Ray's parents and my in-laws celebrated their 59th Wedding Anniversary today!! They are Robert and Jean Baker who married on April 14, 1950. They quickly had their 1st daughter Linda, then came Bob Jr. and then Wendy, Sherri, Debbie, Brenda, Ray and then Mary. 6 daughters and 2 sons! A very big family in any culture. They had all their children but Mary in upstate New York and Ray often says they got to Texas as soon as they could (he was 2). They raised a family with very much love and good hard worker. The 60's and 70's were a hard time to parent because of all the rebellion and such that was going on but they did their best. From the children they have - I know I am going to get this wrong - 27 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. The great-grandchildren is still counting. 1 great is on the way and my gang hasn't even started so the numbers will be double that in probably 5 years. What a heritage of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren!
I wanted to share some of the amazing things that makes them so special and honor Dad and Mom Baker. They have been such an example to Ray and I for their commitment to each other for all these years. They have stuck by each other through thick and thin, through healthy and challenging times, through lack and plenty - and everything in between. Sometimes in marriages we see that people lose sight of what, why and who brought them together and those people can give up when things get tough. They never gave up on each other and their family.
I personally have so much to be grateful for because of the example Dad was and is to Ray and the model of a marriage that they have shown us. The way Dad worked for his family and still works is such a testimony to Ray and all the boys in the family. His cherishing love to his wife has been unwavering for all these years. He taught Ray how to be a man that works hard for your family and doesn't quit anything. He instilled in Ray to work hard so that if his wife wanted to stay home she could. That was the desire of both of our hearts so that is what we have done in our family. Dad gave Ray SO MUCH wisdom in SO MANY things that made him a true MAN! I love when we counsel young couples, some of Dad's advice is STILL brought up that he gave to Ray. Very wise things like, Son, never ever get into your wife's business in the kitchen - he actually told Ray that a day to late. We have a brownie story for another time and Mom&Dad shared their frying pan story! HA!! I will have to share more of them in the future. He taught him to hunt - not just to hunt but to hunt for food for the freezer. We needed that food in the early years. SO MANY life lessons were taught by this AMAZING MAN. Since Ray was the 7th he got many privileges that the older 1's didn't (he knows he was SPOILED) but 1 of those was his Dad's time. He wasn't working 3 jobs to put dinner on the table so he had A LOT of time to spend with Ray. If it was sports, teaching him to fix things, build things, hunt&fish, play horseshoes, golf, watch sports of TV - so many things Ray had the opportunity to do along side his Dad.
Ray was not only crazy about his Dad but he was and is crazy about his Momma. His Mom taught him how to cook, how to clean, how to sew, how to IRON - she didn't make him do any of those things but she would let him come beside her and he watched and learned. She was the queen of what my kids say is made up saying and Ray&I are passing them on to our kids. They think they are silly and don't make a bit of sense but they will use them....in time. Some are "a bird in the hand.." so many that I am sure Ray and her daughters can quote. It's late and I can't think - why do I blog SO LATE!!!
The best way I seem to learn is by example and she was always a living example of how a Mother serves her husband and her children. Did I say the woman can cook! OH YES!! Talk about the ultimate "daughter-in-law not ever matching up to the Mother-in-laws cooking"! Even if I never have cooked as well as his Mom - he was raised by her to NEVER let me know it. I think I could hog tie Ray and have someone beat him and he wouldn't say that his Mom cooks better then me. Smart MAN!! The special things I learned from my Mother-in-law was how to truly serve my family. She is such a great example of taking care of her children, some of her grandchildren and her husband with such a servants heart! She did things for her family when I am sure she didn't feel like it but she did it with all the love in her heart. 1 major thing that I learned from my Mother-in-law was her gift of hospitality. Her home was ALWAYS, ALWAYS welcoming to anyone and everyone. Their home was the hangout house just like ours is. The woman could whip up snacks and a meal for an army in under an hr. Their home was really my 1st example of being in a home that welcomed, loved on, listened, laughed, played and genuinely loved the people that God brought to them. Ray and I have had MANY people come through our home and there has been many times that I have had flashbacks of our days in the Baker home and random people everywhere. People, community - whatever you want to call it, it's just being there for each other. If you needed a meal, a bag of groceries - whatever it was they were the people that gave and gave and gave. I love that we are passing that on to our children and their homes will be just like that too.
It was always so wonderful to know that we had their support for me to stay home and they always supported us when we were blessed with another child. I would hear friends or sisters that would tell me of their in-laws and how disapproving they were that they didn't work too or that they had more then 2 or 3 kids. My in-laws encouraged us and ALWAYS saw children as a blessing from God.
If you were around them for a short time or often you always knew and saw their undying love for each other. They have shown us that affection to each other doesn't ever have to stop, no matter how long you have been together. I always loved seeing them steal a moment with each other - if it was a glance or a touch or a kiss, it was always so tender and sweet - such a GREAT example for me from how I was brought up.
I have regrets, many regrets that I didn't take advantage of all of my Mother-in-laws wisdom in so many things. If I had it to do over again I would be quite the different daughter-in-law to her. I have made it my prayer and my mission to have my daughters be AMAZING daughter-in-laws and they WILL learn from my mistakes! I will bring the unfortunate, to be something that my daughters will gain wisdom from! Why must we learn so many things the hard way when they are so valuable and important!?
Ray and I love you both very much!! We honor you for the love of family and love of each other that you have shown to us and everyone in this BIG family!! The VERY MOST IMPORTANT thing that I have been able to see in their lives is the 2 of them come to know Jesus as THEIR personal Lord and Savior!! We are SO GRATEFUL to God for their example now of seeking God's face and serving Him. We had many years that we prayed for them and along with a lot of others prayers. But because of God's AMAZING GRACE and mercy, they now serve the Lord with all their hearts, soul and minds. I am not sure how many years it has been but it has been over 15 years since they feel in love with Jesus. They now spend time in His word and do it together. It is so precious to us and theirs has been a testimony of HOPE to so many that you don't give up on, "you and your household WILL BE saved"!!
As the Patriarch and Matriarch of this Baker Family, your son's Family would like to speak a blessing over you... 'May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.' Number 6:24-26 We love you both so much ~ Ray, Teddi, Rachel, Sarah, Hannah, Olivia and Grant
Here is a picture of the dashing and beautiful young couple!
I am up late - what else is new, but tonight is different. It's 2:32am and I have been to bed twice, trying to shut my mind and my spirit off, when I knew I was really suppose to get up and pray. So after praying I thought I would blog what the Lord is downloading to me and maybe He would release me to go to SLEEP! Funny thing is I am taking medicine for allergies that should have me OUT but OH NO!!
For the last several days the Lord has been stirring up in me simple, simple truths. Things that I don't know about you but things I need to focus my life on. It is SO simple that it would probably make my theological daughters look at me and say "really Mom?". I will get to the simple truths but 1 of the times that I tossed and turned I woke up my sweet Ray and he of course starts down the list - are the kids home, YES - have the kids out of town checked in, YES - are you feeling OK, YES. But after that I just started sharing with him and bless his heart he sat up 1/2 awake and listened then he finally got committed to the convo. and he was awake. Bless his heart!! We start talking about the simple, simple message of a follower of Jesus. Now it's going on 3am and I know the word/bible, I could give you chapter and verse but if I'm gonna do that I am going to question myself so I will need to look them up and frankly it's to late/early and my "older/healed" eyes would probably have a hard time adjusting (I haven't succumb to the Grandma glasses)! So I am just going to share my heart and you can search the Word for yourself. But back to my conversation with Ray that has been going around and around in my spirit for the last few days.
I think of when Ray and I began serving Jesus when we were 18 and 21, the years that followed were really tough in alot of ways spiritually. They were tough because we really made them tough! Let me explain, as a "Christian" we really hate to put a label on our relationship with Jesus because to us it isn't religion AT ALL and to call me a Baptist or Pentecostal or anything would just not work. So we have tried to not major on the minors as believers - just love EVERYONE, not caring about their label. Our only desire is that we ALL believe in Jesus, because He is the major and all of our differences as "Christians" are minors. SO...stay with me. We spent really our 20's and probably most of our 30's majoring on those minors. We tried and we tried and we tried not to but we did. I would like to tell you that EVERY single thing that we have learned/studied and been taught from day 1 as a Christian, is the exact way we still believe. It isn't, I think it's the same as anything in life - OH IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN - how many times have us older Mom's thought that about raising our kids? It's the same thing in all the different things that we have learned as Christians. We studied till the cows came home MANY, MANY different "things" - healing, no healing - tongues, no tongues - deliverances, no deliverances - pre trib - trib - post trib -- once saved always saved or no - how long am I "suppose" to pray - prosperity - SO MANY THINGS, the list could go on!!!! We would bog ourselves down on all of these MINORS!! It got in our way SO MANY TIMES -- in our walk. Then over the last several years things have changed --- the simple truth came back to us, the thing that meant SO MUCH to us when we were just newly saved. THE LOVE OF JESUS - the simple, redeeming LOVE OF JESUS!! The same LOVE saved me from death - that saved me from having a life with NO hope in it. You see the world has a false hope, it may last for a time but in the end it is empty. I have felt that hopeless life without Him.
You may get Ray to discuss with you his knowledge on this and that but we have finally came FULL CIRCLE back to the 1 truth - Jesus died for me, He died for me and was tortured and he took on MY horrible, disgusting, terrible sin - FOR ME!!! But He did it at the MERE CHANCE that I would LOVE Him back. Isn't that something to think about. I don't think we put enough thought into what He did for you and me. He hung on a cross and died and was beaten to a point of not being recognized as a human being. Can you imagine all the sin of the world, all the sickness and disease of every one of us? Can we only imagine... He took on MY SIN not knowing if I would give up MY life to follow Him. I love, OH HOW I LOVE that we have come full circle back to a simple message - He loves us! I don't know if you have heard many messages of the kingdom of God and that is Ray's love to preach but its SO SIMPLE people. There isn't anything hard about it. God sent His Son into the world to die so that we can LIVE - but not just live but live for Him!! Walk around not judging everyone that doesn't believe like me but just loving people the way Jesus would love if He was walking the earth still today. We have 2 commands and that is to Love the Lord our God and love our neighbor. Are we doing that today? Am I doing that every day? I fail SO, SO much but I try to get up (sometimes I am a little slower).
I just wanted to share what the Lord put on my heart and maybe it is for you too. He loves me and I am going to love Him by loving every person He brings to me. I have used the analogy before that when you bless my children you bless me or when you love my children you love me. Isn't it the same way with God - in my complicated days of "doing works for the Lord or is it GRACE", I would KNOW that the Grace of God was how the kingdom works but I would then get to thinking that I must EARN His love and EARN faith $$ so that when I needed Him I could cash them in. OH MY!! That ISN'T how we LOVE Him!! We love him by loving his creation - His children! I know some theologians would disagree and they have a million page list on "ways to love the Lord" but He said come to Him as a child. Do you think that maybe He wants us to stop being SO analytical, philosophical, theological and just come like children? I will never forget Grant when he was young and the girls had a friend over Kari and she LOVED Grant. Well she knew that Grant was a little prayer warrior and I bet he wasn't 4 years old anyway she had a bad headache and she asked Grant, would you pray for me, he said SURE and walked over to her put his hand on her head and said, "be healed in Jesus Name"! That's all, nothing long and she was SO moved by his prayer - it was as simple as that but it had so much POWER behind it!!
So as my sweet Sarah blogged about 1 time that was so profound to me - How are we loving Him today? How is our love walk today with the saved AND the LOST? I don't know about you but I want to be found faithful in the little things. Faithful in a smile to a broken heart, a nonjudgmental look when someone is struggling, a heart that breaks at the person that has no hope in Jesus. I want to be found loving Him with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind and loving everyone around me. We don't get to pick only the lovable people to love. Sometimes we are made strong by the 1 that "wants to judge us". Someone may look down on you for the color of your skin or the degree you don't have or the money you don't have. We must love them anyway - we have times that we have EVERY right in the world to be offend but as children of God we have no right to walk in offense. Remember we are gonna be persecuted for His name and that could even be by Christians. It only makes us stronger. But we have to keep on loving...we can't get weary in loving people. His mercy is new EVERY morning with ME can't my mercy be NEW every morning for someone that needs that mercy from me?
I could go on - OH MY I love to share His truths!! For all my fellow brothers and sister in Jesus - let's stop, even if it's for 1 day, Easter, and just put down ALL the things that can clutter our mind and our spirit. All the great sermons that have actually brought you to a place of - "can I follow this man, Jesus, is this too hard?" and let's remember the simple message that He came to bring, and that is He came to die for you and me so that we can now receive Him as the Lord and Savior of our lives and then we can spend eternity with Him. But after we ask Him to take over our messed up lives and we surrender our lives to Him - NOW we are called to share that same AMAZING love to everyone He brings to us!!
I close at 4:25am with such a grateful, grateful heart!! A heart that is SO grateful for a Savior that loved me in my sin, His word says "for God so loved the world!" but He didn't stop there. He gave His only Son - that whoever believes in Him will NOT perish - and the BEST news is we are promised Eternal LIFE!! And that good people is John 3:16. Thank you Jesus for loving me, thank you for forgiving me and thank you for my hope of eternal life with YOU forever!!
I pray you have such a blessed Easter Sunday - but PLEASE remember more that it is the RESURRECTION that we celebrate as believers!! I have been thinking on what He did through his death but OH MY WORD - in 1 day from now He may have me up blogging/preaching about His GLORIOUS RESURRECTION!!! Take time to remember what He did for you!! He is alive people - the only "religion" in all the world that the person that we worship, is ALIVE!! Anyone that wants to change my mind about Jesus has come WAY to late. He has walked with me and talked with me and I'm telling you He is ALIVE!! God Bless You ALL!!!
Well today is opening day of Ranger baseball (not that I really care but Ray, Grant and Austin seem to think its a big deal)! It just always marks for me the beginning of a new season. We all love Spring and it never last as long as any of us would like but we all enjoy it all the same. ***As I am finishing this blog I was informed by Grant that the Rangers kicked butt and won 9-1.
Lots going on here in our home and in our lives. Megan has been living with us since January and she has been out of town for a month with Blaire. It was way to long but she got back last week. We all love her being here!! Rachel has purchased her plane ticket to leave for Israel on June 3rd (I think) and she will be gone 88 days - she hasn't paid for the ticket but it has been purchased (credit card!). She is working her fingers to the bone to do all she can do and I know the Lord will do the rest. Soon (like yesterday) I was suppose to be finished with her support letter to help her raise money for her mission trip - I'm almost totally done RACHEL!! She is SO EXCITED!! I will post her letter soon so you can all hear her heart on Israel and what she is going to do. IT'S EXCITING!! She is going with Gary and Jerri Benjamin and their youngest son Preston. They are the parents of Austin, who is Hannah's boyfriend. It's crazy how the Lord connects people - He is SO clever... The Benjamins are leaving in 2 weeks to move there for 1 year. All of my girls are so sad because they have grown to love them so much - just like family! Hannah is SO sad but grateful that she has had over a year to really get to know them. Sarah has been at her new job for 1 week. She is back at the same job she had before she went to KC. Her same friends are there so she is loving that. She is quite under the weather right now : ( - but she is tough as nails so she will bounce back. Olivia is working her 2 jobs and really doing good. I on the other hand miss her SO MUCH!! She was my last girl to be around the house all the time and now it's just me and Grant. Liv just got offered a Nanny job for the months of June and July. She actually hasn't purchased her ticket but she is wanting to go to Israel. Her wish and prayer is to go around the 1st week in August and then fly back with Rachel. She would be there around 3 weeks so we shall see. This nanny job would actually pay for her whole trip so as soon as she knows if she got it - we will start making plans. She would have to fly alone to Israel so we will see if her Daddy will agree to that! Mr. Grant is keeping us all on our toes!! He is quite the comedian around our house.
Ray is as wonderful as ever and we are loving life together as usual. He is working very hard these days, as so many are with the wonderful world economy like it is. I am happy that we can depend on God's economy and in it there is NO LACK! Our Summer is filling up with things and Ray is marrying 2 couples this Summer and 1 of them is our sweet niece Katie and her guy Justin. The other is another daughter of ours (she just doesn't have our DNA) Bink (or Brittany) and Davi. We have been preparing for some pre-marital counseling (our most FAVORITE kind of counseling). 1 thing new I read and I thought I would share was this - Before you get married write down the 3 biggest things that bug you about the other/the things that you would want changed. Then vow to each other that these 3 things will never be talked about or even slightly brought up again in any negative way. We will give them to the Lord and have HIM change the other. What I know from being happily married for 26 years is when we do that - WE CHANGE most of the time and sometimes even the Lord changes the other. Of course we are always growing and changing - THANK GOD! I think that is something we should ALL do, no matter how long we have been married or in a relationship. In my case Ray probably had 10 things he wanted changed about me -- but I never knew 1, because he let the Lord change me...just a little nugget - for someone I am sure!
That's an update on the Baker gang. One other young lady that lived at our home for a couple of years is Emily. When she was living here she was going to Bible School at CFNI, wishing she had a boyfriend (like the rest of the girls around here) and she was a real JOY to have live here. She has been gone a few years and in that time she got MARRIED - her 1st date with Josh he actually picked her up from our home. Well this weekend we got a call that she is PREGNANT and they are so, so excited. We are all so excited because she will always be 1 of our girls and 1 of the girls sisters. Some of you know but around a month ago her Dad found out that he has cancer. He has been given no hope medically but LOTS OF HOPE by the REAL HEALER, JESUS!! His name is Bill Wells and he is Emily's Daddy and her little babies Pop - PLEASE put him on your prayer list and pass his name to anyone that you know that believes that Jesus still heals! He is an amazing man and he is AN AMAZING Daddy! I had the honor of taking her wedding pictures almost 2 years ago and here is a couple of pictures of Emily and her Daddy.
ALOT going on in The Baker house and in everyones lives! CHAnge, CHANge, CHANGE is the word for the month. The Lord reminds me as I am typing this that ANYTHING that is living, is changing. ANYTHING!! SO, I am trying to embrace all the changes going on and thanking the Lord that we are LIVING, we are progressing and a better word to use would be GROWING!! Some have growing pains - well let me re-phrase that - I AM having GROWING pains with all the change!! Just as soon as you figure the Lord out, He pulls a fast 1 on you. I write this with such a GRATEFUL heart that the Lord has HIS hand on and in everything in my family and that makes me SMILE!!
1st to talk about is Rachel - she is going through change that is very EXCITING! She is trusting and believing that the time is NOW for her to fulfill a call that the Lord put in her heart and in her spirit a couple of years ago. It looks like everything is in perfect place for her to go spend the summer in Israel. She is SO EXCITED and SO ready to see what the Lord has for her there but mostly to see how the Lord GROWS her heart even more for the Jewish people and for the most blessed place on earth. It is HER time to GO and we feel 110% PEACE in this time being the right time. She will go with a family that the Lord has knitted our family with in so many different ways so she will be there with parents that will somewhat take over our covering of her. Some may say we are CRAZY for allowing her to go to probably 1 of the top 5 most dangerous countries but it wouldn't be the 1st time we have been called crazy. I think about some of the crazy things in the Bible that the Lord asked the disciples to do and I feel in very good company. We have learned and taught our children that the SAFEST place we can be is in HIS will so Rach is waiting patiently to walk in that and it is awesome to watch with her. She needs the provision to go but when the Lord calls, He provides - so that is her promise. I will blog about this more in the near future. Everything isn't 100% a done deal and the ticket hasn't been bought yet but things are MOVING QUICK!! Sidenote to the above news - she started a new job a few weeks ago that is getting her closer to Israel. It is a GREAT job that is good money and she is working SO HARD. Perfect timing OF COURSE!!
This pictures is of Rach 2 years ago standing on Mount Carmel where Elijah called down fire from heaven.
This is of the Temple Mount (the gold dome) and it's surroundings. Ms. Sarah is doing well - change is a blowing in her hair. Her life of prayer in the night has not stopped. She is back at home from Kansas City and we are loving that. She is trusting the Lord that she will very SOON be working back at her old job that she had before she left. PLEASE GOD!! She is growing and maturing in the Lord and in life things - very exciting. I soak up every day with her home. She has been able to do some worship events with friends since she has been back. She did do something very fun and funny recently that I wouldn't have missed. She went with a buddy, Matt to her old stomping ground - Free Style Skate Park and tried her hand at aggressive skating again (essentially rollerblading). We spent MANY a days in that park when she was 9 to 12! Then she turned into a girl and didn't go again. It was a BLAST to watch. 10 years later and 22 years old and she still has it. She wasn't quite as fearless as she was, which I must admit I was happy about. So here is a silly video of that. She did other things that were awesome but I couldn't get them on video because to follow her was putting my life in danger - skateboards EVERYWHERE!!
This is outside the skate park - her and Matt Hannah is doing awesome! Nothing really big going on. She is enjoying her relationship with Austin - it is growing and she couldn't be happier. What an easy kid! She is working hard at her coffee shop job. This reminds me that I don't have really any new pictures of her and Austin - i know, i know - most people would say they have enough pix. for a lifetime but never enough in my book. Some change coming but that will be for another blog.
Olivia - she is on the open road!! She FINALLY got her drivers license. She is a really good little driver!! I have let her go as far as Grand Prairie to youth but she is itching to go out to Dallas to see friends. That will be in a few months when she has some more miles logged. The other BIG news with Liv is she got not 1 job but 2 jobs!!! She is a working girl. She has 1 part time job at the coffee shop that Hannah works at and then she works with Rachel and the country club being a floater. She isn't enjoying getting up because she has the very early 6 in the morning shift and she hasn't gotten her 1st pay check but when the $$ comes I think she will like it somewhat better. She is being very responsible so I am proud.
Here is a picture of her with her license, outside the dmv. Her real license came about 10 days later and she is very proud of how good she looks on her DL, ha! Here is the prizes that her 3 sisters went to get the day she got her license.
Here is a picture of her at 1 of her new jobs, the tennis shop.
And last but not least - MR. GRANT!!! He is my little angel. He is about to finish the 3rd grade and may I add he is quite the genius still. He has some great lil' buddies at school that he has really clicked with. We also have 2 boys across the street that Grant really enjoys playing with. He is pretty much the easiest kid in the house right now. NO drama in his life yet - and I pray there NEVER is!! He aggravates his big sisters whenever he thinks he can get away with it. Next week will be his 1/2 birthday, he will be 8 1/2. I really can't believe that that is possible. Time is FLYING by people!! Don't miss out on being grateful 1 minute of the day for your loved 1's.
A picture of Grant on St. Patrick DAY - green hair and all.
That's all I got for now. Till next time everyone - the Lord Bless YOU!!!
Another Valentine Day has come and went. Some happy daughters in the house - some not so happy!! HA!! We finally all got healthy in our house. I think Ray, Sarah and Grandma were the only ones that escaped that virus from hell.
Valentine was on a weekend day so that was nice. Our day started out with breakfast by Ray and Grant. It was SO precious!! They made breakfast for all of us girls. After that Ray and Grant handed out their Valentine gifts. Ray and Grant had gotten all us girls our standard homemade cards (which are ALWAYS awesome&different) and chocolates and Grants conversation hearts that he loves to get the girls and read them to "the sisters". Ray usually gets all of us a bundle of flowers but he didn't this year, but the girls had another Valentine for the flowers! Austin came to pick Hannah up and brought all the girls flowers and precious poems that he had written each of them. So, they all really felt blessed even if they didn't have a Valentine for the day.
ALOT of years Ray and I stay home - usually we do because the restaurants are SO crowded. Since Ray is such a good cook he usually makes me a yummy dinner because Valentine is for girls only, or that is what he has always said. He usually makes something we don't have at home - crab, lobster - something special. When our kids were little we would have to be very creative...since nobody wants to babysit on Valentine Day at their house, we would do silly things. Ray loves surprises so 1 year he made steak/lobster and the works. He set up a table in our bedroom in front of our fireplace and it was SO special. He had music, candles and the thing I remember the most is, to drown out the kids downstairs - we turned on the box fan! It was a HOOT - I don't know what they were doing down there but Rach was in charge, usually, so I am sure they were fine.
SO, since Olivia didn't have plans which was shocking (plans with a girlfriend that is) she joined us for our dinner and it was yummy as always. Rachel went to help out a cousin with her kids so that she could go out. She was home fairly early to join in on the movie that we watched which I don't remember. It's usually a chick-flick but it got them all sappy and not enjoying being single.
Sarah being single, she wasn't looking forward to the day but she too embraced it and is enjoying her single days. She however had plans and left that afternoon to head to Waco for the rest of the weekend. She went to see a GREAT, new friend, Anna. A precious, AMAZING young lady that did the internship at IHOP when Sarah did it so she wanted to share the "single awareness day" with her. Anna's guy friends wanted to bless some of their girl friends with an awesome dinner outside, to serve them and bless them. After the dinner the guys took the ladies to a house and had a couple of artist come and sketch pictures of all the ladies - Sarah's turned out amazing. She had a great time and was VERY blessed to be with some amazing people and she was SO excited to meet new friends. Here is a few pictures of Ms. Sarah on V-Day... Sarah and Anna Then there was Hannah. This was her and Austin's 1st Valentine Day together and Hannah's 1st V-day with a boyfriend so she was very excited. She had gone to get a new outfit so she was ready. Austin had a whole day planned to celebrate and it started early in the day with a trip to the zoo. Here is a pix. from the zoo. After that they got ready to go out for the evening. Sushi and a movie!! They are SO CUTE!It was everything Hannah had hoped her 1st Valentine Day would be! Here are a couple of them dressed up for the evening. And that is the end of another kind of silly holiday. I love that Ray does something special on that day but he does things like that SO MANY OTHER DAYS of the year!! Since we have 4 daughters he has always wanted to show them that this is how you should expect to be treated by your guy 1 day. It is up to them how they want to celebrate the day. But Ray cherishing us girls is a great example of how you honor the women in your life.
This is a little recap of our love story.... I will write this because inevitably I write things that my girls say, I didn't know that. Then I will get to a love note to HIM, my PRINCE!
Today marks 26 years of being married to Ray. We are starting tomorrow on year 27!! WOW!! I have been married to him twice as long as I wasn't dating/married to him. Our journey started when I was 11 YEARS OLD!! He was almost 14 and he actually was IN LOVE with 1 of my older sisters. She was his age, they were in the 8th grade and he asked her to the homecoming game for our high school football team. He had been madly in love with Tricia for a good couple of years (who wasn't in love with her, sounds like someone else I know ; ) ). She had decided to go with him on the date and Ray and his Dad came to pick her up. They sat in the back seat and away they went. She was VERY mature for her age and not only was she mature but she was TALL. SO, being about a 1/2 a head taller then him - "she just wasn't in to him". She is amazing but she along with my other 4 older sisters usually dated OLDER guys so Ray and Tricia were really destined not to last. Well, when he brought her home he decided that he had 1 chance with the famous "Tricia Short" so we took a chance and made his move. Along with it being his 1st kiss it was also her 1st kiss!! HA!! The funniest thing was - she was SO much taller, that he had to stand on the curb to accomplish the deed, also he had hurt his arm so it was bandaged! OH MY!! Anyway, the relationship didn't go anywhere. But here is the pix. that slightly confused my children, "Is that Aunt Tricia"?That is where I come in. After that football season basketball season started. Tricia was a cheerleader so we went to the basketball games and who do you think was on the 8th grade basketball team - RAY!! OH HOW CUTE HE WAS and IS!!! I was IN LOVE!!! I seriously can still remember the day that I saw him and feeling like I LOVE HIM!! It is funny to think of now. SO, here this 11 year old - almost 12, 6th grader is in love with this awesome, 1 of the most popular, athletes, ALL the girls liked him - GUY!! Here are some cool guy pix. The only thing I probably had going for me was that I was a Short (my maiden name) and that I looked probably 16 when I was 12. SO, I went to ANY bb game that I could just to see him and I began to daydream. I daydreamed and prayed and confessed and believed that he would be MY husband. That last statement IS the TRUTH, that is EXACTLY what I did and believed. Well bb season came to an end and then shortly after that was the summer. Me being alot like my younger girls - I hung out with my older sisters, therefore I acted older and I indeed looked older. SO, this is where the 1st recollection that "The Ray Baker" noticed me. We were at Mustang Park near Crowley Texas where we grew up and I was in a black bikini (that's what he tells me because I don't remember this but those were the days). He saw me walking at the beach area there and he turned to his friend and asked who that was. His friend told him that I was Tricia's little sister - Ray quickly turned back to me and told his friend that he would MARRY ME!!! Well, being 12 and 14 1/2 there was NO cars involved so the only time that we saw each other was at school sports. BUT, he did begin to call me and our budding relationship started, we could talk FOREVER. That winter I had a school (at my ELEMENTARY!!!) carnival and he came with some of his COOL friends. Here enters in the 1st GIFT he got me. I of course STILL have it, it is a silver ID bracelet that they engraved right there and it says Merry Christmas and on the back it says, December 1976!! WOW!! That is A LONG TIME AGO!! So after that I began to babysit his nieces and nephews for his sisters. He has 6 sisters and 1 brother and him being the 7th - he had LOTS of nieces and nephews - SO, I became the babysitter for most of them. WELL, 1 night I was babysitting for 1 sister and conveniently Ray and his friend came over. His friend left and Ray stayed - probably not smart. After the kids went to bed we watched a movie - its OK people this is rated G!! Our 1st kiss happened that night - I WAS A BABY!! But anyway I knew NO BETTER - just a kiss though people. From that night on we were going steady, aaahhh. I got him - I got the best - my sister WAY missed out (she has an AMAZING husband too)!! Our dating went through me in Junior High and then I got to highschool with him and we were in HS together for 2 years. It was a BLAST!!! Here I am sitting on his knee - I was never taller then him, HA. I was probably 15 and Ray was 18. Then I moved the summer before my Junior year to Arlington - Ray had graduated and he was living here and there. Then the summer that I turned 17, 17--OH MY GOSH!! We decided to get married! He was tired of taking me home - nothing spiritual, sorry. But I knew in my knower that he was my PRINCE!! So after my Mom went with us to get our marriage license to sign me away because I wasn't 18 - we got married!! A great wedding and reception & REALLY good pictures!! YAY!!! It was magical!! Here are a few pix. of the BIG DAY!!This is a picture when I was 18 - I think it looks like Sarah and Hannah - a mixture. Sarah CONSTANTLY puts her hand on her face like this!!
We were married for 2 1/2 years before Rachel was born. It has been the MOST WONDERFUL marriage I have ever known. He is TRULY, THE BEST HUSBAND in the WORLD!! We have NEVER had 1 time that we even had 1 tiny thought of not wanting to be married! We have had SO MUCH FUN together! We are really a perfect team. He is such a better person then I am - he is SO selfless, it puts me to shame. He is near perfection for sure!!
I will stop there and maybe some time I will pick the love story up from there. I am going to try to scan some pictures of us WAY BACK THEN - *I did it!
What I thought I would do is something that Ray did for me on our 15 anniversary - I will write 26 reasons I LOVE HIM!!!!
1. He LOVES the LORD our GOD with ALL his HEART, SOUL and MIND!!! 2. He seeks GOD for our FAMILY and he never stops PRAYING for us ALL!!! 3. He is THE Spiritual LEADER of our home and he is a husband and father that we can follow. 4. He is the BEST Daddy - I have found NO Dad that compares to him! 5. He is MY BEST FRIEND! There is NOBODY on this earth that I would rather go anywhere with, do anything with, experience anything new with! 6. He has the BEST character, the most AMAZING integrity and the strongest convictions! 7. He LOVES me with ALL HIS HEART! 8. He has a deep commitment to Our Marriage Covenant! 9. He brings such PEACE to ANY situation! 10. He is VERY HANDSOME, his smile MELTS my heart!! He FILLS our home with HUMOR!! 11. He is an AMAZING cook and he LOVES to serve his family! He is just a wonderful example of Jesus. He lays down his life for us. 12. He is a FANTASTIC example to our daughters of the man they should wait for and for Grant to strive to be!! 13. He has searched the Word of God and he ministers to our family DAILY!! 14. He LOVES adventure and is usually up for ANYTHING! 15. He is a MAN'S Man and he REALLY connects with women. I LOVE THAT!! 16. He is VERY handy - can pretty much fix anything! 17. He is such a servant to anyone that needs him - HE IS THERE! 18. He LOVES to be with ME! We can do ANYTHING and we just LOVE being together!! 19. He has patience like none other!! Especially with me, over the years. 20.He saw me through the Lord eyes when I wasn't such a prize. 21. He is a WONDERFUL provider and has worked 3 jobs in our marriage to provide and let me stay home. 22. He helped make 5 of the most AMAZING, WONDERFUL, INCREDIBLE people I know!! His genes w/ mine make REALLY PRETTY babies!! 23. He is an AMAZING example to so many young men that need a GODLY example in their relationships. I LOVE that!! 24. He humors me with being interested in ANYTHING that I am interested in. He REALLY does a good job at this!! 25. He has SO MANY more words then most men - we can seriously still talk ALL NIGHT LONG!! 25 1/2. He loves me NO MATTER what! He looks at me like I am that 17 year old he married. 26. He is the ONE and ONLY person that I CAN'T WAIT to grow old with!! I can't wait to be sitting with him and holding hands, talking about what the Lord is doing through our children and grandchildren (oh wow, that will be AWESOME) and really knowing what each other is thinking -- FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!!!
I COULD go ON & ON & ON!! For REAL!!! He is such a MAN among MEN!! He is SO HUMBLE and doesn't take ANY credit for any of the above!
SO, as our Anniversary draws to an end we reflect on 26 years of serving the Lord side by side -- parenting our children and going through 5 PREGNANCIES! -- trying to do our best to be parents to children that have such DESTINY and PURPOSE! -- continually being used by the Lord, for HIS glory! -- and just enjoying this JOURNEY that we are ON TOGETHER!! We are SO not a glimmer of what we were 26 years ago (OH how thankful I am for that). I thank Ray for seeing something inside of me that gave him hope that someday I would turn out to be a good wife and the wife that he so deserved (it was touch and go at first). I told 1 of the girls today that my prayer for them is that the Lord brings them someone even 1/4 as amazing as their Dad is. Of course I really pray that their husbands are even more amazing then their Dad but that probably isn't possible - well after 26 years maybe. He has FOR SURE gotten better with time/wisdom/knowledge (don't we all)! We are EXCITED about the next 26 years! We have many more memories to look forward to - GRANDCHILDREN, I think we are most excited for!! He will be the BEST Pop! Seeing the call that the Lord has placed on our life as a couple and on our children - that will be exciting to see come to it's fullness. But in all of that we are just ready for tomorrow - the simple things of waking up and loving each other. Laughing through the "getting older" stuff - being there for eachother when 1 is up and the other could be down!! But I will stop for now.... Thank you Ray Baker for choosing ME! Me to be the LUCKIEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD!!! I will DIE never FULLY thinking I deserve you! You are MY HERO for sure!!! I love you more then words could EVER, EVER, EVER say!!!
Can I just say WOW!?!? YES, I can... It has been not so fun around here for about the last week! It all began with Austin, last Saturday him and Hannah had a date. They went to the Mavs game and the guy felt HORRIBLE! That was the 1st sign around our house that someone in our midst was SICK! Then the next day all the girls went to the Benjamin's for the "Destiny made it to her due date" party. Well Rach was starting to feel bad that afternoon but by the time she got home she felt really bad (sorry everyone at the party)! So for the next several days after that it was Austin and Rachel coughing and coughing and coughing (Rachel mostly). They felt SO bad and by Tuesday I made Rach go to then Dr. to get something, ANYTHING!! Well by Wednesday evening Olivia started feeling bad and SO DID GRANT!! OH BOY! Whatever this virus is that is straight from hell - it usually starts with fever, fever that last 3 to 4 days, a NASTYcough, body aches, headache, some had congestion. Pretty much every symptom of the flu. So Rachel, Sunday - Liv and Grant, Wed. and then there was Ms. Hannah. She started feeling bad on Friday at work. She came home early and was pretty pitiful all evening. Most of my kiddos are really tough and they don't like to give into feeling bad. Hannah is 1 of those so Friday was bad but Saturday is date night and she was going out. After they got back from the movies Austin told us that at a really important part of the movie she lets out a cough that was loud enough that someone near them said - what did she say (on the movie). It seems that the 3rd day for them all have been the WORST and that was Hannah's day today. She passed on church to sleep in and headed to her boys to spend the day and evening. THANK GOD! 1 less kid to take care of - let him do it. She had a MISERABLE day and Liv was here at home thinking her throat was being stabbed with a knife. SO, enough for me! Ray took her to the Dr. - side note for the future - any emergency visits that aren't planned Ray takes the kids to. Unless it is of course a real emergency and we would both be there. But if it is not a planned visit - he takes them. Its worked out nice and he gets to share in the fun. Of course the unplanned visit are when the kids are usually the most miserable so SORRY HONEY! Anyways, Liv got a shot and an antibiotic! OH BOY!! OH, how could I have forgotten sweet Casey! She came to join the fun of Saturday. She lives in Dallas, she is living here away from her Momma so when she talked to the kids and said she was miserable - I said come on and we will take care of you! She felt SO BAD too! It was a CRAZY weekend for sure.
I praised the LORD all weekend because Ray worked some Friday but he was home the whole rest of the weekend. We are such a good team - sometimes we would look at each other and only be able to laugh. 1 evening they were all coughing (driving us NUTS) and we would make fun of them to each other like only a Dad and Mom can. Some would throw up from so much coughing or congestion (Ray's the throw up cleaner upper--did I mention he is theBEST). We both went to the store to shop and it was heaven - we were OUT OF THE HOUSE!! We came home with Gatorade, waters, juices boxes and every known kind of Popsicle - more cough drops, more ibuprofen and more flu medicine! WHAT A WEEKEND!!We also bought the fixins to make an AWESOME homemade chicken noodle soup - it was FAB!
I think Rach is on the mend and I think by tomorrow Mr. Grant will be better. Liv is a couple days away maybe, maybe the shot will do her right and she will be SO GOOD tomorrow (I'm believing for that). Hannah is taking off work tomorrow and hoping to feel better. Big thanks to Austin for taking care of her. Funny story - Austin called me sometime today while she was there and she wanted him to ask me what she could take because she was feeling SO BAD. Well I told him and after I got off the phone I told Ray that Hannah wasn't do good at all. He instantly said she needed to come home because she needed her Dad. Well we have always been a team when our kids were sick and we would actually fight over them because I am the Mom and I wanted them and he was the Dad and he wanted them - sometimes it would be tug-a-war. So anyways, I had to tell him that she didn't need her Dad she was right where she wanted to be and Austin was taking very good care of her. He didn't want to believe it but of course he knew that was true! A little sad but true!!
So, Praise be to GOD, Ray and I are not sick, Grandma is NOT sick and the only child that isn't sick and hasn't gotten sick and really refuses to get sick is Ms. Sarah! She said she is clearly the only 1 living right - HA, what did Grant do... SO, she is very grateful to be healthy! She is flying out to go to Kansas City on Wednesday for about 3 or 4 days and then she is making a trek with her old roommate to go to Tuscon, Arizona. A 21 hr. drive that I think they are gonna go a couple of hrs. out of the way and come here for a night or 2. SO - she has NO TIME to get this JUNK! NO TIME AT ALL!!! She's got places to go and stuff to do! I am believing with her and pumping her full of vitamin C, mannatech, airborne and anything else we can find.
OH, in the middle of the week (Wednesday) Destiny had her precious baby boy Shiloh. Hannah, Liv and Sarah got to go be at the hospital to wait for his arrival. Rachel was to sick and she was ticked about that! We are so happy Shiloh is here. Of course that was the evening that Liv started feeling bad - sorry everyone at the hospital. I tell you, you can feel guilty about infecting people but like my Mom has said before - people can get this stuff off of a shopping cart.
So anyways, NO PICTURES with this blog. NOBODY needs their picture made around here but Sarah. She's still looking cute as ever but the rest, aren't picture ready!! OK, I am writing this to show my children 1 day that they OWE US for taking care of them! HA, I wonder if it will work.... My next blog will be that everyone is healthy, Sarah didn't get sick and we are all healthy, happy and wise...ha!
Monday the 5th was a BIG day for my girls - they were going to see CELINE DION!! BIG DEAL FOR SURE!!! I actually sprung a surprise on all the girls but Rachel (she was in on the surprise) for a Christmas gift and got them all tickets to see 1 of their all time favorite singers--Celine! Rachel, Sarah and Megan had seen her in Las Vegas a couple years back and LOVED her show. Well after the big sisters saw her, Hannah and Liv had a dream that 1 day they would see her too. SO, I thought what would make it better for them and it would be to share it with friends. Casey had always dreamed of seeing her too so Casey got a ticket. I didn't know if Austin would refuse to go or not so I called him to see if he was in and he said of course - I think he did it for Hannah but that was all I needed. I got in touch with Adam to see if he would rather stay here with us or go because I knew it would be while he was here, but he thought he could handle it as long as he was going with mostly girls (only because it wouldn't be cool AT ALL to go with more guys then girls, HA). He was hoping none of his friends would find out back in KC that he had gone to a Celine Dion concert but I think they did! HA!! Then of course Megan is 1 of our own so she had to go. So 8 of them went to see Celine and they ALL LOVED IT!!! Casey cried through most every song. Hannah cried through a few that had special meaning to her. Liv didn't cry of course. The boys - Austin and Adam really enjoyed it too. Rachel, Sarah and Megan had seen her AMAZING show at Caesars Palace but thought this show was GREAT too! So I think we nailed that gift for sure. Here are a few pictures of their evening, starting at the house - Megan got ready at her place so she isn't in the 1st 1.
7 of the 8
Another "new pose" (I will explain that in another blog)of them right before they left the house!
At the AA Center in Dallas waiting for the concert to begin.
waiting...
some more waiting pix...
isn't this what everyone does while they are waiting - take MORE pix? OK, this is the last waiting pix. and a few of the GREAT Celine!!
HOWDY!! Something Adam probably didn't care about hearing while he was here! HA!!
Well the very 1st day of 2009 we had a special guest come to stay for almost a week. Sarah had met Adam when she went to IHOP in KC back in July. They became fast friends and he was a big source of strength, encouragement and help to her while she was in Kansas City those 3 mths. Adam had never been to Texas and we needed a way to get Sarah's car and stuff back to Texas and being the servant he is, he offered to make the trek to Texas! He had just ended a job so he was able to stay a while so we tried to give him the Texas welcome and show him some sights! Also on New Years Day (actually around 2 in the morning) Mia and Blaire came to visit from Mississippi!! Blaire was a surprise because we thought only Mia was coming for the long weekend, so that was awesome. They stayed with Megan at her place. So, Adams 1st day we had hang out time with our family and friends - dinners, movies, xbox, wii, playing music and talks - you know the stuff we do at The Bakers!
The weather could not have been any more perfect then it was while he was here. Coming from Kansas City and some already really COLD and SNOWY days this winter - he was in heaven with the Texas weather. So the girls wanted to take him to see the Dallas sights, it was Friday the 3rd. Mind you some of the sights my kids had never seen so some of them they all saw for the 1st time together! They had a LONG, full day that started out with BEAUTIFUL weather and ended up a little chilly. It was the 3 girls (Hannah was at a wedding that Austin was in) and then somewhere in the day Casey met up with them. She actually became the city guide and was a lifesaver!
The pictures are pix of their DAY IN DALLAS!!
1st stop was West Village SILLY LOOKS! Adam couldn't stop! Coffee stop at Gachets The 6th floor museum - place where they believe the shots came from that killed JFK! Place in the road that JF Kennedy was shot in his car. They went to the AA Center HOPING to get cheap tickets to the Dallas Mavericks game that was going on. NO GO! AA Center They ended their evening at Cafe Brazil for dinner. After dinner they went to Emanuel's apt. to see Travis - it was his birthday! This is Adam and Liv on Emanuel's balcony - NICE!!
They saw many others things that they didn't take pictures of. They actually found a House of Prayer somewhere near downtown. Sarah and Adam ran in, because of parking they didn't all get out but I think that was his highlight. He loved how quaint it was and he really felt the presence of the Lord. SO, I think their Dallas trip was a success and Adam got to enjoy a little piece of our GREAT STATE!!
The next day was FORT WORTH!!! We started a little late of course but we ALL went so enough said. Actually everyone but Mr. Grant because he went to a cousins and then went to a sleepover/birthday. So it was the rest of us, Adam and Austin. Everyone was STARVING so our 1st stop was Joe T. Garcia's, which is a very popular Mexican food restaurant in Ft. Worth. We waited for a table outside and it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT. What a beautiful day again it was - the Lord shined down on Adam, literally! He of course wanted to have Mexican food on his visit and he was not disappointed at all. Here is a couple pix. of us there and our wait - pix. taking always helps the time go by when you are waiting for a table.
This was the Fab 3 in the back of the van - I think they stopped long enough from playing on iphones for a picture! WAITING... This was the spot we ate - we had favor and had the BEST spot in the patio/garden! This is the cute couple trying out a "new pose"!
SO, after a VERY long lunch that was filled with visiting and LOTS of stories we thought we would head to the stockyards. We tried to hurry the lunch so we could all hook up with Austin's 2 sisters and their families that were already down in the stockyard area. We wanted to see the cattle drive that is re-enacted every day down there but we missed it. The street is Exchange (i believe) and while driving down it we spotted Austin's family. So everyone but Ray and I jumped out to go see them and visit for a bit. We couldn't find anywhere to park so we went around a few times and then they met back up with us. Adam saw from the van the famous Riscky's Barbeque and the place where farmers still buy and sell cattle downtown. He saw many Cowboys - no Indians and who knows if they were "real" cowboys! We also drove by all the buildings downtown - its so pretty.
Here is the street that is famous and to be honest - I have NEVER been down that street! I have for the most part lived here all my life and I have never been there! LOTS of great places to take pictures so I will be back.
This is really cute pix. of Austin with his niece Ashlyn at the Stockyards.
SO, our "Day in FORT WORTH" ended a little quicker then planned. Our intentions were to walk around in the downtown area - go to the HUGE Barnes and Noble, maybe go to Starbucks and stay gone long enough to take Adam to a barbeque restaurant to have Texas barbeque for dinner. WELL, the girls weren't in the walking way, if you know what I mean - ALL 4 of them!! SO we headed home! It wound up great - Blaire and Mia came over and the piano & guitar magically appeared. Austin sang for us and made us very happy - Blaire and Sarah sang for us and made us very happy so it was a SOLID day! WOW, I am tired thinking and typing it all!
The next day was Sunday! Sunday was the Benjamin/Baker gathering at our house. It was the 1st time since Hannah and Austin have been dating that we have all been together. Every Benjamin came, we were all here of course, Megan and Jenae (she is actually the person that is responsible for us meeting Austin and then his family - thank you Jenae). We had such a wonderful time with them all. We had dinner and visited the evening away. Sad to say, NO PICTURES!!
So that concludes a few days... We had such a nice visit with Adam. Ray enjoyed SO MUCH talking about the Lord with him every morning, as the rest of us slept. Grant had a ball doing boy stuff. He is such a great guy and he will be a family friend for hopefully a REALLY long time!! So that is 3 of the days that Adam came a visiting to TEXAS!!
