tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25624163291542540942024-03-05T20:32:02.985-08:00The Ray CaféThe Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-82101488550511946112012-01-31T16:08:00.000-08:002012-01-31T16:08:00.743-08:00Spam (otherwise known as "Jerks out there on the Internet")I got this email today: (Think I should reply?)<br />
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<h3 class="details" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875550">
<a class="" data-action="search" href="http://36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.c.yom.mail.yahoo.net/om/api/1.0/openmail.app.invoke/36ohk6dgmcd1n/9/1.0.35/us/en-US/view.html#bn=1.0.35&.lang=en-US&.intl=us&rtl=0&proxyhost=us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com&sig=168fbf16eac2ab77fffba17ee160bbae&vid=om_default_view_id_36ohk6dgmcd1n-message_render_1327955940241&app=36ohk6dgmcd1n&mailver=neo&crumb=8JD3KVbnVxZ&cb=1327955940249" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875549" title="Click to search for messages with same subject">Information....</a> </h3>
<div class="header-expand" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875557">
<span class="btn small left right" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875556"></span> </div>
<div class="info expanded " id="msg_details">
<dl class="details" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875519">
<dt class="hdr-info" id="hdr-from">FROM:</dt>
<dd class="hdr-info" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875542"> <ul class="inline-items" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875541">
<li class="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875547"> <span class="lozengeContainer" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875546"> <span class="btn lozenge small left " data-action="contact-card-menu" data-address="customerdatainformation@gmail.com" data-name="Gmail Team" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875581"> <a dir="" href="http://36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.c.yom.mail.yahoo.net/om/api/1.0/openmail.app.invoke/36ohk6dgmcd1n/9/1.0.35/us/en-US/view.html#" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875583" role="button" tabindex="0" title="customerdatainformation@gmail.com">Gmail Team</a> </span><span class="btn lozenge lozengeadd right small btn-kiosk-addcontact" data-action="modal" data-address="customerdatainformation@gmail.com" data-name="Gmail Team" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875545"> <a href="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875544" role="button" tabindex="0" title="Add customerdatainformation@gmail.com to your Contacts [Shift+A]"> </a> </span> </span> </li>
</ul>
</dd>
<dt class="hdr-info" id="hdr-to">TO:</dt>
<dd class="hdr-info" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875528"> <ul class="inline-items" id="msg-header-to">
<li class="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875533"> <span class="lozengeContainer" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875532"> <span class="btn lozenge small left " data-action="contact-card-menu" data-address="Account@google.com" data-name="Account@google.com" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875531"> <a dir="" href="http://36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.c.yom.mail.yahoo.net/om/api/1.0/openmail.app.invoke/36ohk6dgmcd1n/9/1.0.35/us/en-US/view.html#" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875535" role="button" tabindex="0" title="Account@google.com">Account@google.com</a> </span><span class="btn lozenge lozengeadd right small btn-kiosk-addcontact" data-action="modal" data-address="Account@google.com" data-name="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875538"> <a href="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875537" role="button" tabindex="0" title="Add Account@google.com to your Contacts"> </a> </span> </span> </li>
</ul>
</dd>
<dt class="hdr-info" id="hdr-bcc">BCC:</dt>
<dd class="hdr-info" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875518"> <ul class="inline-items" id="msg-header-bcc">
<li class="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875524"> <span class="lozengeContainer" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875523"> <span class="btn lozenge small left " data-action="contact-card-menu" data-address="rayfamilyblog@gmail.com" data-name="rayfamilyblog@gmail.com" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875522"> <a dir="" href="http://36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.c.yom.mail.yahoo.net/om/api/1.0/openmail.app.invoke/36ohk6dgmcd1n/9/1.0.35/us/en-US/view.html#" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875526" role="button" tabindex="0" title="rayfamilyblog@gmail.com">rayfamilyblog@gmail.com</a> </span><span class="btn lozenge lozengeadd right small btn-kiosk-addcontact" data-action="modal" data-address="rayfamilyblog@gmail.com" data-name="rayfamilyblog@gmail.com"> <a href="" role="button" tabindex="0" title="Add to your Contacts"> </a> </span> </span> </li>
</ul>
</dd></dl>
<div class="flag " data-action="msg-flag" title="Click to flag email for follow up">
</div>
<div class="date" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875567">
<span class="" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875566">Tuesday, January 31, 2012 3:36 AM</span></div>
</div>
<div class="msg-body inner undoreset" id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875408" role="main">
<div id="yiv998941309">
<div id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875513">
<b id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875512"><br class="yiv998941309Apple-interchange-newline" /> <span id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875511" style="color: blue;">Kindly complete the fields below to avoid Denial of service.</span></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875407">
<b id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875406"><br /> <span style="color: red;"> </span><span id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875572" style="color: #888888;"><span id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875571" style="color: red;"> Full Name* :<br />
Date of Birth* :<br /> e-mail account*:<br /> Current Password*:</span></span><br /> <span id="yui_3_2_0_88_1327955364875405" style="color: blue;"> Thanks for your cooperation,<br /><br /> ©2012 <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1328054594_0">Google Mail</span> ®.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
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So sad. So blatant. And I know people are falling for this garbage, especially in light of all Google's privacy changes. I hate that people do this.The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-43148929183605085312011-12-21T14:15:00.001-08:002011-12-21T15:51:59.267-08:00Merry Christmas!Finally a new post! We have been super busy since Don became the pastor at Faith Lutheran. It seems like life has just been go, go, go for several months now. But we know that this is to be expected for a new pastor in a new position and we know things will slow down a little after Christmas and Advent are over. The people at Faith have been wonderful to him and our family. We've had several babysitters so we can go out for the evening, people sometimes sit with the kids and me during worship, we've been blessed to be invited to share meals and/or dessert and playdates with various members at their homes as well. We are so very blessed!<br />
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I've been attending MOPS at a nearby church and serving as a volunteer Field Leader/Community Coach for MOPS International. I have attended a few <a href="http://www.lwml.org/" target="_blank">LWML</a> meetings, spend lots of time driving kiddos to school and try to make it to the gym a couple times a week. I've been trying to cook healthier for our family...meaning I've cut out a lot of processed foods and am trying to cook more from scratch, using more whole grains, etc. To that end, I've been doing most of my grocery shopping from WinCo. Most of their prices are lower than other grocery stores (especially the produce) and I'm able to buy so many items in bulk for waaaayyy cheaper than any other way. I can get organic oatmeal for $0.97/pound (no more flavored packets), popcorn (no more microwave), nuts (yay! Healthy, but usually so expensive), cereal, rice, other whole grains, herbs & spices, and sooo many more. I love that I can start my shopping trip with a long list, hit the produce section, the bulk foods section, then get eggs, dairy and meat (all of which is called "shopping the perimeter") and by then, all that's usually left on my list is pasta, canned beans, and bread. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpnNmeyn1JK_kXG_DhC_hkXJVJsBanWaeelsz0WSR4TaCAzjJiGufqqgX19tlVdCtue16G0r8WkYNI3crwXHOECP4vKI1_7ZQghJNyHxR7mP5VP_Z-YIsdIKQ7TCwjrY78dJvly4WDJg/s1600/100_4404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpnNmeyn1JK_kXG_DhC_hkXJVJsBanWaeelsz0WSR4TaCAzjJiGufqqgX19tlVdCtue16G0r8WkYNI3crwXHOECP4vKI1_7ZQghJNyHxR7mP5VP_Z-YIsdIKQ7TCwjrY78dJvly4WDJg/s320/100_4404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Total: less than $8</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So far, this has helped keep our grocery budget to a manageable level, but I'd like to bring it down even more. I just learned about an e-book called<b>
</b><br />
<b>"2012 Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a Month" </b>and I can't wait to see what ideas it will have. I'll be sure to check back in and let you know how it goes!<br />
<a href="http://www.budget101.com/freebies/142791-2012-guide-groceries-under-250-month.html"><img alt="Visit Budget101.com" border="0" height="242" src="http://www.budget101.com/hotlink/cover.jpg" width="175" /></a><br />
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Hannah is 7 1/2 and still loves arts and crafts. She started Girl Scouts this year and has been enjoying her meetings and activities so far - their first badge will be a painting badge! Her leader is a member of our church and it's been a great way to meet more friends. Hannah is in 2nd grade and loving it. She is starting to multiply and is reading lots of chapter books - she has over 1,000 recorded minutes of reading time so far this school year. For those of you who are familiar with <a href="http://www.readingonline.org/critical/topping/rolarD.html" target="_blank">Accelerated Reader </a>(AR), her initial goal for the first trimester was 3 points. She earned 15. And that's probably all we need to say about her. :-)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6v7h-5EcZai84g1_hJlf6H331Vt7g_aqtsWNL38lFB0FYm-2UBh-E6BrBa89B59nUfEEtnx1hd0kbGMJHKcbyt__pBPZ9FunYtjmI05ZVbT9OGY87IXmKHy-nXPdyNfrwR88J0lpnBQ/s1600/10+13+11+151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6v7h-5EcZai84g1_hJlf6H331Vt7g_aqtsWNL38lFB0FYm-2UBh-E6BrBa89B59nUfEEtnx1hd0kbGMJHKcbyt__pBPZ9FunYtjmI05ZVbT9OGY87IXmKHy-nXPdyNfrwR88J0lpnBQ/s200/10+13+11+151.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah with an art project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPMhqztOZD5bTke25gvsGL_1PISVE_agT1h4czmuImis0f0JpKzAubQDyaZPev38RMJy7WygMPbRwBViuI1ILuUYrgdZ34cC93DDLmzVUIz6-gB6OxAsqrRRYTFXBoJyTczk8pRQbBVM/s1600/Bethie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPMhqztOZD5bTke25gvsGL_1PISVE_agT1h4czmuImis0f0JpKzAubQDyaZPev38RMJy7WygMPbRwBViuI1ILuUYrgdZ34cC93DDLmzVUIz6-gB6OxAsqrRRYTFXBoJyTczk8pRQbBVM/s320/Bethie.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preschool field trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bethie is in a Pre-K class at Faith. She has already lost 5 teeth and began reading a few months ago. Preschool is helping her be a little more outgoing, be more comfortable speaking in front of other people, and all that playing on the playground is helping her develop her gross motor skills. It's been a fun transformation to watch.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97I-w3bB19n64td8AjwleOplAObIuLpq5u6vuCWEDNOrc12hsgpDacXnJCg-YWZWUN0bl2v3eu16WhkhVFamSJooD3ibSi8ALPc3PTlsUEYlsNrxdKEVi2iVCQH3ImO2fMzquWEeYivg/s1600/05+30+11+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97I-w3bB19n64td8AjwleOplAObIuLpq5u6vuCWEDNOrc12hsgpDacXnJCg-YWZWUN0bl2v3eu16WhkhVFamSJooD3ibSi8ALPc3PTlsUEYlsNrxdKEVi2iVCQH3ImO2fMzquWEeYivg/s320/05+30+11+021.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah's 2nd birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Noah is 2 1/2 and grows more physical each day. He loves going to Kids Club at the gym where he can run, climb, and play. He loves cars, trucks, and diggers, but it seems like his true, deep passion is for the drums. Literally everything in our house is/will be/has been a drum. He drums with wooden chopsticks mostly, but anything stick-like will become a drum stick sooner or later. He has discovered the drum set at church and as soon as church is over he makes a beeline for them and begins pounding if I'm not fast enough to catch him. Many people at church have said that he really has some rhythm, so we're guessing that drum lessons (and a soundproof room?) are in our future. <br />
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Merry Christmas to each of our friends and family. I pray that the season finds you celebrating the birth of Christ and joyfully anticipating His second coming. God's blessings,<br />
--The Rays<br />
<><The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-27755440998526545732011-06-30T15:47:00.000-07:002011-06-30T15:47:25.574-07:00You're Invited - Save the Dates!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div style="tab-stops: 4.0in;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Two very important dates are coming up and we’re offering an open invitation to anyone who wants to attend one or both. It would mean a lot to our family, and Don especially, to have you attend. So many of you have supported us these last four years – financially, prayerfully, and in countless other ways. God has used your encouragement and love to get us through this adventure. Now that we are ending one journey and beginning another, we hope to share the celebration with you. </span></div><br />
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</style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif"; line-height: 115%;">Don</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif"; line-height: 115%;">s</span></span><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"> Ordination</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>Sunday, July 31, 2011</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>5:00 p.m.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>St. John’s Lutheran Church </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">4500 Buena Vista Road</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>Bakersfield, CA <span> </span>93311</span> </span></div><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">This is the ceremony when Don will officially become a pastor. It will take place at our <a href="http://www.sjlchurch.org/ez.php?Page=3595">home church</a> in Bakersfield. <a href="http://www.sjlchurch.org/ez.php?Page=3681">Pastor Dennis Hilken</a> (who married us) will officiate and </span><a href="http://www.cnh-lcms.org/cnh/mission_counselors">Pastor Ted Hartman</a><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> (who confirmed me back in 8th grade) will preach. There will be a dinner reception following (I think we’re having tri-tip!). The church would appreciate having an RSVP if possible, so they can start planning. You can call them at 661-665-7815. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Don’s Installation<br />
Sunday, August 14, 2011<br />
4:00 p.m.? <br />
Faith Lutheran Church</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">4000 San Juan Avenue<br />
Fair Oaks, CA 95628</span></span></div><div style="tab-stops: 4.0in;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">This ceremony officially installs (Pastor!) Don as the pastor at <a href="http://faithlutheranfairoaks.com/">Faith Lutheran</a> in Fair Oaks. Our California-Nevada-Hawaii District President, <a href="http://www.cnh-lcms.org/cnh/the_president_s_office">Rev. Dr. Robert Newton</a>, will preside. We don’t know as many details about this one yet...we’ll share as soon as we know!</span></div><br />
<div style="tab-stops: 4.0in;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Please let us know if you have any questions. We are so excited about these wonderful events and hope to see you at one or both!</span></div>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-46352460386911079162011-06-29T11:59:00.000-07:002011-06-29T11:59:20.173-07:00Faith Lutheran Church, Fair Oaks, CA<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know pretty much everyone has heard about Don's call by now, but here's the official blog post - almost 3 months later! He'll be the sole pastor at <a href="http://www.faithlutheranfairoaks.com/">Faith Lutheran</a>, in Fair Oaks. Faith was founded in 1940. They have two services on Sunday (though this summer they're experimenting with only one service) with a Sunday School/Bible study hour in between. About 225 people attend one of those two services. They have a <a href="http://www.faithlutheran.net/">school</a>, consisting of a preschool (where Bethie will attend Pre-K), kindergarten, and first grade. We spent a weekend in Fair Oaks last February when Don interviewed. The people were all really nice - we felt so comfortable and welcomed. We're really looking forward to getting to know them all and seeing what God has in store for Don's ministry and our family. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd1Vk0j1x43FRxczg6A81goeg54BGf_3qFuvnzYyrSWJw6fiY2rIEBF3bWth1EibkEeVNzJw3Es1ykwmfJ5qwt1c9yTqhQNrz_Z-n4cLzT-bXLy8N103K8XsyBgFWDKmLhlVtroHE254/s1600/05+04+11+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd1Vk0j1x43FRxczg6A81goeg54BGf_3qFuvnzYyrSWJw6fiY2rIEBF3bWth1EibkEeVNzJw3Es1ykwmfJ5qwt1c9yTqhQNrz_Z-n4cLzT-bXLy8N103K8XsyBgFWDKmLhlVtroHE254/s320/05+04+11+105.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Call Day, Concordia Seminary, May 4, 2011</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Oaks,_California">Fair Oaks</a> is a really neat community. It's about 15 miles northeast of downtown Sacramento. There are tons of huge, mature trees, rolling hills, and very diverse architecture. It's definitely not the cookie-cutter stucco homes we're used to seeing in the newer developments! Much of the growth took place in the mid-1900s. The downtown area is overrun with wild chickens! We can't wait to show the kids - it's the funniest thing. It's such a popular area that it's hard to find available housing in Fair Oaks proper, so we've been looking at rental houses in nearby Carmichael, Orangevale, and (the winner) Citrus Heights.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The church is in the <a href="http://www.sanjuan.edu/">San Juan Unified</a> school district. It is HUGE. There are at least 42 different schools Hannah could conceivable go to. Don and I started out looking at the 9-10 neighborhood schools that are geographically closest to the church, preferring to live/work/go to school in a fairly small radius. We also got some great advice from people familiar with the district (thanks Sandy and Melissa!) to look at the <a href="http://www.sanjuan.edu/schools.cfm?subpage=50299">fundamental and open schools</a>. These are public schools that do not have neighborhood attendance boundaries; admission is through open enrollment, which means that families have to apply to attend. This typically leads to a "better" school, meaning more family involvement, higher test scores, more field trips and enrichment activities, etc. This sounded perfect to us, but we assumed that since open enrollment began in January, we would be out of luck - that Hannah would be at the bottom of a huge waiting list. But because of all the budgetary issues and class size changes, we had reason to believe that there might be spots after all. So one week when my mom was here visiting, Don and I took a day and drove up to Sacramento and visited all 9 (!) of the schools that we thought might be a good fit for Hannah. (We also drove by quite a handful of possible rentals, visited with an admissions clerk at the school district, and had a <a href="http://www.mikunisushi.com/en/locations/fair-oaks.php">delicious sushi dinner</a> before returning home.) Besides being flat-out exhausted, we came away with our first choice school - our last visit of the day was at <a href="http://www.sanjuan.edu/CambridgeHeights.cfm?subpage=381">Cambridge Heights Open Elementary</a>. We really liked the principal and everything about the school just seemed to fit. Soon after that visit, we applied for an inter-district transfer to at least get her on the waiting list. To make a long story short, she got in! We are so excited for Hannah to attend Cambridge Heights - and Bethie and Noah probably will too. Some of you know that Hannah has attended a different school every single year since she was two years old, so I am just ecstatic to be able to build a relationship with a school and the families there for many years into the future. God is good!</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A short while later, we hauled all three kids back up to Sacramento with us to look at rentals. We got to see the inside of 5 that day and I definitely fell in love with one of them. It was a little more than what we wanted to pay, but it was definitely our favorite. We went back and forth, we prayed, I wrestled with God quite a bit, and Don offered them $100 less on the rent than what they were asking. We didn't think the owners would take it and I had resigned myself to a house that, while less expensive, was definitely not a house I really wanted to live in. But, just as Don was about to send off the application for that house, he got a phone call that the owners accepted the offer! I really am excited - I just love this house. It's a 3/2, almost 1600 square feet and recently renovated. See the next post below for some pictures. And as always, thank you for reading and thank you for your prayers. We love you all!</span></div>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-7765220791859223032011-06-29T11:53:00.000-07:002011-06-29T11:53:50.136-07:00Pictures of the house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5YtNyLm-xnNWIQIOfscH5knCSEGbEQFK6a87Po0jjnE_BhovQqOHrdyfTD_RKXyWs8IKerj_PMVIfHoYCIhSurVZoHjVgTLoOcjuW90y4gi4sqATWeOXlHMPTvytdp5xgB5IXn3FS5w/s1600/Front+yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5YtNyLm-xnNWIQIOfscH5knCSEGbEQFK6a87Po0jjnE_BhovQqOHrdyfTD_RKXyWs8IKerj_PMVIfHoYCIhSurVZoHjVgTLoOcjuW90y4gi4sqATWeOXlHMPTvytdp5xgB5IXn3FS5w/s320/Front+yard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDHsNGuoDkGST3hGzP1V1bSqfgt_uOAIJPI8LKpX5Kh4Mb-vxSGzY-dUGWlQ7RC-oMr4c548g3aa7UJG-iD742g173mtnQHpfRHWdWl_hO2nUwWwQDkByegEQlfz-mMfXxgKs77vzp80/s1600/Back+yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDHsNGuoDkGST3hGzP1V1bSqfgt_uOAIJPI8LKpX5Kh4Mb-vxSGzY-dUGWlQ7RC-oMr4c548g3aa7UJG-iD742g173mtnQHpfRHWdWl_hO2nUwWwQDkByegEQlfz-mMfXxgKs77vzp80/s320/Back+yard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backyard with new landscaping</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTkvWNU3Mh2TKpu2SvalEe_brM7Lrx7S-cCTtM1ueCIyVs2mYznDId1SJUX5tUHnJayAN2qIyeYfveS6MDpQKGhvWclR_P3mEGsf8JnDV7t2r3UX8ThjQ_WnIiEiIqDG9rqcxFBEZxM0/s1600/Living+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTkvWNU3Mh2TKpu2SvalEe_brM7Lrx7S-cCTtM1ueCIyVs2mYznDId1SJUX5tUHnJayAN2qIyeYfveS6MDpQKGhvWclR_P3mEGsf8JnDV7t2r3UX8ThjQ_WnIiEiIqDG9rqcxFBEZxM0/s320/Living+room.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room. Here, you're standing in the dining room with the kitchen at your back. To the right, there's some built-in storage and a wet bar along the wall along with the hallway to the bedrooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NIjMOp13zUJeqjEq4WRaQ0XF130g55h5EaCBpm-aiY_40YGyqjsnGI0yzSmYD_7QY1LMxMONUz2FZRC7LRcyZA2jJAEiiNMHZ5kzvtmTvDWgjSy_5Ir954DsgI45Zd3v46vfKnD8HAU/s1600/Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NIjMOp13zUJeqjEq4WRaQ0XF130g55h5EaCBpm-aiY_40YGyqjsnGI0yzSmYD_7QY1LMxMONUz2FZRC7LRcyZA2jJAEiiNMHZ5kzvtmTvDWgjSy_5Ir954DsgI45Zd3v46vfKnD8HAU/s320/Kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen, looking out to the backyard so I can keep an eye on the kids - score! Notice also the new stainless appliances. Two more reasons to love this kitchen: the garage opens directly into it for easy grocery unloading and there's an indoor laundry room with more built-in storage.</td></tr>
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In other news, we would appreciate your prayers for Noah. He had a 103.5 fever last night and today, though his fever is down, if I ask him if he has "ouchies," he points to his forehead. He had an awful night of sleep last night - waking up every couple hours screaming or crying. It's frustrating not being able to help him and not even knowing what the problem is. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_1BsPzb5lXCp0yXR1qgF44OzSGZhDNWhDy7J4AchvIikDp-qsauGzVss5hyxcJYT6E_8a2xCgGiN_j9c0eJARTB1sOg2DMGKl6LYrkewvVMN0sEoIVN_IsjeCXE6ZzAcADt6IF-bHLk/s1600/amador+wine+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_1BsPzb5lXCp0yXR1qgF44OzSGZhDNWhDy7J4AchvIikDp-qsauGzVss5hyxcJYT6E_8a2xCgGiN_j9c0eJARTB1sOg2DMGKl6LYrkewvVMN0sEoIVN_IsjeCXE6ZzAcADt6IF-bHLk/s320/amador+wine+tour.jpg" width="320" /></a>We can't believe our time in Turlock is ticking away so quickly. We've had a great year and Don has learned a lot. The people couldn't be nicer and it'll be hard to say goodbye. We love being back in California, near friends and family. Recently, my mom was here visiting for Bethie's 4th (!) birthday, and she spent an entire (loonng) day with the kids so Don and I could meet my college alumni group's Sacramento chapter for wine tasting in <a href="http://www.amadorwine.com/new/pages/home.cgi" target="_blank">Amador County</a>. Here we are with our friends Chris and Kerri (Kerri was a bridesmaid in our wedding).<br />
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May will be a busy month for us, as we spend some time in St. Louis for Call Day, wrapping up our seminary experience and truly saying goodbye to that wonderful chapter in our lives. Hannah, Noah, and I will all have birthdays. Hannah and Bethie will have their last days of school. I'll try to take some time to update on all our fun activities. In the meantime, God's blessings to each of you. We love you!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-22245078037826636862011-01-28T16:57:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:57:01.802-08:00It's OfficialWe have just passed the halfway point in Don's vicarage. Because it's been so long since I've blogged, here's the update: Last summer we moved to Turlock, CA for Don to begin his one-year internship at <a href="http://www.goodshepherdturlock.org/gslc/welcome"target=_blank>Good Shepherd Lutheran Church</a>. This internship (vicarage) is the last hurdle in the four-year seminary process. When he was assigned here we knew that Good Shepherd was considering calling him as the full-time associate pastor once his vicarage ended. Over the last couple months, the church's board of directors has been meeting privately and with the congregation to asses the viability of adding a full-time staff member. The final conclusion: they will not be calling Don to stay. <br />
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There are two main reasons for this. One is financial. The church has determined that at this time they do not have the financial resources to add an associate pastor. Second, it seems that Don would be best suited to being a sole pastor and at Good Shepherd, the position of associate pastor that would focus on outreach just doesn't seem to mesh well with his gifts. <br />
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So what does this mean for us? We'll find out for sure on Call Day, on May 4, 2011. Our Lutheran church body is divided up into 35 geographical districts. <a href="http://www.sjlchurch.org/ez.php?Page=3595"target=_blank>St. John's Bakersfield</a> is part of the <a href="http://www.cnh-lcms.org/cnh/home"target=_blank>California-Nevada-Hawaii district</a>, which we consider to be our "home district." CNH covers all of those three states except southern California and Las Vegas (those are part of the Pacific-Southwest district). We have a relationship with the CNH district president and the executive director. They are actively working to assign Don to another church in our district, so we feel quite blessed by the strong possibility of being placed nearby. And for now, that's all we know.<br />
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In family news, all is well. Hannah is loving first grade and her mornings spent on reading and language in a second grade class. A spot finally opened up for Bethie to attend preschool, which she is ecstatic about starting on February 2. Noah literally runs everywhere he goes and is, as we like to say, "ALL boy." I have been asked to become a table leader for my <a href="http://www.mops.org/"target+-blank>MOPS</a> group and I recently finished reading the entire Bible - a 2-year project that stretched into 3 1/2. Don, of course, is spending his days writing sermons, visiting shut-ins and hospitalized folks, teaching junior high confirmation, and other pastoral duties. Our small-group Bible study will be serving dinner at church on Saturday night for 60+ homeless people through the <a href="http://turlockgospelmission.org/"target=_blank>Turlock Gospel Mission</a>. <br />
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Remember to check out our pictures in the post below to see more of what we've been up to. Blessings and love, from our family to yours.The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-15434619158451869122011-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:002011-01-05T17:54:46.083-08:00Closing out 2010I've posted some new pictures that span September through the end of the year. Here they are - enjoy!<br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/September2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TSUV71fT3YE/AAAAAAAADXw/4VPZaD8lQbg/s160-c/September2010.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/September2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">September 2010</a></td></tr></table>(There are a few new ones at the end of this album.)<br />
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<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/October2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TSUXKXQKK7E/AAAAAAAADY4/_zBfNhYVmv8/s160-c/October2010.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/October2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">October 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/November2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TSUYMMIgJJE/AAAAAAAADaY/CuxoVXVT0Cw/s160-c/November2010.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/November2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">November 2010</a></td></tr></table><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/December2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TSUN9mFQEbE/AAAAAAAADbk/4Pd_aJttTOE/s160-c/December2010.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/December2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">December 2010</a></td></tr></table>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-68255751027129030832010-11-05T14:06:00.000-07:002010-11-05T14:06:50.447-07:00My Vocation as a MomDon has written a new blog post at <a href="http://lovegodnotstuff.com/"target=_blank>Love God Not Stuff</a>. His topic is "Vocation," meaning the work that God gives us to do in our everyday lives. I love how Don reminds us in his post (and reminds me here at home) that to faithfully serve in whatever role God has put us is actually God working through us. God uses us in our roles (moms, dads, teachers, doctors, siblings, etc.) to serve others and show His love to them. When I make dinner for my family, I am faithfully serving God. When I do laundry, grocery shop, clean up, read to the kids, wrestle with and tickle them on the floor, listen to Hannah talk about her day while I help her with her homework, give baths, teach the kiddos about God and His infinite love for them, I am serving God in the role He has defined for my life right now. These things take a LOT of time and energy. Sometimes I feel guilty that I am not doing more outside the home - like volunteering at church or with the PTA. But the concept of vocation reminds me that God does not expect me to neglect my family so that I can serve elsewhere. My primary earthly responsibility is to them. They deserve my best - because I am doing God's work by serving them!<br />
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So read Don's post and let him know what you think. Have you ever heard of vocation in this way before? How does it affect how you go about your daily life? Vocation looks different in each person's life. How does it look in yours?The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-47387249082900221102010-09-17T12:28:00.000-07:002010-09-17T12:28:26.130-07:00Love God, Not Stuff<a href="http://lovegodnotstuff.com/" target="_blank">Love God, Not Stuff </a><br />
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<div style="color: #444444;">That's the name of Don's new <a href="http://lovegodnotstuff.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. His first post goes back to the job he had when we got married. That's the job he got fired from right before we had Hannah. Many of you know our story, but not many have heard it directly from Don himself. Check it out to read it in his own words. </div><div style="color: #444444;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #444444;">Here's his plan from here on in:</div><br />
<div style="color: #38761d;">At least twice a month, I plan to post things here which I pray will encourage Christians like you and me to Love God, Not Stuff. Generally speaking, the posts will take the form of looking at a thought or an idea or a thing in our American culture and examining it from a Christian perspective. <b>We’ll meet the culture where it’s at, as Jesus did, but we won’t leave it there</b>. We might look at a TV show. Or a song. Maybe even a sermon. A piece of financial advice. A New York Times bestselling book. A news story. Or a website. An advertisement. Stuff.</div><div style="color: #444444;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #444444;">Check it out. You're sure to learn something new, or at the very least - he'll get you thinking.</span></div><div style="color: #38761d;"></div>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-1218623004685953192010-08-17T14:08:00.000-07:002010-08-17T14:08:23.479-07:00July and AugustHere's a new photo album with pictures from July and August so far. I included the captions so you can see what we've been up to. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent; height: 194px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/JulyAugust2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TGrlLH4ZrUE/AAAAAAAADOw/2-NDpXvKGQI/s160-c/JulyAugust2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/JulyAugust2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">July & August, 2010</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-27388205272413526282010-08-16T11:10:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:11:27.874-07:00First Day of First GradeWe are here in Turlock, settling in as best we can. We were out of town off and on during July when we were also trying to unpack and get the house settled. Then Don started work at <a href="http://www.goodshepherdturlock.org/gslc/welcome" target="_blank">Good Shepherd</a> on July 26. We got used to that routine and now are starting another. Today is Hannah's first day of first grade. She is soooo incredibly excited. She's such a social girl and it's been hard on her not having friends to play with on a regular basis. (We were spoiled in seminary!) The smile on her face was so big when we dropped her off that another parent even commented on it. I can't wait to pick her up at 3:15 and hear all about her day. <br />
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After dropping her off, Bethie, Noah and I walked to the park to play. Noah had a blast walking and crawling all over the play structure and then flinging himself head first down the slides. I have to be pretty diligent while he's playing, but it's fun to follow him around on all the toys to see what he'll do next. We should be at the grocery store right now, but as I was eating a quick breakfast and getting things ready, Mr. Noah fell asleep on the living room floor. (He's transitioning from two naps a day to one and some days he just can't make it until after lunch to crash.) So I'll let him sleep for a bit longer before waking him for the grocery store. I want to just let him sleep but we have absolutely no milk and very little fruit in the house. Poor guy - he's not going to want to wake up just to sit in the car and a grocery cart!<br />
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More updates soon with pictures from Hannah's first day of school!<br />
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P.S. The blog needs a new name! Any ideas??????The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-76615215639154097052010-07-10T12:06:00.000-07:002010-07-10T12:06:25.227-07:00New Pictures!Here is a new web album with pictures from Noah's first birthday, our last days in St. Louis, our trip out west, and just a few here in Turlock. Enjoy!<br />
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<table style="width: 194px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent; height: 194px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/June2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TDi3VvjOV4E/AAAAAAAADFI/1K9FwNGkjug/s160-c/June2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/June2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">June, 2010</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-52566035771032398292010-07-09T22:21:00.000-07:002010-07-09T22:21:17.623-07:00We're Here!We now live in Turlock, CA!!! (Any ideas on a new name for the blog????)<br />
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We've been in our rental house for a week now and it's starting to feel like our home. Our TV and internet got set up today, so it's exciting to be able to see what everyone's up to on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and to finally do a new blog post. In lieu of a long post, here are a few pictures:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> Here are the kids in the garage on move-in day, followed by one at the Downtown Turlock Independence Day Parade, followed by a series of Noah helping his Daddy install some new door stops. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbAUiO8OAMtjVBP2a2k0bcvyO4jBEdR0SKCPkOB4umJPnERXGtxZS79pOyG3oR5naTEgGbx2gKiu3triQcd-M6qAfCxPB0DP6ZWjvxjmsITpTCgnSRKMq-UraUWqke9h6gnLI1W0NZdQ/s320/07+02+10+013.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KZQh_hVUIPDz7how65GoiwXkrc2-c4WljRxdIb6ELLS7GOo2IMsMTB8A_7M-HgbK4k2rSRMomR8TO1lRYgdwLD3r1OmzCPVUJg-53MyVnPIprlBMrQaTFTf_uzh52KhPhlBafN9LcUU/s1600/07+03+10+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KZQh_hVUIPDz7how65GoiwXkrc2-c4WljRxdIb6ELLS7GOo2IMsMTB8A_7M-HgbK4k2rSRMomR8TO1lRYgdwLD3r1OmzCPVUJg-53MyVnPIprlBMrQaTFTf_uzh52KhPhlBafN9LcUU/s320/07+03+10+006.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrdhP_PmM75vc3GYKTay3hjicVYUaboWUtWlM3TZGQ5qieFHCGXIrwCidECmEXl-8bhdILLFZI-uo2bO1kBkKx7vIxBs2uL_Z2x612Wq4ASqjBjgIoMWsheu-wvtTwJk_HyObIkkQPSI/s320/07+04+10+003.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HOJLCYrMhbE8AZSo42KCz6Uv79pPvRin_gRS6xoeDX7ginj9mcmKqwL_47jC17wWexpjOeHXjEF9rRvsCyYj0riv-Lv76G4j4q_VqLePGYRkawGDue_UzspRIyKbiGelJM3nGv1pITA/s1600/07+04+10+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HOJLCYrMhbE8AZSo42KCz6Uv79pPvRin_gRS6xoeDX7ginj9mcmKqwL_47jC17wWexpjOeHXjEF9rRvsCyYj0riv-Lv76G4j4q_VqLePGYRkawGDue_UzspRIyKbiGelJM3nGv1pITA/s320/07+04+10+001.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMk2Zh9FtXhr-u9IpbSOddoyKiIs3hecC8ej_LZarvHJrDgGOn_csfAE0M_zstmLhhZDxtmvWTBua_4FmEzJqqa6xjKCgl71m78-5__EtPoi6I8_14rSt4jAB0xku_4lC4L76zLbv48o/s320/07+04+10+002.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I know there's tons more to tell about our move, the new house, and our transition, but it's a little overwhelming. I'll try to get things posted little by little and share pictures soon. God's blessings and thank you for all your prayers!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-13797505936096010602010-05-28T13:09:00.000-07:002010-05-28T13:09:35.891-07:00New Pictures and Family LifeI just got done uploading 300+ pictures from my camera to the computer. I then uploaded many (not all!) of them to Picasa so you can see. Here are the links:<br />
<table style="width: 194px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent; height: 194px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/May2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TAAV7Y8x7PE/AAAAAAAACzE/Cd55n3oxQyY/s160-c/May2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/May2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">May 2010</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table style="width: 194px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent; height: 194px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/April2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/TAARCP4qllE/AAAAAAAACtQ/w4LBhbpUYxQ/s160-c/April2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/April2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">April 2010</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat scroll left center transparent; height: 194px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/March2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/S6u8ad9CFUE/AAAAAAAACoI/EyvcdYV5zzY/s160-c/March2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/March2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">March 2010</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've posted the March album before, but I added a few pictures at the end, in case anyone's interested. :-)<br />
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We are busy busy busy! Don finished school on May 20 and since then has finished a couple small assignments he's supposed to complete for vicarage. He has had a few meetings with professors about topics of mutual interest and sat in on a brainstorming panel for <a href="http://www.lhm.org/equipping/ets.htm"target=_blank>Lutheran Hour Ministries</a> for some new curriculum they're developing. We are searching searching searching the interwebs for a house to rent in Turlock. My mom, my nana, and my brother's girlfriend Shay are all up there today looking at a couple for us. We just keep praying that God will lead us to the right house in the right neighborhood in the right school district for Hannah. We look forward to meeting those God will put us in contact with, through our congregation, our neighborhood and Hannah's school. We have reserved our moving truck and are planning to load it up on Monday, June 21. We'll leave St. Louis and head to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm"target=_blank>Mt. Rushmore</a>, through Colorado, down to Las Vegas (visiting the <a href="http://www.ldcm.org/"target=_blank>Lied Discovery Children's Museum</a>), and into Bakersfield. We'll spend a night or two there with my mom and then meet the truck to unload in Turlock on June 30(ish). There is a lot to pack and a lot of details to plan between now and then, but we're getting excited. At the same time, we're dreading saying goodbye to the Seminary and our wonderful friends. You can see from the pictures how much fun we have around here!<br />
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We would appreciate prayers for a safe and smooth move (especially for the kiddos) and that God would lead us to the right house and school. You can pray for Don and the people of Good Shepherd for a smooth and joyous transition. As always, let us know how we can pray for you. We are looking forward to seeing our California friends soon!<br />
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God's blessings,<br />
Don, Stacye, Hannah, Bethie, & NoahThe Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-38112069897101092762010-04-27T21:54:00.000-07:002010-04-27T21:54:06.230-07:00It's Official!We are headed to <a href="http://www.goodshepherdturlock.org/gslc/welcome"target=_blank>Good Shepherd Lutheran Church</a> in Turlock, CA!!!!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-1291229127688233162010-04-21T13:56:00.000-07:002010-04-21T13:56:32.852-07:00The Call Day website is up!Call Day is less than a week away! We are so excited to learn where Don and all his classmates will be placed. Go to <a href="http://cslmedia.org/callday/index.php"target=_blank>this website</a> to learn everything about Call Day, including the ability to watch the service live. Click on "Watch Streaming Video" to test it. Remember that Don's service (the vicarage service) begins at 3:00 Central Time and the Call service (the fourth year guys getting their first real pastoral assignment) begins at 7:00 Central Time. Let us know if you have any questions or problems. It's almost here!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-34357188138736121222010-04-13T06:39:00.000-07:002010-04-13T06:39:53.228-07:00Making Memories That MatterThis is from an email I received from <a href="http://www.mops.org/" target="_blank">MOPS International</a>. I needed to share it with all of you and I definitely need to remember it as I go through a busy season of life with my family. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Making Memories that Matter </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">By Katherine Craddock</span><br />
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Spring is finally here! With this fresh new season comes a flood of memories of the spring before. But as hard as I try, I can’t recall the laundry I folded, the dishes I washed, or even the beloved flowers I spent hours planting last spring.<br />
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I remember yelling at my kids for interrupting my email writing, my Facebook time and the season finales of a dozen reality shows that have since slipped from my mind. Those deadlines and projects were so important at the time, but now, like those flowers I planted, they’ve faded away, never to return.<br />
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Thankfully, though, I do remember some things that seemed boring and non-urgent. Like the dandelion crown I placed on my daughter’s head and the night we cuddled on a blanket in the backyard and stared at the clouds until the stars came out. And bubbles. Popsicles. Galloping around the yard like a pony. Tackling my boys and playing baseball with them. Slow moments, all of them. Non-urgent moments without deadlines.<br />
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There is not one material thing, one worldly accomplishment, even one friendship that I now value more than those precious, fleeting moments with my little girl who’s now in Kindergarten and my boys. For this season of your life, I challenge you: make memories that last. Savor the small. Treasure your time with your babies in your heart, and tear yourself away from the unimportant. You will never, ever regret it.<br />
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<i>God, help me slow down once a day to make a memory my whole family will cherish. </i>The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-8041459640805943322010-04-04T19:58:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:58:31.371-07:00Happy Easter!Praise God for this beautiful Easter day and for the gift of His Son. We are so incredibly blessed beyond anything we deserve. <i>Thank You Jesus, for loving me enough to die on the cross for everything I've ever done wrong.</i> <br />
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Besides celebrating Easter today, we celebrated Bethie's 3rd birthday today! I can't believe we've had the blessing of Bethie in our lives for three whole years. She is such a sweet, kooky, crazy kid.<br />
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We spent 3 1/2 hours with friends and neighbors having an Easter picnic while the kids ran around playing (and getting sunburns). When we finally got upstairs the phone rang and it was Don's mom. She said, "Can I use your bathroom?" I tried to figure out what she was talking about and finally realized that she had driven up to surprise us and celebrate Bethie's birthday - how fun! So we have had lots to celebrate today and we hope you have too. Take a minute and thank Jesus for His love for you. God's blessings and Happy Easter!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-89348769034915678702010-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:002010-03-25T17:03:16.343-07:00<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/March2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/S6u8ad9CFUE/AAAAAAAACmw/uC5vYxOZYZo/s160-c/March2010.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/March2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">March 2010</a></td></tr></table><br /><br />Here's a new photo album, consisting mostly of pictures from our trip to California last month. We had a wonderful time. We spent tons of time with family and friends. We celebrated my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary with all of the family on my mom's side. The 24 of us had never all been in the same room together and that day will be a cherished memory. We met my brother's girlfriend <a href="http://www.thetroneteam.com/our-team.html"target=_blank>Shay</a> and she is a doll. She spent lots of time with us and you could tell she really enjoyed spending time with the kids too. We got to see friends from <a href="http://www.mops.org/"target=_blank>MOPS</a> and <a href="http://e-warmline.org/"target=_blank>WarmLine</a> - two organizations that were a big part of my life the last three years I was in Bakersfield. Don's brother Dave come up from Pasadena and spent a day with us. We went over to the coast so the kids could spend time on the beach and we could eat lunch at <a href="http://www.splashcafe.com/"target=_blank>Splash Cafe</a> - my favorite clam chowder ever! Of course, we at lunch at <a href="https://shopluigis.com/aboutUs.php">Luigi's</a> - another favorite. Good friends from church hosted a group of us for coffee, wine, and dessert one night so we could see many people all at the same time. We got to see the new construction at our home church, <a href="http://www.sjlchurch.org"target=_blank>St. John's</a>. They're in the process of building a new sanctuary and chapel - very exciting! <br /><br />We returned to St. Louis, spent a few days getting the house and our little sleepers back in order, then Don began his final quarter. We're two weeks in and he says that he is enjoying this one the most so far - he truly likes all of his classes. It's going to be a busy one - lots of tests, papers, and assignments due, but it's the last one! He'll be done with classes May 20!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.csl.edu/Resources_CallDay2010.aspx"target=_blank>Call Day</a> is April 27. We'll finally find out where Don will be placed for vicarage. Keep us and the whole call process in your prayers please. We'll post our news here and on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/stacye.ray"target=_blank>Facebook</a> as soon as we can. <br /><br />Hannah is nearing the end of kindergarten and doing great - reading at a first grade level and recently wrote her numbers up to 1,000. Bethie turns 3 on Easter Sunday and is mostly day-time potty-trained. Noah is almost 10 months old and crawls everywhere. He recently learned how to briefly balance on his knees and can also return to sitting from a crawling position. He isn't saying any words or signing yet, but hopefully soon. <br /><br />That's about it for now. Don's at a meeting for concluding students and I have to get kiddos ready for bed, so I better do that. Peace and blessings to all of you. Keep in touch!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-80631793209403181682010-02-15T20:49:00.000-08:002010-02-15T21:17:42.898-08:00Getting OrganizedI'm not a very organized person. My organizational system usually consists of piles of paper all over the place and a basket to shove it all in when it gets to be too much. I have a hard time throwing things away. I keep almost all my magazines - though I do tear out and recycle all the ads so the magazines take up less space! I enjoy cooking and have tons of recipes - torn out of magazines, free cards that come in the mail, printed off the internet, given to me by family members, etc. I have a recipe book with slots to fill with 3x5 or 4x6 cards and I use it a lot. It's special to me so I only put recipes in it that I love and make regularly. But I almost never recopy a recipe onto a card so that it will fit in the book.<br /><br />All of this means that my cookbook shelf was being overrun with dozens (hundreds?) of torn-out, unorganized recipes of all different genres, sizes, paper types, as well as about a dozen different magazines I had saved. It's been like this the whole time we've lived here. I've wasted a ton of time looking through the stack trying to find a particular recipe, usually without much luck.<br /><br />One day recently, inspiration struck. I decided to take a plastic file-folder box I wasn't using and create file folders for categories of recipes. I knew I wanted to file them mostly by food type (chicken, beef, pork, veggies, pasta, etc. I even have one for "Cooking Info," which is filled with how-to articles, ingredient substitution lists, and things of that nature). So I made the folders and finally went through that giant stack of recipes. I filed each one in the right folder and came up with this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_zHgI7BeeHFMGwZhbchTrY8fTav7vCq7pSDCqLIP1f_SBh5RO1XMljfvZjg5cHZoq9wy0iWstKOX8GNskkGCua3QbxdYhJ7JWcGNDEtWrP8Y2xzD20s01DZ5oZE5gQJ66zaKRK0MahI/s1600-h/02+12+10+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_zHgI7BeeHFMGwZhbchTrY8fTav7vCq7pSDCqLIP1f_SBh5RO1XMljfvZjg5cHZoq9wy0iWstKOX8GNskkGCua3QbxdYhJ7JWcGNDEtWrP8Y2xzD20s01DZ5oZE5gQJ66zaKRK0MahI/s320/02+12+10+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438700880640120098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxsC16Lw_SlKGa_Kf1UCcu6_LfvnzaUMQh5Pj9IVphYu_a9Xutxd4kI-F4HmExenegRYUx3bn3JsDeSHQtH2IgUCSj82IrS314VUpzsqV9hn4UdurmdEtFLX9EAugjppe7yEQSBcqr50/s1600-h/02+12+10+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxsC16Lw_SlKGa_Kf1UCcu6_LfvnzaUMQh5Pj9IVphYu_a9Xutxd4kI-F4HmExenegRYUx3bn3JsDeSHQtH2IgUCSj82IrS314VUpzsqV9hn4UdurmdEtFLX9EAugjppe7yEQSBcqr50/s320/02+12+10+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438700885935899890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been so excited because this system is totally working for me! Because I created it, I was able to make categories that make sense to me and fit the way I cook. The folders are large so they hold any recipe, regardless of its size. If I know I want to cook chicken I just pull out the folder and page through it. If I have some broccoli that needs to be cooked I look for a recipe under "Vegetables." And since I'm someone who likes to alter recipes and combine two or three to suit my purposes, this system works great for that too. I can quickly see several similar recipes that might complement one another. I've completely organized that ginormous pile of recipes and have recycled at least a dozen magazines since starting this system. I love it and wanted to share it in case anyone out there might want to try something similar. (I have a goal of going through and recycling most of the other dozens of magazines I have stashed in various places throughout the house before we move this summer. Think I can do it?)<br /><br /><br />The other thing I'm excited about lately (though it's not quite at the same caliber as the recipes) is I came up with a way for us to keep track of leftovers and things we have in the fridge so hopefully we'll waste less food. I printed up a blank calendar page and posted it on the fridge. Any time I put leftovers in there or half a can of peaches or whatever, I write it on the calendar. And when we've finished something we're supposed to cross it off the calendar. This way I can quickly see what I have, how long it's been in there and what I need to either toss or eat soon. Here are pictures:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3ZueixsiOSmn8nPedW284nkvUW2CeL34t9eo7XJPs53MiQ3y5z634as___qC5jnE2gv9AIS4hcnSJ4gu6iksQiWCI8ffpRQ-eUfcV4u4x4MQe1IlQt3lFpL8m9zn8YncLtsGIra8aSk/s1600-h/02+12+10+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3ZueixsiOSmn8nPedW284nkvUW2CeL34t9eo7XJPs53MiQ3y5z634as___qC5jnE2gv9AIS4hcnSJ4gu6iksQiWCI8ffpRQ-eUfcV4u4x4MQe1IlQt3lFpL8m9zn8YncLtsGIra8aSk/s320/02+12+10+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438703091571147122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HHeYYiYRGE7ka42oDAidXv9pvFNgv3T2OKZCNQkXOdxwNvZuuXcgcddwhfwQsFUURtzNblTsbbm6a3pzKwP9vid1ZMeIdJAPzfrL9R_f60AlOSrr6oq6wgi51DOc8FzU9NGUMYcSjyk/s1600-h/02+12+10+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HHeYYiYRGE7ka42oDAidXv9pvFNgv3T2OKZCNQkXOdxwNvZuuXcgcddwhfwQsFUURtzNblTsbbm6a3pzKwP9vid1ZMeIdJAPzfrL9R_f60AlOSrr6oq6wgi51DOc8FzU9NGUMYcSjyk/s320/02+12+10+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438703099575086034" /></a><br />Like I said, this one isn't nearly as exciting as the recipes (for me), but it works for us and has already helped us make use of food we would have thrown away. <br /><br />Thanks for reading and sticking with me as I celebrate this small victory. I wanted to share my excitement and maybe help someone else out along the way. Blessings!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-71189818025980034352010-02-15T20:04:00.000-08:002010-02-15T20:48:55.143-08:00Eventful DayHannah was off of school today and we were getting ready for a Valentine's Day party a friend and I hosted for some of the sem kids and their families. Hannah was looking for a balloon I wanted to take with us. She came out of the playroom holding her hand out and with a panicky voice said, "Mom, I got a paper cut." The end of her finger had a little smear of blood on it so I grabbed her hand and walked her into the bathroom. Now to back up, several times in the past she has gotten herself into quite a state when she sees her own blood. Her face loses all color and she starts crying that she's going to throw up. Of course she was doing that today so I sat her down on the potty chair/stool in the bathroom, blotted her finger and got a band-aid on it. She began crying and saying she was going to be sick, she needed the trash can, she didn't feel good, etc. I got the trash can out and she about fell into it. I realized her eyes were closed and she was falling off the stool. I eased her onto the ground, called for Don and began brushing her hair out of her face. She opened her eyes a few seconds later...she wasn't out for long, but she definitely fainted. From a paper cut.<br /><br />So once she was feeling better, it was time to head out in the snow for the Valentine's party. We had about 34 kids and 14 moms/grandparents/caregivers. It was fun and exhausting. You know how adults always ask about kids, "Where do they get their energy?" They suck it directly from us!<br /><br />I was watching Noah while we were at the party. He's 8 1/2 months old and he can roll pretty much anywhere he wants to go - the girls did too. He can pivot around in a circle and push himself backwards on his tummy, but he can't propel himself forward. He's been getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth since before Christmas - about two months! Well, at the party I saw him up on his knees and he picked his hands up a couple times, like he was going to crawl but then flopped back down onto his tummy. Later this afternoon he was sitting up and I was feeding him pieces of graham cracker. He saw the rest of the cracker on the plate, lunged for it and began crawling! So far the only things worth crawling for are food and balls, but I bet within a couple days he'll be crawling absolutely everywhere. It's a fun transition (and much earlier than either of the girls) and it'll be interesting to see what else he gets into. I'm sure we'll need to do even more childproofing.<br /><br />To add to the eventful day, my friend Mendy (who did all the work planning the fun party for the kids) had one too. Her son got his first bloody nose at the party and she set a potholder on top of her stove on fire this afternoon. Never a dull moment around here!<br /><br />I've uploaded some new pictures. Here's the link to one of the albums:<br /><table style="width: 194px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background: transparent url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat scroll left center; height: 194px; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" align="center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/February2010?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_n1ytex1FfNg/S3obDsI2xAE/AAAAAAAACXM/WZxsiugLDcI/s160-c/February2010.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" height="160" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/rayfamilyblog/February2010?feat=embedwebsite" style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">February 2010</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />They don't have captions yet - hopefully soon! There are new albums for December, January, and February. You can see that we've been having fun at Hannah's school parties, at the Magic House, visiting Grammies in Tennessee, and playing in the snow. Noah's been having fun playing and learning how to eat (food, paper, chalk, etc.).<br /><br />Keep Don in prayer this week. He's working on a paper (up over 15 pages now), has another paper due Thursday, and three final exams Thursday and Friday. He's been up late several nights in a row, which doesn't agree with him but there's no end in sight (at least until we arrive in CA). Keep us in prayer for safe travel and we'll see many of you soon!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-18509854138987588672010-02-06T17:06:00.000-08:002010-02-06T17:09:27.842-08:00Say What?Hannah & Bethie were running back and forth across the living room in their underwear. <br />B: We're bein' the 'Credibles!<br />H: Yeah, I'm Bob.<br />Me: Who's Bethie?<br />H: She's Alaska.<br />Me: What?<br />H: You know, Bob marries Alaska.<br />Me: You mean, Elasti-girl?The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-16570752899178328522010-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:002010-02-05T16:56:40.693-08:00A sample of my lifeBethie, running across the house toward the bathroom: "My flip-flop is wet!"<br /><br />Me, while laying on the couch trying to muster the energy to start getting three kids ready for bed: "Why is your flip-flop wet?"<br /><br />Bethie, hollering from the bathroom: "Cause I peed on it." (Long pause) "The other one's not wet."The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562416329154254094.post-53206690251309431462010-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:002010-01-25T12:21:25.271-08:00More of Hannah's writing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWahasS-whGuph_GqjBMxDrgvvTcbF-cmKTx2OX4nujeiTE_i_KNWPwKnXLUs0o_IINw-xbqkjeKmJl1s1_ZdOgauz-d7NXbab5_d9DYyUHS62KfdSFI-i7pWA6qIT0RO3N_AixqtGk74/s1600-h/11+24+09+064.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWahasS-whGuph_GqjBMxDrgvvTcbF-cmKTx2OX4nujeiTE_i_KNWPwKnXLUs0o_IINw-xbqkjeKmJl1s1_ZdOgauz-d7NXbab5_d9DYyUHS62KfdSFI-i7pWA6qIT0RO3N_AixqtGk74/s320/11+24+09+064.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430774982848885762" /></a><br />I may have mentioned before that Hannah is reading at a first grade level, so we're very proud of her for that. She loves art, people, and being outdoors. In fact, lately she's been saying that she wants to be an explorer and an artist when she grows up. She'll go exploring and then come home and make art out of the things she finds in nature. She loves writing too. I find pages and pages covered with random things she's written: words, sentences, equations, things Bethie said that she copied down, cards she's made for people, copies of our family's weekly Bible memory verse, etc. Here's one of the latest scraps of paper I found:<br /><br />"o.k. everey bute everey bute setid yes ok the frst theyn that we are gunu do is seyn a son ok the son is ckold baonsey boll on the flor it is a rimeyn son"<br /><br />Do you need a translation? Here it is (for the record, I figured out all of it except "ckold" on my own): "OK everybody. Everybody seated? Yes, OK. The first thing that we are going to do is sing a song. OK the song is called Bouncy Ball on the Floor. It is a rhyming song."<br /><br />We don't correct every little spelling error, but I did have a talk with her about the "ng" sound. The next thing she wrote had several correct "ng"s in it. (In fact, another paper had the word "loveng" (loving) so she got it really quickly!) That's our girl!The Rayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01533815831360253725noreply@blogger.com0