Randomly RaLee

Unless you know us most people don't know how to pronounce her name...It is Ray-Lee.  When I was pregnant with her I suspected she was a girl and I was stumped on names.  So I told my three daughters they were free to name her what ever they wanted...BRAVE I know!  I told the girls it was a big responsibility to name another human being and that they needed to take it seriously. 

They took it VERY seriously and they debated many hours over the months.  Then on the girls first day of summer break my mom had them over to help her clean her back yard.  While they were cleaning the yard they found a piece of paper rolled up and upon opening it they discovered one word, a  name, written in black calligraphy...RaLee.  They just looked at each other and they new immediately that was the babies name.  My mother told me about it and I was concerned.  How do you pronounce it?  Shouldn't we change the spelling?  I think it needs a "Y" don't you?  Do you really like her name?  What should the middle name be?  We then decided to name her after my mom  Francine Jewell.  So RaLee Francine was her name.  I wanted RaLee Jewell but mom refused...she HATED the name Jewell.  Last year when RaLee learned my mom's middle name was Jewell she was so upset.  WHY DIDN"T YOU NAME ME RaLEE JEWELL?!!!  She is serioulsy considering changing her middle name.  Why?  Because she sparkles like a Jewell of course!  Her words not mine.

Over the years as RaLee grew up she added the "Y" herself.  I considered having her name changed but never followed through.  Then one day RaLee decided she liked her name and dropped the "Y" and I was glad I hadn't changed it.

What a JOY it has been to be this girls mother.  She makes me smile everyday!  She texts me from school daily and always tells me she loves me.  She loves people and life and she lives it to the fullest.  She is fun and energetic, loves music, animals and her nieces and nephews.  She isn't perfect...she is a total DRAMA QUEEN and teenage girl drama is the worst...add to the mix a dozen cheerleaders and many friends and you have Drama with a capital "D".  But other than that she is perfect. 
 
I don't even know how many pictures I have on my computer but I do know that a large portion of them are of my RaLee.  So I have decided to start posting random photos of her.  I think you will get to know her, like I do, just by looking at her photos.  So these posts will be titled "Randomly RaLee" because she is VERY unpredictable as are the photos.  Oh yea...watch her hair...it is as random as she is!  So here we go...

14 Yrs

15

16th birthday party...cake in face!

Newphew's, Will and Wayne

2009 Favorite Band/Group  Is proud to be the 7th fan to join their fan club!

Puffy Hair at the ice skating rink

Kisses from niece Payten

Cuising with her friends

Silly Jaybug

On Crystal's birthday Jayden snatched a piece of tissue paper from a gift her mommy was opening. She quickly threw the paper over her face turned around and started growling at me...

Grandma screams and I can hear little giggles from under the tissue paper...

It's ME Grandma!  Did I scare you?

I LOVE my little Jaybug...she's nothing but adorable...but don't tell her that because she thinks she's scary!

More Christmas Projects

Here are a few more of the projects I worked on for Christmas.  I made stacks of rice bags.  For those of you that don't know these are flannel bags filled with rice.  You heat them in the microwave for a few minutes and put it on what ever ails you.  I have used them for migraines, sore backs, neck, knees and to ease the pain of a tooth ache.  Payten loves them on her tummy when she is sick...she will say, "I want my hot!"  We only heat it for 30 seconds for her tender skin.

Then I made stacks of hot pads!  These are made from old jeans.  I usually cut rubber inter-tubing from the inside of old tires for the centers but I found these nice silicone hot pads at the dollar store and put those in the center.  They were already cut, clean and cheap!  These are my favorite hot pads---no burns!

I made each of the girls refrigerator magnets to match each of their kitchen themes.  These were Charlee's her entire house is decorated so cute in a western theme. 

Jessica's- Sunflowers and apples

All of these crafts were simple, economical and fun to make.  I have some more involved projects to post but I need to get over to Charlee's house and take a picture.