33 years. . .

Servant of The Most High, Son, Husband, Daddy.

Happy Birthday to Joe!

We love you! 

This morning, after Joe left for work, Ethan wondered, "How many years have we had Daddy?"  I am so thankful that out of your 33 years, a little over 10 of them have been with me.

So thankful for your prescence in our life!

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.  -1 Peter 2:17

not pa's haystack. . .

Saturday was an eventful day at the Hess Household.

Friday night Jonas had came and excavated for our new shed. He scraped topsoil, moved dirt, and dug holes. Wow, all that big equipment was a child's DREAM!

Saturday morning, everyone was out bright and early, getting ready for the concrete truck. We were planning to get cement poured in the holes that Jonas had dug for the new building and also in our new sidewalk. It was one action packed day!

After all this, Ethan & Elisa took LONG naps, and when they got up they had the MOST fun of all. . .

Remember reading On the Banks of Plum Creek, by Laura Ingalls Wilder? Remember how much fun Mary & Laura had sliding down Pa's haystack? (until there was no longer a haystack?) Remeber how Pa stacked it all back up and told them not to slide any more? Remeber how they did it again? This was one of our favorite stories in the book, so when Ethan and Elisa started playing on the big dirt pile that Jonas had made, it made me think of this. I reminded them about it and they laughed.

When the day was done, Joe & I lauged a lot too!

Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. -Psalm 127:3

Praise to God,

immortal praise, For the love that crowns our days; Bounteous source of ev'ry joy, Let Thy praise our tongues employ.

Once again, I come to a "normal" Monday and pause to pursue gratitude and be a joy finder.

. . . . . . .

31 - Aged Women

32 - "firemen" (or firechildren)

33 - happy kiddos at 6a.m.

34 - helping hands

35 - grace

36 - forgiveness

37 - long-distance friends

38 - Godly folks to look up to

39 - picnics in spring

40 - quiet time with Him!

. . . . . . .

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.  - Psalm 51:10-13

a trick. . .

Tuesday, Joe had service school in New Holland, PA.  Ethan, Elisa, & I all spent a fun day with Sherry while he was at school.  I was suppose to be back to pick him up at 4p.m.  Well, as usual, I was running late, and then (of course) got stopped in traffic which made me even later.  I didn't arrive until 4:30 or so.  We had started home (a 2 hour drive) when Joe made the comment that we should just stop and get new tires on the van.  He said that we would arrive home too late to do the outside work he had planned, so we may as well get the tires done.

We did that.

We continued home with new tires, and what we thought was a quieter riding van. (although it was hard to tell for sure with all the commotion from the second seat)  :)

When we got home, we just relaxed in the living room reading books.  I thought that it was a winding down time before heading up to bed. . .

In a little, I heard Joe say, "Ethan, do you want to come outside with me?  I'm going to do a trick."

Of course Ethan took him right up on that.

I thought I would go find out what the trick was also.  What I saw didn't resemble "going to bed" in any way.

It reminded me more of the "tearing up of the sidewalk" that Joe had said it was going to be too late to do. :) 

Well, this continued for some time. (much to Ethan & Elisa's delight)

Until, finally, Ethan said, "Daddy I thought you were going to do a trick!"

Puzzled, Joe said, "This IS my trick!"

To this Ethan replied, "OH.  I thought you were going to do a flip or something!"

Then we had a GOOD LAUGH!

After the laughter, Joe finished demolishing the sidewalk.

I LOVE the way kids think!

&

I LOVE the way my husband keeps my life interesting!

After sitting in a classroom all day, who WOULDN'T need to do a little work before bed?

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  - Ecclesiastes 3:1

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; . . .  - Ecclesiastes 3:5

with thanksgiving,

praise, and in hearing His word; O worship with singing, the Master is here!

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.  I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.   - Ecclesiastes 3:11-13

. . . . . . . .

21 - studying joy

22 - boy teachers

23 - girl students

24 - long distance phone conversations

25 - clean rooms

26 - suprise visits from friends

27 - a girlie that talks more every day

28 - chipotle

29 - a boy who loves his chickens

30 - visitors sharing the gospel with us

. . . . . . .

Care to join the Gratitude Community?

a picture is worth a thousand words. . .

. . .so here are a couple thousand words about January 2010

:)

welcome new friend, zoey kate

thanks grandma!  happy family day, elisa!

we have fond memories as we celebrate your 2nd year with us!

thanks for sharing our day, braden

the piñata was lots of fun, even after it was "broken"

snow buddies

recycling crayons

happy 3rd birthday, elisa!

Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.  Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;      -Psalm 105:4-5

so, i have this friend. . .

. . .that is holding me accountable for memorizing scripture.  What a blessing to have friendships like this.  Yes.  I fall flat before her.  Yes.  She watches as I pick myself up and ask for more time.  I absolutely cherish my conversations with her.  What encouragement!  I thank God for friendships that help me grow closer to him.

Tonight at Bible Study, we discussed JOY.  In all the studying that I have done, I can only come to one conclusion.  That is this:  to have true JOY is only attainable by having an intimate relationship with my SAVIOR.  So whenever I seek happiness, I am seeking the wrong thing.  Happiness totally depends on circumstances around me.  If I want to have JOY, I only have to seek HIM!

Right now I am praising God for giving me relationships that help me seek HIM more.  I can't be thankful enough for ALL my friends that encourage me in my WALK WITH THE LORD, but especially right now I want to say thank you to my friend for memorizing with me, because. . .

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  - Romans 8:6