Stung by a Wiseman/ Watched by an Angel

Today Payton was stung by a wasp. There is a huge nest on the bottom of our slide (I obviously found it after this occurred.) The boys were playing on the slide when all of the sudden they were swarmed. I grabbed them both and ran but Payton had already been stung twice on the finger. I believe he has my flair for the dramatic...even after he stopped crying he would look down at his finger and say, "Oh...Help me....Help me, someone..." He keeps asking who hurt his finger, I reply "a wasp" to which he says, "a wiseman"...I have tried to correct him but he continues to tell people "A wise man stung me today." I am quite sure his Bible school teachers will be impressed...those guys have not gotten alot of press since they delivered their gifts to Jesus.

Yet another Payton story is that as we were reading his Bible (with pictures) the other night, we came to the page that has the angel sitting in front of Jesus tomb. Payton said, "That looks like that guy that is at Precious house." (Precious is what all of the grandkids call my mother.) My parents do not have angels hanging up anywhere in their home so I said, "I don't think there are any angels in Precious house." Payton replied, "He is not in the house, he is the backyard, he watches me and Benjamin while we play. He watched Bailey when she was here, we like him." I said, "Has he ever talked to you?" Payton said, "No, he does not talk he just runs beside us and smiles when we smile at him. He just makes sure we are ok."

I am so thankful Payton is ours...but even more thankful he is the Lords.

Looking for Some Good News?!

8 Years ago, we put my sister, her husband and my brand new niece on a plane to Benin, West Africa. It was one of the hardest, most emotional days of days of my life. However...news like this makes me look back at that day with different eyes...that day remains an emotional one in my memory, but is now a day I see as a turning point for a nation, a people many have never heard of...The Aja people are transforming into His image as they get word of a Savior who loves them, who died for them, who frees them from the fear of Voodoo, who has conquered all.

I am so thankful that they went, so thankful that they stayed...(there have been many hardships in the past 8 years). The Lord Has been and continues to be good! His Word goes forth!

http://rkvaughn.blogspot.com/

Read the May 21st report!

MAY 16th- what a day!

33 years ago today Tony Brooks entered the world. 7 years ago today we went on our first date. We were married 7 months and 2 days later.

I look forward to May 16th every year. It marks the start of the best season of my life. Falling in love with him was so great...waking up with a smile on my face before I even could remember why...applying at the same place to work because we really thought the only way life could get better was if we worked together...realizing the Lord's best doesn't require alot of debating, it is easy to recognize.

Being married has brought even more smiles, there is no one I laugh harder with than Tony...no one I would rather talk with, pray with, be with...He is it for me! I praise the Lord that 7 years ago the best part of my life began!

I celebrate this day each year with my whole heart. I am so thankful he was born! Happy Birthday Tony!

Best Day

Yesterday was a such a great one. We went downtown adn road the Forest park train. All four of the kids loved the experience and so did their moms and their Precious.

Tony and I recieved word from some dear friends about a precious baby girl that is fighting for her life in Dallas and would we pray for her?...All the time I was enjoying my life with my kids and our cousins I had Baby Eva in the back of my mind, pleading with the Lord for her life and for her family. As I grow older I am reminded of how life twists and turns goes up hill and down. The Lord is faithful through it all. I cling to Him remembering His ways are higher than mine. Much, much higher. I ache to see Him return. In the midst of a joyful life here on earth, we still are longing for the ultimate healing that will only be found in Him.

Benjamin gets a coke

Benjamin had his first coke yesterday. Needless to say, he loved it. Yet another needless to say, Tony was neither amused or accepting of the fact that I offered it to him. I am with Tony, (who is the most disciplined person to walk the planet by the way), However, it made for some cute pics.
This series of pictures made us laugh. We could not get the kid to put down his cup. He literally walked around the park with his face covered.

Emille, Mom and Brylee

My sister-in-law Emille is the best. I love laughing with her and talking with her. She is a great mom, great wife to my brother and a great friend to me. Every role she has she does well. It is a joy to watch her be a mom to Bailey and Brylee, who really are the cutest little girls.

Cousins...

This has been a wonderful week of the boys being with their cousins. Payton and Benjamin love Bailey and Brylee. Benjamin also has a secial affection for aunt Emille who he has decided to call LEELEE, its in all caps because that is how he says it...He wants her eyes on him at all times.

There are 8 cousins on the Jeffrey side, It has been said once, it can be said again...All 8 love their Uncle Andy. Everyone squeals when Andy walks in room.

Payton's Program

Last night was Payton's end of the year program. His class sang- Bah Bah Black Sheep, RED, Skinamarenk, Twinkle, Twinkle, Recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then played Kum ba Yah with hand bells. It was so much fun to watch. If you would like, we will be showing the video in 30 minutes intervals this coming Saturday at our house...feel free to stop by. :)

I continue to be amazed at how quickly he grows, learns and becomes his own person. We went to get ice cream afterwards and he said, "I could see from the stage that dad was really proud of me." He was right, you would of thought from Tony and I's excitement level that he was graduating with highest honors. He is a delight to us.

So refreshed!

We just returned from a week in Colorado...It was the best. You will notice there is not one family picture...the only negative to having a week where it was really just the four of us! We laughed togehter, prayed together, watched Payton and Benjamin lead praise every night on the hearth, ate every meal together, played together, realized yet again how thankful we are we married each other and how thankful we are for our two boys....there was a lot of walking around with our hands raised to the Lord...Only He could be this sweet...

Gunnison, Colorado

The boys loved yelling out and hearing their "elmo" or echo...You could tell Benjamin was floored that Elmo yelled back everytime. Have we mentioned these boys bring us so much joy?
Payton realized alot of things on this trip...One night as I was putting his pajamas on he said, "Mom, I am a man, that means I sleep in underwear, only girls and babies wear pajamas." What could I say? So I have a 3 year old man now... The other thing He realized is he loves jumping off of things...We have however put a limit on this new ability after we watched him climb to the top of the slide and get in his jumping stance. Even men do not make 20 feet leaps.
Anything his brother does, Benjamin wants to try as well...He is more into the Nestea plunge then a full out jump...

Love that Benjamin! Those eyes melt our heart!

Vacation!

Payton loved this llama until he got up close and realized it was alive!
that sun is bright off of the snow, in case you could not tell...
This is the home we were in for the week...We loved that deck...the mountains surrounding it, the peace, the time to reconnect away from home, email, phones, etc...Tony and I had the best talks...so fun to share every moment of the day with Tony, rather than just telling him about it.
These boys could pick up rocks and throw them in the water for hours. I have a great story from this little excursion best told in person...The basic point though is Payton has an unbelivable sidearm throw...How do I know? Because he hit me in the side of the head with a 2 lb. rock...literally knocked me to my knees....We saw the humor in it after I remembered who I was...
I know this picture is tiny but about halfway through the trip we realized that Benjamin has somehow come to the conclusion that "load up" means run at a full sprint away from your parents...

Someday there will be a picture taken where everyone is lookingat the camera....Until then, we think these heads are cute at every angle .