Ain't No Two the Same

After a heart to heart with my Nana last week, she bluntly stated, "Ain't no two the same, Heather, so don't think you've got it licked." Of course she was referring to the wonderful news of another wild and precious little Ward boy on his way to our house. I am not sure how encouraging this was, or even if it was meant to be, but I took it in stride and smiled.
Jamie and I waited to have our first ultrasound until I was further along than most women, thus, our next one was later too. At 20 weeks we walked into the exam room with hands-down, the most wonderful technician in all of Watauga County. Ms. Gina hugged me like always. (You see, my midwife, Heather Jordan, sends her patients to the hospital for ultrasounds. After a rather horrible experience with a heartless tech, Jamie and I have requested Gina since the first ultrasound with Charlie. We LOVE her.) After Gina gave me the usual compliments about my glowing appearance, however false it may have been, I sat on the table. I knew that this entire pregnancy had been so different from Charlie's, but I wasn't sure what we would hear. Although I was excited about finding out the sex of our little one, I was overcome with the worries that plague me. I had heard so often recently of unhealthy little ones, so I had spent extra silent time in prayer


Immediately we knew. Gina smiled and said, "Oops, do you want to know what it is? I think I just saw." I laughed. It was true, another boy. The best response I saw after sending out my mass text (which, by the way, confuses the simple minded......Marti) was from my sister, "Ha ha, you're in for it now." I laughed. I was so excited. As the exam went on I wished Charlie were there with us. He was with my Mom because, let's face it, he likes her better than me. The only news we found was wonderful news. Things were great. He was calmer than Charlie was a this age, but very active and perfectly healthy. Praise the Lord!


This brings me to the issue at hand. Am I tough enough to tackle two boys? Literally. How will I handle two football players? What will I do when I catch them buying tobacco? Can I afford two dirt bikes? Girlfriends?? Honestly, I am not sure. I just know that another sweet little boy will make our family perfect. I can't imagine myself with a little girl. I would have loved one, but I am already used to taking blocks to the head and buying dinosaurs. I love my boys! I am so excited, words could never explain. A wise friend reminded me that I will be forced to watch ESPN forever. I cringe, but then I realize, I wouldn't have it any other way.





Jamie's mom has instilled a bit of fear in me with stories of broken windows, multiple ER visits, and crashed grocery carts, so I have attached the lyrics to the most touching song a mom could hear. I knew Jamie would be a wonderful father. That being said, I hope these fellas are everything like him...

I remember saying I don't care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy I'm ok
Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said "You see that thing right there well you know what that means"

And I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me
He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride hes bike to fast
End up every summer wearing something in a cast
He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass in a window down the street
He's gonna get in trouble oh he's gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

I can see him right now knees all skinned up
With a magnifying glass trying to melt a Tonka truck
Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on
That'll be his first love til his first love comes along
He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens
And heaven help him if he's anything like me

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast
Get a speeding ticket he'll pay for mowing grass
He's gonna get caught skipping class and be grounded for a week
He's gonna get in trouble we're gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

He's gonna love me and hate me along the way
Years are gonna fly by I already dread the day
He's gonna hug his momma, he's gonna shake my hand
He's gonna act like he cant wait to leave
But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out
If he's anything like me there's worse folks to be like
Aw he'll be alright if he's anything like me

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Christmas Poem 2009

This was my last year's "Ray Family Christmas" poem. I was asked my certain family members to blog this. One for this Christmas? Not sure yet. Sorry if this is one big family joke, but my family lends themselves as easy satirical targets.

On a night clear and cool before Christmas day,
Santa was aboard his decorated sleigh.

With Garmin on board his whole trip is planned.
He knows each house and just where to land.

He shouts as he flies, “It’s almost Christmas Day,
We’ve got to leave Tennessee, and all this hairspray.”

“Turn left now jolly man,” the Garmin lady demanded.
Soon his sleigh touched down he was unsure where he’d landed.

“This might just be the middle of nowhere,
Should I get out alone or do I dare?”

Santa glanced at the screen and what did he see,
But a tiny dot on the Garmin named “Matney”

“Oh yikes,” he screamed as he heard shots ring out.
I know this is the Reece I have no doubt.”

With his SWAT vest all buttoned he dared the clean house,
No signs of a mess, no crumbs for a mouse.

As the firing continued Santa wasn’t feeling so jolly.
For Grant he dropped a dinosaur, and for Kendall a Polly.

He grabbed his bag just in time to take one in the belly.
Thank goodness for cookies, it bounced off like jelly.

He sped away now but he didn’t get far,
Now he was headed to the old Rocking R.

He sped over Boone as the lights grew so dim,
“I’ll pass by those Liberals, I’ve got nothing for them!”

When all of a sudden the reindeer pitched such a fit,
Santa could see something, nada, not one bit!

Yes, I’ve heard of this stuff in Deep Gap below.
It is that blinding fog, now we can barely go!

As he flew over the fog he needed to stop.
At Ridgecrest on the Parkway….the very top.

He looked in the window to see the Mr. cussing the news,
And he only saw a flash of a woman in new walking shoes.

“Here,” he thought, “is the sweetest of all.”
And to his surprise she’d grown awfully tall.

I’ll leave this sweet heart a rock hard volleyball,
To throw at her coach, he liked her least of all.

As he fumbled in his bag, he found something else for this crew.
Some BenGay and Beano, all packaged and new.

He had little time left on this busy night though,
He jumped on his sleigh and hollered out “go.”

I must find this Rocking R place very soon.
He noticed as he looked up high at the moon.

As he flew into the dark, he smelled some marvelous things.
“Hey that smells like chicken and fried onion rings.”

“This is the Nana I know she’s on my list.”
He pulled on the reins with his chubby old fist.

Right as he landed he jumped out real quick,
For he feared being plowed by that little, blond chick.

As he entered the house he wanted a taste
You know fat men always hate to see food waste.

As he stuffed in his mouth there was something he knew,
This Nana had left him a Diet Mtn. Dew.

But all these yummies held quite a spice,
So he moved to the freezer to get him some ice.

Much to his surprise he was knocked off his feet,
By pop-sickles, bread, and lots of Schwan’s meat.

I’m leaving this place or my belly will sag.
Nana, here’s some new shoes. Marissa, a punching bag.

It was a short, little flight when saw a lighted up fawn,
It was placed with perfection on a manicured lawn.

Santa opened the door and was knocked down fast,
By the sounds of NASCAR blaring out with a blast.

While in the house he noticed the beautiful red head,
She was snuggled alone in her hand crafted new bed.

“She doesn’t believe, she thinks I am a fable,
For this fiery lady, I’ll leave my number on the table.”

For the gentleman of the farm he knew what tops the list,
He reached in his bag with a brunette in fist.

“Put me down,” Teresa shouted, “you fat, old man!”
“Hey, you’re what’s needed most, I do all I can.”

To the boys of the house he cleaned a Mustang of dirt,
And left on the couch a pressed pink shirt.

Out in a dash up the hill he flies,
Where a shiny black truck now blinded his eyes.

Startled at first by the squeals that he heard,
He knew for certain that they owned no bird.

He suddenly remembered this was Cleve, his old racing bud.
He’s made a Harley for him, that good-looking stud.

For Dakota he left a warm shirt with sleeves,
And hopefully he’s one for sure that believes.

Casey, that feisty, young girl had been mean,
But to her he’d leave a chocolate milk machine.

As he looked in the bed from where that he stood,
Although she was sleeping her hair looked dang good!

He knew what she’d needed for quiet a long while,
This gift he knew was sure to make her smile.

He sat out a can of “Conservative Spray”
This was sure to keep App democrats away.

He knew he had but one house to go.
He’d be in trouble if he didn’t show.

This comfy, blue house was always a mess,
But this year he knew it would sure look it’s best.

With this new little one, his time he sure took,
For his mother had warned of the child’s stiff right hook.

Santa snuck in to see Charlie snug in his bed.
He breathed in deep, and reboarded his sled.

What the old man was thinking no one could have guessed
For he knew they needed nothing, this year they’d been blessed.

So he headed up north, the pole was so far,
“Good Night and Merry Christmas to the ol’ Rocking R…..”

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Send Them To Bed With a Kiss

This has always been one of my favorites. I really wanted to share. I am unsure about the author.

Mothers, so weary, discouraged,
Worn out with the cares of the day.
You often grow cross and impatient,
Complain of the noise and the play;

For the day brings so many vexations,
So many things going amiss;
But, mothers, whatever may vex you,
Send the children to bed with a kiss!

The dear little feet wander often.
Perhaps, from the pathway of right,
The dear little hands find new mischief,
To try you from morning to night;

But think of the desolate mothers,
Who’d give all the world for your bliss,
As thanks for your infinite blessings,
Send the children to bed with a kiss!

For some day their noise will not vex you,
The silence will hurt you far more;
You will long for their sweet childish voices,
For a sweet childish face at the door;

And to press a child’s face to your bosom, You’d give all the world for just this! For the comfort t’will bring you in sorrow, Send the children to bed with a kiss!

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Giving Thanks

Before you read: the font colors hate me on this page, I did not make it this tacky

I AM THANKFUL FOR MY CHARLIE'S SNEAKY SMILE

After much thought this week about all the typical "I am thankful for's" I couldn't help but notice all of the things I love in my life that are very atypical. I am for sure thankful for my salvation, my family, my home and my health, but here is an informal, kind of silly, but very heartfelt list I've compiled. No order and certainly not every blessing:

1. Charlie's hums as he wakes up in the morning.
2. Jamie's call when he hears about an accident and knows I am driving.
3. The comfort of church.
4. My Daddy's mustache when he kisses me.
5. McDonald Thursdays in my car while Charlie sleeps and Casey is at dance class.
6. Marissa and Meghan finding just the right time to call me a "Poopface"
7. My mom's light hearted laugh when I am telling her about my breakdown.
8. Towers of blocks I find long after Charlie goes to bed.
9. Huey Lewis
10. Visits to my Mid-Wife
11. Myra's telephone calls
12. Cheynie's smile
13. My kitchen radio
14. My sisters and brothers-in-law who feel like my own.
15. Tiffany's ability to make any situation feel do-able.
16. Dakota ALWAYS coming to my aid when I call
17. Finding just the right verse in comfort in the Bible when I need it most.
18. Wild baby movements in my belly when the house is dark and quiet.
19. Mr. Norris who bags my groceries and always makes me feel like it was a pleasure to catch the items Charlie threw at him.
20. Nana's sweets
21. Casey's forehead kisses
22. Movie night at home
23. Friends who listen to me lose it and then smile and say, "You crack me up!"
24. George Strait and his ability to take me back 10 years with a few notes.
25. chocolate milk

Perhaps more to come.......

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Atch Dis!

Placing all modesty aside, Jamie and I are pretty funny people. No, not everyone laughs with us, but we've always done quite a bit of laughing with one another. It was not until just the other day that I realized two laughers will obviously produce one funny fella. I guess many of the situations that have cracked us up are one of those "you had to be there" times, but as I was writing in Charlie's journal last night I was laughing so hard I cried at the things I was writing that he's been doing.


Charlieism 1: "Atch Dis!" In true little boy style Charlie has realized that anything he can do to draw attention to his wildness always leads to laughs. Now while he is running wild like a banchie, he will suddenly stop dead in his tracks and say, "Atch Dis!" (Watch this) which is usually followed by a loud and somewhat dangerous trick.Here is a moment catch on tape as he jumped off the bed onto pillows on the floor. Due to the velocity of the jump, the picture quality is a bit poor.

Charlieism 2: "Mama, me" This is only used that times when he deams it appropriate. For example, I am putting on mascara and he wants to try it. Sometimes it is when Jamie is putting on deodorant and he wants to rub it all over his belly. Othertimes it is when I am clipping my nails, and he wants to "clip" them by inflicting pain like no other on my toes with the clippers. Mostly though, it is a precious moment, when we are in church and he jerks the hymn book from my hand so that he can belt out the word "DEJUS" (Jesus) in the highest soprano tone in the church.

Charlieism 3: "Peeeze, Mama, peeeeeze!" This only comes out when something has been spotted that will lead to chaos. Always in the line at Food Lion when he spots the Hershey Bars, thank you Daddy. Usually at night when he wants a pop-sickle or he just wants out of bed. I have to honestly say, I have never stuck it out to see what happens next. I mean he's saying "Please" for goodness sakes!

Charlieism 4: "Woah woah woah" This is a sound that can't be spelled. Apparently at some point I have used a hair clip to pretend to be a monster with teeth or something, so now anything that is clip-like, or can be squeezed open and closed is a "woah woah woah." He tends to like my hair straigtener, but the best one was on a recent trip to the ER (nothing major, just a freak out by two over protective parents) the nurse clipped the thing on his little finger to check something, I was about to cry thinking about actually sitting in the ER with him, and then he looked up at Jamie and said, "woah woah woah"

Charlieism 5: "Doe!!!!" Many exclamation marks because this one is serious. The "Doe" only comes out when he is A: doing something dangerous he doesn't want me to see B: Wants a toy all to himself C: Wants me to leave him alone to watch TV with Daddy D: When he wants to be leave him in his bed at night so he can pretend to be going to sleep, but really sneaks in to catch a little ESPN on TV

I can't even begin to tell you how much he makes us laugh. He's growing everyday, but I never imagined how quickly he would develop. I know there are so many more I have forgotten, but these were fresh on my mind today. One day when he is in the major leagues, I will remind him that I am still his Mama by retelling these to him.

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The horse that built me

Today as I was taking my daily "drive dear Charlie to sleep" drive, I was driving down the same road I have lived on for about 20 of my 20-some years. Suddenly, in the silence of my car I was flooded with memories. A simple glance at the cow pasture bordering the road had triggered memories that I had thought I had lost. No matter how happy or comfortable my life as an adult is, I still have these ideas in my mind of the "good old days." Though my childhood was filled with events that I'd like to forget, none of them out weigh the happiness I lived through. As I pulled to the side of the road the tears started falling. (yes, pregnancy emotions, I know) I suddenly saw myself atop my priceless chestnut gelding, Star. I pictured it like yesterday. My Mom, Dad, and sister all in a heated race through this pasture. I was stunned that I had lost that memory. I remembered so much so clearly. I remembered the bitter chill in my hands as I gripped the reins, and the utter fear when I realized that for the first time, I had let him break into a full run. So many people have a house that is a cherished part of their lives, some people a town, some people traditions, but for me, the childhood memories that built me into who I am seemed to take place on the back of a horse. I learned the meaning of "not sweating the small stuff." We never, ever talked about anything in our lives while we rode. We just rode. Together. I watched my Mom and Dad go from a Kindergarten teacher and a Service Manager to two of my very best friends in the single swing of a saddle. I know times are so different, but I remember being so young that I had to mount from a stool, but still aching for the feeling of the ride. Even if it were our trusty family pony, Tiny. It seemed like no matter what our family was facing, no matter who was troubled, nothing mattered while we were all riding. A wise, young man once stated long before his presidency, "I've often said there's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse." I have to add, a woman too. I lost my Star while I was in high school. I rode many times after that, but I never felt the trust I had before. In the years since then, there have been things happen that I know I could have used a nice run through the pasture. I hope one day to find this again. I hope one day, maybe not on a horse, but to build these priceless memories in my children. As I watched Charlie sleep in the back seat, I just hope one day they can think back on a time when nothing else mattered but their family. I hope I am able to give them, even if just a little, what I had.

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My Annual Political Rant

"Everyone who supported slavery was free. Everyone who supported abortion was born. That's how oppression works."

Dun dun dunnnnn.....that time of year approachth. Again I find myself stunned and hurt at the state of our country. Before you stop reading, this is not about healthcare, fair and flat tax, and it is not about left and right, although I am always right. This is about an issue that has become silent, so silent in fact that it is taboo to bring it up in unknown company for many fear striking a personal cord.
My political beliefs are simple. I believe what I believe because of the Bible and what the Lord has proclaimed. Whether that is labeled or not, I am conservative based on my faith. I suppose this rant was sparked by possibly the most moving speech I have ever seen. I encourage each of you to watch attentively. After I watched this I realized how callused we as a nation have become. 1.4 MILLION babies in America each year have parents who consider them a "mistake" worthy of slaughter. Let me plead my case for those who can't speak.
Heartless Argument #1: The "fetus" isn't a life and can't feel pain. Beyond the medical persepctive, note I have not begun my medical career, no one can argue against the fact that these poor babies feel pain. If these babies were simply out of the womb this is labeled murder even by the most liberal. So, they aren't important because of their current location?? This quote I read once from an Abortion Clinic nurse pained my heart, "Sometimes we lied. A girl might ask what her baby was like at a certain point in the pregnancy: Was it a baby yet? Even as early as 12 weeks a baby is totally formed, he has fingerprints, turns his head, fans his toes, feels pain. But we would say 'It's not a baby yet. It's just tissue, like a clot.'"
--Kathy Sparks
Heartless Argument # 2: They can't survive on their own. A wonderful Godly friend spoke this wonderfully. When babies are newborns in their mother's arms, they can't survive on their own either. They still rely on their mothers just as they do in the womb.
Heartless Argument #3: Perhaps the most touchy. This baby was a product of rape or incest. Simple old school terms, two wrongs don't make a right. Nothing the mother did was deserving of what happened to her, just as it is not the baby's fault that it was conceived under these circumstances.
Other heartless arguments have been spoken in the name of "Women's Rights." As a woman, and as a nation, shouldn't the rights of our children ALWAYS come first? Shouldn't we live, work, breath, and pray for the well being of our children? Shouldn't we VOTE for the well being of our children? Then do it!
Forget party politics, and I ask you. Is there an issue more important? Millions are murdered each year so that selfish women can pretend they never messed up. This country has accommodated those who have chosen to give their children life other than with their birth mother, so there are no excuses. No one's life is valued over anyone elses'. I dare you to tell me that you stand in support of "Women's Rights," and sleep well at night.
I will be casting my votes. Not for those who will pat my back, not for those who will send money my way, not for those who will preserve this earth, but for those who are strong enough to say that they DO care about our children and they will vote to protect them. If a politician doesn't care about our unborn children, can you trust your children's future in their hands?
Pray, then pray, then vote with your heart.

This is my Charlie, third trimester, tell me this isn't a life.

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