares the same building as the middle school so at this point I had been with most of the same kids for 3 years. Anyway, I remember first glancing at McKenzie and immediately was struck by her curly, curly brown hair (post perm… don’t judge us, we both went there) and electrifying pink vest. But mostly, I was struck by her composed facial expression. Usually new kids have that squirrely, antsy expression on their face like they may pee their pants or vomit or do both at the same time… very obvious. Kenz though was different. She had such an honest, open look, like she was just happy to observe the surroundings and the dynamics before jumping right in. Naturally, I went to say hello and well to throw in a throw in a cliché but true statement “the rest is history…”

   Fast-forward three years and sometimes I can’t believe how close we are. Kenz has become my dearest friend, my soul sister. She makes me laugh like no one else, listens intently, and is always there for me. Kenz has a huge heart that is always full of love to give. Whether it is to her 3 year old sister, whom Kenz absolutely dotes on, or someone she just meets, she is quick to give her time, energy, and love. And boy can that girl listen. You may have realized this but Kenz and I are a tad… or okay, a lot chatty.  We enjoy and love the fine art of talking. But it is one thing to talk and another thing to listen and Kenz has mastered this skill. This is just one of the things I deeply admire about her. Also, she has an unshakable and inspiring faith,one that leaves me wanting to spend more of my own time with the Lord. She encourages and loves me in more ways than she knows and I am blessed that the Lord has knit our hearts together. In conclusion (lets be honest, I could go on about McKenzie forever but this post must end soon) Kenz is the smartest, most determined, sweetest, and most adventurous girl I know. She pushes me out of my comfort zone and inspires be to be better. Seriously, that girl has it all.  

  Well there you have it, that is small bit of what I have to say about the lovely Mckenzie Lauren Joner, the best of the best. I hope this gives you just a little glimpse into the girl that I will never forget and who has a way of lacing words together much better than I could dream to do. Thanks for being you Kenz.

-Abbz

#donttestthesebesties #kenzforthewin #thuglife