A fun quote . . .

From my friend Faith in Ruston, Louisiana:

"I am so so so happy for you and Mark. Does he have any idea whatsoever what kind of roller coaster ride the rest of his life is going to be? With you by his side, my buddy who of all the friends I've ever had, is hands down the most fun person with the most infectious laugh and the ability to turn boring, hum-drum stuff like going to the grocery store, into a memorable, silly reachin-and-twirlin good time. That "don't know what he got himself into," lucky, blessed, red-headed Yankee brother is in for a trip!"

I just thought you would all enjoy her statement!

Plans, plans, and more plans . . . . THIS IS FUN!

Hello friends and family. I hope to keep you up to date on wedding plans and such here at the blog. For those of you in planning mode . . . . here is some info you might like to have.

We have a block of rooms reserved at the Hampton Inn here in Ames, Iowa, for the wedding. If you are planning to attend, you can visit the wedding website to secure your room at the wedding party rate.

There are certainly other hotel options in Ames. We just chose this one to set aside a block of rooms. Of course it will be more fun if you are all staying at the same place!

Mark and I took engagement photos over the weekend. It was so much fun! I'll try to post a few when I get the link to the gallery. Mom and Jerry came to town on Monday. My friend Eve, mom, and I had a VERY SUCCESSFUL dress shopping day on Tuesday. I HAVE A WEDDING DRESS! Crazy. Truly crazy. It is beautiful. No photos however. Can't let Mark in on the secret.

We have the reception place picked out, are in the process of deciding on places to register, and continue talking through the ceremony plans. It really is fun to think about all this. It is even more fun when I stop to realize that at the end of all this I'll be married to one very incredible man. How cool is that?

WEDDING/RECEPTION INFO

BIG EVERYONE INVITED Wedding AND Reception
in Ames, Iowa
Friday, September 15

Reception in Ruston, Louisiana
Saturday, September 23

Write it in pen. Make your plans. JOIN US FOR TONS OF FUN!

Dates and other important info

Woo Hoo! We're getting married! You can read the previous post for the most romantic engagement story ever! And for those who have asked, we got engaged Saturday night, May 6. Here's a picture we took after the big moment Saturday night.

So, here are a few details. As the plan develops, I'll keep up the posts here. There's more to come so check back often.

Friday, September 15 Wedding in Ames, Iowa

Saturday, September 23 Reception in Ruston, Louisiana

Friday, September 29 Reception in Ames, Iowa (Nevermind. Combined with wedding Sept 15)

This is so much fun! Thanks for all your sweet posts and encouragement.

A wonderful story . . . .

Last Wednesday (May 6) marked six months that Mark and I had been dating. I left that day for a business trip to Atlanta. Upon my arrival in my hotel room, there were six GORGEOUS white roses waiting for me, along with a handwritten note from Mark. I was overwhelmed at the gesture and the planning it took for him to make that happen. It was a wonderful surprise. All the gals that were with me were super jealous. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night. I couldn't stop thinking about the incredible blessing God has given me in a man like Mark Stenberg.








On Thursday, we went to the conference and returned late to our hotel, where I found these even more incredible pink roses and another handwritten note. Now, by this time, I'm thinking, "There is a definitive turn in the tone of these notes. Something major is happening here!" I was once again humbled and thrilled at Mark's effort to send these flowers and shower me with words of love and affirmation.








On Friday we went to the conference again and had a great day there dreaming of ministry at Cornerstone. Well, I was trying hard to think about ministry at Cornerstone but it seemed that visions of roses kept creeping into my mind. And yes, to my sheer joy and delight, when I arrived at the hotel after another long day at the conference (and a very challenging session by Louie Giglio!), there were a dozen perfect red roses and a final note, signed "Love, Mark."



My conference friends and I arrived back in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Mark picked us up at the airport and boy was I glad to see him! We were in two separate cars after the airport run, so he dropped me off at my car and said that he would pick me up at 6:30 that night for our six month celebration. He told me we were going to dinner at The Cafe, here in Ames. It was the sight of our first date on November 3.

I was still trying to guard my heart, even to this point in the day. I mean, I was really convinced that we were not this close to marriage. Don't get me wrong, I knew that I loved him and that I wanted to marry him. I was pretty sure he loved me and wanted to marry me. I just thought it was still a little ways away. So, I told myself that this day was really mostly a celebration of the past six months. But yeah, somewhere in the depths of my heart, I wondered what the night held.

After a very relaxing, enjoyable dinner, we ordered dessert to go and headed back to Mark's parents house. They were at the lake for the weekend. He said he wanted to drop the desserts off there and then go to Borders to look for a CD. OK. Sure. Normal date night stuff. So we headed to Borders. He was buying some time for the sun to go down. Becuase . . . he had transformed the back deck of his parents house into a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

There were tons of candles, lanterns, and lights strung along the deck. There was another dozen red roses on the table. He lit a fire in the chimnea. The stars were out. The moon was bright. It was amazing. It was romantic. It was perfect. He asked me to dance - that is one of our most favorite things to do. He had carefully chosen songs for the playlist. We danced for a while and talked about the past six months. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Until . . . .

He asked me sit down on the couch with him. He read the poem that he had written in the three cards from the week before. (Sidenote . . . each stanza of that poem began with the word, "YES.") Then he read his life purpose statement that he had written 10 or 11 years ago. It reflected a heart that longs to love God, glorify Him, and serve others. He asked me if I could see my life lining up with that purpose, if I could see myself joining him on that journey. My answer? "I asked God continually to give me someone who I could easily follow, someone who I could put my hand in his and walk the road of life. If you are following God, and I'm following you, how could we go wrong?

Then, Mark got down on one knee. He said, "I love you Mandy. Will you marry me?"

And I said "YES!"

He put this amazing diamond engagement ring on my finger. It is white gold with a round stone. It is beautiful. And I can hardly believe that this is all happening.

I am so blessed to even know this man, much less to understand that God has given me a lifetime to know him more and to spend the rest of my days loving him. The most beautiful thing about that is, God alone will get the glory for that as He brings us into closer relationship with Him!

Mark I love you. And I'm so glad to finally be able to tell you that every day!

Details? We don't have them all worked out yet. It will probably be a early fall wedding in Ames, Iowa, with family and close friends. We'll have two receptions. One LARGE one here for our church family and Mark's Ames connections (he's born and raised here in Ames!). Then we'll have a BIG LOUISIANA party! I'll keep you posted on the details so you can make plans to attend one of the parties and help us celebrate just how good our God is!

Mandy B. (Stenberg!)

EASTER

I had some super special guests in Ames for Easter. My dad and sister made the trek to Iowa to visit. We had so much fun. They arrived at the Des Moines airport on Friday, we flew back to Ames for Good Friday services at Cornerstone, then had dinner with friends at my favorite mexican restaurant, La Fuente. It was at La Fuente where the MOST SURPRISING thing of the entire weekend happened . . . . . . my dad asked for SWEET TEA (a.k.a. the wine of the South) and got it. He got sweet tea in a mexican restaurant in Ames, Iowa. Now, for you die hard southerners . . . . you need to know that it is close to impossible to find sweet tea anywhere up here in the midwest. So, while La Fuente was already one of my favorite places, now it is indeed at the top of my list. SWEET TEA, there is nothing like it.

On Saturday, Angie and I played tennis while Dad hung out with Mark. It was a fun morning. We had lunch and did some shopping at Lowe's (thanks Mom for the giftcard.) Angie, Dad and I spent the afternoon planting flowers in my yard. It looks good!

Saturday night we had dinner in Ames with Mark and then went to Lake Robbins Ballroom for a little 50s and 60s rock and roll.

Sunday we went to church and then to lunch at the Stenberg's for Easter dinner. It was fun to get to spend the afternoon with Mark's family. My dad was of course the fun of the party. After some afternoon naps, we went back to the Stenbergs and played Mexican train. Dad and Red (Mark's dad!) visited in the living room, trading stories like crazy while Mark, Marilyn (mom), Angie and I played dominoes. It was a great day.

We spent Monday afternoon wandering around the Iowa countryside looking at corn fields. Well, Angie napped, I drove, Dad looked. Good family bonding time.

All in all, it was a really great visit.

You are all invited to come on up anytime.

Have a super day.

Kansas City

Hello friends! I had the most wonderful weekend! Mark and his brothers (photos to follow) treated their parents (Red and Marilyn) to a family weekend in Kansas City - all adults, grandkids had to stay behind - and I got to tag along. We spent the weekend in the plaza in Kansas City. Great food, lots of shopping, and tons of family time. The weather was amazing - at least 75 degrees or so. I rode down to KC with Mark's mom and dad because Mark had gone to Denver for a business training session. He met up with us at dinner Friday night. It was a fun trip. Saturday we shopped and shopped, had breakfast, lunch and dinner in the plaza, and even got to spend some time with my former Ames friend Amy and her fiance Greg on Saturday afternoon. It really was a great weekend. I felt very welcomed into the Stenberg family. Here's some photos from the weekend . . .
Here's Mark and I at dinner on Friday night at Brio . . . . Kansas City Plaza.

Here's the whole fam . . . minus Mark (he's taking the pic) at breakfast on Saturday. From left to right . . . . Thomas and Sonee, David and Melissa, Tim (married to Dawn), Marilyn and Red, Dawn and Mandy B.

Mark and I at one of the plaza fountains. Look at that blue sky! And that cute boy!

We spent part of Saturday at a park in Kansas City with my friend Amy. She took this fun photo of us! Thanks Amy!

It was really a great weekend. Sunday was Mark's birthday. Monday we had been "dating" for five months. All is well in the world! I'm loving this! Enough sappy stuff.

Normal days . . .

Well, Deanna fussed at me for not posting. So, for anyone who cares, let me re-cap the past week or so.

Saturday night (March 18) we threw a birthday party for Ben Bradley. He turned 28. It was a fun night - full of Ben trivia, games about Ben, cake with Ben's favorite color on it . . . well, you get the idea. It was all about Ben. Here's a photo (that's my Mark behind the Ben mask) . . . and a link to more pics if you know Ben and care to look.
http://photos.yahoo.com/missmandybee


On the first day of spring, it snowed in Iowa. There were 6 inches of snow on the ground on the second day of spring.

I drove to Iowa City (about 1hr 45min away) Monday afternoon to spend the night with Angie Shepherd. Yep, Shepherd came to Iowa and it wasn't even to see me! She was here for a job interview. You can pray for her as she seeks out what God wants for her in life. She'll finish seminary in May and is really trying to figure out where she will work after that. I wouldn't mind at all if it was Iowa, but only if that is where God wants her.

Yesterday I had lunch with Darlene Lubinus. It was wonderful to sit down with her and catch up. It is weird that she lives here now. I mean, good weird, but weird. Tim moved into his office today. We share a wall. CRAZY.

I had a wonderful date night with Mark last night! God is so good to me. He has answered so many prayers about this relationship. Mark is a great balance for me and is a wonderful leader for us.

We have a Time Out for Parents tonight at Cornerstone. Want to know how good I've gotten at delegation? I'm not even coming! I've given all responsibility to my two interns. They have my cell number if they need me. Isn't that wonderful?

Tomorrow is our next to last Upward game day. We'll have our Awards Night Ceremony next Sunday (April 2 - Mark's 35 birthday by the way).

I'll miss our final game day next weekend. I'm headed to Kansas City with Mark and his family for the weekend. I have not met one of his brothers and his wife and have only spent a little time with the youngest Stenberg and his wife. It will be a fun time I'm sure.

So, that's about it for me. Tired of reading? Feel caught up? Thanks.

My dad's wonderful job!

Hey friends. My dad loves his job. He gets to do so much fun stuff. For example, this past week he was on hand as officials caught and moved 2 mama black bears and their four cubs from land close to the hunting camp to another parish in an effort to repopulate that area. These little guys are so cute!



My dad cracks me up with stories of his work. Mostly I laugh when he talks about his hard day with the nap right in the middle of the day! I'm so happy that he is so happy and I'm thankful for the Maddens who take such good care of my dad as he works for them. The first photo here is my dad with one of the mama bears. The second is John Madden with three of the cubs.

Night on the Town

Hello friends. Mark treated me to a wonderful night out last night. The Lion King is playing in Des Moines. We've had tickets since November, so this has been in the works for quite some time. Mark invited me over for dinner before the show. I didn't know what I was in for or how much work he had gone to for me. I walked in to a table set with flowers and candles! It was really nice. He had been working on dinner since 2p and it was all delicious. Yep, he's a keeper!


We went to the show with friends Andrew and Holly. Holly is expecting twins in May.

It was a really nice evening. The show was great. The company was even better!

Bailey Ann Johnson

She's here! Princess Bailey Ann Johnson has arrived! Billy and Elizabeth are the proud parents of a 9 pound 11oz baby girl. Mom and baby are doing well. Bailey was born around 2:00p our time, 10:00p in her world.

Go here to see pics of Bailey . . . SHE IS BEAUTIFUL
www.dropshots.com/billyjamesjohnson

OK, a little clarification for my friend Becky . . . . . THIS is the real man in my life. While "pink shirt guy" is indeed a super fun guy . . . . . Mark is who has stolen my heart. Seems that my earlier blogging of our relationship has been pushed to the bottom of my blog and new friends don't get the chance to "meet" him. So, here you go . . . . .

Mark and I have been together for 4 months as of this coming Friday. He is an incredible man. He is a servant. He is stinkin' hilarious. He is an amazing leader in our relationship. He likes to dance! We have a great time together. We are learning more and more about one another AND about God because of the time we spend together.

Yeah, we need to take a new picture. This one is from this past Christmas. I'll work on that.

Life is busy here in Central Iowa. God is at work at Cornerstone. Upward Basketball is going great. D6 (Wednesday night) stuff is strong. Summer is quickly approaching which means VBS and day camp and camp and day trips and a new add for me personally . . . . weekends at the lake with Mark and his family! Yippee!

So, that's me in a nutshell. Drop me a line to say hello. I love to hear from you all.


"

Pink Shirt Day

So my friend/co-worker Ben and I were dressed alike today at work. It was a little bit planned. But funny nonetheless. Ben and I first met when we were both living overseas in Turkey. Now we both work at Cornerstone Church. He's a super funny, smart, SINGLE guy . . . . . Anyone????

Happy Valentine's Day!

OK, so for the first time in many many years, I actually wore red on Valentine's day. I did without the traditional BLACK clothing. One small step for Mandy B, one giant step for single women everywhere!

I worked at a local florist doing deliveries for them. It was so much fun. I loved seeing the reaction of ladies (and a few gents) as they received flowers and goodies from someone who loves them. It was a neat reminder of the spot created in each of us that longs for belonging and love. Sadly, many people don't know that it can only be filled by our Creator, and that only He can completely fill your soul with love for another person because He first loved us.

After working all day giving others flowers, I was certainly thrilled to be showered with a dozen reds of my own . . . . Thanks to my very own Valentine sweetheart!

For the queen

So, today I talked on the phone to my friend Elizabeth in Central Asia and she made me promise to update my blog. Here's a picture of us from days gone by. I don't really have too much to say, but I am true to my word, so here goes.

Elizabeth and Billy are expecting their first baby in a few weeks. Well, we all hope it is quicker than a few weeks, but none of us more than Liz! It is very exciting to know that Billy James Johnson will be a dad. And believe me, that baby girl has him wrapped already! You'll do a great job Billy and Elizabeth. Your little princess is already loved by lots of people!

I'm getting over a cold this week. It took me off guard and put me down for several days. (See how I'm reaching for stuff to blog . . . . )

We have our second game day for Upward Basketball tomorrow. There are 224 players involved this year. It is so much fun. Last week went really well. It is neat to see so many families from outside our church community involved in Upward. It is a cool ministry for our church.

Mark and I are doing great. He is really a gift from God in my life. We've been "dating" now for three months and each day is better than the last!

So, there you go. A little glimpse into my life. Happy Liz?

Perspectives

I am in week three of the fifteen week course Perspectives, being offered here at Cornerstone this semester. It is a great class so far. Jeff Lewis and Mike Stroope have both been guest speakers and have both taken me back to the days when God first introduced me to the idea of His plan for the nations. I have been challenged again to think about God's passion for His name to be known in all the earth. I've been challenged to think about the part God has laid out for me to play. Yesterday, Mike Stroope challenged us to think about the kingdom and this King we choose to follow. Wow. Do I daily put my "yes" on the table for whatever He has in store? Nope, I don't. I want to. I want to believe that I want to. So much of my time with God is retro-active - thanking Him for a good day or blessing, asking Him to fix something I've screwed up, asking Him to forgive an attitude or wipe away worry. I felt challenged yesterday to reconsider my daily walk with Christ, the King. He deserves my first, my best, not my leftovers. He is worthy of my concentration and all my efforts.

Good stuff. Good challenges. Oh I want to follow this King and please Him!

Finally, the bride and groom

Here you go friends . . . . BIG thanks to Kelly Moore for sharing these photos from Tiff's wedding! Here they are . . . . Mr. and Mrs. Chris Kinnison.

Birthday Flowers

One dozen yellow roses . . . . . NICE! Score one for Stenberg!

Seriously . . . .

Check out my sister's blog. She is a great story teller!

www.angjoyb.blogspot.com

Yeah, if you'll notice, this is my second blog for today. I really am working. It is just hard to concentrate cause it is my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the celebration begin!

Woo hoo! I love my birthday! Really, I do. Before I ever left home this morning I had text messages and phone calls wishing me a happy day. When I got to my coffee shop, the workers said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY." My sweet friend Jen had stopped in and purchased my morning coffee for me and left a card. There have been well wishers, gifts, an overseas phone call, flowers AND a cake - all before 11:00AM. And there's more to come!

Thanks to those who have called, messaged, blogged, and thought about me so far! Bring it on!