Melanie Ledbetter-Remy

The One with a Pandemic of Epic Proportions

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Marketing Optimization, Web & SEO .

20:20:20 for Bulldog Baseball Seniors

Well, when I titled my last post “Bring it 2020”, honestly I really wasn’t serious. Can we get a redo? Let’s just reboot 2020. As we adjust to this “new normal”, I just wanted to check in and say HOW ARE YOU? HOW’S YOUR HEALTH – mentally and physically? Started working from home haven’t you? Kids still at home? Our Bizopia team, for the most part, is adjusting to working from home with family around 100% of the time. This is all taking some extra effort to get with friends and family, but it’s so worth it isn’t it? These pandemic effects will be felt for a very long time, so it’s really okay to talk about it, right?

WOW, this COVID crisis and pandemic has affected the Remys. Where do I start? POST #1: I’ll start with the current and most emotional pandemic effect at hand right now – Grant’s senior baseball season. We may or may not have met with our AHS Bulldog Baseball senior friends recently. Yes, we were “socially distant” for the most part as we have some seriously “at risk” friends and families and that was totally understood. That being said, we NEED to consider these effects on these high school seniors. We are all mourning this baseball season for the seniors for sure, all 10 of them. Some are moving on to play, most are not.

Our coach made sure the field lights came on while we were all standing around literally staring at the field…. at Grant’s height distances of course – 6’6″. It’s over the legal distance for social distancing in Texas. The lights mysteriously flickered on at 20:20 military time (8:20p CST) on the 20th. It will have to serve as closure for this team that was going to make some waves this season. A deserved season for these seniors.

The One with No Season

We had plenty of pitching that was fast and accurate, and unexpected. We would have definitely surprised some teams according to some posted preseason rankings. Bats were hot at the time the District pulled the rug out – literally in the middle of a tournament game. We played on, then stared at each other as we watched the guys walk off the field and hear that their next game was canceled. Most of the Bulldog families drove over to our favorite hangout, Center Court in Aliana and discussed in depth what we all thought was about to happen. Opinions were all over everything…this is a pretty vocal group, adding pandemic effects to the list of discussion topics assured an energetic conversation, all while I played “table soccer” with Bulldog dad. At this time, the players were thinking, “we’ll be back in a few weeks”. Lockers were left full – sort of scary, isn’t it?

The One with Players Hanging On

Grant Remy - University of Texas Dallas Baseball 2020

Grant Remy: UTD Baseball 2020

The coaches tried hard to keep these guys moving, exercising, throwing..all things that don’t necessarily come naturally to all players. While Grant was doing his arm care program regularly in the backyard, he was growing tired of throwing ONLY weighted balls. Every coach update was phrased VERY positively, and emails were kept positive. We kept moving towards fundraisers and special events, especially for the seniors. We had moms in charge of taking pictures of every, single player for EOS slide shows. UIL posted updates on Twitter. And we stalked it. Until the day UIL officially canceled the rest of the season…we were on target for District play…or at least a District tournament.

At least Grant has something BIG to look forward to. College. All 10 seniors are moving on to colleges across Texas, so that’s awesome! Grant will be continuing his academic and baseball careers at University of Texas at Dallas! Can’t wait to see what the future brings for Grant and his friends. The “new” UTD players are going to have to deal with the NCAA’s “correct” decision to grant current players another year of eligibility. That will affect NCAA sports for at least 3-4 years now. Think about it…baseball rosters up to 75 players? Time to GET YOUR GAME ON and compete for a spot accordingly!

The One with No Creativity

I sure hope we look back on this historically and KNOW it was worth it. I know we’ll look back and know that we slowed the spread FOR SURE. There’s zero question in my mind about #slowthespread initiatives, but we are also blessed to live in an area that has managed things really well medical-wise. The greater Houston area has had its share of coronavirus cases and deaths, but we followed rules and slowed the spread. My frustration come in to the auto-cancelation of so many events that are maybe planned for late May with little to ZERO creativity on the parts of organizations that I expect creativity from. School Districts…while I understand the limitations for some when it comes to students having computers at home, WiFi/Internet connectivity and “parental” oversight (normal situation, right?), I truly believe we have lost some serious educational and milestone ground with some kids that need it the most. Again, we live in an area with a fantastic school district, education wise. It’s focal for the district. Goodness knows, sports aren’t. I feel bad for the kids that’s parents are struggling make ends meet, can’t help them figure out the Zoom calls. Can you IMAGINE a kindergartner learning ONLY online. There’s lots to be learned from this for sure. It’s not a perfect world, but we need to get back at it!

Back at planning graduation. I’m seeing some SUPER fun ideas across the nation, just not around here. Back to planning prom. We might have to host “the street” and some friends in the backyard for a make-shift prom. We want to see these young ladies in those dresses! Hopefully the restrictions will loosen over the summer, and this incredibly social group can get creative themselves with gatherings. I can guarantee the fearless ProGrad committee is trying hard to come up with a few ideas that can be thrown together quickly, in the event the orders are lifted OR rules/regs are such that manageable sized groups can gather.

Back to our new normal….but we HAVE to get creative. We can’t just collapse and crawl into our little holes, and hope that someone else will take care of it. I’ll stop there with the potential political statements!

The One with the Silver Lining

Offshore Fishing – Extra Time Together

For Grant, I hope this is a time where he’s paying attention to what’s going on. He seems to be asking questions, so that’s good. We are starting to see the “what ifs” come along during discussions. What if we start COLLEGE “online”. Unfortunately, the only answer we have for him is, “then you’ll stay home, and start classes online and follow your coaches’ directives on the side.” It is what it is. Fingers crossed that school starts in the Fall. Also, Grant has used the time to get bigger and stronger. He’s throwing harder now than he was one month ago. He’s needs a catcher to catch him though. Not having a high school season, means there are no over-use/nagging injuries to deal with so that’s a positive. No big rest periods required. This could be a really good thing for a 6′ 6″ 175-80 pound, skinny kid with serious baseball goals.

For the parents that are “having to stay home” with their kids, look at this as extra time spent. While it’s for sure gotten tenuous around with the internet load, it’s great having the kids around during this time. Do I feel bad for them, yes. Is it the worst possible scenario? Absolutely not. One of my cousins posted about how bad he felt that his daughter (3ish) was missing her friends and probably tired of being home. From his pictures that he’s posting…..ABSOLUTELY NO WAY. She’s thriving having the extra attention – don’t for a second think this extra time isn’t making a difference somewhere!

With businesses scrambling to stay alive, these pandemic effects will be felt for a very long time. I’m choosing to look at the positives for Grant and his senior friends. This is their first real obstacle to witness at an age where they can actually process things. They were just babies, if even born, during the horrors of 9-11. Yeah, gas got high a few times during their life, but they weren’t paying the bills. Learning about crisis like this, while at home, has offered many teaching moments for families and I hope everyone has taken advantage of that. Watching small (and some large) businesses struggle and listening to adult conversations, has more than likely changed some thought processes, like “what do I want to do when I grow up”….

Hint: Do you. Find something you love or are REALLY interested in and ….KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you!

Here’s to health, sanity and the END OF THIS PANDEMIC!

~ Melanie

Bring it 2020!

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Family & Kids .

Happy New Year y’all! The Remy’s have enjoyed a successful start to the decade! We’ve just returned from a FABULOUS trip to Virginia to visit Chase since he couldn’t come home. WHAT A TIME! The entire family together visited the Smithsonian…the ENTIRE THING. Whew, it’s big! Very high on Grant’s list of “to do’s” in DC was the National Archives. He really wanted to see, in person, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, so we worked it in. He’s our history buff so we made sure it happened….and he’s a “National Treasure” fan – ha! Alex’s “want” was the narwhal exhibit. Literally. “Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend” is one of the main exhibits right now. I can’t make this stuff up. Sis is a big “Buddy” fan! Chase – well, his “want” was NO LINE. He never went because the line was always too long. We always bug him about not taking advantage of what’s available around him (except hunting, he does a GREAT job of that) while his stationed at Quantico. My goal for the Smithsonian was on MOMMY-TIME. Get there early. Crack the whip. Organize the “family moving out”…see, I can be a drill sergeant too! We were 2nd in line. Yes….Chase, there was NO LINE!

I’m super glad my family can swim because we had to “swim” in the deluge that happened while we were walking from the Washington Monument (taller than I remembered) to the Lincoln Memorial and World War II Memorials…we weren’t leaving without seeing them. We were soaked. Soaked to the point where we were peeling off top layers while standing on Congress Ave. At least it wasn’t cold…only 50ish.

These sights all looked different to me as an adult. Bigger. More profound. Maybe it’s just that I have a better understanding of how our government works, or Chase’ being a USMC or how our freedom REALLY offers us a great place to live. The Fathers of our great Country were really smart and had a vision. We need to make sure that we don’t mess it up. Chase was on his way to meet us when the news alerts of Iran’s Major General, Soleimani’s death dropped in. We were sitting in the hotel lobby, watching the news coverage and caught Chase up upon his arrival. We just felt “closer” to the chaos since we were right outside of Quantico and Washington DC. It was a weird feeling and I didn’t like it one bit.

While moving around the DMV area, it felt natural to watch the skies for a few reasons, both of which were thought provoking.

One. Chase’s buddies were going to try to work in a fly-over while were in DC visiting the our Country’s monuments. Needless to say, those plans changed on Thursday and Friday. They fly training runs in and around the area often, so if you are ever in the area OR on “The 95”, keep your eyes open to the skies for things OTHER than for the purposes of “speed limit enforcement by aircraft.” My family is thoroughly entertained with that thought. Is it a plane? Is it a helicopter. Is it REALLY a drone? At this time, we just don’t know.

Two. Soleimain’s death. Would there be a retaliation State-side? You have to wonder….are we ready? Where we were visiting and moving around is right in the flight path of Reagan National and Dulles International. Every time planes took off towards the Capitol and Monument area I looked up as if to make sure those aircraft banked south. It was just a weird feeling, and I didn’t like it. Was it just because we were so close to Washington DC? Was it because Chase’s works and lives so close to such a “target”? Maybe. But we take advantage of our freedoms every day and I was appreciative of those watching and directing those commercial planes. I would imagine most just walk around and don’t even consider it for one second. And so many, IMO, take advantage of it.

Regardless of political party affiliation, if you live in the United States of America, you enjoy freedoms that other folks only dream of. Think of how your day would change if the government just shut down all phone towers and internet usage? How would it really change? News? Can’t find (or for some of my friends, track) your family? Can’t continue working without internet connectivity? Can’t call your parents?

What would change the most for you? Seriously?

SQUIRREL. Back to the trip. We had a fabulous time. The National Museum of the Marine Corps (click the link, it’s a video) just outside of Quantico’s base. It is REALLY amazing. Chase and I spent some time in it back in April 2019, but this time we spent hours. It’s really an amazing museum and not just because Chase is a Marine. Learning of how the Marines became what they are today, in a historical perspective. There were “aha” moments when I put dates together, sort of reminiscent of when I was homeschooling the kids. Learning how the Marines have participated in protecting and bolstering the other armed forces, was absolutely fascinating to me. The museum is about to open another 126K square feet of space dedicated to the wars of my time, the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan Wars. These wars are already represented but mostly by “time” placards on the walls. It’s still amazing, however it will be that much MORE amazing once it’s finished. The first F-18 that was scrambled in the Tower Attacks on American on 9-11-2001, is already in the new area but covered. There will be a tank from the Afghan War. Very real feelings were evoked when I saw these displays. Again, if you are in the area, this museum is FREE and a TREAT. It is probably 30-45 minutes out of DC (with little to no traffic on “The 95).

Remy food fare while traveling is always interesting. We are HUGE Diners-Drive Ins-Dives fans, so we try to visit at least one when we venture out. This trip we visited the Carving Room in Washington DC. We had some amazing food – try the “fried cigars” as an appetizer. We could have pounded 3-4 orders of it! Everything was fresh and locally sourced per our super cute waitress. I’m not a food blogger by any means, but I was inspired to take a pic of my lunch….so good. The grapefruit margarita – sort of brunchish – was very good as well. Everyone’s food was amazing. The great IPA list was enjoyed by the boys. It was a treat to be able to eat whatever and not have to worry about what sporting event was next and whether or not it would “sit well” with the kids during competition seasons.

It was a such a treat to have the entire family together on this one. It’s been a long time since we’ve all traveled together to do something that was not an Aggie game, a baseball tournament or a swim meet. And the rain….even worke

d its way in to make the trip a “water related” event – ha! We have a running joke, that’s not really a joke, that all of our family outings involve water. For the most part, they actually do. We closed the Marine Museum near Quantico and our hotel, because we needed to catch and a flight and Chase was heading out on a trip the next morning and needed to get “uniform ready” and packed. When the kiddos are together during mostly holidays now, the event is always opened with “no chokeholds allowed”. I’m not pointing fingers, but FOR THE MOST PART, the “kids” did good. We did end with a little Marine harassment at the Marine Museum in the “Boot Camp – What it takes to be a Marine” area. Yes – this would be Chase, coaching Grant through some “required pull ups”! I only caught the end of the pull up session, but IT’S DOCUMENTED!

I can’t wait for the next gathering of the family. Time is absolutely flying too fast. Hug your babies. Call your parents. Make the time to hang out…..make memories and hang on to them.

Til next time….Love these kiddos!

Where has time gone?

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Chase, Family & Kids .

Warning. If you know me well, grab a tissue. Here we go. Yesterday, I walked into Chase’s room after work and stopped to pick up the towels that I knew were lying on the floor “because of faulty towel hooks.” As I entered the room, I glanced at the person lying on the bed watching the television: Who on earth is that? When did this happen? He’s no longer my little boy, but a young man.

To borrow a friend’s phrase – HELLLLLLO? WHAT HAPPENED HERE? I need a few minutes to catch up – head is spinning a bit. My hand is being forced a bit and if you know me, that’s NEVER good. Time to “Mommy-Up.” I know that I have let go of the kid who was caught between two worlds — of kid and adulthood. But wait, I’ve already said good-bye once to the kid that went off to A&M. I got over it quickly as he was AWESOME at calling at about the same time every day and came home often enough. This is different now, a punch in the gut kind of different.

What happened to the:

the fat baby whose entire body fit neatly on my arm even with his rather large head?
the cheeky, happy toddler who went everywhere in camo clothes, with a watch on carrying Winnie the Pooh or Woody from Toy Story?
the mild, mannered school-age kid who chose a solitary sport (swimming) and only wanted to train, and not necessarily to compete?
the 10 year old so excited to get a Red-Rider and wanted to shoot everything in sight.OH WAIT…I know where that one is.
the young boy that wanted someone – ANYONE – to go into the woods and explore everything just for the sake of it, and “mom would do” as a partner?
the teenager that gave me FITS….of laughter post-emergency appendectomy with the “I left my underwear in the storage unit” comments.
the dog/duck/python/hamster-loving, Chinese water dragon maintaining , albino corn snake housing kid?
the teenager that hides his siblings stuff, just so he can coerce them in a game of hide-n-seek?
the high school kid that “threatened” this friends about staying away from his sister?
the “fluorescent green” wearing (suit, glasses, you name it) swimmer/coach/friend who could care less that some poked fun of him for his color choices
the Aggie Corps of Cadets college kid who really enjoyed the confines of being in the corps…

Each and every stage of childhood through young adulthood coupled with motherhood delivered its own set of new challenges and headaches, but with that was a certain level of excitement. And with that, I’m sure all moms would agree (with the exception of the colicky times), I mourned the loss of the stages left behind.

Just a few years ago, I begged for just one more summer of no jobs and no responsibility other than getting to swim practice and meets on time which never bothered me or Chase for that matter. I longed to be the important one in his life – not the girlfriend, the phone OR “the truck.” Inevitably, he moved on to the next stage of life. He grew. And I guess I grew with him. I sort of had to. It was hang on or totally get left behind.

As a mom of 3, I can look back and see how wonderful it’s been. I see all the growth, maturity and direction for the most part. I’m so proud of my kids. But through the process, who really grew?

I count my blessings as he still kisses me goodnight and says, “Love ya,” before going to bed or when he’s getting off the phone, every single time regardless of who is around. I’m lucky he let me hang out until the wee-hours of the morning one night recently, with “the crew,” and they were in FINE FORM, I might add. He lets me scratch his head or back while watching television. Deep down I know it’s for my comfort, but he’ll end up with a girl that does the same thing….trust me.

Overtime, our discussions have changed. I can now hang during F-150 discussions that involve exhaust systems, secondary power supplies and HID light bars. We can discuss politics on a

mature level and I’m proud to say he has a firm, grasp of his political views… and they are clearly his, not mine, because we don’t agree on everything. He still can’t keep his room clean for the life of him, but for the most part, he’s all grown up, moving on, and leaving his childhood behind as he reaches for that “next step.” That’s the plan, right? A parental goal: to parent them to the next step – the next level.

And in a FLASH…I’m out of the game.

Clearly emotions are running VERY HIGH these days with the loss of my sweet mom 3 weeks ago and now, Chase. “Losing him” might be a bit strong, but I feel like that’s what’s going on. The United States Marine Corps will be his “new mom.” And you know what, that’s great. God bless him; however, the days of loosey-goosey house rules, dorm rules, curfews and even “truck rules” are gone for him and there’s not one thing I can do to help him now. And I have to deal with that.

So back to the hard question: WHO GREW UP? The logical question here is – we both did. For the most part, I’ve done my job with Chase and I’m proud of who he’s become and the Marines are lucky to have him. That being said, I have prayed over this “USMC decision” so much that my head is spinning. The tears have flown and will continue to flow for a long, long time I’m sure. It’s a sort of mourning process I guess. The anger has passed. The denial set in, and still there a bit, but it’s happening this weekend, so there’s no use in spending any more time in that stage. So what’s next? To all that are praying for him – THANK YOU for that. But just for him? That’s just not enough. I’m going to ask for more.

Pray for our country. Pray for our Leadership…it’s NOT good right now. In this political and presidential election year, pay attention. Don’t pick the lesser of the evils. Really pay attention. Where does your preferred choice really stand on the tough issues. Look at the ENTIRE picture. Not just taxes for those working vs those that aren’t. Not just abortion rights or LGBT rights. Not just for those that are a bit different. Not just about the economy…okay, we all need to concentrate on that one.

EVERYONE should have the right to happiness. What about safety? What about the citizens of the United States of America – are we really safe? Is it a US-given right to be safe? What about the KIDS fighting and protecting us, over here, Stateside? Are they kept safe while they protecting other countries?

I’m not telling you what I think or what you should think, but I would request that you really study these “career politicians,” “big mouths” – that can’t control their every thought, and the “law breakers.” Did I cover them all? I personally don’t think ANY OF THEM can be trusted – and the choices aren’t that great. Individual groups going after ONE THING will continue to fight and always will continue to do so as long as they are kept SAFE and their right to speak stay intact – but what about the WHOLE of us? Pick good folks. And freakin’ vote. Make it happen. Get out and vote. Vote for yourself. Vote for the WHOLE. Vote for my kid……..

Prayers for more boy are much appreciated. God Bless you to my oldest, my baby, my duck-hunting, truck-driving, great big brother, Aggie of a kid! Proud of you Chase…..always!

Rant of emotions is over. For now. Okay …. Probably not for a long while. Hug your babies. Hug your family. Hug your friends.

~ Mel

Cruisin’ through Life

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Family & Kids, Social, Vacations .

THE FAMIGOS | Chase, Grant, Kyle – Alex & Katie

Need to ask a favor. Please pray to whomever you pray to, for this GREAT KID, Kyle (and his sis Katie, Mom & Dad) – new “instant” friends that we met on our recent, spring break cruise. Now, let me back up a bit. Neither Gary or myself had ever been on a cruise. This past Spring Break was our second attempt at a cruise and the stars aligned perfectly. I did my research on where to go, what do, when to do it, and with whom to do it with. Somehow, I missed making dinner plans and we were assigned the EARLY seating. After ONE NIGHT of early dinner, I knew that early dinner time, was NOT for my family. Geez, we were still at the pool or beach at 5pm. With just a little prodding, I convinced the maitre d’ to permanently move us to ANY TABLE on ANY FLOOR for the last dinner seating. Second night, first full day on the boat, we were looking forward to where they reassigned us. First Floor. Back of the dining room, port side. With the ship staff leading the way, we hiked to the back of this huge room, and there sitting was an unsuspecting family, discussing how they ran off the previous night’s dinner guests with a beautiful Norwegian girl, our server. We “plopped” down, in ONLY the way my family can do, and started with introductions. Mom and Dad were sort of quiet and maybe a bit overwhelmed with the group that just landed at their dinner table, but the kids, Kyle & Katie – all smiles. INSTANT conversations and laughter began, and it was an instant “match made at dinner.”

We, the parents, didn’t even really get to chat the first night because the kids ran the conversation, and the table. A lot of the time, we were all in hysterics because of something Grant or Kyle said, because “they played” at the same level. Kids are 20, 18, 16, 14, 13 with Grant being the youngest. What great kids we thought. Good manners. Well spoken. Athletes & dancers. The Andersons were big readers, and I thought UH OH, because while my family reads a ton, we didn’t even take BOOKS on the cruise. Ok – Gary and I did. After the first dinner, I felt bad because my kids all had big plans. Two big kids were off to some dance thing, and Grant had a scavenger hunt to do organized by the Teen Club. We all said our goodnights, see you tomorrow’s and moved on. Gary and I had a discussion about how we thought knew Kip & Kyle, but we just couldn’t figure it out and clearly they didn’t know us, so who cares, right? Everyone got along, don’t rock the boat.

The next night was FORMAL night and no one, including me was excited about getting dressed up. We all got dressed after a GREAT day in Honduras zip-lining. Time for dinner and maybe a show afterwards, we though. More laughter at the dinner table, and more fun conversations outside of “cruise material”, and they kids were having fun and eating way too much “cheesy” bread. Getting to know each other was fun to watch – when do you REALLY get the chance to watch your kids fend for themselves and interact at that level with TOTAL STRANGERS. Both sets of parents were just soaking up every minute and letting the kids just drive the chatter. This night, I suggested Katie go to the Teen Club with Grant as they were very close in age, and seemed to be getting along. Kyle piped in and asked what the age was and we figured out they could all go together. Off went the big kids, and the “middle” kids (no little) cruised off to the Club. As parent, we just sat there with “what do we do now” looks on our faces, and we decided to go to a little bar and have a glass of wine. Chatting, discussing sports, school, college, a stint in the casino and then we dispersed and went our own ways. Us to a show. Anderson off to just chill.

Long day in Belize and cave-tubing, we all got dressed again – at this point I was thinking “eat, explore, eat, sit by pool or beach, get dressed, eat again.” I’m not good with monotony – everyone knows this. Back to dinner we go, and again fun, but this time I picked up on a few things about Kyle. He coughed pretty hard, and dismissed himself from the table. He returned after a few, and mom looked stressed. He shared about not being able to run much anymore and how he had to quit basketball, but then they were back to their usual AWFUL banter on “how did the chicken cross the road” and Grant sharing his knowledge of music while being thoroughly engaged in the pianist who was playing a little Elton John. Conversations were more divided this night, with the parents sitting on one side and the kids on the other of this large round table. Kyle began talking about Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks) and this “great trip” they took to Seattle. And I was on to him. We went back to the room, and I searched Kyle Anderson/Marshawn Lynch and there it was…in 2013, a Make a Wish Trip.

Kip, I think picked up on a few of my questions the night before, but nothing was too in depth was shared. But the next night….the bomb was dropped. He simply leaned over and mentioned that Kyle had had cancer and I put the rest together, all the time wondering if this was a special trip of sorts. I began watching pretty closely, there was NOTHING slowing Kyle down, except for possible a bum leg that caused him to quit basketball and take up golf. Such an upbeat kid, same with the family. Not beat down by the cards that he’d been dealt. Once my kids were clued in, I think Kyle knew, and they all chatted openly about it……..and then the all went and did their thing. Kyle invited us to do a Make a Wish walk – Royal Caribbean’s Charity of Choice – and of course we did. We bought shirts and jumped right in. What a motley crew we were, as we all walked together with the moms and dads talking, the girls talking, and the boys walking while discussing NOT ONE OF THEM could walk in a straight line. GOOD FUN. For a great cause. So normal……

Remember when you were young, and you had to “snail mail” a friend you met on a trip – and that that only last a few letters? NOT TRUE ANYMORE with Social Media Marketing & Website Development Company. The kids have all stayed in touch through texting and Instagram. The parents have done a TERRIBLE job of staying in touch – until last night. Kyle texted Chase, and basically said, “hey – wanted you to know that I’m having surgery on a big mass they found on my lung. I’ve been coughing up a lot of blood.” Chase came bounding down the stairs, and totally butted into a conversation between Gary, Alex & myself about prom activities(the night before). He shared the news and all was quiet. We all went to bed in very solemn moods”in our heads.”

Today – I dug out Kip & Deb’s business card, on which we shared contact info…you know, for hunting, and JUST IN CASE Texas A&M University makes it to Omaha, and I reached out to Kip and Deb. I can’t even fathom what they are all going thorough, but they are such a neat family, that I just know they’ll get through this. As will Kyle – he’s too cool of a kid not to. Mom promised to keep us posted, and shared that their hamster had babies…..funny story, for another time.

Kyle is undergoing major surgery to remove this awful, mean, 6mm mass on his lung. As a 16 yr old, positive, strong, kid, just a cool kid…..he and his family have touched our lives, providing a “different” perspective in such a short time. Hug your babies. Hug your parent. Let everyone that’s important to you, know it!

Pray. Pray for Kyle to continuing cruising through life, pray for the doctors/nurses to cruise through this surgery tomorrow, and for his family and friends…may they keep on cruisin’ and being the rock he needs right about now! So keep our FAMIGOS (Family Friends) in your thoughts and prayers. They need it. As do way too many people. Cancer is ugly. If you get the chance to participate in a fundraiser, do it. All #LivesMatter.

Here’s the link to Kyle’s Make a Wish Trip on ESPN to meet Marshwan Lynch and the Seattle Seahawks, his favorite team. Just watch the kid beam……..

CaringBridge.org Site > Kyle Anderson

Be good and make it a good one!

Mel

Similarities between Yards & Websites

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Social, Web & SEO .

With a light at the end of the tunnel for winter so seemingly DIM, it’s a great time to devise a plan for the impending season. BRING ON the next season. I live in Texas for a reason. Mild winters…I don’t do cold. That being said, so many things need to be nurtured this time of year, and none can be or SHOULD be ignored. From the yard to the office, from the house to the cars and trucks, we all really need to devise a plan and stick to it.

The yard. Ugh. This winter has been brutal on the tropical plants including this dead looking, St. Augustine grass we have. The yard needs aerating, fertilizer, grass soil and much weed kill. So much to do, so little time. But what’s important to the yard? Probably the sun, water and nutrients.

Your website. When was the last time you updated your website? Is it time to “re-invent” or to just fertilize what you already have going. Fertilization with NEW CONTENT is a great place to start. And with words for HUMANS, not just robots. When it comes down to it, PEOPLE read your website, right?

Simple content updates and new content generation can make a huge difference with how your website shows up in the search engines. With so many “animalistic” changes with Google’s algorithm (Pigeon, Panda, Penguin….I think the next one should be porcupine because of the pricklies), good, clean, unique content will do nothing but help your website.

Where on earth do you start generating new content? Look at “the yard.” Where does it look the worst? My front yard looks okay, as does my home page. But the backyard…you can’t forget the backyard. The dog has destroyed it with all the “wet weather”, the grass that is still alive, looks dead, and the flower beds…well, they have a ton of weeds (welcome to winter in Texas). Compare the front yard to the landing page of your website. Your home page may look awesome, but I’m sure it could use some good “updates” or the removal of a weed here or there. Do you have something new to offer product or service wise?

How are interior pages of your website? The backyard – where the REAL fun happens? Interior or sub-pages are usually where the “fun parts” or the real “beef” (remember, I’m from Texas) of the site resides. Check up on your current offerings. Does your current content generate the message, products, services that your site offers? Is it easy to navigate? Just like the backyard, there needs to be a clear path through the flowerbeds and the garden. It’s so important.

What about your blog? You DO have a blog, right? If not, get one. Blogs are an easy way to offer new content to your followers – easy too. I tell our clients that blogs also add a personality to your business – a more human-like existence. Clients/Customers like learning abouth

So while you are setting personal New Year’s Resolutions, keep your website in mind. It needs a little “nurturing!” If you need help, give me a holler!

Happy New Year – 2014 – WOW!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Family & Kids .

Behind again…..I’m going to REALLY try to do better this year with updating the blog. Life in general, is getting in the way of my blogging efforts – mostly work at Bizopia and the kids’ schedules. With kid off to college, it was SUPPOSED to get easier….but NOOOOOOO! It hasn’t. I blog, just guest blogging on different websites in attempts to help our clients getting ranked a bit higher in Google. Yep, I feel like Google rules my daytimes hours, pretty single handedly.

Chase is doing good at at Texas A&M University in Galveston – WHOOP. Just loves it. Corps of Cadets life suits him well. So does driving on the beach, hanging with friends on the beach, and classes involving getting IN the water or fishing or boating……he manages SOME studying.

Alex is plugging along in high school – still swimming incessantly for both Fort Bend Austin High School and First Colony Swim Team (FCST). Those 2 teams keep her rather busy, that and her AP classes. Great grades and great swimming are what we are witnessing with this bundle of energy we call our daughter.

Grant – where to start? He finished his last year of Fort Bend Gridiron Football, and will play for Sartartia Middle School next year (7th). He’s LOVING middle school and being with all of his friends, especially the sport friends that attended another elementary school that is now feeding SMS. We have switched baseball teams and are now playing with Team Mizuno in Missouri City. While he REALLY misses his friends on the Imperials, he loves his new coach and is learning the names (and antics) of the new players.

Gary is still at the helm of Bizopia, with me in tow. I’ve been working out of the house for most of January because of these “snowpocalypse days” we keep having. Second one in less than 5 days. Not cool. There is a reason we live in the South. Gary is still managing to work out a ton (me, not so much) and is still serving on the board of Gridiron. I’ve managed to stay out of trouble – only planning one charity event for Chase’s ProGrad last spring. I still serve on the Southwest Houston Recreational Swim League board and love my cohorts in crime. It’s really a great bunch.

At Bizopia, Google still dominates most of my time, constantly staying on top of what’s new in the word of Web Optimization and social media. Wow, things change every day! Wearin’ me out!

I ventured into the office on the cold and icy day, and need to head home. So I will sign off for now – stay warm & safe all!

Melanie

Summer – Like Castles in the Sand

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Melanie Ledbetter-Remy Posted in Alex, Chase, Family & Kids, Grant .

Melanie Ledbetter-Remy | 2013 Port A Sand Castle

Summer ’13 Port A Sand Castle Project

Summer Days are a bit like castles in the sand. The wind whittles away at the towers and arches, reminding you that sand castles are only temporary – much like summer. Then you turn around and the castle is a heap of sand that blows by just like the last days of summer.

Last week, we just returned from a much needed break in Port Aransas/Mustang Island, Texas. Our clan, met Mel’s mom and dad, and sisters family and the kids had a blast as usual. Good ages and good swimmers makes beach life REALLY easy these days. Lots of salty water, sand, sun…and WIND. Almost blew Mom over 🙂 No alarm clocks for 6:30a swim practices, no Monday afternoon swim meets…..

Good times. This year we took Chase to Sharkey’s – The Greatest Beach Club ever – on the island. First bar trip (at least as far as we know – ha!). He was “amazed” at a lot of things. Mainly Uncle Dave’s (Melinda’s hubby) ability to dance ALL NIGHT LONG without stopping. Literally. It was an eye-opening experience for Chase and we LOVED having the automatic designated driver.

Chase | Sharkeys Beach Club 2013

This past year – wow – went so fast. Chase’s senior year at Austin High School was full of normal, exhausting senior-like things – projects, homecomings, and prom. That’ll take you back in time real fast. Homecoming and prom isn’t what it used to be. It’s totally out of hand in my book. Kids still look great but take professional photographers wherever they go (homecoming too). And limos – stretch limos. Chase had a gorgeous prom date and they had a great time. Really good group of kiddos. Chase is lucky. We are lucky. We’ll miss them all as they leave us for the next step, whatever that may be.

Alexandra will be a junior at Fort Bend Austin and continues to “stare at the black line” (Gary saying) and swim all the time. Two teams – two practice schedules, but it’s all worth it. Her long course season with FCST ended really well with drops in everything which is amazing considering she’s fighting plantar fasciitis due to “extreme” growth. Chase dealt with this a bit earlier in life than Alex , but the specialists feel it will go away with time as her body catches up…with her FEET. Her high school swimming was good, but she expects more out of herself. Such a goal setter. She has her sights set on State, and if her feet continue to improve, it might be doable this year. Lots of medals at District, she again moved on to Region 6 Meet. She has a nemesis in our Region that is on her radar……still loving the sprints, she’s learning to appreciate events over 100 yards – ha! Thanks to her coaches!!!

The Remys * June ’13 (Chase’s Graduation)

Grant is moving on to Sartartia Middle School in 6th grade and is actually excited about it. He has continued to played baseball through the entire school year (WSLLL Imperials) and swam for the New Territory Tarpons again this summer. He did great, and adapted to flip-turns quite nicely. The backstroke turn actually looks like a turn now. And…..he wants to swim year round for FCST. Oh wow. We are still wrapping our heads around potentially having another FCST’er in the house. Just as Chase retires……! Grant is moving on to football for the 5th or 6th year – 4th with Fort Bend Gridiron. And yes, Gary will be coaching. Lots of schedules to juggle, but he just loves it all so, and he shouldn’t have to choose a sport yet. Mama Bear is TOTALLY against that.

Gary and Mel – are simply trying to keep up with the schedules. Gary is still at the helm of Bizopia (doing websites, SEO & social media marketing) and is going a great job of growing the company. The rest of us are trying to hang on! Mel is still working at Bizopia – building websites and managing social and online presence for the clients. We are getting away with friends in November again, to a GREAT house in Acapulco (but that’s a whole ‘nother topic) and really looking forward to it. Got Gary’s parents coming in for a last “summer hoorah” in a few weeks and then we get back to the school-grind.

Family websites require a lot of updating, but OF ALL FAMILIES, we should be able to do this. This is a work in progress and always will be, but at least some updated pictures and kid updates are getting posted! I have a friend who I absolutely admire for her DAILY photo-blogging capabilities (check out her site – it’s REALLY cool) This new layout is making it a bit easier to update – especially the pictures and I’ve granted the kids access to their own pages – we’ll see…..beware of Grant though 🙂

Have a great rest of the summer! It’s just flying by…….

~Mel

The Raggedy Mom & The Remys

Author Archives: Melanie Ledbetter-Remy