My Baby is 16!!!!

AS I SIT HERE I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS AND SO MANY THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD AND IN MY HEART. TRULY DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE THIS HARD TO WATCH PHILLIP TURN 16 BUT GOODNESS MY TEARS ARE FLOWING. I HAVE TO SAY I AM EXCITED FOR HIM IN THIS NEW JOURNEY OF LIFE BUT THEN AGAIN I AM SCARED TO DEATH FOR HIM SO MANY THINGS RESPONSIBILITIES, DRIVING,WOW.. HE STILL HAS A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF HIM BUT YET ADULTHOOD TRULY STARTS HERE, HE IS OLD ENOUGH TO GET A JOB, HE IS OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE AND THAT'S FUN AND EXCITING BUT YET AGAIN ITS THE FIRST STEPS OF ADULTHOOD AND I AM NOT SO SURE I WANT THAT TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW, I STILL WANT MY CHUBBY LITTLE BABY WHO I COULD HOLD AND PROTECT AND KISS AWAY THE TEARS WHEN HE HURT HIMSELF, WHO COULD BE HIS BEST FRIEND AND THAT WAS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD, THE ONE WHO WHATEVER I SAID I WAS RIGHT AND OH SO SMART..LOL .. HA HA NOW ITS MOM DON'T HUG ME IN FRONT OF SO AND SO AND MY GOODNESS DON'T YOU DARE KISS ME, AND NOW ITS THE GIRLFRIEND AND THE FRIENDS WHO HE WOULD RATHER HANG WITH..LOL.. AND OH WHATEVER I SAY I AM USUALLY WRONG AND OH SO DUMB..LOL.. OH HOW I REMEMBER BEING THE SAME WAY TO MY MOM AND DAD, ITS JUST THAT AGE AND KNOWING IT ALL AND BEING INDEPENDENT,LOL LITTLE DOES HE KNOW MOMMAS ALWAYS RIGHT AND MOMMA KNOWS BEST AND MOMMA WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST FRIEND WHEN MOST PEOPLE COME AND GO.. ANYWAY WE ARE BEGINNING THE NEW JOURNEY WITH OUR SWEET PHILLIP AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IT AND WILL BE DOING LOTS AND LOTS AND PRAYING..WE SURPRISED PHILLIP WITH A 16TH BDAY PARTY HE HAD NO IDEA, NO CLUE... HE KEPT TELLING US HE WANTED TO HAVE A FEW FRIENDS OVER TO HANG OUT AND WE WERE LIKE WELL WE WILL SEE WE HAVE THIS AND THIS AND WE HAVE TO GO HERE AND THERE AND HIS GIRLFRIENDS MOM EVEN TOLD HIM SHE COULDN'T COME OVER BECAUSE SHE HAD SOMETHING TO DO SO HE WAS A LITTLE BUMMED NEEDLESS TO SAY BUT HE MADE OTHER PLANS, HE SPENT THE NIGHT WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS ON SATURDAY AND THEY WERE GOING TO BRING HIM HOME AROUND 4:15 ON SUNDAY, SO ALL OF HIS FRIENDS CAME OVER AROUND 4:00 AND THEY WERE HERE WHEN HE PULLED UP,HE WAS VERY SURPRISED AND VERY HAPPY.. WE HAD A POOL PARTY AND COOKOUT AND A DJ WHO PLAYED ALL THE LATEST MUSIC THAT THEY ALL LISTEN TO FROM POP TO COUNTRY, WE HAD A KARAOKE MACHINE WHICH SOME OF US, OOPS I MEAN THEM HA HA SANG AND THERE WAS A BUBBLE MACHINE AND FOG MACHINE, IT WAS SO COOL.. HE HAD A GREAT TIME AND HIS FRIENDS DID TOO. SOME OF THE PARENTS STAYED AS WELL AND I THINK THEY HAD AS MUCH FUN AS THE KIDS. THANK YOU ALL WHO SHARED IN HIS SPECIAL DAY AND WHO HELPED WITH DECORATIONS AND COOKING AND CLEANING UP.. YOU ARE ALL A BLESSING TO ALL OF US AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT GOD HAS PUT YOU IN OUR LIVES..PHILLIP, DAD AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO CALL YOU OUR SON, YOU HAVE TRULY BEEN A ANSWERED PRAYER FROM THE TIME WE FOUND OUT WE WERE HAVING YOU.WE LOVE WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE TURNING OUT TO BE, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW GODS PATH FOR YOU AND THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS FOLLOW HIS WORD AND HIS TRUTH. WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART WHO YOU TRULY ARE AND YOU KNOW WHATS RIGHT FROM WRONG AS TEENAGERS AND SHOOT EVEN ADULTS WE OFTEN MAKE STUPID MISTAKES IN JUST ABOUT EVERY SITUATION, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL ASK GOD FOR WISDOM AND GUIDANCE AND LEAN ON HIM TO SEE YOU THRU DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AS YOU START A NEW JOURNEY THIS YEAR. WE PRAY FOR HAPPINESS AND LOTS OF LOVE AND BLESSINGS FOR YOUR LIFE AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL TRULY SUCCEED IN THIS WORLD OF GOOD AND BAD AND THAT YOU WILL BLESS OTHERS WITH YOUR SWEET HEART. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHILLIP TAYLOR, NEVER EVER FORGET HOW MUCH YOU ARE LOVED AND MEAN TO YOUR FAMILY, WE ARE SO BLESSED AND SO THANKFUL TO GOD THAT HE CHOSE YOU TO BE OURS...XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXXOXO

I have the BEST Husband in The World!!! Happy Anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary!! April 22,1989 I married my Best Friend, The Love of My Life, The Man of My Dreams and All that I could ever Hope for.. We have been married for 21 years and I can not believe it has been that long.. In ways it seems like it was just yesterday and then again I can not remember my life before him! I have been blessed in so many ways being Mrs Chuck Ray and I owe all my Thanks to God! Of course we have had our ups and downs in our marriage just like any other but I am so Thankful that we have God in the center of our marriage and at the head of our household because it all works out for the best because of Gods grace and guidance in every situation. We have also been blessed with 2 boys who he is a great example to, he lets them know that marriage is hard work and you have to work at it, he lets them know that I am his number one priority, he shows them to love and respect me in everything that he does. He is such a great example and I am so blessed! Happy Anniversary Chuck, I love you more today than I did 21 yrs ago! I pray that God continues to bless our marriage and that he allows many more happy years together filled with nothing but happiness and lots of love!Thanks for all you do for me and thank you for putting our family first.. I have to honestly be one of the luckiest girls in the world~ I love you bunches and will forever and always and for eternity~~~
James 1 : 17 says that Every Good and Perfect Gift Comes From Above.. and you are truly my gift~~~ Love you , cherish you and oh so proud of you~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxooxox Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad too! They have been married for 49 years and have been the greatest example of what True Love is about.. Thank you for setting that example, we pray that you have many more years of happiness and true love!! Love you both!!

Happy Easter 2010"

Happy Easter to you and yours! Wow! This day is fabulous and means so much to me.. I have always known what Easter was and what it stood for. Of course as a little girl it meant that the Easter Bunny was coming and bringing me a basket full of goodies and of course I got to dress up and go to church but then later on in life I focused on the day as just a Holiday and got to get a new dress and wear it to church like a fashion show and then later after I had the boys we started the Easter Bunny tradition as well but I also knew there was more to it and I wanted my kids to know it just was not about the basket full of goodies, the dying of the eggs and the dress up, I wanted them to know that God sent his son his only son to die on the cross for our sins and how he was put in the tomb after he died and after 3 days he rose again. Of course they were little and did not really understand but I can say TODAY at almost 16 and 13 they know the TRUE meaning of Easter and we celebrate that our Lord and Savior is Alive and guides us everyday. I am so thankful that they do understand and I am so thankful that they both have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!!I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and I was telling her that this year the meaning of Easter really really hit me personally. I can not relate to the LOVE that Christ has showed us by sending His one and only Son to die on the cross for us for me, when I am describing this to someone it just amazes me that HE died for us but if it was just ME or YOU he would have done it anyway.. wow that is true love! When you think of your own child would you send your child to take that sacrifice? That is True Love! I am blessed! It really hits me personally when I think of Him on the cross and all HE went thru.. He took it for me! That is TRUE LOVE! After he died they took his body off of the cross and wrapped it in linen and put him in a tomb and rolled a heavy heavy stone in front of the tomb, after the third day they came back and the stone was rolled away and the body was gone, do you know why it was not there? Because HE said HE would come back and rise again, HE promised and HIS word is TRUE. Thank you Lord for coming back to live with me every single day, every single second to guide and direct me, to love me like no other, to be my best friend, to be my Savior, to be my KING, to be my EVERYTHING! I truly can not comprehend how people do not believe, I just can't even go there, I can not understand why you would not want a personal relationship with HIM. What do you have to lose? Do you know GOD? Do you believe in GOD? Do you believe GOD? or do you just know the Easter story that someone told you?? I also look at Easter as Renewed, Refreshed,A New Start.. Easter always takes place in the Spring time, when you think of Spring , you think of Sunshine, New Growth, Green Grass, Brightly colored flowers, Blue Skies, New Blooms on Trees, Baby Animals, New Life a whole New Start And that's what HE promises us when we have a personal relationship with HIM.. I just want to say Thank you Lord for your amazing love, your amazing grace, and all that you do for me and bless me, I want to Glorify you in all I do and say and I want to share your word and your love. If you just know the Easter story and would like to know more and would like to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, get in touch with me and I will introduce you to HIM! For those of you who do have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ, my prayer is that you would continue to grow deeper with HIM and Glorify Him every single day with your actions and your words..I beg you to teach your children about Jesus Christ instead of the Easter Bunny, just a FYI he brings baskets full of goodies every single day not just once a year.. Have a Blessed day and thanks for making us a part of your day!! Lots to come with Raising The Ray Boys!!!

SPRING BREAK 2010'

WELL SPRING BREAK HAS COME AND GONE AND WE ARE ALREADY AT THE END OF MARCH.. THIS YEAR SEEMS TO BE FLYING BY.. I REMEMBER SOMEONE SAYING THE OLDER YOU GET, THE FASTER THE YEARS ROLL BY AND BOY IS THAT TRUE.. ALL THOUGH I AM STILL 29:) WE HAD A GREAT SPRING BREAK, WE DID NOT GET TO GO ANYWHERE THIS YEAR DUE TO PHILLIP BEING ON THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM, HE HAD GAMES SO HE HAD TO BE HERE..BUT THAT WAS OK IT TURNED OUT OK.. OUR GOOD FRIENDS THE LONGS FROM ST LOUIS CAME UP AND SPENT THE WEEK WITH US. WE ALWAYS HAVE SO MUCH FUN WITH THEM, THEY HAVE TRULY BECOME LIKE FAMILY TO US..THEIR BOYS ARE DIRT BIKE RIDERS AND SO THEY BROUGHT THEIR BIKES AND GOT TO RIDE EVERYDAY. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PEYTON'S DREAM SINCE HE WAS 2 TO RIDE DIRT BIKES.. I CAN REMEMBER HIM IN HIS CAR SEAT MAKING MOTORCYCLE SOUNDS AND EVERY TIME HE SAW ONE ON THE ROAD HE WOULD SCREAM LOOK LOOK.. SO HIS DREAM FINALLY CAME TRUE,WHILE THEY WERE HERE THE TRACK THAT THEY WERE RIDING AT WAS HOSTING A BEGINNERS CAMP THAT WEEK SO WE SIGNED HIM UP AND I CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW EXCITED HE WAS.. THE LONGS WERE SO SWEET, THEY HAVE KNOWN PEYT SINCE HE WAS 2 AND HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT THIS WAS HIS PASSION AND SO THEY BROUGHT HIM ALL OF THE GEAR THAT HE NEEDED, JERSEY, PANTS, BOOTS, GLOVES AND HELMET AND OH MY GOODNESS YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS FACE WHEN THEY GAVE HIM THOSE THINGS, HE WAS SO EXCITED!! SO OFF HE GOES TO CAMP AND HAD A BLAST, HE DID REALLY WELL FOR SOMEONE WHO HAD NEVER RIDDEN BEFORE. HE DID SAY AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT HE WAS TIRED AND THAT RIDING WAS HARD WORK ON YOUR LEGS.. HE DID HAVE FUN THOUGH AND SAYS HE STILL WANTS TO RIDE BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN THE PASSION THAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD SEE AFTER THE FACT.. TO BE HONEST I AM HOPING HE WILL FIND ANOTHER LOVE,MOTORCYCLES SCARE ME TO DEATH AND I SURE DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM GET HURT..PHILLIP PLAYED A FEW GAMES OVER SPRING BREAK AND HAD PRACTICES SO HE WAS BUSY WITH THAT BUT OH MY DID ALL OF THOSE BOYS HAVE FUN.. THEY PLAYED BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL AND WE WENT OUT TO EAT A FEW TIMES,OF COURSE THEY PLAYED VIDEO GAMES AND WATCHED MOVIES AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THEIR LATE NIGHT CONVERSATIONS WERE WHEN THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT, HA HA HA.. BUT OH THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE FUN MEMORIES...THEY LEFT ON SATURDAY MORNING BRIGHT AND EARLY AND I HAVE TO SAY I WAS REALLY SAD.. LIKE I SAID WE ALWAYS HAVE ALOT OF FUN AND ALOT OF LAUGHS WITH THEM.. MARGY DOESN'T REALLY LIKE TO SHOP BUT I TURNED HER INTO A SHOPPER WHILE SHE WAS HERE, WE WENT TO HARWIN FOR THE DAY AND HAD A BLAST. I AM SURE SHE NEEDED A VACATION WHEN SHE GOT HOME.. THANKS FOR COMING TO VISIT, WE ENJOYED YALL SO MUCH AND LOVE AND MISS YOU BUNCHES! WE HOPE THAT YALL HAD A GREAT SPRING BREAK TOO... A FEW MORE WEEKS AND SUMMER WILL BEGIN, AND I CAN NOT WAIT!! THANKS FOR MAKING US A PART OF YOUR DAY.. CHECK BACK AND SEE WHAT THE RAY BOYS ARE UP TO NEXT!!!

ITS BASEBALL SEASON ONCE AGAIN

I CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW EXCITED WE ARE THAT IT IS BASEBALL SEASON ONCE AGAIN.. WE LIVE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.. SITTING OUTSIDE WATCHING THE BOYS DO SOMETHING THAT THEY HONESTLY LIVE AND BREATH AND LOVE TO DO HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO.. THIS PAST SATURDAY WAS OPENING DAY FOR MAGNOLIA BASEBALL LEAGUE BALL AND IT IS ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN TO GO OUT AND SEE YOUR CHILD HAVING A GOOD TIME AND BONDING WITH THEIR NEW TEAM AND FRIENDS. THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT FOR US, WE ONLY HAVE ONE IN LEAGUE BALL AND THE OTHER ONE IS PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL BALL FOR HIS SCHOOL. THANK GOODNESS WE DON'T HAVE TO MANY CONFLICTS, WE HAVE A FEW BUT WE ARE NOT COMPLAINING. CHUCK IS COACHING THE YOUNGEST SO I AM ALWAYS WITH THE HIGH SCHOOLER BUT MOST OF THE TIMES WE WILL ALL BE ABLE TO WATCH EACH ONE. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SAY THAT BOTH TEAMS WON THEIR FIRST GAME SO EVERYONE IS HAPPY IN THE RAY HOME~~ WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE LEAGUE TEAM, SINCE CHUCK IS COACHING HE GETS TO PICK OUT WHICH TEAM HE WANTS TO BE, SO GUESS WHO HE PICKED?? THEY ARE ALL MLB TEAMS, ITS OUR FAVORITE TEAM EVER..... YOU GUESSED IT...ST LOUIS CARDINALS!!! I AM JUST SO EXCITED BECAUSE MOVING HERE FROM ST LOUIS, I HAVE LOTS OF CUTE CARDINALS ATTIRE:)AND I GET TO WEAR IT WITHOUT BEING HARASSED!! OUR JEEP EVEN HAS CARDINALS ON IT SO THESE PEOPLE PROBABLY THINK WE TAKE OUR LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM SERIOUS..LOL..I CAN NOT WAIT TO WATCH MY BOYS PLAY AND MESH AS A TEAM WITH THEIR NEW TEAMMATES AND ALSO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER PARENTS. IF YOU HAVE EVER PLAYED ON A TEAM OR HAD A CHILD PLAY YOU KNOW YOU SEE THE SAME PEOPLE EVERY WEEK SOMETIMES 3 OR 4 TIMES SO YOU BECOME FRIENDS AND THEN YOU TRULY BECOME LIKE A FAMILY AND I LOVE THAT..ITS SUCH A FUN TIME AND I AM SO THANKFUL TO GOD THAT MY BOYS ARE HEALTHY AND ABLE TO PLAY BALL AND I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT CHUCK IS A HEALTHY MAN WHO IS ABLE TO COACH AND SPEND TIME WITH HIS CHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLES TOO.. I PRAY THAT GOD WILL JUST USE HIM TO MENTOR TO THESE BOYS AND GIVE THEM GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION AND BE THE EXAMPLE THAT GOD WANTS HIM TO BE TO THEM. I THANK GOD THAT I AM ABLE TO GO AND WATCH AND CHEER AS LOUD AS I CAN..THE FINAL WORDS ON THIS POST IS SPEND TIME WITH YOUR KIDS AND TRULY ENJOY WATCHING THEM DO WHAT THEY LOVE TO DO.. ENCOURAGE AND PRAISE THEM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND REALIZE THAT THEY ARE ONLY YOUNG ONCE.. MAKE MEMORIES! SET POSITIVE EXAMPLES! AND LOVE YOUR KIDDOS!!!!