My Little Girl is Leaving

Last night I was talking to my oldest daughter, English. We were chating about the new tatoo she was getting when she said, "....because I leave in two weeks..."

I think most everyone knows that English is in the Air Force, and is currently stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. On November 28th she will be deploying to Kuwait for 6 months. When she said, "in two weeks" it about knocked the wind out of me. I didn't realize it was so close to time for her to leave.

The following are my own personal feeling and do not reflect the feelings of anyone else in this house...:)

I love the military and truly believe in it. I think most military personnel will spend some time depolyed to some foreign country. When English signed a contract with the military our country was at war, therefore, it is her duty to go over there and support our country. I am very thankful for those that go to one of the Arab countries to serve. I am sure that she could have tried to go to some other base and not go to the "war zone", but I am very proud of her for accepting this assignment without whining.

Now, I don't have a problem with her going over to Kuwait. That is her job, and the Air Force will take care of her. Even though I don't have a problem with that I do have a problem with the fact that I can't go there if something happens. I can't get to my little girl is something happens to her.

I think this is one of those things that I don't let God take care of. It is truly a fear of mine. That if someone in my family gets hurt or something is wrong I won't be able to get to them. Thankfully, all of our family lives within an ariplane ride from Minnesota. I can get to California, I can get to South Carolina, and I can get to Kentucky. I can't go to Kuwait. They wouldn't let me on base. I don't even know if they will let me in the country. How would I get to her if something happens? Please keep me in your prayers...that I will give it over to the Lord and not hold on to this.

Anyway, while English and I were talking I told her that since I couldn't go with her I was going to send little notes so that she could carry them around with her. The she could hold them up for someone to read when the occassion calls for it. They would say things like...

"Sir, please point that gun away from my daughter."
"Sir, please throw that morter the other direction away from my daughter."
"Sir, please do not look at my daughter that way."
"Sir, if you touch my daughter I will break your neck."
"Sir, my mom says I do not have to do 20 push-ups."

We got a good laugh.

Well, I know that English will be taken care of. I know that she is getting to go to a country that she may never have gotten to visit otherwise. I know she is going to make new friends. I know that if something happens to her the military will bring her home to me so that I can help take care of her, too. I hope she finds some way to have a good time while she is gone. I hope this is a positive experience for her, and that she comes away with some great stories.

I know that from the last time I was able to visit her until the time she comes back it will be right at a year. I know that my arms are going to ache, but I am very proud of her. She is a good soldier, and an amazing daughter.


If you would like to send a package or letters to English while she is over seas, please let me know and I will get you her APO address.

3B Designs

There are some new girls in town...3B Designs

They are making some amazing floral arrangements. If you would like to order one, please leave me a message, which arrangement you are interested in, and I will get back in touch with you. If you don't see something that you want let me know what you are looking for and I am sure that they can make it.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Worship with the Ray kids

This past Sunday Hunter and Veronica led worship for the youth group. Yes, I cried when I saw the video. Made me so proud that my kids are using their talents. Ronnie took about 30 minutes of worship and made this neat little montage. I can't believe that Hunter has taught himself how to play the guitar, and I am so glad that Veronica is finally singing in front of people.

what IS up with those ray's

*This is mostly a post for our family. Boredom may happen if you aren't a family member.

I don't really think that our family has been busy lately, but it sure feels like it. Summer was never here in Rochester, fall flew by in a flash and then today I woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground. Where has this year gone already?

Hunter is growing so fast!! Here is a picture taken last night of Hunter and I. He is not stretching to be this much taller than me. I really do have to look up at his now. I really don't like it.

Hunter told me this morning that he made 3rd chair in the percussion section of the school band. He is really coming a long way with his music. Drums, acoustic and electric guitar and now the bass guitar. There is also a little song writing in the mix.

English is doing well. Her best friend from high school was just out visiting with her. I stole these pictures from English's facebook. Doesn't she look great! I think that they went to Napa Valley and then into San Francisco while Alyssa was there.

This is the only picture I could get of Veronica. :) She is doing well, too. Really enjoying being on the yearbook staff at school. She resigned from Caribou and is now working in the cafe at our church. So that we can afford it I have already started planning her graduation party. I can't believe that she will be graduating in about 7 months. Doesn't seem possible that I will have two children out of school next summer.
And as you can see I don't have a picture for Cole. I haven't taken any new ones lately. Cole is doing good. Right now he is excited about the possibility of getting together with a school friend this weekend. He hasn't done this for about 3 years now. At his parent teacher conferences Cole and Ronnie made some goals for this year. One is to make 3 friends at school before Christmas. Another goal I have for him is to not break another pair of glasses. He has done so well taking care of his glasses, but has broken two pair in the past week. I have to make a way and time for him to go get some new ones. Grrrrr

Ronnie and I are doing well. Nothing new to report. Well I guess I could say that Ronnie had a great time at his high school reunion a couple of weekends ago.

I am a little sad that winter has come a couple of weeks early. I still had some painting I wanted to get done. I guess it will have to wait until spring.

I will close with this picture. It is my co-worker, Ashley, and I. We just got pediatric masks in our department to hand out to sick children if they come in with their moms. Of course we had to try them out. They are so much better than the big blue ones we give to the adults. They have Disney caracters on them.

Before and After: TV stand and side table

Don't get all excited. It isn't really that big of a deal, but I finally took pictures of two of the projects that we were working on. I really like how they both turned out.

The first on is our new tv stand. We took an old console tv and re-vamped it. I agree with my friend Jennifer...the curtain on our version of the tv stand may need a spring rod at the bottom to hold it down.

Before:

After:

During the summer I picked up a not so cute marble top table at a yard sale for $5.00. (Saturday I was at a store where this same before table was being sold for $48.00...before it was re-vamped) Unfortunately I don't have a before picture, but I wasn't very pretty. There was this lattice work in the doors before we took it out and covered it with the same fabric as in the TV stand. The top is a tan "swirl" patern.

I think that both projects turned out pretty good. The tv stand took some trial and error, but we got it just right in the end. What a transformation on both peices. I can't wait to get to some other projects waiting for me in the garage. Hopefully I will be able to get to them before it gets to cold to paint.

Ramblings of Ebby's brain

Here we go again...the ramblings of thoughts going through my brain this morning.

• Why does "pssssst" represent the word fart? Why can't it just be fart?
• I really wish I didn't have to go to work today. I would love to be snuggled up on the couch with my book.
• I have lines around my eyes. I am just going to tell myself that they are good. Means I laugh and smile a lot.
• I want to open a store. I would like to have a re-cycle/juke store.
• My co-worker, Ashley, makes weird noises. Hahahahahahahahaha
• I want to go to Winona on Monday (I have the day off). Me and my camera need to go take a trip to the river to take some pics. I also want to go to the Salvation Army re-store to see if they have any paint or other goodies.
• Hunter made me chuckle this morning. He said, "This is as cold as it gets at the beach (meaning North Myrtle Beach)." He had on a short sleeve t-shirt and was shivering in the morning coolness. Sorry to say son, but it is going to get a lot colder than this here in Rochester.
• Ronnie goes to California this weekend. What trouble can I get into while he is gone?
• Ashley is still making noises. Hahahahahahahaha
• I miss my mom. I haven't seen her in over a year. That stinks!
• I think that I want to go to college. I seriously have no idea what I would want to do. Hmmm
• I am really enjoying my bible study. It is Me, Myself and Lies, but I keep calling it Me, Myself and Irene.
• I want to do something, but I just don't know what. It is driving me crazy.

That is pretty much what was going through my head this morning. Scary isn't it.

Happy Birthday, Ronnie!

I am late again, but I have a good reason. I haven't had computer access this weekend. I was staying at a friend house watching her children Saturday and Sunday. When I got home Sunday evening our electricity was out.

Anyway, yesterday was Ronnie's birthday. We didn't do much, but he is getting to go to California next weekend so I guess that is his birthday present.

Happy Happy Birthday to you, Hunky! I love you so very much and I am so thankful that the Lord brought you into my life. Without you our kids wouldn't be weird and we wouldn't be the dork family. Without you there wouldn't be music in our lives. Without you there wouldn't be much laughter. You make our family fun.

You are an amazing father...a wonderful husband...and the bestest best friend! Thank you and Happy Birthday!

Douglas Trail

We had a great weekend at our house. Ronnie and I had three dates in one weekend. Oh my goodness!

The Twins game on Friday night was good. They beat Detroit 3-0. It was fun being at one of the last few games at this stadium. Next year the Twins will be in their new stadium and we probably won't be able to afford the crazy prices there.

Saturday night we were invited by our friends, Michael and Heidi, to their house for Wii "American Idol" night. I didn't sing, but I did my best heckle. Ronnie had a great time as always. There were 6 couples there and it was very competitive. It think the score was pretty close in the end.

Sunday was a lazy day for me. I went to church on Saturday night so I stayed home Sunday morning. When Ronnie got home we took a little nap and then went over to a friends to help them with some yard work. After that we headed up to The Douglas Trail for a walk. Walking down the Douglas Trail is so peaceful. I love it out there. I snapped this little photo with my phone. Ronnie wouldn't let me stop to take a picture so it is a little off centered. Look at all the leaves. Fall is in the air. Now only if the temps would drop a little bit it would really feel like fall. Come on 40's and 50's.

Smalls and a Ball

Here is our little Smalls. Yes, that is a tennis ball in his mouth. It is his favorite play toy. He loves to play fetch and is pretty good at it. Veronica took him outside the other day and snapped this photo of our little pup. He is in need of a haircut as you can see. I often wonder lately how he can see to get anywhere.

Pray for little Smalls. He is having a little operation in October. He is going to lose his manhood. Awwwww....poor pup.

Veronica took this picture just the other day. You can see all of the leaves that are already on the ground. FALL IS HERE! I am so excited. After fall comes winter! That makes me even more excited.

One more thing and I will end my rambling. Ronnie and I are going to a Twins Game tonight. It should be a good game. They are playing Detroit and from what I understand they are both in the race for the playoffs. Should be a great date for me and my hubby.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Jennifer's Before and After

A few weeks ago I had the following converstaion with my friend Jennifer.

Ebby: "Hello?"
Jennifer: "Ebby, are you coming over to Heidi's house today?"
Ebby: "I am on my way."
Jennifer: "Great! Go down this street and check out the table on the side of the road. It is free. If you think it is ok pick it up and bring it with you."
Ebby: "Curb side? I am on it!"

I went by this house and grabbed this table. It is a sewing machine table. Kind of a not so nice blonde wood with scratches and marks all over it. It also had this bronze handle that would open the front. The top also opened up.

Here is the table "before".
After much sanding, gluing the top down, cutting the legs down, some staining, standing back and looking, more staining, some painting, standing back and looking again, and a little more paint this is what Jennifer did to the table.

The old ugly handle is gone and replaced with a wooden applique. You can sort of see in the picture the distressing that Jennifer did. This table is so awsome now. It is sitting in Heidi's living room with a nice lamp on top.

I am having so much fun with all of this furniture re-doing...even when I am not the one doing it.

I hope to have some pictures of some of the things Ronnie and I have been working on this week. Stay tuned!