Weekend Updates + Church At The Lake

Despite the haze putting a gloomy spin on the weather, this weekend has gotten off to a wonderful start. Yesterday, Eva and I decided to go on a strenuous hike in Belcarra Regional Park even though there were several special weather statements discouraging such outdoor activity. Yeah, I couldn't tell you why we did it either-- put it down to our hiking fanaticism. While we did not get a view because of the air pollution, we enjoyed most aspects of the seven hour journey and our time in the great outdoors (although I was so sore that when I got home, I couldn't even muster the strength to take off my hiking boots for a good twenty minutes).  

Needless to say, I will spending my Friday relaxing and resting after such a tough hike. While we planned to go kayaking this morning, we decided to switch up the outdoor exercise for a few hours at our favourite local coffee shop. Over the space of the afternoon, I spent time with my best girl friends discussing our future goals and current challenges while sipping a London Fog and eating a freshly-made muffin. These will certainly be moments that I will treasure once I get back to work in the near future. 

Outfit Details:

Top // Chelsea 28 via Nordstrom

Shoes // Birkenstock

Pants // Topshop

Sunglasses // Le Specs via Nordstrom

With regard to this particular outfit, I wore it to attend a most wonderful event-- Church at the Lake, an outdoor outreach event hosted by Coquitlam Alliance Church. The top was a lovely piece that I picked up at Nordstrom on sale; I fell in love with the floral design and the long, fluttering sleeves. Unfortunately, the black jeans were a major misstep as the heat of the hot sun was absorbed into material; on the other hand, the Birkenstocks were the perfect casual, comfortable choice for the day. 

Much more important than any clothing details, my dear friend got baptized on this day! Although it is hard to explain everything that happened, I can describe it as a spontaneous action that was based on years of careful thought and decision. As baptism is a conscious decision to publicly display one's commitment to following God, my friend had been more than ready for many years. However, on this particular Sunday, the church leaders were encouraging the audience to get baptized if they felt called to do so. After some encouragement, my friend realized that she was finally ready to take the plunge (literally)! As you can see from the photo above, it ended up being a very emotional experience for her (I also shed more than a few tears). 

Over the course of the past three years, I have come to know and love this girl through our hiking, our trips, spin classes, wall climbing, runs, coffee dates, and painting nights. Basically, I spend every moment I possibly can with this lady doing the things that we both love. I am so very blessed to have a such a special friend with whom I can share all of life's joys and struggles. Thank you so much for being my spiritual, physical, and emotional support.

Getting back to this upcoming long weekend, I once again have a packed schedule-- starting with a much anticipated engagement party for my bestie (I am one of seven bridesmaids) that will last until the early hours of the morning. Following that, hiking, mural painting, and other exciting activities are on the calendar-- let's hope I can do everything that I'm hoping to do!