Happy New Year family!

Wow, it has been so long since I have written! Still, I have good excuse.  After two years of waiting, we have a new child to love here...and then there is Christmas!  I can't blog about Little Miss yet since nothing is final, but the transition has been semi-easy (considering) and it seems like she's been here much longer than a month!  I can't wait to share pics of her first month in our family, but now is not the time!  

digger from Santa

BIG soccer goals Daddy built-game on!

Caleb really did belt it out at his Christmas program.

the boy did not miss a syllable and he really did have some volume!

his fans

This boy is nothing but a joy!

but all boy!

What a handsome man on the inside and out!  

I have to share though, that the timing of all this is always purely God's.  On a Monday in the fall, I had the first melt-down over our adoption journey that I have really had in almost 2 years. I questioned God's call on my life to do this, I questioned not birthing another child, I questioned how old I was getting and how God seemed to be not moving here, I questioned God about what else I could DO, I told him I was mad, had fasted/prayed/served, had others pray, and just could not figure out what I was doing wrong that he could not use me/our family to love a child?? I just did NOT get it.  On Tuesday, I had the first ever cry with our small group over WHY God had not answered OUR prayers.  Little did I know, that he already was (For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10).  On Wednesday, THAT call came that we'd been "chosen."  She said they'd been looking at our file since Monday...well, I had no idea that my hissy fit was pointless, but I guess that God knew it was coming and he better get movin' on me before I gave up on Him.  Within 2 weeks, we heard about our one-day child and within another 2 weeks she was in our arms and our house was turned upside down--in a good way!  Then, on the exact date of our acceptance letter two years ago we signed a pre-adoptive agreement (and they set that date).  WOW!

Since you've been here "sister":
We've remembered how fun tub baths are and how fun it is to run around naked after them (well, at least the boys do anyway), how fun jumping on beds can be, how fun acting crazy on the trampoline is, how fun it is to scare people, and how fun it can be to snack 24/7.  You are such a sassy little tom-boy--just perfect for us!

This just about sums things us nowadays…and family sports league!

Cay likes to hunt.  Jeb is playing soccer.  

 I can pretty much eat what I want right now due to all the soccer running I am doing  to keep up with Jebbers.  We decided that we would not do b-ball this winter, but instead of parents being on the road and sitting on the sidelines we’d commit to a soccer game each Saturday morning.  Also, I am working Jeb out with the tennis regimen these days.  He loves for me to pitch them pretty quickly like in a real tennis drill and he runs back and forth from forehand to backhand to hit them.  I am amazed at out little time I have invested (and no money) for him to be improving. 

I am seriously considering starting a “family sports league.”  In this league, families would meet somewhere about once or twice a month to play sports…no fees, no rec coaches to like/dislike, no long-term commitment, and the best part is that the coaches/players are all parents and siblings who need exercise, want to improve their skills, and want to play and have fun with each other! 

 I still think that my parents had a point when they did sign us up for anything (except for some tennis lessons with our cousin here and there and mostly in the summer) really until middle school.  Instead of paying someone else to teach us, THEY played with us themselves.   I have such great memories of my dad hitting me pop flies and some of my family playing tennis together over the years.  Still, mostly my Dad was the only coach I ever had and I only went to camp  twice in my life.  Nevertheless, I excelled in my chosen sports and still have a passion for playing today!  I still believe the best place for a kid to learn skills, teamwork, that life is not fair, and that losing happens is in the family!

random pretty yellow fall tree in our yard.

...and I still love tennis…especially, when I  can put a whooping on my little brother.

My little Author and this year’s fall find!

Every year J seems to have his best hunting luck in November and this year is no different.  He shot the fattest deer I have ever seen.  The boys were enthralled and Daddy was pretty proud.  J is so committed to spending time with us and working around here that he usually hunts in pretty short bursts, so I feel like for 30 mins sitting in a stand one morning this is not bad!

Jeb has really taken off in his pursuit of being an author!  His latest two books are about out trip to Holllywild and about a Monster that he eventually makes “stoo” out of!  They are so cute and fun and I could not be more proud of how he LOVES to write them and share them  with his class.  As you can see in the picture he is the “author and illustrator,” spelled in a very creative way!  His next book is something about Clemson and the Gamecocks, but the book has not yet been released.

Halloween 2011...and other random stuff about impulsivity and celebrity

 We had another really fun Halloween at the Ray's.

 Alex and Cay have enjoyed pre-school together this year.

Billy from "Where the Red Fern Grows"...just in case you didn't know-ha!

 I think Cay thinks he is some sort of celebrity. He gets out of the van smiling and waving like Brad Pitt has just arrived at pre-school.  He is super happy for 6am and when his teacher met him this morning he said, "I am going to make you run."  Since they always hold his hand he hatched a plan to "make her run" I suppose.  He has also started to say things like, "Mama, I'm going to miss you when you're gone/I'm gone," which melts me to the core.  I love this funny boy.  I am getting so cracked up at how he talks to adults and strangers everywhere we go.  He saw a nasty and huge rat with sharp, nasty buck teeth at Wal-mart in the clearance bins and just had to have it. It had no tags, so the cashier and I negotiated that the price should be .50 cents ...I did start at a quarter just so you know!   He has hidden it to scare Carson and Jeb.  Then, he decided (at THREE) to put in in his backpack this morning so when his teacher goes to put in his papers she will get a nice scare.

 Boys are so impulsive.  I think their brains sometimes talk directly to the limbs with out using the reasoning/logical portion of the brain!  Jeb decided (despite years of telling him to stand back and how it could hurt him and how he's never to play on it) to sneak in behind me while I was on the phone and walking on the treadmill and stick his finger IN the belt of the treadmill.  And, well, it ate the top layer of his skin off on that thumb and scared us BOTH to death.

This little face lights up my world!

Lake Summit, NC

The gang ready to bike!

Now I know why folks are crazy about Bass fishing. That fish was gorgeous.

The boys were so proud.

I can't believe I let these two old farts take my man out on that vessel-ha!

We had a nice family soccer game, Nana didn't really like being goalie...but she didn't want to run either.

Love this face.

BRAVE boy with no healthy fears of anything.

The gang on the way to Bradley Falls, which was NOT easy to locate.

Our first full-family camping trip was fun!