Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Proverbs 31:31 (NLT)
http://read.ly/Prov31.31.NLT

As a gift to Jessica, I thought it would be so appropriate to collect some public praises from some of her closets friends and family. Jessica is an amazing women. God has given me the best gift of all by given Jessica to me as my life’s partner. We share so many things together and she gets me through each day. I want her and all of the “internets” to know how much she is loved and how highly people think of her. Below are the unedited comments.

This is so easy to write and so hard to write. Easy because there are so many wonderful things to say about Jess, but hard to know which to choose. One thing that I think about often is that Jess taught me how to be creative with my kids. I was actually afraid to let Lucy use glue because it was too messy. Well ‘Messy Jessy’ helped me relax and have fun and realize that it could all be cleaned up and the process was totally worth it. She is also a fun, comforting and wise friend.  In the rare moments that we get to talk without kids, Jess has listened, shared and lnspired me to be a better wife, mother and friend.

Happy Birthday Jess!!
- Becki K.

Happy Birthday Jess- For the short time I have gotten to know you I feel completly comfortable with saying she is an “An amazing Woman, Mother, and Friend, her growth in all these categories is apparent in her everyday life. She truly takes the time to learn from every situation. I love talking with her, hearing what she has done as not only a mother but a wife. Christ is evident in all her relationships and she truly shines.

Enjoy your day!
- Mallory H.

Jess,
You are an amazing woman. You are truly worth more than rubies. It has been amazing getting to know you over these past 6 yrs. You inspire me to be more creative, a better mother, a supportive wife, and a good friend. Your friendship is a blessing. I want to wish you a wonderful 31st birthday.
- Kimber C.

Jessica, you are a great friend.  You are an attentive mother who cares deeply for your kids.  You are a strong partner in marriage to Peter.  You love people.  You are creative.  You have made your house a safe home.  You joyfully serve those around you who are in need.  You are a good listener and are thoughtful in your words of advice.  You speak truth.  Above all, you love God and are a wonderful example of being a Christ-follower.
Happy Birthday!

With love,
- Carrie B.

I truly believe Jessica defines the term “supermom.” She manages her motherhood, marriage, family and friends with great creativity, patience, love, faith, compassion and fun. She is a wonder to behold. I would like to publicly praise her using the following 31 words:

Jessica should be:

1. Acclaimed
2. Acknowledged
3. Admired
4. Applauded
5. Appreciated
6. Approved
7. Blessed
8. Celebrated
9. Cheered
10. Commended
11. Complimented
12. Congratulated
13. Esteemed
14. Extolled
15. Favored
16. Flattered
17. Given a bouquet
18. Given a pat on the back
19. Given an ovation
20. Highly regarded
21. Honored
22. Lauded
23. Loved
24. Marveled
25. Prized
26. Recognized
27. Respected
28. Saluted
29. Thanked
30. Treasured
31. Valued

Happy birthday Jessa!
Love from your MAMA.

I have known Jessica since the second she was born! I was the first to hold her. I held her in my two arms. I have held her in my heart ever since. She is my one and only little girl who is not so little and not so much a girl anymore. I thought that she was a special kid then and I know she is a very special adult now! With all of the pressures and hurdles of day to day life and four children she still finds time for other things in her life. How she finds the time and energy and creativity to do anything beyond manage basic daily needs, I do not know. Kids, Creativity, Energy, Plans and Fun and so much more! She does it all. Give her a few “extra” minutes and she will rearrange the furniture. Art and Crafts, ideas, ideas, ideas…. Jess, you deserve the title “Mom and Wife and Women of the Year” for these several years in a row. Keep up the great work, but enjoy life along the way!

As always,
Love Dad

The thing that stands out in my mind in Jessy as a FRIEND is her accountability.  I have always admired her for her ability to ask the “tough” questions.  The things that make me really think and really matter and mean something.  When another friend would skirt around the heart of the issue -whether it is joyful or stessful –  as to not bring out emotions, Jessy is bold.  She will go there without fear or hesitation, and then follows it with love and support.  She genuinely cares and wants what is best for her friends.

I rarely have a conversation with her without both of us laughing until we cry! I love that in our friendship we can talk everyday, or not talk for weeks and still always pick up where we left off like there was no time in between.

She is a Godly mother.  She loves her children and strives to do what is right as a parent and love on her kids as much as she can.  She has given up hopes and dreams, a few careers, time, sanity and so much more to be there for her kids and to do what’s best for them.  She is not afraid to admit what she has done wrong and share joyfully what she has accomplished with them.  As we have seen her children grow, we can see a direct reflection of Jessy and her love poured on them, as well and her pouring God’s love into them and her hard work at raising them as GOd loving, honoring and fearing people.  She has given them confidence, love for others, education, knowledge, discipline, and so much more.

I can’t imagine my life without Jessy!  She is an amazing woman inside and out!
- Kelli A.

Jessica, I hope you always remember that you are surrounded in life by friends and family that love you and cherish you in their lives. I love you so much, have a fantastic day!

Pete

2. Felt card table tent from Miss Pretty on etsy. I think I would hide under here with a blanket, flashlight and a good book and never come out!

3. Felt chocolate Easter bunnies from Becky M. Oh. My. Word. These are so cute, I think I’d eat them.  Check out Nesting Place for Becky’s giveaway today.

4. Junior Executive Onesies by txmom2claire. I miss my baby boy (he’s already 5 years old)! He would have looked so stinkin’ cute in these shirts.

5. Flag banner from giggleberry. I could seriously have a flag banner for every holiday. I think they are so festive. I want a fabric Happy Birthday banner. For. Sure.

Why all the sewing linkage? I’m getting inspired to plug in the sewing machine for my Proverbs 31 Distaff and Spindle assignment.

Love,

Jess

I was in the bathroom this morning about to get in the shower before work. I heard the kids’ door open and in wonders a sleepy Ryan. He quietly greets me:

Hey Dad.

He drops “Blue & Baby”, his blanket and stuffed bear, on the floor and prepped himself for his morning pee. As he starts to relieve himself, he casually notices the elastic mark around his waist and says:

Whoa, Dad, see where my underware was?

“Yeah, you have a mark” I responded. Still going potty, he slowly looks over at the tub and finished up. He pulled his jammies up and states:

I had a bath last night and slip-ed in the tub. I feel it today!

He then grabbed his “guys”, the blanket and bear, turns around and slowly walks back into his room and shut the door. Meanwhile, I am just staring at the closed door wondering if I actually just experienced this conversation with my THREE year old! He is growing up fast.

Here I am almost a year later and I’m still going!  3 days a week, every week…I’m actually quite proud of that accomplishment.  Anyways, I’ve also been spending a little time here and there researching different excerise regiments and continually trying to refine my workouts.  The main thing I have discovered over the last year is that I’m a big fan of exercise: you can do anywhere, is free/cheap, and is very effective.

One such exercise is the good old-fashioned pushup.  I have always kind of liked pushups and have been working them into my workouts for awhile now.  Lately, I have read some things that have suggested that high-rep pushup workouts are just about the best upper-body workout you can do – much better for you than the famous bench press.

On to the point – in my daily browsing of the web, blogs, and articles I go through due to my work, I came across a post by a fellow PHP programmer for the one hundred pushup training program.  I found via Facebook that a bunch of PHP programmers around the globe were taking on the challenge so I decided to join in.

The goal is work through a 6-week program to build your strength so that at the end you would be able to do one hundred consecutive pushups!  I think what makes this program so appealing is that anyone can do it, it’s free, and only takes at most 30 min. a week.  There is a routine for any age and ability.  To further illustrate how appealing this is, I have already recruited a number of people to join me.  My wife, my good friends the Donovans, my parents, and a few others are all going to try it.

For all those that are looking for a quick, fairly easy, free way to jump start your push to better health, give the one hundred pushups challenge a try!

We were enjoying a beautiful “summer” day today – high 70′s, sunny, and a slight wind.  Within about 15 minutes, the previous description of the day turned into one of the coolest hail storms I have experienced!  It was about marble sized hail and it was coming down like crazy!

Our town home has steel siding and with the hail bouncing off, the sound was deafening.  The best part was after it was all said and done, I went out to take some photos and the smell was everywhere.  Our neighborhood is lined by evergreens and they got shredded!  The aroma was thick in the air, almost like a giant Christmas tree air freshener.

Anyway, after the storm cleared there was this super cool fog effect all over because of the sudden presence of ice.  The kids loved it too!  Molly was actually throwing a tantrum right as the storm hit and she immediately perked up and jumped on the couch as she stared out the window.  This is all part of why storms rock!

During an Tweet exchange with the folks at Magento Commerce, we (August Ash) were noticed by a gentlemen from Minnov8. Minnov8 is an online news site with a “focus on technology innovation in the State of Minnesota“.  Steve Borsch was interested in our early adoption of Magento and wanted to know more.  After a couple interviews, he came up with a great article about August Ash, taking risks, and Open Source software.  Check it out, I even got my own pull quote!