She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes- Pt. 2-Engaged Edition!

Yay yay yay yay yay YAY! The cat is out of the bag, so now I can write about what I really wanted to write about the hiking trip, the climax of the trip, the main reason the trip rocked, the pivotal moment, what all the excitement is about…Okay, I’ll get to it.

THESE TWO…

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ARE ENGAGED!!!

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The moment I met them I knew they were the real deal. I soon began asking Zach if he knew when David was going to propose. Te he So, I’ve been waiting on this ever since I met the two of them. :) They’re the most perfect couple ever…next to Zach and I, of course! David, you’ve gotten the “far more precious than jewels” they speak of in Proverbs 31. Abbey is so sweet, and she is beautiful.  Abbey, I guess David is okay. Ha I’m just kidding. You’ve got a man that I know will serve and love you well. I am EXTREMELY excited for you guys! Oh, don’t you just love love, reader friends?

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

Motherhood

The thought of one day being a mother has always made my heart smile. Now that I’m married, I actually have had to think about that being a soon reality. That puts a twist of fear into the mix. That has forced me to think about all of the realities that motherhood will bring, and then there are all of those things that you won’t know or know how to do until you actually are a mother. It’s just frightening.

Weeks pregnant shirt...neat idea. :)

On top of that, it feels like every time I turn around a mother is telling me about all  of the things that happen to your body during and after pregnancy. Now that…that is some scary stuff! The actual birthing part sounds about as desirable as jumping in a shark tank. Then, I hear gross stories about what the children do. Best of all, there are the testimonies from mothers of teenagers… I just  keep telling them that if they ever want me to have children, they need to save the stories and leave me ignorant.

I'm not listening!

Every time a child throws up at school (it happens frequently), I think about how my own children are going to do that. I feel like there’s just going to be a lot of poop and vomit in motherhood. That’s not exciting. When I do laundry I am aware of how much it will increase when children come on the scene. There are also the thoughts like, “What if I am an awful mother?” There has sadly been a lot of negativity surrounding the idea of children.

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Tonight though I saw parenting in a different light. I saw something that overshadowed all the negativity I have been hearing, seeing, and thinking. I was invited to see one of my second graders lead worship…yes, a second grader leading worship. Her father is involved with the worship ministry at Heartland, and she said she wanted to take voice lessons so that she can lead worship like her daddy. Tonight she did just that. Her father and uncle played for her while she sang the songs she had been working on in voice lessons. It blessed my heart so much to see her have that desire at such a young age.

I couldn’t get a good picture of her because of the lighting and where I was sitting.

Tonight was very refreshing and encouraging for me. The whole point of parenting is to grow them in the Lord…teaching them what it means to know and love Him. I saw that tonight as parents did not suppress a young child’s desire, but they have encouraged it and set a model for her. It was also neat to see that the church had supported her in her young adventures by allowing her to do this. May we not discourage the little ones, but instead give them an outlet to grow.

She sang one of my favorite songs.

Tonight reignited that desire for motherhood. All of the poop, laundry, stretch marks, and sleepless nights will be worth it when my children know that their purpose is to know the Lord and make Him known. I have been praying for years that this is deeply instilled in my children and that they live it out. Thank you, Ashley and Michael for the Godly example you have set for your children.

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I have no doubt that my children will have a wonderful daddy! It warms my heart to think about how great of a father he will be and how I KNOW they will see Jesus through him. Fathers, you have no idea just how great of an impact and influence you have on your children! I have no worries when it comes to my children’s fatherly influence.

Ha!

Let me clarify though that I am not pregnant, and my plan is still to try to wait a little while before I get that way. My mother-in-law started praying curly-headed twins over me since the moment we got engaged, and my most commonly heard question is, “When are y’all gonna have a baby?”.  We need to at least get him done with seminary first. I need a minute. Ha I’ve just had a renewal of perspective.

Happy Saturday, reader friends!

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy

Lovin’ Memory Lane

 

It’s Wednesday, and 2013 has just begun. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yep, there’s no better time to do a What I’m Loving Wednesday post!

 

I want to start by saying that 2012 brought the most change that any one year in my life has ever brought. It is all change worthy of loving! Let me share all of the 2012 love quickly.

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I got to share the classroom with this lovely lady! To know her is to love her.They’re inseparable. I learned many, many wonderful things from her. She’s a fabulous teacher! 

It was actually in her classroom that Zach Hardy proposed to me on February 10, 2012. You can see the video that she taped of it here. I was CLUELESS that that was what was going on or that it would happen any time close to what it did. It was perfect. I was amazingly shocked.

I accepted my first teaching position at Hope Sullivan Elementary, which is by the way the best school in the world! I can’t imagine a more supportive and encouraging staff and administration to start me off.

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I graduated from Delta State University. Fighting Okra! Doesn’t that sound sophisticated?

I changed my last name!

I got to be a part of some other great friends’ weddings.

 

 

I began teaching in my very own classroom, and I was entrusted with 24  precious, little ones.

I made a 21.2 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail!

 

Those are a few of the highlights of my wonderful year. I can only look forward to how God will grow what He’s already put into place.

There are also a few other things I’m loving on this Wednesday. I’m loving that I’ve rearranged my classroom a bit so that I could clear my desk completely.

See, that’s much more inviting for the little ones to join me for a guided reading group or small group math time. I used to have to push all my pens, papers, and sticky notes to the side when I met with them. The only time my bottom ever hits that chair anyway is when I’m doing a small group. I like this look much better!

I’m also loving that I feel like I accomplished a lot today in the classroom in preparing for them to storm through the doors with all of their holiday hyperactivity and excited story-telling tomorrow. There’s never a dull moment with those little ones.

I’m also loving that I have the best friends in the entire world! It has been a tough 2012 being scattered all over the States. There have been many, many times that I have greatly missed my friends, but they’re all just a phone call away. This was almost a 2012 memory. It was 2011, but I think it should be included in this post. To get just a tiny picture of how awesome my friends are watch this video. My computer broke, and they all got together to get me another one. They threw a sneaky Dirty Santa/Tacky Christmas Sweater party to give it to me.

I am extremely blessed. What are you loving this Wednesday, reader friends?

 

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Hardy