Weddings, Road trips and Letters Oh My

Hi Hi blog readers!
Weddings: So this past weekend was Rachael and Josh's wedding. This started out with my road trip to the north woods of WI!  Lots of set up, little details, then wonderful wedding, fun reception, gave a speech and only cried a little. Watched this great couple take there first few steps and dances as husband and wife. It sure made me want my wedding to be here :)

2nd wedding of the year, fun time decorating the car with Stouties!

Rachael and Josh! :) 

1st wedding of the year, Jeff and Alys!

Such a happy couple

Road Trips: Today I leave for a road trip with Mrs. Sarah her 2 cute kiddos, we are off to Oklahoma to stay with our friend Emily and her new puppy for a long weekend! We have been planing this for a long time. So fun that it is here now! I am all packed and have my luggage with me at work today ready and waiting for my 4:30 pick up by Sarah! woohoo.  We will go through the night and reach sun and fun and Mrs. Emily in the morning :)

Letters: I am so happy to say that I now have Dans address! He has been getting many letters from me now :) After 2+ weeks of NO communication, I can send him letters now and... I GOT ONE from him yesterday! Talk about happy, people! These weeks of letters will be so much better then nothing. Funny how we take little things from granted sometimes. How in just a moment letters can seem like the BEST thing. You forget others get talk on the phone, text and actually be in the same room with their fiancées?! what... lol but really I'm so thankful! Thank you to all our friends and family that are encouraging and supporting us and praying for us. It does not go unnoticed! 

Philippians 2

 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Have a great rest of your week! 

Power of words, Power of God on our side!

Good morning all!

So this weekend is my friends Rachael and Josh's wedding! :) Here is the cute couple soon to be husband and wife:

So happy for you Rachael and Josh <3  

So this will be wedding #2 for the summer without Dan, we have almost 2 weeks down sense he has been boot camping it up! Have you ever heard someone say that God can give peace that is outside your circumstances?  Take a look at these verses.
Philippians 4:4-8
 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."


I love how the word explains how to receive this blessing of peace beyond circumstances. Rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, petition, thanksgiving, Going to God! This is truth today and yesterday and tomorrow. And for the summer and years ahead we all need this. Finish the rest of these verses. And lets walk this out today. Go to God, think on truth! I remember I did a study on this in Costa Rica, and just thinking on truth is powerful. So many worries or wonders are things that are just in our mind. They are not even reality in our day or things that will even happen. When we are children of God, He is on our side. I read a quote my friend Jillian posted yesterday and need to put it here because it is so powerful. The power of words, and the power of God. 


You will never fear God properly until you realize that the very thing that should make you fear Him is the very thing that is for you. The very power that should frighten your enemies should comfort you, The very power that could crush you is carrying you, The very power that could obliterate you is actually holding you together. The second you became a child of God, God became 100% for you 100% of the time. - Steven Furtick 


Good huh?! Oh yeah! Have a happy Thursday everyone! 

Wedding Shower

Hello readers!
 So today is one week down for Dan at boot camp, and a week down for me here! Yip! Yesterday my Auntie Linda threw me a wonderful thoughtful shower. All the Sanborn women headed to Linda's cute condo down town. Knowing my aunt it felt like we were in Italy or something.

Cheese Cake with Strawberries :)

Cute cheese tray done up by my sister

Her porch with cute antique chairs.

 

Sweet little Jenna

Just something about a shower :) soon to be married to Dan smile i guess

Opening cute PJs

Look at that cute tea pot! I was blessed with many great gifts! Can't wait to show Dan!

The grandmas

The beading a bracelet game!

Here is how it goes, such a thoughtful game Auntie Linda made up! There is a bowl of beads and a string passed around. Everyone adds a few beads as they add a bead they say a wish for my marriage, and sweet memories they have had with me. Then at the end I had a fun gift to always remember their words! I love this game!

Final product :)

This is missing a few people, but great group shot!

Today I am off to a wedding and tomorrow one of my dearest friends Cassandra is coming for a visit from WI! She is the one in the middle of this shot :) Beautiful!

My first day of summer

Hello all,

Today is my first day of summer, at least how it is mapped out in my mind, the start to Dan being gone this summer. Right now Dan is at a hotel soon to be going to San Diego, Camp Pendleton. His parents and I saw him off yesterday after a relaxing day of church, brunch with my family, a nap, and a cup - o- tea. 

This morning I am reminding myself the only way to learn patience is to practise it. Ill leave you with a few pics of the past wonderful week we were blessed with :)

Double date with our friends, great dinner, walk, and ice cream!



During walk, parkour! nothing like watching Dan  run and jump up 10 feet

Go have a great day all, put to use that patience!

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast

Strength for Another Mile

I am currently sporting contacts, and compleated my first run with out glasses... like, ever I guess! Tomorrow is a big day. Dan, my fiance, heads to boot camp for the summer. This is our second long distance "test" "practise time"... I don't know what to call it. If you have been a reader here at By Him for Him you know that this past fall I was in Costa Rica for 4 months. That was Gods planned time apart to be ready for this time! I am thankful we have had a good go at this before. I sure am growing because of it. This time around letters only! heerrrreeeee weeeee goooo! If you think of us please say a prayer for Dan and his hard core days :) for health and safety. Only God knows how this will prepare us for the next plan.

So what I am reminding myself of today:
God prepared the called. If you have been called, God prepared you! I read a blog today that brought up 1 Samuel 10:1-7. They talked about how Saul was being prepared for all that was going to happen. He was told the beginning. I read down to the end of verse 8 and Samuel tells him " but you must wait 7 days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do." I learned from this that God has given us instruction for getting this beginning started. So we do it! And just like Saul we will be told the next steps in time.

"As you walk with me give me strength for another mile, as you walk with me will you hold this heart of mine"
great song on my computer at the moment ~ Elizabeth Hunnicutt (look her up)

Kinda pumped that after tomorrow the next time I see Dan will be only ONE WEEK until our wedding! :) That sure puts a smile on this girls face! K blog readers I'm leaving you with some fun pics from VALLY FAIR! (Dan and I got this for each other for our birthday presents)

Extreme Swings!

brain freeze! <3 Love this guy

The always needed foot shot

great memories made

big waves seen

Have a great rest of the weekend friends! <3

Dan and Erika's Birthdays!

What a weekend! Dan and I turned 23 :) He also graduated from NWC! and leaves for boot camp next week. We got to spend a great night on Friday meeting some of Dans family members and eating great cake too!

Saturday it was pary prep and then Pary Time. Truly looking forward to our many birthdays together.

fun crew :) thanks for coming

<3

A Year Goes By



Major Senior Project, The Tree House, completed and presented <3 (this weekend last year)

Graduated: wonderful 4 years at UW-Stout

Lived in Belize for a month, assistant leading 4 trips in 4 towns :) With Praying Pelican Missions

Went on 2 week tour all around Israel! With great friends from Stout!

Dating this wonderful man, and watching my friend Emily get married!

Moved to Costa Rica for a 4 month internship with EMI :)

2 weeks of spanish class, Design work 8-5 m-f, nights with the family, church in spanish, speaking spanish spanish with family :) skype dates with Dan! Small trips, Panama, intern fun! and more...



Lived with this amazing family! (parents came for a visit!)

Worked on the Good Samaritan Hospital design in Guatamala.

Moved back home a week before Chirstmas, seeing Dan was a wonderful present! 

Was surprised on Valentines day, ENGAGED! to Daniel Hayden Hallbeck! Gods perfect timing, blessed

Now wedding plans, watching Dan finish up school, spending time with eachothers families, prepairing for a summer apart! Then WEDDING! Just from this fiew from May this year sure is looking good :)

So many plans in one year, When God says go we go, He is faithful and with us the whole way!

You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, LORD, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139