Let's Rewind things for just a bit!

I have not abandoned my blog, although I know it may seem like that.  We have been very busy with life that just seems to be keeping me going in many directions lately.  We are in the process of some home renovations.  We are moving our girls to a different room, the room that had previously been owned by  bats storage(another blog post for another day) and was in need of walls, insulation, and windows.  So there has been lots going on to get us ready to bring our sweet girl home.  We are moving Sadie into the girls old room which did not inhabit bats:) Temporarily the girls are in the playroom with their pigs(guinea...ugh)biggest mistake of my life  and all "four" of them are happier then pigs in mud(seriously) for the present moment.

So the nesting has definitely started here in the last month!! We are getting closer and closer yet each day feels like its just not gonna happen soon enough.  Funny, I can remember vividly, how I felt being pregnant with Maggie.  She decided to arrive  6 days late.  And just like every mom out there each time I was preggers I would think, "oh I might go early this time".  Well with this paper pregnancy for our little china doll...it's the same thing!  This fifth little Hirschberg is just following suit with her siblings!

Okay, where was I..oh yeah I wanted to rewind things since I was vacant on here during some really fun happenings with our family!  You know it's either feast or famine...so I apologize ahead of time if I go on to much...but there are lots of pictures ahead!!

In a previous post I mentioned our brother, Eliud coming to stay with us for a bit so I wanted to highlight our time with him and how much we just looooooved having him and how much we just love him!  His life and testimony have God's handprints all over it...it's a beautiful story where God took the hopelessness and despair from life circumstances that were out of his control and placed divine appointments at exactly the right time to breath hope into his life that come only through the love of a Savior.

Our first outing was to take him bowling, he had never been so we thought we would introduce him to this sport.

On his first turn up.....He got a STRIKE!!!! unbeeeeelievable!

This year we decided we were going to have 2 Christmas trees.  The first being the traditional one that we have each year and then the second being a African tree.  We are very passionate about Africa and a organization, Chariots For Hope.  We are partnering with them in sponsoring children in an orphanage. One that none of us have had the opportunity to go to.....yet...someday hopefully.  This orphanage is about 7 hours away from where Bob and the boys have been in the past and making it difficult to travel to. 

 Anyway, in an attempt to slim down and refocus our Christmas I thought we could make a tree with ornaments of the children in our orphanage and the men and women who live at the orphanage and pour into these kiddos.  This project turned into just a wonderful, great time spent together as a family and with Eliud there as well.  I was not prepared for the emotions I would feel.  As we took the pictures of the children and made the ornaments I couldn't help but think of how different our lives are.  Here we sit in our cushy home making ornaments from materials we purchased for a "few bucks" by just simply hopping into our nice van and driving 5 minutes down the road.  I sat around our table looking at how very different my life and the lives of our childrens are compared to these beautiful, happy children.  Why? Why do my kids have parents who can afford to provide for their basic needs plus?  Why are Bob and I able to raise our children here in our home?  Why have we not fallen on hard times where we have to do the hardest thing by giving them over to be cared for by those who can give them their basic needs(water, food). I don't know but I do know that God has laid on my heart and Bob's heart to do something.   All that we have his from Him, by Him and because of Him.  

As we made the tree and prayed for these children I was so full of love....love for children who I have not even met.  How great the Father's love is for us that He fills us up so that we can be poured out into others!  Oh how I pray that I make the most of those opportunities!

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  Psalm 63:3-4

Eliud using the glue gun..

We made a banner of the name of our orphanage

I found the HOPE ornaments at Wal-Mart and scattered them throughout the tree

HOPE....so thankful for the One who is our hope!

can you see why I was filled with tears?

look at these faces....precious!

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  John 14:18

A SURPRISE from East Africa!

We have been keeping a secret from our kids, that our good friend and brother Eliud was flying in from Africa to be in Caleb and Carrie's wedding this Friday.

So today, Caleb stopped by to have the boys "help" him carry some boxes from the trunk....and this is what they found..........

What!!!??? E-L-I-U-D!!!!!

Couldn't have been more excited!

still in shock..

friends and brothers!

the girls were equally as surprised!

I love surprising our kids!! This was a great one!  The boys reaction was, "This was the best present!"

And once, they heard he would be staying with us....it was even better!  We are so thankful for Eliud, he holds a big place in our hearts and our family!  We look forward to spending much time with him..he is a blessing!

"Out of Africa"

My guys are in the air on their second plane ride.

Destination: good ol' USA and a home where two little girls got all dressed up today to see their daddy and brothers along with a mom and wife who can't wait to hug and kiss them to pieces!

I had the privilege to talk with them several times while they were away and the stories I heard over the phone brought tears to my eyes and no words could be spoken.

I know they are so excited to come home because they miss us and they miss all the comforts of home, but I do know that their hearts are very torn... between two "homes" that now have captivated their hearts. The farewells were full of tears.  But, this is just the beginning....and I KNOW this will not be their last trip, Lord willing.  Africa is cemented in their hearts...forever.

So my prayer today is one of gratitude for what was and for what is to come.

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!!

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!


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