Grays' Gossip

Bad Momma...again!

2011-01-17T15:44:00.046-07:00

So once again, the story of my life, I have neglected our blog lately. Some would say I have been a "Bad Momma"! Here I go again making my "attempt" to catch up (with 2 blog posts). I find in general that I just do not take as many pictures, it must be the three kids holding me up!!

In October, we had a cowboy extravaganza! It was indeed our little cowgirl's birthday (#4). To know Jill is to know she is obsessed with horses. So we went with it and had a cowgirl party. It was just family but that was nice after just having a baby.

More presents please!

She loved the gloves that Auntie Jaycie and Uncle Brady gave her.

Jensen doing his own thing!

Then we had Halloween. Jill had been plotting and plotting all year long as to what our family could be. She finally settled on her being Jasmine, Russ being Aladdin, Jensen being Abu, and she told me that I could just be a "regular person". You see where I rank on the list!!

Russ and our little pumpkin Jack.

Abu/Jensen

I was the bride of Frankenstien. Jaycie was a lovely Princess, Jill loved it!

Jasmine on her way to school.

Jill loved her outfit that Grandma Jayne made her.

Hey Santa!

Christmas Eve we went to Grandma and Grandpa Fryer's (Russ' Grandparents) house and had a great get together. It was fun to just be together as a family. It is a growing family at that. This year the Gray's have added two babies, Jack & Joelle (due in February) and Lisa, Brent's fiance. How fun!

Our sister-in-law Sara wanted everyone to sleepover and our house, well some did. We had a blast. We started a new tradition by doing "Fun"due on Christmas Eve. Loved it!

Christmas morning everyone was over and the kids went to town. It was a fun and relaxing day. We are so blessed and are thankful to be together as a family. Here's to a great 2011 and let's hope there are no new babies at the Gray house!!!!!!

This is the best a family picture gets with three kids.

For the Christmas pagant Jill insisted on being Mary. Being a good sport Russ agreed to be Joseph.

Jack was Baby Jesus.

Dad sneaking a kiss.

Jensen loved the show!

He was nervious of this Santa... it was Great Grandpa Fryer.

Jill was all about a present!

Then Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve to drop off our PJ's... guess who?!

My mom-in-law made all of us matching PJ's with our names in accrosstic poem style.... Jordan got mine by accident!

The elves were busy!!!

Not quite awake yet!

He sees it.....

Let him at it!!!!

Victory

Tayauna's doll house

Jill hugging her horse

LOVES it!

Peyton on her present

Tay livin' it up

In his car....

Still in it.....

And still in it! (Remember this for later!)

Jill loved her robe

Lily and Jensen watching Mickey Mouse

Lily pushing Jensen in his car
Jensen sharing and smiling
Lily loved it
Jensen wants his car back NOW!!!!!
All of the "Yeates" Grandchildren (LtoR) Peyton (Jordan), Tayauna (Jordan), Jack, Jill, Jensen, Lily (Morgan)
What a group... still being somewhat agreeable
And Lily is outta here!!!!!!!!!

Newborn Pics

2010-10-13T10:16:00.020-06:00

Jack had his first photo session at about a week and a half old. He was less than thrilled with it but Cherese still managed to get some great shots. I am so glad that we got newborn pictures as I didn't with Jill and I am still regretting it. Bad Momma!!

Here are some of my favorites of Jack. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do...

Sad little face

This one makes him look sooooo long

All that dark hair

I always love the little feet pictures

Proud Momma

Finally resting!

"Can I please be done?!"

This one makes my heart happy (Jill 3 1/2, Jensen 1 1/2, Jack 1 week)

Jensen stole a moment for himself

Herrrrrrrrrrrrrre's Jackson!

2010-10-11T20:11:00.027-06:00

This is what happens when you are the third child... it takes three weeks for your mom to even blog about you!

Jackson Phillip Gray was born September 16th at 8:34am. He was 6lbs. 6ounces and 19 inches long. I kept having dreams the week before he was born that he was going to look different than my other two kids and he does. He has lots of dark brown hair and a little tiny head. He is very popular around the Gray house and is a real sweetheart. How did we ever live without our Jack-Jack!!

Aunt Jaycie

Uncle Jordie

Proud Big Sister

Mamaw

Uncle Brady

Jill really wanted to name the baby Prince. Since I wasn't about to do that she got creative. She came to me one day and said how about "Feel-up" like Prince "Feel-up" on Sleeping Beauty. Hence we have our Prince.... Phillip! She went and bought him the doll too!!

Daddy and his three amigos

Papa entertaining Jensen

Ninnie held down the fort!

Autie Sara

Jill insisted he have a birthday cake!

First bath

P.S. Jackson is doing so well. His CF results have shown that his CF is very mild. His newborn screening did not even pick it up. His pancreas is functioning very well. We are very hopeful for Jackson's future... it is certainly bright!!

Keepin' Up

2010-06-28T12:30:00.003-06:00

Well he has finally done it... Jensen can now walk. He went from no walking whatsoever to well you watch and see!! I am so proud, what a bright and smiley boy he is.

Mutton or Bust!!

2010-06-17T09:44:00.006-06:00

In joining the Gray family I joined into a family tradition that I have grown to love.... Strawberry Days! We plan and wait for June to roll around each year so that we can partake in all of the events. This year brought something new for Jill, the Mutton Bust. If you know Jill you already know she has a DEEP love of everything cowgirl. She eats, sleeps, and dreams of being a rEaL cowgirl. So being the good mother I am I signed her up for the ride of her life. Along with her cousin, Tayauna, we were countin' down the days to the "Radio". Last night was their big night and boy did it not disappoint. I am only sorry Jordan and Kyra were at the hospital having Peyton and missed it. So here are the pictures... get a tissue cause you will die laughing!!

Disneyworld

2010-06-10T09:26:00.026-06:00

We recently made the trek to Disneyworld. We have been saving and counting down for months. There were 15 of us which made it a blast. I must say it was... well a lot hotter than I would have liked but we just made lots of stops and dips in the pool. Jensen and Mommy were good buddies for this trip. We both drank lots and stuck under the fans. Jill was much impressed by all of the sights. She loved getting her autograph book signed, she looks at it often. Russ was lucky enough to be the family pack mule... or maybe that was unlucky! The conditions did not matter as we were at the most magical place on earth!!! Enjoy!

With the Mickey and Minnie shirts we made

Jill LoVed the Bippity Boppity Boutique

When she finally saw herself

Jensen spent much of the trip in his stroller

Mom and Jensen taking a rest

On Dumbo

Caught in a rain storm!!

New treasures!!!

2010-04-26T20:59:00.004-06:00

Jill decided it was time to get her ears pierced. So for Family Home Evening we all headed out to the mall. She kept telling us she was going to be brave and that it would only "tickle". We let her believe that and hoped for the best. I called ahead and made certain that there would be two people there so that both ears could be done at once. It is always better that way. She was very brave and a little nervous but all went well and she survived! Enjoy the video at the end and for those Grandmothers that are watching.... this film may be graphic and parental supervision is recommended!

Tickled PiNk about her new earin's!

So proud!! She even showed her baby dolls.

Jensen's Big Day

2010-04-07T13:05:00.013-06:00

We recently had Jensen's First Birthday. What a time to celebrate. We have had quite the year and this was the perfect way to wrap it all up. It was also a way I could say thank you to all of those who had helped out sooooo much throughout the past year. I could not have made it without our families help. So ThAnk YoU!!

As for the party we got all greened out and got ready to have a good time. Jensen liked his cupcake but it was nothing compared to Jill and her cake. Jensen is such a quiet boy and just sat back and enjoyed the good times. For those of you that have not gotten the pleasure of being around Jensen a lot let me describe my baby to you.... HaPpY!! I am not joking, 99% of the time this boy has a HUGE smile on his face. What a joy and privilege it has been to be his mom.

Auntie Kyra helped his get decked out.

He was ready to party.

The girls also got fancy... and I do mean fancy!!!

Mamaw made awesome signs to let everyone know whose day it was... Jensen's

Bring on the cupcake!!!

Our smiley boy

Jill was ready for presents

Checking out all of his stuff!!

Jill's Moment In the Spotlight...

2010-02-28T17:42:00.005-07:00

Jill got to give her first talk today in Primary! I was soooo proud of how well she did... she didn't even do the heavy breathing in the mic like most kids. She choose to talk on prayer. We hope you enjoy this performance... we were at Russ' parents house so she had quite the audience. What a great girl my little Jill is...

Russ and Jenn

2010-02-17T09:21:00.012-07:00

We are not nearly as interesting as the kids so I will be brief.

We moved on New Year's day! Our house sold in a week and a half and we closed on our new house in 9 days! We took this all as a sign that we were meant to move it! We love our new house and have been busy getting settled in. Here are some pics....

Front room

Family room

Part of the kitchen

Jensen's room

Jill's room

Playroom

Master and yes that is laundry

Master bath

Will update pics as we get more done!

Jillian

2010-02-17T09:06:00.010-07:00

Sledding with her best friend and cousin Tater

Being an "angel"

With Papa Fryer

Matchy-Matchy

Ready to ride

Daddy helped

And she is off!

Life with Jill is always, always an adventure. She has spirit and spunk like I have never seen before. She is girl through and through. She must wear a dress everyday, even in the snow. A diva in the making!

For Christmas she got a bike (big hit), a dollhouse, and a baby to which she has matching clothes (lovely). She begs to ride her bike everyday. Some days it has made its way into the house. Since we moved Jill has discovered the delight of her life... playing at friends' houses. It is so fun to live in a neighborhood, that is why we moved and it was so worth it.

Jill looks forward to warmer weather and many hours of play outside with her "friends".

Jensen

2010-02-17T08:42:00.009-07:00

With daddy at Christmas

With his Papa Fryer "Santa"

He got the part of baby Jesus... he was a little too big!

First haircut

His bottom teeth and new haircut

His morning meds!

What has our little man been up to?! Jensen has been growing like crazy. He definately looks like a big boy now. He has four teeth and a sparkling personality. He can now say (to our understanding) Mama, Dada, Hi and waves, Bye-bye and waves, baby, and can tell you what a horse says. The later was his sister's proudest moment! He tries desperately to keep up with her. He has now, almost completely, gotten crawling down. He is not that fast but it gets him around and into trouble.

During Jensen's January visit to the CF clinic he swabbed positive for pseudomonas. This is a bacteria that most of us come in contact with but it is no good for kids with CF. Jensen had some in his lungs so we had to do a 28 day round of antibiotics. They were given as a breathing treatment twice a day for a minimum of 30 minutes a piece. Thanks to some great advise we did them after his morning and evening bottles. He ended up sleeping through most of them. It was just a huge amount of time and patience on Jill's part. I would set her up with a movie and snack in the morning as his whle routine took over an hour and a half. She could do a lot of damage in that amount of time! Now when go back to Primary's next Friday and he gets re-swabbed to see if the bacteria is still there. If it is present then we do another round and hope that it does not colonize or this will have to be a lifelong routine... yuck!!

Jensen's big first birthday is next month so we will keep you posted on all of the fun details!

Santa....this time...

2009-12-24T08:22:00.004-07:00

Cheesy I know but this is our most successful trip yet!

Jensen mostly stared

Jill and her favorite Tater (Jordan and Kyra's daughter)

2009-12-23T11:01:00.002-07:00

This is one of my favorite Christmas poems. At least for a good laugh it is.... I hope you enjoy!

See Mother. See Mother laugh. Mother is happy.
Mother is happy about Christmas.
Mother has many plans. Mother has many plans for Christmas.
Mother is organized. Mother smiles all the time.
Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother. See Mother smile. Mother is happy.
The shopping is all done. See the children watch tv.
Watch, children, watch.
See the children change their minds.
See them ask Santa for different toys.
Look. Look. Mother is not smiling.
Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother. See Mother sew.
Mother will make dresses. Mother will make robes.
Mother will make shirts.
See Mother put zipper in wrong.
See Mother sew the dress on the wrong side.
See Mother cut shirt too short.
See Mother put material away until January.
Look. Look. See Mother take aspirin.
Funny, Funny, Mother.

See Mother. See Mother buy raisins and nuts.
See Mother buy candied fruits and sugar.
See Mother buy flour and dates and pecans.
See Mother buy bananas and brown sugar.
See Mother buy spices. Look! Look!

Mother is mixing it all together.
See the children press out cookies.
See the flour on their elbows.
See the cookies burn.
See the cake fall.
See the children pull taffy.
See Mother pull her hair.
See Mother clean out the kitchen with a garden hose.
See Mother.
See Mother wrap presents.
See Mother look for the end of the scotch tape.
See Mother bite her nails.
See Mother go.

See Mother go to the store.
See Mother go back to the store 12 more times in one hour.
Go Mother go!

See Mother go faster.
Run, Mother run.
See Mother trim the tree.
See Mother have a party.
See Mother make popcorn.
See Mother wash walls.
See Mother crawl the walls.
See Mother scrub the rugs.
See Mother tear up organized plan.
See Mother forget Uncle Harold's gift.
See Mother get the hives.
Go, Mother, Go!!

See the faraway look in Mother's eyes.
Mother has become unorganized.
Mother has become disoriented.

It is finally Christmas morning.
See the happy family.
See Father smile.
Father is happy.
See Father smile.
Father LOVES fruitcake.
Father LOVES Christmas pudding.
Father loves all his new neckties.
Look, Look!

See the happy children.
See the happy children's toys.
See the happy children play with the boxes.
Santa was very good to the children.
The children will ALWAYS remember this Christmas.

See, Mother.
Mother is slumped in the chair.
Mother is crying uncontrollably.
Mother does not look well.
Mother has ugly dark circles under her eyes.
Everyone help Mother to bed.
See Mother sleeping quietly under heavy sedation.
See Mother smile.
Funny, Funny, Mother!

Merry Christmas Mothers Everywhere!!!

Author Unknown

Snow Girl and Sweet Boy....

2009-12-09T08:30:00.009-07:00

Jill has been dying to have some snow so that she could make a snow angel... here it is in all of its GlOrY!

Her Mamaw sent up a sled and boy did she love it.

She was lying on her back letting the snow hit her face and just laughing!

And now my sweet boy! Jensen is such a delight. He is such a happy boy and almost all of the time. He is a blessing to me each and every day.

Four Years....

2009-12-02T09:26:00.002-07:00

This is for the Cutest Boy I know! I love you so much and can hardly believe how the time has flown by. You are the love of my life! I am so thankful to be married to my best friend. I enjoy spending any amount of time with you. Here's to the rest of forever.... Jenn

Daddy

2009-11-29T22:13:00.009-07:00

Russ is now home with us... does anything else matter?! We are so glad that Russ' deployment is now over. We are so thankful to him for his service and sacrifice. What a great example he is to our family. We love our daddy.

Russ and I had a nice drive home from Mississippi. We even stopped in at one of his favorite mission hang-outs...Bahama Bucks. I thought to my self how good can an Icee be...that good. It was well worth the trip and Russ was in heaven!

Russ has also been busy with school. He has gone back to school and is working towards getting a degree in Business Adminisration with an emphasis in Healthcare Aministration. I am soooo proud of Russ for this. I know it is overwhelming to go back to school after being out for so long. It is also a big time committment. He is a great example to our children and for that I am thankful.

Jenn

2009-11-29T22:03:00.015-07:00

For a mom there is never really any down time... I know you all feel me on that one. What a whirlwind it has been. With Russ gone, Jensen sick, my dad passing, trying to sell the house, and then to find a new place to call home. My new motto is, "just pile it on"! I am finding strength I never knew I had. What a blessing.

I have gotten to do some exciting things too! At the end of October beginning of November I flew to Mississippi and got my hubby! We made a quick road trip across the country and found our way home! It was so fun to be with Russ and know he was not going to be leaving again. I just love my husband so much. We have so much fun together and can talk for hours. It is my greatest joy to have him home.

Many of you know I have been doing Weight Watchers with some family members. I like many others needed to get the baby weight off. It also provided me with some me time while Russ was gone. It was so fun to go to the weekly meeting and to have a goal I was working towards. Well a few weeks ago I made it to my goal! Yahoooooo! It was so exciting. It was a lot of hard work but it felt so great.

One of my favorite things was just this past week. Thanksgiving morning my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and myself did a 5k. It was called the Turkey Trot. It was so fun. I have now committed Russ and we are going to run a 5k together this spring.

J-I-L-L

2009-11-29T21:57:00.016-07:00

Jill amoung other things has learned to spell her name...with two L's. She is such a smart little girl. She keeps me on my toes!

Jill has also been a very busy little person. She is now doing gymnastics or nastics as she calls it. She loves to be active and most of all social. She goes once a week with her cousin Tayauna and buddy Lincoln.

Jill turned 3 in October. We were in Washington for her birthday which was nice to have Ninnie there for the event. We actually had her party after my dad's funeral with all of our family. In true Jill fashion she brought a ray of sunshine to a rather dreary day. My Jill is always making the simpliest things a joy. She gets so excited and is always so thankful. I am so glad she is my daughter.

For Halloween Jill was Beauty and what a "Belle" she was. Jill loves everything princess. Throw in a horse and she is in heaven.

But above everything the best thing that has happened to Jill is that her Daddy is home. I have never seen a little girl get so excited. When we drove up she was crying and saying, "I'm happy, but I'm happy!"

Jensen

2009-11-29T21:46:00.011-07:00

Not that an Eight month old, I know where has the time gone, can be very busy but Jensen has been up to some really great things!

Jensen was given the label "Failure to Thrive" back in September and the doctors at Primary's said he was going to need to get a feeding tube in some things did not improve quickly. So try as I might I re-dedicated myself to getting my sweet little one to eat as much as possible. I even had to wake him up in the night for an extra feeding! Crazy I know who wakes a sleeping baby. We changed a few things up thanks to his new gastro doctor. His formula went from 30 calories an ounce down to 24 an ounce. Then, get this, I had to start adding liquid fat to his bottles. They are called Microlipids. Also I put a little baby oatmeal in each bottle to add some bulk. This recipe worked like a charm. Jensen started gaining weight! He also got an MRI, he had to be sedated, to rule out a brain tumor. It came back negative thank goodness. Jensen now weighs around 17lbs. and is in the 20th percentile.

For his first Halloween Jensen was the Beast aka. a lion. He was soooo darling. He definately stole the show.

Jensen has to be the most perfect baby. He is an absolute doll. This child hardly ever even cries! I know that the Lord sent him with this sweet and happy disposition to help get him through the struggles he is going to have to face. What a blessing he is to me every day. He is my gift!

End of Summer

2009-09-03T22:02:00.030-06:00

What a great time we had at the Lake House! We arrived home August 8th, and Jill has still not stopped talking about going back. It was so relaxing and enjoyable. We made life long memories.

We were able to spend lots of time livin' it up on the "Big Red Boat". Jill loved riding on the big ski-bob. (See the video at the end.) Her special job was holding the ski flag. By the end of the trip she even took a late night swim. We had a blast with the water even if it was just a little waterfight.

Thanks to our daddy we got a special surprise one day. Russ sent us a pajama gram. It was the sweetest, cutest, nicest gift ever. We love him and all that he does for us.

We also must give a shout out to our new best friends the Lanigan's. We had so much fun with our neighbors. Miss Jane and Megan were so kind and loving toward us. Jill also became BFF's with their dog Kona. Kona let the girls throw balls into the lake for hours and Kona would jump for them everytime. Thank you, Lanigan's.

We were able to have such a great summer....

Summer

2009-07-26T15:57:00.004-06:00

We have been at the Lake House for two weeks now. It has been so nice to relax and really enjoy the veiw. Mostly we have just gone swimming, ridden the jet skis, and the Big Red Boat!! Jill's personal favorite is the boat rides. She loves to sit at the front of the boat and feel the wind in her hair. It is quite the life for a two year old.

While we have been here we have had a few exciting things happen such as:

1. My brother-in-law and his friends came up for a quick vaca to the Lake House. It was so fun to have someone from home come and visit. It is always neat to share a bit of your home with people. Thanks for making the drive "Uncles"!

2. We celebrated Tayauna's, my niece's, birthday. She turned the big 3!! We had a fun Mickey Mouse party. It was a grand event. We were so glad to share it with her. Happy Day Tater!!

3. Northwest Trek was an adventure. We all set out for a day of fun and boy it was! Kyra and I did not remember how faaaaaar of a drive it was. Still a good time was had by all. We saw tons of animals. The girls loved the tram ride around the park. The best was when Tayauna called a Bison "cute". That is one I have never heard!!

Keep checking back to see more of our Lake House Adventures!!!

Does he like it?!

2009-07-13T12:06:00.006-06:00

Jensen is turning 4 months old this week and with that comes new things...Jensen gets to start on baby food. So here I am the excited mother, can't wait to watch him gobble it up! Watch below to see how much Jensen loved his first food....

And he hates it!

Boots

2009-07-06T22:17:00.007-06:00

We have been a busy family over the last month. It is time to catch everyone up. This is my best attempt at doing so.

As is evident Jill got her first pair of cowgirl boots. She is beyond thrilled. She wears them every chance she gets....even if they are on the wrong feet!

Daddy's Home

2009-07-06T16:58:00.015-06:00

This last week was the best, Russ was home. What a joy it was. When we went to pick him up at the airport Jill literally told every person we saw, "I'm pickin' up my daddy!" It was so cute. We waited inside the airport and when she finally saw him coming down the security exit she just ran to him and started crying! She loves her dad.

Saturday we had an open house for Gary and Sara here in PG. It was nice to finally have my hubby by my side for one of the wedding events. It is no fun to go when your special someone is not there.

Russ and I got to take a stay-cation for a few days. Thanks Grandma Jayne!!! We went up to Daniels Summitt and stayed two nights. It was the best two days ever. It is so hard for Russ and I to be apart because we just enjoy being together so much. Thanks for the great time, Honey.

Proof that there were no kiddies there!

After we got back we celebrated Russ' birthday. The big 3-0 we both have be dreading this one. It was a fun night with Russ' family. His cake was an army one and it did have all 30 candles. Jill was loving it!

We also got to spend time together as a family. It was so nice to be together again. We even took a few pics to prove Jensen is a part of our family now. We will see how long it takes me to frame them and get them up!

Then we had a happy Fourth of July. Jill is still a little nervious of the Fireworks but it was a success over all. She loved the sprinkles! I think that is all that we squeezed into Russ' short time home. We were all so sad to see him go but we understand it has to be. He made it back to Mississippi even with an extra My Little Pony that Jill put in his bag so that "Daddy won't be sad no more!"

Strawberry Day's

2009-07-06T12:12:00.012-06:00

I just love this time of year...especially when it is time for Strawberry Day's. You would think I was from Pleasant Grove. I have come to love this local tradition! Good thing I am a Gray!!

First we hit up the Carnival, which quickly became a hit with Jill. Then it was off to the "radio" or as it is more commonly known the rodeo. I do not know where Jill gets her cowgirl roots but boy do they run deep with her. It was a total rain out at the rodeo but we remained faithful and stuck it out.

Friday was Huckleberry Finn days where Jill got her face painted and played around with family and friends. They got to go "fishing" and play on the big bounce toys.

Finally we wrapped things up with the parade Saturday morning. It to was a rain out. Ahhh the joy of weather. We still had a great time. We talk about the carnival daily and how it had to go bye-bye but will return next year!

Wisdom

2009-06-18T18:58:00.002-06:00

Why is it that the wisest words always come from my two year old....

Today I was having, to put it lightly, a rough day. I was just at my whits end. Jill came running up to me and informed me that a monster was trying to get her. Here is our conversation:

Jill: Mommy a mon-s-ter is gettin' my toes!!
Mommy: No, there are no monsters here.
Jill: Mommy, he is gettin' my toes.
Mommy: That can't be. We only have nice and sweet things at our house.
Jill "Thinking"
Mommy (continues): Like Mommy, Jensen, Jill, the dogs, our family, and friends...
Jill: And Jesus, Mommy!

Is he here?! I have to wonder if today I even realized it. Also, were my actions bringing our family closer to His spirit or was I driving it away. Sometimes it is so hard to remember that I set the tone for us all. Even if it is a horrible day I need to remember He is here and here to help. Thanks, Jill!

CALIFORNIA!!!

2009-06-16T12:45:00.009-06:00

So we made the trek to California for my brother-in-laws wedding last week. I was really dreading the trip as I was not sure how things would go with Jensen. Also, Jill had to ride in the car to get there and lets just say the girl does not travel well. Jensen and I got to fly thanks to my in-laws!

The trip was great! I am so thankful that we went and as my mom would say, "We made a memory". It was not without much planning and packing and way too little sleep but a super time was had. I could not have done it without the family and friends that were there and helped constantly. I am so lucky to have married into such a great group! Thanks to you all for without you it would not have been possible for us.

Gary and Sara's sealing was in one word... awesome. One of the most touching I have been to. Ahhhh! I am so proud of the two of them and that they made choices to get themselves to the right place. It does not get any better than that.

Two Months young....

2009-06-03T15:35:00.004-06:00

How can two months go by so quickly yet be the longest of your life?! Jensen has been an absolute delight. What a sweet addition he is to our family. It has been a tough few months but we are making it. Jensen is doing better these days. He is finally settling into "his routine". I have started doing his chest percussions twice a day for a half hour each. He is adjusting well to this new activity. We do this to keep him from getting a lung infection.

The video that follows, as every mother knows, is what makes all these trying times worth while! I sure do love this boy!!!

*We made this video for our Daddy, we love you!

To Our Daddy

2009-05-24T21:37:00.002-06:00

What a lucky family we are to have such a brave daddy. We have a daddy that fights for our freedom every day. We are so blessed for the sacrifices that he makes. We love you, Russ, and thank you so much for your courage, bravery, and dedication! We love you. Happy Memorial Day!!

Lovely Lady!

2009-05-16T20:56:00.010-06:00

A picture is worth a million words in this case! My sweet Jill is very into dressing herself lately, as you can see. She is a little fire ball. She for sure keeps me on my toes. With all that has been going on with Jensen I have not blogged much about Jill... I am now playing catch-up....

Jill wants Jensen to sleep with her every night. I think Jensen is a little concerned.

Huntin' for Easter eggs

Jill dressed up in her army clothes for Armed Forces Day. We love you Daddy!!

Bum Cream?!

2009-05-10T21:16:00.003-06:00

It has been way to long since I last posted....things have been insanely crazy around here. One thing is that Jensen has been having horrible digestive problems that we cannot seem to get under control. This had caused him to have an awful diaper rash. When I say awful it does not describe just how bad it was. Finally I talked to another mom that has 3 kids with CF and she recommended this stuff called ilex. One of Russ' friends who works in Salt Lake went and picked it up for me at Primary Children's Hospital, thanks Adam. I used the ilex twice with Jensen and a miracle happened...his bum got better! I highly recommend this stuff to any parent out there. Who knew that bum cream was going to be the answer to my prayers! By small and simple things great things are brought to pass....

Mana from Heaven

2009-04-21T22:11:00.002-06:00

It is amazing to me that when we least expect it we are blessed the most. Last Friday I had to take Jensen to the hospital lab 3 times in one day. Yuck, I know! During my last trip one of the lab techs pulled me aside. She said to me that not as a medical professional but as a person she wanted to let me know she had CF. Wow! I could not believe it. Here before me stood this, what seemed to be, healthy, 20 something, girl. She was so cute and positive. She told me about when she was diagnosed and the circumstances surrounding it. Then, about her growing-up years and finally how it was to be an adult with CF. She is now married too.

This experience was so good for me. It was so great to see someone that was living with CF. It reaffirms to me that Jensen will have a long and meaningful life. What a blessing to have the medical technology that is available to us. I know now more than ever that my Heavenly Father know me, loves me, and is aware of my needs. That is the greatest blessing of all!

Here we go...

2009-04-16T22:28:00.003-06:00

It is amazing to me how everything in your life can just change in the blink of an eye. Yesterday Jensen's doctor called and told me that they suspected Jensen might have Cystic Fibrosis. Certain levels were abnormal on his newborn screening. This news took my breath away. I could not believe this. I look at my perfect baby and think how can anything be wrong?!

So today, along with my mom, I took him up to Primary Children's Hospital to have a sweat test to determine if he did have the disease. I met with a genetic counselor while the test was being done. She was so knowledgeable. She made me feel so comforted. It was an empowering hour. We left the hospital and had to wait a few hours for the results.

What the test looks for is his salt level. An elevated salt level lets you know that they are positive. Generally below 30 is negative, between 30-59 is borderline, and above 60 is positive for the illness. As it turns out Jensen is borderline with levels of 41 and 47. They recommended to us that we go forward and treat Jensen as if he has the disease. So that is what we are doing. We are going to do all that we can to make sure Jensen's world is safe and healthy for him. I am feeling that knowledge is power right now. I have been reading anything I can get my hands on about the disease. (http://www.cff.org/) Jensen will now have a genetic screening done to see if he for sure has the disease or if he is just a carrier of it.

I am truly feeling blessed right now. I have the ability to get Jensen the help he needs and that early intervention is key. I feel as though this is something we can handle. My montra for the year just keeps running through my mind, "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." I know without a doubt that the Lord is mindful of my family and our needs. I keep thinking of the song "In the Hollow of Thy Hand":
Dear Lord who blesses us with love,
Please send this day thy spirit from above,
As this thy son, accepts a call from thee,
Help him we pray to learn humility.
Direct his footsteps everyday,
And keep him ever walking in thy ways,
Inspire him as he spreads the gospel plan,
Lord, hold him in the hollow of thy hand.
In the hollow of thy hand as he grows from boy to man,
Help his understanding deepen and increase,
In the hollow of thy hand as he grows from boy to man,
Let him know the special blessing of thy peace.
Dear Lord, who hears and answers prayers,
Please keep thy servant always in thy care,
As he prepares to teach his fellow men,
Oh keep him safe and bring him home again.
Protect him from all worldly ways,
And always send thy spirit when he prays,
Give him the courage of a righteous man,
Just hold him in the hollow of thy hand.
As he faces life’s demands, May he take a valiant stand,
Give him shelter in the hollow of thy hand.

This song reminds me that we each come here with a mission to complete from the Lord. My hope and prayer for Jensen is that the Lord will keep him safe while he completes his mission, whatever that might be. I am sure I am going to learn much along this journey but may the Lord just always keep Jensen in the hollow of His hand is my prayer.

Sir Jensen

2009-04-14T15:34:00.006-06:00

Ahhhh! Two weeks ago I had baby pictures taken of Jensen. The same photographer that did our family pictures took these as well. Her name is Michelle Kemp and I highly recommend her. (Go to http://www.rustybucketphotography.com/ to check out her work.) I absolutely love these pictures and will treasure them forever. I am the luckiest mommy in the world....here is Jensen!

See, he is not perfect but close to it!

My Jill is getting so big and grown-up.

My big headed boy!

I truly am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I love being a mom. Being a mom is the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. My kids are the best!

It's a Crazy Life!

2009-03-29T21:56:00.006-06:00

I have not been on top of my game lately...at least with our blog. Life is CRAZY with two kiddies. But what a joy it is! I am going to just enjoy each moment of this time in my life.

For those who don't know Russ was able to be here for 10 days. It was ten of the best days we have had. Ahhh! It was incredibly hard to say good-bye, again. We are making it though, a day at a time.

The other night when Jensen was not sleeping I read an article in the Ensign (a religious magazine) that touched me deeply. I read a quote that is going to be my montra for the year. "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not." I know that if I trust God's plan for my life and do not doubt, nor fear, my faith will grow and my family will be blessed. I can make all the difference.

We were busy while Russ was home. Russ (his Dad, Brother, and Uncle) built Jill a swingset, we went to Thanksgiving Point and rode horses, blessed Jensen, and spent time with family. These first two weeks have flown by and little Jensen even got his first bath! We look forward to what the future holds.

Baby Jensen

2009-03-22T15:03:00.008-06:00

Last Tuesday was a "lucky" day for us Grays. Our sweet little Jensen was born. I went to the hospital at 6am to be induced. My mom was in toe and we set off for a great day.

I started recieveing the pitocin around 7am. When the nurse checked me around 9am I was still just 3cm dialated. Then, at 10:30am I had made it to a 4!

Russ' mom Jayne and her sister Becky along with her husband Mike and two girls stopped by to see how I was doing. I had already gotten my epidural so I was feelin' good. While they were there I started getting these horrible pains. I was just trying to breath through them. Becky suggested I get checked again but the nurse said I needed to wait another 45 minutes. This was the student nurse. Finally Jayne and crew decided I needed a break and that they would return later.

The "real" nurse, as I called her, then came in and said they were going to put a monitor in the babies head as he appeared to be stressed. Then she gets this shocked look on her face and says your "done". I am thinking what do you mean. She says give me a little push. Then the panicked look returns. Next thing I know there are about 5 nurses in my room. They are preping the babies isolet, dropping my table, putting stirrups in the table, and all the while I am in amazment. They warned me not to even giggle. My mom got on the phone and called Jayne. She and Becky had not even made it to the car! The doctor raced in with this backpack still on. About four minutes after that Jensen made his grand appearence. Phew!! This has to go down as one of the easiest deliveries ever!!

I called Russ and told him that his little boy was here. He was in shock as the last time we talked he was guessing I would not deliver until 8pm. Wrong-o.

We are so thankful that Jensen is here and healthy. What a blessing a new baby is. I just sat there and cried after he was born. I am so grateful to be his mother.

Projects, projects, and more projects!

2009-03-11T08:50:00.007-06:00

With Russ gone I am constantly looking for projects to keep myself busy. As is usually true there is no shortage of "things" to do around here. Especially since we are getting ready for baby. I even made a list of things I hoped to accomplish before he arrived and I have done them all but two. I even painted the entire hallway! Here are a few of the other projects.....

I must admit before Russ left he helped me paint the baby's room. I also painted the changing table and the side table next to the rocker. Thanks to Mamaw Jayne for them both. They look great in red! We still need some more things for his room but that will just have to wait.

My friend Brittany and I got together and made car seat shade covers. It was an easy, fun project. It is going to be fun to have babies together, again. Jill is jell-o of the horses on this material. I tried to explain she is just too big for this little car seat!

When I found out I was having a boy my mom went and bought me this quilt kit. I had seen it before and loved it. It is called "Boy's Toys". Russ' Aunt Becky machine quilted it and did the binding for me. That was a nice extra! Becky always does a fantastic job with the quilting. It helps since I am not the best at piecing the quilts together. There are two more quilts that I made that are waiting for their turn to be quilted up. (I will post them later.)

These last two quilts have been waiting for their binding for some time. I have been putting it off for months. I figured I best get to it since the baby will be here anyday now. Jill now thinks every quilt is Jensen's. She is very excited for him to use the monkey and duck ones. Don't doubt she has tested them out for him. They have met her strick standards!

My last project is..well...growing a baby! He is due anytime now and I hope it is sooner than later. We will keep you all posted!!!

I'm in the Army Now!

2009-02-28T08:40:00.007-07:00

Life has been interesting since our daddy left. We sure do miss him. The days just seem to blur together. Before Russ left we made him a paper chain with 52 links to help him count down (see previous post)his time away. Jill was so proud and so excited to give this to her daddy. She colored on each and everyone.

Daddy liked his gift. I am still convinced Jill liked it more though.

Jill found this Army hat in her closet and just had to wear it. She wanted to be like daddy. That night when we talked to Russ on the webcam she made him put his hat on too. She loves to be like daddy.

This video is from the morning that Russ was leaving. We had been preparing Jill by telling her that daddy was going to the Army in Mississippi.

****Make sure you mute the music on our blog so that you can hear Jill in the video. ****

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T11:16:00.003-07:00

I am so lucky to have such a great husband! Yes, with him being gone it makes it easier for me to remember all the good... ;) It is to bad that all to often we only remember the good we have when it is gone. This year I have a lot to learn and I will chalk this up as lesson Uno.

Russ truly is my best friend. We have so much fun together and it is so easy. Crazy I know. Marriage has been a very rewarding experience for me. With Russ it is not hard to enjoy. Russ always knows how to make me feel great. I know that from across the room when he is looking at me he thinks I am the best. What more can a girl ask for?!

This year for Valentines being that money is more than tight I dug deep to think of something I could make. What I came up with was a paper chain with 52 links (one for each week he is gone). On each link is a word that describes Russ to me. Jill helped with the project coloring on each of the 52 pieces of paper. So I will share with you my words for my sweet Russell...

Loving, Kind, Caring, Tender, Warm, True, Devoted, Hardworking, Resilient, Handsome, Example, Dedicated, committed, Thankful, Appreciative, Loyal, Trustworthy, Dependable Steadfast, Reliable, Affectionate, Kindhearted, Adoring, Strong, Tough, Exact, Grateful, Doting Father, Friend, Husband, Son, Restrained, Compelling, Calm, Understanding, Considerate, Accepting, Leader, Diligent, Attentive, Conscientious, Thorough, Careful, Cautious, Peaceful Composed, Constant, Stable, Patient, Tolerant, My Everything!

I am so glad that Russ is my husband and that he chose me! I know with his help this year will be possible and managible, just not bearable. I love you my sweetheart!

Family Pictures

2009-02-12T18:09:00.011-07:00

We had the chance to go and take some family pictures before Russ left. I am so glad we did because they turned out wonderful. Much thanks to our friend Michelle who took them. If you have the chance check out her work at http://www.rustybucketphotography.blogspot.com/ I would recommend her to anyone! What precious memories we now have captured on film.

Big Week

2009-02-02T16:10:00.007-07:00

Jill had a great week this past week. She got to do Show n' Tell at school. What a big girl she is becoming. She took her favorite toys, Cinderella and the Prince. She also shared a picture of her family. Then, she told the class that she was, "goin' be a big siser." What a cutie she is. Later in the week we went with friends Brittany and Lincoln to the Dinosaur Museum. Jill LOVED it. She is still talking about it. I have the feeling this will not be our last trip. She played at the sand table and dug in the sand pit looking for dinos. What an enjoyable morning.

Viva

2009-01-21T18:12:00.012-07:00

To know me is to know that Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit. All I can say is I love that place. There is always something to do and something to see. People watching is the best! Russ really wanted to go the the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and we talked Jordan, Kyra, my Mom, and Dad into coming along. They all flew into Utah and then we drove down the next day. It was an adventure. We had tons of fun. We ate at some awesome places: The Pink Taco, Hash House A go-go (the BEST), and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. We got to go to see 'O' at the Bellagio, it was amazing. And did very little shopping which is hard to believe, I know. It was nice to spend time with my parents, Jord and Kyra. If anyone needs a tour guide for a future trip I am up to the task!

Of course we had plenty of treats for the car ride down!

It was a hoot, my dad, had to use my mom's glasses with rhinestones everywhere we went!

Enjoying our time together.

Love that Pink Taco!

Here are the pics of our breakfast at Hash House.... I miss it already!

Jordan's biscuits and gravy were awesome.

Mom had pancakes with mango and coconut...yummy!

All wiped out from all of the food! No one finished their meal.

Kyra and Jordan had never been to Vegas so of course we had to see the water show at the Bellagio.

But without a doubt the most entertaining part of the trip was my dad and the Jazzy he rented. He is having troubles walking due to a nerve problem in his feet. So he jazzied it up. He was the worst driver ever. We would die laughing all the time. Hoping he wasn't going to kill some poor unsuspecting pedestrian. Of course we had to make a video. Here Kyra is catching a ride on the back of the Jazzy...is she brave or just crazy?!

The New Jill

2009-01-03T21:44:00.007-07:00

I have been debating for awhile now on whether or not to cut Jill some bangs. I know one of lifes big questions. Hey...I feel a lot of pressure to not have her look back and say the old familiar, "Mom what were you thinking!" So after weeks of her walkin' around like a pirate because she could only see out of one eye, I decided it was time. The poor girl does not have much hair as it is so we have to make the best of it. We trucked down to Mamaw's house today and into the beauty parlor. Jill was a hoot of course. Her hair turned out darling, thanks to Mamaw. Enjoy!

What are you people doing to me!

The pretty big girl!!!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2008-12-20T21:36:00.002-07:00

I know, I am a horrible mother! Jill is obviously NOT a fan of Santa. She talks about Santa and likes to see the blow-up Santas but in person, no, not for Jill. At school the other day she was willing to let me hold her and walk her up to see Santa and tell him what she wanted. We are making progress. Poor child.

Let it Snow!

2008-12-16T16:40:00.003-07:00

What a great surprise Jill and I had this morning when we woke-up to several inches of snow! It was truly a winter wonderland. I got Jill dressed in her snow clothes right away. I then tried to squeeze into my snow pants. It was a sight to see. Or maybe not see. We headed out back for a snowy adventure. Jill kept telling me it was cold! I had to agree as the snow was still coming down. What a great time we had.

Jill says the snow is "Ummy, Ummy"!

A Thankful Time

2008-12-14T11:03:00.020-07:00

We had such a nice Thanksgiving. So much to be grateful for. We made the journey to Washington to spend time with my family. It is always an adventure! There were lots of laughs and good memories made. Jill just loves everyone and sure misses Tayauna when we leave. Tay is her buddy. Everytime we go to the grocery store she wants Tay to be sitting next to her. The other morning she told me about Tayauna, "I LOVE her!" What sweet little cousins. It was so nice to just hang out and spend time with family.

Jill made this Indian hat at school. She is very proud of herself!

On our way at the airport Jill loved riding on the luggage cart. Jill had a special breakfast with her Uncle T while we were there. Four crazy family members did the Polar Dip. The Before and After are great. The girls would have jumped in if we would have let them. We even made a gingerbread house. Jill loved eating the candy. Not much of hers made it onto the house. Oops! What a nice family time we had. Enjoy the pics!

Called to Serve

2008-12-04T23:55:00.005-07:00

As most of you know Russ is currently in the Army Reserves fullfilling the rest of his contract with the Army. He has a year and a half left in the Reserves. Apparently just enough time for the Army to get their work out of him.

The Army called us the day before Thanksgiving and Russ will be deployed in February. It was very hard news to swallow. We are still taking deep breathes...just one moment at a time. We know that this will be a long year for our family but one that we can make it through with family and friends.

I cannot express enough how proud I am of Russ and his service to our country. It is because of people like Russ that we have the freedoms we experience on a daily basis. What a good example he is to our children. We love our daddy!

Baby Boy!

2008-11-10T22:58:00.006-07:00

I had my 21 week doctors visit today. Getting an ultrasound is something that never gets old. It is so thrilling to see your baby and know that he is growing inside of you. What a precious gift it is to be a mother. With all of its ups and downs being prego is definately worth it. I am so lucky.

Pictures do not lie and this one confirms it is a boy!

Two darling little feet that will be running around in no time.

Here is his strong and handsome profile....Russ says he looks like Jill... I just laughed. He is a proud daddy.

2008-11-03T22:31:00.017-07:00

Boo! Here at the Gray house we had a very Happy Halloween. Jill absolutely loved it all. We had a very busy few weeks. We started off by carving a pumpkin and making Carmel apples. Yummy! The week of Halloween we had a family party, "scary" library reading time, a school party, and of course, trick or treating! I was ready for all of the costuming to be over but Jill loved it. She was a cowgirl riding a horse. If you must know anything about Jill it is that she LOVES horses. She was making horsey noises every minute her costume was on. It was a hoot! All of this has gotten me really excited for the holidays and to see it all through Jill's eyes. We hope you enjoy our pictures...

Jill's version of a smile... I love this series of pictures.

I made a pumpkin cake for the family party. Of course my helper helped!

Cheese!

That's it!

Poor horse never had his head up.

Giddy up family

School game

Trick or Treat

Jill discovered leaves and had to go sliding one night.

I love my sweet girl. She brings such joy to my life. I am so glad that I get to be her mother. What a lucky gal I am!

Horsey Girl

2008-10-28T13:48:00.003-06:00

Jill loves and I mean LOVES horses. Grandma Jayne introduced Jill to the horse ride at Walmart. Ahhh! The simple joys in life.

Two...

2008-10-18T22:00:00.003-06:00

Happy day to my dear, sweet sister. I can remember when Morgan was born how thrilled I was to finally have a sister, a best friend. Morgan is such a kind and caring person. She is always willing to help those in need. I am so thankful that Mo and I had the chance to live together again before I got married. It was a percious time to share together. I love you, Mo!

Lucky Dad gets to share his day. I can always remember thinking I would be jealous to share my day, but, not dad. Dad has always been so proud that his daughter was born on his day. That is how my dad is...always so proud of all that we do. My dad is one of the hardest working people I know. He has always worked hard to provide us the best life. Thanks, Dad! We love you.

It's a...

2008-10-13T20:54:00.002-06:00

Mute music before playing the video.

To Our Sweet Daughter...

2008-10-12T10:14:00.004-06:00

What a true delight it is to be Jill's parents. The past two years have been wonderful. We cannot believe how time flies. For those that do not know Jill well let me tell you a bit about her. Jill is a very inquisative child. She is always wanting to learn and discover. She gets very excited about even the littlest of things and when she does she shakes. It is like things excite her to the very core. Jill loves to chat it up. She is always saying new things that make us laugh like, "woe Dude!" We are thrilled to see what the future holds for all of us, but mostly for our Jill. We love you, Jill!

The Latest and Greatest...

2008-10-09T18:16:00.013-06:00

It has been forever since I have updated our blog. So now that we have actually done something exciting I figured I had a good reason to do so. Mostly our lives have consisted of the normal everyday things such as school, the gym, working on the house, etc. Then recently Russ got sent to a nursing conference in FLORIDA! Yeah!! We decided to use Mamaw Jayne and leave Jill at home. You know a romatic get-away...well my mom came, so not too romantic, but it was fun. We left last Wednesday and were there until Monday. The weather was perfect and we even got to see some family while we were there. It was delightful. Poor Russ had to attend the conference most of the time but we did fit in a few fun things for him. We went to Downtown Disney twice and Seaworld our last day. We had to give Shamu our reguards. My mom and I sat by the pool and sucked down as many Pina Coladas as possible and I mean a ton of them! It was great. I feel blessed to have had such a nice trip. All thanks to Russ!

A cool wooden horse rocker at a Mexican restaurant.

If there is a Churro in sight I need it!

This whole dragon was made from Legos!

This lego scene was for my bro Trevor, the lego master, Shark Boy!

A lego family the daughter is even on a cell phone.

Daddy on a date with Darella!

At dinner

The best chocolate covered strawberry I have ever had!

Little Luke helping Devin cheer at her game.

Go Huskies! Devin is in the back center.

Uncle Art and Mom

The Whole Gang. (L to R) Kimi, Trent, Kathrine, Uncle Art, Mom, and Me

Russ and I with Pooh and friends

At Seaworld, we knew Jill would love it if they had horses.

Gotta Love it!

2008-09-01T20:08:00.002-06:00

My favorite birthday present was the pictures Russ gave me of him and Jill at the K-mart photo booth. I also remembered his mom, Jayne, had a similar set of pictures of her and Russ. This was a prime scrapbook moment. How precious are these pics?! There is just something about pictures that I love.

Thank you to my sweet husband for making me feel so special on my birthday. He really went all out. What a lucky gal I am. Here's to another great year!!

First Day

2008-08-27T16:27:00.007-06:00

Jill had her first day of school today.....okay so it was just Mom and Tot Pre-School. Still it was a big day for Jill. I cannot believe how grown-up she is getting. She can do so many things. Now is the time to soak up all of these memories.

Our grown-up girl all ready for school. She loved wearing her dress.

It was a dinosaur themed day. Jill loved it. We heard a dino story, had dino treats, searched for dinos in the sand, and made dino necklaces. Jill loves her necklace.

Jill's friend Lincoln is in her class. It is so nice to have Brittany there to chat with! It is going to be a great year.

The Newest Gray

2008-08-18T11:09:00.002-06:00

Here is the first picture of the newest Gray! We are so very excited for this new addition to our family. What an exciting time this is. We cannot wait to find out what we are having... we will keep you posted!

Geared Up

2008-08-17T10:12:00.006-06:00

Jill is getting all geared up to be a "Big Sister". She loves looking at the book I have of the baby's progress. It shows a picture and tells you what is happening with the baby along the way. I can remember my mom having a similar book when I was younger. I loved looking at it and thinking about how the baby was growing. It is neat to share this experience with Jill. If you ask her where mommy's baby is she runs up and points to my belly. What a great time we are having. I know Jill is going to be a great big sister!

This is Jill's version of a smile. We laugh everytime. She cracks us up.

She has the necessary shirt to do the job. She loves this shirt as it has sparkles on it. She is very impressed with herself.

Jillian, Jillian, how does your garden grow?!

2008-08-07T12:43:00.012-06:00

Russ made grow boxes for me this spring, much to my delight! I could not wait until it was time to plant. I felt like this would be fun for Jill too. She and I have had a blast working out in the garden and watching everything grow. I do not know who was more excited for the first tomato Jill or me?! I am already planning what we are going to grow next year.

These are the awesome tomato plants. They are doing great. I am going to make salsa and spaghetti sauce to can. Yummy!

Fried Green Tomatoes anyone?

These are the cherry tomatoes. I have loved them in our salads for dinner.

Are first big garden tomato!

These our purple bell peppers. I can't wait to have faijitas.

Our Honeydew Melon took over while I was gone in Washington. We are going to have a ton hopefully.

These are tomatillos so we can make Cafe Rio dressing.

We only have a few cucumbers but I love them.

Ode to Morgan, I say to these artichokes. My sister loves them. I am definately going to plant more of these next year.

A special thanks to my father-in-law, Ralph, who watered while we were gone in Washington. He is probably the reason it is all growing so well!

What a summer!

2008-07-31T11:25:00.002-06:00

What a summer we have had. It has been non-stop action. For the past two and a half weeks we were in Washington visiting my family. Russ had to do his reserve time for the Army and he was at Fort Lewis. It is about fifteen minutes from my parents. So Jill and I tagged along. What a fun time we had.

To start things off we celebrated Tayauna's birthday with a full out Cinderella themed party. Kyra and Jordan bought the girls dress-ups and we took them to get their toes painted. It was a hoot. Then we had a family party with presents and cake.

One night I caught the girls in bed with their Boggie...you will never guess what they were watching.... here is the video

We took the girls out on the boat which was a first for Jill. We had a blast. After the boat we went to Chuck E. Cheese. When someone does something new on the boat they get to go to Chuck E. Cheese's. Riane (Kyra's Niece) went on the tube and swam in the middle of the lake. Way to go Riane!

We also hit up Lake Fair for some rides, good eats, and fireworks. Jill loved the noodles which we got their which was a hoot as they were my favorite when I was younger. My mm also had her first elephant ear! Kyra and I took the chance to do some sewing projects. We made Sock Monkey blankets and purses. It was tons of fun. In general we stayed up too late, ate too much, and if possible had too much fun.

Russ graduated from Warrior Training Camp so we all went up for his graduation. It was really neat to see. He accomplished a lot in just a few short weeks. We are sure proud of our "Warrior".

The trip was a blast despite the end being filled with "Morning Sickness", or maybe I should say all day sickness. We are glad to be home but sure miss our family back in Washington. Here are some pictures from the trip....

Get Ready!

2008-07-31T10:45:00.004-06:00

Due out next spring, "Gray Baby #2"! This will be the 2009 edition. Hopefully this edition is updated and will not give the mommy as much morning, afternoon, and evening sickness as the 2006 edition did. More details to follow.

Mother dear I love you so...

2008-07-17T21:02:00.004-06:00

Today is my wonderful mother's birthday. She is such an amazing person. There are not enough kind words I can say about her. I know that we are all thankful that she is our mother. We are so lucky to have someone who cares so endlessly about all of us. I know that she would do anything for any of us. How blessed we are to have the mother that we do. We love you Mommy Bear!!

Tay-Tay turns Two!

2008-07-07T13:09:00.004-06:00

Today my niece turns the big 2! I cannot believe how the time has flown by. Tayauna is such a true delight to all who know her. She is one of the funniest children I know. I love being around her because I am constantly laughing. I am so glad that she is Jill's older cousin and I know she will be an awesome example to her. I am so thankful that Tayauna is part of our family. We love you Tay!

What have we here....

2008-07-03T09:19:00.003-06:00

It's official, Jill no longer takes a bottle!! We decided on Sunday that it was time to try putting her down for bed without a bottle. We did not want her becoming more attached to this ritual than necessary. When nap time rolled around we told her what a "big girl" she was and that "big girls" do not drink bottles. Russ laughed and said, "Yeah they don't need bottles, they just cry themselves to sleep". We knew this was going to be a trying process with many nights of tears. There were lots of tears on Sunday not all Jill's. Monday we decided to give her Winnie the Pooh to sleep with. I love Winnie the Pooh! She has not cried really since. I am amazed at this "little girl". She will always be my baby but what a big girl she is becoming. These are the days!!

This Month is such a Special One, it's Birthday Time for You!

2008-06-29T21:43:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband! Russ turned 29 this year. We had such a wonderful day together yesterday. We went to lunch together at The Cheesecake Factory. Then, we just took some time and walked around the mall together. We came home and got Jill and went to Thanksgiving Point and took her to see the animals and to ride the ponies. Next, we were off to Cabelas where we got Russ some stuff. Jill loved all of the animals and fish there too! When we came home I had invited some of Russ' friends over so they could have a guys night. My sister went and got Pizza for the event and I got an ice cream cake. It was a great day for a great guy! We love you, Russ-L-Bug!

Bring on Strawberry Days

2008-06-24T21:36:00.018-06:00

In Pleasant Grove we have a festival called Strawberry Days every June. This year my Mom, sister-in-law Kyra, and niece Tayauna desided to join in the fun. We had a blast while they were here. I do not think we stop moving the entire time. Here are a few highlights!

These two had so many swim toys they could not swim!

Kyra got all dressed up to go get Slurpees

If you know my mom this speaks for itself!

Aunt Jaycie and Jill at the Ro-did-e-o

Jill is not too thrilled for this pic

All the "little" cowgirls (Katie, Jill, Tayauna, Sadie)

The Grandma's and their girls

Ninnie with Tay and Jill watching the Horses

Mom and Mo

Morgan wanted a picture with the Horse almost as bad as the little girls

Tay on the "Big One"

Jill focused on the task at hand

Waiting for the parade to start

A float just for Boggie!

Gotta love all of the candy at the parade.... yuck!

Uncle Gary in all of his glory!!!!

Soaking up a bit more sun before the trip was over.

We had such a great time with everyone during Strawberry Days. It was the perfect trip. We hope that there will be many more.

Who Let the "Animals" Out?!

2008-06-06T20:05:00.009-06:00

Today was one of those days when you can't help but sing, "I have been blessed, With so much more than I deserve, To be here with the ones, That love me, To love them so much it hurts, I have been blessed!"

We took Jill to the zoo and I am not sure if Jill or I had the better time. It was so fun to have a glimps of the world through her eyes. I hope you can catch that vision too as you look through these photos.

The elephants were very exciting to Jill. She would hold her hand up and make an elephant noise.

Wart Hogs

Bears

Zebras "Let me at 'um!"

Giraffe "The Gentle Giant"

This one with the Cougar is for Uncle Shawn! Go BYU!!

Gorillas...she was more impressed with the statue than the real ones

Birthdays by the Dozen

2008-06-01T09:47:00.007-06:00

May and June are packed full of Birthdays in our families... We want to say Happy Birthday to all our brothers and sisters! We love you all so much and are so thankful for your love and support. It is so awesome to see each of you with Jill and the special relationship she has with each of you. As I sat here posting this she would shout each of your names as your picture came up. She really loves you all!

Tuffer Whiting aka "Tuff-Ter"

Trevor Yeates aka "T"

Brent Gray aka "Dough-Dough"

Jaycie Gray aka "Jay-C"

Gary Gray aka well it's just Gary!

When cousins come..

2008-06-01T09:40:00.003-06:00

It is always fun to have our cousins over to play. Jill absolutely loves her cousins! She is going to be very sad when the McManus' move this next week. They are going to be missed, a ton. We have so enjoyed these past two years of play. Maverick and Finley came over on Thursday for a picnic and some fun. Minnesota is too far away!

Happy, Happy, Birthday Kyra Dear...

2008-05-27T08:32:00.002-06:00

I wanted to wish a special Happy Birthday to my sis-in-law, Kyra. I hope that you have a great day. Kyra is one of the most selfless people I know. She is always willing to jump in and help out whenever needed. I remember when she and Jordan were dating and she came to visit him in Utah. She helped me out in a big way while she was there and it was the first time we had met. Kyra has definately added a little more kindness to our family. I am so thankful that she is part of our family. Happy Birthday Day Kyra!!!

I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

2008-05-22T16:12:00.003-06:00

Jill gets soooo excited when I tell her that, "daddy is coming home"! The other day Russ called when he was leaving the gym in American Fork, about 8-10 minutes from our home. I told Jill that daddy was coming! The sweet little thing sat in her usual "wait for daddy spot" and waited. She sat and waited the entire 10 minutes. I could not believe it! That is a long time for an 18 month old. I kept checking to see if she was still there and indeed when daddy drove up she was still there! This little girl loves her daddy! We are indeed grateful when daddy comes home.

A Trip to the Motherland...

2008-05-04T20:53:00.013-06:00

Jill and I took a trip to Washington last week or should I say to Portland. We spent about 99% of our time in P-town. Morgan and Tuffer flew in and surprised my mom. My mom's cousin Kimi came in to town for a hair colorlist convention. It was a blast to see her. We spent most of our time shopping... much to my delight. It was wonderful to spend time with my family. I do not get to do that enough.

We took the girls (Tayauna, Riane, Kyra's niece, and Jill) to the pool. They were little fish and loved it. I can't wait for summer at the PG pool!

The Girls had make-up time with Ninnie's empty cases. They had a blast! Ninnie's stairs have a hint of pink now. Sorry Ninnie!

Grandma "Ninnie" and her girls were pooped. They all got a good nap in the car on the way down to Portland.

Mo making her surprise enterance. Needless to say mom was thrilled! We pulled off a good one!

Can you say style?!

Could they be any happier?! The answer is no. But I am thinking they are a little young to start a slurpee addiction.

We found these tulips while we waited to pick Kimi up from the airport. The girls loved it! Jill is taking smelling the flowers to a whole new level!!

Auntie Mo-Mo loves her girls!

Mommy and Bean

Tater and Kyra

Mom and her cousin Kimi. We love you Kimi and want to make a trip to Florida... we just have to convince B.B.B (the Big Bad Bob)!

On the plane trip home. You gotta love it! We truly did have the best trip. We love our family!!!

Twins?!

2008-04-16T13:45:00.004-06:00

This week Russ' Aunt Raquel and Uncle Shawn were on a cruise with his parents and other Aunt and Uncle. They went down to Mexico the lucky ducks! While they were gone we had their daughter Finley for a few days and nights. Jill is only ten day older than Finn. They had a blast together. Finley, being the youngest of four, is use to having siblings around. Jill, on the other hand, is not but she loved it. Each morning she would wake-up and yell, "InLEY"! She was so pleased to see that Finley was still here and had not abandoned her. Some moments with these two virtual twins were tough but we survived. My advise is to pray that you are never blessed with twins!!

We took the girls for some ice cream and to let them play on the toys. They loved it! They were the only ones there and enjoyed being able to run all over. It was fun to watch them play together.

Busy Little Bee...

2008-04-10T23:51:00.009-06:00

My sweet Jillian is always providing me with tons of entertainment! Dull moments are hard to come by at our house. A few days ago I found her having a "picnic" with her two best friends- Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. Keep in mind this photo is not staged... I had to run quickly to find the camera so I could catch this precious moment. The funniest part was watching her try and place both of them on the chair together. She would put one of them down and then pick that one up and put the other down. Finally she got it and they laid side-by-side at last.

Jill is such a funny girl. She is always finding something to get into. We are working on getting our basement cleaned out and we found this tie of my grandfather's. Somehow Jill got her hands on it and repurposed it!

Then she managed to get her hands on one of my sports bras and some spanx... she loves to play dress-up!!

Hippity Hoppity....

2008-04-06T17:12:00.006-06:00

What a delight it is to see life through the eyes of your child. Everything is so much more fun with Jill around. She gets so excited about it all! We spent Easter at Russ' parents house. We had a good meal and Easter egg hunt. Much to my shear joy I found the lucky five dollar egg!! That will get me at least four coke Icee's. ( I am a bit of an addict! I get it from my mom. Love you Mom!!)

Jill was a bit anxious to get her egg hunt on.

Brent to the rescue! Jill loves her Uncles and they her too.

We had to point out the eggs for her to find them.

Can it really be an egg in the middle of Grandma's yard

She loved the candy and wanted to stop and eat as we went! My kind of girl!!

Angells in our Midst....

2008-03-07T13:49:00.005-07:00

Our dearest family friends, the Angells, were in town this week. Tom and Jared were here for the home show. They sell their Sauna's at these shows. Jill and I were able to go up and meet them in Salt Lake for breakfast. It was so nice to see old friends. Being with them brought back lots of happy memories. Some of my fondest memories are of times spent with the Angells. Tom and Susan have four boys all close in age to myself and my siblings. I am sure we were all a handful for our dear parents. Today I am most thankful for good friends and happy memories!

The Family that Plays Together....

2008-03-03T14:23:00.006-07:00

Russ surprised us by coming home early from work on Friday. It was a nice treat. Since the weather was so beautiful we pack Jill up and went on a walk to the park. She has been loving the chance to play outside as it is all new to her. Plus I think she loves the little bit of freedom it gives her. Her favorite is to play on her swing in the backyard. She just laughs and laughs. It is so fun to hear how happy she gets. She is such a joyous child.

Shopping....

2008-02-26T14:09:00.004-07:00

Today I have busy getting ready for the Relief Society to come over for a make-up class that I am teaching. Jill was just playing around and then I found her with this! That's right the Cabelas catolog. Her Dad and Grandpa Bob would be proud. At least she loves to shop...we will just have to work on what she is shopping for!

Love is in the Air

2008-02-14T18:22:00.008-07:00

What a great day we had here at the Gray house! I awoke to a wonderful surprise. Russ had cut out and and hung over 40 hearts all over the house. Some even had sweet messages on them.

Then at the end there were four strawberries covered in chocolate! Any girls dream come true. What a sweet and thoughtful husband I have. Jill and I made chocolate lollipops to take around to familiy and friends.
Last night we were treated to a wonderful Valentines dinner at Russ' parents house. Jayne really out did herself. Jill got a little Valentines book with kitties in it which she has been "reading" all day.
We are happy to have so many to love. Especially for our sweet little Jill. She is such a delight. Even when she is messing up clean windows or sneaking boxes of cookies out of the cupboard. We love our little Valentine!!! Happy Valentines to all!

Look, Look, Look!!

2008-01-15T22:23:00.001-07:00

Again, thanks to the Auntie I have now added music to my blog. I must say I love music so much. There is something about music that speaks to my soul. Each of the songs I picked were for a specific reason. Each of them invokes something inside of me. Music can make you reflect, laugh, cry, or dance around the house like a crazy woman! As my Mom's favorite songs says, "I hope you dance!"

Bringing my "A" game

2008-01-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

My mother always said that anything worth doing, is worth doing well. Here is my best attempt at this as far as the new blog is concerned. Even for me this is new and somewhat confusing. I am trying. Much to my family and friends encouraging. I will work hard to wow you all from time to time.