Christmas Party Day!

Today was the day for Christmas parties! I was able to attend the parties for Tori and Timothy.

It was fun for Timothy and I to join Tori after we were finished with his. In one of the pictures below, Tori is playing a game with bottle caps that she learned in Benin. Today she taught it to some of her friends and they played the game with her

I love Timothy's smile in this picture!

I love opportunities to be in his class.

There is something so special about seeing his face light up when I show up ....

it is addicting! I love watching him interact with his friends and his teacher.

I love seeing him be a helper and a leader.

I love how excited he is to show me his work and the things that he is learning.

What a pleasure it is to be his mom...and Tori's mom, and Jonathan's mom, and Lael's mom!!!

This is Jon and Lael just before they left for their Christmas party!

They had a great time too!
Children are a blessing!

Eden Elizabeth and Tori

Can you just imagine the personality inside this little girl?

(My sister Becky's daughter)

I can not wait to hear her thoughts! Precious cousins
Tori loves loving on this precious baby girl!!
(Don't we all?)

Leading up to Christmas!

This has been a great weekend...after spending 3 days in Abilene with Christian Homes last week, I could hardly wait to get home and reunite with my family! Friday I arrived just in time to head out on a fun date with Randy while Donny and Kendra kept our kids....sweet blessing for all of us! Saturday we spent most of the day cleaning and "reconnecting" around the house, and doing a little bit of Christmas shopping! We also went to a fun surprise party for a great friend of ours, Darrell Plemons...wonderful husband to my wonderful friend Beth Plemons! Sunday morning we took our family walk with our beloved basset hound, Noel...then enjoyed a brunch at Central Market with the intown Jeffrey side of the family...spent the afternoon doing laundry and working on school projects for the upcoming week...then went to Donny and Kendra's house for Christmas Fun with lots of great friends from church....now we are gearing up for a big fun week of pre-Christmas fun...love this time of year....although I do not like Christmas caroling in front of complete strangers....like my husband does....oh well, we can't do everything together! (In the pictures below of the carolers singing outside...don't look too hard...I am not out there with them!!)

Beautiful Sisters

Christmas Timo!

Singing Christmas Carols

I had some fun moments with Jonathan before we left for the Christmas Caroling party!! This kid is FULL of personality and such a fun, loveable, excitable kid!! I love being with him!!

How Could I Ask For More?

After School today we went straight to the mall on a mission to see Santa. The kids were excited, and I was too, to see that there were only 2 families in line ahead of us. When it was our turn, no one was shy! Everyone hopped right on up and began to say what they were hoping for Christmas...it was precious! Afterwards, we walked around the mall for a bit, window shopping and listening to the lists of "I wants"....then we ate dinner at the Food Court and came home.
It was a sweet family time of getting into the mood for Christmas!
This is such a fun time of year with little children...what blessings! I am so thankful to have them and to have Randy...and walking around with them, just watching them...my heart is so full.
Seriously... How could I ask for one more thing?

Christmas Musical

Tori, along with 123 other children, parents and volunteers have worked so hard, attending weekly practices on Sundays since early October for tonight's performance....it was well worth the investment of our time! Tonight was so much fun! The kids had fun and the good news of Emmanuel was proclaimed with great joy! My face hurts from smiling! Tori said this year was a lot of fun being a safari kid, and having a small line to say. Next year she is ready to go for a bigger part...she was inspired by her friends Jessica, Skyler and Cassidy! We were so proud of her this year...can't wait to see what next year brings...and hopefully Timothy will be up there with her! (Click on collage to see pictures better!)

What a blast it is to be mom to Tori Vaughn!!!

Treasure Life

"Your children only get one childhood, make it memorable!!"

I have this quote in a place where I see it every day.

It is important for me to remember as the days pass faster and faster.

We have experienced so much in the past few weeks and I do have pictures of it all, most of them I have uploaded to Facebook...

We have celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday, been with Sam and Emille and their 3 great kids..which means all 4 Jeffrey kids were together for the first time in a LONG time...spent the Thanksgiving holidays in Baird with my parents and Randy's parents, having a great time, then returned late Saturday night and spent Sunday unpacking and decorating the house for Christmas...my kids are sick with ear infections and strep throat but in happy spirits with the Christmas decor around the house..I love that!

There have been lots of ups (in the previous paragraph I listed the ups) and downs (those are not as easy to list out) this past month...tears, anxieties and laughter too...I am so thankful to know that our lives are in the Lord's hands...we press on one day at a time in trusting faith...and we find peace...

One year ago today, Tori was baptized...she is growing in her understanding of who God is...may her desire to know him forever increase...He is everything...

13 years ago tomorrow I married the man of my dreams...it was the 2nd most important decision of my life...it was perhaps the absolute most peaceful, joyful day of my life...I woke up with a deep feeling inside that on this day, December 2, 1995, I was doing the right thing...it is a profound moment for me to consider all the Lord has done in our lives together since that day...it has been rich and wonderful, full of challenge and adventure and it certainly excites me as I look ahead. I love thinking of the days and moments to come at Randy's side...He is a great man.

Lead us on Lord.

As you go about your days...

Treasure Life.