This is your mom, dad and sister - wishing you a Happy Birthday! You are now the same age as your older brother Del. (10 months apart) On this day 55 years ago your dad was informed that he could not visit your mom at the hospital anymore due the high risk of getting her pregnant. (private joke)
Although your life was spared when mom jumped off the washing machine hoping to cause a miscarriage, you have been an incredible blessing to your parents.
You were a good baby - didn't cause any trouble, even when you were fed pears at about 3 weeks old. You got very constipated, where you received your first enema (could this have been a precursor to your post-op rectal problems?)
You had many episodes of police contact. Riding your trike to Ninth Street parking in the middle of the road, blocking traffic (the police told mom to tie you to a tree to keep you in the back yard - you loved it); running away with a pillow case full of bread, a few clothes, guns, holsters, and cowboy boots to go shoot bear; making a dummy, placing it in the middle of the road with a bike and strawberry jam all over it; shooting off illegal fireworks in the back yard on July 4th.
Medical issues: rode your bike into a picket fence, ripping your chest wide open (another precursor to your current chest pain?); potential lung cancer thwarted by being caught smoking cigarettes behind the garage; God spared your life when your Volkswagen Beetle went off a cliff, killing your new puppy.(God also brought you into His grace of salvation at that time)
Heroism: You snuck dog Brandy into your bed so dad wouldn't spank the dog for barking in his kennel at night. The Wenatchee Panther football team were constantly evangelized by you. An uproar in all of Wenatchee Valley ensued after, as speaker, you gave an alter call at your high school Baccalaureate service. We were so proud of you! You, Del, and Buck Foland created havoc at Wenatchee Valley College football - using every opportunity to hit hard with your helmets and the gospel.
We love you so much and wish you a great day! We pray for a RECOVERY from pain and hemolysis. Quit messing around with this and get back to normal.
7 comments:
Earl, Happy birthday brother!! It amazes me to see how God works in your life! If any ever needed proof that God really exists you are walking proof! thank your for being a big brother that shows us all how to walk our faith! I love you!
Janice<><
God has blessed me more than I deserve. When all the heart issues are resolved I will have mant more years to preach about the love of God made known yhrough Jesus death on the cross. I am so thankful for my family.
Earl
Earl,
Ben (Sr.) looks up to his father (you) SO much, and it has been a huge privilege for me to watch him become a father more and more like his own that he adores. He might be a better father than you by now :-) Always putting others before himself, living for his Savior. I am so thankful for the godly training that he received over the years and the role model that he had in his younger years. I had neither of them, so sometimes I'm just so impressed how he can think biblically and act on the Truth. My prayer is that my kids will grow more and more like Jesus, and when I think that, Ben is the first person that comes to my mind, that means I want my kids to be more like their dad. I am thankful for God's work in your life. He spared your life so many times, and we are so benefited by that, too :-) Sorry I can't write very well in English. May He continue to bless you. Happy Birthday!!
Maki
Happy birthday dad, Lord willing I will get down there to see you soon.
-Benjamin Earl Vanderhoff
Sweet blog, sis! That is the cutest little boy picture, ever!For Earl's 55th birthday he barbqued 5 lean patties, augmented with tofu and flax seeds. After his nap we watched an old WW2John Wayne movie set in the Philippines.
Youe blog sums his life up well!
I love reading about his boyhood. This ia a day to reflect on God's goodness to him. May he have many more b-days!!
susie
Happy Birthday little brother. Looking forward to seeing you this summer. If you don't make it here, I'm coming there. Get healed up so we can golf. Prayers for continued healing.
Del
Re-reading this brings a few tears of thankfulness to my eyes this morning. So grateful God brought Maki into HIS family and ours. Family endures here on earth and someday in heaven.
Susie
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