Headed Out

Troy and I leave around lunch today to head to Grand Rapids, MI. My brother and his family lives there. We will spend a few days with them before heading up to New Era, MI to spend a couple days with friends.

The weather is suppose to be nasty here, they are calling for ice. Please pray for safety as we have a 4 hour drive ahead of us...at least normally its 4 hours we will see how long it takes us today.

Have a Merry Christmas!!

Wedding Bliss

So the day finally came....this past Saturday November 14, 2009 i married my best friend!! It was a beautiful wedding. Our friend Lynn and my mom did a wonderful job decorating the auditorium and the chapel. What sweet memories we have!




It was fun to open all of our gifts but now where to put everything :-)

Troy is going hunting this weekend with the guys in his family so i am going to get started on putting things away and organizing the house! I love being married especially being able to spend every moment with the man i love! No more having to say good bye at night!



Once we have things organized I'll post some pictures of our little house!

signing off for now.....

Jessica Harkness :-D

The Count Down has begun

In 23 days i get to marry my best friend! God has truly blessed me. I can't wait to marry Troy and start are life together. I used to say that i couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with him but have recently changed that. I have an old friend was a newly wed and a few months ago lost her husband. I can't imagine the pain and grieve. It reminds me that Troy and I will be together as long as God has us together on this earth. What a blessing to serve and Awesome God in whom we can trust and rely on.

We are renting a house in Sycamore, IL. Its a little 3 bedroom 1 bathhouse. It's perfect for us as we start this journey. I moved in on October 1st which has been great! I'm trying to get all my stuff settled before the wedding so I'm ready to share the house with Troy.

Only 23 more days, lots to do but oh so fun and exciting :-)

I'm Engaged!!!!

Yes in deed! My boyfriend and i are about to celebrate our One Year Anniversary of Dating tomorrow August 9th :-) We knew we would have a busy weekend so we planned to head to Maggiano's for lunch on Friday. I was all ready to head leave so when he rang the doorbell i opened the door and was about to step out when i realized he was holding a dozen roses!!!!!

I was in shock so i had to step back and put my stuff down that filled my hands. I took the roses from him and noticed a metal rose in the middle. As he began to reach for that rose i asked "whats that?" That's when he got down on one knee and opened the rose!!! Inside was a BEAUTIFUL SPARKLY RING!!! And He asked me to marry Him :-D I apparently said "Seriously" thru some tears and Said "YES"

We had talked already about some wedding ideas and had decided to make things simple and cheaper that we would have a family wedding and then later celebrate with an open house/reception with friends and family. So it was easy to pick a date.

Our Family wedding will be November 14, 2009. I am so excited but i have lots of planning to do!
We haven't picked a date for our Celebration with friends but we will let you know! I will have a much more relaxed time planning and working on that :-)

here are some pictures of the ring. I didn't know what he had picked out. He had showed me a ring online that he wanted to get but that was it. It was all him and no me....HE DID GREAT!!!
It's Amazing!

I can't wait to marry my Best Friend on November 14th :-)
Enjoy the Pictures.....

Still Hunting

Well it's been 7 weeks and i still haven't been able to get a job! I had some high hopes in 2 of the jobs but obviously God has a different plan for me. It's been a fairly peaceful time and not worrying too much. God has provided me with Babysitting jobs to get me thru these times.

I have another Babysitting job today and a week of housesitting starting Tuesday. It at least pays the bills. I do look forward to getting a check again and being able to pay the bills and save money but i know that God is in Control and He has a plan. He is Faithful!

Please just continue to pray for me as i continue to search. That God would continue to give me this peace of mind.

"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul...
...It Is Well, With My Soul"

Time to Relax

Tomorrow my boyfriend Troy and I are headed to Michigan for a mini vacation!! We haven't been anywhere since November of last year. So it's about time :-) We are going to be spending 2 nights with some friends of my family in New Era, MI first. They live on a lake so i am hoping we get good weather and at least one chance to be out on the boat. Then Saturday we will head to Grand Rapids to spend 2 nights with my brother's family. We are going to be going to a Minor League baseball game with my sister in laws entire family on Saturday night. Should be fun!! I used to go to these games when i was younger so it should be a fun memory! We will stay with Jeremy and Taralyn then till Monday morning!!

I'm really just looking forward to time away to relax and have fun. I'm putting off thinking about a job till after we get back!! :-) I have had some small babysitting jobs here and there which gives me a lil bit of spending money! God is good!

Because He Lives....

This past week was a trying one for me. I was having some difficulties with my job. It was a stressful and emotional week. I ended up loosing my job on Friday of last week. So now i am searching for a new job. I have decided to take a break from nannying and go back into something banking or secretarial. If anyone knows of any openings please let me know! I have experience in both. Through it all the God has been in Control and He has given me a peace. He always knows what we need. I was not making very much money in my job so maybe this is a way i am able to find a new one that pays better, so i can save more money. After a week full of stress and trials God new that i needed to be reminded that He knows whats a head and He has a plan. I was on for Worship Team this week and during our run through Sunday morning i was really just singing my heart out. We were singing a Because He Live/Victory in Jesus medley when the words sank in and hit me i broke down! What a sweet time of worship with my Lord! I was suppose to lead a couple of verses and couldn't even stop crying enough to sing. Thankfully it was during practice but it was just as powerful during the real service but God helped me keep the tears in check but the emotions were still SO Strong! Here are the words to that hit me...

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone,
Because I know, He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

and to go from that to singing Victory in Jesus it was amazing,

I heard an old, old story how a savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me,
I heard about His groaning, of His precious bloods atoning,
then I repented of my sins and won the victory,

O Victory in Jesus My Savior forever,
He sought me, and bought me with His redeeming blood,
He loved me ere i knew Him and all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard an old, about His healing,
of His cleansing blood revealing,
How He made the lame to walk again,
and caused the blind to see,
and then i cried, 'Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,'
And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory!


What a sweet sweet reminder that its Thanks be to God that i can face these hard times. He is such a Loving and Faithful God. He knows what we need and when we need it. I'm trusting in Him with all my heart!!!!
Please pray for me as i am looking for a job!
Hoping that God is working in your life as much as He has been mine!

So i've had this cold for the last week! I have felt pretty good the last 2 days but man it was aweful!
I've never blown my nose so many times in one hour! Thankfully though i'm getting better yay!!

I had Kate for the weekend last weekend. It was a fun but it was hard getting so little sleep. She is such a sweet little girl though. I love my job! God has truly blessed me with a great family to work for! I'm looking forward to this summer and the fun things Kate and Alex and i will get to do :-) I think this was the best job switch i've ever made!
It has been fun to watch Kate as she is growing. She was 8 months old when i started working for them. She will be 1 in two weeks :-) pretty soon she will be walking then running around here. It is definitely preparing me some for when i have kids of my own. That is a few years off still but its great to be able to have the experience i do!

I'm just so truly thankful to God for how much he has blessed me in the last year! With this great job, such great friends, and with an amazing boyfriend!

Fun Weekend

So for Troy's Birthday i bought us 2 tickets to go to the Cubs vs Brewers game up in Milwaukee this past Saturday. What a fun game :-) And the Cubs won too!! Pictures below....

Troy and I

Aramis Ramirez and Ryan Theriot

My Favorite Pitcher Carlos "Big Z" Zambrano

Miller Park is awesome!

For Easter our youth group served breakfast for the Church. Jacqueline and i cut up the fruit and arranged it :-) It all turned out well!

Our Lovely Fruit Platter

Jacqueline

Troy and I on Easter :-)

It was a very busy but FUN FUN weekend!!

March Madness

So it's that time of the year :-) My favorite time to watch Men's College Basketball!
This year some friends and i did a group with our brackets. In the end everyone has to chip in to buy the winner dinner at Portillo's and the 2nd place winner dessert.
So far i am happy with the outcome but thats only after half of the first round is done :-) So far i am 14 for 16 and have 17 points cause i picked 3 upsets in the first 16 games.

I am disappointed that VCU waited till the last 6 minutes to really start playing. They only lost by 1 point :-( Oh well...

It's the best time of the year for College Basketball :-)

Go Louisville!!!!

So this Wednesday March 11th 2009, Troy's Sister-in-law Shelly had a baby girl :-)
Addison Bailey Wiegartz. She was 6lbs 11oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

We went to see her yesterday and she is adorable :-) SO tiny! My nephew and niece were both over 8lbs so i had never held a baby so small before. It was fun!

Not too much is new in life right now. Just working, doing ministry at Church and hanging out. I'm ready for Baseball Season to officially start!! Troy and i are going to Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI for the Cubs vs. Brewers game April 11th. It was my birthday present to Troy last weekend. I can't wait :-)

Birthdays

Okay so i was thinking more about birthdays this weekend as there are 5 birthdays from Feb 28-March 8th for people in my family and Troy's. So i thought would blog about the craziness :-)

We have so many birthdays between our 2 families that fall right after each other so here is the list....

January
29- Juliana (my sister)
30- Doug (his dad)
February
9-Ava (my niece)
10-Bertha (my granny)
28- Peg (his nana)
29- Sophia (my cousin)
March
1- Al (my grandpa)
7- Troy :-)
8- Steve (my dad)
April
13- Terri (my mom) (Troy's sister-in-laws mom's bday is this day as well)
14- Jessica (mine)
15- Roger (my grandpa)
15- Riley (Troy's nephew)
October
19- David (my cousin)(and yes they were born the same year)
19- Janelle (my sister)
20- Asher (Troy's nephew)


Thats the list...there are only 6 birthdays in our immediate family (soon to be 7) that aren't in this list cause they don't fall right after anyone's. Though his niece Addison will fall close to Troy's and my dad's b-days when she is born on March 11th which is a week from today!! :-)

Work

So most of you know that i am a nanny. I love my job so much :-) I have always enjoyed children and have been babysitting since i was 12 years old. This is my third nanny job. I was a live in nanny for a year in Wisconsin. That was a great learning experience as i had never been a nanny and had never lived with a family not my own. I worked for a great Christian family. I love the kids so much. One of the kids was battling cancer while i was with them. It was a very trying time for the family and myself but we serve an Amazing God who gave us the strength to pull through. I'm so thankful for the time i was with them.

I then moved home and worked a couple of different jobs in a few years before looking into nanny jobs again. I took a live-out nanny job with a great family who had three kids. I was with them for a year and what a great experience it was to have three kids and learning how to juggle that. Love them too, but i wanted to work closer to home. I was having to drive 30 minutes each way. In the winter it was longer. So just over a month ago i started working for a fun family in Sycamore. They have a 5 year old son Alex and 9 month old little girl Kate. Alex is in school all day so i won't have him till the summer. Kate is such a joy. She is adorable and so smiley :-) It has been fun this past month to see her growing. She now has 2 teeth, is clapping, starting to crawl, and learning to wave! I'm so excited to continue to see her grow in the months to come.
God has blessed me so much with this job and for that i am so thankful!

What a Fun Weekend

I'm so thankful i have today off :-) It gave me a chance to sleep in and get rested up after a busy but fun weekend!

We took our youth group to Schaumburg, IL to get away for a night. When we got to Schaumburg we all went to Fuddruckers for lunch. Yum Yum! We then went to Gameworks (big arcade) for 2 hours of unlimited play. We all had a blast :-) After treking back to the vans/car (we had a hard time finding parking)...we headed for the Embassy Suites.

4 of us leaders had to keep 14 mostly junior high boys and girls contained and quiet in the large lobby while the other 2 leaders check us in. Containing was the easy part. LOL We then spent some time in the lobby area for our first Bible Study time before heading for our rooms. We looked at Proverbs with them and Compared what God had to say about Hard/Deligent workers and Laziness. While we were studying a high school group came into the lobby and were taking pictures for their Sadie Hawkins dance. Major Distraction. I think the guys had a harder time with paying attention. It was a great lead for us girls tough to talk about Modesty :-)

I had a fun room full of 4 Junior High girls. Everyone loved spending time in the pool, playing games in the rooms, walking around the hallway balconys overlooking the lobby, eatting food, and laughing. We had some really great small group times looking at Proverbs at what God had to say about the things He hates, and Gossip as well.


It was a great weekend of getting away from our daily lives and having fun as we shared some Bible Study time. I was very glad to sleep in my own bed last night. Hotel Couches aren't exactly comfortable :-) But i am So thankful for the time i got to share and study with my girls.

First One

Okay so i decided that it would be fun to start a blog :-) I am new to this but hopefully i will have exciting things to share so i can keep at it.

To start let me update some of you on me! I am still living in Dekalb, IL. I am currently a nanny for a 9 month old little girl named Kate. She is so fun :-)
I am involved in a few ministries at Harvest Bible Chapel Dekalb. I sing on the worship team as well as being a youth leader. Right now i am working with the junior high girls. Its a blast!
We have our youth retreat this weekend so i am trying to prepare for a night with no sleep :-P

I am dating a wonderful guy named Troy. We have been dating for just over 6months. God has definitely blessed me! It is so neat to see God at work in our lives separately and together. We have known each other since High School but not that well. We went to different schools and Churches. We finally started to really get to know each other and became good friends in late spring of last year. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us :-)

Please be praying for our youth group as we spend a few days together this weekend. That God would open up the hearts of this kids and really use our time together to His Glory!

Thanks
JB