Who Is Erika Anyway?

Dear Papa,   I am sitting here staring at the door.  Hoping with every hope in me that you will come walking through.  I dream of you and hope that Christmas in heaven was the best you ever had. I pray that you have reunited with all your friends.  I pray that you found Glen.  I am rejoicing you are no longer hurting. I see you hunting, jeeping, camping, running, driving stick all those things you wanted to do, but hurt. The snow is light and fluffy the kind that is perfect for sledding and playing in.  Your eyes must be the sharpest they have ever been. So look out your window and see the snow falling on the streets of gold. Look down and see your grandson playing taps at your funeral sounding strong to the final note. See all the people that came who love you. Did you see your jeeping buddies there? Look down and see your son acting just like you taking care of all of us,  He's fixing things and helping out. I know he loves you so very ...

       Let me begin with I am not usually nor am I really now, a political person. However, today is election day and for what seems like forever all you hear is the horrors of the presidential election. At dinner parties, random people at the bus stop. social events, other important people make slights about it in their speeches. Not to mention the number of posts, articles, memes, GIFS and who knows what else that has invaded our social media.      I know that I have been asked what my opinions are or if I am voting (by the way I am only 17) and I don't know how to answer them. I have probably followed this election more so because I can vote next year and because this one is hard not to follow. I didn't watch any debates, I don't even know if I read any of their campaigns. But none of these are the reasons I felt prompted to do this blog. I felt prompted to do this blog because of what I am seeing in our world and the last couple of sermons gi...

  Fall is fabulous, let's just state that right from the beginning. I totally blame and thank my mother for my admiration with fall. Not only is it sweater weather and pumpkin everything heaven! I am also blown away every year by the artwork of our God. He paints our world with colors I can't begin to even try and name. Each spec is unique and beautiful.    I have kinda always seen it as, God being a gentleman trying to woo his sweetheart, earth. Yes, I know I am completely and utterly insane. I also know that it probably makes no sense to anyone, but me. Yet, that is how I see it and it makes me happy to think of it that way so there you go.   Moving on, every season I have a list of goals or things I want to do with that season. It is my way of maximizing the most of every moment and fall is no exception. So without further ado, my list of things to do for  Fall 2016! 1. Make Homemade Apple Cider I am hoping to accomplish this bucket list g...

After spending all weekend trying to come up with a decent blog post, I think I am just going to go for simple. A simple encouraging post. A post to let all the other people who sometimes feel like there is something wrong with them or that they don't quite fit into the mold they are suppose to, that you are loved.  I forget to ask God for direction in my life. I end up feeling terrible because my life isn't on the same course as all the other people. I get sucked into all the meaningless, pointless goals that make us "good people." In the age of social media and all the other technology it is easy to think you are defined by your number of instagram followers, how many likes your latest Facebook post got, how amazing your boyfriend/girlfriend is, how "on-point" your make-up and hair is in this one selfie or if you own all the top name brand stuff. Those things are empty, they hold no meaning. I love social media as much as the next teenager, but I am ti...

We are officially a month into my favorite time of year. As anyone who knows me or has been following this blog for a while knows, September through December are my favorite months of the year. I love all the holidays, weather, fashion, food, events, all of it! It makes me so happy and makes me smile. Here are a few things that I have been doing to get in the fall mode. 1. Fall Decor   My mom put this center piece together for our dinning room  and I am in love!  2. Flannel  I have had a recent obsession with flannel. I love wearing them with jeans, paired over a favorite tee, tied around with waist for jacket later, or under a sweater for a pop of pattern. There are just so many styles and I love how cozy and wonderful they are.  3. Fall Coffee Flavors, Fall Colors, and Beautiful Country Views  I am a coffee LOVER and I drink it all year round in many flavors and styles. When fall comes around my go to drink is a hot caramel...

 Senior Year is here!!!!! I have been thinking about this for a while now and it is finally here. I don't want to rush through it and miss all the moments it will bring. My goal for this year is to enjoy the moment, live in it, not worry so much and have fun. Life will move faster than I want it too and I want this to be the best year ever.  I feel like it is so easy to get focused on where you are going and what you need to get done and lose sight of where you are right now. When I was getting ready for school this summer, it seemed like the world was against me having the Senior year of my dreams. I was frustrated for quite a while. I had it all planned, I knew exactly how it was going to go.  My joy for the new school year was gone and felt like I was going to waste it. Then it hit me, I was the problem. I had the plan, I had the ideas, I did the planning, I was robbing my joy.  I was my own enemy. We have all heard how we need to give God our plans and commit e...

 The last month or so my head has been spinning with exciting life experiences, fun adventures and just plain mundane tasks. My first bit of advice for you on this post is no matter what age you are and people tell you not to try and grow up to fast. Do it! Adulthood comes hurling at you like a bullet. It is way better to just take it one step at a time. Remind me of this periodically when I want to charge ahead into life :)   1st Sign Adulthood is Near ~   " You Get Your Driver's License"   Getting my driver's license was one of the more challenging, yet most satisfying things I have done in a while. I love my new freedom to go where I need to without having to mess up my parents schedule. But wait...... this right of passage can be a trap and a sure sign you are headed to adulthood. When you have a vehicle you can now drive it will want one very important thing. Gas. and gas takes money, money requires a job, a job requires you to get to work, getting to wor...

God is good all the time and all the time God is good. This week I spent serving alongside twenty-four volunteers from Trinity Baptist Church in Renton WA and around eighteen volunteers from the Latah area. We put on VBA (Vacation Bible Adventures) Trinity Baptist has been coming to Latah for about fourteen years sharing the love of Christ through songs, skits, crafts, games and so much more. I have had the privilege of being both a child that was touched through the program and serve at VBA for the past four years.  The week after VBA 2011 when I dressed up as a VBA leader Over time I have been blessed by many friendships, been inspired by countless mentors and looked up to many God loving people. This year however, I felt touched more than ever. I was able to have a unique part in VBA due to something I originally thought was a hindrance. Earlier in the year I believed I was not going to get a chance to serve at VBA this year. Due to three jobs and the new chapters I am b...

 Hey Guys! Wow, I can't believe it has been almost two months since my last post. You probably thought I was dead or that I forgot I had a blog. Well, I didn't forget, acutely there have been several times when I have sat down at my computer to write about what is going on my life. However, nothing ever came together into a cohesive thought.  I have missed it terribly, but I have also been incredibly busy enjoying life. As I told someone the other day I feel like I am on a roller coaster ride. Yet, I am learning so much and feel like I am really blessed.  As spring came to a close I finished up my last performances of things such as dance and band. My co-op came to a close. Then I had an amazing opportunity to go to Central Washington University and see their dance company perform. I also explored the campus and feel in love. I am hoping to do a longer post on this trip as part of the travel posts. Before you knew it school was over and I was starting my summer jobs. Ye...

 Well, it is time to hit the crazy part of my spring. I have been planning how to make these next two weeks work for a month. I have been thinking and dreaming of how each day will go. My hopes were built high. Monday I would have orthodontist appointment, Tuesday I would go with mom to the DOL and get my license, then do my first drive and have dinner with my grandparents, Wednesday drive to the dance studio for a rehearsal, go to co-op on Thursday, then off to a tech rehearsal, Friday I would do the same for dress, Saturday the show. Starting on Monday I would do another set of rehearsals for the St. Maries production. It was going to be the greatest. I was on cloud nine dreaming of my new independence.  However, two tires on the curb later when trying to back around the corner and my drive test was done. Hearing them say I was failed sent me into a state of shock. I was done! Holding my self together as much as I could while shaking I went in with the instructor and told m...

"Home Sweet Home is never truer, than after a trip. No matter how long or how short. No matter how good and memorable. There is nothing happier than walking through the rooms in your home, letting all the familiar things greet you. The home watched the chaos of packing and preparing for your adventure and it is there to greet the tired and exhausted you, when you come home. It watches as you unpack your bags and sink into your favorite chair and smile at the pictures. It sings you to sleep as you drift off with the happy memories of your trip." ~ Erika Laulainen  Our family just returned from a marvelous trip to my great grandparents tree farm. We went to spend some time with my Great-Grandmother and Grandparents.  We left Friday after the morning craziness of work, some school, packing, cleaning the house, and any other little chores that needed  to be finished. Loading all the suitcases, bags, and other various paraphernalia into our car, we then did a last c...

 How was everyone's Easter? What did you do? Mine, well... mine was an adventure, but then again, what part of life isn't an adventure? Have you ever planned something out and imagined exactly how it is going to go? Of course you have, who hasn't? We do it everyday, when you wake up you have a rough plan of how your day is going to go and then WACK! Your day takes a curve ball or in the case of our Easter, the weekend takes a curveball.  It started out on Saturday with the rather embarrassing bit for James and I. See we have this thing were James always wants to be hugging me, stealing my spot on the couch, clinging to me, etc. This goes both ways, however, it seems we never want to be affectionate siblings at the same time. Therefore, irritating the other one. An incident such as this occurred on Saturday. James and I were "fighting" over the couch and I was the one not in the mood to be touched. One thing lead to another and before anyone realized it (except mo...

    It really is, this is my Father's world. He created it for me and gave me the privilege to live in it.  I don't know where all of you live, but where I do, I am blessed with four beautiful seasons. I get all giddy talking about where I live, I love it THAT much!    In the winter often times we get a glorious blanket of snow over our mountain tops and fields. My mom calls the crystallized snow, diamonds and that is the perfect description of what it looks like. Though the snow sometimes poses problems for traveling and morning commutes, it also brings out the kid in all of us.  There are snow angels that must be made, snowmen to build, a thousand hills to sled and gallons of hot chocolate to drink.   God does a beautiful job with the snow. He knows how happy it makes this little girl and I am pretty sure he would do it, if I was the only one it made happy, because he loves me that much. Winter is a sparkling time of year.  As wi...