Partying On.....

Today we are celebrating 2 birthdays. Zachary's who was 11 yesterday and Jesse who's 9 tomorrow.
It's great having these two boys birthdays so close together because it's double the fun!

Zachary is one of the sparks of our family. He's quite the little clown and comes up with all sorts of things that we just smile and shake our heads at! But underneath all his silliness he is a deep thinker. He doesn't just take anything at face value and has to figure out why things are the way they are. No question seems too silly for him to ask....so he asks lots of questions! Zachary loves a challenge and tackles them head on....unless it has something to do with MATH :) I know I have mentioned here before about Zachary's boundless energy....but it's worth mentioning again! It's so fun to watch him play sports, for he puts his all into it! He reminds me of his dad.... A LOT! In fact, I often visualize that Zach is just like Mark when Mark was little! And Mark is still like that....if there is a task to do, he never does it half way...he goes all out! So I know that if Zach ever gets married someday she is going to enjoy him VERY much!!! We call him Zippy Zee, and that pretty much explains him to a tee (except when he is doing the dishes:) I have often thought that if I could have just half the energy that he does.....I would get A LOT accomplished in a day! Kids love to hang around Zachary because he is just a plain goof ball!!!  Zach's heart for the Lord has been very neat to watch ove the years. As I said, he is a thinker and this includes the things of God. He will often come to me with a question or a comment about something spiritual he has been thinking about. Zachary, I am so proud to call you our son. You add a special spark to our family and I can't imagine it without you!!! I am praying that this year will be a year where you continue to search for the things of God and as you seek Him, that you will find Him! And please, please, please, don't give me any more gray hairs this year.....:)

If you speak of opposites, Zachary and Jesse would be a perfect example of that!!!! Where Zachary is very adventerous, Jesse is very cautious. Where Zachary just does things on a whim, Jesse plans and contemplates. Where Zachary would rather just learn by doing, Jesse likes to observe someone do something before he tries it. I think it is so neat how God puts all these different personalities in a family. Not only do they compliment one another, but they also rub against each other to build character!

Jesse is our little farmer. He reminds me so much of our oldest son, Joshua when he was younger. Jesse likes to spend all the time he can out in the field. And he prefers to be in the fastest tractor (as fast as tractors are that is:). He watches the wheels to see how fast a tractor is going (exactly what his big brother used to do!) and if he knows that the guys are going out to the field early in the morning, he makes sure he gets up REALLY early just so he doesn't miss his ride!!!! If I am every driving a tractor or something that I have never driven before I will make sure that Jesse comes with me to give me advice! Because he watches everything so closely, I know that he will be able to help me out! Jesse can be pretty quiet, but he can be very talkative too! He is more of a one on one kind of person and if he ever corners you, be prepared to get your ears talked off :) Jesse is a very self-motivated person. He is often up early to get his math done even before I get to the table. Right now he is doing 2 math lessons every day so that he can move on to the next book! Jesse has a sensitive heart. He loves on his little siblings and cares for them well. We love you so much Jesse. Thanks for being the great son that you are! We look forward to another year of loving on you and watching you grow closer to the ONE Who loves you most!

Happy Birthday to two-sevenths of our favorite boys!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!