Our Very First Trunk or Treat!

On Tuesday October 26, 2010 our little family attended our very first Trunk or Treat at church! And it was a lot more fun and exciting than we had ever imagined! Of course having two adorable little girls to take along with us could have had something to do with that as well!! But whatever the reason, it was a great event, one that we are already looking forward to again next year! It started of with dinner (lots and lots of crock pots full of chili and cornbread and yummy pies for dessert). Then as everyone was finishing up dinner they had a pie eating contest (which Micah and I were both glad we didn't participate in, because simply watching it for about 30 seconds was enough to make us both sick to our stomachs!!). And they ended the night with a trunk or treat in the parking lot!!

Pop, Bamie, Jessie and Avery along with Mimmi and Dooders also came out! So while Haley spent some quality time with Pop I took Emily and Jessie took Avery around to do some Trunk or Treating! "Trick or Treat" was a little too much for Emily to say, so our routine was to go up say "Hello" and say "Thank You" after she got a piece of candy as we were moving to the next trunk!! I must say for her first time Trick or Treating she was rather good at it!! I was proud of my little princess!! She has great manners and it was nice to see them in action!!

Our Little Princess Enjoying her Crown and Her Wand!

She LOVED to wave her wand through the air and watch the sparkly strands fly around!

And Up it Goes!

Trying to get both girls in one spot for a picture was REALLY tricky!

But Haley was content to sit on the step and gnaw on Emily's Princess Wand!

At the Trunk or Treat the Girls got to see their Cousin Avery!

Avery LOVES her role as "Big Cousin"!

As you can see, she's a natural!

All 3 Girls just before they "bust outta there!"

3-2-1- And their Done!

Haley enjoying a few minutes with Dooders outside!

Emily LOVES her Aunt Jess!

I enjoyed spending a few minutes cuddling with my Little Ladybug before taking Emily Trunk or Treating!

We had a blast!! We didn't get enough pictures, but we hardly ever do! But the memories will made and those will last a lifetime!!

Our Stickered Pumpkin of 2010!!

Well we bought our pumpkin about a week ago and he has been beautifully adorning our front porch since then. But really, a pumpkin is just a pumpkin until you give it some personality!! And that is just what we decided to do on Sunday evening after a visit from Mimmi and Dooders and a nice relaxing walk!
This year we decided instead of carving it, we would enlist more of Emily's help and let her decorate it until her little sweet heart was content with all the stickers we could gather u!p!! And she LOVED doing it too! Micah started her off by drawing a face on it with a magic marker and then she went to town! And when she was done we had a pumpkin that was almost busting at the seems with personality! She was very happy with her craftiness and we were happy to see the light in her eyes as she was doing it! Now our little pumpkin adorns our front step with all of his sparkling personality for all of our neighborhood to see!!

Daddy and Emily just beginning!
I love my 2 serious artists!!


The Finished Pumpkin!!

The Side View (The words were my idea!!)

A Look Back in Time...Emily and the pumpkin of October 2009!

Emily and The Grays Pumpkin of 2010!

Haley had to have her turn too!

Family Photo Time with our newly designed pumpkin!

Oh How We Grays LOVE Apple Harvest Festivals!

I have always felt that traditions are what make those family memories so memorable! Every family has them, every family member has fond memories of them for one reason or another....you know the kind of memories that get brought up during family get-togethers, but whatever the case may be traditions are a part of family life!

I have LOVED going to Festivals in the Fall for quite some time now! And when I married Micah and even more once we were preparing to welcome Emily into our family, he began to appreciate that tradition a little more with each passing year! To me there is just something about being out in the open in that cool crisp air, and the smell of the apples and fresh baked apple fritters and buying a jar of apple butter! There's nothing like it! I LOVE it!

This past Saturday we loaded up our little crew and we headed up to Syria, VA for the Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival! It was Haley's 1st Festival and Emily's 2nd!! And they both really enjoyed being outside and seeing so many new people and having a picnic at a picnic table while we listened to a live country music band! Emily enjoyed cruisin' around in her old stroller, while Haley enjoyed being in the carrier on Daddy's back! It was a full day that is for sure! And we enjoyed all of it!

Here we are at Graves Mountain just 2 months before Emily joined our family!

At Carter's Mountain about 5 months before Haley was Born!

Us, just a few days ago, with both of our girls in tow!

Emily liked looking out of the BACK of her stroller!

Playing on the Hay Bale, while we were waiting for Daddy and Haley!

Daddy and His Littlest Girl at Lunch Time!

Me and Haley trying to "hold down the fort" in the wind!

I love this picture, it captures everyone perfectly!

Snug as a little bug on Daddy's back!

A close Up! ( I LOVE the expression on her face!)

This festival wore this little princess out!

And this one wasn't far behind her!

Haley and Emily, the Funny Girls that they are!

We have been blessed with 2 very expressive little girls! They both have minds of their own and they are not afraid to use them! Emily and Haley have very unique personalities! Emily is very mild mannered, until all of her energy gets all balled up inside of her and then she turns into a "crazy girl" for a few minutes! Then after her "aggressive moment" is over she is very quick to say "sorry" and "love you". She loves to give hugs and kisses, she adores her little sister, she loves her mommy and really enjoys playing with her daddy. One thing we are working on with Emily is obedience. And I must say, she is doing very well. She also LOVES to help out with chores around the house, her favorites right now are sweeping and helping me put her clothes away! She loves to read and listen to her music. She also loves to sing and dance! We love this little girl, she brings so much happiness into our family!

Our little Haley is a ray of sunshine. And she seriously is one of the most laid back babies I have ever come into contact with. She loves to watch life as it goes on around her. Having said that, she LOVES people so much that she DOES NOT like to be left alone. If she is playing in her excersaucer that is fine, but if you try to put her down in her crib for nap or bed time and walk away, boy does she let you know it! And it is at those times that we are reminded just how fully developed her lungs are! She is such a happy baby and she loves music and dancing already too! Recently she has started moving her head to the music and it is SO FUNNY! She's our very own "Stevie Wonder"! Haley also has a very contagious belly laugh and it cracks us up! She is very ticklish and she can laugh so hard that she loses her breath! She is quite the funny one!

Both of these girls give us so much joy, and teach us so many things that we could never have dreamed of two and a half years ago when we were praying for them to come into our family! They are truly answers to our prayers in so many ways! We love you little Sweet "P" and little Honey "B"!!

Haley debuting her winter time hat and ready for a walk!
Up Close and Personal!


2 Things Haley LOVES: Her Excersaucer and Anything to chew on!
Emily looking all cute at the Breakfast Table!

Love this Expression!

Trying to get a better picture of Emily in her red overalls!

Haley enjoying her new chair downstairs!
Emily takes a turn, just after she bumped her lip:(

Can't say enough about this expression!

Or this one, for that matter!

Seven Months Old and More Fun with Each New Day!

Time passes way too quickly! I can't believe our Little Haley Boo is SEVEN MONTHS OLD already!! She is growing and learning so fast! She is so smart and alert! She loves to be with people. Her saddest times of the day are nap time and bed time, because she just doesn't like to be by herself! She is such a happy and joyful little baby! She is always so smiley! Her happiness is contagious, whenever you are having a "melancholy moment" all you need is a little Happy Haley time and she will have you back up and feeling like new again!

She is really learning a lot of new things now:
~ She can roll over from front to back AND back to front now!
~ She is eating a lot more solid foods now....she loves pureed foods (canned peas, pears, and the latest is chicken are her favorites, oh and she also LOVES mashed potatoes too!).
~ She is really starting to interact and respond to other people now too! It has been really fun to watch her and Emily start to actually play together over the last few weeks!
~ She also loves to give kisses....the big slobbery wet ones!
~She is GREAT at sitting up and playing with and reaching for things now too!
~And lastly, she (from time to time) can do a little "belly scoot" to reach for an exciting toy that is just out of reach! I am sure that means crawling is the next thing on her mind.....look out!

I think that about covers Haley's SEVENTH MONTH! She is such a beautiful little baby, inside and out, and we are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to be a part of our family! We love you Haley Boo!

An Adorable Shot of our little "Honey B"!

Telling her little bear a funny secret!

Kisses for the Bear!

Emily has become obsessed with her purple boots, she would wear them EVERYWHERE if we would let her, so we had to sneak this photo in! What a silly girl!

Emily Trying out the big chair with Haley's Bear!

Mommy and Her Littlest Girl!

Daddy and Haley sharing a funny moment!

All Smiles and ready for a picture!

Our Two Adorable Girls in the Big Green Chair!

Checking Out Something off of "Stage Left"

The latest family photo!