Next to the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, my family is the greatest gift God has given me. I love them so much! I am so thankful to God for them!
Here is a picture of Ray and me, that I think is a good one. We’ve been married for 19 years. Ray is a critical care paramedic and EMT instructor at the local hospital. Ray was in the Navy for 14 years specializing as a Navy combat medic, and has worked as a paramedic, a fireman and a firechief, policeman and a police chief, and a SWAT team medic for over 20 years. He is also a licensed minister. Ray has been on mission trips to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti five times to provide security training for pastor Jay Threadgill’s bodyguards and to set up and run an advanced medical clinic for over one month, treating 200 to 300 patients a day, after the Haiti 7.1 earthquake in January 2010. I drive Ray crazy, but he has still stayed with me for 19 years! What a guy!
Our oldest daughter, grown and on her own, is beautiful Heather. She is one of my best friends and “my special present from God.” She is a full-time preschool teacher, loves running, aerobics, and her many friends, and loves traveling. We began homeschooling her in her 10th grade year of school, she graduated in 2000, and she went on to graduate from Youth With a Mission (YWAM) missionary training school, going on month long mission trips stateside and to South America and India. After graduation, she went on mission trips to Mexico, to Nashville, TN to help flood victims, and to Joplin, MO to aid tornado victims. A mission trip to Africa is now on her heart. She is such a beautiful person, inside and out.
Heather’s daughters Annabelle and Violet are our precious granddaughters. They are full of energy, love to dance, color, and laugh, and are my joy! They call me “Nana” and make me laugh a lot.
Our middle beautiful daughter, also grown and on her own, is Eden. She is extremely creative and artistic, loves to laugh and have fun, and works full time baking cupcakes at a bakery. She’s taking online classes on her laptop to get her GED degree and wants to pursue further studies in college. Here she is pictured with her son Jacob, our adorable grandson, who is definitely all boy! He loves playing with trucks and making loud noises!
Beautiful Leah is our youngest daughter and is so precious. Leah is an incredible artist, loves her Ipod with music and playing video games, and has been knowledgeable about computers since she was 3 years old. She loves nature, animals and – like Ray – watching sci-fi movies. We have always homeschooled Leah. She is the “baby” of the family, and it’s hard watching her grow up so fast! Where did the time go?
Our youngest daughter Leah
My younger sister Maria is one of my best friends. I don’t know what I’d do without my sweet sister! She lives in Georgia, where I was born and raised, and I miss her terribly. She works fulltime as a bookkeeper, is raising her 3 kids, and is pursuing her master’s degree in Psychology. She was on Dean’s List the entire time she was pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree after she went back to school. Don’t know how she does it! I write her long letters and we call each other frequently.
Here are Maria’s three kids Nicholas, Brandon, and Katie. They are REALLY LOUD and high energy and about drive my sister bonkers (and me, when I visit them!), but are funny, smart, great kids! I love and miss them so! I wish we lived closer together.
These are my precious, closest family members. Hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know me and my loved ones a little better!
