tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84069865339411348272011-08-02T23:53:41.860-04:00Stirrings-exciting feelings and inspirationsErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.comBlogger801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-69446357351679473422010-08-10T12:30:00.000-04:002010-08-10T12:30:51.928-04:00

Hello from Germany!! Here is the latest update for Brussels! Click here to see it in google documents!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-27188105182953318872010-04-22T15:06:00.013-04:002010-04-22T17:08:43.335-04:00

Hello Friends! Ok, Don't fall over in your chair because I have finally posted. It has been a LONG time...7 months actually since I last posted. I'm sorry about that. Time went by and well...life happened! There is a lot of update you on, but the biggest news isI'M MOVING TO BRUSSELS!!!! A lot has to happen between now and then. The biggest is fund raising... which I'm working on now. I will fill

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-36463268291900111522009-09-28T16:00:00.000-04:002009-09-28T16:08:51.899-04:00

I started writing this post over a month ago, but it was too hard. I decided shorten it and was finally able to finish it... I had the hardest phone I have received on August 10th. My mom called me to tell me that my 20 year old cousin, Carter, had been found dead. He had been attacked and killed by his brother's pit bulls in their house. He was found by his grandfather, my Great Uncle, who

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-60803056926521871382009-09-23T23:45:00.001-04:002009-09-23T23:51:38.566-04:00

My brother and I planned to surprise my dad for his 60th birthday. I called his work and got his birthday off for him, so Kyle and I headed north! It was a very nice time hanging out with family. My grandma and her husband Mike were also around visiting, which was an added bonus! I could tell that my dad really appreciated us coming up for the weekend to celebrate and spend some time together.On

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-79561165714710131932009-08-16T18:00:00.001-04:002009-08-16T18:17:27.352-04:00

This statement was the theme of Serve the City. We were constantly challenged to recognize that we are needy and recognizing that through “I am…I need” statements. I am tired…I need rest. I am a sinner…I need a Savior. There were many people who I met and a few who really left a mark on my heart… ODEANA The first day we were traveling to different parks around the city giving hugs to anyone

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-56514658603082380942009-07-29T15:00:00.002-04:002009-07-29T15:02:30.617-04:00

Serve the City is showing kindness in practical ways to people in need. For the week of Serve the City there were 30 different projects to sign up with. Some of the projects included working with elderly, children, refugees, women, or doing practical work (painting, etc) at different places. The 6 of us signed up for Kamikaze Kindness, the project that sent us wandering the streets of Brussels

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-56242408540509108102009-07-16T23:00:00.000-04:002009-07-16T23:04:57.325-04:00

I've been home for a week and a day...and I'm still processing a lot. As the lessons that I learned are still churning inside my brain I will share what we did while we were there, starting with the few days before Serve the City actually started... Friday was a adjustment day. We flew all night Thursday night and arrived Friday morning. We were given a mini tour of the city by one of the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-54442382816839401172009-07-10T09:20:00.000-04:002009-07-10T09:20:30.636-04:00

I got home Wednesday night. Our plane landed at 7:30 pm. It feels very strange to be home again. Our time in Brussels was amazing. I was so impressed with the kids on our team. Our comfort zones were stretched, we served with all our hearts, made new friends. Truly an amazing trip! I'm still processing a lot...as I have tons of stories to share and as I process things I will post them. For now

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-44209024581487850912009-06-25T12:00:00.001-04:002009-07-09T01:47:01.772-04:00

That's right!! Its finally here!! We leave this evening for Brussels! This time has gone by so quickly!! We are super excited to see what God has in store. Our team has signed up for Kamakazie Kindness where we will go through the city everyday looking for ways we can serve people; whether its giving someone a flower to brighten their day, sweeping a storefront for a store owner, we want to look

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-69218344142558407362009-06-25T07:00:00.000-04:002009-07-09T01:47:02.331-04:00

The weekend before Father's day I went up to NYC to my brother's place to celebrate Father's Day. It was a great time hanging out with my dad and brother. We went to a BBQ Block party for lunch in Madison Square Park and then off to the Yankees game! Both my dad and brother are huge Yankees fans. The new stadium is amazing!! Here are some pics:  Walking from the Subway  Walking into the door  

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-66750355379623644122009-06-24T23:07:00.000-04:002009-06-24T23:07:04.433-04:00

Wow...I can't believe its been almost 2 months since I last posted!!! I'm still alive, don't worry! Things have been insanely busy. Let's see... Work is good...busy...the kids have all moved up and we've been figuring out what the summer is going to look like. I was able to get away for a week to the Outer Banks with my friend Amy and her extended family. It was a great week away! SPACE has

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-27807367923868490232009-05-11T09:00:00.001-04:002009-05-11T09:00:10.294-04:00

That's right! I'm heading to Brussels this summer!!! I've mentioned my friends the Doyles to you, that I met at Connect in Hungary two years ago. Well this summer I'm traveling back over to Europe with 5 others for Serve the City Brussels. Serve the City is all about serving people in need in practical ways. Every need has a name, and every name has a story. Serve the City wants to know people by

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-66216697854011589392009-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:002009-05-09T09:00:07.942-04:00

My dear friend Rachael and I have been friends since high school. She is so near and dear to my heart...we even have the same birthday!! Rachael is pregnant with her first child, Brooke, due June 4th. Friends of her mom threw her a baby shower the other week. It was so great to see her and some other friends from high school. The shower was during the few days of our summer like weather...so it

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-5879743256908835702009-05-07T16:00:00.000-04:002009-05-07T16:14:06.101-04:00

Saying "No" is something that I am constantly learning to do. I love to help people and do things for them...but too many times I have said yes to things that I really shouldn't have. I read this blog post today by Mark Batterson, the paster at National Community Church and author of the book In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day. If you haven't read it yet...do it! Its a great read!!!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-78831565115213811322009-05-07T09:00:00.001-04:002009-05-07T09:00:10.291-04:00

I have been blessed with some amazing friends. Whenever we get together there is always fun and laughter. Bryan bought Rock Band the other week...so we ecided to try it out! I learned quickly that I am not a Rock star! It was a great night! Here are some pics to enjoy...  Bryan Rockin out on the guitar! I gave the drums a try with Jeff's help...I was PATHETIC!  Steve-O giving the guitar a go!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-2405160301037304882009-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:002009-05-06T09:00:10.854-04:00

S and O's family bought a "Mountain House" 3 hours west from here. For Christmas they gave me a weekend at the house which I took last weekend. Five of my friends and I packed up and headed west. The weather wasn't that great, but it aided in the extreme relaxation. We didn't have any plans for the weekend, so we just hung out, read books, played games, slept, and soaked in the hot tub!!! I

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-52964072702747428192009-05-05T09:00:00.000-04:002009-05-05T09:00:12.168-04:00

We have had some summer like weather recently...which is a big tease! O and I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and play at the park. I also loved having an excuse to act like a kid again!! We ran around and played hide and seek...though he wanted to be the all time seeker. It was a lot of fun...and he is a great seeker! Then O wanted to take pictures. He would do something and I

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-32499399390502050682009-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:002009-05-03T10:00:07.113-04:00

So here are my resolution updates... Spiritual Health - I think I have given up with reading through the Bible this year. When I get behind I get stressed out, and instead of just trying to catch up a little each day I get so overwhelmed that I just give up. With that said, I think I'm done with the Bible in a year. April was not so great spiritually. I did buy two new devotionals that I'm

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-6629507107282961212009-05-02T12:47:00.000-04:002009-05-02T12:47:47.666-04:00

I was invited to go to Opening Day of the Orioles this year. I'm not a huge baseball fan...but going to games is always fun...and it was free!! It was a rainy day...but luckily it cleared up in time of the game. We had club level tickets, so when the skies decided to open up right before the game we could run for cover. It was a great game...the O's beat the Yankees!! Woo hoo! Here are some pics.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-21352226546431764322009-04-29T15:49:00.000-04:002009-04-29T15:49:47.818-04:00

This past month has been insane! Between preparing for mission trips, outreaches, Easter, and the play the kids have done I'm exhausted!!! My boss and some others wrote a production called Socks. Its about 3 groups of people you see in the high schools, the bullies, the bullied and the by standers. Its all about standing up and not being bystanders anymore, and realizing that we all have the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-76017483031861413462009-04-10T08:00:00.001-04:002009-04-10T08:00:15.057-04:00

So I've had 2 sleepovers with the boys that I haven't posted about. The first one was way back in the beginning of February. We had dinner at our usual place...Qdoba. We headed back to my place to play Wii Fit. Here is a video of the boys hula hooping: I love S's cheering in the background!!! Once we were exhausted from Wii fitting it we got into our PJs, curled up on my bed and watched

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-43259465623491766742009-04-09T08:00:00.000-04:002009-04-09T08:00:15.300-04:00

One of my favorite parts of my job is going away on the retreats. Now, the week before the retreat is chaotic and stressful...but Friday afternoon when the buses all pull away my stress is gone and excitement takes it place. We have always called the Spring Retreat our outreach retreat, encouraging the kids to invite their friends that don't normally come to church. In the recent years we haven't

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-15752224835465607142009-04-07T19:54:00.000-04:002009-04-07T19:54:49.645-04:00

I know...I said I would gt back to blogging and I didn't. March was really busy, I know I shouldn't make excuses, but its the truth.  I'm sorry...in the blogging world I'm a failure...but I'm really going to try harder, I promise! Well...we'll start off with resolution updates... Spiritual Health - Well...blogging isn't the only thing I failed at this month. I've gotten pretty far behind in my

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-91051740267260851852009-02-28T17:00:00.000-05:002009-02-28T17:00:21.150-05:00

So its the last day of February...and I am SO READY FOR SPRING!!! I have been saying that I would like one blizzard and then Spring...but I just want Spring NOW! I'm sick of the cold weather and I'm sick of my winter clothes! Anyway...my resolutions... Spiritual Health - There was one week this month that I got off track with reading my Bible everyday, but I caught back up and I haven't missed

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-31527113872324856412009-02-26T14:34:00.000-05:002009-02-26T14:34:47.882-05:00

Wow...its been a REALLY long time since I posted. As you can see I've been busy! Work has been crazy since the retreat is in 2 weeks and the church as a whole is starting a new initiative. I will try to post this weekend about a few things: - A sleepover with S and O - Christmas in February girls night - An update on my resolutions So hopefully since I'm posting that I will write about these

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-59277493670635758202009-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:002009-01-30T08:00:03.294-05:00

Last year I had S and O the night before the superbowl. Since the Giants were in the Superbowl and they are my #2 team I helped the boys make Giant shirts for the Superbowl. This year they asked their mom about making Superbowl shirts. Her response was "That's something you do with Miss Erin." So the other night we made Cardinal Shirts! Here they are: I told the boys I would draw a Cardinal for

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-45661917417600793502009-01-29T16:00:00.003-05:002009-01-29T17:05:59.990-05:00

So on facebook I was tagged at least 7 times to share 25 things about myself...so here we go:1. I love to cook...and have been doing it a lot lately2. The first CD I ever owned was Kris Kross3. My brother and I used to put on shows whenever extended family or our parents friends came over. We would have a stage (a coffee table we were allowed to dance on), costumes, and tickets!4. I love

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-46783940237500529572009-01-23T12:00:00.000-05:002009-01-23T13:05:17.552-05:00

Well, its been almost a month since the New Year started. I posted some goals that I have for this year, and a way to have some accountability I will post periodically how I'm doing with them. 1. Spiritual Health - I've been reading the Bible everyday...well I think I missed one, but I've caught up :) Being in the Word is great, but I'd like to have some more depth to it. I've been reading it

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-64827074743101039472009-01-19T13:30:00.000-05:002009-01-19T14:38:33.165-05:00

If you know me well you know that I LOVE my tivo! It has freed me from being able to watch the shows I love, and still have a life! In college all my friends knew that Thursday Night at 8pm there was a bunch of us glued to the tv watching Friends and not to bother us. We would race across campus for Powerhouse, which was a praise and worship time on campus. I would rush back to see ER. Now with

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-20434532210346884422009-01-13T22:30:00.000-05:002009-01-13T23:24:31.479-05:00

This past Thursday I headed down to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida to vist my grandma. My dad joined me. It was great to see family and have some time in the sun. Here are some pictures from the weekend: What I woke up to each morning :) Grandma and Dad hanging out at the beach club  The moon during the RAVENS VICTORY!  Mike and Iloo at dinner  Me and Grandma (I'm her favorite Granddaughter!)

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-51993857400258133202009-01-05T15:00:00.001-05:002009-01-05T15:44:38.945-05:00

Today was my first day back to work since the holidays. I really enjoyed my week and a half off, though I didn't accomplish everything I was hoping to. I am a planner, so usually I have in my mind a plan for what my day will look like. I realize that it will probably not turn out exactly as planned, and I'm ok with that, but its nice to have an idea for the day. I realized during my time off

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-36093365363753970932009-01-01T10:00:00.001-05:002009-01-05T14:57:58.862-05:00

Happy New Year! I'm not usually one to make a bunch of resolutions...but this year I want to live a healthier life. Here are things I want to work on...1. Be Spiritually Healthy - Read the entire Bible this year! I have been a Christian for 12 and a half years and I have never done this. My friend Amy is also doing this, and she created a blog here to help us. We're reading it chronologically,

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-84276480209740554022008-12-30T09:30:00.000-05:002008-12-30T09:53:51.819-05:00

Sorry I've been quiet lately...things have been rather busy with the holidays. I had a wonderful Christmas. My dad came down from upstate New York on Christmas Eve. He was able to visit some old friends, then we had dinner and headed to church. It was a nice day to just hang out. On Christmas day Kyle (my brother) and his girlfriend came over to my place for the day. We had a nice brunch and

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-65871575072736323332008-12-21T15:20:00.000-05:002008-12-21T16:02:57.061-05:00

S, O, and I had a sleepover last night and we had a lot of fun! Yesterday afternoon the boys mom called me to "warn me about what I was walking into." S was determined to learn how to knit while he was here. It was perfect timing when she called because I was at the craft store, so I was able to pick up some knitting needles and yarn. We started the night off watching The Polar Express...my

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-47420785112332182932008-12-19T13:50:00.001-05:002008-12-19T13:56:04.487-05:00

I love that Dove is taking time to show real women for who they are...and really working on the self esteem of women today. The media makes it out that you have to be a toothpick with the perfect body, hair and skin...but there isn't anyone out there that is perfect...its all about retouching!Here is a very interesting video...Thanks Dove!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-65574784098220504342008-12-05T21:00:00.003-05:002008-12-06T00:18:18.035-05:00

This evening I was looking up Christmas gift ideas. I googled "gift ideas for grandma" and one of the sites had this: Herpes Plush Doll $7.95 from Giantmicrobes, Inc. - Breaking out is hard to do. Learn the facts. (Click the link to see all the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-24418021972224705972008-12-03T19:00:00.003-05:002008-12-03T19:16:55.214-05:00

This past Saturday I went with some friends to get my Christmas tree. We went to a little tree farm near my friends' house. We weren't sure what we would find...but we were pleasantly surprised! We cut them down ourselves...and it was only $20!!!Here are some pictures...Mary and I were really excited! Mike cutting down my tree...Dragging to the car...Loading it on top of the car... Last year my

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-64008272023477712092008-12-01T20:30:00.000-05:002008-12-01T21:24:25.430-05:00

I can't believe that I forgot to post this! O was excited to share the new sing he learned in school. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-55456816312200221702008-11-27T22:30:00.000-05:002008-11-28T00:13:33.018-05:00

Today I turned on the Detroit football game in time to her the National Anthem. I stood there and tears streamed down my face as I thought about what that Anthem means. To think about how I'm free because of the men and women that fight for it...my loved ones...and others loved ones. How thankful I am to those who sacfrice their lives so we can live in freedom. As I reflect on other things I am

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-80244960983937395052008-11-21T22:30:00.000-05:002008-11-21T22:36:41.418-05:00

For my birthday my friend Amy gave me the first two books in the Twilight Series. I had heard about the books, but really a story of a girl who fall in love with a vampire didn't appeal to me. I started to read the books and became OBSESSED! I'm not a huge reader, though as I get older I'm enjoying it more and more. I LOVE them!! I devoured the books! I couldn't get enough of them, and once I

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-298396720192645852008-11-19T16:30:00.000-05:002008-11-19T16:42:35.257-05:00

My friend Ed posted this today and it made me very happy!!! Some of you might be wondering what's the big deal...but to me it is! When I was three years old I had 3 goals in life. 1. To be able to turn the tv on and off by myself 2. To be able to cross my legs 3. To be SMURFETTE!!! Yes...I wanted to be a small blonde blue-skinned creature...I don't think it will ever happen...(Though some of

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-7563758517694521512008-11-18T12:00:00.004-05:002008-11-19T19:36:06.354-05:00

This past weekend I took a mini road trip to see friends and the end result was supposed to be the Ravens/Giants Football Game...but that didn't happen. My dad, Kyle (my brother) and I are all huge football fans. My dad and Kyle are Giants fans, and I'm a Ravens fan. Back in June I started talking to Kyle about our dad's birthday in August and suggested getting tickets to the Ravens/Giants game

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-23315339005402956062008-11-13T14:30:00.001-05:002008-11-13T14:43:11.606-05:00

It's been a while, I know. I've enjoyed the fact that my life has slowed down a little bit. I worked over 100 hours the past pay period so working a "normal week" feels like a vacation almost! (Ok...not really but its nice...and I don't think there is really a normal week at the church!)Some things that I am working on and will post hopefully soon are Godspell pictures. I've sorted through the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-49536980379200126472008-11-05T22:00:00.000-05:002008-11-05T22:00:00.544-05:00

Amy tagged me to list 7 quirky things about myself. Here we go... 1. I hate am repulsed by pickles. The smell, the taste, EVERYTHING about them is disgusting! Mary gave me the best shirt ever for my birthday...it says "Pickles...cucumbers soaked in evil." SO TRUE! 2. I say "Bless You" when people burp. It just comes naturally, like when people sneeze. I still say bless you to people who sneeze

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-41575569360224829392008-11-04T23:00:00.001-05:002008-11-04T23:23:23.745-05:00

Tonight I went to the mall with Amy and her kids. It was a fun evening, especially the ride home. Christopher is into saying knock knock jokes. His favorite one tonight was:"Knock, Knock""Who's there?""Rock""Rock Who?""Rockin on the Roll!"We were on the way home and Christopher kept telling us this joke over and over. I decided to give him a hard time joke with him so Christopher would ask "Knock

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-77322148787591756232008-10-29T07:00:00.000-04:002008-10-29T07:00:00.438-04:00

The other night I had dinner at my friend Amy's house. I love hanging out with her and her family. After we ate Christopher disappeared upstairs. Amy went to see what was going on. To her discovery he was flossing! He came downstairs and told us how it tasted like peppermint candy, and offered everyone a taste. We all differed except for Hannah. Christopher disappeared upstairs again, and

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-4789393053447668672008-10-28T07:00:00.000-04:002008-10-28T07:00:00.843-04:00

I added up that since June I have tie dyed somewhere around 75 shirts. Our church high school group did their rendition of Godspell this past weekend, so my boss had asked for me to tie dye some shirts for the kids. I also made a tie dye shirt for each member of the Hungary team. I really don't mind doing it at all, actually I kind of enjoy it! I've done this for a long time...back when I worked

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-39071077921023693312008-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:002008-10-25T00:40:04.356-04:00

On Friday O and I decided to go on some picture walks. I love fall (if I haven't said that enough yet) and I love photography...so why not capture the things of fall that I love?! I gave O my little point and shoot camera while I used my digital SLR. We walked around his school's campus and took a picture of the beautiful chapel there. We also walked around his neighborhood taking pictures. Here

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-33123512930633252932008-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:002008-10-18T07:00:01.007-04:00

I heard this on the radio the other day... http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/10/16/disco.song.health.ap/index.html

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-71615609290892959512008-10-16T22:00:00.000-04:002008-10-16T22:07:53.485-04:00

tran·si·tion –noun 1.movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change The thought of transition has been on my mind the past few weeks. Fall is my absolute favorite season, the beauty of the leaves changing, the hot muggy air moving to cool crisp breeze. Putting away the shorts for sweatpants...and football jerseys. I. LOVE. FALL.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-69703646320997499242008-10-13T13:48:00.000-04:002008-10-13T14:29:54.566-04:00

8...7...6...5...4 are the ages of all the kids I had in the mini-van on Friday on our way to a birthday party! S and O's family is very close with another family who's mom had to be somewhere at the exact time of the party and asked if I could take her 3 oldest kids. So I packed R, J, S, T, and O all in the van and away we went! The party was at Pump It Up, a place filled with moonbounces and

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-39773022621766929462008-10-09T16:24:00.000-04:002008-10-09T16:32:29.806-04:00

We have an all staff meeting the second Thursday of each month. We come and share a meal together, and discuss various things that are going on within the church. We always share some laughs...and today we shared a ton of them! Here is a glimpse of our staff meeting today... Yes, That's right! We built our own Marshmallow Launchers and shot each other with marshmallows! It was a blast!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-49644346440488856172008-10-06T16:03:00.000-04:002008-10-06T16:22:12.539-04:00

This morning I woke up and went to text someone. I wrote the text and hit send. I got a message saying TEXT FAILED (NETWORK PROBLEM). I tried a few more times...and continued to get the same message. On my way to work I called Verizon Customer Service. They tried sending me a message and saw that I wasn't receiving any messages either. Since I was on my phone at the time I had to wait until I got

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-64172191966157869542008-10-04T22:45:00.000-04:002008-10-04T23:00:51.766-04:00

Yep, swim...or should I say drown is what my cell phone did this afternoon. I was laying on the couch extremely content reading my amazing book when my cell phone slid off my lap and landed IN MY GLASS OF WATER!!!! What are the chances?! I immediately grabbed it, took out the battery and grabbed a towel and my hair dryer. I dried it the best I could and then blasted it with the hair dryer, on the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-3476999879172312092008-10-01T10:00:00.000-04:002008-10-01T11:16:05.930-04:00

Yesterday I was in Target (one of my favorite stores) perusing  the clothes when I heard someone having an interesting conversation on their phone. I looked over at the person thinking that's interesting and as I passed them I stopped and back up. She told the person on the phone to hold on for a minute and looked at me and said "Hi Erin!" It was my high school dance teacher, someone I was

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-6337388591796134412008-09-27T22:00:00.001-04:002008-09-27T22:12:27.506-04:00

This weekend has been extremely rainy. O's soccer was canceled this morning, but S's was still on. I talked to another mom and she said that they had other games in the pouring rain this afternoon...and these are 6 year olds! Yikes! Anyway...We finished our movie Herbie this morning, because it wasn't over by bedtime last night. We had a pancake breakfast, and headed to the doctor.The boys did

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-89465086551615580252008-09-26T21:10:00.002-04:002008-09-26T21:11:25.502-04:00

This weekend I'm playing "Mom" to S and O. I have been with this family for almost 6 years now, and they have become my second family. I got here last night and I'm taking care of the boys until Sunday afternoon. We always have a lot of fun together, and we already have...This morning I took the boys to school and then had a few hours to myself, which was nice. I picked the boys up from school,

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-66773618369645759892008-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:002008-09-25T11:03:14.118-04:00

Being a Godly Superhero was the theme of what we tried to teach the children in Cameroon. After spending maybe 36 hours in Paris after Hungary, the 16 of us on the Cameroon team headed to the Paris airport. We wondered the airport for a while trying to meet up with our luggage...after a little confusion we finally got it! We saw God working from the very beginning! Once we got to the ticket

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-32727955002816521972008-09-24T10:36:00.000-04:002008-09-24T11:01:48.620-04:00

Last night at the stroke of midnight my phone went off...normally I would me wondering who was texting me at that hour, but last night I knew...it was my brother. The text read "HAPPY B-DAY SIS! Love you-you're the best" Once I went to college my brother and I started a tradition where we would call (or text) each other at midnight of our birthdays. We want to be the first one to wish each other

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-12314121744813174002008-09-18T07:00:00.002-04:002008-09-18T10:21:49.873-04:00

My old next door neighbor from growing up started a facebook group for our old street. It has been fun to reconnect with people. Today I looked at the group and saw that people have started posting pictures from growing up. It made me teary-eyed to look at them all. I really had a great childhood. I loved where we lived. We were the beginning house of the cul-du-sac and there were several kids

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-54134466664810628792008-09-15T15:02:00.008-04:002008-09-17T12:00:24.307-04:00

Earlier this year I was given the book "Now Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. I read it and took the test, but didn't think too much about it. My friend Tony loves learning and exploring these things, and was the one who gave me the book. He is so encouraging to have people explore who God made them to be, and how we can use that to reach the world. This past summer in Hungary I

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-50153149374928529032008-09-11T21:33:00.003-04:002008-09-11T21:35:20.184-04:00

This is short and sweet...but I had to share this blog with you - Stuff Christians Like It is absolutely HYSTERICAL! I'm adding it to my google reader...and you should too!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-25403160046119027382008-09-11T12:54:00.003-04:002008-09-11T13:38:15.043-04:00

I will never forget where I was on this morning 7 years ago. I had started student teaching that semester, but this particular day we went to our schools late because we had class in the morning. We started the class, with "BJB" Big Joe Barnes as we called him, at 8am. Just around 9:00 we were given a short break from the class, so we all started to scurry to grab some coffee from the student

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-64014841703837250272008-09-11T01:27:00.014-04:002008-09-11T02:31:21.564-04:00

Ok...so back to stories from my trip!We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Paris once we left Hungary. We arrived Saturday evening and then had to lug ALL OUR LUGGAGE (hmm...maybe that's why its called luggage!) through the Paris subway system. We dragged it up and down MANY flights of stairs...switched trains I believe 3 times. It wasn't ideal, but I was amazed with how well the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-45472670467054316632008-09-08T12:07:00.003-04:002008-09-08T12:43:42.401-04:00

On Thursday night I was going to Mary's house to watch the Redskins/Giants game. Before I headed over there I stopped at the grocery store for some brownie mix and the liquor store for something fun for us to drink.I pulled into the parking lot and looked towards the liquor store deciding where I was going to go first. As I was walking up, a group of very large men decked out in Redskins gear

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-5496440355644379192008-09-07T16:42:00.014-04:002008-09-07T18:37:44.907-04:00

I know...I still haven't posted about Paris or Cameroon yet...and I promise that is coming. This weekend I've been working on my scrapbook from my trip, and my brain is still stuck in Hungary because of that. Instead you can enjoy a few stories from my life recently...A little over a week ago it was my great friend Amy's birthday. Every year an all you can eat seafood buffet is where we celebrate

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-44803535628668229682008-09-04T16:23:00.029-04:002008-09-05T07:47:03.689-04:00

In my trip to Hungary this year God really rocked my world! I learned so much, and I am still processing everything that God is teaching me!I was blown away from our students that went. They really served these kids and families with all their heart. It was fun to see some old friends like Jordan! She has grown up some much this past year!Isaiah was my buddy last year, his family lives in France.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-6006083292461226742008-09-03T17:36:00.021-04:002008-09-05T00:29:32.578-04:00

While we were away we had the privilege of taking some time for some sight seeing. Here are a select few pictures from the thousands of pictures that I took over the month (I'm not kidding about the thousands!). These pictures are from our time in Vienna, Austria; and Sopron, Hungary, the little town that the conference was held.We had the kids navigate us through Vienna to find City Hall, and

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-73325107821470297482008-08-26T14:27:00.005-04:002008-08-26T15:14:28.468-04:00

It has been a long time since my last post. I apologize for that. We didn't have any internet access at the conference in Cameroon and I didn't want to spend my last days in Cameroon and Paris on the computer.Coming home I hit the ground running having to finish planning our leaders retreat that was this past weekend, and trying to reconnect with friends. I also had my nights filled with watching

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-40588897862262416842008-08-05T15:28:00.002-04:002008-08-05T15:41:23.648-04:00

I am here in Cameroon! So far things have been great! We had a little scare, thinking that the 4 of us who went to Hungary weren't going to make it on the flight because it was overbooked...but God is good and we all got on. We landed, got ALL 32 BAGS (YAY!) and headed out to the cars. We all went back to Peters house where we were assigned our home stays.Today we had an orientation day, which

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-18487144928419357202008-08-02T17:22:00.002-04:002008-08-02T17:29:43.161-04:00

We are here in Paris! Our time in Hungary was great! Lots of lessoned were leqrned and new friendshipswere formed. It was quite an adventure getting our team of 26 through the subways of Paris with all our luggage. The students had a great attitude about it. We will debrief tomorrow about our time in Hungay, and the 4 of us are gearing up for Cameroon, which the rest of the Cam team is flying

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-71688365304708419272008-07-30T11:43:00.003-04:002008-07-30T11:58:14.151-04:00

Things have been going well here. The kids are all having a blast. The parents are very grateful for everything we're doing. We are all tired, and running low on energy...please pray for strength! We still have no power on our floor in the hotel...but things could definitely be worse!I have had some really neat conversations with different missionaries, especially my friends from Brussels. I have

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-2635738424849210342008-07-27T11:05:00.008-04:002008-07-30T11:58:41.634-04:00

The rest of our time in Vienna was a lot of fun. Kevin and Keely got their bags and guitar...so no problems there. Thursday we went to the Belvedere Palace, which was Prince Eugene of Savoy's summer home, and to Schronbrunn Palace, which was Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette's mothers, summer home. They were beautiful! Karl realized halfway through the day that it was his birthday so Michelle and I

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-59787545485068188242008-07-23T13:07:00.003-04:002008-07-30T11:59:04.697-04:00

Hello! We have finally made it to Vienna!!! Our flight was delayed 2 and a half hours...and we were on the plane the entire time! The plane lost power twice and then they had to replace the radio.After a long flight with no sleep for me we made it to Frankfurt, Germany where we were supposed to make our connection to Vienna...but we missed it. They put us on the next flight...and it was very

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-50538512521400500642008-07-21T23:21:00.004-04:002008-07-30T11:59:22.499-04:00

I have been described as manic for what I'm about to embark this summer. Taking two mission trips overseas back to back...yeah...I think manic is about right!A team of 16 of us are headed to Yaounde, Cameroon, which is off the west coast of Africa. Our church supports G and W Naines, who are full time missionaries through Navigators in Cameroon. They are having their national Navigators staff

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-26462450477183264932008-07-21T10:53:00.005-04:002008-07-21T11:37:45.573-04:00

Last year TSheng invited me to be a part of one of our SPACE (Students Prepared to Act for Christ's Empire) overseas mission trips. It was my first overseas mission trip, and I was honored and thrilled to be a part of it! We had an excellent team of 7 high school students, 6 leaders and 2 elementary students assembled. We served Christian Associates International, which is a group of people who

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-74548022215408685242008-07-16T15:21:00.006-04:002008-07-16T22:10:16.795-04:00

For about 6 years now I've been caring for 2 little boys who I absolutely adore! S is 6 and O is 4; and I've been taking care of them since S was about 8 months old. Their parents call me apart of their parenting team...and I think of them as my second family.Each summer S and O go to Michigan for about a month to see family and go on vacation. This summer has been a bit crazy so we haven't seen

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-69472058625568044362008-07-14T13:51:00.002-04:002008-07-14T13:57:40.278-04:00

So a week from tomorrow I leave for my 26 day adventure (I promise I will post about that soon)...if you don't know me, then I need to tell you that I LOVE pictures and photography. Last summer I went to Hungary (same place I'm going this year) and took over 1500 pictures in less than 2 weeks.I find myself faced with a hard decision because my amazing, favorite, $500 lens was broken last year (we

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-66463574503621593352008-07-13T23:03:00.007-04:002008-07-14T18:11:43.326-04:00

They say that laughter is the best medicine...and I think I agree! Not that I needed medicine last night, but I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.Last night my friends got married. It was a long awaited (they dated for 6 years) and wonderful event. The bride was beautiful, the wedding was great. The reception was outside with white Christmas lights, candles, and even the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8406986533941134827.post-81355130444697821832008-07-09T18:09:00.003-04:002008-07-09T18:35:27.075-04:00

So after going back and forth for weeks about whether or not to get a blog...I obviously decided to give in. When I first started thinking about starting a blog I had so many things inside my head that I was having a hard time to get out and process, I thought a blog might help. Then I realized those thoughts would be posted on the internet for the world to see and not all of it I wanted to share

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10622235240602575934noreply@blogger.com3