Charlie's new trick

Before viewing, please PLEASE be warned that I show extreme and very annoying excitement. I get on my own nerves, so I can only imagine....


Anyway, super douper  "Yay!!!" for my big boy who learned a new trick. I'm very proud.

here's the direct link

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Snow buddies

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The beauty of forgiveness

I read this on a favorite author of mine, Robert Brault's, blog.

"The beauty of forgiveness is this -- that it requires only a forgiving party.  It does not require a party worthy  of forgiveness."

 I was just talking about this with Jamie today. Forgiving someone is not always easy, but no matter how undeserving they may seem, I realize each time I have true forgiveness, my heart is the one that is blessed.

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....and Brady spells his name-o

I love my Hootie. I have opted to teaching him his "actual" name for educational purposes. He will always be our Hootie Hoot :) Apparently he's taller than me too.

click here if you can't see the video 

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Ray Christmas Poem

For the passed few years I have taken time to write a cheesy poem to make some smiles. I read it wearing a Grinch-like wreath hats at Christmas dinner at my Nana's house. Every member of my Ray family and their spouses take a bit of a roast. Anyway. It probably won't make complete sense to anyone, but I hope my family members are able to pick out which jab belongs to them. Here ya go folks.

Santa was worried as he pulled on his glove,

would be recognize the new Rocking R from above?

He sped thru the sky with his bag in his hand,

just when he spotted the perfect place to land.

It was a neatly groomed grass with a diamond in it,

 yes, this would be great, my sleigh will just fit.

He stopped just a moment he had to look twice,

"Wonder if that beaut of a wall can be fashioned with ice?"

He crept close to the house where the builder slept within,

and with a shove he left her 5 burly maintenance men.

As he walked away he noticed a steamy hot tub,

for the gent roasting inside, a new snake bashing club.

Up the street just a ways bright lights lit up a place,

he rushed to see it with yuletide on his face.

For this sweet lady, the most pricy gift yet,

a golden feather bed...oh, but it was for her pet.

At the 246 he lifted the blinds to take a peep,

for the beautiful brunette, her gift this year was sleep.

Beside her was her husband, a  handsome young fox,

so he worked very quickly to match up his socks.

To the sweet little toots tucked sweetly in between them,

A superfab saber and lots of army men.

He ran up the hill on the slightly frozen ground,

Yikes oh mighty, what was that sound??

He noted the sound had him almost hypnotized,

it was a snore from a gent that he knew he recognized.

In the icebox he placed a  most large box of ice cream,

He knew the man would smile so big, his mustache it would gleam.

Down the hall slept a guy dreaming of his favorite show,

for this defender, he left a Dixon crossbox.

And for the lady of the house he left under the tree,

A large hefty mug, and 2 tons of coffee.

As his trip at this house drew to its end,

the sweet little missy got herself a fur real friend.

The house tucked away beside a fire chief and a yuppy,

 help a sweet little family and a fiesty little puppy.

He had the perfect gift here never to be topped,

a prime rubber bike that bounced when it was dropped.

For the genius sweetheart, he saved the best part,

a big pretend F so her cousins felt smart.

He noticed in his bag was not nearly enough,

the Mama living here has sure had it rough.

He snuck over close, he didn't want to miss,

for this kind hearted beauty he planted a kiss.

He ran out the door his sleigh just in reach,

now he was headed to the cold snowy Beech.

He raced to their home as quick as a flash,

to hang the medal for "a year with no crash!"

Poor Santa was tired and began to fret,

the next house was his most difficult yet.

The pull up this mountain would have killed most men,
the temperture was crisp and the air so thin.

His sack was moving, so full and fat,
for the girlie inside he left 10 orphaned cats.

He folded neatly for the young little sir,
a lifetime supply of Under Armour.

For the beautiful Ma'am well her time had come,
a years worth of Yoga and chewable Valium.

Next he worked quickly as not to be seen,
to groom and construct a PGA putting green.

He landed in Charlotte on a nicely groomed lawn,
but as he opened his bag...the gifts were all gone.

The gift for this house the elves didn't make,
he smiled, clicked his phone, and a selfie he'd take.

 "Merry Christmas!" he shouted, and flew into the air,
"Don't get sick this year Rays, because Obama won't care!"

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Merry Christmas and Rockin New Year

   What? January? 2014? I'm still spinning. As always, our Christmas and New Year flew in a flash. Granted, one big, fun, busy, messy, wild, and unorganized flash. We we so lucky to be able to visit with both sets of parents and Grandparents this year. We spent Christmas Eve in our PJ's at my Mama's, except my sister. On that note, it is a fact, every party truly does have a pooper. jk. We laughed and ate way way too much bacon (well, maybe that was just me and Hootie) We came home and I cooked a bit and we went to see my Dad. The boys tore his house up with their scooters, classic fun. We spent that night crockpotting it up at my Nana's. We all laughed, and I led my yearly cheesy Christmas hooplah games. Jamie and I came home late and a mess. We managed to get our jammies on and wild boys in our bed just in time to help Santa deliver new bunk beds to the Ward boys. Awesome, beautiful, and pretty dern tiring. Thanks to a seriously dedicated Daddy, Santa was able to pull it off. We woke up together and Jamie and I sat in the floor as the boys handed us gifts that our loved ones that helped them buy. I got an awesome toilet bowl cleaner, and Jamie racked up with sponges!! We carted off the Old Beech Mtn. and we were able to laugh and eat at Jamie's parents'. After 45 cups of cider, and quite a bit of playdough in the carpet (sorry Mamaw) we headed back to Deep Gap.
    Okay, now, despite the obvious fun and 2 day caffeine high that Jamie and I experienced, this year was really a bittersweet year. Charlie is 4, running very close to the big 5, and Hootie is a big ol undie wearing 2. Time.has.slipped.away. I took time this year to laugh a whole lot, but also cry a little. I realized this year that that is just plain ok. I cried when I tucked them in on Christmas Eve, Charlie has questioned Santa's validity, and I am afraid this is the last year.... I cried when I sat at my Mama's house and heard Paw Jimmy tell us that this was his best year yet. I cried when I hugged my Daddy and put on my coat later that day and smelled the same sweet Daddy smell he has had since I was his baby. I cried when I sat in Nana's crowded living room on the same carpet I have for 29 years and watched my boys. Missed my Paw. Cried a little worrying about my Aunt Myra's next few weeks, cried a little when I saw Jamie open up a bar of scented soap and smile ear to ear when he said, "Wow, thank you buddy. I love it!!" I am thankful God gave me the heart I have, it breaks easily, but boy it sure is over flowing with blessings.
   Jamie, Charlie, Hootie, and I rocked out New Years. We bought superfab decor and made snacks and green iced cake at 11:00. We played every board game we have, and raced on the new race track 5 gabilllion times. We watched the ball drop and I got 3 New Year smootches. 3!!!
  I don't make resolutions. Every day is the perfect day to make a change. If I set a resolution today, tomorrow would just bring another, and another, so I'm just open to continually striving to be more. More of a patriot for Christ, more of a support as a wife, more of an influential mother, more of a compassionate sister, daughter, niece, and friend, and maybe...um....kinda...a more organized something-or-other. All I know is, "It's a great day to be alive, I know the sun's still shining when I close my eyes."

Happy 2014!

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