Happy Birthday Robbie, 14 years old!!

I can't believe it has been 14 years since I gave birth to the little baby boy who made me a mother.
As I look over the last year...these are just some of the highlights leading up to your 14th birthday:

You made a decision to get baptized
played soccer all year
attended as many youth group events as possible
won soccer championship
experienced disappointment in your favorite sport
attended your first Eagles game
signed up for your first "solo"(without mom/dad) missions trip
grew you hair super shaggy long
attended your first and last ballet "The Nutcracker"(hee hee!)
persistently asked for a cell phone every week
watched sport center for updates
independently constructed your own goals to play soccer
goofed off with your friends...aka "BOA"(Brothers of America)
agitated your siblings
played guitar
worked along side your dad
fished your 2nd shark tournament
went on your first family missions trip
started a new soccer season with a new team with a positive attitude
ended your year by spending your birthday in Africa with your Dad, Nate, Uncle Mark & Eliud.

Robbie you are so special in so many ways.  You have always been a social director, from the time you were in your high chair and could barely talk, you would try to offer people food and tell them to sit down.
You love people, you love life, you love being funny and making people laugh.  You love to be on the go and are always up for doing something. You are extremely competitive(hmm, wonder where you get that?) and love to play games(only if you win), just kidding...well...sorta.  You have a very sensitive side and don't always like to talk about your feelings right away but when the flood gates open, your dad and I couldn't be happier.  You have a deep conviction for what is right.  You share what you learn and experience in youth group, usually late at night and we wouldn't have it any other way.

 I love how you love to be hugged and are so affectionate.  I love how you love being with your cousins when in fact you are much older then most of them, but it doesn't matter...you think they are the best(which they are)  I love that you love to sing and that music speaks to your heart.  It is an absolute joy watching you become a man.  These teen years can be very trying and difficult, you're paving the way for your siblings and daddy and I are learning right along side of you.

More then all the things that you accomplished this year your daddy and I love you so much and want you to know that Life is about so much more.  Making good choices is so important but knowing what motivates those choices is more important.  You aren't going to always make good ones, none of us do, but regardless we love you unconditionally.  You need to study for yourself why you believe what you believe and understand it for yourself not for us or because you are living in a christian home.  You need to own it and live it.  You have so many incredible gifts that God has given to you to use for His glory and we pray that your life would be a reflection of his love.

We pray that you will,
"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."  Philipians 2:12b-13


"Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength".
Deuteronomy 6:5

1st trip to Africa, hanging with the Massai warriors

Africa 07' with Eliud, slaying, rather mutilating a goat for dinner, personally I would stick with the mangos and skip the protein!

hanging with dad in Africa 07'

your buddy and best friend, Nate

me and my boy

silliness

ewwww an eel

what a special day and privilege for your dad

fishin

The BOA club (Brothers of America)

the "pop-pop face"

So proud of you no matter where or who you play for...you could be the worst player on the worst team and it wouldn't matter one bit!

you go homeschool boy!

We love you Robert Dennis Hirschberg!!

Part 3 The end of the vacation pics

the night before we left we went out with a bang! Nate was playing around with the fishing rod and hooked himself, yeah don't ask.

ewwww, gross....it was a 4 prong hook

back to the nurses quarters for the removal while dad gets a breathing treatment

the nurse got it out and Nate said it didn't hurt one bit!

the culprit

the hero! He was so great!!

"Happy Birthday Erik" Part 3 of Vacation pics

In June we had the awesome opportunity to go on a family missions trip.  We headed to the poconos to become short term missionaries with Joni and Friends.  We had the privilege of working with families who have children or members of the family with various special needs.  Well, while we were at Camp in August on our vacation we ran into the Miller's who just so happened to be at Joni and Friends and now at Camp of the Woods the same week we were there.  

Not only was it fun to hang with the Miller's, but we walked away being incredibly blessed by them!  They are a family that loves the Lord and are committed to serving Him right where God has put them.

Erik turned 23 while we were at camp and we all got the privilege of being a part of his birthday party!

Dan, Erik, and Lisa

how sweet is this, Erik loves his mom

We love you Erik!!

Erik your smile lights up a room.

Erik, couldn't wait to get his hands on some yummy ice-cream cake!  Thank you Erik for allowing us to party with you!

 Dan shared a few words before we sang.  Thanking the Lord for the gift he gave them in Erik and what a blessing he is to their family!  Amen to that!

We love you Miller's and are so thankful to God for our new friendship!  Looking forward to more times spent together!

COTW Part 2 Vacation Pics

We had a great vacation this year even though the 2nd day Bob came down with pneumonia.  We didn't know that until halfway through the week.  But this picture below pretty much sums up where he spent a lot of his time.  We were so thankful for the care given from the camp nurses who both happen to be nurse practitioners with just an absolute heart to serve us in any way they could.  The nurse even came to our cabin throughout the night to give Bob breathing treatments.

Cass diddy!

the girls in their sand castle competition

Gracie sizing up the competition for the water balloon fight

Gracie, Karis, Carrie, and Maggie enjoying a hot dog ride

sisters

what a beauty!

Nate and Caleb eating an ice-cream cone together

Bob playing checkers with the girls

Rachel and Jayden

A little art time

Uncle C telling scary camp fire stories

Gracie and Diddy always up for a pose

Hyun and Rachel

Andy and Erin

Cass sitting with me at the campfire.  Bob was sick as a dog:(

Kenya, East Africa or Bust!

Well, the boys(Bob, Robbie and Nate) are off! They left yesterday and arrived safely(PTL)today in Nairobi.  My boys along with our good friend Mark Hayner will be living in one of the sponsored orphanages this week.  They are so excited about this trip.  This is the first time for Nate to experience Kenya and also for Mark(previously lived in S. Africa for a couple of months).

As a family, we had a great time these past couple of weeks shopping for lots of treats for the guys to take to the kids.  Five Below was a big hit in preparing for some fun giveaways.  The guys are planning on having a huge party on Sunday.  Well what does a party at the orphanage look like you might wonder?  Well, I don't know other then the pics that they will bring back but I do know that the children don't often get meat so they are going to buy 2 goats to slaughter for their party along with buying soda.  We bought pinata's stuffed with candy and streamers to decorate, lots of fun gifts(jump ropes, soccer balls, bouncy balls, play jewelry, books, and even a very tiny bike)I wish I could be a fly on the wall to experience it all.

In the course of a couple of weeks, Bob began sharing with many different people that they would be living in an orphanage for a week and getting the privilege to minister to about 110 precious children.  The Lord opened people's hearts and they gave generously for the cause.  The money that was given is going to  buy new mattresses at the orphanage and...............a cow, yeah, how great!  They will have their own dairy cow so the children can have milk!!!  Praising the Lord!  We as a family have been blessed by this trip before they even stepped on African soil.  It is such an incredible gift to be a part of something so much bigger and greater then our sometimes self absorbed lives(speaking personally).

Along with our guys going to the orphanage, Caleb, Andy, and a couple of men interested in sponsoring an orphanage are there as well.  If you would please lift them up in prayer that would be greatly appreciated.  I know that their lives will be more impacted by these precious African children then anything else.
I leave you with the "Hirschberg Family Song"(doesn't every family have a "song"?! we're kind of weird like that)we sing this at the top of our lungs(most definitely not you-tube material) but seriously we only hope to live these words out in our lives, we are challenged by them!


(remember to turn music off on sidebar)

"The Voyagers" Part 1 of vacation pics

The boyz have started some traditions in the last couple of years.  They look forward to these every year.  Now, when I say the boyzzzz that would mean Uncle Caleb, Robbie, Nate, and Caleb. 

The first tradition is to swim to the dock(pictured below)in the pitch dark of the night.

Here they are all pumped up for the big swim at night!

Below, they are excited for yet another year keeping with tradition(can you see the testosterone??)

The second tradition for the boyz is making a grueling, long trek to the island(1 mile from shore) you see below on the inflatable hot dog.  Last year they made it about halfway there, which considering they had only one oar and found a cain while in the middle of the lake, I would say....eh pretty good.

This year they have 3 oars and a bat(don't ask)!  So they are feeling quite confident that they will make it to the island in record time(less than 2 days)and without any casualties.

So here they are.....before the big trek all geared up and ready!!

They are off!

looking good boyz!

not bad, destination is in plain sight!

uhhhh ohhhh.....where's the island?  Unfortunately they fell prey to some vicious winds that caused them to get off track..... Well, take a look at the video for yourself:)


They did manage to get further this year.....and I'm thinkin next year they just might reach the island!!
They had a blast and love this adventure!