some of my newest friends!

On Tuesday night Will and I drove to Castle Rock to meet THE BEST MAN! Will's best friend, Paul Downer, was in the area and I finally got to meet him. We had resisted to becoming facebook friends because we hoped to meet in person first. A couple weeks ago we became friends on facebook because we thought it would be SO unlikely that we would actually meet. Well.....we were wrong. It was so refreshing to meet Paul. He knows Will in a totally other way and to get inside that world is fun! We talked alot about our relationship and I soon realized how fun it is going to be to have Paul in my life now too. The wedding is going to be so fun with him around.

This is my roommate Brianna. She is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I think we figured out that she was visiting the tulip festival in 2001 when I was the queen. She was 12! This girl makes me laugh!
This is my friend Micha (I call her MITCHA) . Her name is cool because it's like the boy name Micah but the girl version--pronounced the same exact way. We dressed up in red and green one day. It was not on purpose but still it was awesome. She is a wonderful gal who loves the Lord and has a beautiful voice.In my school we are divided up into small groups. This is mine! We had a themed bowling night on Wednesday. It was so fun. We dressed up like crayons. I was green!! The hats were folders that were stapled so it looked like the point of a brand new crayon. Let me introduce my small group to you. RED- Elaine BLUE- Judith (staff leader) GREEN- me ORANGE- Laura PURPLE- Emily. We were the best dressed group there....in my opinion. I think I will throw in the detail that I won both games!
The girls in the front are my roommates (minus the Korean gal Synae) but we had some intruders from lanes 16 and 15. Getting to know new people is not so hard...or draining. I just love to see that God is using people from different places to do His will....which has been made perfect for each person.

it's true for you too.

Girl's Night at Will's House

It was so nice to get off the base campus and go to a home where there were couches, carpet, and a movie. Will and his roommates let me invite my new Phase II friends over for a nice evening together. We watched the movie Once and I made Norwegian buns. YEAH! Thanks Will for your couch and carpet!Elaine (PA & Chile), Micha (AL), Brianna (SD), Kyrgie (Kyrgestan), Ilsa (CO), me, Becca (IL), Stephanie (AZ)

under the dump

This is the view from my bed window--under the dump of snow! Alot of it!!! I think it will continue to fall throughout the day. Yesterday the boys that live at the alternative campus in the mountains could not come down because of the weather. They just played in the snow and had a day off all day! We went to class and did work duties like usual. Today we will do the same. As it has not stopped. It's fun, I just have a hard time letting go of the reality that I will not ride my bike anymore. boo.

I have had a great last week. I will share some photos with you now.
Will and I got engaged...as you saw and probably knew. We also celebrated our one year anniversary soon after on Oct 22. We were in Redding, CA last year for the Open Heaven's Conference at Bethel Church. Will had come to actually figure out if I was the one he wanted to date. It was Oct 22 when he called my dad and asked him if he could pursue me....then we changed our status on facebook. That makes everything official! So it has been a whole year now. A hard year of distance, growing with God, and figuring out what the Lord has already told both of us....but we just needed to learn it again.

To celebrate Will made shrimp alfredo! I LOVE SHRIMP!!!!! It was so great.We played and sang a little together on his new piano.
We did a little wedding planning too.

A delightful night at my future home! He splurged and even bought me flowers! I love this man so much. I am definetely blessed.
On Saturday of last week it was bright, shining, and warm! It is a bit different now you can imagine. We met Christina and Geneva in Boulder for brunch. We ate at Duchambe's Tea House. It was so fun to talk about wedding plans with her...she was helpful, curious, and generous.
Saturday evening Will and I drove down to Colorado Springs and joined a small party of people in a private home for Indian cuisine and a night of discussing art, Christianity, and our role in today's world. It was so exciting to meet up with artist who are INSIDE of thier craft. They are doing this stuff. They are committed to the Lord in so many areas. They have discovered that art is the way to communicate God's heart so they are doing it. It was encouraging to hear from some people about thier struggles and triumphs. We were both blown away by the years of experience in that room.
Dr. Michael and debi Story Maddox were the hosts. She is the artist that I met at the Arts Coference I attended in early October. She has her huge prophetic paintings hanging all over her house.
Sunday night we got to spend some time with friends passing through town. I did my School of Worship with Brittany on the right (with her husband Taylor). They were stopping in for two nights before heading up to Estes Park for a YWAM Conference. The others in the photo are Stephanie Snell (staff member here in Denver who married my other cell band leader from my SOW) and Megan Gilles (who recently married the electric guitar player in my SOW cell band). It was a lot of talk about marriage, engagement and pregnancy (Brittany just found out she and Taylor are expecting). This is a strange and new life.....to be in these girl groups talking about being wives and mothers. Oh boy.......what a change. It's fun.

Will and I started our pre-marital counseling from a pastor and his wife that Will knows from his church. It is going to be great!!! They are so similar to us. She is from Storm Lake, IA!!! It will be a wonderful time of learning and growing.

Have a great day!!!

our story told

The day was all planned out, sort of. I think Will had the gist of it, but how it all played out was decided on the spot. Remember I honestly did not have a clue. I just thought it was a nice day for a hike. And I do not get surprised very quickly. I might have to rethink that.
Anyway, here is how it all happened:

Will tried to trick me by giving me a few gifts at the top of the waterfall we were hiking to near Vail. It was close to our 1 year anniversary so it didn't seem weird. They were just decoys: a beautiful scarf and then silver circle earrings. We began our hike down, but stopped along the way. Will was looking for the river's edge. He was fascinated with getting there, but I didn't know why. We were nearing the end of the trail, so he just said, 'sit down on that rock'. He asked if he could wash my feet. What a cool symbol! That is why he wanted to get to the water!! He then pulled out this beautiful letter and read it out loud. I could have gone home happy after that. The tears were welling up in my eyes trying to wait until he was finished to burst forth. Seamlessly he popped out a little black box with a shiny ring!

What beautiful ring! It is perfect. And fits perfect too.
Through my tears and sobs I managed to say YES!



We're Engaged!!!
Let the fun continue!!

10-10-10 Oct. 10, 2010

Here is a photo of me and my beautiful mother. We ate at HuHot for a goodbye dinner. Love you mom and dad! I miss you already!

I left Pumpkinland with a bang! There was a VOTA band concert behind the shed + 500 youth. It is so sad to leave that wonderful place, but I am so happy I got to be a part of that wonderful pumpkin patch family. The special art piece I had been making (batik: wax and dye process) was for Dave and Helen as a thanks for all their wonderfulness.
I need to paint again soon. I have felt God's surge of creativity pouring through me as of lately. I have been overwhelmed with ideas and concepts to express through painting, but no time. Pray for that please. This is a 'blow your mind' piece of artwork from the Arts Conference I attended with Don Harding in Colorado Springs last weekend. The artist, debi Story Maddox, is painting from a place of deep prayer and meditation on God's Word. This painting really struck me because it reminded me of my calling---and who I am!
We went to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs with our good friends Sara & Ross. Yeah!!!!! for couple-friends!!!Being in Denver is different than anywhere I have ever been before. I think it is the mix between a
--new place and
--new place in life.

I have been here for a week now....officially!

Will and I are discovering very important fundamentals in our relationship. Now that we are finally in the same place on this earth that poses some transition as well. Keep our relationship in your prayers as we joyfully discover what it means to be ' two people in relationship' not just 'a relationship'. ponder that one!

The school has been in session for a week now. The real meat of the teaching and classes begin next week. We are bonding and getting used to the dorm living, work duties, and schedule this week. I have a few wonderful roommates and a small group that has already been a blessing. I begin the reading soon. I found out my weekly work duty. Monday through Friday I will be in the kitchen preparing dinner from 3:45-5:30.I made this veggie tray! Isn't it delightful?

Will and I looked for cars Wednesday night. I think I want a 4 door, used, foreign car of some sort. It's exciting to think that someday I might be able to own something like this for my very own.....wow! The Lord is such a great provider. Think back to your first car......that's me now. ha ha ha! If you want to help finance this car with me.....let me know. :)

That's it for me now. Enjoy your weekend.

dnab noititepmoc

band competition
STAR FEST 2009! Tracy and I were sitting in the September sun this weekend at the band show. I love to do things with her and I will truly miss this best friend of mine when I leave. Just when we were getting back to our place of buddy-ness. (sigh)
Matt and Morgan crossed *marching band competition* off of thier FIRSTS list. Matt actually feels like someone hid this field marching culture from him...how could he not know it even existed!! It was enjoyable to see my old high school march...and wonder how anyone can make hundreds of teenagers do such absurd things on a field in a funny outfit and not get paid. I AM A BAND GEEK!


I got my hair highlighted. It really is not a noticable difference....it just looks normal, which is the difference.
and it was straightened and cut.....the salon look can never be reproduced by Erika's hands.
this is a very cool painting by a Dordt College alumni named Sara Mulder. Matt (mentioned in above photo at the band show), had a combined art show with her. She uses a lot of strange materials to get tons of texture on her surfaces.

it's time to smell the flowers

I realized that I had not included a self portrait in a while. This one will have to do. I was the model to show off the HOME BAKED GOODS sign and the beautiful rainbow that arched full across the sky. I am donning the muddy jeans and 2009 staff color: TEXAS ORANGE. I wear my $7.00 Norwegian scarf with it and Helen says I, 'just bring so much style to the farm'. What can I say....it's Pumpkinland. One day this week I wore my tall brown boots in celebration of the first day of fall. Boy did my feet hurt! I am going to stick to foot comfort while carting around gourds, squash, and home baked goods. I don't want to leave this place for many reasons....but there is one reason why I do want to leave. This reason sits comfortably in the middle of my stomach and stretches down around my thighs. I am representing and CONSUMING those delicious home baked goods. Today I had pie...but merely in honor of the 'time that is coming when I will not be able to have pie'. hmm......that was lame. But really....Carmel Apple Pie is so good! I have been able to taste some very delicious things, but I need to leave in order to stabilize my sweet tooth. I am praying that YWAM Denver doesn't treat me as kindly as Pumpkinland. I might have to start a revolt----but that would be hard to convince myself to do. Perhaps I can just pray for self control and learn what it means to take care of this temple of the Holy Spirit.




These flowers are planted outside of the shed. Helen asked me to help her do something creative in displaying the flower, the name, the kind, the so on and so forth. She tells me that she can't even count the number of people who pull their cars over to take a closer look, to ask what the are called, their kind and so on and so forth. I guess she is sick of answering the questions you are all wondering. Do you wonder these things?.......just ask Helen as you drive by.

So, I am counting the days down to my departure. I am splitting at my seams here. As you have read....I enjoy being here so much. I also on the other hand am anticipating so much coming up. As a friend told me recently. BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED. She had actually given me a small window decoration with that phrase upon my return to Norway in 2007. It was a great encouragement to me. It actually was a catalyst for discovering my calling in life. I feel like ministry and discipleship always had something to do with all or some of these topics---growing, journeys, paths, mountains, valleys, watering, harvest......and so on. It seems really typical to say this as my life goal, but do believe that the Lord has shown me over and over that this is a lifestyle I GET to live in. My personal manifesto goes something like this: 'Planting and Growing Fellowship with God and with Each Other' Sounds like a church motto.....yeah yeah it could very well be that too. I just know that THIS IS WHAT I DO!!!! I can work at Nederlander's Grille as a waitress or picking pumpkins at Pumpkinland or even work in a situation that is more mission oriented and do the same thing! I love that about God. He is so GOD! He is in all and through all.

So....do you know your personal manifesto. Sounds big....but its not. What do you tend to do when you arrive in a new place. What do you search for.....and bring change about?

Do tell.

Indian Corn that we picked today....so magnificent!

in the squeeze of the hug

yes.....I painted this pumpkin. Helen (the Pumpkinland lady herself) asked me to fix the little pumpkin problem. A stem was broken off and we can't sell those. Would I find a large white Scallop from the field and create a hat for the stemless pumpkin? Use these paints and make a face....and here is HOT GLUE! I have to say it was a first for me.....painting pumpkins on the clock (the 100 minute time clock). Helen was satisfied and it now is displayed on the stairs in the shed. Come and see....and marvel!
my favorite little gourds. This variety is called 'Galaxy of Stars'. It looks like a flower with a stick through the center. So......sort of like a FLOWER KABOB. They are very unique.

on to the juicy stuff...

I was talking to Will on the phone last night and I was just sort of sad. I was trying to explain to him that I am just beginning to realize how wonderful it is here in Orange City. My month has been WAY too fast. He said I was in the squeeze of the hug. I was like......yeah. You know when you say goodbye to someone you don't just give a little pat on the shoulder, 'thanks for coming, see ya' pathetic farewell. When you are really saying goodbye you give a solid hug....one that is memorable and strong. I know that some people can't really hold themselves together to do anything during goodbyes. I have been one of those....to just make jokes up until the point that you say those parting words. It's all fun and games just to hide the sadness of it all. No one will see how hard this really is. So....hugs are good. They are a moment to bury your face in the shirt of the one who is going away. It is a way to connect once more. It is a final touch to remember. If you believe in GOOD goodbyes then you will take time for this very important part of your transition.
I am in the squeeze of the hug right now. I will not just ignore the goodbye I must deliver to Orange City and its orange pumpkins. But instead I will embrace it. I will take and give just a little bit more before I release. It is as though that last ummph in the hug will communicate the last bit of 'things I can't say in words'.

On the contrary I am about to say HELLO to a new world in Colorado. I feel really excited about that as well. I sense a shift in my energy and a refreshment to do what I am made to do. Ahhh! It is so nice to hear the Lord and follow. I am asked to 'stay in ORange City and be here with us' over and over, but I am so sure that it is not where I am to be. It is so nice to give that ummph in the hug and feel closure.

I went to Lillian's birthday party this weekend. It was probably the first time I ever drove down to Omaha with the intention to just visit and then leave. The other occasions have been as I was about to move somewhere in the world. It felt good.....different.....real....and special. The idea that I am going to be at least continentally available is so good. The idea that I am going to be a part of YWAM but in the states is so different. The idea that the nieces and nephew are growing whether I was there to see every step or not is real. And the idea that God has presented this time to happen at this very time in my life is special.

question to you:
what in your life is...
-good
-different
-real
-special

Saying goodbye is just as important as saying hello. I can't just skip over the last chapters of a book and I can't try to read the last chapter before I get there. God has His timing....rest in it.

peace friends.i enjoyed the high school and college volleyball games i attended.


Lillian's 5th birthday was FUN. We had pizza and CINDERELLA cake. Cinderella was wrapped in cling wrap and frosted into the cake. It's sanitary. Lillian is growing into a little lady for sure.
Brielle! She has just learned to walk by herself. It is so adorable to see what kind of personality she is developing as her older brother and sister are living their walking, running, talking, singing years. Who will Brielle be? Beautiful and gentle.