A Special Day for Baby Aveline!

     This past Sunday we traveled up to Northern Virginia! We were so thankful and blessed to have been able to make the trip! We were able to attend sacrament meeting with Mummis, Rachel, Sarah and her kiddos and Ruth, Matt, Lily and sweet little Aveline! This Sunday was a more extraordinary Sunday than most, this past Sunday was able to be blessed by her Daddy! It was such a sweet and tender blessing.  I think Aveline was the calmest and quietest baby that I have ever witnessed during a baby blessing! That little girl was amazingly quiet!

       I am also especially thankful that Micah was able to participate in the blessing and stand in the circle surrounding that sweet little princess too. I thank my Father in Heaven every day for the opportunity and blessing that I was given to marry Micah and that he holds and honors his priesthood! I am grateful for families and all of the different aspects of families that Heavenly Father allows us to experience! Life is Good and I am so thankful that I know that Families truly can be Forever!

Group Shot!

Ruth, Matt and their sweet little girls!

Me and My Little Buddy!

Most of the Gray Cousins Getting Ready for a Picture!

Still Getting Ready, Now we are just waiting for Ethan!

Here they all are together!!  All TEN Gray Cousins in One Spot!

Tender Times!

Here's Ruth with her newest little daughter, Aveline!

Love this one!

Rachel playing with her sweet little niece!

Three Generation Shot!

Thought these were some cute shots of some of the girls playing between some pillars together!

Another Angle!

2 Little Families!!

After church we went back to Mummis' house to visit!! And even though Mummis was already asleep we had a lot of fun visiting with Aunt Rachel!! She even made us some yummy food for lunch too:)

Here are the girls having a little chit chat!

Our very expressive Haley Elizabeth!

Jumping on the mini trampoline, with a little assistance from Aunt Rachel!

I LOVE this picture for 2 reasons: 1) The expressions of happiness on both Rachel and Haley's faces and 2) little Miss Emily on her tip toes trying to turn on lights in the background!!

And then there is the exercise ball!

Silly Little Haley, she LOVED that Strawberry Shortcake back pack!! She wore it the ENTIRE time we were there:)

ADORABLE!!

This picture was taken on Monday and had NOTHING to do with our time in NOVA~ but it was too cute (and hilarious) to pass up!! Haley at her best:)

A Fun Friday with Aunt Jess & Cousin Avery and Ethan's 1st Time at Fridays After Five!!!

         About a week and a half ago now ( I am lagging behind a little with blog posts, mainly due to the fact that I am able to still get all 3 of my kiddos down for naps at the same time and after a little bit of cleaning I like to relax and enjoy a little mommy nap too:)! But today, I had a few extra minutes and just wanted to share these adorable pictures we captured on Friday April 27th, when one of my sister's, Jessie, and my 4 year old niece, Avery got to spend a good part of the day with us playing, dancing, dressing up and picnicking!! 

     We were fortunate that the weather was GREAT!! We were able to spend most of our time outside! As soon as they arrived, we greeted them at the door and headed straight for our neighborhood park, where all of the kiddos played until lunch time!! When everyone started feeling (and acting) hungry we headed home, the girls got some dress up clothes on and outside we went to our back patio for a picnic!! 

     It was a great day!! And I really can't say this enough, Micah and I feel so fortunate that our kids live relatively close to all of their cousins!! It it wonderful that they will all get to grow up and share memories together!!!  Thanks for sharing memories with us on your day off Jess and Avery!!

I am glad that our Little Buddy doesn't chose to Boycott Naps:)

I LOVE this shot of is little hand in mid-air!

Emily and Avery in the Hammock at the Park!

Funny Little Girls!

When Emily moved, Haley quickly joined in the Hammock Fun!

Wheee!

Deep in Thought!

Cuteness!

Holding Hands and Ready to JUMP!

Silly Avery!

Haley is in Control!!

And Very Proud Too!

Miss Personality!

This Little Girl LOVES the slide!

Well, the whole Jungle Gym, for that Matter!

Peek-A-Boo!

Picnic Time on the Patio!

In the Bright Bright Sun!

3 Sweet Little Girls in one spot, all focused on different things!

Ethan "talking" to Aunt Jess about his Bumbo Seat Toy!

Later that night, Mimmi and Dooders had the girls, we took Ethan to Fridays After Five for the VERY FIRST TIME!!

He pretty much loved it!

Finally, I had to include this picture!! Micah got Ethan all ready to go to the Dogwood Parade and this was his Daddy Selected Outfit!! I thought he looked ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!

And then we accessorized with a hat, and that was apparently an idea that he had to contemplate for a while:)

The Best of Friends!

     I am SO GRATEFUL for my children, my kiddos as I like to refer to them often! Heavenly Father definitely knows me.....my strengths, my weaknesses, everything....and it is evidenced by the three children that He sent to our home! I am so grateful to each of them for teaching me PATIENCE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, PATIENCE, TRUE JOY, LAUGHTER, SADNESS, PAIN, and have I said Patience? Emily, Haley and Ethan are such blessings, they give me the opportunity (along with Micah) to be able to stay home and raise them:) They are amazing, head strong, loving, happy little kids and I am grateful to have them call me MOMMY!!
     Don't get me wrong, my kiddos can definitely tumble with the best of them and tussle each other's feathers, as a matter of fact they do it quite regularly, but they also LOVE to play with each other and they LOVE to be there for each other when one of them is sad or upset about something, anything. They truly do teach me each day how to be and become more like our Heavenly Parents and our elder brother Jesus Christ and for that I am truly grateful!

Ethan watching Haley play with her dolls!!(Except at this moment he is watching me take a picture!)

Haley dressing up her doll!

Haley, reading to Ethan while he sits, enamored by her in his Bumbo seat!

Another View of these 2!

Emily and Haley doing some Stamp Art together!

Precious!

Ethan Sportin' the Booster Seat Look!

I LOVE this picture of Ethan watching his sisters work together! Melts my heart:)

Another Shot of our Happy Boy!

Our Hilarious Little Buddy!

"On a More Serious Note"

Working.....on Play Dough Creations and the Bumbo Seat!

     Today we stayed home again! We were fortunate to have a friend stop in for a little while though, it sure helped to break up the day a little bit! Thanks Mary and Sam D. for that:) 

     But before and after our mini play date we spent time getting Ethan acclimated to his Bumbo Seat and playing with play dough, two great activities for a rainy Thursday!! 

     The girls had fun mixing their play dough colors, while Ethan had fun trying to control his "still slightly hard to control little head"!! It was fun times to say the least!! 

Haley and her Multi-colored play dough!

Emily showing off her "play dough worms"!

Haley hard at work on her next creation!

Our Handsome Little Buddy is Getting So Big!

I can't believe that he is only 3 1/2 months old and teething already!!! He LOVES his fists!

Checking Out his toy!!

"Now, just HOW does this thing work?"

"Ha! I think I got it!"