Nephew Graduating?!

Instead of Thankful Thursday this week, I am posting in honor of my nephew Peyton. He is graduating high school today, and we will be there to see it! I'll have pictures next week of our trip! Enjoy my trip down memory lane...

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION (SO CUTE!)

This week, my oldest nephew Peyton is graduating from high school. How can that be?!

The phrase "life goes by in a blur" comes to mind. I remember when he was born, and getting to hold him when he was a few months old. (My brother & sister-in-law lived out of state)

TINY PEYTON...

Super Peyton!

 We saw him again for a family wedding when he was almost a year old. My parents (his grandparents) gave Peyton a "Bumble Ball" (see pic below). He was so cute when it made his chubby cheeks jiggle... after he put it in his mouth. We giggled as he did that... cute lil' guy!

Busy big 2 year old with my sister... visiting family.

Another time at Christmas, he and his family came, and he endured some silliness with his aunts and big sister... getting a mohawk in his hair with clips. Ha! (See above pic)

This is the same boy who was in my wedding. Peyton looked so cute in his tux with shorts. I made the mistake of giving him his gift for being our ring-bearer the night before the wedding. He loved the car that I gave him, and carried it everywhere! He even carried it under the pillow up the aisle, gave the pillow to anyone that would take it, and walked back down the aisle (while my Dad and I waited to come up, and the every guest stood!)

Can you see the white car under the pillow?

Another memory I have from my wedding morning is when my smart nephew "read" me the book I had given him, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". Apparently he loved that book and had it memorized!

The energetic ring bearer being corralled by the fancy flower girl....

We got the family together not too long after Peyton got a new baby brother, and visited. We went to a local water park. Peyton had gone down a big water slide, and wanted to go down again with Grandma. He knew it was kinda scary, so the little man told the attendant, "Be nice to my Grandma! Don't hurt her!"

On the left is little Peyton who was protective of Grandma...

We visited my brother and his family one summer at their home. We went to the zoo with Rebekah and 8-year-old Peyton wanted to come along. We'd been visiting the zoo about an hour, and Peyton says, "We need to go home." "We do? Why?" I said. "Because, I gotta check my email," he said. "No you don't!" I told him. Then he nagged me about it until we left. Apparently his email was a new thing...

Silly faces at the zoo...

On another trip they made to our state, I remember playing in the park with him, watching him play football with his brothers and cousins. I remember him hiking with us to a waterfall, and afterward giving me a rock to take home in my car.... Ok?!... I didn't take it out until I got home. :-D

Stop taking my picture!

One Christmas, their family was visiting. Peyton got a shiny new scooter that year for Christmas. My husband and I went on a walk that brisk winter afternoon. Peyton was riding his new scooter since the weather was nice. Suddenly, he totally crashed, just yard-saled on the pavement. While we were getting ready to rush over, he jumps up and says, "I'M OKAY!!" lol

On Thanksgiving 2009, we visited their family and Peyton
(in the foreground)
helped my two "big" kids ride horses!

Peyton was an assistant DJ in my sister's wedding. He just had to play the playlist. My sister got mad when he kept taking requests and playing other songs! He had braces then, and had grown about a foot since I had seen him last.

He played football, grew some more, ate lots and turned into quite a nice young man. Even though he struggled in school when he was younger, he finally hit his stride the past few years. He is a great kid... Peyton, we're proud of you!

Some verses that remind me of Peyton...
Isaiah 26:4
"Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal."

Psalm 23:4
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

1 Timothy 4:12 

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."Congratulations, Peyton! We love you!