Birthday Wishes to Daddy!

Wow, do we miss Daddy! His birthday is this week. We will miss being able to be with him this year. But we know that time is already flying by so our reunion will take place before we know it. So to celebrate his birthday I will list the TOP TEN things we love and cherish!

10. We love that Daddy sings. Honestly I would have said a few months ago that it gets old ...but I have LOVED watching the girls ASK him to sing to them on the phone. Everytime he is on the phone one of them invariably asks him to sing! He has made THEM have songs in their hearts. If anyone knows us...we sing everything!

9. We love that Daddy has memorized scripture. He has been a source of encouragement to us all when we have been stressed and discouraged by his absence. There are some verses the girls know JUST BECAUSE HE SHARES THEM WITH THEM REGULARLY! He has a wealth of scripture memorized and that passion has been renewed when his boss gave him the whole Bible on tape.....Did I mention that he has a great boss??

8. We love Daddy's cooking. This has been a sore spot for me in his absence as many of my meals have been greeted with sorrowful looks and thoughts of "meals that Daddy used to make" Not to mention I have yet to cook ALL WEEKEND and be a short order cook for the girls' wishes and whims. In one of the girl's own words...."We don't eat like that anymore since Daddy is gone." They miss your food....and I miss you making it!

7. We love that Daddy will play with the girls. Sometimes I get convicted that I do not "play" with the girls like I should. The man will drop whatever he is doing to do pretty much whatever they want to do. You could say they have him pretty tightly wrapped around their fingers. But it is a way that he serves them. He is the most doting man to the Yoder ladies....we really have come to realize how much we MISS that part of him being here!

6. We love it that Daddy is not afraid to cry in front of us. He is so sensitive. Yeah....he sometimes may not understand our emotional output...but his heart is so tender. He has seen the mercy and grace of the Lord and he has passed this tenderness on to each of the girls. I try to be too tough....he has made me more tender.

5. We love that our Daddy does the "dirty jobs" and would never think of asking us to do them. Now that he is not here.....wow do I miss that. Things like emptying the trash, taking the trash to the curb, cleaning the cars,etc.are things he does without ever complaining!!

4. We love that our Daddy loves to have fun! He is so much fun all the time!!! Sometimes I would say...."Can't you just be serious?" But now I realize what a gift he has given them ....my girls are creative, funny, and know how to put on a good show. I love it when he finds a funny movie to watch with them...They are forever quoting lines and doing things that are just....funny! Many of you have seen Eric's Elvis impression....need I say more! Almost every night I have someone performing something for me!


3. We love that our Daddy puts up with FOUR WOMEN! We do give him a Man Cave to escape to, but he is so patient with our wardrobe changes, hair rearranges and stuff that women do. He will ask sometimes...."Why do they do that?" But my response of "We're girls!" is enough and he usually smiles (sometimes sighs) and just stays quiet. It made me tear up when he told me the other day that he misses "our drama". He is a great father of daughters!


2. We love that our Daddy is going to be the best gate keeper ever! He jokes about keeping a shot gun above the fire place. But seriously, I see him as someone who will invest in the young men who come our girls' way. I don't see him shying away from being a part of their lives and "testing" them. It is with great anticipation that I ponder the way in which he will interact with the "fellows" that come knocking at our door! Of course they are hoping he will save the Elvis impression for when they get to know us better!


1. I'll use this one for myself....I love it that Eric loves me more than anyone ever could possibly love me! I know that for a fact. I have never doubted his love for me. Have we had stressful times?....You betcha!...but never have I doubted his love for me. He has loved me at my most unlovable moments. I am grateful to have a husband who cherishes me!


Well honey, Happy Birthday! Sorry we couldn't be with you! But know that these are just a short part of a long list of things we love about you! Happy Birthday!

Love,
Your Yoder Girls!

Power Bars!

Ephesians 6:12-14
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,



Recently I got an idea from a friend's blog. She wrote about something she was doing with her boys this school year. She called it Meet me in the Hall! They planned to meet each morning and pray before school. To help it along they made prayer lists for each day of the week so that when they got together they were ready to pray. I really thought that was a neat idea. My attempts to have a consistent prayer time with the girls before school always seemed rushed and we usually prayed to "have a good day, etc."

I tried to think of where we could meet and the bar in the kitchen seemed best. But I didn't think it sounded too good to call it "Meet me at the bar!" so I am calling it Power Bar! We are planning to meet each morning to pray for specific things on our lists. Today worked well and I pray we will continue to do it each morning.

It was precious to sit down with them and decide what we wanted to pray for each morning. It opened the window to their hearts and allowed me to see concerns, burdens etc. It especially touched me that they wanted to pray for people who don't know the Lord! This morning when we were dropping Kathryn off (Yeah....we missed the bus on the first day)I saw two former students of mine walking into the building. I waved to them, and when the girls asked me who they were I told them and started to explain that it was very sad becuase their Mom has terminal cancer. Before I could say anything else.... Ellie piped up...."I am adding them to my power bar card!" So sweet! She may be my biggest challenge, but she has the tenderest of hearts! On one of her days she actually asked to write down that she would "have Jesus in my heart" I asked her what she meant and she told me she knows she needs Jesus in her heart to go to heaven but in our conversation she (in her own way) said she doesn't "get it" all quite yet. I told her I would add it to my card!

So thanks Amy for the idea. I pray that we will begin something that will have lasting effects!



My three favorite school girls....Kathryn --7th grade, Julia -- 5th grade, Ellie-- Kindergarten!

Oh Baby....not my baby???

Well, I made it to a day that some days I never thought I would see. Ellie is in Kindergarten! Today they had a day where just the "K-Kids" went to allow them to experience school without 500+ big kids in the building.

Ellie was a little bit nervous when we got to school, but overall she had a great day. The time with her has just flown by so quickly. While our time today was really fun,I could not stop pondering how quickly life seems to be passing! It seems like yesterday I was sitting in Bulls Restaurant celebrating a friend's birthday and telling her that I was pregnant!! (that is a birthday Julie will never forget!)

I am starting off this school year very differently.....NOT WORKING! It has afforded me quality time with the girls as I am not consumed with getting ready for a classroom of 4th graders. However, the time on my hands has been unusual and at times I feel like I have been floundering. Today was no exception. I felt like I was wandering through the kindergarten orientation like I was in some sort of out of body experience. I was overwhelmed by how fast five years has flown by and thinking about what the next five may hold for our family. It is sure to be exciting to see how the Lord will use us in Missouri, but I will be honest and say, sometimes.....the whole idea of moving scares me. I kept thinking today...."What will our lives be like in five years?"

This week I will have an opportunity for some definite time of solitude as the girls start school and I don't start my classes until Thursday. I really want to use it to seek and search out what it is the Lord has in store for me over the next few months....and years! I know that we are not to worry about tomorrow....and that the Lord has each day of my life numbered. But, as I thought about how fast these past five years have gone, I certainly was urged to seek the Lord concerning what He has in store for me, so that I might live each day for His glory.

Psalm 5:7,8

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. 8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.

Home Sweet Home!

Here are some pics of the house. Eric along with his brother and friends have worked very hard on the outside and now the work on the inside begins. Sometimes I think about all that is transpiring and I feel like it is a dream. Doing all of this while we are "apart" from each other I am sure will pose challenges, but it certainly will not dampen any excitement! Front entryway

Kitchen for Eric.....err....I mean me to cook wonderful meals!

Dining area!

Eric keeps singing to the girls....It's my Father's house ....with a Big, Big yard where we can play "kick ball!"

View from the hallway from the bedrooms.

You have got to love the Buck....a Yoder original! this will most likely be the MAN CAVE!

Not pictured is ERIC's very own bathroom! He is very excited to be able to have a bathroom not shared with females! :-)

Overjoyed!

This is how I feel! I am overjoyed. I can't even believe I can possibly feel this way after quitting my job, being apart from Eric, and feeling very strained as I approach my last paycheck. I think everyday about where we are and where we have been! Wow....it has been a journey. As I have reconnected with friends over this past summer and recounted the story with them...I am overwhelmed when I look back to a year ago. I am amazed at the path our lives have taken. Clearly the Lord is directing this change in our lives and we move full force ahead with great anticipation.

Eric is so very excited about his new job and has been working as much as possible on the house. (pics to come in next post). I can't tell you how the distance we experience geographically has brought us closer together in a unique way. Of course there are times when I feel like I can't do another day. But it has brought out some creative expressions of our love for one another. I will be the first one to say that he has done better than me. (of course I quickly remind him that I have 3 children who drain my creative juices!) But hearing his excitement, his hope, his contentment draws me to Missouri like never before.

I know that pulling up our roots here in Lynchburg will certainly rank up there as one of the most heart wrenching things we have ever done, but I pull them up with faith and trust in the Lord. He has been so faithful! I pray that I will treasure these moments in my heart and draw from the lessons I have learned and will continue to learn.

Psalm 62:1-2
1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken!


By the way...that is me in that photo....I can still jump at 41....definitely something to be thankful for!