Tomorrow Noah will be two weeks old! He is doing well and we are settling into a routine. He eats every two to three hours, so I'm pretty tired (as Don says, Mom's all-night diner is open!). His circumcision is healing well as far as I can tell, having never had that experience before! He will be baptized this Monday, June 15 here on the seminary campus by one of the professors. Dr. Jeff Gibbs and his wife Renee are pretty special to us. We met them on our very first visit here back in 2004 and have grown closer to them over the past two years. Renee is very active with the seminary wives and hosts the Today's Light Bible study I attend on Monday nights. Dr. Gibbs is brilliant and so gracious answering our theological questions when we have them. They often attend the Friday night bar-b-ques with the students and we are so blessed to know them and to have Dr. Gibbs perform Noah's baptism.
Hannah is doing very well with her brother. She still asks to hold him several times a day and is always loving on him as I feed or change him. Bethie is another story. She can take him or leave him. Luckily, she hasn't shown any aggression toward him, but she is having a lot more melt-downs and all-out crying fits. Poor girl. She's two (with all the emotional changes and challenges that come with that), she's very sensitive, and she has to share us with a new baby. Pretty much every evening between nap and dinner is one long crying fit. She's not eating much and really showing her stubborn side. I pray she adjusts quickly and we would appreciate your prayers too.
I've created a new photo album on Picasa with pictures from Hannah's birthday and Noah's birth. Go here to check it out.
Noah is waking up and we have to get ready for tonight's bar-b-que. Love to all!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Almost one week old
I thought I'd do a quick update on Noah before I feed him one last time before bed. Noah will be a week old tomorrow morning. He's been home for just over 4 days. He saw the pediatrician for the first time this morning and is doing great. He weighed 7 lbs, 5 oz at birth; went down to 6 lbs 12 oz when we left the hospital; and is up to 7 lbs 8 oz now. He's healthy and doing quite well.
Here at the seminary, we gather for Friday night bar-b-ques when the weather is nice. We went tonight and visited with friends and I couldn't help but flash back to last week's bar-b-que. I sat at dinner that night having no idea that at midnight I'd go into labor and have a baby boy by 6:00 the next morning! What a surreal experience I had tonight remembering a week ago.
The girls are doing pretty well. Hannah is such a help and asks to hold Noah several times a day. Bethie is having a little harder time adjusting, as we predicted. Here are two cute things they said recently. Don was changing Bethie's outfit and when he was done she stood up and proudly announced, "Daddy - I'm fancy-tastic!" And Don was being silly another night tying a red ribbon around his head. Hannah said, "Daddy, you're like little red robin hood!" We thought her mix-up was pretty cute.
Here are a few more pictures of Noah - one in the hospital and one in the car ready to come home.
Here at the seminary, we gather for Friday night bar-b-ques when the weather is nice. We went tonight and visited with friends and I couldn't help but flash back to last week's bar-b-que. I sat at dinner that night having no idea that at midnight I'd go into labor and have a baby boy by 6:00 the next morning! What a surreal experience I had tonight remembering a week ago.
The girls are doing pretty well. Hannah is such a help and asks to hold Noah several times a day. Bethie is having a little harder time adjusting, as we predicted. Here are two cute things they said recently. Don was changing Bethie's outfit and when he was done she stood up and proudly announced, "Daddy - I'm fancy-tastic!" And Don was being silly another night tying a red ribbon around his head. Hannah said, "Daddy, you're like little red robin hood!" We thought her mix-up was pretty cute.
Here are a few more pictures of Noah - one in the hospital and one in the car ready to come home.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
He's Here!
We are thrilled to welcome the family Noah Cornelius Ray!!!!
Noah was born yesterday, May 30 at 5:39 a.m. He was 7 lbs, 5 oz and 20 inches long. He has a head full of dark hair (though not quite as much as big sister Hannah) and gigantic feet!
I went into labor at about midnight on May 29/30 and after just under 6 hours of drug-free labor, Noah was born healthy and beautiful. He's currently about a day and a half old and sleeping peacefully in the bassinet next to my hospital bed. Our only glitch so far is that he appears to have somehow swallowed some meconium in the womb. We are just so thankful that he didn't inhale any into his lungs. The nursery was able to suck about 3 cc's of greenish yellow fluid from his stomach after he spit up that yucky stuff twice. Since then he's been nursing a little better and will probably continue to be fine from here on out.
Hannah and Elizabeth are just ecstatic about their new brother and are excited to have everyone come home tomorrow. Most people know that we were looking for a Biblical name for our son. We liked the name Noah both for how it sounds and for who it represents. In Genesis, Noah listened to God and, contrary to everyone and everything around him, built a ridiculous, gigantic boat and saved his family. And for those of you who don't know my family, Noah's middle name is after my grandfather, Cornelius VanLeeuwen (who usually goes by "Van"). My Papa is the family patriarch, really for both my side and for Don. He is a wonderful Christian man whose actions show his love for God and his family every day. Cornelius is also a Biblical name and his account is found in Acts Chapter 10. We pray that Noah will grow up to be a great man of faith, like each of the men he is named after.
These pictures are all from Noah's first day, in most cases taken the first time he was held by one of us. You can see how excited the girls are to hold and kiss their baby brother. They've been so cute with him!
We thank you for all your prayers over these last months. Our dear friends are such a blessing to us and we are grateful for your love and care. Please continue to pray for healthy mom and baby and let us know how we can pray for you. God's blessings to our blog readers - we love you!
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Fisherman and the American
DR: I was reminded of a little parable (included below), after coming across this article on "economic survivalists."
Blessings on your day!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish. "How long did it take you to catch them?" the American asked. "Only a little while," the Mexican said.
"Well, then, why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the businessman inquired.
"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs," the content fisherman replied.
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat...with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution."
He continued with his grand business plan, "You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "20, maybe 25 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Blessings on your day!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish. "How long did it take you to catch them?" the American asked. "Only a little while," the Mexican said.
"Well, then, why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the businessman inquired.
"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs," the content fisherman replied.
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat...with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution."
He continued with his grand business plan, "You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "20, maybe 25 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Life at Home
Our trip to California has come and gone. We had a great time and it went by way too fast. We were pretty busy and are so glad we were able to fit in a day trip to Pismo (including lunch at Splash Cafe - yay! The girls loved the clam chowder and building sand castles on the beach); a day trip to Pasadena to see Don's brother Dave, which included a trip to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens and dinner at Buca di Beppo; seeing a show at the Gaslight Melodrama where my brother Christopher works (he's directing their next show! If you're in Bakersfield, go see a show there!); we went to church both Sundays and Ash Wednesday; had dinner with a big group of church friends (thanks Bob and Charlotte!); ate at Moo Creamery to celebrate Christopher's birthday; lunch with one of Don's good friends, her husband, and their new baby girl; and lots of play time with Noni and the toys and dolls she bought for the girls.
Now we're back in StL, back to real life, back to school (for Don and Hannah). Don thinks this will be a really great quarter for him. He's liking his classes so far and it seems like there might not be quite as much work as the previous two quarters. He's also doing an institutional module (hospital visits) at a hospital in Bellville, IL (about 45 minutes away). It looks like that will take a total of 3.5-4 hours a week, so it's a good thing his schedule is a little lighter otherwise.
The rest of us are doing well too. I'm now 28 weeks along in my pregnancy - officially into the third trimester. Other than some back pain and a little swelling in my hands and feet, I feel pretty good. The baby is growing as he should and kicks me all the time.
Hannah is still our bubbly, strong-willed, people- and activity-loving almost-5-year-old (how time flies!). She told us the other day about a dream she had (now, I'm not sure if these are actual dreams, or just stories she makes up, not knowing the difference between a dream and a fantasy): she rode a pony, a unicorn and a pegasaurus (her word) into outer space. We assumed that she had ridden them all separately, until she clarified that all three were stacked on top of each other and she rode them all at the same time. We were cracking up. She's becoming ever more creative in her artwork. In fact, her preschool was doing a unit on the ocean. The kids were brainstorming about various art projects and murals they could do and Hannah (according to her) was the only one with an idea. She wanted to paint sticks bright colors to look like coral. The teacher used her idea and it looked great. How fun!
Bethie will be two in a few short weeks (there goes that time, flying again). She knows almost all her colors now and sings ABCs and "Jesus Loves Me" regularly. She hates sharing her toys and wants to do everything herself. She totally doesn't get why she isn't capable of doing all the same things her big sister does and can't play with every single toy, all the time, at the exact same time. We have regular shrieking melt-downs as her frustration levels rise. She loves playing with and feeding her baby dolls. Last night I picked her up out of her high chair and she began giving me tons of kisses, grabbing my face and pulling it closer. She's so affectionate and funny.
Click here to see our most recent photos on Picasa, including Valentine's Day and our trip to California. God's blessings to you from us!
Now we're back in StL, back to real life, back to school (for Don and Hannah). Don thinks this will be a really great quarter for him. He's liking his classes so far and it seems like there might not be quite as much work as the previous two quarters. He's also doing an institutional module (hospital visits) at a hospital in Bellville, IL (about 45 minutes away). It looks like that will take a total of 3.5-4 hours a week, so it's a good thing his schedule is a little lighter otherwise.
The rest of us are doing well too. I'm now 28 weeks along in my pregnancy - officially into the third trimester. Other than some back pain and a little swelling in my hands and feet, I feel pretty good. The baby is growing as he should and kicks me all the time.
Hannah is still our bubbly, strong-willed, people- and activity-loving almost-5-year-old (how time flies!). She told us the other day about a dream she had (now, I'm not sure if these are actual dreams, or just stories she makes up, not knowing the difference between a dream and a fantasy): she rode a pony, a unicorn and a pegasaurus (her word) into outer space. We assumed that she had ridden them all separately, until she clarified that all three were stacked on top of each other and she rode them all at the same time. We were cracking up. She's becoming ever more creative in her artwork. In fact, her preschool was doing a unit on the ocean. The kids were brainstorming about various art projects and murals they could do and Hannah (according to her) was the only one with an idea. She wanted to paint sticks bright colors to look like coral. The teacher used her idea and it looked great. How fun!
Bethie will be two in a few short weeks (there goes that time, flying again). She knows almost all her colors now and sings ABCs and "Jesus Loves Me" regularly. She hates sharing her toys and wants to do everything herself. She totally doesn't get why she isn't capable of doing all the same things her big sister does and can't play with every single toy, all the time, at the exact same time. We have regular shrieking melt-downs as her frustration levels rise. She loves playing with and feeding her baby dolls. Last night I picked her up out of her high chair and she began giving me tons of kisses, grabbing my face and pulling it closer. She's so affectionate and funny.
Click here to see our most recent photos on Picasa, including Valentine's Day and our trip to California. God's blessings to you from us!
Friday, February 20, 2009
California Here We Come!
Today is (finally!) the last day of Don's quarter and we are headed to Bakersfield for the next 10 days! We are all super excited, especially the girls and their Noni. But when I told Bethie today where we were going tomorrow, she got a little peeved that Noni wasn't at her house right that second. I'm trying to explain that after she wakes up tomorrow we'll get on the big airplane and go to Noni's house, but she's still a little confused. We have a loooonnng non-stop flight from here to LAX tomorrow and return on March 3. Can't wait!
Don is currently at his last class for the quarter. He has to answer one question for one assignment and turn that in, and then he has to finish one take-home final. The final isn't due until next Friday, but he's going to try really hard to finish it tonight so he doesn't have to take anything to CA with him. I'm praying he finishes!
We're planning to visit Don's brother in Pasadena and maybe some of my family too. We want to spend a day at the coast (yay Splash Cafe!) and we also have several fun visits with high school friends and church friends planned, too. It's going to be a busy fast trip and we're really looking forward to it. Keep us in prayers for a safe trip. Blessings to you all!
Don is currently at his last class for the quarter. He has to answer one question for one assignment and turn that in, and then he has to finish one take-home final. The final isn't due until next Friday, but he's going to try really hard to finish it tonight so he doesn't have to take anything to CA with him. I'm praying he finishes!
We're planning to visit Don's brother in Pasadena and maybe some of my family too. We want to spend a day at the coast (yay Splash Cafe!) and we also have several fun visits with high school friends and church friends planned, too. It's going to be a busy fast trip and we're really looking forward to it. Keep us in prayers for a safe trip. Blessings to you all!
Friday, January 23, 2009
It's a...
Boy!We had our comprehensive ultrasound today, which measured the baby, determined (his!) gender, looked at the heart, stomach, placenta and umbilical cord, diaphragm, brain, and other things. We learned that we are expecting a healthy baby boy! We are very thankful that he looks healthy and rather stunned that he is a he! Don and I keep saying, "What do we do with a boy?"
Here's another picture of his face and hand. He's a thumb sucker! (Just like Bethie.) We'll see if that continues once he's born, but he was sure going to town during the ultrasound. We could see his mouth opening and closing as he tried to get his thumb in there. It was very cute. We learned that he weighs exactly one pound now and is measuring about a week larger than his gestational age (the girls both did also).If you're on Facebook, I've posted all the ultrasound pictures there, if you want to see more. (Just go to the Photos tab on my profile page - they should be easy to find.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Great Tragedy (subtitle: Kiss my wrist, please)
Miss Elizabeth has a had a tragedy:
I don't even know how she got this gaping wound, but for the past several days, at least ten times a day she says, "Kiss my wrist, please." She says it so sweetly and we just kiss her wrist and move on with life...at least until the next time. :-)
(By the way, when I was uploading this picture, she saw it on the computer and declared, "That's my tummy!)
Even though Elizabeth won't be 2 until April 4, we definitely have a two-year-old in the house! I like
to say that we have entered Do-it-myself-land. Our sweet-tempered girl now has a temper of her own. She throws tantrums when she's upset. Sometimes she simply collapses into a pile of mush and just sobs. It's funny to see how she's different from Hannah though. Hannah would (and still does) throw tantrums because she's mad and she's trying to get her own way. Often, Bethie's are because her feelings are hurt and she's so sad she just doesn't know how to deal with it. It's so sweet though because she'll ask for a hug through her snot and tears and as long as she has a hug, her teddy, and her thumb, she's happy. Here's a picture of her and teddy. Of the picture, we say, "It's just so Bethie."
In other news, we had our vicarage interview yesterday. We met with Dr. Nielsen, the vicarage supervisor here at the sem. We had about 5 pages of paperwork to fill out about our (mostly Don's) history and background, strengths, desires, preferences etc. in a vicarage congregation. The normal track is for Don to finish this school year and we would move somewhere in the country this August for a year-long internship. But it's looking more likely that Don will be asked to defer his vicarage and we would go in August 2010 instead. We'll keep praying about all the things involved with that and we'll know for sure if he's going to be asked somewhere around mid-March to mid-April. Keep us in prayer for wisdom and discernment to know God's plans for us.
We're trying (kind of) to get used to this cold weather. We haven't had any snow or ice really to speak of yet this winter, but it's dang cold! Tonight the low is supposed to be 3 (no, I didn't forget a digit), with windchills around -12. They're warning people not to go outside unless they have to. Unfortunately, tomorrow is my day to help take care of kids in my MOPS group, so the girls and I will be leaving the house at 8:00 or so tomorrow morning (when it's a balmy 4 degrees!). Argh.
Finally, we have our comprehensive ultrasound scheduled for Friday, January 23. We should be able to find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. (!)
That's it for now. More later!
I don't even know how she got this gaping wound, but for the past several days, at least ten times a day she says, "Kiss my wrist, please." She says it so sweetly and we just kiss her wrist and move on with life...at least until the next time. :-)
(By the way, when I was uploading this picture, she saw it on the computer and declared, "That's my tummy!)
Even though Elizabeth won't be 2 until April 4, we definitely have a two-year-old in the house! I like
to say that we have entered Do-it-myself-land. Our sweet-tempered girl now has a temper of her own. She throws tantrums when she's upset. Sometimes she simply collapses into a pile of mush and just sobs. It's funny to see how she's different from Hannah though. Hannah would (and still does) throw tantrums because she's mad and she's trying to get her own way. Often, Bethie's are because her feelings are hurt and she's so sad she just doesn't know how to deal with it. It's so sweet though because she'll ask for a hug through her snot and tears and as long as she has a hug, her teddy, and her thumb, she's happy. Here's a picture of her and teddy. Of the picture, we say, "It's just so Bethie."In other news, we had our vicarage interview yesterday. We met with Dr. Nielsen, the vicarage supervisor here at the sem. We had about 5 pages of paperwork to fill out about our (mostly Don's) history and background, strengths, desires, preferences etc. in a vicarage congregation. The normal track is for Don to finish this school year and we would move somewhere in the country this August for a year-long internship. But it's looking more likely that Don will be asked to defer his vicarage and we would go in August 2010 instead. We'll keep praying about all the things involved with that and we'll know for sure if he's going to be asked somewhere around mid-March to mid-April. Keep us in prayer for wisdom and discernment to know God's plans for us.
We're trying (kind of) to get used to this cold weather. We haven't had any snow or ice really to speak of yet this winter, but it's dang cold! Tonight the low is supposed to be 3 (no, I didn't forget a digit), with windchills around -12. They're warning people not to go outside unless they have to. Unfortunately, tomorrow is my day to help take care of kids in my MOPS group, so the girls and I will be leaving the house at 8:00 or so tomorrow morning (when it's a balmy 4 degrees!). Argh.
Finally, we have our comprehensive ultrasound scheduled for Friday, January 23. We should be able to find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. (!)
That's it for now. More later!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Number of the Day is...
32! Today we celebrate the blessing of Don's 32nd birthday. (It's also Epiphany - the day we celebrate the Magi coming to worship Jesus.) Don's really busy this week - he has three papers still to turn in, so we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Hannah and I baked him a cake this afternoon and after we returned from the Seminary's family night dinner he opened his gifts and we did candles and cake. He's pretty tired after finishing one paper today and starting another.
Speaking of being busy, we have been. The last few months have been busy, and add to that me being pregnant and tired and I haven't kept up on the blog much. Just today I finally downloaded 122 photos from my camera that had been sitting there since early November. Then I uploaded them to Picasa.com so whoever wants to look through 100+ pictures may do so. To see our public gallery, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog.
My mom and grandparents came to visit in early October. My grandparents hadn't been to St. Louis before, so we had a great time visiting the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour, going up inside the Gateway Arch and visiting the Museum of Westward Expansion underneath, touring the Kemp Auto Museum, frozen custard at Ted Drewe's, root beer floats at Fitz's, attending our church here, and spending time together as a family. What a blessing and the girls loved having Noni, Nana, and Papa here. Here are some photos:
This one was taken at the top of the arch.
We've been busy with other trips and activities too, but I'm starting to get pretty tired myself. I'll just wrap up with a request to keep Elizabeth in your prayers. She's had a cough for a month and the doctor put her on antibiotics. Pertussis (whooping cough) is going around here in St. Louis and even though the pediatrician doesn't think Bethie has it, they tested her anyway. She coughs off and on throughout the night which affects pretty much everyone's sleep except Don's (and even his sometimes). We'll find out on Friday if she has pertussis, but please pray that her cough goes away and that we can all sleep through the night again. Thanks, and as always, please let us know what we can be praying for for you. God's blessings, Happy Epiphany, and Happy New Year!
Speaking of being busy, we have been. The last few months have been busy, and add to that me being pregnant and tired and I haven't kept up on the blog much. Just today I finally downloaded 122 photos from my camera that had been sitting there since early November. Then I uploaded them to Picasa.com so whoever wants to look through 100+ pictures may do so. To see our public gallery, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog.
My mom and grandparents came to visit in early October. My grandparents hadn't been to St. Louis before, so we had a great time visiting the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour, going up inside the Gateway Arch and visiting the Museum of Westward Expansion underneath, touring the Kemp Auto Museum, frozen custard at Ted Drewe's, root beer floats at Fitz's, attending our church here, and spending time together as a family. What a blessing and the girls loved having Noni, Nana, and Papa here. Here are some photos:
This one was taken at the top of the arch.
We've been busy with other trips and activities too, but I'm starting to get pretty tired myself. I'll just wrap up with a request to keep Elizabeth in your prayers. She's had a cough for a month and the doctor put her on antibiotics. Pertussis (whooping cough) is going around here in St. Louis and even though the pediatrician doesn't think Bethie has it, they tested her anyway. She coughs off and on throughout the night which affects pretty much everyone's sleep except Don's (and even his sometimes). We'll find out on Friday if she has pertussis, but please pray that her cough goes away and that we can all sleep through the night again. Thanks, and as always, please let us know what we can be praying for for you. God's blessings, Happy Epiphany, and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sesame Street is brought to you today by...
The number 5!
Yes, the Ray family will soon include 5 people. Our third child is due in early June. That means that I am 14 weeks along and feeling pretty good. The first trimester was hard, as it was with both the girls. But my appetite is returning to normal, nausea is abating, and I'm feeling (a little) less tired. Hannah is quite excited, kissing my tummy at random times during the day. Elizabeth of course doesn't get it, but occasionally she'll put a ball or something in her shirt and say, "Baby tummy."
In other news, we had a great Thanksgiving break and week. Don got a two-week break between Fall and Winter quarters. We spent a few days at home together and then traveled to Sedalia, MO to visit Sandy Ashlock again. We enjoyed our time with her and her dog Abby and were able to attend services at Our Savior Lutheran Church again. Their LWML group has been so generous to our family with gifts to the girls and assistance for tuition and books. Hannah and I attended Sedalia's annual Cup of Christmas Tea with Sandy. Hannah loved her first grown-up tea party!
We arrived home Monday of Thanksgiving week and on Tuesday morning Don's mom and his oldest brother arrived to spend the rest of the week with us. We toured the Anheuser-Bush factory, ate dinner at 11-Mile House, ate a delicious turkey dinner, and Don, Dan and Judy went up in the St. Louis arch. The girls loved spending time and reading with their Uncle Dan. We'll probably spend part of our Christmas break in Tennessee with Grammies and Uncle Dan is planning to come up from Texas, so we'll all be together again soon.
My mom arrives from California on Saturday, and we have some events planned then too. She and I will attend Advent by Candlelight at our church here. Don will preach his first sermon on December 13, so Mom will be here for that. We'll attend our church's Christmas production, "Stringing Lights," on December 14. The girls will have fun with their Noni at the Seminary's children's Christmas party too.
Here are some recent pictures:
(Halloween at the Magic House. Hannah was Fancy Nancy and Bethie was Baby Jaguar.)
Yes, the Ray family will soon include 5 people. Our third child is due in early June. That means that I am 14 weeks along and feeling pretty good. The first trimester was hard, as it was with both the girls. But my appetite is returning to normal, nausea is abating, and I'm feeling (a little) less tired. Hannah is quite excited, kissing my tummy at random times during the day. Elizabeth of course doesn't get it, but occasionally she'll put a ball or something in her shirt and say, "Baby tummy."
In other news, we had a great Thanksgiving break and week. Don got a two-week break between Fall and Winter quarters. We spent a few days at home together and then traveled to Sedalia, MO to visit Sandy Ashlock again. We enjoyed our time with her and her dog Abby and were able to attend services at Our Savior Lutheran Church again. Their LWML group has been so generous to our family with gifts to the girls and assistance for tuition and books. Hannah and I attended Sedalia's annual Cup of Christmas Tea with Sandy. Hannah loved her first grown-up tea party!
We arrived home Monday of Thanksgiving week and on Tuesday morning Don's mom and his oldest brother arrived to spend the rest of the week with us. We toured the Anheuser-Bush factory, ate dinner at 11-Mile House, ate a delicious turkey dinner, and Don, Dan and Judy went up in the St. Louis arch. The girls loved spending time and reading with their Uncle Dan. We'll probably spend part of our Christmas break in Tennessee with Grammies and Uncle Dan is planning to come up from Texas, so we'll all be together again soon.
My mom arrives from California on Saturday, and we have some events planned then too. She and I will attend Advent by Candlelight at our church here. Don will preach his first sermon on December 13, so Mom will be here for that. We'll attend our church's Christmas production, "Stringing Lights," on December 14. The girls will have fun with their Noni at the Seminary's children's Christmas party too.
Here are some recent pictures:
(Halloween at the Magic House. Hannah was Fancy Nancy and Bethie was Baby Jaguar.)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
What has happened to my Country?
And no, I don't mean the United States. I'm from Bakersfield, CA, the West Coast home of country music (the "Bakersfield Sound"). Here's a portion of an article from Wikipedia: In the early 1960s, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and the Buckaroos, among others, brought the Bakersfield sound to mainstream audiences, and it soon became one of the most popular kinds of country music, also influencing later country stars such as Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart, The Mavericks, and The Derailers. (Stacye's note: The Smokin' Armadillos are another country group from Bakersfield.)
So country music is in my blood and it's my favorite kind of music, aside from contemporary Christian. Imagine my surprise when I heard on a country station here, "Coming up next, it's Kid Rock followed by Jessica Simpson." Since when do these two sing country music? What's happening to the world?
Now in the interest of total honesty, I kind of like Kid Rock's current country song, "All Summer Long." If I've heard Jessica Simpson's song, I don't recall so I can't say whether I like it. But I just don't get it. Country music isn't perfect, but it's a lot more uplifting and joyful than most other secular music, in my opinion. I hope it doesn't start a downhill slide into music I wouldn't let my kids listen to. (Wow, do I sound like my mother or what?)
So country music is in my blood and it's my favorite kind of music, aside from contemporary Christian. Imagine my surprise when I heard on a country station here, "Coming up next, it's Kid Rock followed by Jessica Simpson." Since when do these two sing country music? What's happening to the world?
Now in the interest of total honesty, I kind of like Kid Rock's current country song, "All Summer Long." If I've heard Jessica Simpson's song, I don't recall so I can't say whether I like it. But I just don't get it. Country music isn't perfect, but it's a lot more uplifting and joyful than most other secular music, in my opinion. I hope it doesn't start a downhill slide into music I wouldn't let my kids listen to. (Wow, do I sound like my mother or what?)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Hannah Update and Prayer Request
Quick update to let everyone know that Hannah got her staples out last Thursday. Her head has healed really well and she's doing great. She continues to get lovely scrapes on other parts of her body though. I told her tonight that she's getting really good at getting scrapes and maybe she could stop practicing for a while? She asked, "Why?"
We are requesting prayers for friends of ours, the Hintz family, a seminary family who began vicarage/internship in Oklahoma this past summer. They have four beautiful children and were expecting number five this past Tuesday. The day after the baby's due date they learned that the baby had passed away in the womb. Nothing will ever fill the hole he leaves in their family and our hearts are heavy for them. We mourn with them for the loss of baby Samuel and take comfort in knowing that he is healthy and perfect with our Lord and Savior forever. So please keep their family in your prayers for strength and comfort during this sad time, especially as they hold a memorial service tomorrow evening to say goodbye.
We are requesting prayers for friends of ours, the Hintz family, a seminary family who began vicarage/internship in Oklahoma this past summer. They have four beautiful children and were expecting number five this past Tuesday. The day after the baby's due date they learned that the baby had passed away in the womb. Nothing will ever fill the hole he leaves in their family and our hearts are heavy for them. We mourn with them for the loss of baby Samuel and take comfort in knowing that he is healthy and perfect with our Lord and Savior forever. So please keep their family in your prayers for strength and comfort during this sad time, especially as they hold a memorial service tomorrow evening to say goodbye.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Parenting
We recently returned home from an all afternoon/all evening visit to the ER. Miss Hannah was playing on our of our office chairs when it tipped over backward, slamming her head into the edge of a door. The result? Four staples.
After a few touch-and-go moments at first, she was a champ. In the waiting room we had to keep reminding her to calm down and just sit. She couldn't understand why we didn't want her horsing around with a 1-inch gash in her noggin! She had no signs of a concussion and is doing fine now. We'll see how sleep goes tonight though...
In other family news, Bethie is a full-fledged walker now, loving her new-found freedom. Don is busy with classes as always and I'm doing the usual. This weekend is the Seminary's annual women's retreat and I'm really looking forward to that. I enjoyed last year's retreat, even though Elizabeth was with me since she was still nursing. This year I'll truly be on my own for 24 hours - wow! Corollary: Don will be alone with the girls for 24 hours - keep them in your prayers. I know they'll do great and enjoy the time with Daddy.
Real life (i.e. dishes) calls. Keep Hannah in your prayers for a full and speedy recovery - no infection or complications. God bless!
After a few touch-and-go moments at first, she was a champ. In the waiting room we had to keep reminding her to calm down and just sit. She couldn't understand why we didn't want her horsing around with a 1-inch gash in her noggin! She had no signs of a concussion and is doing fine now. We'll see how sleep goes tonight though...
In other family news, Bethie is a full-fledged walker now, loving her new-found freedom. Don is busy with classes as always and I'm doing the usual. This weekend is the Seminary's annual women's retreat and I'm really looking forward to that. I enjoyed last year's retreat, even though Elizabeth was with me since she was still nursing. This year I'll truly be on my own for 24 hours - wow! Corollary: Don will be alone with the girls for 24 hours - keep them in your prayers. I know they'll do great and enjoy the time with Daddy.
Real life (i.e. dishes) calls. Keep Hannah in your prayers for a full and speedy recovery - no infection or complications. God bless!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
What happens then?
Don's forward-looking question in response to the recent $700B economic bailout, and now the additional $250B unprecedented government investment in banks: "And what happens when the United States government fails?"
Haggai 2:7 says, "'And I will cause all the nations to shake and the wealth of all the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,' says Yahweh of Hosts." In other words, the collapse of the nations of this world will precipitate and usher in the second coming of Christ. And both will happen, though we know not when.
And while followers of Christ can be certain of their eternal security and salvation, it remains true that a collapse of the world's economic powers will be absolutely horrendous--especially for those who have placed their trust in the riches of this world and not in Christ.
Christ is our Rock, our Redeemer, our inheritance--our eternal security is found only in Him. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Let us store up our hearts in Christ, who will never drop in value, never fail, and never need a bailout. His love endures forever.
Haggai 2:7 says, "'And I will cause all the nations to shake and the wealth of all the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,' says Yahweh of Hosts." In other words, the collapse of the nations of this world will precipitate and usher in the second coming of Christ. And both will happen, though we know not when.
And while followers of Christ can be certain of their eternal security and salvation, it remains true that a collapse of the world's economic powers will be absolutely horrendous--especially for those who have placed their trust in the riches of this world and not in Christ.
Christ is our Rock, our Redeemer, our inheritance--our eternal security is found only in Him. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Let us store up our hearts in Christ, who will never drop in value, never fail, and never need a bailout. His love endures forever.
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