Pressing On

Work

2009-01-21T22:14:00.002-06:00

The past few weeks have been non stop for me with work. Two of the birthmothers that I have been working with and investing a lot of time with over the past few months, delivered their babies this past week. This always involves alot of over time because these things as you know do not always take place during normal working hours! Although it is exhausting, it is my favorite part of this always interesting, ever changing job that I have.

I love having the opportunities to walk through these moments with these birthmoms, to see them demonstrate sacrificial love and courage as they make plans for their precious babies. I feel so honored that they allow me to be a part...These are deep painful moments to experience. No matter how prepared they are for what they are about to do, there is no way to walk around the pain. They have to go through it.

In the two placements that I have been a part of over the past week, the situations could not have been more different..yet both were filled with love and hope and I witnessed the beauty that the Lord can bring from the ashes of despair. Only He can do this....my thoughts and prayers are continuously with these 2 girls right now that they will continue to reach for the Lord and be found by Him, that complete healing and restoration will come to their souls....their sacrifice amazes me and yet they are motivated by a deep desire to do what is best for their baby...Lord bless them for the selflessness that they have displayed..........Come quickly to them as they cry out to you.

I could not do this job without my amazing husband.........my schedule is not always as crazy as it has been this month....there are usually some lulls (so I'm told!) in between these kinds of things and I am looking forward to some lulls.........When my schedule is like this it requires a lot of Randy as he single handedly gets everyone to and from school and to various places after school, meals, homework, etc... while at the same time working as much as he can himself........

I am hoping for a few days to get my house in order and get the balance back in order of shared parenting duties...it is a lot more fun that way!

Randy and I have been entrusted with 4 wonderful treasures.... I have been missing them over the past few days.......

A Great Book!

2009-01-11T20:21:00.010-06:00

I do not usually read diet and nutrition books...when I do have time to read, honestly that is not the type of book that I like to pick up...this one has been different. I was asked to read this book so that I could review it on this blog. I received a free copy and it is that time of year where everyone finds themselves thinking about change and what they would like to be different in the new year. For our family, making healthy choices is priority in 2009...so I picked up the book and from the first page I was fascinated! Her life story is amazing and definitely inspiring!

After years of failed diet attempts, Chantel Hobbs discovered the missing ingredient to permanent weight loss: to change your life, you first have to change the way you think.

Here are a few quotes that jumped off of the page and resonated with me,

"We gain weight through a series of poor choices made on a

regular basis over a long period of time."

"The pain of regret is far worse than the

pain of discipline."

"I succeeded because I finally

committed to regularly doing things

that made me uncomfortable and

I did them long enough that I

became comfortable doing them."

She developed a balanced plan for exercise and nutrition and lost two hundred pounds. (think about that!!!)
Now, through writing, speaking, and her work as a personal trainer, she inspires others to achieve far more than they thought possible.

In Never Say Diet, now available in trade paperback, Chantel provides everything readers need to lose weight for good, including:

*Simple, step-by-step workout routines that fit into a normal weekday schedule

*A realistic approach to nutrition that helps people break their bondage to food

*Strategies for staying motivated when life takes unexpected turns

*Keys to dealing with discouragement by relying on God’s strength

*The secret to moving beyond past failures and getting over old excuses

Chantel helps readers make the five commitments that are necessary for changing their lives.
I would love to tell you those five commitments you need to make but then you might not get the book...if your serious about making a life change, getting healthy, and living life with energy and purpose, read this book and DO IT!!! This is certainly my personal plan!

Her high-energy, no-nonsense approach inspires readers to achieve results that last in body, mind, and spirit.

Her newest book, The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach, now allows readers to have Chantel show up each week to inspire, encourage, and energize them on the journey to a healthy life that centers on body, mind, and spirit.

This fitness guide helps readers set new weight-loss goals and create an exercise schedule that works in the midst of life’s constant demands. Readers will be inspired with Scripture, and they will welcome Chantel’s healthy eating plan with simple, energy-and-nutrition-packed recipes.

Weekly checklists and personal evaluations direct readers in reaching their goals. Plus, Chantel’s personal and entertaining stories provide the motivation needed to get through even the most frustrating days. With Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach readers will establish new fitness habits that burn off excess weight, increase strength, and establish a new, healthy way of living.

I have a copy of these two books to give away and I would love to give them to someone who is ready to make changes and become the best that they can be! Leave a comment and share if you will why you think you are the person to receive these books.

Fun Friday Afternoon

2009-01-11T14:25:00.003-06:00

Friay afternoon after school we met up for ice cream in Southlake with Precious, Aunt Becky and some fun cousins.......as you can see we enjoyed some sweet time together!

A Few Christmas Favorites!

2009-01-02T23:20:00.005-06:00

Christmas Party Day!

2008-12-18T23:41:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-17T22:52:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-12-14T20:42:00.006-06:00

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?

2008-12-09T21:12:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-07T21:30:00.003-06:00

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

2008-12-01T14:03:00.005-06:00

"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.

A great gift from my husband!

2008-11-15T21:55:00.003-06:00

I have known for months that Amy Grant was going to be in Fort Worth on Friday night. It is probably no surprise to those who know me well, to know that I check her website often. Amy Grant has been such a part of my life (her music) that I feel like she is family. Her music would have to be the background musical soundtrack for my life since I was in the fourth grade...I know these songs and they definitely were a major part of my personal faith development..I wanted to be at the concert last night and had dropped a few light hearted hints to my husband. Friday morning, as we were getting breakfast ready and the kids ready for school...I was singing lyrics to various Amy songs...if they were the appropriate answer to a question being asked...as in.."When will breakfast be ready?" ...my response..."Takes a little time, sometimes..."
My husband was hearing me and said, "When is she coming to Fort Worth?" I said. "Tonight!"
And I couldn't help but add that maybe, "Love will Find a Way!" The kids went to school and I headed out the door for an all day conference with my supervisor. Around 2PM, I received a text message from Randy..."I have two tickets to a concert"....I could hardly contain my excitement...I know that I am "The Lucky One"! I called him as soon as I could and he said that he had 2 tickets and that I could take Tori and he would stay with the kids....He has a great story about how he got these tickets..maybe he will share it in the comments! Tori and I got ready..we were both so excited to have this opportunity... we went to dinner and then went to Will Rogers Auditorium where we found our seats...we were in the center, 5 rows from the front!!! These were amazing seats! Amy opened the night with "My Father's Eyes"... I had tears rolling down my face for the first three songs...I couldn't help it! She said she would only be singing songs recorded from 1988 and before....this was definitely a wonderful trip back in time for me and extra special because I was with my daughter who was having a great time...and I was Tori's age when I was first introduced to Amy's music! Amy said this was a time to go back and remember that the person who heard these songs 20 years ago and was affected by them, is still there...it was true for me! I felt this as I sang with her again,
Stay with me
make it ever new
so time will not undo,
as the years go by
How I need to see
That's still me
This was a night of songs that shaped my faith, songs about Jesus and making right choices, being wise and aware of our shadows, leaving no room for compromise, songs of loud praise and the grace that God has shown us, songs of struggle and songs of love for family...I loved it and loved that I could remember every word from songs that I had not listened to in 20 years myself!! It has also been fun that today Tori has wanted to listen to all my old AG cds...now of course that is something I have always dreamed about...now I am getting really honest here. I know this is so cheesy to some of my friends...but this is the real me!!!

(We got new Amy t-shirts!)

Click on these to make them larger

It was an amazing evening and received a great review!

The night was so sweet and I could not help but think about my wonderful husband who wanted to bless me with a special night. He went to some extreme measures to get these tickets quickly and it made the gift that much sweeter. I am so blessed in my marriage. I married a good man..thoughtful, kind and loves to bless me with sweet surprises....

Let me say once more that I love you

Let me say one time maybe two

That I love the way that you love me

And I wish I knew more of you

Tell me that time won't erase

This look of love on your face

Let me say once more that I need you

One more time or just maybe two

Oh my life will always be richer

For the time I've spent here with you.

Tell me that time won't erase

The way that my heart sees your face

I call your name

You look my way

It's clear you trust each word I say

When life is long and problems come

You'll always be my only one

Tori's Fantastic Birthday Week

2008-11-12T09:40:00.003-06:00

On Tori's birthday I went to her school to have lunch with her. Timothy and I also were able to join her in class as she shared her "star student" poster...this is where she talks about her favorite things, her heroes, plans for the future and then answers questions...very fun for her mother to observe!! The last picture in this collage shows Tori with Uncle Donny and Aunt Kendra and her cousins...they came to meet her before we left for church...delivering birthday hugs, banana bread and a gift card!!!! They made Tori feel so special! (click on pictures to make them larger)
Tori wanted a Baseball Cookie Cake and Baseball cupcakes (which she iced herself)!

This sweet smile on Lael's face is so precious. She seems so honored and delighted every time Eden is in her arms!
We were so blessed with a beautiful day to be outside playing with fun friends!

As you can see, we had lots of help from family and friends...that always makes parties more FUN !!

Our parties lately have not been complete without a pinata!

Insight to a few of my thoughts today

2008-11-11T08:27:00.005-06:00

Here is an attempt at a family picture...not one where everyone is looking in the same direction..but in each one..someONE is looking the right direction, so I posted all 3!

Life is moving so fast. I have many pictures to post that document our life over the past few weeks. I will share them soon. This weekend we celebrated 2 monumental birthdays in our family. Tori turned 10 and Randy turned 40. We had fun celebrating the full and abundant years that we are experiencing. Tori wanted to have a baseball party and so that is what we did. We had 10 girls come in their play clothes and we met at a local park. Everyone had a turn to bat and a turn to play in the field and we all cheered for everyone...pictures will be coming soon.

We celebrated Randy and Donny's 40th birthday at a small family party Friday night...I love my husband. He is my best friend. I am so proud of the work he is doing. I know he is going to succeed in this new business. It is another exciting journey for us.

Our life is unpredictable. Everyday is different. I love it. I know when others see our schedule and how we live day to day, it looks complicated...it is...but it works for us and right now I would not have it any other way.

This is an interesting time ...every minute is full...our children bring us so much joy...the time spent with them is sweet and challenging as we do our best to empower them, connect with them and correct them...we love them SO much!!!

Work is always interesting for me...meeting new amazing people in this community who are in positions of service, working with women in crisis, working with couples desiring to adopt and watching the Lord in the details of it all...I see the Lord do amazing things and it is truly a privilege...I feel very blessed to be working for Christian Homes.

I do get tired and I am very thankful for Advocare products that give me that extra energy and keep me healthy! Through it all ...a thankful heart is the backdrop...I am thankful for these opportunities and I am thankful for the feeling of being spent... I have the feeling of being fully alive....thank you Lord!! I enjoy my life.

Most Wonderful News!!!!

2008-11-06T21:07:00.005-06:00

It is official! Andy and Jessica are engaged and our entire family

from the youngest to the oldest, is so excited!! This weekend we all gathered to share in this surprise!

Sam was even able to fly in from Virginia!

Here are a few pictures behind the scenes. We were hiding out at a city park with the kids

while Andy and Jessica were arriving at the ranch and 'getting ready for the first

deer hunt of the season!" As soon as they were out of sight, we headed to the ranch ourselves and started getting busy. The kids worked on signs to post out on the road to direct our guests and Becky, Sam, Randy, Tori, my mom and myself went to get the "scene" ready! We had so much fun!!

The following pictures show their return to the barn where they were
greeted by many many people. Most all of Jessica's family, including aunts
uncles, cousins, grandparents and even 2 of her roommates from ACU were there and of course all of us (Andy's family) as well!
We all gathered in the barn to hear them tell the story and then enjoyed a great meal together.

Remember to click on the pictures to make them larger.
Wedding date is yet to be announced, but I am sure it is coming soon.
Have I mentioned how happy we are? Jessica is the answer to very specific prayers
prayed over the course of Andy's life. Andy is our treasure and he has truly found a treasure.
We love Andy.
We love Jessica.
We love Them!!

If you want to actually hear them tell the story go here!

Science Parade and First ever Fall Fest

2008-11-01T21:37:00.003-05:00

Friday morning Tori and Timothy participated in the Science Parade. They were both given a Science vocabulary word and told to make a hat that reflected the definition of their word. They both enjoyed the opportunity to be creative! Jonathan, Lael and myself enjoyed the chance to watch the parade and enjoy a few minutes in their classrooms as well! Friday night we attended our first ever Fall Fest at Richland Hills.

As you can see we brought with us, Batman, a Nascar driver, Princess Kadi, and a baseball player!

Princess Kadi was a bit unsure of the atmosphere that we were entering and did not really relax until we were obviously returning to the car!

There were so many fun activities to do...face painting and games to play, a petting zoo and jump houses too!!

The Race Car Driver

2008-10-29T21:07:00.001-05:00

My very creative son Timo, as Jeff Gordon the Race car driver! Wish this picture had sound affects...hard to believe that this car isn't actually moving!

2008-10-27T17:42:00.007-05:00

Fun memory made!

2008-10-26T20:44:00.004-05:00

We kicked off the weekend, Friday after school by heading straight to the movies. We met Aunt Becky, P & B, and sweet Eden to see High School Musical 3! It was a blast! I have loved all 3 in the series. This one was just as enjoyable. Having all of our kids there did make for a few distractions and runs to the restroom...oh well that is to be expected and just means we will have to see it again! Loved every minute!

Tori's 4th Grade Program

2008-10-24T22:36:00.002-05:00

This past week,the fourth grade class put on a fantastic program. Our family and Precious were able to attend. The program involved reciting poetry and singing songs, some were accompanied with sign language. It was so fun to observe Tori in this setting. Today I had the opportunity to volunteer in Timothy's class and then I ate lunch with Timothy and with Tori. It was such a great day. I am so thankful to be at this new school this year. We love the teachers and the faculty that we are coming to know. The atmosphere is so welcoming to our children and to us as parents. It is truly a blessing for our kids to be in this specific place at this time. I love knowing they are having fun, being encouraged and that they are truly valued. Those three traits in a school create a great environment for learning!

Saturday and Sunday

2008-10-20T21:24:00.004-05:00

(We attended the wedding of my beautiful cousin Catherine Goode on Saturday, who I did not get any pictures of! That makes me sad. It was a beautiful wedding and we were all thrilled to be there to witness such a special day! Everyone was beautiful and filled with joy, especially Catherine.)

Here is my beautiful Tori all dressed up for the wedding!

Lael and Sweet baby Eden

The final collage is from the Hot Dog Banquet Sunday night. All 4 kids enjoyed participating along with Pate and Benj! Tori was privileged to interview returning missionary Sara Holland from Mexico. Pate had the chance to pray for her. Both did a fantastic job! Tori and Lael carried in a flag and Timo and Jon carried in one as well...and Pate and Benj did too. They all participated in the Hot Dog Choir! This was really fun to watch. This was our first opportunity to see all kids on a stage. They did not disappoint. Randy and I, together with some of the missionaries soon to go to Rwanda, got to share about Africa with the children. This was really special and it is always fun to have a chance to plant a seed in a child's heart that God has a great plan for their life!! It was great to hear the sweet prayers of children. We are confident that the Lord was listening and that He is answering! Harvest Time at Richland Hills is our favorite time of the year...a time to think about the world and the people that God created with love and with a purpose, and missionaries that have responded to his call to GO and share the love of Christ with people who otherwise would not hear of Him. Missionaries around the world need our prayers, our love and our faithful support. We speak from experience. It is a hard job and a rewarding one. May courage fill the hearts of those who go as the Lord dares their hearts to be brave with faith. May generosity and attentive love feel the hearts and hands of those who send!

In Recent Days

2008-10-13T21:07:00.002-05:00

I got to go with Timothy on his first field trip to a farm. It was a great time to be with him and to get to know his class. We saw a lot of fascinating farm animals but I think we may have been most impressed with the beautiful chickens. After our recent trip to Benin and time spent chasing chickens (Timo that is), these chickens looked like they had spent time at the local spa! Timo and I both found ourselves talking about those pretty chickens all day long!

Thursday night Lael sat for 4 hours while her hair was debraided, washed, straightened and then rebraided. For the most part she was extremely cooperative. The final product was certainly worth the wait. She is irresistably cute!

Harvest Season is here!

2008-10-05T22:51:00.004-05:00

This afternoon we had so much fun going to a local Pumpkin Farm with other young families, including our Vaughn cousins, and Nana and Papa...you can see by the pictures that we enjoyed ourselves and if you look all the way to the end of this post, you will see just how long a cow's tongue can be...we had no idea!!

Smiling Faces

2008-10-05T22:45:00.002-05:00

I finally grabbed my camera and started taking pictures again!
Here are some of my favorite faces! Can you tell these kids are having a great time??

Listen In!

2008-10-01T22:39:00.004-05:00

As a believer in Jesus and a proud American, I am reaching out to let you know about something coming up!! My husband, Randy and his brother Donny (the Marketing Twins) have the great opportunity to interview Stephanie Brown Trafton, 2008 Beijing Olympic
gold medalist in the Womens Track & Field Competition (Discus).

Stephanie's name is not a household one like Michael Phelps but she has an inspirational story and loves to talk about Jesus. I wanted you to be aware of this upcoming interview on October 8th in case you, or someone you know would want to listen to the interview.
Anyone is welcome to register for FREE and listen in. Required email registration permits access to the conference call dial-in # and passcode.

REGISTER: HERE

This is going to be a great interview. We will hear from someone who gave a remarkable perfomance in Beijing, bringing honor with her whole heart to God and to our country! Listen in and expect to be blessed!

A few thoughts...

2008-09-28T21:32:00.003-05:00

I feel myself taking a deep breath on the eve of a new week. It has been a great weekend with my family. I have received some much needed sleep and a chance to really clean my house. I have now completely unpacked from Africa and from Abilene and have done all the laundry. The clothes are even put up! I have also enjoyed some sweet time just being with my wonderful husband. He is my BEST friend!

Work is extremely busy right now. I have a full case load and it seems that every minute is planned. Some of the situations that I am aware of and working in the midst of right now are very heavy. In between work, Randy and I continue to juggle getting our 4 precious treasures to their various places during the day. I am so thankful that they are enjoying school and it is not somewhere they have to be talked into going.

Being in Abilene last week was really special. I loved having the opportunity to share our story and to remember how the Lord was in the details and that his plan was so much bigger than what we ever imagined. Tonight as my heart feels heavy and I am anticipating various potential events during this week, it is good to remember that the Lord is near. He asks us to bring every anxious thought to him because he cares. Lord lead the way into this week. Direct my thoughts and show me how to prioritize my time. You alone are the Source for everything I need.

Another Great Book!

2008-09-23T21:46:00.003-05:00

It keeps happening! Great books are sent my way and then I get to pass on to you something that you simply MUST READ!!! I have seriously enjoyed this book. It is a quick easy read and I have enjoyed carrying it around with me the past few weeks and grabbing every free minute (there are not many) to absorb the words of this book!

One of my favorite quotes, " A remarkable performance creates curiousity. It makes others wonder about our commitment, passion,and excellence; and it opens doors for conversation about the remarkable Source we draw from!"

Everyone wants to make a difference in the world, but most have no idea how to maximize their impact. In The Encore Effect, best-selling author and leadership expert Mark Sanborn provides the answer. He leads readers in six practices that will move them beyond excellence to distinction and from mundane to memorable. These principles guide readers to draw on their passion and devote themselves to preparation, practice, presentation, polishing, and finally, avoiding pitfalls. When readers follow these principles they will find that people are attracted to them. More importantly, they’ll find that they now have an influence over others that can impact lives for eternity.

I have one free copy to give away. Leave a comment about why you think you could benefit from receiving this book and I just might send it your way!!

2008-09-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

Our family has been sweetly reunited! There is happiness in our home.

I am presently working on my talks for the ACU Lectures next week. I will be speaking Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 8:30. I am going to be sharing about adoption and specifically about how real life adoption stories remind us that we are God's Adopted Children. I will be sharing our adoption journey over the three days. I would love it if you would remember this in your prayers this week as I am preparing and next week as I share. Our journey has been an amazing walk with the Lord. He has led us gently on this path and we see his glory. I want others to see it! It is my prayer that people will see the Lord and that this testimony will cause all who hear to trust him more. He is in every detail even when our eyes cannot see!! Wait on him. He is faithful.
Expect Blessing!

On our way out...

2008-09-15T21:11:00.002-05:00

The night we were leaving Benin, we decided to have an ice cream supper at one of favorite places...it has been 10 days since these pictures and that means 10 days without my husband!! We have all missed him so much. As I type he is in the air somewhere between Cotonou Benin and Paris. We will welcome him home tomorrow night and we can't wait!! Families were meant to be together!!

Men of Faith

2008-09-14T21:26:00.002-05:00

This picture means so much to me! These guys are all former teammates, original members of the Aja team that we joined back in 1996. Pictured here are Jim Kennell, Murphy Crowson, Greg Bailey and Randy Vaughn. Our friendships go even farther back than 1996. In many ways we have grown up together and seen each other through incredibly difficult times. This picture speaks of God's faithfulness and those of you who know us, know exactly what I mean. It is just so amazing that they have all been together this week going deeper into the Word of God with the Aja leaders...God is good...makes me think of Proverbs 16:9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

Time with the Crowsons

2008-09-14T21:16:00.002-05:00

The last 2 days of our trip we spent with the Crowson family. They are great friends of ours, former teammates, and now supported by Richland Hills! We enjoyed alot of time laughing and catching up on each other's lives. Our kids had a blast, swimming and playing in the sand...that is Matthew Crowson buried in the sand! And they enjoyed some time playing in the rain. The Crowsons are nearing the end of their time in Togo and are in the midst of preparing to move to Rwanda at the end of this year. We are so thankful that the Lord keeps bringing our paths together.

Our African Family

2008-09-14T20:51:00.004-05:00

The following pictures are the mother, brothers, sisters and children that welcomed us into their lives when we left our own back in 1999...our bonds are deep...the reunion was sweet and immediate...not a minute wasted! Precious time. The first night we arrived, we went to our hotel, had dinner, took showers and went to bed. Not 10 minutes later, Laurance called and said she was downstairs in the lobby. We all 4 got up, dressed and headed downstairs for a wonderful 2 hour visit! I have missed Laurance SO much. I have ached for her friendship and my kids have missed her daily presence in their lives as well. What a blessing to be with her again!

These three children are Lael's full siblings..our time was so sweet with them!

Picking up where we left off...

2008-09-13T15:11:00.001-05:00

Click on images to see pictures in greater detail!

Tori and Timothy

2008-09-11T22:08:00.002-05:00

These 2 are so much fun and they really enjoy each other so much! They were great company and travel partners. Here are a few scenes from last week. Be sure to click on the collage and make it larger. I am trying to share pictures every day because we have so many. At some point I will share more thoughts from the journey. I am processing daily in my mind and it is all so good! There will be updates on Village of Hope coming soon as well. Good stories and great needs. Stay tuned.

A Boy and His Dog

2008-09-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

For Timothy, going to Benin meant to him an opportunity to see Booker. Since our return I have heard him say more than once that his favorite thing about last week was that he got to see Booker. It was so sweet to observe this reunion. Timothy loved playing with Booker and just sitting with him for awhile. This is a very special dog who actually saved Timothy's life when he was 2. Timothy was in the yard with Sossa and heard the dogs barking and ran towards the dogs. We had 2 at the time. The dogs were actually trying to catch a snake that was in our grass. Just as Timothy was approaching (unaware)the black necked spitting cobra, Booker lunged in front of him and grabbed the snake with his teeth. He and our other dog Sparkle killed the snake and Timothy never knew what had happened. I witnessed the entire thing and Timothy has heard the story many times. Perhaps this is why he feels such a special bond with our beloved Superdog Booker. We have missed him.

Can't Keep My Eyes Open Any Longer !

2008-09-09T21:02:00.001-05:00

This moment captured last week expresses exactly how I am feeling tonight!

Just a glimpse...

2008-09-07T21:33:00.002-05:00

I am wondering now how I will put into words the amazing experiences of the past week. I assure you I will find a way!! Here are a few pictures! Come back later in the week to hear more about the trip and see more pictures.We have so many! The Lord is good and we experienced his grace and kindness over and over again. Our friends in Benin are doing well and stronger in their faith...this is a wonderful encouragement to our family.

2008-08-28T00:11:00.003-05:00

These pictures were taken just over a year ago, days before we were leaving Benin. Today we are getting on a plane and heading back for a visit I already anticipate flying too fast. These are faces that we love and think about daily. They are in our conversations and in our prayers continuously. What will it be like to see them again? To give them hugs and to hear about their lives. So much has happened in our lives since then, so much has happened in theirs. We want our visit to encourage and refresh their spirits. Thank you for your prayers for us while we are gone. We are expecting God to do great things!

A Great First Day

2008-08-25T23:10:00.004-05:00

A BIG WEEK

2008-08-23T23:18:00.004-05:00

We are about to embark on a HUGE week for our family. All four kids will be starting school on Monday. Tori will start 4th grade, Timothy will begin Kindergarten and Jon and Lael will start Pre-K. The tears are continually brimming in my eyes. They are all excited and I am too. They are all nervous and I am too. Tonight after church we drove to both of the schools with the kids and prayed for our coming year at these schools. It was especially precious to listen to Tori and Timo pray for Jon and Lael and then for J & L to pray(short and sweet) for Tori and Timo. As if that were not enough to challenge our family this week, we have added a bit more excitement to the mix. Thursday afternoon we will be leaving for a quick visit to Benin. We are looking forward to seeing the faces of the ones we love so much and left there just over a year ago. Tears are also brimming in our eyes when we speak of this and anticipate stepping briefly back into the life and land we grew to love. Please pray for us any time we cross your mind. We are so thankful for the many generous gifts that have been given towards the Village of Hope. We can't wait to share with these kids and their caregivers the gifts you have given. If anyone wants to give and you have not yet had the chance, or if the Lord has put it on your heart to give again, please make sure your gifts have been given online or directly to myself or Randy by this Tuesday, August 26! Go here to donate online today!
Luke 25:40, " The King will reply,"I tell you the truth,whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,you did for me."

Children's Book Review

2008-08-19T22:24:00.004-05:00

Once again I have been given a sweet privilege of reviewing some special books that are new in stores this week! This time these books are for children. I have all three books posted and in the order that my children have enjoyed them! Again I have 2 copies of each book to give away!! Leave a comment about your little one and which book interests you and send me your address via my email that is listed on the sidebar and I will send it to you while supplies last!!

The first one is a gentle story that provides satisfying answers for a young child’s most difficult questions about heaven. Parents, grandparents, childcare professionals, librarians, Sunday school teachers, and others will appreciate the gentle approach to a topic that’s on the minds of many “little cubs.”

Through captivating, full-color illustrations and tender, biblically sound storytelling, young readers and those who love them will find reasons to rejoice in knowing that God Gave Us Heaven. This was a fun book to read and it opened the door to conversations about heaven that have been precious to share!

Go here to buy this book!

In two new books from best-selling children’s author Dandi Daley Mackall, clever rhymes and delightful illustrations help young children, ages three and up, understand God’s huge love for them and his joy in creating them. Parents will appreciate the engaging stories that communicate God’s perfect plan and his divine purpose for little hearts.

In God Loves Me More Than That, children learn that God loves them deeper than a wishing well, wider than a semi-truck, louder than thunder, and softer than a kitten’s sneeze. Each question, presented with charming child-like faith will help young ones grasp the great love of God through comparisons and descriptions they can easily understand. In short, they’ll discover that His love is bigger, wider, higher, and deeper than anything they could imagine!

In When God Made My Toes, kids are drawn into the wonder of their creation by God. Their masterful artist who fashioned them just right for amazing and delightful adventures, such as roller skating, finger-painting, doing flips, and drinking cocoa. Children will come to an understanding that God shaped each part of their amazing bodies with joy, delight, and humor.

Go here to buy this book!

Go here to buy this book!

Let's Dance!!

2008-08-18T19:57:00.006-05:00

It was a great party!! Lael loves to dance to just about any kind of music! We chose a dancing theme for our fun little three year old! We decorated and played the music and the kids had fun jumping and moving to a fun beat...we all took turns with the hula hoop, played pin the tail on the donkey and took a swing at a disco ball pinata!! This party was LOUD! We are so thankful for the friends and family that came to celebrate Lael! She received a ton of fun presents!! She was a bit overwhelmed by the visitors at first and seemed to finally be warming up when the party was over! She is so precious! We are so thankful that it is in the Lord's plan for her to be in our family! The Lord is working out his purposes in Lael and we are honored and delighted to be a part!! We love you Babygirl!

Randy did a wonderful job with Lael's Disco Ball Cake!!

Welcome Home Eden!

2008-08-16T00:42:00.002-05:00

Click on this picture and take the time to look at the precious faces of Eden's Welcome Home Committee!! This little girl is surrounded by love and she is bringing out the best in these precious ones already!!!

2008-08-14T21:55:00.001-05:00

So precious...We are all in love!

Eden Elizabeth is here!

2008-08-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

At 5:59pm tonight our lives were changed! Eden Elizabeth made her entrance into our world! She is much anticipated and we are overjoyed!! She is 6 pounds, 14 oz and 19 inches long! Eden has a beautiful head covered in dark brown hair! She is exquisite! My mom and I had the sweetest privilege of being in the room with Becky and Tony as Eden arrived. Thank you so much Becky for letting us share in this moment. Definitely one of the sweetest moments of my life to this point!! I am so thankful to DeeAnn Brownlow and Brenda Vick who came immediately to care for our kids so that my mom and I could join Becky as soon as possible!! My Dad, Andy and Jessica came in quickly from Abilene and Baird and we could not quit smiling!! This has been a great day! Becky was amazing, laboring hard all day with an amazing attitude surrounded by six kids. When she finally got to the hospital there was hardly any time left...she got her epidural and she was ready to go! She was admitted a little after 4 and Eden was born at 5:59!!
Be sure to click on these pictures so that you can see precious Eden up close!!

Sweet Big Brothers welcomed their little sister! You may be able to tell from the pictures that Pate is more the observer taking it all in and Benjamin is hands on!!
They were both so precious with their thoughts and questions. They were most concerned for their mommy and why she was in a bed with tubes in her hands and why she couldn't leave with them. Oh my goodness I love these guys!!

One day at a time

2008-08-10T21:43:00.004-05:00

Update on Tuesday night....At this point Randy is the only one hanging in there. I have been sick since Monday afternoon and tonight Tori is getting sick...stomach viruses are awful!! Pray health is quickly restored to our family.

I found this picture tonight from Tori's return on my mom's camera and liked it even better than the one I posted last week! Since last Thursday night we have had at least one sick kid in our home, primarily Timo, but Lael and Jonathan have also had some major episodes that involve stomach issues that are best left undescribed!! They all seem to be on the mend tonight. Tori is hanging in there strong and Randy and I are too at this point! May it continue! Randy and I have so much going on right now it is just CRAZY!! Working full-time,tag teaming with childcare until school starts, registering for pre-school for J and L tomorrow and the real deal school for T and T on Tuesday, preparing to leave for Benin 3 weeks from this Thursday, anticipating sweet Eden's arrival at any moment, and trying to maintain joy, peace, and sanity!!! Is it possible? I am sure going to try...one day at a time!!

Tori's Last Summer Baseball Game

2008-08-05T22:09:00.002-05:00

Tori had her last game tonignt. She has had a blast playing Baseball this Summer and being the only girl on her team! She has had a great encouraging coach who really loves the game and he has been really great for Tori! She has fallen in love with the sport and hopes to play again and again. Tonight she told her coach she wanted to do something hard and she asked if she could play catcher. It was the last inning of the game and here comes Tori strutting out in full catching gear ready to try out a position she has never even practiced once. Everyone was watching and enjoying her genuine effort and desire to try this out! She did amazing. She caught the ball in her glove several times when the batter had swung the bat...this is especially amazing to me. This would not have been a position that I would have volunteered for, but Tori loved it. Once the ball smacked her in the leg and left a mark. Tonight that mark was a symbol of sacrifice for the game that brought a smile to her face. We are so proud of Tori!!! Timo is in his uniform in this picture just because he wanted to wear it!! His last game is later this week!

Tori's return!!

2008-08-04T22:13:00.002-05:00

Our family is back together!! And it feels so great!!! We are so thankful for her experience and the wonderful memories she made! She has been talking non stop and I hope this continues for a long time!! She was so sweet and told us all to sit down on the couch as soon as we got home so she could pass out all the souvenirs that she brought for us!! It is a blessing to see her excitement in being generous with us!! All four kids are sleeping together tonignt. Tori said she wanted them all close by and they were more than willing to accomodate her. Jonathan said, "Tori I love you coming back" He speaks for all of us! Here are a few pictures that demonstrate our sweet reunion!

These are from this weekend. We finally found a way to make sure no one spills their drink!!

This was after church on Saturday when we stopped for a sno cone!

Another Assortment of Fun Moments with Great Kids

2008-08-01T21:05:00.008-05:00

Tonight after work Randy and I had fun making the rounds around town with these three cuties! We had errands to run and then we decided to try out Planet Burrito for dinner, out in Southlake. Randy and I really enjoyed our dinner. The kids weren't too crazy about theirs but it was still overall a good experience! We then walked around the town square of Southlake for awhile before finishing up at Target.
Before we left the Square, Timothy sat down in the grass to look at the water and invited Jonathan and Lael. They were more than happy to join him! And I thought they were irresistibly precious! We had a great night, all the while we sure are missing Tori. She will not be back until Monday night! We have talked with her everyday and she is making great memories and will have many stories to tell upon her return!!

Yesterday Savannah was here to observe the process of Lael getting her hair done! The process began around 11:30a and lasted until about 2:15p. Lael was going down for a nap and the lady who did her hair suggested that she sleep with a shower cap on. Lael slightly resisted but then went along with it. However I do not think she will be as willing in the future. Her head was so hot!! She woke up with a soaking wet head!! The new do is much shorter but SO cute! Everywhere we go people comment on her hair. Most of the time they initiate these comments. Sometimes they are prompted by Jonathan who follows along close behind and as he greets people, he adds, "Have you seen Lael's pretty hair?"

These three were so cute this morning at breakfast I had to get a picture! These sweet heads melt my heart!

Timothy had his best game ever last night. He had 2 great hits, had the opportunity to slide into home plate and he was ready and alert on the field! We had a lot of fun watching and Jonathan was more than a little concerned that Timothy's pants were so dirty!

If you have made it this far in the post, let me remind you that all tips at The Porch at Richland Hills are going to the Village of Hope through this Sunday! Please give if you can. You can also learn more here

An Assortment of Fun Moments

2008-07-30T21:39:00.005-05:00

These pictures are from Pate and Benj's birthday party last Friday! What a great time of celebrating 2 of our very favorite boys! And then Friday night we welcomed Tyler, Colby and Brady Vaughn to our house for a cousin sleepover! It was alot of fun, playing baseball, running through the sprinkler, watching a movie and just hanging out together. You can also catch a glimpse of our newly trained Noel "just sitting observing the fun"! Good job Noel! We are so proud of her!

Sunday night Lael and I took Tori to Paw and Precious' house. Tori spent the night there so that she could leave on the early flight to Washington DC with my mom. They have gone to spend the week with Uncle Sam and Aunt Emille and 2 of our all time favorite girls Bailey and Brylee. Lucky girls!! We all wish we were able to join them for this trip!

Tonight we did the prep work on Lael's hair for a new do tomorrow!! This took a full tedious hour of work unbraiding each braid! In her amazing way, she sat patiently while I removed each one. I am not kidding! This is an amazing little girl!

A Pause

2008-07-24T21:55:00.003-05:00

The last 24 hours have been a welcomed pause from the busyness and emotion of the past few weeks. I have been involved in some situations over the past month, through my line of work, as well as personally, that have been very emotionally draining. Trying to balance a full time job, while at the same time trying to manage a life as full time mom to four precious children and wife to an amazing man has been somewhat challenging to say the least. There have been many days lately where I have been so tired when I have returned home that I seriously have a hard time keeping my eyes open. I have been very thankful for the grace that surrounds me and for the very literal help from Randy, my parents, my sister, and someone who has been such a help and blessing to my family this summer, Savannah Shelton! She has been helping me with my kids 3 days a week and we all love her so much!!

With my job I am blessed to have a Flex-schedule. I have a job to do and I get it done around the needs of my family. Most of the time it works out that way. I am with them and get them where they need to be in between appointments or writing reports. A lot of work takes place as soon as they are in bed each night! When it doesn't work out that way, I am so thankful for the flexibility of others that are able to step in to help my family. I have said a lot, all leading to my original point that I have off today and tomorrow!! And I love some catch up quality time with my children! Last night I was able to meet up with my mom and sister, with Tori and we all had a blast getting pedicures! Thank you Mom!!! And we had some great relaxed conversation afterwards at Starbucks sitting outside! Today, with the help of Savannah and her brother Scott, we (me and 4 sweet kids) went to a local water park and met up with Becky and her boys! It was SO much fun! You can see by the picture below that it was even relaxing for Jonathan. This picture was taken as we were preparing to go and I had been in the midst of changing him into some dry clothes. I got distracted with something else and he decided to grab my diet coke and wait patiently for me! Tomorrow morning we are going to Pate and Benj's birthday party and then who knows what? I have the day off! There is no telling what we will do but we will be enjoying each other!

Savannah with J and L

Village of Hope

2008-07-22T23:28:00.004-05:00

Below are pictures from our last visit to Village of Hope! Hover over each picture to see the caption.
We are sure beginning to anticipate our next visit.
We have been receiving checks daily and are close to our goal.
Would you consider participating in this time of blessing for these children?

Watch the following slideshows and then go here to find out how you can help!

Here's a 2nd slide show with more recent pictures sent to us by the Director of VOH himself this summer! Hover over each picture to see the caption.

Look here to see a video of our last days in Benin with the people we love!

Thank you to the many who are giving generously! May the Lord return the blessing and fill your heart with joy! Expect his blessing! We will have a great testimony to share when we return!

Summer Fun

2008-07-21T22:28:00.002-05:00

Fun in the sprinkler! 2 days after surgery, Lael is recovering well.

She had her tonsils removed, adenoids removed, tubes put in her ears and an unbilical hernia corrected...all on her birthday, poor girl! She is a new person, complete with a new voice. It is great to see already that she is feeling so much better.

Our sweet dog Noel, has been at Man's Best Friend for the past 3 weeks. We picked her up this afternoon. They did amazing work with our dog. We have really enjoyed being with her this evening. She is calm and responds to commands. She lets us love on her and she doesn't jump like crazy. Before she went to doggy camp, 2 and sometimes 3 of our kids were afraid of her because she liked to jump on them, knock them down and lick them like crazy. I'm not sure why they didn't like that!!! We needed some help and we got it. All 6 of us played with our dog tonight and took her for a walk...and WE were in charge. Now, that is nice feeling!

Love As A Way of Life

2008-07-16T21:47:00.004-05:00

Now this is a GREAT book! I was sent this book a few weeks ago and asked to read and review it! It is fantastic. The Lord's timing of placing the book in my hands has been perfect. He knew the challenging situations that I would be in this week (I had not anticipated them!) and I would need these thoughts as equipment for the battle!

For decades Dr. Gary Chapman’s best-selling books have shown readers how to speak the “love language” of those they care about. Now he digs even deeper to uncover the foundations of what it means to cultivate a lifestyle of love and how doing so leads to satisfaction and success in every area of life.
Drawing fresh insights from timeless biblical principles, Chapman presents poignant stories of real people who have discovered the joys of living out the seven characteristics of authentic love: kindness, patience, forgiveness, humility, courtesy, generosity, and honesty. Enhanced with eye-opening self tests, practical ideas for building daily habits of love, and inspiring examples of love’s power to change lives, this book guides readers in putting love to work in all of their interpersonal relationships.
Convinced that in a world of constant conflict people desperately need authentic love, Chapman paints a compelling vision of how life can be richer and relationships more satisfying for anyone who practices Love As a Way of Life.

Gary Chapman points out how the development of the following traits will enhance our lives and also allow us to bring value to the lives of others, at home, at work, in our neighborhoods...basically anywhere we find ourselves. I LOVE that! I want to be the best I can be wherever I am and I definitely want to know how to be a blessing and add value to the lives of others. Gary Chapman expounds on the following 7 characteristics:

Kindness: discovering the joy of helping others
Patience: accepting the imperfections of others
Forgiveness: finding freedom from the grip of anger
Courtesy: treating others as friends
Humility: stepping down so someone else can step up
Generosity: giving your time, money, and abilities to others
Honesty: caring enough to tell the truth

Go here and order this book right now! You will be glad you did!!
and while I have your attention don't forget to go here and donate to Village of Hope!!! Participate in blessing children.

James 1:27 says that "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress" Participate in the blessing and you will be blessed!

I have 2 free copies of the book to give away on this blog! Leave a comment if you think you are one of two that should receive it!

Village of Hope

2008-07-13T23:41:00.005-05:00

I am so amazed that we have been in America for over a year. I can no longer click in the archives of my blog and look at what I was doing last year on this day in Benin, because a year ago today, we were already in America. The Lord has been faithful and he has led us through step by step. When I look back at those first few months we were here I can immediately feel a sickness in my heart. It was a dark time. I was overwhelmed and confused and having trouble focusing. I had the help of many friends and a very loving family. Even so, no once could fix the feeling for me. I had to walk through it with my strong husband and we led our children as we held tight to the unseen hand of God. One day at a time we concentrated on what was right before us and most of the time that is all I could do. It has taken time.

In many ways I feel like we are finally all here.

Our bodies arrived here July 3, 2007 and the rest of our spirit took time and arrived in small pieces. One year later, we are doing well, all 6 of us! Although that is completely true, there are moments I find myself daydreaming about our life in Benin and longing to reunite with our circle of friends there. This is certainly true for Tori and Timothy. They still talk often of our friends there, our home, the way we used to do school and our amazing Superdog Booker. It was a lot of fun to tell Tori and Timothy on our one year anniversary that the Lord has provided for our family to go back for a brief visit at the end of August. Richland Hills is providing all of the funding for our travel expenses and this is a wonderful blessing!
During the last 18 months that we were in Benin we discovered a wonderful place where God is at work. We discovered an orphanage where around 75 children are cared for. These children have lost their parents due to the HIV AIDS virus and others have been rescued from child traffickers. These children are lovingly cared for and blessed by adults who have sacrificed a great deal to protect them, feed and educate them. Recently we received a letter from the director there describing the present needs of the orphanage. The Lord has put it on our heart to raise what money we can to take and bless these children and their caregivers. Randy has created 2 web pages where you can learn more about this special place. (Click on the green sentences below and they will lead you to these pages.)

Watch a video of our last days in Benin

To learn more about the Village of Hope

Please look at these pages and consider how you can participate with us in blessing these children. Help us spread the word as well! We are so excited to go and see our friends in Benin and to see what the Lord has done this past year. We know the Lord's heart is turned towards these orphaned children and we look forward to the opportunity share the Lord's love and joy with them in just two months!!! There will be a great testimony when we return. I anticipate it already. Participate with us if you can!

Love these Kids!

2008-07-12T22:49:00.002-05:00

Summer Baseball is alot of fun! Tori and Timothy are having a blast. It also provides a great opportunity for Randy and I to slow down and enjoy our kids several nights a week. It also is simple pleasure and a great drawing card for grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins!! Lael running the bases after the game!
This morning I took 6 kids (4 Vaughns and 2 Brooks) to a very fun birthday party for a friend. Before we got out of the car, we went over a few rules about how we were going to get out of the car and into the building. This is proof they were listening!!
From that birthday party we went to another! We went to the home of Paw and Precious to celebrate Benjamin, Payton and Lael's Birthdays!
We closed our evening riding and wrestling!

Making Every Moment Count!

2008-07-07T22:53:00.003-05:00

The morning started with a parade in my brother's neighborhood. We drove into Abilene with my parents, from Baird and brought 3 small 4 wheelers. Andy and Jessica brought decorations and face paint, and my parents provided lots of flags! It was fun, it was hot and the walk was long. Even so, it was an honor to walk carrying the flag. More than once as we passed people sitting in their lawn chairs in their front yards, older men stood as the flag passed by. This brought tears to my eyes. (Click on pictures to make them larger)

After the parade, we went to Whataburger and got some cool drinks! Then my parents took our 3 little ones and Tori went with us to the hospital to see our dear friends and former team mates in Benin, Greg and Melanie Bailey. Melanie gave birth to their 4th child, a son, James Gregory on July 3rd. It was such a blessing to be close enough to share the joy of this moment with them! Tori was especially happy to see their girls, Jessica, Faith and Hope!
Wonderful friends!
Then it was back to the ranch for SO much fun!
We made homemade ice cream with the ice cream maker that Sam and Emille gave us a couple of years ago. You put all of the ingredients in the maker that is kind of like a ball and then roll it back and forth for about 30 minutes. That was fun for the big and little kids!
Notice Lael and Jessica in the same shirt! Lael thought that was so cool!

That evening we drove back into Abilene and found the perfect spot to watch the fireworks!
Saturday night we had fun with some sparklers after dark and Sunday we had more fun riding 4 wheelers, eating watermelon and being in the sun!
It was a great time!

Fun, relaxing and no better way to have quality time with our kids. We all needed that time together and are blessed this week already because we stopped and made those moments count. Thank you Lord!

Fourth of July

2008-07-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

One of the best celebrations of the 4th in recent memory!!

We have so many pictures and I will share more through the week.

Incredible weekend and what a blessing to have a day to think about our country and the sacrifices that have been made so that we can enjoy freedom. I love America. I love our flag. I am thankful for our President. I am thankful for our troops and the courage and sacrifice that they demonstrate daily to protect our country. I am a proud American.

2008-07-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

One year ago today

Tori's Back!

2008-07-02T21:57:00.002-05:00

Tori is back! She returned early this evening and we could not get to her quick enough to hug her tight! What a blessing to hear her start talking about how much fun she had and the new friends that she made. She started talking and never stopped until she crashed on her pillow just minutes ago. She kept saying, "Mom is there anything else you want to ask me?" I love hearing that and believe me I was trying to think of more questions! I am looking forward to a long weekend where I can hear more and more! She did share the fact that she received 27 letters in the mail since Saturday!!!! That is so COOL! Thanks to wonderful family members for the literal load of mail and the sweet treats from Uncle Andy!
Words are not enough to describe how sweet this reunion of sisters!

Camp Revolution Has Begun!

2008-06-28T21:59:00.002-05:00

Today was definitely a first in our family!
Tori has gone to camp! She and I had a great night last night getting her things together and again this morning...we went for a late morning breakfast before we left with friends and headed to camp. I asked her what she was thinking about camp and she said, "I'm real excited, pretty nervous, and a tiny bit sad about leaving you." I thought that was a great answer! Nice to know that it is at least a tiny bit hard to leave me!! We drove the 2 and 1/2 hours to camp with good friends, Kelly and Maddie, and Aimee and Cassidy! The girls talked and giggled the whole way and we moms had plenty to talk and laugh about too! It was fun. I am glad we made the drive out there because the camp looked beautiful and place where a lot of fun can happen!
We are praying it will be a time of sweet memories made and a time for our girls to be challenged and encouraged . Tori was laughing and having so much fun. She walked into this situation with no hesitation. In a great way that was good for my heart.

The girls with Ms. Patty (Sweet Friend and Camp Director)

With Lindsey Neal, Camp Counselor

How could I love her more?

For some reason we are bending over. Maybe because Tori was taking our picture!
I love these 2 moms! Great to have good friends who have 9 year old girls!
We love our daughters and are so excited about what is ahead for them in the next few days!
Pray for Tori, Maddie and Cassidy this week!

A Fabulous Reason to Get Away!

2008-06-26T22:37:00.003-05:00

Laura (Rich) and Eric Daulton gave Randy and I a wonderful reason to get out of town for about 30 hours last weekend! They got married!! Laura was an intern from ACU in the summer of 2000 and she stayed with our family in Benin. Back then it was just Randy and I with Tori! Things have certainly changed....through it all we have enjoyed staying in touch with Laura and we were thrilled with the opportunity to be at her wedding...which was so amazingly beautiful! We loved every minute...and we were so surprised to see Aunt Vicki and Uncle Jim there!!! Turns out they go to the same church in Dallas and Vicki has substituted for Laura on occasion where she teaches...too cool and so fun to have this time with Aunt Vic. Did I mention that Randy and I were ALONE for this trip? We honestly do not have a memory of this much time just to ourselves in the past several years!!! Thanks to the generousity of Uncle Donny and Aunt Kendra who took on our 4 plus their 3, Randy and I a super special treat. We spent Saturday night in San Antonio and walked the RiverWalk. The entire weekend was so special. I don't think I have ever hugged Donny and Kendra as tight as I did Sunday night. Thank you guys again for the gift! We were blessed!

The FINAL Ceremony

2008-06-20T23:24:00.002-05:00

Our kids have heard us say many times over the last 2 years, "This is the last thing that we have to do to make Lael's adoption final." Only for us to learn soon after making that statement that there is in fact, something else for us to do. That will not happen again. Today sealed the deal in Texas, although she has been sealed into the hearts of our family since the day her grandmother placed her in my arms in front of our home in Benin on August 19, 2005. Since that day a peace settled deep into our family... we are complete with her here in our home. We all know it. I will never forget that first night seeing Tori and Timothy reach their arms out to hold her. Their love was instant. She was the sister that Tori had always wanted and she was Timo's Sweetie Pie. And Jonathan...well he just thinks she has always been here...they are so close that it seems like they are twins...if they are not together, then they are looking for each other.
Today, in front of a judge, each member of our family was asked to raise our right hand and tell the truth....Are we willing to commit to Lael forever as a family? YES!!!The Judge asked Tori and Timothy, individually if they were ready to accept Lael as their sister and give her all the rights and privileges of being their sister forever? They both could not get their yes out fast enough and they both tried to expand on why they already loved her so much! Randy and I were both asked individually if we were willing to commit to being Lael's Mother and Father, to accept all responsibility for her, to love and to cherish her and to raise her as our own forever? Yes Yes Yes! These were things we all knew to be true and today it was a privilege and honor to speak it again out loud from the depths of our heart.
When we returned to our home, there was a banner across our front porch, placed there by a dear friend. I was overcome with emotion as I read it. It quoted Isaiah 49:1-2, "Before I was born, the Lord called me. From my birth He has made mention of my name." and Philippians 1:6, "He who began a great work in you will be faithful to complete it!"
The Lord is good. We have experienced his Faithfulness over and over again. He has led us this far. He will take us farther.

Glimpses into our lives this past week!

2008-06-14T22:05:00.003-05:00

We have discovered a sport that Timo was created to play!

He loves Baseball. He and Tori are signed up for Summer Baseball

and are already having a blast! Their first games are this week!

Tonight we had fun at Wendy's getting a Frosty! This weekend

Wendy's is donating 50 cents for each Frosty sold to the

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption! We are thrilled

to participate in supporting Adoption!

Here are a few pictures from Eden's shower...

my precious niece who is due to arrive on August 19 of this year! Becky's sweet friends made the evening so special. Everything was so beautiful!!

A few glimpses of the special evening... Lael assumed the role of Becky's personal assistant! It was so fun to see Eden's name on so many things! We are so delighted at the thought that she is on her way! My sister is going to be a wonderful mother for this precious baby girl. We have seen her be the best for boys...I can't wait to see her in action as Eden's mother!! How fun! The last picture in the collage is of Lael and Isabella Brownlow. Isabella is such a sweet friend. At the end of the evening I commented on how sweet a friend she had been and she said with a smile on her face, "I have had great time but I tell you what, this little girl has worn me out!!" Isabella, I know exactly what you mean!!

We love Sno-cones!

2008-06-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

Amazing how great a new hairstyle can make you feel!

2008-06-07T11:52:00.001-05:00

Lael is very happy with her new hairstyle!

Hey Everyone - Check this out!!

2008-06-04T17:35:00.004-05:00

It's Father's Day soon - help spread the message! ** CLICK HERE **

School is out! Summer is in!!

2008-06-03T22:44:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day of school and Tori had the perfect shirt to wear!!! It was fun to be there for the last hour of school to have a party with her class and to take a few pictures with some fun friends. Tori and I have both looked forward to this day for awhile and I think we were both caught off guard by the emotion we felt saying goodbye to her teacher and friends. All day since we left I have felt sort of melancholy thinking about what Tori has accomplished this year...thankful..the kind of gratitude that brings easy tears to my eyes.

Saturday Night

2008-06-03T22:39:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed going to the wedding of Jeremy and Jessica Epps! Andy was Jeremy's best man. They have been great friends for so long and our entire family loves Jeremy so much. It was a joy to be at his wedding and to celebrate this day with him.

Saturday Morning

2008-06-03T22:28:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning Jonathan and Lael were pleased to show us how they had wrapped themselves the "West African" way using our kitchen hand towels!!! Pretty impressive!

Later in the morning we went to a birthday party for a special little friend. Jonathan was admiring the cake and decided to get himself a "piece of it" I told the little birthday boy's mother (who is a child hood friend of mine) that I have no idea where he learned to do this...I certainly never modeled this kind of behavior for him!!! She laughed and knew I was kidding because she has her own memories of me doing this at various parties of our friends as I was growing up...hard to believe I'm sure!!

We are so proud of Tori!

2008-05-30T17:47:00.004-05:00

Today was Tori's Award Ceremony at her school. Randy, Lael,and myself, together with my Mom, Uncle Andy and Jessica, were able to attend! Tori has done so amazingly well this year during a very difficult year of transition from the life we have known in Benin to the life we are coming to know here in Fort Worth, Texas. We returned last July and Tori was the first one to dive in deep to American life via the local Public school. When she first started, barely a month after we had arrived...there was some days that her life provided our family the structure that we needed...getting her to school by 8AM and being there to pick her up again at 3PM. My prayer life for the 2 years prior to our return was in large part focused on the Lord preparing Tori for this entry into public school. I had the privilege of homeschooling her for Kindergarten through Second grade...we had a great time, just she and I, working through concepts and laying a foundation. I did not grade her papers,we just worked through our curriculum, she corrected her mistakes, and we moved on when she had mastered a concept...Coming into a classroom of 22 students and losing that one on one attention that she and I had shared was very difficult for her and for me. Those first few months were so hard. Towards the end of the first semester we found a wonderful place called OXFORD, where Tori began attending twice a week after school for some one on one tutoring. The people there were and remain to be so special. They came along and helped to rebuild confidence that had been shaken in those first few months and Tori began to blossom again. She passed both the Reading and the Math TAKS and remained on the A-B honor roll all year long. Today her teacher gave her the Hard worker award. To say we are proud of her seems too small of a word. We are so thankful for her teacher, her tutors at Oxford, and the praise and encouragement all year from grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends. Tori has seen the Lord's goodness, faithfulness and so many answers to such specific prayers....Thank you Lord!!!

Four Fantastic Girls, Karly,Morgan, Kinsey, and Tori

Earlier this week, our family took the opportunity to celebrate the last full week of school by going to the Rainforest Cafe...it was A LOT of fun!! We love being together doing fun things!

Memorial Day Weekend in Baird

2008-05-29T19:17:00.004-05:00

(Don't forget to click on the collages to make them larger!)

Greeting a good friend!

2008-05-27T21:48:00.003-05:00

Late this afternoon our family went to the airport to welcome precious West Africa missionary friends to this side of the world. Bryan and Tracey Ries, returned with their 3 boys Issac, Graham and Owen. They have been supported by the Preston Road Church of Christ and there was a great group of people from their church to welcome them back. The Ries family have been missionaires in Kara, Togo for the same amount of time that we were in Benin. We spent time together whenever possible over the years we lived there. It was great to see them again. I think Randy and I both felt a certain heaviness in our hearts as we can easily imagine what is inside of their hearts at this moment...this is good and this is a hard journey...Relearning and rediscovering what living is like in America and grieving what we are letting go and leaving behind. We love praying for the Ries and are looking forward to spending time with their family on this side of the ocean.
Tracey is a special friend~

Cousins Reunited

2008-05-26T22:31:00.002-05:00

I have so many great pictures to post from the weekend...and I will be posting them later in the week...but these couldn't wait! Pate and Benj have been gone on a family vacation for the past week and they have been dearly missed. Tonight we met them and their parents for dinner and it was a very JOYFUL reunion! Have I mentioned enough how much we cherish being close enough to be in an ongoing experiential relationship with these boys??

Me... facilitating a Dance class?

2008-05-22T21:35:00.004-05:00

Last night we registered for Summer Spectacular at Richland Hills and we got our free t-shirts!! Tori thought it would be a great idea for she and I to wear them to Field Day, so we did!! I had so much fun seeing her with her friends having a great time. I had volunteered to help with the morning shift wherever I was needed. To my surprise I was placed in charge of the dance class. :)If you know me well, you know this actually made me nervous!! We had a CD and I played three songs that they have done in their PE classes and I "facilitated" three dances!! The Hokey Pokey, the Chicken dance, and the Cha Cha Cha!!!Pre-K through 3rd grade came in for 15 minute segments...it was somewhat hysterical and VERY FUN, especially when Tori and her friends came in...obviously this was my favorite part!! i actually got the hang of it!

Best Buddies J and L

Celebrating 5 years officially

2008-05-19T22:17:00.003-05:00

Today, May 19, is truly Timothy's birthday. Last night we were having a great time talking about the day he came into our lives and we saw his sweet face for the first time. He said, "Tomorrow can we read a book about me or can you let me see my baby movie?"
From the moment he woke up this morning I began retelling him his story...which is one of my favorite stories because his birth and knowing of his approaching birth was SO WONDERFUL!! We enjoyed his favorite breakfast this morning...scrambled eggs with food coloring...today's color was green, a 1/2 of a small bagel with strawberry cream cheese and watermelon! I had 2 morning appointments and had to leave. I could not wait to get back with him and go through his baby book!! I returned for lunch and after we had J and L down for a nap, Timo and I snuggled up on the couch and went through every page of his scrapbook which documents with pictures and journaling, his first year of life!! I then read to him several of the prayers and blessings from his blessing book...sweet sweet moment of him absorbing the love and prayers that surrounded him at his birth!! I love this kid!!! He then went with me to run errands and pick Tori up from school. Tonight we went to the restaurant that he requested for dinner...Lubys!! My parents met us there for another celebration and we had a great time!

Timothy, this has been a great day!! We love you so much and what a wonderful 5 years this has been. For all that you have done Lord we thank you....Thank you Lord for the days to come. We know your plans are good!

2008-05-19T22:15:00.000-05:00

Tori looks too cute riding a scooter with our good friend Gary Banks!
He is the husband of one of my all time favorite friends Laura (Bishop) Banks.
We had a very fun, unplanned, delightful surprise visit with their family on Sunday at the park!

Celebrating the Big 5 with Timo!

2008-05-14T17:18:00.005-05:00

I have been looking so forward to sharing pictures of the day that we celebrated Timothy's birthday! We had so much fun. Birthdays are a blast in our family and we have a great time making them special. Timothy's party has been much anticipated. This is his first party to have with friends and he put alot of thought into his invitation list and it was such a blessing that almost everyone was able to come. This is also my time to tell you that at birthday time in our family, this is my husband's time to shine. Notice the super cool invitation at the top of this post...He loves doing this and he is so good at it!! All he needs is a theme and picture and he can always come up with something wonderful. If you are ever interested in a specialized party invitation, feel free to contact him with your requests! (For a small fee of course!!:) He also loves to do the birthday cake! Randy's creativity has no end and this year was no exception. Timo was so excited about this cake...it included his favorite things, cows, deer and a tractor scooping up a stack full of watermelons, Timothy's favorite dessert!....As well, Chuck E Cheese did not disappoint! The kids had fun playing games and surprisingly they even seemed to enjoy dancing..especially Lael and cousin Pate!!! Timothy humbly received a gold medal for being the Birthday star and it was so cute...he is truly proud of this medal. He had so much fun opening such fun presents..we were certainly blessed by generous friends and family...Thank you all for coming and celebrating Timo with us and for those of you that missed the party, know that we missed you and we appreciated your sweet words and good wishes!

Click on the collage so that you can see bigger pictures of our fun party!

Timothy is a great kid! He came to our family in God's perfect timing. He was so wanted. We had been longing for him and his birth is a divine marker in our lives of God doing a new thing with our family. He is a source of continual joy. He is rough and tender. He is already hiding God's word in his heart and knows that God has a great purpose for his life. We love being his mom and dad.

Thank you Lord for Timothy Randall Vaughn!

Happy Mother's Day to Me

2008-05-11T15:31:00.004-05:00

We went to lunch with my parents, the Brooks, and Andy and Jessica. It was a sweet sweet time, although we were truly missing Sam and Emille, Bailey and Brylee. It is their sweet faces that are missing in these pictures.

My heart is full of thanksgiving today. Thankful for my mother and the joy for life and knowing Christ that she instilled in my heart. Thankful for Lokadi, the birth mother of Lael, who lived a life of joy and generosity and who gave life to our precious Lael. Thankful for Tori, Timothy, Jonathan and Lael, my treasures and blessings that have taken my heart to depths of love and vulnerability that I did not know was possible before.......The Lord is loving and kind, gentle in all his ways...He has blessed me beyond all imagination and expectation. I am thankful for these moments now and I am looking forward expecting his blessing in the days to come.

Weekend fun

2008-05-11T15:03:00.002-05:00

Friday night we went to a local park and then went for the first sno-cone of the season...lots of fun!!

Payton and Benjamin had back to back games on Saturday and we had fun cheering them on...these pictures include some cute Brownlow kids too!

Pictures

2008-05-07T19:29:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday morning we began the day with an appointment for our church directory pictures. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and I knew we all looked cute!!
I was feeling pretty good about the likely opportunity that we would get a good picture. However, it soon became apparent once we entered the studio that Lael was NOT comfortable in a dark room with bright lights. Can you blame her? There was no way we were going to coax a smile from this precious girl. Oh well...how many people absolutely love their church directory picture? I must confess that I am very disappointed that the picture that will be in the directory for many years to come does not capture the sparkling personality of our sweet Lael...of course the minute we left the room, she immediately began smiling and saying "cheese!"... After we left the church we went to my parents house and tried to take a few more before we ate lunch...that is where the pictures below come from. Click on them to make them larger and you will at least see our attempts to capture our family on film! Later that afternoon we enjoyed going to cousin Pate's baseball game. He and his brother Benjamin are pretty impressive on and off the field!

Blessed

2008-05-03T22:42:00.004-05:00

I finished out this past week in Abilene. Christian Homes hosted a luncheon at the Abilene Civic Center with special guest Ruth Graham. She is the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham. The luncheon was on Thursday and in Abilene, this was the place to be! There were 800 people present and it was truly fabulous! I was so blessed to be there with my mom! It was such a special day to share with her. This was a day to celebrate adoption and to hear testimony of how the Lord is at work in ALL things! I have spoken with many who were in attendance and everyone has mentioned that they were deeply moved. Ruth Graham is a great speaker. Her testimony speaks of brokenness and a faithful God and how growth in Him happens in the most difficult places. She speaks honestly about pain and suffering and about the blessing of God's presence in the midst of it. Thank you Lord for testimony of your faithful unfailing love!

Also shared the day with 2 very dear friends, Shelli Presley and Beth Ann Fisher

While I was in Abilene, Timo was working hard with Paw at the ranch in Baird. Timo was so happy to be out there with Paw, working with the cows and riding in the tractor. He has been talking about it non-stop since we returned. Happy Happy memories made!!

This picture does not do it justice. The weather is incredible and the ranch is absolutely beautiful, especially this time of year.

A few shots of Timo at work and in his bliss...

It was so fun for me as well to have a few evenings of time to spend with just Timo. I realized how rare it is that I am with him by myself. He is such a fun, lovable deightful kid. I love being his mom!

May 1 - Remembering Friends in Prayer

2008-05-01T06:53:00.002-05:00

Today is May 1. A day important for many reasons.

Across the globe (thought not so much in the U.S.), today is Worker's Day (Fete du Travail in French). This is a celebration of the work force of the world. Honestly, when we lived in an international settiing, I was struck at how many other countries take time to celebrate this day (however, it seems like the day is often marked less by celebration and more by protests and violence). Not sure why the U.S. does not honor this day, but I guess we have to factor in the upcoming Memorial Day and that just makes too many holidays in May (that's a total guess). Anyway, we always used it to make a small gift to those special friends who worked in our home while we lived in Africa. As you know, again much different than in the U.S., in most of the rest of the world, it is common and acceptable to have houseworkers who help with cleaning, cooking, lawncare, security, etc. We had 3 people were with us from day 1 in Africa up until our painful goodbyes last June. Sossa, Louise and Laurance were such special friends and so good at what they did. They definitely became part of our family (although they didn't live in our home like Alice on the Brady Bunch!) We love them all so much and desparately miss seeing their faces. We probably think of each one of them at least 10 times every day!

Also, today is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S. May God be the only God of this wonderful country and may He help us in our challenges, empower us to help those in and out of our country who are in need, and may we see our leadership do incredible things that bring you honor. Today, at churches and some schools across this country, many will be praying. Will you join in?

So today, I'm combining my prayers and also ask you to pray for our African friends. Notably today: Sossa, Louise and Laurance. Please pray for them. I don't really know what today's challenges are for them. But God does. Ask His blessing to pour out on each of their families.

-Randy

* Kelly is out of town, so I am returning as guest blogger!

Great weekend

2008-04-27T22:15:00.003-05:00

This has been a wonderful weekend. The batteries were dead in my camera so I have no pictures to show for it..oh well. Yesterday I attended a board meeting for Christian Homes and Family Services and last night a reception for them as well. This is where I work. I love being a part of this Agency. Most of you probably already know that I work with Birth mothers who are making adoption plans for their infant children and I also do home studies for families that are desiring to adopt through Christian Homes and that live here in the DFW area. When I am not doing this, I take every opportunity to speak, inform, and educate about adoption, wherever I can find a listening ear. I love to share about the courage and sacrifice that I witness in the lives of the birth mothers. I also love counseling women and girls that are finding themselves in unplanned difficult circumstances and are needing help and hope in what are sometimes desperate moments. This job is incredibly rewarding and yesterday was a great day of meeting people here in this area that share the same heart for Christian Homes.
Today Randy and I woke up and had the joy of realizing we had no plans for the day!! We did some house cleaning and then took our whole family to Cabelas! This is something that we had talked about doing before and today was a great day to go, it was too cool to play outside...we ended up spending 3 hours there and we all were having a great time! We all enjoyed the Aquarium and viewing all of the other animals..and lunch was great too. We came home, we all took good naps, ate dinner and then went on a long walk through the neighborhood with our dog!
Lots of laughter and enjoying each other today....I think I have loved just about every minute. Thank you Lord!

A little bit of life

2008-04-23T22:23:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, Tori's class took a Field Trip to tour the Texas Ranger Stadium. Her Dad took the opportunity to go with her. She was thrilled to have him along for the experience. They had a great day together!

Saturday morning we hosted our first ever garage sale! We did this together with families from our small group through our church. We were raising money for a project called Share the Joy. All of the money from the garage sale will go towards helping someone in our community who is in need and will be given in the name of Jesus. The day was truly a blessing from start to finish. We raised alot of money and as people came and asked us what we were raising money for, they too became generous and wanted to participate...we are all eagerly anticipating how the Lord will direct us as we share these funds with someone in need.

Timo and I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart this afternoon and when he saw the Bull, he insisted that he needed to ride, he had been really demonstrating good behavior today so I thought I would say yes...we were both anticipating a bit more of an active ride. I think he thought it was only slightly the fun he had imagined. He was bracing himself when he slipped the quarters in and got his one hand high in the air, ready to perhaps be thrown to the other side of the store...instead he discovered this bull was a so slow he could be used for rocking babies...

We have a Winner!

2008-04-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF THE BOOK,
DO HARD THINGS IS

JESSICA BAILEY!

Jessica, I know your heart is strong for the Lord and He is at work in you.
I pray this book will bless you and challenge you to trust Him even more as you follow him. The path you are choosing is hard but it is SO worth it. You are honoring the Lord. He SEES you. He will honor your choices to follow him. Keep seeking Him and you will experience more than you can ask or imagine. That is HIS promise! Expect blessing Jessica!
Have your parents send me your address in an email and I will get this book in the mail to you immediately!

Moments with my children

2008-04-19T22:14:00.003-05:00

As always, Tori and I enjoy doing fun things together. Last weekend we had fun trying to coordinate our clothing!! We both had found some fun shoes that were available in both of our sizes, at Payless and we wanted to wear them...so we searched our closets and found some clothes we already had that coordinated...I LOVE TORI so much I can hardly stand it!!!

We have loved having some beautiful weather this past week so that we can play in the back yard. The kids found a ladybug and had so much fun watching her, losing her, looking for her and finding her over and over again. Not sure how we know if it is a her...

My sweet Timothy will be 5 years old next month!! That is amazing! His birth is such a mile marker in my life of God doing a new thing in my heart...I love thinking about his birth and the joy that surrounded his life entering ours...He was our heart's desire. We are into party planning and birthday anticipation these days in conversations with Timo!!

DO HARD THINGS Blog Tour

2008-04-15T22:08:00.007-05:00

I grew up in a Christian family. I was taught the Bible and I always had a desire to love and serve the Lord. Even so, somehow that love was best demonstrated at church or on summer mission trips. My relationship with the Lord was compartmentalized for church moments and often at other times outside of church, I found myself wrestling on my own with things that would have surprised those who only knew me in the church setting.
The summer before I entered my Junior year of college, things began to click in a new and deeper way. I found myself falling in love with my Lord. I found myself surrendering everything in my heart to Him. When I look back at my journals and at the Bible that was my constant companion during that season of life, I see the cries of my heart were, "Lord, I will do anything for you. Send me to a hard place. If no one else is willing, I am willing." I have a quote cut from a magazine glued in the front of my Bible that says, "Never do anything that anyone else can do or will do if there are things to be done that others can't do or won't do." That became my mission. Find where the hard places are and go. At that time in my life this lead me to different places in Africa every summer during my college years, on 2 occasions to Mozambique during a civil war. I remember moments of fear and then moments of trust and courage that came when I took that step and placed my life in the Lord's hands. Even at that young age, the Lord allowed me to experience some amazing things and let me experience his presence in powerful ways that let me know with solid assurance that he was with me.

It is with these things in my mind my attention was drawn to a new book that has just been released by Multnomah Books. It is written by Alex and Brett Harris and is called DO HARD THINGS . The subtitle is A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. When asked to review this book I was thrilled with the opportunity. This book was an easy read, one I could not put down as I read about teenagers who are serious about putting into action what God has called their hearts to do right now...not just assuming what they will do for God later when they "grow up"!! I was greatly encouraged to read stories about teenagers who are stepping out in faith to do things that are so far beyond what is expected of them in our culture. As they do this, they are finding God is faithful to equip them with everything they need along the way.

With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.
Written when they were 18 years old, DO HARD THINGS is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear plan for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
Written by teens for teens, DO HARD THINGS is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

I would love to encourage you to recognize people in the comments who have stepped out in faith to DO HARD THINGS for the glory of God. Please note especially if they were teenagers when they stepped out in faith. When asked to review the book, I was given a copy to give away on this blog. Please take the time to nominate someone you think would be challenged and encouraged by receiving a copy of this great book!

A Recent Moment with a Dear Friend

2008-04-12T23:39:00.005-05:00

My friend Judy Miller.........when I think about her my heart is so full...I have so many sweet memories of our times and conversations together in Benin......
She came to Benin as a Missionary for the Southern Baptist one week after we arrived in Benin in March of 1999.
She lived in Cotonou Benin, the capital city and served in the role of Business facilitator for the Southern Baptist missionaries. Over the years she became known as the goto person for all missionaries in Benin, when there was a need or a crisis. We had to go to the capital city at least once a month, sometimes more, for shopping, medical care, banking and sometimes for fellowship with other missionary friends. I remember seeing Judy around in that first year but not really having the opportunity to really know her. The first time that I have a memory of a conversation with Judy came when I was in desperate need for some help. It was August 2000 and Randy had malaria. He was having a severe reaction to the medication that he had been given. The reaction was worse than the malaria. He had been receiving the meds through an IV for 4 days before we realized that the reaction was from the meds. He had hives from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet and had scratched them so much that he was bleeding all over his body. He had not been able to sleep in 3 days and I had not either. Tori was 2 years old at the time. I was under supreme stress and had packed our things in the middle of the night, thinking that we might be leaving for the States. As soon as their was enough light to begin our 3 hour journey to Cotonou, I got a very sick Randy into the car, as well as toddler Tori and drove straight into Cotonou and went to Judy's office. I went to her because I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I remember walking into her office, sitting down and pouring out the details of our circumstances to her. I remember her saying, "I have some thoughts on what we can do, who we can call, but first let me pray with you." She took my hand across her desk and began to pray. As soon as we were done praying she picked up the phone and put me in touch with people who could give me wise counsel and help me make a decision about what to do next. From this time on, Judy and I began a journey into a deeper friendship that sustained us both through many hardships.

As I reflect on the entire story of life in Benin, Judy is a part of it all. There is not a season of our life in Benin that Judy was not a part of. She has heard of every major event or experience that we ever walked through and often she was the first person that we called. Judy knew the people in our lives. She knew our life well and I think it would be safe to say that she is the one person who would know and understand the best what our daily life involved over the span of our time in Benin. She was a friend who I could laugh and pray with. She was a friend who could always challenge me and help me gain perspective. I remember a time as well that we were in a large group and she was aware of something miraculous that we had experienced, she leaned over to me and said, "If you do not get up and share your testimony, the rocks are going to cry out." She came to our home and we went to hers. There were times over the years I would drive 3 hours just to have lunch with her and then turn around and come home. One time when I was in the hospital with malaria and Randy could not stay with me because he was caring for Tori, Judy spent several nights with me in the hospital. Judy was consistent. She opened her home to us and welcomed us like we were family. Every Christmas that we were in Benin, we went to her house for a Christmas party and she would let Tori, and eventually our other children as we had them, decorate her tree. This was something that we looked so forward to every year. Most everyone that came to visit over the years met Judy and could see how very much she meant to us.

Saying goodbye to Judy last July was very painful. We said goodbye in Benin. Since then she has moved to Mali, West Africa. We are still in touch and my heart turns even more often to prayer for Judy now that we are here and she is still there. I am writing all this to explain why recently when she came to America for a little over a week so that she could speak at a Missions' Conference, I flew to Nashville to spend a few short hours with her. Not just anyone could motivate me to make a daytrip to Nashville, but for Judy Miller, there was no hesitation. I would do anything I could possibly think to do to encourage this friend of mine. We had lunch together, laughed a lot, shared our hearts, did a tiny bit of shopping and prayed together in a Waffle House parking lot...real deal friends. I was so blessed to be with her again. Rich moments...all because of Jesus Christ.
To say I'm thankful, seems not enough.

2008-04-09T22:50:00.002-05:00

Tonight was a very special night at Richland Hills. This was the night for all the babies born and adopted in the year 2007 to be blessed and dedicated to the Lord. Lael was legally adopted into our family on March 20, 2007. She was in our home and hearts on August 19, 2005...but the legal paperwork says March 20, 2007. Countless prayers from this church were a part of the labor and love that brought her legally into our family and back to America. Because of this, tonight was a precious memory to add to our collection. We arrived at church early for a reception for all of the children and their parents. The elders were there and mingled among us with words of blessing, encouragement and moments of prayer. One of our favorites,(we have lots of favorites)Phil Martin prayed for Lael. He knows our family well and actually took the time to pray over each one of us. The atmosphere was truly special...lots of love and hugs! Lael knew the evening was special and took every opportunity to smile, skip, jump and smile some more. She is really excited about her new Bible! And we are excited about being in a church that is intentional about blessing our children and surrounding us with love and support as we raise our children to know God and follow hard after Him. How blessed we are!

Live life with Faith

2008-04-05T22:14:00.002-05:00

Best Friends who had an incredible weekend at the retreat!
Thank you Lord for this opportunity for Tori to be challenged,affirmed,blessed and have a blast at the same time! We are so thankful for all the adults that gave generously of their time to share their testimony and to encourage our Tori and others to live a life of faith without fear!!

A glimpse into our fun weekend!

2008-03-30T22:31:00.001-05:00

2008-03-30T21:37:00.003-05:00

This week has been so wonderful. Friday night was such a special evening. I received the Alumnus of the Year award from Fort Worth Christian at their Celebration Dinner. Having Randy, Tori and Timothy, my parents, Randy's parents, Becky, Tony, Sam, Emille, Andy and Jessica there with me on this evening added to the sweet blessings.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to be reflecting on my years at Fort Worth Christian and the shaping of my spiritual foundation that took place over the years through a tapestry of teachers and friends and special memories. God worked through it all to pursue me and mold me into someone that wanted to follow hard after him. I was blessed to have teachers that captured opportunites as I shared windows into my life. I had teachers that were not shy about speaking boldly into my life, giving me direction and showing me where I could find courage. These teachers reaffirmed to me the authentic faith that I saw at home through my parents and encouraged me to grow spiritually, as well as academically and through extra curricular activities.
Below are some of my very special teachers who were at the dinner on Friday night.
Barbara Treat, who taught me French for three years, and who was the first to show me on the globe that there were West African countries where French was spoken, MaryAnn Felps who was my High School English teacher, who set the bar high and encouraged me and challenged me in wonderful ways, Kelly Cawyer, my 7th grade Biology teacher and Basketball coach,Carol Brownlow, my eighth grade Bible teacher, precious precious!!,and Sweet Lena Nelson, my cross-country coach who loves me dearly and pushed me to do things I thought I could not do. She loves to take credit for teaching me to persevere through hard things!! I love these women and I am so thankful for their influence in my life. These are the ones who were there on Friday night. There are even more teachers that are a part of my story...my testimony ... and I thank God for them every time they come to my mind!

Lael's new hair

2008-03-30T21:23:00.002-05:00

For three hours last Thursday night, Lael sat patiently while her hair was done in braids all over her head. It was amazing to observe and precious to see...because Lael was loving it. A very kind Kenyan woman whom I have recently met, said she would come to my house and do this for Lael. As I sat there for those 3 hours with Lael, my heart was aching missing Laurance, my best Aja friend in Benin. For as long as Lael has been with us, Laurance was the one to fix her hair and we used to sit together and talk while she would bring some personality to Lael's hair!
Lael loves her new hair and has had a lot of fun this weekend showing it off and hearing sweet affirmations from her siblings and cousins.

Happy Birthday for me!

2008-03-26T22:44:00.003-05:00

Today has been such a great day! My precious husband got up early and made a delicious breakfast and brought it to me while I was still in bed! I ate breakfast and had sweet conversation with him, while amazingly, all 4 kids remained asleep. This is highly unusual! When Timo got up, he was eager to show me a special surprise. Without me knowing, he and his Daddy slipped out last night and went to get my favorite flowers...Tulips!! They are so gorgeous and Timo was so proud to give them to me!! My mother and sister in law Emille, enjoyed time with my 3 younger ones this morning while I was working and then Randy watched all the kids and cousins minus 2 sweet nieces of mine during lunch. My mom, Becky, Emille, Precious Bailey and Brylee, and myself went to a local tea room!! It was SO FUN! Thank you Mom for this very special treat!

I received lots of kind words and wishes today and my heart has been so blessed. I am so thankful for my 37 years. My journey with the Lord has been so good. I love having history with Him. This gives me peace as I press on and move into the future! I am expecting blessing in the days to come! My favorite verse is Psalm 84:5
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
My heart is set on HIM!

Easter at the Ranch

2008-03-24T22:48:00.003-05:00

Click on the pictures to make them larger so you can see the precious faces of our sweet kids!!

We had such a great weekend. It started early for Tori and Timothy who went down with my mom on Thursday. My Dad came and got Jonathan and Lael after work on Friday night and they joined the troops! They were so excited. The first words out of Jonathan's mouth on Friday morning were..."Paw's coming for me today!!" This was just before Randy and I left for Dallas to see Amy Grant. It was a win win for everyone!! Randy and I joined everyone Saturday night and we had had a great time Sunday being together, riding around on four wheelers and hunting Easter eggs...sweet memories!

Jesus is alive and at work in our lives! Praise His Name!! How great to focus on his Resurrection power this weekend! We are sinners and Jesus is our Great Savior! This is good news! Don't be afraid! Come and See! Go and Tell!

2008-03-22T16:13:00.002-05:00

Almost 9 months back into life in America, the disorientation continues. I wrestle with what is re-entry and what I can compare to others as just nomal life in America that is fast paced and fatiguing. I love being with my husband and my four kids and there is great comfort in being with them regardless of where we are. We are moving along in the rushing river of life in school and church and our jobs and doing our best to stay engaged with each other and in our pursuit of knowing God. Whenever I stop for even a few minutes of silence and go for a walk alone, tears can fill my eyes and I am amazed to think that I am living here and running through my days. I am still not wishing I could be back in Benin, however, I am grieving a way of life, the familiarity of life and my home and the way our family functioned together and the things we were able to do. I am in such a different world and functioning in new ways and new roles and I wonder when it will feel like the real me is living in my skin. I am still learning what it feels like I should already know. That is as basic as how I interact with friends and family. I have lived across the world from both in a somewhat isolated world for so long that I find myself struggling with basic reaching out, connecting and sharing intimately on a regular basis. I want more connectedness and yet it does not come naturally for me.

Last night at the Meyerson, as Amy Grant sang songs that were familiar to me, I was touched in deep ways. I find myself looking at life with an altered view, reflective and at the same time very impatient with myself. The lyrics from 2 different very familar songs encouraged my heart's thoughts at this very moment in time.........

It takes a little time sometimes
to get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
to get the Titantic turned back around
But Baby your not going down
It takes more than you've got right now,
Give it time, Give it time

Well it may not be over by morning
But Rome wasn't built in a day
You can name that thing a thousand times
It won't make it go away

You can't fix this pain with money
You can't rush a weary soul

AND

Every road that's traveled teaches something new
And every road that's narrow
Pushes us to choose
And I'd be lying if I said
I had not tried to leave a time or two
But every road that leads me
Leads me back to you

Here we stand in the middle
of what we've come to know
It's a dance, it's a balance
Holding on and Letting Go
But there is nothing that we can't resolve
When Love's at stake
When Love's involved

Once again I find myself so thankful to be walking through life with Christ. I am not alone and His ways are gentle. He is here and I need Him.

2008-03-22T00:04:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may have heard that Amy Grant is in town this weekend at the Meyerson in Dallas, you may have wondered if I was able to attend. The answer is YES! My sweet husband gave me tickets on Valentines Day for tonight's concert with the Dallas Symphony. We went tonight and it was a perfect date. It was truly an amazing evening. I will write more about it soon. Happy Resurrection Weekend!!

2008-03-20T08:46:00.002-05:00

We have enjoyed having Aunt Becky back from Canada and this means more time with our Fort Worth cousins! We had some good time together at the first of the week. We have enjoyed having Tori home from school for Spring Break. I have wrestled with the reality of being a working mom this week, when I really want to be hanging out with my kids and thats it....ughh....

Tori...Benjamin...Lael...Jonathan...Pate...Timothy

2008-03-16T22:26:00.001-05:00

Upwards

2008-03-09T22:13:00.007-05:00

Tori with her Coaches Ryan and Kelly...

With Special Guests Ronnie and Judy Vaughn...

With Proud Parents...

Team pictures, featuring Tori and Very Special Friend, Maddie...

This weekend brought to an end Tori's first season playing Basketball. We have enjoyed so much watching her play and watching her learn the game. She has made so much progress and even in her last game yesterday, she made a very impressive steal, broke away and ran down the court, dribbling the ball and made the shot!!! We were beside ourselves and Tori was all smiles for the rest of the game! We are so thankful for her coaches Ryan and Kelly. Tori's confidence has certainly bloomed under their coaching and specific encouragement.

Tonight was the awards and pizza party. It was extra special to have Nana and Papa join us for this very special event. Every team member was given their chance to stand in the chair and receive words of praise from their coaches. Tori also received a certificate and a new basketball. Coach Ryan gave Tori the certificate for being the team member who displayed the virtue of Diligence on the team. This is the person who makes a constant and earnest effort to accomplish a task. Ryan also commented that whatever Tori was asked to do, on court or on the sidelines, she did it with Joy!!! We are so proud of Tori and so thankful for the opportunity to have participated in the Upwards Basketball program.