Sumer Spectac-lee-yer and fun boys

Family shot from SS - Colby's not mad . . .that's just his "cool Joe" expression. Tyler is in our lion costume that we let the kids play with in our massive lion's den that our sweet helper's constructed for us! It was HUGE and COOL!

This is a late post, but documented, nonetheless! Our family attended and helped out with RHCC's Summer Spectacular (otherwise known by Tyler as "Summer Spectac-lee-yer"). Donny and I taught a Kindergarten class of about 50 kids with our good buddies, Lance and Kim Yowell and two other couples who were GREAT helpers!!! Can I just say that 50 kids is a WORK OUT no matter how precious the children (and we had some very precious ones!). It was a fabulous time, and the boys still haven't stopped talking about the stories from the Bible, and the drama that they were mesmerized by. Tyler is our resident artist lately, and drew a 4 page sequence of each of the events of the story that we had taught - with incredible accuracy! I saved it to tuck away . . .

Mr. Lance was a great worship guy, Kim was the "class administrator", Donny was the craft man, and I had the teaching job. Great teamwork.

Tyler and Colby with their all-time favorite friends - Kayla and Brooklyn

Now here's just a few from moments at home with my sweet boys. They make me laugh. Brady loves to be naked . . he squeals and streaks through the house after bath time, and would prefer to stay that way if I'd let him (which I won't - I hate cleaning up carpet!!!). The boys are into building these castle marble work things, and Brady actually didn't destroy it or eat the marbles! Good cooperative play with 3 boys, if you ask me . . .

Tagged

Tagged by Courtney (something fun about seeing your name in pring on someone else's blog!!)

First memory - 4 year old preschool . . .liking Jeremy and Susan (named my chickens after them I liked them so much), meeting my new baby sister, Monica

First real kiss - Chad Roberts . . sophmore year in high school . . .after my first date to the prom. Dreamy . . .You should have seen my horrible dress, though - peach fluffy nightmare!!

First love - sweet Chad

First crush - afore mentioned Jeremy from preschool, then I really remember Brendon Higgens from Kg (I sometimes wonder if he isn't the same Brendon H. that's an anchor on Channel 5 news?? Wouldn't that be weird??)

First thing you think in the morning - COFFEEEE . . .gotta make COFFFEEEE

First book you remember loving - Janette Oke's "Love Comes Softly". I quickly became her hugest fan

First pet - First that I remember was Felix the poodle and Kiki the cat. Loved those guys . ..

First question you'll ask in heaven - Why mosquitos and flies?? Come on, I mean really . .
Actually, I think I'll be a little too busy praising to think about any questions for quite some time . .

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation - Let's go.

First best friend - Stephanie Childers. She was one in a million from pre-K to second grade when she "dumped me" for Stacey McCarroll . . broke my little heart. Girl drama . .

Last time you dressed up - now as a "Super Hero" I get roped into that daily. As a "pretty woman", not since Monica's wedding in September of 2005!

Last thing you ate - Blueberry muffins (Tyler's favorite)

Last CD you bought - I can't remember, but I've been wanting to go and buy a Travis Cotrell CD for a long time now . . .

Last good book you read - Karen Kingsbury's newest one, "Sunset". I love me some good Christian fiction. Can get lost in the characters and be challenged spiritually all at the same time.

Last time you cried - I usually tear up regularly. Good hard cry was a few weeks ago, grieving the death of 13 year old Conner Brown - killed in a very tragic car accident. His aunt, Anda Brown (married to Randy Brown) is my dear friend. I think I'm gonna have to get teary again just pondering the pain of that sweet family. . .

Last time you told someone you loved them - this morning . . .all 4 of my boys at various times.

Last really funny thing you did - Can I cheat and tell something funny that happened to someone in my extended family who will remain anonymous?? Brady loves splashing in water, and unfortunatly doesn't realize that toilet water is a little more groce than your average bathtub. This someone was going to the restroom the other day, and Brady joined them in the bathroom, waddled between the toilet and tub . . .and, you guessed it . . .found the space between bum and back lid and down he went with his little paw!!! EEEEK! Didn't make it to water level, but oh, what a suprise for the person on the pot!!! I giggle everytime I think about that one.

Last thing you watched on TV - We rented "The Lakehouse" last night - good show.

Let's see if Jenn Seimer and Anita Johnson will take the tag . . .

Breakthrough for Vaughns . . .keep praying

Check out Randy and Kelly's blog to read very exciting news from today: rkvaughn.blogspot.com. I hope anyone who reads is challenged to pray with renewed fervor for Lael's visa paperwork to clear quickly and for their family to be able to leave Africa and come HOME. Pray without ceasing!!!

Father's Day weekend and plea for prayers

I want to start with the most important thing first:
Our family is pleading the Lord for help right now to bring Donny's twin brother, Randy, and his family home from Africa. Probably most who might ever read this blog already know that they were supposed to leave last Wednesday to journey home via Washington DC for visa purposes and then to arrive here yesterday evening. That hasn't happened. Currently, they have closed out there work of 9 years there, said all the painful goodbyes, and are now in the main city at a hotel awaiting paperwork clearance for their adopted daughter, Lael's travel visa. (I probably have some details wrong, but the point is the same!). The office that needs to complete the paperwork is in Accra, Ghana, and isn't responding to any phone calls or emails from them or the US Embassy there in Cotanou. It's like a scene from a scary movie that you don't want to have to live through. They and many others have begun petitioning Texas senators and congressmen on their behalf to help urge the office in Ghana to respond. The sad thing is that the country of Benin has completed their part of the adoption - the hold up is with the US part of the adoption process!!! Yikes! Please, please, please pray for Randy and Kelly. We want them home so desperately, and I can't imagine the frustration of not being able to leave the country with your daughter. Kelly's mom, Suzy, is there with them, which is good - we just need them home!!!

Father's Day weekend was a sweet time for us here at the Vaughn's. Donny's older brother, Gary and his family were in town - hoping to be a part of the welcome home committee for Randy's family, but also looking for some family time and a Dr.'s visit for one of the girls. We don't get to be with this sweet family enough, and we all soaked the time in. I love seeing how much all 3 of my boys love their "girl cousins" who are 16, 13, and 10. The girls are so patient to play with their younger boy cousins and give them all kinds of attention. We had planned on a family day at NRH2O on Sunday (I know, just what Donny and Gary had always dreamed of for their Father's Day!!), but were rained out. We left Brady with my sister and all headed to the Galleria in Dallas instead (again, just what Gary and Donny had always wished for on Father's Day!). We all had fun shopping around, watching teen girls go nuts over purses, shoes and clothes (girls sure are different than boys!he!), and even got to talk to Randy and Kelly for a bit. How crazy is it that you can talk to people in Africa while you are strolling a mall in America?? I tell you what, though, I would have paid big money if I could have traded places with Kelly Vaughn for a day so she could be the one walking the mall instead of me. Not that I don't like malls, but I would have loved for her to have a day like that. Soon, sweet sister!

We enjoyed Saturday night service at RHCC before Father's Day, and took our men to Fresco's for dinner. Monday was spent at the house, taking the girls to Import One jewelry store (very girly), and hanging out by the pool. We sent them off today to head back to Lubbock. Great weekend, Vaughn family!

Sweet Donny sure does make Father's Day worth celebrating for my boys, and for me. I wonder if they will ever be able to truly appreciate what an incredible Daddy they have in him. I wonder if they will ever truly grasp just how crazy about them he is or how incredibly wonderful he is to their mother? I'm making it my personal mission to tell them in all the ways that I can about their sweet Daddy. I'm reminded daily in lots of ways how good life is with Donny Vaughn. When I hear stories of family members and friends who have been so broken by the sins and unfaithfulness of their spouses, or just the apathy, the self-centerdness, or the lack of faith in God, I'm reminded that my life is blessed. Lord, let me never take for granted that which you have entrusted me with.

Now, here's some really cute pictures - all taken by Gary! Aunt Toni gave Brady his first hair cut this weekend - I saved his little curl from the back of his head.

At the mall - have I mentioned before how much Colby LOVES his cousin Garyn??



Can you just hear the SPLAT as Tyler lands knees first??

Brady loves swimming - especially when he has sweet cousins around!!!

One more thing . . .

This is #2 post from Tuesday . . .prayer need, actually. Our little family is battling a strep virus. Colby had it Memorial Day weekend while we were at my parent's and it took him a good week or so to recover. Tyler went to the Dr. today and has it as well. He's one sick little boy - at least when the fever is spiking and his throat is hurting. He's slept more the past 3 days than he has in a long time, and laid around in bed or on the couch most of the rest of the time. Please pray protection over Donny, Brady and I that we wouldn't get this one - the sharing around here has got to stop! ha! I was supposed to be taking the big boys to meet my parents in Abilene tomorrow so they could go with them to northern NM for a family reunion. No trip for them now! Donny and I are supposed to have a date Friday night with our date night crew - we could REALLY use that one!! Anyway, just a few arrow prayers would sure be appreciated . . .

Praise Baby

I had one of those tears in the throat mom moments on Sunday. We went to early service then class, and while second service was starting, we were still standing around visiting. Singing started, and I heard the strains of my all time current favorite, "How Great is Our God!" being sung. Obviously we had sung it at early, so I was enjoying the sounds of the repeat in second service. I was holding Brady, and all of a sudden, he whipped his head around to the direction of the auditorium and lifted up one arm really high . . .just like his mommy had done in service that morning. I loved it. Tonight, I was making some dinner and started singing that song again while the boys were hanging out around the table. I looked at Brady while I sang, and below you'll see what he did again. I sang louder - he grinned and raised both arms. Later I heard him trying to sing it himself (with one arm up in the air). . ."Ea . . .is . . ow . . .od!" Something like that anyway. The message was there, and I hope it gets stuck in that sweet little head for the rest of his life! I love my Jesus, and I love my baby!