Our Inspired Journey

Celebrating another special event away from family and friends made us that much more excited for our upcoming trip to California NEXT WEEK! I can't believe we're actually going back to visit, but that's another post altogether :) Stay focused...

In order to celebrate 30 wonderful years of JOHN, we spread out our celebration this year partly out of necessity (life with 3 kids!) and because it's more fun! So it all began Thursday night when John conducted in a Wind Symphony concert at U of I. Knowing how much he'd been practicing, I really wanted to be there! So for the first time since we'd moved, I left the boys with our wonderful neighbors down the street who also have 2 boys (who the boys love playing with) and took Cora to see Daddy in action! Two friends from our small group at church joined us and if it weren't for them, I would've missed seeing John conduct that night! About 10 seconds into the first song, Cora decided it was far too loud to sleep through and added her own cute yet distracting squeals to the music from the Symphony. Not wanting to be "that mom" I hurried the two of us out of the Concert Hall and stood outside the door listening to the music from the hallway. Right before John was getting ready to conduct his song, one of our friends graciously offered to hold Cora for me while I went inside to watch. For the first time all year, I was able to watch John conduct and I was so proud. We will post the video of his performance in an upcoming post. He lead well and the band sounded great!

Here's a picture of the boys having fun while we were gone. They're here with their friends Levi and Zion, and their Dad, Eric. Cole wasn't into wearing a mask but Ryder loved it! He's in the back in the green and yellow one...The next day, we went out to dinner as a family to one of John's favorite restaurants...Outback! This was my parents' present to John and the rest of us were so thankful to get to come along for the ride too! We weren't sure how all the kids would do in a restaurant...(needless to say we don't go out often!) but they did great and we had a blast! My favorite part of the meal was sneaking bits of the baked sweet potato with butter and brown sugar John ordered as a side to his steak...so yummy!!! For the first time, I noticed Ryder really interested in doing all the activities on the kids menu, Cole said "hi" and waved to everyone who passed by and Cora slept like a gem the whole time...Happy Birthday Daddy!

On Saturday, I let John sleep in as long as he wanted! He's usually the one who gets up with the boys in the morning while Cora and I sneak a few more minutes of sleep, so he definitely loved and deserved every minute of extra sleep! John was gone for a bit working at school on Saturday, which gave me time to assemble his present. Knowing that John would love to be spending his birthday with friends he's known since college and family he loves and misses, I decided to try my best to bring them to him without paying for plane tickets for each one! I sent out an e-mail when he was out of town about a month or so ago, and asked friends and family to write him a letter of encouragement along with any fun memories or pictures they'd like to add. The response was an incredible blessing, as over 20 letters were sent back my way. I printed out each one on cute "music" paper that my Grandma Joanie had given me a while ago, along with the pictures that some included with their letters. Ryder and I wrapped it up in a box and presented it to him the night before his 30th birthday. He opened the box and was SO surprised and blessed (to say the least) by the number of people who had written him such meaningful memories and notes of encouragement. Some, he hadn't had a chance to talk with in some time, so the memory of their friendship brought a smile to his face along with those who had very sincere and meaningful words of blessing and encouragement to share.

On Sunday (his actual birthday!) we had a wonderful day at church, the park and the boys and I made Daddy his favorite dessert. It has many names, but the one he grew up calling it was "Better than Robert Redford!" I improvised a bit with the ingredients we had in the house and ended up with a graham cracker crust...cool whip, cream cheese and powered sugar layer in top of that...chocolate pudding...cool whip...and finally topped with crushed pecans, almonds and pieces of chocolate chips! ( I added the chocolate chips but he didn't like that too much.) So after a dinner of homemade pizza, salad and rootbeer, we served John on the "You Are Special" plate that our friend Kristi gave us as part of our wedding gift and sang "Happy Birthday" to the best Daddy and Husband we know!

The book that says, "Happy 30th Birthday to our son, friend, husband, daddy...John Paul"...still sits next to his night stand as a reminder of God's faithfulness to him through community over the past 30 years of his life. He has been a son, brother, friend, teacher, husband and daddy over the past 30 years, and will continue to be for as long as the Lord has him here on this earth.

Some of the letters brought tears to my eyes as I was reminded of what a gift I have in my husband. God has used him to bless others and I'm so thankful to be alongside him now as we continue the next 30 years together! My favorite letter, however, had to be Ryder's. He drew his daddy a tiger and when I asked why, he said, "Because Tigers are big and Daddy's big." Plain as that...I love it. He's just like his father :)

Thank you to those of you who contributed to such a wonderful present to John this year! Know that God has used you to give him confidence in the truth that God has and continues to do a good work in Him! From the words of his family, friends, students and children...I know this book will serve as a reminder to him that God began a good work in him and will be faithful to complete it in the days, weeks and months to come! I love that God promises the same for us...it's because of His love for us that our birth-day happened in the first place...how sweet and gracious His love is for each of us, no matter where we are in our response to Him. I am married to a man who understands and responds to the love of His creator with overwhelming levels of patience and grace for those around him...especially those who need it most...his (not always so lovely) wife and sweet but rascally children! God continues to lavish His love on this family through John and this is one wife who can certainly say she is thankful He does...