Welcome to the blog!
Routines, playlists, books, sweatshirts, motherhood and coffee….just over here sharing my favorites and my thoughts old school style on a blog.
PS. So glad you are here!
PPS. I’m way better at podcasting than blogging, as you’ll see.
How to Fight Mastitis Naturally
How to fight mastitis naturally : all the tools in my tookit!
Hello, 2023! Goals + musings
Hello, 2023! I’m not sure what you hold, but I sure am hopeful for some good things. I already feel like the wealthiest woman in the world, as we’ve had several weeks of health! It truly feels like everything I could ever ask for.
We haven’t been this healthy for this long since October of 2021. I tear up thinking about how grateful I am for that, and I’m fighting a spirit of fear as we return to school and preschool, knowing that sickness is not a thing to be feared. Holding my head high, declaring “I will not fear!”
November Goals 2022
We have had the most delightful weekend celebrating Will’s 37th birthday! Really, all the fun started on Monday, which was Halloween (Sing 2, anyone!?), followed by an evening at the Drive Shack for a double date with Emily and John, then Friday we went for a family hike and ate at Torchy’s Tacos with the whole family, and Saturday included a high ropes ziplining course near us and the NC State game! A lot of fun, and I absolutely sabbathed so hard today and took an almost 3 hour nap (hence the late night blogging!)
On showing up
I’ve been quite inspired lately by a few friends who are simply showing up. Especially in the online space, which often feels cluttered and noisy and salesy and exhausting, and makes me often want to quit.
They show up simply as themselves, with beauty, with perspective that is unique, sharing a thought or an image or a corner of their simple, beautiful life.
And it makes me want to show up.
What do I want to do within my life?
I was Marco Polo-ing with my sister the other day, as we do every day, and she shared so much wisdom across 3 messages that we dubbed them her “Ted Talk” of 2022.
I legit went back to record them and take notes, and they were gone. And then I thought-prayed, “Lord, would you just help me remember what I needed most from her words?”
September 2022 Goals
New goals, who dis? 🥴
But really it has been a HOT HOT minute since I have done a monthly goals post. And I’m not quite sure how to feel about it at the moment. But I’m going to give it a try.
(How’s that for starting three sentences with conjunctions? I digress.)
Here’s what I know. I have been in my feelings about a lot of things lately, and rightfully so. It’s been a challenging year of sickness, a year of adding a 4th kid to our tribe, and a year of not writing or working or creating much at all. I’ve felt a little bit lost, while feeling so very happy to be growing our family. Motherhood is something else, isn’t it?
![On sickness and feeling a bit hopeless [where I've been]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6321ebd87448dd11f93be2fd/1680701344061-W1UGXDJ2IGF4JH5F01YF/raysickness-8.jpg)
On sickness and feeling a bit hopeless [where I've been]
Back in my prime blogging days, when I was building Nancy Ray Photography and speaking at conferences and doing all the things, I remember someone attended an event I was speaking at and shared all that she wanted to do. I was cheering her on to create this business and work that she was so excited for!
Happy 2022! My 12 Week Year
Happy 2022!
Well, 2021 did not let us off the hook for an easy ending. We’ve all been sick for the last 3 weeks. No Covid, but we’ve had our fair share of congestion, fevers, chills, aches, strep throat (me and Lyndon and Beaufort and Will), and ear infections (3 of the 4 kids). It’s left me feeling like Christmas kicked me around a little, and I’m behind on a lot of dreaming, planning, and prep that’s usually done in December. We’re just now taking down our tree and decor, and we are all slowly climbing out of the trenches of sickness we’ve been in.
So here I sit, January 1st, the day after my birthday, setting my goals and making a plan. And this year, I’m doing it differently.
Best of 2021
One of the best things we can do is remember. It doesn’t come naturally to me on the brink of a new year as I’m constantly planning and looking forward, but it’s a practice I’m committed to because we are a forgetful people. My favorite tradition that Will and I have is our Christmas Date Night - it’s a beautiful evening set aside for us to enjoy a delicious meal, twinkle lights, and to make a list of everything that happened that year. And every single year, we remember a whole lot more happened than we thought. “Oh I forgot about that!” “Gosh that was this year?!” “Wow that was such a fun trip.”
And every few years, we have a momentous year : one that carries so many significant milestones and events that it leaves a mark on our hearts and changes our trajectory for the future. 2021 was a momentous year for us.
Happy Halloween from the Lion King 🦁
It’s going to be a sad Halloween when we choose costumes that don’t have their own theme music. The last three years have been amazing! Greatest Showman, Frozen, and now the Lion King! Here’s to forever being a kid at heart :)
Fav Purchases for Baby 4
Here is my list of items that we have used and LOVED this time around! Mostly practical, a few splurges (#lastbaby), and all of them have been great buys!
Back to School Rhythms with 4 Kids
One of the things I was MOST nervous about before having our 4th baby was the fact that my due date was 2 weeks before school started! Here are 5 things that have helped this transition back to school run much more smoothly than I even anticipated.
Benji's Birth Story
Benjamin Valor Ray was born at home at 9:50am on July 28th. This is his birth story!
Hi, I’m back!
Tap tap tap… is this thing on? 😉
It’s been a minute since I’ve opened my laptop and started to write a blogpost. I’ve missed blogging, but in the last several years, writing blogposts for the joy of writing and sharing has taken a backseat to a lot of other things.
Maternity Photos for Baby Ray #4
These photos. Gosh they already hold such a special place in my heart. Thank you to my dear friend Olivia Suriano for taking these photos we will cherish forever! As I’m approaching my due date, these photos remind me what an absolute gift it is to carry life inside of me. Something I will never, ever take for granted.
Organizing Your Digital Photos
I just checked, and I officially have 1,648 photos and videos currently on my phone. This is an issue, people. And I’m fairly positive I’m not the only one. As a photographer, the funny thing is – my personal photos rarely get the time and attention they deserve.
When I first began photographing weddings, I took no less than 4,000 photos on a wedding day. Then I sorted them down to around 1,500 to deliver to my client.
Who in the world has the time to do anything with 1,500 photos?!
After being in this business for years, and after being a normal human being with a full schedule and a full life, I wish I knew this one, beautiful truth about photography:
Less is more.
We're having a baby!!
We’re having another BABY! 🎉 It’s true, and I can’t quite believe I’m typing these words… Baby Ray # 4 is coming this July!
![Great Wolf Lodge [Covid edition!]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6321ebd87448dd11f93be2fd/1680701610176-MW525UMDU79AARM8RD08/IMG_0866.jpg)
Great Wolf Lodge [Covid edition!]
We just had the most wonderful time at Great Wolf Lodge! I got lots of questions on Instagram about our experience, so I thought I’d share about it here in detail. I’m grateful to have partnered with GWL for our trip!
2021 Goals
I think we are all trying to figure out what to do with 2021.
Should I even set goals when the world seems so unpredictable?
I’ve been wrestling with this question, sitting in the confusion and loss and lessons learned of 2020, feeling an incredible lack of motivation.
Today I don’t have a big long blogpost about goals and motivation and how to do all the things in 2021. But I do have some encouragement, and a few things I’m choosing to focus on in 2021.
The Best of 2020 with Friends
Well I’m excited to have been invited by my friend Emily to blog about my “best of’s” for this year! She asked me and a handful of other friend bloggers to chime in, and it was SO much fun to read through all of their answers last year, I’m excited to participate again!
Never has there been a more important year to focus on the good, to focus on the best of’s. We’re all feeling heavy, so I think it’s good and right to fight for what’s fun and good and even a little lighthearted!
It's PRIME DAY! My Recommendations & List
My Prime Day 2020 Recommendations!
Being Proactive v. Being Reactive
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being reactive v. being proactive. I’m always the one to say “Happen to your day! Don’t let your day happen to you!” or “Set goals for the life you want or you won’t ever get it!” or “Tell every dollar where to go or they will run off and you’ll never know where they went!”
And yet, recently, I’ve learned that reacting is actually a healthy part of being a human.
September 2020 Goals
As I type this, I’ve had a crazy long day. It was a homeschool day, and I’m feeling tired. There was a lot of push back on doing ANYTHING and we are all learning what it looks like to actually get work done! And the even greater challenge : learning how to do the work in a certain amount of time.
August 2020 Goals
I’ve been doing a fun little series on my Instastories on authority, and I feel like it’s shifted the way that I look at my goals. Instead of writing out my goals for the month and checking them off one by one, or not checking them off at all because I get overwhelmed, I’ve been simply “taking authority” over areas of my life that, quite frankly, have felt like areas of defeat.
What I’ve learned is this: using a little bit of different language in regards to what you want to accomplish can be life giving! Instead of “I’m going to clean out my car” I said, “I’m taking authority over my car.” It is freeing, empowering, and for me, it’s re-established the joy and authority I have in taking care of my home.
How to Get the Most Value Out of the Business Bundle
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely purchased the Business Bundle and might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. 96 Courses and 3 Membership sites are a LOT.
As someone who has already bought the bundle and worked through several of the courses, I know that overwhelming feeling, but I also know a few practical ways you can simplify this bundle and extract the most value from it for YOUR business—get my FREE download to walk you through it!
The Business Bundle is Back (Until Saturday!)
I’ve got some excellent news to start your week, friend!
You might remember about a month ago, I shared about an amazing Business Bundle I was a part of. Well, we are thrilled to re-introduce the bundle this week only, and let me just say - this is not the same bundle. It’s even better!
July 2020 Goals
There’s a LOT going on in my family in July!! :
Going to Beaufort, NC for July 4th with Will’s side of the fam
My Dad turns 70 on July 10th!
My little brother is getting married on July 17th!
My sister is due to have her baby… also on July 17th! (prayyyying I can make it there in time!)
We have a week trip planned to Nashville at the end of the month as well, to visit the new baby!
GIVEAWAY WINNER + June Goals
As I was spending time with the Lord this morning, praying over our nation, racism, white privilege, covid-19, and all the things heavy on my heart, I felt in my spirit one thing:
June 2020 is a turning point.
Organizing Your Photos : My Favorite Resources
After getting a million questions on instagram, I figured I would compile a list of some of my favorite resources for organizing your photos!
FREE CLASS: Organize Your Family Photos Once and for All!
Sign up for your free spot in my online class where I'm going to teach you all about how to organize your family photos on Wednesday, April 15th at 2 PM Eastern!
April Goals
As soon as Will’s work went 100% virtual, we headed to Beaufort, North Carolina. His family owns a home there, and it’s been such a gift to spend a few days in a place that is so quiet and right on the water. We loaded up the kids in kayaks the first day we got here and played in the sand, saw some wild horses, a few jellyfish, and I got sufficiently sunburned. It’s been awesome.
I’m keeping my April Goals simple. Along with the rest of us, I’m now a homeschooling mama and I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew this month. But I will say this:
Choose ONE GOAL. Something that you can do for you during this quarantine. It’s hard to not have a vision for the summer or know what the future holds, but we can do something that is hard and good and fulfilling for our home and family in the meantime.
The Contentment Challenge is OVER!
You guys.
WE DID IT.
3 months of no shopping for anything “extra!” No clothes, no decor, no nothin’ unless it was an absolute NEED. This was my 6th time doing the Contentment Challenge, and it, as always, taught me so much about myself.
This time, it was way less about stuff or me.
Fun Friday : Simplifying Birthday Parties!
Here’s my philosophy on birthday parties (and parties in general): the more babies I have, the more simple it has to be! That philosophy has been born out of necessity, but I’m actually growing very comfortable and proud of the fact that I’m a Pinterest Perfect mom. I’m just doing my thing, and I’m very happy with that.
Covid Part 4: Economic books will, from now on, have an entire section on the Coronavirus crisis.
Covid Part 4: Economic books will, from now on, have an entire section on the Coronavirus crisis.
That’s insane. We are living in this thing. Right now. The effect this mandatory cancellation of events and closing of schools is having isn’t something we’ve ever seen before. And it’s not just the US : this is a global economic crisis. It’s everywhere. The same thing is happening all over the place. It’s bananas.
Covid Part 3: It's propelling us forward and holding us back.
Covid Part 3: It’s propelling us forward and holding us back.
Unprecedented is the word I keep hearing, and it’s true. We’re not going to know the impact of all of this until many years later. At this point in our journey, we are still within the 2 weeks of social distancing, not meeting with one another in groups of more than 10.
Covid Part 2: Opportunity is everywhere, if you have eyes for it.
A local restaurateur that’s a dear friend of ours was forced to shut the doors of his business. He also works with events with his catering business, and all events have been canceled. In a moment, his revenue went to nothing. He was forced to fire several people - faithful, hardworking people - and he didn't want to. He loves his employees. So, he started brainstorming. He found the opportunity in what was originally a tragedy. He asked a few of his employees to begin making 2 meal packs for $60 available for pickup. And $10 of every order would be donated to making meals for people who didn’t have the means to buy them.
Boom. He’s back in business.
Covid Part 1: Not much has changed for us
Covid Part 1: Not much has changed for us.
I haven’t wanted to share my thoughts because everyone already is. Covid-19 rants are everywhere, and it feels LOUD. But I do have some thoughts, and if I’m honest, I’m sharing them now more for me than for you. I want to remember this weirdo experience, and I want to write out what’s going on in my heart and my head, and I want to do it in real time. So here we are, in the 2nd week of the nationwide quarantine, where we have been encouraged to not gather in groups over 10 people. Most of us aren’t gathering at all. Churches are online, all restaurants have been closed, and I legit had a “family dinner” via zoom with Will’s family, which was so sweet and hilarious and crazy. Honestly, it’s a memory I’m glad we made during this craziness.
February Goals 2020
If I’m honest, my current situation tells me to not plan anything, because my family is going to keep getting sick and I wont be able to do it anyway. I KNOW that sounds like I’m a grumpy pants complainer, but it’s honestly how I feel after the December and January that we’ve had! BUT. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that if I DON’T plan or try, it’s guaranteed that nothing will happen. So I’m going to keep showing up and trying. I’m going to keep setting goals. And if there is more sickness, I’ll push some of these goals back to March and ask for God to sustain us.
2020 Goals + What's Next
This day never gets old to me. The fresh start, the new year, the clean slate! 2020, being that it’s the mark of not only a new year but a new decade, feels like an entirely new chapter. Of course it feels that way to me especially, because I’ve closed down Nancy Ray Photography and am now looking ahead to my new rhythm and pace of life. I am FULL of expectation.
Many people have been asking, “So what’s next for you?”
Contentment Challenge 2020
Yes, it’s happening again! The Contentment Challenge is happening January - March of 2020, and you are invited to join in!
December Goals 2019
I heard this phrase that Craig Groeschel coined at the Global Leadership Summit earlier this year, and let me tell you: it has given me all sorts of life since then.
GETMO.
Good Enough To Move On.
I love it so much that we’ve made it a core value of my new business. (New business = podcast and whatever else is to come… more on that soon.)
GOOD ENOUGH TO MOVE ON. It’s freeing.
Great Wolf Lodge with Young Kids 🐺
Listen - we almost didn’t go! Even though they invited us as their #sponsored guest to experience the resort, it stressed me out to have 3 young kids (ages 4, 2, and 11 months) who couldn’t swim. BUT: I AM SO GLAD WE DID! (Thank you Will for talking me in to it!) Here’s my Top 10 Takeaways from our stay at Great Wolf Lodge with 3 little kids.
October 2019 Goals
October is one of my favorite months of the year. Weather begins to actually cool down here in NC, and it’s the beginning of the end : it’s officially the start of Q4, the pumpkins come out, we begin discussing holiday plans, and I don’t know about you - but life starts to get a little nuts, in the best way.
Foundations in Team Building Course is Now Open!
👏🏼🎉 Doors are OPEN for Foundations in Team Building!
I’ve packed my hiring, culture-building, and leadership strategy into an online mentoring program and now? I’m handing it over to you! >> nancyray.com/buildateam
Free Team Workshop for You!
I’ve put together a free hour long training where I’ll show you How I GREW my BUSINESS and GOT my LIFE BACK by BUILDING A TEAM 🙌🏼
Building and growing a team has been one of the greatest joys of this business over the last 12 years. Truly. I am so grateful I’ve been able to work alongside these ladies, and I’ve learned: the more you train and raise up others to come alongside you, the more you can serve others and enjoy the work you are doing.
I truly believe it’s a win win!
August Goals 2019
I’ve finished several goals so far (like Read Life Giving Home through August, attend GLS, and make serious progress on a lot of my reading), but it was actually incredibly helpful to sit down and write it all out on August 15th.
Next steps for me: Sit down with my CALENDAR and write them in. Because that’s the secret to actually doing your goals, canigetanamen?
July Goals 2019
You ready for the BEST EVER Fourth of July Playlist? I got you! I created this a few years back, and every year we put it on repeat and blast it. It’s VERY patriotic. We love our country and I get all emotional listening to it each year, thinking about the sacrifices made to get us where we are today. I hope it makes your 4th even better!
20 Tips for Traveling with Kids
I’ve been traveling with our kids since they were babies and I’ve learned lots of tricks and tips along the way!
![Mom & Dad Can't Believe Their Baby's a Boy! [Our Viral Birth Photo]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6321ebd87448dd11f93be2fd/1680703638379-2J6Z2604GYBV8VPZXNJM/BeaufortRayBirth-LaurenJollyPhotography-138.jpg)
Nancy Ray Photography: Our Final Year in Business
Our final year in business
Nancy Ray Photography: Our Final Year of Business
Gosh I can’t believe I’m really typing this.
After 12 months of prayer, seeking God’s voice, and coming to experience abundant peace,
I’ve decided that it’s time to close the doors of Nancy Ray Photography.
April 2019 Goals
I’m just going to be real : if I didn’t have this monthly goal blogpost waiting for me, I don’t think I would have made any actual goals for the month of April. Life with three kids has dominated me lately!
My Favorite Parenting Tool
Get ready! This is a gamechanger. For you, the parent, as well as your kiddos!
It’s called “Mind Body Soul Time.”
A Challenge: Clear your iPhone Photos (& get organized!)
Say this with me:
My phone is not a photo storage device.
It is a PHONE.
Fun Friday: Jess Ray's new album
My current obsession: Jess Ray’s latest album.
I’m going to come clean right away:
Yes, this crazy talent is my husband’s little sister. Yes, she’s the auntie to my kiddos, she was a bridesmaid in my wedding, and she will forever be one of my very best friends (and favorite humans) in the world.
March Goals + Fun Friday: Podcasts I'm Loving
So, February feels like it was the fastest month of my life. Honestly, it was all a bit of a blur, and I’m still getting the hang of this mom-of-3 life. In short, it’s crazy. I’ve been a bit more brave, getting out of the house more and actually handling all 3 kids for preschool pick up and drop off by myself, which is nuts. (One day in the freezing rain. That was fun!)
Graham Cochrane: 3 Steps To Starting A Side Business When You’re Crazy Busy
Graham Cochrane is a YouTuber and Business Coach who helps people build passive income style businesses. Download his free 30 Day No Hustle Business Plan and go from zero audience to income in just 4 weeks.
Best Marriage Questions We Ask Every Week
A few years ago I heard about the Navigator’s Council - a tool created by a couple I follow and love: Jeremy and Audrey Roloff. In a nutshell, there are 6 questions they ask each other every single week, to stay in a place of healthy communication in their marriage.
Beaufort's Birth Story
I’m sitting here with Beaufort sound asleep on my chest, both girls are napping (insert victory dance here!! All 3 kids asleep at once!), and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I’m about to write my THIRD child’s birth story. For so long I wasn’t ready to become a mama, it is purely God’s grace and goodness to me that I am one today. If you’re new around here, or if you just love birth stories, I’m including some links that will fill you in on my journey to becoming a mama to three. And then you’ll hear the crazy story of how Beaufort William came into our lives.
Fun Friday : Kiddo Favorites These Days
While I’m in the middle of the Contentment Challenge, I find that refraining from buying all the things makes me appreciate things that I REALLY love and want to own. It makes me super intentional and thoughtful with what I buy.
Paying off our NEW Home, Part 2
So what happened after we paid off our house the first time?
In the 5 years following us reaching Baby Step 7…
We saved a lot.
We gave a lot.
We lived a little more, and I’m so glad we did! (Because I can tell you one thing: it was HARD those first 5 years living on such a tight budget! We were ready to eat out a little more and take a few vacations!)
We also experienced life with a new lens: We became parents.
Paying off our Home, Part 1
If you’ve followed our financial journey in the past, you know a few important things about me and my husband Will:
We enrolled in Financial Peace University when we were engaged and it CHANGED OUR MARRIAGE.
We followed Dave’s Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps to a T!
We lived on a tight budget for 5 years, then paid off our first house at ages 25 & 26.
Goals + Fun Friday: Meet the Deebot
This Fun Friday is for those of us who are just DELIGHTED by clean floors!
Meet the Deebot.
Fun Friday: How to Not Wash Your Hair (so often)
The longest I’ve gone without washing my hair is 13 days.
I don’t know if that impresses you, or if that grosses you out. I realize I’m taking a big risk here!
But if you’re like me, I view not washing my hair as a skill to be proud of!
Deep Work
Deep work, as Cal Newport defines it, is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time.
I wanted to share two things that were my biggest take-aways from this book, that will hopefully inspire you and help you as much as they did me.
Introducing Fun Fridays
I’m pretty excited about this little idea. I’m looking at Fridays on this blog as a free pass - I get to talk about whatever little tip, tutorial, product, or life hack that I want! I know, I know, I plan the rest of this blog out, too. But Fridays are gonna be different, spontaneous, and maybe a little unexpected.
Goals + Contentment Challenge
I’ve never started off a year like this before!
Around the clock nursing, exhausted, learning the rhythms of being a mama of a newborn and a 1.5 year old and a 3 year old… I have to say, it is not the norm for me but it feels SO good.
My norm on January 1st? Putting away all Christmas decor, decluttering, dreaming up my wildest and best work goals, eating black eyed peas and collards, going on a run, feeling fresh and ready to GO.
Today? Being. Just being mama. Napping. Resting. Yes, dreaming. But mostly eating as much as I want (still eating black eyed peas and collards!), nursing a hungry baby, watching Milly and Lyndon play / wrestle each other, and being HOME.
JOMO!
Today, I turn 32!
I LOVE birthdays, and I love parties and celebrations and decorating and cakes and all the birthday things. I am not one of those “low key” kind of people when it comes to birthdays - I like to celebrate every year of life BIG. I don’t mind aging at all… I see it as part of life and want to age gracefully. So the more candles, the better!
But this year, it’s quiet. And I’m LOVING it.
My Goal Setting Ritual
Every year in December, I plan a time to get away, pray over the following year, and set goals. Some years I have super clarity on what I want to do, and other years I’m confused and don’t know where to start. BUT, when I follow this plan, I always walk away with more clarity than if I hadn’t done anything at all.
Contentment Challenge 2019
Well friend, here we are again. It’s been over 5 years since God put the Contentment Challenge on my heart for the first time. Since then, I’ve done the Contentment Challenge about once a year, and again and again, it changes me. Which is why, on January 1st, I’m doing it again!
December Goals
Since 2011, I have been blogging my monthly goals over on the Nancy Ray Photography blog EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH. I can honestly say I don’t think I missed a month since I began! There is something powerful about sharing your monthly goals, because it keeps you accountable.
Top 5 Books of 2018
Every year I endeavor to read 12 books - 1 book a month. I’m not the fastest or best reader, and with two little ones it’s definitely a challenge to read! But it’s always, always worth it! After reading 10 books this year (I don’t think I’ll make it to my 11th or 12th with this baby), I’ve come away with my Top 5… and they are GOOD.
My work, my ministry
I am always humbled and amazed at the amount of emails I receive that go a little something like this:
Nancy, I have a passion and love for photography, but I don't know how to incorporate my faith into my business. I desire to honor the Lord in all that I do, but I don't know how to be a business owner and a Christian without being too preachy. How you translate your faith practically into your business?
Welcome to the new NancyRay.com!
Welcome to the all new nancyray.com! I’m so grateful you are here.
How We Do It: Organizing Our Kids
How We Do It: Organization in Our Spiritual Lives
How We Do It: Organizing Our Relationships
How We Do It: Organizing Our Work
How We Do It: Organizing Our Personal Lives
How We Do It: Organizing Our Home
How We Do It: Organizing Our Finances
Lyndon's Birth Story - Part 2
8:05PM
We got checked in, made it to the room, and the nurse checked me: 7 centimeters!
Lyndon's Birth Story - Part 1
3:30PM on July 25th
I had just woken up from a nap. I was already on maternity leave, It was 4 days before my due date, and I had been chasing my 2 year old Milly around all morning. I felt mild cramps, and then they would subside. “Could this be it?” I laid there for 30 minutes, praying, timing the cramps, and begging God for help and His presence.
![Ray Family Film Maternity Session [Lyndon]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6321ebd87448dd11f93be2fd/1694776013712-VTORPT69FP1JOOSRTVBG/nrp-elizabeth-rayfammat-1093.jpg)
Milly's Birth Story - Part 2
We checked into the hospital around 11pm. I had lost all concept of time, and everything at this point everything is very fuzzy in my memory. I was completely in a different place mentally and physically, focusing all of my energy on the work before me. I remember being shocked to find out it was 11pm – I thought it was much earlier! We were delivering at a brand new hospital, and it was like a ghost town. It had only opened its doors 2 weeks prior, and we were the only ones there to deliver a baby! It was pretty great. Instead of triage, I was escorted straight to a labor and deliver room since all of them were empty.
Milly's Birth Story - Part 1
I didn’t fully realize what a life changing experience Milly’s birth would be. I have learned to surrender my plans to the Lord’s throughout my pregnancy, and I learned to surrender to Him in a very real way during Milly’s birth. To provide a bit of context to my story, we decided to have a natural childbirth, free of medication.
My Journey with Baby Ray - Part 3
Two weeks from today. Is this real? Really, it could happen today, or 3 weeks from today… it’s up to baby at this point! Only the Lord knows when he or she will arrive!
My Journey with Baby Ray - Part 2
It is so hard to believe that I will already be 6 months pregnant THIS WEEK. My belly has grown quite a bit since the photo was taken above… this whole process is still quite surreal. I’ve been told that I’ll never really get used to it, even when the baby arrives, and I know that will be the case for me. My prayer is that I would slow down and enjoy every season of this, knowing that I’ll never be pregnant for the first time again.
My Journey with Baby Ray - Part 1
What is so sweet about this journey for us, and for me in particular, is that God has been incredibly gracious and gentle with me. Thankfully, the Lord has taken my hand and has led me every step of the way. For me, this journey has not been typical or easy. But two things I know to be true: He is good, and His timing is perfect.
Exciting News
It’s true! We’re having a baby! We are so, so grateful.
Baby Ray
Due: May 27th, 2015
Section Styles sidebar
Hey, there! I’m Nancy.
My hope for this website (and my entire business, actually) is to be a resource that provides you with practical tools for an integrated life.
I’m so glad you’re here!