The Jobe Journal

This is one of those “for close family and friends” posts. I’m posting my birthday poems for those who’d like to read them because many loved ones were unable to hear them at my surprise party. These are precious to me and I appreciate the thought each of you poured into writing them. It was a joy to laugh and explain such fun family times to my friends Sunday night. For those of you who were able to come, thank you. I know the weather conditions were scary that night! Jobe family, I love our special poems/songs tradition for special birthdays. What a treasure these are!

From Grandall, my father-in-law:

Here Comes Tina Sue!

(to the tune of “Here Comes Santa Claus”)

Here comes Tina Sue!

My, the time – it flew!

She is forty today!

Can’t believe it’s nineteen years

Since that Thanksgiving day

Daniel brought her home

To meet the fam

To see what we would say.

We’re happy to state

Things have turned out great

Since we voted for Tina that day!

She had “Aussie Mega” big hair that

Smelled like Dimetapp,

Still their friendship grew!

They got married

And decided

To have a child or two!

Tina cooks and cleans

And teaches things

At home with girls and boy.

She drives them ‘round

All o’er the town

And considers it all a joy!

Tina’s forty now!

Please don’t have a cow!

She’s just not that old!

She grinds her wheat

And makes her feet

Run even in the cold!

We’ll never name

All the great things

She does for everyone dear.

Let’s celebrate

That she is great

At forty! It’s worth a CHEER!!

And from Daniel:

Dearest Tina, you’re 40 years old

Allow me to be somewhat bold

Many friends gathered here

Have all passed that year

And think you need *not* be consoled.

For half of your life now, I’ve loved you

And back in the year that we met

Just to hear a guitar

You wouldn’t go into “that bar”-

Underage!?! But I didn’t fret.

We had ice cream, instead- sat outside

After conversing quite long over dinner

Your future plans, love for the Lord

So much to say- never bored

I knew who I’d found was a winner.

Fast forward from then until now

Years of marital bliss- nigh 19

Life in Boone, lots of friends

Parenting- never ends

Our children are 6 true bless-ings!

So we gather to wish you the best

The joy you are, I can truly attest

So I’ll say it right now,

Go ahead, take a bow,

‘Cause of you, we are all richly blessed!

Daniel’s made me cry. I was only 20 when we met and 21 when we married. Could that really have been half my life ago? It was and I am incredibly blessed.

My birthday came after a very busy weekend. My children hardly had time to eat, much less write poems for me. However, Bethany found the time and her poem is precious beyond words.

Click to enlarge to read.

The thirties were wonderful and I thank God for the many blessings that decade brought my way. Yet,  I am thankful for this new season and I embrace it! I love my husband more than I did ten years ago. I have two more children than I did ten years ago. Most importantly, I love my Lord more than I did ten years ago. He is God over all my days and I trust Him for what lies ahead.

A single crayon and a sheet of paper

And for hours you’d sit still

Coloring itty, bitty squiggles

Delighted with your skill.

You drew this masterpiece in one sitting at 2 years and 2 1/2 months old.

“You realize, Tina, that’s not normal…”

My friends told me it wasn’t fair

That I was blessed with a toddler

Who’d sit for hours in her chair!

By the age of 2 1/2, you drew people and animals well and spent hours daily developing those fine motor skills!

Coloring was entertaining

Yet not your only type of play

Anything involving animals

To you was A-OK!

You'd tie puppies on ribbon leashes and ask them to stay while you went potty!

You had a jaq-“WIRE “family

I remember them quite clearly…

Mommy, Daddy and, of course, Marc and Chelesa-

The Jaq-“WIRE” twins you loved so dearly.

You asleep on the couch with one member of the jaquar (you said "jag-wire") family.

Were those feline twins

A foreshadowing of what was to be?

Like real live twins arriving

Right before you’d turn 3?

I look happy and I am... but I'm scared to leave the hospital. Mothering 4 under 4 is easier with nurses around!

God knew I needed one child

Artistic and creative

Who’d entertain herself

And even help out the natives!

Yes, and as you grew, you became

The “go to” gal for fun!

Your creativity was contagious

And blessed the Jobelettes –  Each One!

You choreographed a dance for you and Sarah for the '09 church talent show. You made the aprons for the costumes.

At 4, you enjoyed stories

And pretended you could read.

You’d recite our story- books verbatim

I assumed from memory…

Reading to Sarah, '03

Until you surprised me at the dentist

By picking up a book you’d never seen.

You read it perfectly aloud-

From Anna’s phonics lessons you had gleaned!

Reading with Daddy - a nightly ritual for many years

That was only the beginning…

I never cease to be amazed

That when you set your mind to learning

You are successful – Always!

A cupcake hat you made for Esther when you were 11.

Knitting, sewing, decorating

Painting, dancing, baking,

Choreography and organizing

Music and cake-making!

One of your many beautiful cakes!

You speak canine quite fluently

So much so that –

When you bark dogs far and wide

Chime in and try to chat!

You and Tanner, the luckiest dog ever!

You once wrote to me an essay

Of the persuasive kind

To buy for you a hamster

And it indeed DID change my mind!

You and Titus the Hamster... your reward for a paper well written. You took excellent care of him!

Captivating, creative, expressive,

On stage you’ve quite a voice

A Wiggles or Barney dancer

Could be your profession of choice!

Though more likely, and I pray

That as you grow you will become

A godly wife and mother

Like the famous Proverbs 31.

Daddy presents Christina with her locket. He keeps the key until that special day...

You are worth far more than rubies

You’re diligent, virtuous and kind.

A daughter such as you

Is certainly a rare find!

We're so thankful for our precious teen daughter!

Now you are teen!

May the Lord always be your guide.

He loves you and desires for you

To grow and in Him abide.

I love you sweet, Christina.

Happy Birthday Dear!

May the Lord bless you

Throughout this and every year!

You and me the night of your Blessing Party. I love you so much and I'm so proud of the young woman you are becoming!

One of my dearest friends recently welcomed her 5th baby into the world. Words can’t describe this child’s beauty. She is tiny; just 5 lb 2 oz – a full term, petite little girl. She is welcomed and loved by a mommy and daddy and 3 big sisters and one big brother as well as loving grandparents, aunts, uncles and a church family of which I am blessed to be a part. This precious child has perfect little features. She has a beautifully shaped, round little head, the tiniest little hands and feet and gorgeous almond shaped eyes. She has Down’s Syndrome. Her name is Holland. I love her name and the story behind it…

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”

“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”

But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away… because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.

Lord, Thank you for my dear friends and for the gift that you’ve given them. Little Holland Grace is a gift from your hand. She has some special needs. Don’t we all? Thank you for everything about her that makes her unique. She is lovely. I pray that as she grows she will radiate your love and bless others with everything about her that is Holland. You know the plans you have for each of your children… And we trust you completely.
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