When we wrote our letter in 2017 we couldn't imagine how 2018 could be more exciting. Last year included the birth of our first child and a trip to Europe. But as the expression goes, it's as if God said "hold my beer" and gave us even more this year. He has truly blessed us with more excitement along the path of our adventure with Him.
From the time we began dating we had discussed doing foster care and/or adoption. Well, God gave us a gentle shove this year into our dream. At the beginning of 2018 we took ten weeks of classes to become certified foster parents.
While we waited for our license to become official foster parents life continued. Joshua celebrated his first birthday in May. It was an incredible time because his cousin Adelyn was being officially adopted at the same time so we had a Birthday/Gotcha Day Party for the two of them.
In June life continued to race along and even picked up the pace. In early June Christine's brother Mike married Becca and Joshua got to be part of the ceremony. Then later in June we found out that Christine is pregnant with our second child, a girl. Christine is doing well and is due February 16th.
This July we got to go to the first ever Ray Family Reunion. It was near 50 Lakes, Minnesota at two beautiful cabins. The weather was perfect and the cabins were filled with some of our favorite people in the world. Hopefully this will be a new tradition for our family.
As we said before, life continued to move along at the Ray house while we waited on being licensed for foster care. Christine continued to work PRN at the walk-in clinic as a BSN-RN. This coming April Fools Day will mark Matt's tenth anniversary of being at KWAY Radio. We also did become licensed foster parents early this Fall.
On the day of the mid-term elections we thought our vote was the most important decision of the day. We were wrong. At 2:45 that afternoon we got a call about a little girl. By 3:45 that afternoon Matt had her in his arms ready to go home. We had said no to several other placements but this one was right for us. We've had this beautiful little girl with us since and will have her for who knows how long. She is just now 16-months old and Joshua is 19-months old and they really starting to be good friends (and like other siblings occasional foes).
2018 has been an exciting year at the Ray house. A reunion, pregnancy, birthdays, a new sister-in-law and new children were some of what made our year thrilling. 2019 looks to be no less interesting for our clan in Waverly, Iowa.
In our year filled with toddlers and an embryo it is not lost on us that at Christmas an embryo, an infant and soon after a toddler changed our world forever. Because Jesus was born as a human, lived as a man, died, was raised from the dead and lives for us today we can have confidence that happens in our life in this year or the next is in His control.
Merry Christmas! Our Savior lives! We hope you had a wonderful 2018 and will have a fantastic 2019.
(We cannot share too much online about our foster daughter. No photos or name. But if you come see us you are more than welcome to come and snuggle any of our kids.)
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