HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTY!

It's just over seven years since Kristy joined our family on September 27, 2003.  She and Todd were married that Saturday and flew to Kristiansund, Norway the following Wednesday!  It was quite a change for her, leaving her family and friends behind for this new venture in a strange land.  But she has thrived on the challenges and now speaks Norwegian as fluently as Todd.  She has even taken up knitting, but only knows how to knit in Norwegian!

Todd and Kristy met in Alberta when they were both counsellors at different Bible Camps the summer of 2002.  But their paths had crossed several years before.  Todd graduated from LCBI, Outlook in 1995 and little did he know that his future wife was in the audience!  Kristy's older sister, Jolene, also graduated in that class.  When I took a picture of Todd receiving his diploma on stage,  Kristy's parents and grandparents can be seen in the picture.  Grandma Wanda is wearing purple and Kristy's mom is in red in the above picture. We didn't meet them that day and only found out their identity when Kristy saw the picture years later.  When Laurel was on choir tour with CLBI, Camrose she stayed overnight with the Ledenes in Brooks and wrote a letter home telling about the home with four girls (one bossy one!) where she had stayed.  And Kristy used to go fishing with her Grandpa Ledene and his friend, Emil Bergum, who was Howard's uncle!  God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.

Wedding at Salem Lutheran, Scandia AB

Engagement picture

Dressed for the musical in Kristiansund

Rejoicing at the national Gold medal volleyball game 2005

 Ledene sisters - Kristy, Jenny, Jolene and Danielle - July 31, 2010

Halloween 2010

A writeup about this day wouldn't be complete without a note of remembrance for my mother, Hulda Svanhild (Haaland) Erickson whose life on earth ended on November 4, 1984 at the age of 65.  My mother loved Norway and was thrilled in 1969 to visit the country where her parents were born.  She spoke and wrote perfect Norwegian, thanks to tutoring from her father, Hans Haaland.  Mom would have been so pleased that Todd and his wife are living in "the homeland".  A day that might have become a "gray" day for us has become a day of celebrating Kristy's arrival in this world.  Little did we know that sad day in 1984 that a future daughter-in-law was celebrating her fifth birthday in Alberta!  We are so glad that God brought you and Todd together.  Happy Birthday, Kristy!!

Fun at Howard's 75th birthday party