The Gray Family

Charlie's 1st Razorback game

2011-12-02T17:57:00.001-06:00

Fun Houseguests

2011-12-02T17:50:00.001-06:00

Brandon's good friends Bill and Ang and their son William were in route moving from Arizona back to Boston and decided to stop in Little Rock for a few days. I had never met Ang and spent very little time with Bill, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a wonderful time! Their little boy William is Ethan's age and they had so much fun playing and having sleepovers in Ethan's bunk bed. Brandon showed them a lot of downtown and really enjoyed seeing his friends and watching our boys playing.

St. Louis Trip

2011-12-02T17:38:00.001-06:00

Brandon and I took a little weekend getaway to celebrate my birthday and get me out of the house! We walked ALL of St. Louis and did Busch Stadium (which was buzzing as they prepared for the playoffs which led to the World Series! Great time to be in St. Louis), City Museum, Anheiser Busch, local breweries, the Rams game and anything else we could get to. Both of us toured the arch when we were kids and remember it feeling claustrophobic and rickety, so we decided just to go view it instead :)

Karate Ethan

2011-12-02T17:31:00.001-06:00

We decided it was time to get Ethan into some kind of activity where he could learn discipline, structure, and hopefully have fun at the same time. He got really excited about the idea of karate, so we are trying out the Tiny Tigers program at our local ATA. So far he is really enjoying it and it's so cute to see him in his uniform really paying attention to his instructor and learning new things!

Back to School 2011

2011-12-02T17:27:00.001-06:00

Meet the teachers and see your new class day!

on the way home from the first day in K-4

made it inside, then laid on the floor in the hall to continue the nap

Charlie decided to get it on it too!

these are out of order, but this was Ethan before school on the 1st day

Ethan turns 4

2011-12-02T17:13:00.001-06:00

so excited to blow out the candles and eat some CARS cake!

birthday outfit completed with "Boogie Legs"

Charlie is awake for the birthday celebration

AWESOME voice changing megaphone from Uncle Chris

trying out the new bike & helmet from mommy & daddy

Ready for his pirate party swim!

cute friends with their cue babies!

Ethan and Haven.....true love at age 3

birthday boy's first time bowling!

Charlie was less excited about bowling :)

For Ethan's birthday, we had a CARS party at the house with all the family and grandparents and cousins and such, then a little swim party at our neighborhood pool for some of his friends from school and church. I think someone may have had TOO much birthday this year, so next year we are going to have to scale it down. We had so much fun celebrating our big boy and watching his excitement for his special day as well!

Charlie 1 Month Old

2011-12-02T17:06:00.001-06:00

I can't believe this boy is already one month old! Time flies for sure when you're having fun. Poor thing can't do much in his chair yet, but I wanted to catch some pictures like I have of Ethan in the same chair.

Charlie's Newborn Photos

2011-12-02T16:58:00.001-06:00

The very talented Paige Horras captured these images of baby Charlie when he was just 3 weeks old. I love having these to remember the short time he was so small, and still. Nothing is more precious than a sweet sleeping baby!

4th of July 2011

2011-12-02T16:47:00.001-06:00

We had a big 4th of July of activities, especially considering Charlie was only a week old. My sweet friend Jennifer, who also lives down the street, organized a 4th of July parade in our neighborhood, so Ethan was so excited to decorate his monster truck and lead the parade of kids. Then we were off to the country club to enjoy the pool and inflatables and have dinner. When we got home, both boys were exhausted from all the excitement and activities, so it was family naptime on the couch with mommy!

Charlie's Coming Home

2011-11-05T12:40:00.001-06:00

All dressed up and ready to go home

tired just thinking about it!

Daddy ready to take his boy home!

Big brother is back home and excited to hold Charlie

Charlie's Hospital Days

2011-11-05T12:35:00.004-06:00

Ethan checking out his new baby brother!

proud big brother and daddy

Ethan's so excited to hold Charlie for the first time!

Sabra and Garrett came to meet Charlie

Aunt Terri and Charlie

Mommy and Charlie

Papa and Charlie Newton

Mimi and Papa and Charlie

Sweet sleeping Charlie

Charlie Newton's Birthday

2011-11-05T12:12:00.001-06:00

Charlie Newton arrived 6/23/11

11:05 pm, 9 lbs, 2 oz, 20 1/4 inches long

Baby Charlie with Mimi and Uncle Chris

Baby Charlie with Gaga

Baby Charlie with Papaw

Charlie and Uncle Chris


Charlie Newton and Papa Newton :)

Riverfest 2011

2011-08-24T20:22:00.000-06:00

This post is to remind me how crazy I was at 9 months pregnant! I worked Riverfest for 3 days when I was EXTREMELY pregnant, swollen, and out of mind. I really did have a good time and wanted to work with Ashley...the girls finally made me leave mid-sunday for fear I was going into early labor. Of course on Friday morning I got the fun opportunity to be on 103.7 the buzz with Ashley, David Bazzel, and Roger Scott and then they surprised me with an appearance on Channel 7 with Melinda Mayo and Beth Hunt. It was really fun, just embarassed looking at these photos of how swollen and miserable I must have looked!

Big Brother Class

2011-08-24T20:17:00.000-06:00

Big Brother Ethan!

Dr. Big Brother Ethan

learning to hold a baby and support his head

learning to change diapers so he can help mommy!

best part...cookies and punch!

We took Ethan to a Big Brother class at Baptist to get him kind of comfortable with the hospital and maybe what to expect when it was time for mommy to go there. He was so sweet and really paid attention to how to care for a baby and even drew Charlie a picture for us to take to the hospital. We were so proud of him and still having trouble believing my first baby is about to be the big brother and not the baby anymore!

Easter Weekend 2011

2011-08-24T20:08:00.000-06:00

getting excited about Easter egg hunting!

chasing cousin Reagan while waiting to hunt eggs

Ethan has to check every egg before he decides if it's worth putting in his bucket

I swear he BEGGED us to go see the bunny, I'm not seeing the excitement

egg hunting at Mimi and Papa's....he was over it already and needing a nap!

My handsome man in his Easter Sunday best!

We started out our Easter weekend festivities with the fun at PVCC. They have the petting zoo, Easter bunny, and egg hunting for all age groups. We had a great time and of course Ethan enjoyed watching Reagan and helping Ella more than he was worried about getting his own eggs. After lunch we headed to Mimi and Papa's house to hunt eggs again. Reagan was super excited, but Ethan was getting tired and gave up after just a few eggs. Then Sunday morning we celebrated Easter at our church and then headed to lunch with my family, I was only able to get him to sit still for one picture!

Touch a Truck 2011

2011-04-17T20:11:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure Brandon has ever been more proud than this moment!

Checking out the policeman's gear

most excited fireman EVER!

We took Ethan to the Junior League of Little Rock's Touch a Truck event Saturday and it was even better than last year. They have all kinds of trucks, trolley, motorcycles, police cars, bounce houses......you get the idea, LOTS of stuff for the kids to enjoy. Ethan really wants to be a fireman and a sheriff along with about 5 other professions, so he was super excited to put on the fireman's suit and also to climb in the police car and then get to put on the helmet AND play with the gun (not loaded and very safe, I promise). I'm so glad the JLLR does this event b/c it's so fun for the kids. They also have education booths to teach safety for all kinds of activities AND a car seat safety check which it's shocking how many people have theirs installed unsafely or incorrectly. Can't wait til next year!

First Trip to the Dentist

2011-04-17T20:04:00.000-06:00

all ready to take pictures of his teeth

so cool in his sunglasses watching Bugs Bunny on the ceiling tv

After realizing he's 31/2 and I've been paying insurance on him for year, I finally made an appt with a pediatric dentist in town. I went to high school with him and since they were so geared towards children, I was praying for a non-traumatic experience! Luckily we have read all about Dora going to the dentist many many times, so he knew all about what would happen and the tools, etc. He was a PERFECT patient! The dentist had no expectations since he was so young and it was his first visit, but they were able to get everything they needed. I was so stinkin' proud! Then they told me he has 2 cavities, which deflated the balloon a little. We go back in a few weeks to get those filled and I am praying it goes smoothly as well!

Catching up on Iphone Photos

2011-04-17T19:59:00.000-06:00

taking the stage on the Riverfront Amphitheater

dancing to the music outside Ozark Outdoor

posing on the big rock in front of the zoo

We had a fun month of March, and apparently only caught some activities with our phones, so I wanted to get them on here as well. We went to the Rivermarket to run around one saturday morning and Ethan LOVED running around on the big stage and singing his songs for us. He really loves to replay his Sesame Street Musical on any stage, but he really wanted us to sit in the seats and watch his show.

For St. Patrick's Day, we went to Happy Hour in the Heights to enjoy the big parade, outdoor music, snacks and drinks from the heights businesses, and seeing lots of friends. Ethan had a big time running up and down the sidewalks, playing in the bouncy house, but the biggest joy was dancing with the musicians outside the Ozark Outdoor. The only way we could get him to leave was to see the parade!

During spring break, I took Ethan to the zoo and the only picture he smiled for all day was when I let him climb on the rock. The zoo was a literal zoo during spring break, so he was overwhelmed by all the kids. We'll have to go back soon to give the new penguin exhibit another less hectic try :)

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Memphis Zoo! Ethan LOVES alligators!

Very excited to see the tigers

Silly faces in front of the panda

lovin' his ride on the big tiger on the carousel

Daddy and his little fella....love this pic!

checking out the duck palace on The Peabody roof

captain of his airplane

Sheriff Ethan

cute even when he is mixing his sports gear

this is where you could find Ethan during the entire meal

We took Ethan to Memphis for the last weekend of spring break. We got there early enough on Friday to do the zoo that afternoon and see just about all of it, then it was on to the hotel and down to Beale to find some dinner. We went to Huey's which is one of my faves and Ethan was SO excited to get to write his name on the wall. Then on Saturday we had breakfast with our dear friend Whitney before heading to the Children's Museum. Ethan has talked non-stop about being a sheriff since we saw Rango last week, so when Whit mentioned there was a sheriff car at the museum, Ethan could NOT wait to get there. I think we were there with half of memphis due to being a cold rainy day, but we had so much fun with him "being on tv", pretending to be a fireman and sheriff and do his own grocery checking. After a very long nap for daddy and Ethan, we took the scenic route on the trolley and then went to Beale for some BBQ. Ethan loves music and was tickled to watch this guy perform and dance in front of the stage all night. We had a great time and made lots of great memories with our family of 3....soon to be 4!

24 Weeks pregnant with Baby Charlie

2011-03-20T12:57:00.001-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 24 Weeks
Size of baby: an ear of corn
Total Weight Gain/Loss: gained 2 lbs so far
Maternity Clothes: wearing mostly maternity tunics and leggings
Gender: it's a boy! Charlie Newton Gray
Movement: Charlie is very active and loves kicking my bladder!
Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: wine
Cravings: pizza, pasta
Symptoms: just starting to feel stretched tight in the belly and I can't believe he has to keep growing for at least 12 more weeks!
Best Moment this week: hearing Ethan tell everyone we see about his baby Charlie in mommy's belly. He's getting so excited and keeps asking when he's going to come out. Also, whenever we go out to eat he saves a seat for Charlie, I guess he's read to be a family of four!

Sesame Street Adventure

2011-03-20T12:48:00.001-06:00

Ethan's preschool did a Sesame Street program for a fundraiser and I was so nervous to see how he acted b/c every year at the Christmas program he just sits down, or doesn't sing, or cries.....but he had really been excited about the songs and I was hopeful it would be a good performance. He sang "C is for Cookie" nearly every day so I knew that was coming, then the week of he started singing "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street". My mom, dad, and Brandon's dad were all there to see it and he was so excited when he found us in the audience. He did a great job singing all the songs AND doing the motions. Brandon had to miss b/c of work, but Ethan has made it up by doing mini-performances every night since then.

Our Little Bookworm

2011-03-20T12:27:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, Ethan had a case of the stomach virus, so we stayed in at home all weekend. On Sunday morning he went upstairs to play in his room which normally only lasts for about 5 minutes. Brandon went up to check on him after 30 minutes of too much quiet and found Ethan relaxed with some pillows and reading a stack of books. I think he looked through about 20 or so, it was just so sweet to see b/c this boy NEVER slows down long and we love to see how much he loves books, he takes after his daddy for sure!

20 Weeks with Baby#2

2011-02-18T20:09:00.002-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 20 Weeks
Size of baby: size of a banana (lengthwise)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: lost 1 lb
Maternity Clothes: wearing mostly maternity tunics and leggings
Gender: it's a boy! Charlie Newton Gray
Movement: Charlie is very active and loves kicking my bladder!
Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: wine
Cravings: pizza, pasta
Symptoms: tailbone pain, charlie horses, and heartburn
Best Moment this week: showing Ethan the 20 week ultrasound pictures and seeing how excited he is getting.

I told Ethan I got to see Charlie moving around in my tummy on Wednesday and he asked me "is he coming out?" It's so sweet that he is so ready to meet his baby brother and yet he has no idea what is coming!
We are naming baby boy #2 Charles "Charlie" Newton Gray. Charles is after Brandon's grandfather who passed away 1 1/2 years ago. He was such a kind man and Brandon has so many fond memories of him growing up. He always loved me like his own granddaughter and since mine have been gone for over 10 years, he was a wonderful Papaw to me as well. Newton is after my dad. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my dad and think he is the neatest man. Always so loving and generous and a wonderful Papa to all his grandbabies. I can't wait for Charlie to get here and meet him and see why he's so special to me.

Snow Days 2011

2011-02-18T19:59:00.006-06:00

We had the most snow this winter that I have seen in as long as I can remember. I really thought Ethan would be excited and we would build snowmen and sled and do all the snowy day fun...but he only wanted to play in it the first day of the first snow. Keep in mind we had 3 BIG snows with several days out of school. He was so excited at first, just wanted to run and head-dive into the snow and laugh about it. The stores had sold out of the traditional sleds, so I got him an inflatable sled from Target which Brandon and I pulled him around the neighborhood on. I think the biggest hit was 4 wheeling in the snow. We wrapped him up real snug b/c the wind really slaps you in the face, and he and Brandon made the loop around the neighborhood. Then he went down his slide a few times into the snow and he was done. I'm hoping next year to get a few more activities and maybe a snowman!

Baby Gray #2

2011-01-06T11:17:00.002-06:00

Baby Gray #2

Due 7-7-11

We found out right before Halloween that we are expecting again! As some may know, we had a miscarriage over the summer, so I was nervous to tell anyone this time until we saw the doctor and made sure everything is ok. Dr. D said "it looks like you love to grow big healthy babies" so I should expect this one to be no smaller than Ethan was at birth (he was 10 lbs 1 oz) We were just so excited to see it was just one (the family was wishing for twins) and to hear everything looked and sounded good. The first trimester was much harder than with Ethan and everything feels different, so I'll be curious to see if that means anything about what we're having this time. We find out January 24th what this baby we'll be. Brandon and Ethan are both positive that it's a boy, so I hope they're not too disappointed if they're wrong. I just want a healthy baby! :) I saw the following on another blog, and I wanted to keep up with this pregnancy the same way.

I'm 14 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 14 Weeks
Size of baby: size of a lemon
Total Weight Gain/Loss: lost 1 1/2 lbs
Maternity Clothes: started to wear some maternity pants, but most of my regular clothes still fit
Gender: we find out January 24th
Movement: I have felt a few flutters
Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: wine
Cravings: pizza
Symptoms:mostly nausea in the first 12 weeks, but now only occasional heartburn

Best Moment this week: Getting really excited thinking about Ethan being a big brother

Christmas Lunch 2010

2011-01-06T11:11:00.004-06:00

all the kids breaking into their toys, thanks to help from Papa, Uncle Courtney, and Uncle Chris, and Aunt Erika :)

Ethan looking for permission to open the ones he has

Ella and Haven checking out Haven's new tea set

We had the whole family over for lunch and to open gifts with all the kids. After we cleaned up breakfast and put away the goodies from Christmas morning, we were ready to start with the cousins. After everyone arrived and the presents were handed out, Uncle Chris just yelled "OPEN" and all the kids went at it. I was cooking and could only hear the chaos, so I'm glad Brandon caught pictures of it. I loved seeing how excited all the kiddos were with their presents. I was also excited to see that I survived a lunch for 16 with a brand new recipe and being up at 6 and having Christmas morning before. It really pleases me to host our family and get to entertain and have everyone together. This was the first time in many years we have all been home for Christmas, so this was a blessed one indeed!

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-01-06T10:41:00.006-06:00

Ethan looking over the stuff from Santa

thank goodness Papa brought his pocketknife so he can open my goodies!

Ethan with his picture with Santa (he opened it for Gaga and Papaw)

seriously rocking out on the guitar, the lifted knee was cracking me up!

For Christmas morning, we had both grandparents and my grandmother over to the house to have Santa time with Ethan. Bless his heart, his Santa delivery looked so underwhelming, but all he wanted from Santa was a police car and a firetruck. We stick to a 3 gift rule so he got 3 from Santa and 3 from us, but it was important to me that he get what he asked for since he literally stuck with those 2 things as his request for the ENTIRE Christmas season. My mom told about the idea of the 3 gifts like the wise men brought and it has been good to keep us from going overboard. Ethan gets spoiled from everyone in the family, so he certainly isn't deprived by any means. He was so excited with his gifts and really just enjoyed opening everyone else's as well. It was so fun to see how sweet he was this year and how much he enjoyed the big day.

Ella's 1st Birthday

2011-01-06T10:30:00.004-06:00

Ella in her tissue paper bib, not sure what to think about that cake

Pretty Ella in her birthday headband gift and checking out the new toy!

Uncle Chris is totally dominated!

Papa is taking a break in the background while Chris gets tackled

We hosted my niece Ella's 1st birthday party on Dec 11. I can't believe that sweet baby is already 1! We had a casual family dinner, gifts, yummy cake, and then wrestling with Reagan, Ethan, Papa, and Uncle Chris. They definitely kept us entertained. It was so fun having all of the family here to celebrate with Miss Ella!!

JLLR Children's Event 2010

2010-12-26T13:48:00.005-06:00

My mom and I took Ethan to the children's event at the junior league building this year. My friend Lauren was in charge of it and it was the most fabulous one we've been to. Ethan even did well in his picture with Santa for the first time in 4 years. It was so fun to watch him tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas and then make his crafts and have so much fun. What a great way to start the Christmas season!

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-14T12:57:00.012-06:00

Uncle Chris the bandito and Uncle Courtney the sheriff

Fairy Ella, Ash Reagan, and Buzz Ethan

Sheriff Courtney, Sheriff Woody Brandon, and Bandito Chris

I can't believe she's not crying at the mustache!!

me as Jesse.....just as Ethan told me to!

Buzz and Woody going on a hayride

Ethan modeling one of his favorite prizes from the carnival

Gaga and Papaw and Ethan on Halloween

Ellen the mermaid and Jillian the bedazzled flower

Buzz and Woody ready to trick or treat!

Ethan trick or treating at the Sims' House....awesome decorations!

Kenny Rogers, Dolly and 80's Sabra- one of my FAVORITE pictures!

Since Brandon's favorite holiday is Halloween, we had big plans for the whole weekend. We did the Halloween carnival at PVCC on Friday night with Courtney and Chris and all the kiddos. We had so much fun playing carnival games, and watching all the kids dressed up. Buzz Lightyear was a popular costume this year, but we think Ethan's was the cutest. On saturday we planned to go to Boo at the Zoo, but it was insane, so we went out to eat and watched the Razorback game on tv. Sunday night we hosted a party at our house and our friends and their kids did not disappoint with the costumes. We had so much fun playing and trick-or-treating and cannot wait to do it again next year!

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-11-14T12:40:00.005-06:00

Ethan showing off his Halloween decorations while we waited for daddy, this was before Brandon really got going with the big decorations for trick or treaters

Ethan with his favorite goat

trying to get a picture, but he won't sit still!

running around and dancing on the hayride

We finally had an afternoon where Brandon was home early, so we decided to sneak in a trip to the pumpkin patch before having dinner at a friend's house. This pumpkin patch was out hwy 300 and had live animals which Ethan loved! He was particularly concerned with the goat that was walking around on the roof and telling us that's not right. We also had to carry him onto to the hayride because he thought he was scared, but soon he was running around on it like he was super brave. We had a great time looking at all the pumpkins and he really like the ghosts.

Harvest & Fall Fest 2010

2010-11-13T12:29:00.005-06:00

After race for the cure, mom and I took Ethan to the Harvest Fest at Wildwood. We played on Pumpkin Hill, went through the paths with lots of bridges so we could search for trolls, and found big trains that Ethan could enjoy watching. We also raced Ethan in a game of rolling pumpkins with a broom, it was very entertaining! Then on Sunday, I had a meeting so mom took Ethan to the Fall Festival at our church. He was all dressed up as Buzz Lightyear, and my dad was apparently dressed up as cheese dip boy from Loca Luna thanks to his good friend Mark Abernathy for the t-shirt. I couldn't resist a pic of them together :)

Race for the Cure 2010

2010-11-13T12:19:00.003-06:00

Ethan, me and Mimi

Kelly and Miss Jillian Claire, this baby got her picture taken all day by complete strangers b/c she was soooo cute!

Bennett, Ethan, and Jillian

Keeping with tradition, mom and I did the race for the cure together with a group of my girlfriends and sever kiddos. We had the breakfast tailgate out of my truck, then walked together in the chaos. Ethan is really too big for a stroller, but he hopped in the jogging stroller and was a champ, as long as we were moving. He didn't much care for the hold up at the starting line. It was so fun to see how our group has changed over the years. We've been doing it with my friends since we were in college, and now several of us have kids or kids on the way. I am so thankful every year when I get to see my mom in all her survivor gear and get to celebrate 20 years without cancer this december!

3 Year Portaits

2010-11-13T12:12:00.004-06:00

Ethan turned 3 in August, but I just finally got around to getting his pictures done. A sweet friend from college who is AMAZINGLY talented took them for us one morning at Burns Park. He had so much fun running around and playing, hence the sweaty head in the 4th photo. Jill has a little boy the same age as Ethan, so she was fabulous with him and very patient when he wouldn't be still or messed up the perfect leaf pile she made. Go to her site here http://jillbrannonphotography.blogspot.com/ and check her out, I highly recommend her!!! Thanks Jill!

AR v. A&M 2010

2010-11-13T12:07:00.004-06:00

We made the trip to Dallas again this year to see the Hogs play in Jerry's Palace. I was grateful for a day game since I had to leave early with the boys last year, but that meant we spent the 2nd quarter having nap time again. Ethan enjoyed a large bucket of popcorn and some Skittles that Staci and Chris searched the stadium for, and the Skittles are all he talks about from that game! It was a fun family weekend in Dallas and I got to meet the Bradford's newest addition, Ben, on Friday and he is such a cutie! Also, Will is an excellent big brother! (just sorry I didn't get any photos)

AR v. AL 2010

2010-11-13T11:37:00.005-06:00

while tailgating...I keep hoping he will quit putting foreign objects in his mouth, but this made me laugh too hard. I guess braces are in his future since he got the fat stem stuck in his front gap!

gettin' really good at calling those Hogs!

so cool to have the flag flown in by parachute!!!

too much pregame excitement, this is how we spent the first quarter and a half!

Razorback Pep Rally

2010-10-31T07:36:00.006-06:00

The weekend of the first Little Rock game, they had a big pep rally downtown at the river market, so we ventured out to take Ethan and had a big time! He saw Tusk, met Boss Hog, did a lot of dancing, met a cheerleader and just loved cheering on the hogs. It was so fun to see him getting excited since our family is such huge fans of the Razorback. He's perfected his hog call and loves watching football now!

Grandparents Day 2010

2010-09-12T19:34:00.006-06:00

sorry for the sun, ethan couldn't look at me facing the other way!

"see....these my cars"

"and this my house"

"and these my books"

Ethan's school had Grandparents Day last week and my mom and Brandon's dad were able to attend. It looks funny to see them mismatched with Ethan, but he was SO excited they were both there. We met them in the parking lot and he walked them into school and to his room where just like everywhere else, he wants to go straight for the cars. So he showed them those, then off to the kitchen to name all of the play food and utensils, then to the reading area and look a books, and build a lincoln log house for them. When it was time to go he wanted them to stay of course, but he let them go so he could go play outside with his friends. It was fun to let them visit and see what he does when they're not playing/babysitting him :)

Fun with friends

2010-09-12T19:15:00.005-06:00

of course Ethan turns a golf club into a "gun"

cute couple

quite possibly my fave pic in a long time

pic of me and Sabra taken by Ethan, through a door at his view point

Last weekend we got to hang out with a few of our friends that we rarely get to see. It was so good to catch up with them and have some good laughs and watch my child show out as always. Brandon was the paparazzi that night, and then Ethan got in on the action before I walked him home to go to bed!

First Soccer Practice

2010-09-12T19:03:00.009-06:00

put me in coach...i'm ready to play

first team huddle, listening intently to the coach

following coach's instructions!

playing "catch the coach" and he's almost got him!

ready for a water break

he did MULTIPLE victory laps after he kicked in his 1st goal

Ethan is officially old enough to try new activities, so we are starting with soccer. Both of my brothers played growing up, and I'm hoping for Ethan to learn about following instructions and teamwork. He was very excited when we got there, but I'm not sure he loves the structured practice yet. He drifts off and does his own thing, but I am choosing to only post pics of the team stuff he did participate in. He loves the coaches' whistles and the water breaks, he also likes the obstacle course, but it really wears him out!

First Day of School - Fall 2010

2010-09-12T14:52:00.004-06:00

Ethan's first day of school, starting in his new class - 3B. He was ready to go and had no time for pictures, but this is real life to every day. I just can't believe how big he is and that he's not a baby anymore! He loves his new teacher and I know he's going to have so much fun and grow so much this year!

Ethan Turns 3

2010-09-12T14:31:00.007-06:00

Reagan helping Ethan open gifts

cheese!!!

Superhero football player

After the big birthday party the week before, we had a family celebration on Ethan's actual birthday, August 9. We had dinner and pound cake (Ethan's other favorite like his papa), and then presents and a pinata. Mimi, Papa, Gaga, Papaw, Courtney, Erika, Reagan, Ella, and Chris were all here to make Ethan's day so special. Ethan weighed in at 44 lbs and measured 40 1/2 inches, making him continue being off the charts for his weight and height. We definitely have a big boy on our hands and we're so proud of him. He had a big time celebrating his birthday for a few weeks and it was tough to convince him that his birthday had to end :)

Zoo Member Appreciation Day

2010-09-12T14:25:00.003-06:00

With summer coming to an end and school beginning, we decided to take advantage of a special day at the zoo. They were giving free carousel and train rides and free food, so we made a day of it. Of course the day it's free, Ethan didn't want to ride the carousel and we only rode the train once, but we had so much fun running around and seeing the animals and enjoying a free day before the school routine begins!

Ethan's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-09-12T09:44:00.010-06:00

love this pic, can you tell he's having fun?

playing in the sprinklers with Lila

where we found him all night, playing with the fountain spraying down his back into his shorts....he will thank me later THIS is the pic I chose!

Ethan singing happy birthday to himself

kids LOVE cupcakes!

Papaw, Ethan, and Taylor taking a short rest

Ethan and Gaga in the big pool, playing on the stairs

The last 2 years Ethan has gotten upset at his birthday party, so I tried to pick a location he knew well and would have lots of fun without getting overwhelmed. We went with the neighborhood pool b/c there is plenty to do for all ages and hopefully he would have a blast. We had it on a monday night the week before his birthday and had a great turnout! Lots of his friends and ours came to celebrate and the weather turned out perfect with a little cloud cover so no sunburns and lots of happy people. Hopefully we can do this every year!

Green Bay, WI

2010-08-24T18:54:00.011-06:00

game day pictures from Brandon's phone

Welcome to Lambeau

obligatory cheesehead photos

view from the private boxes.....over $100,000 a year!

Brandon with the Heisman trophy donated by a former player

view walking out on the field from the players tunnel....so cool!

us on the field

open practice.....we watched the defense special teams

Titletown Brewery where we met Captain Morgan

Brandon with the Green Bay fish (parade of fish)

Captain Brandon

me with some Tall Ships

Brandon with the Bounty

Brandon and I want to make a tradition of going to at least 1 NFL game a year so we can see several stadiums. So far we have been to a Kansas City Chiefs game, and we've been to Cowboys Stadium (but we don't count it since we saw the Hogs there), and now we've been to Green Bay to see a Packers game. We got there Thursday and went straight to Lambeau Field. We had lunch there and took the tour which was awesome b/c we got to see areas you can't see on game day and really learned the history of the facility and the Packers. That night we went to an open practice for the team, SO FUN! The players are right in front of you and the fans really turn out to support their team! On Friday we headed up the "coast", at least that's what it seems like...lots of little coastal towns with fun shops, bars, breweries, and restaurants. We also went to a few state parks and thoroughly enjoyed our drive. Saturday morning we headed out to the Tall Ships Festival that was docked in Green Bay for the weekend. We got to tour at least 4 ships including the Bounty which is used in movies such as Pirates of the Carribean and some of the oldest ships still on the waters. It was so cool and since Brandon is such a history buff, it was a bonus it was going on that same weekend. Saturday night was the Green Bay v. Cleveland Browns...we forgot the camera! We had club seats with our own server and were spoiled rotten, now it will be hard to walk to get my own hot dog :) The weather was fabulous...hot for them, but a 20 degree break for us! Such a fun getaway!

July 2010

2010-08-24T18:43:00.006-06:00

chee-Dora!

just a swinging!

such a helper

photography by Ethan of his handsome daddy

Not much going on around here in July, these are just come pics of Ethan playing with daddy and the night we went to see Nickelodeon Playtime Live. He wanted his hair all fixed to see Dora....he loves her!

Hot Springs

2010-08-24T18:28:00.016-06:00

someone was on a mission to Magic Springs!

Ethan, me, and Hollis learning about Buzz

Mimi and I took the boys out to play ring toss so it would be quiet for everyone still trying to sleep, I think we woke up neighbors instead!

big fun on the water slide

someone must have told him to "wait his turn", I recognize this face

my little slugger

Uncle Chris is a good pusher....he pushes fast AND high

this ride looked scary for such little ones, so I told them to put their hands up and act like they were having fun :)

flying in the air with mimi!

first ferris wheel!

driving the car with daddy

4th of July weekend we went to Hot Springs with the whole family and my dad's sisters and their families. We had 3 houses in Hot Springs Village where we spent time at the pool, on the lake, playing on the field, eating together, and doing Magic Springs. Ethan had so much fun playing with the other grandkids and his cousin Reagan, and he loved Magic Springs. I was surprised at all the rides he did! He didn't do any rides in the Crystal Falls area, just the slides and splashing in the wading pool, then relaxed on the lazy river with me. He was such a fun little guy even though he was off schedule and in a strange place. We had so much fun with the whole family and look forward to doing it again!

School Friends' Birthdays

2010-08-24T17:47:00.005-06:00

Ethan has had the same little friends at school for the last few years and he was so excited to go to their parties this year. First we had Jay Alan's at his house, and he had so much fun in the bounce house, at the water table, and just running around with his best friend. He also LOVED the cupcake, but that's no surprise :) Next was Sadie's party at Chuck E Cheese. We hadn't been there in a year and it was so fun to watch him play the games and win tickets, watch the show, and dance with Chuck E Cheese.

Gray Family Get-Together

2010-08-24T17:35:00.010-06:00

swimming with cousins Lynlee and Garett Mason

so proud of himself for sliding like the big kids!

sliding with his cousin Lynlee

look at him go!

we couldn't believe he was climbing this by himself!

now he's REALLY having fun!

So proud of himself for "catching a fish" in his net

Ethan's 1st Popsicle

Playin' Outside

2010-08-24T17:23:00.005-06:00

Every afternoon when daddy gets home, Ethan wants to play in his truck. We started out with bubbles and sidewalk chalk, then we climbed the tree, ran around and played chase, then the boys had to cool off with some cold beverages before finishing out the fun in daddy's truck.

Ethan's Treehouse

2010-08-24T17:19:00.006-06:00

My oldest brother Courtney and his family are moving back to LR, and their little boy has outgrown the playset and they were in the market for a new big screen tv which we happened to have still in the box in the dining room, so we made a trade. Ethan LOVES his playset which he calls his "treehouse" and loves to play on it until he gets too hot, and we've all climbed the rock wall, the slide and the ropes....so we're all enjoying it!

Riverfest 2010

2010-08-24T17:01:00.007-06:00

We love going to Riverfest and it seems like the last few years we've been out of town. This year we took Ethan and he really enjoyed the kids area, as well as the bongo man and the Bad Boyz Mowers tent. It was fun to experience Riverfest through his eyes this year!

Daddy's Birthday

2010-08-24T16:46:00.005-06:00

helping daddy open gifts

helping daddy blow out candles and snack on cake before dinner

playing like a baby with Bennett

Me and Ethan helped daddy celebrate his birthday this year at home. We hung a banner, got him a cake, did presents and took him to dinner. Then Jennifer and Bennett joined us for cake and wine later that night

May Happenings

2010-08-24T16:40:00.006-06:00

family walk after dinner at the Big Dam Bridge

walk after dinner in the flip flops!

this is how he naps at school

Ethan enjoying music at the Jewish Food Festival

helping "his Jennifer" campaign at the primary polling place!

We stayed pretty busy the month of May as the school year came to a close, and we geared up for some home time with me and Ethan. It was primary elections, local festivals, and enjoying the weather before it got Arkansas summer hot!

Mother's Day Weekend

2010-08-24T16:22:00.008-06:00

learning how to play the historic instruments

really loving the historic toys

so excited to be having a stick horse race!

first time on stilts

i done....ready to go home!

bang bang....little troublemaker

indeed, the ladies man in Uncle Chris' flip flops

lovin' floating in the pool

Mother's Day weekend we had a jam-packed schedule. Every year we try to go to the Historic Arkansas festival downtown and this year Ethan really enjoyed it! Chris was in town from LA to celebrate Mother's Day, so we had the family celebration at my parents house and cooked and swam and enjoyed having my brother home. Ethan is a lot like Chris, so it's funny to see them together and it also makes me nervous about the future with my little troublemaker :)

Spring Family Weekend

2010-08-24T16:07:00.011-06:00

thanks to the pretty girls for my bag of goodies!

Ethan and daddy showing off his face paint....woo pig!

this is Ethan's favorite vehicle, dream on son!

"It's a hemmmmmmmer"

"vroom vroom"

loving the big "bike"

This better be the only way we see him in one of these police cars!

We started off the weekend at the Junior League of Little Rock's Touch a Truck event. He was shy at first, but warmed up when he got behind the wheel of a Porsche. After that, he needed to "drive" every vehicle out there! He played Go Fish and got a cute Razorback painted on his face by my friend Katie K., drove all the vehicles, and rode a train. He had a blast and we can't wait for next year! Then we went to the Travs game that night to run around and enjoy the beautiful weather. A fun day of family activities!

Easter Festivities

2010-08-22T20:32:00.010-06:00

Palm Sunday at church, placing the palms at the front of church

hunting eggs at Papaw and Gaga's House

kinda shy about loving on the bunnies

petting the baby goats

petting the donkey

Cousin Ella, Easter bunny, cousin Reagan, and Ethan

waiting patiently for the hunt to start!

hunting eggs at the country club

Hunting eggs at Mimi & Papa's House

Daffodil Festival

2010-08-21T14:14:00.009-06:00

While we were still in Florida, but Brandon was home, Brandon's dad had heart surgery. So to get his mom out of the hospital, we went out to the daffodil festival on Wye Mountain. We had a big time and Ethan was a great daffodil collector and inspector.

Epcot & More Magic Kingdom

2010-08-21T13:59:00.011-06:00

Cousins being too cool on the playground at Epcot

E with his pal Mickey

E was shy with Minnie Mouse (think he might have a crush)

Ethan and Papa Goofy!

The cousins with Chip & Dale

We found Nemo

Papa, Mimi, and Ethan at Epcot fireworks

Mr. Ethan in Pooh's House

So Ethan doesn't kill me for posting this, I'm only showing his face since I stripped him down and let him play in the fountains in just a diaper til it soaked through and I had to get him naked in public to dry him off :)

Ethan loves to step on the fountains!

Reagan having a good time in the fountains

Brandon had to leave Disney early to get back to work, so the rest of the family helped me with Ethan through Epcot and one more day in the Magic Kingdom. I hate that Brandon missed Epcot b/c he would have LOVED it and Ethan met all his favorite characters that day, but now we have a reason to all go back together :)

Disney Animal Kingdom

2010-04-18T11:46:00.009-06:00

This is Brandon's favorite park and we couldn't wait to take Ethan to see all the animals up close....it did not disappoint. Being on the safari we were SO close to the animals and Ethan loved it! We saw the 3D "It's tough to be a Bug" which kinda scared Ethan, but he loved it all. He took a good nap while strolling through a walk-through exhibit and was ready to play again. I'm so glad I have a little Disney fan!!!

Disney - Magic Kingdom Round 2

2010-04-18T11:38:00.008-06:00

Family photo on Main Street USA

Mimi and her grandboys

good thing it was a guided track since the driver cant see over the steering wheel! Daddy was a great passenger

Excited and proud of his driving skills!

We started out the day at Magic Kingdom...but we got rained out after the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh :( So we went back for naptime, woke up with a nightmare from the Peter Pan ride, then had such a crick in the neck from his crazy driving...he was miserable the rest of the day. We went back at dinnertime and he just kept acting like he couldn't move, so we called it a day. We'll try again in a few more days!

Disney 2- Hollywood Studios

2010-04-18T11:26:00.009-06:00

Family photo as we start into Hollywood Studios

Yea!!! June from Little Einsteins!

Reagan & Ethan with Leo from Little Einsteins

Ethan and Goliath from Jojo's Circus

Ethan and daddy outside Star Tours...they said Ethan was too short to ride....awww man!

Ethan on the bug in "Honey I shrunk the kids"....quite possibly his fave spot in Hollywood Studios

Ethan and the Green ranger from Might Morphin Power Rangers

Wow....this was a fun day! Ethan and Reagan loved meeting the characters and getting them to autograph their books. It was so fun watching them be excited about meeting the "celebrities" especially for Ethan who watches these shows. Reagan missed out on the ranger meeting, but we got his autograph for him :) Brandon and I did Star Tours and decided we are too old and weak-stomached for rides anymore, that was a sad realization. We also did Muppet 3D which was super fun...so cute to see Ethan and Reagan reaching out for the stuff in 3D.

Disney Part 1- long post

2010-04-17T15:08:00.013-06:00

in the airport...getting impatient to see Mickey!

view inside our room/suite...it was awesome!

view of the Magic Kingdom from our room

Ethan in his Mickey ears

Ethan, Mimi, and Baby Ella

Ethan and Ray Ray in their "ears"

Papa and his boys

man to man talk with Papa

Ethan's 1st boatride, from the resort to the Magic Kingdom

our first ride in Disney,.....the train of course!

in front of Ethan's 1st Disney parade, he LOVED it!

proof that Brandon was there AND why he is the photographer, I'm terrible at it!

watching the parade on Papa's lap

My parents took the family to Disneyworld for Spring break this year and we had the BEST time! We took a lot of pictures, so the next few posts might be long, but I want to document our trip. Ethan did awesome flying for the first time, he loved everything he did and it was just so fun to see it through his eyes. I've always been a big fan of Disney, but even more so now after being there with him. Thanks mom and dad for the FABULOUS trip and priceless memories!

I need drive my sssssshhhhruck

2010-04-17T15:05:00.004-06:00

Everytime we go outside we hear about how he needs to drive his truck. This was a nice Sunday afternoon and good chance to drive around the block. Surprisingly enough, he is a very good driver, excellent steerer and loves to drive it FAST!

Playin Ousssside

2010-04-17T14:47:00.007-06:00

Yea!!! Ethan finally got to play outside for the first time since the snow. It felt so good to play in the sun, and it looks like he was having fun with his pirate fighting. Typical boy.....anything can be a sword......stick.....shovel....whatev.

His father's son

2010-04-17T14:44:00.003-06:00

The week of Bargain Boutique, Ethan and Brandon spent a lot of quality time together. The top pic is what he looked like on the way to school riding in daddy's truck, the next is wearing his boots watching the big tv licking the bowl clean, and then finally reading the paper just like daddy in daddy's seat!

Valentines with Mommy and Daddy

2010-04-17T14:36:00.005-06:00

As Ethan would say, " I got my shover, my toy story, my buzz, and my frog" He mostly like the shover....the rest didn't taste as good as they looked fun!

Valentines with Gaga & Papaw

2010-04-17T14:26:00.003-06:00

Gaga and Papaw came over to bring Ethan his valentines goodies and showed up right at the end of naptime (hence the fabulous hair). Ethan was so excited to get lots of candy, word world dvd, and fruit snacks as well as some playtime with Gaga and Papaw. He tried at least 4 flavors of dum dums that day....guess that's what grandparents are for....fun and cavities :)

Little Imaginations

2010-04-17T14:21:00.006-06:00

Since the snow has been gone for months, I guess it's time to update the blog! February was a blur as I had Bargain Boutique going on. March was recovery from February....but I'm determined to update better before May gets here. It's been so fun watching as Ethan's imagination and creativity are blossoming. He is such a happy, silly little guy who is always able to bring a smile or laugh to Brandon and I!

Snow Days

2010-01-30T13:55:00.007-06:00

geared up and ready to play in the snow

having most fun beating daddy with snowy hands

cheezing for the camera

yes, I let him eat ice he found......it wasn't yellow!

it made him SOOOO happy!

sledding in a rubbermaid container.....it's the best I could think of since I never thought we would need a real sled since we never really see snow....ordering real one this afternoon!

daddy got his turn first getting the workout, I think his construction of "sled" was perfect and made little man VERY happy!

A Few of Ethan's Favorite Things

2010-01-30T13:45:00.004-06:00

walking around in daddy's boots.....

Laying in mommy and daddy's bed to watch Mickey Mouse.......(daddy's side)

using daddy's bluetooth to talk on the phone.....

Noticing a theme here? I think somebody has a hero and a man he REALLY likes to imitate. Now comes a hard part of parenting, be the example you want them to follow. Luckily I have a wonderful man for a husband and father to Ethan, so we're headed in the right direction!

Daddy's New Toy

2010-01-30T13:42:00.004-06:00

Brandon has been dying to get a new 4 wheeler for a while now and he finally gave in when he found a good deal on one, even though he drove 4 hours each way and through some snow to get it. Ethan is not a big fan yet, but I'm sure he'll love it soon enough!

Uncle Chris' Birthday Dinner

2010-01-30T13:36:00.003-06:00

Uncle Chris was in Brazil over the Christmas holidays, but with a birthday in mid-January, he came through little rock on his way home to see family and meet baby Ella. We had family dinner on Friday night and let me just say....Ethan is too much like his uncle for his own good (or mine for that matter). You can even see the resemblance in that troubling photo of the two of them. Chris is wild and zany and always entertaining, so needless to say, Ethan is a big fan. We can't wait til we get to see him again....these 2 are gonna be big buds!!

Christmas Morning 09

2010-01-05T08:32:00.011-06:00

coming down and seeing what Santa left for him

emptying out the stocking

so excited, he can't decide where to start!

getting really good at ripping the paper

yea!!! my choo choo!

figuring out the choo choo tracks

whispering "bbbiiigggg ttttrrrruuuuuccccckkkkk"

dancing to the radio in his new ride

driving the streets of the neighborhood

After getting Ethan settled from all the Christmas Eve activity, Papaw and Gagaw came down to spend the night with us so they could see Ethan open gifts. After he went to bed, I put together his new easel and then we engineered the train tracks for his new table and trains from mimi and papa. I didn't sleep b/c I kept being afraid he would wake up first so I got up around 5:30, mimi and papa got here around 6:30 and I finally had to go check on him at 7:30. He was just sitting in his bed waiting for someone to come get him. We had so much fun watching his excitement for his gifts and then we had fun using it all for the first time. What a fun Christmas!!!!

Christmas Eve in Plumerville

2010-01-05T08:25:00.005-06:00

Ethan listening to Papaw read the Christmas story

the beginning of the Ethan & Garett "mine" game

Ethan and his Papaw

continuation of the "mine" game.....escalating with hunger and sleepiness!

cousin Jonathan dropped by!

We spent Christmas Eve in Plumerville this year. We had the traditional lunch and gift exchange at Nonie's house. She passed away a few months ago so it was an emotional time to know it will be our last Christmas there, but great to remember and celebrate her as the whole family gathered! Next we headed to Gaga and Papaw's house to exchange with Jared's family. Garett and Ethan are just close enough in age to really annoy each other. Neither is big on sharing and they surely want the exact same thing at all times. Made for some great entertainment!

Tacky Christmas Sweater Party 09

2010-01-05T08:19:00.004-06:00

Rebecca and Sam

some of the girls

typical......

Tackiest People winners!

Jennifer and Brian hosted our annual Christmas sweater party. As always, I waited too long to go looking for ours....so I didn't participate except for the antlers with mange, but I found Brandon some treasures and thanks to his fabulous presentation and the surprise Christmas shirt underneath...he was able to win for the boys prize and got his fabulous Obama chia head. I can assure you this thing will be tended to with great care so it can be seen again next year :)

Christmas in the Wild

2010-01-05T08:12:00.008-06:00

The weekend before Christmas, I took Ethan to Christmas in the Wild at the LR Zoo. We had cookies and milk near Santa (still wouldn't go near enough for a photo) and saw other fun animals that were carried around at Cafe Africa. Then we followed Santa around to take Christmas gifts to the jaguars, elephants, and chimpanzees. Ethan had a blast running after Santa's golf cart and seeing the elephants in their Santa hats. I'm hoping he remembers that ONLY santa is allowed to throw stuff into the animals homes next time we go b/c I have a feeling he'll think he can do it too!

Handy Manny

2009-12-28T15:48:00.005-06:00

Ethan I started our morning with exciting conversation about Handy Manny and a little bit of Spanish teaching from the little plastic man. Can you tell Ethan loves him?

School Christmas Program

2009-12-28T15:44:00.002-06:00

This year at Ethan's school they had the 2-4 year olds do a music program for Christmas. We had no idea what to expect considering Ethan doesn't talk a whole lot, much less sing songs. So we invited all the grandparents and got there early to get seats. Behind a closed curtain we can hear kids screaming and crying and it sounds like they're herding a bunch of cats. Curtain opens...take a second but I find Ethan, he's crying...AWESOME! Then the pictures capture how he looks for the remainder of the show. He refuses to stand up, his hair is spiky and fussed up, he doesn't sing a single line, he just sits there moving his pouty lip back and forth. I LOVE IT!!!! Can't wait til next year!

Decorating the Tree

2009-12-28T15:41:00.005-06:00

I was a little bit nervous about the tree this year, but surprisingly enough Ethan was a big help and had a great time helping to decorate! I couldn't ever get him to pose and say cheese b/c he was too worried about getting more ornaments. We had a few casualties, but they were all filler ornaments, so no tears shed by mommy or Ethan. Great memories for me and Ethan with what he calls "MY tree!"

Girls Trip to NYC

2009-12-28T15:28:00.011-06:00

Today Show Set

floor at Dylan's Candy Bar

me at FAO Schwarz

us outside the show

mom in front of the best window displays at Macy's

tree in the snow/rain storm

mom's crazy umbrella KEPT malfunctioning, too funny!

The week after Thanksgiving, mom and I made a girls trip to NY. Brandon had been on several trips this year, and I decided it was my turn to get out of town. We flew in Thursday afternoon, stayed at a hotel on Times Square and began the adventures immediately! We met crazies on the square that night and did some shopping, shopped all day Friday, went to the famous Magnolia Bakery, the Today Show set, Rockefeller Center, then a fabulous Italian dinner and show at Bye Bye Birdie with John Stamos! Saturday we shopped again, fabulous dinner at Del Friscos watching the snow outside, Rockefeller Center, show at "A Little Night Music" with Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury, then ended the night at a favorite spot from previous trips, the Hudson Bar. It used to be more of a lounge and is now a club, but we had most fun b/c we had to wait to get in with all the other club hoppers and they turned lots of people away, but somehow we got in!!!Then 10 feet away was Tracy Morgan and we entertained ourselves watching him hit on the young girls. too funny! Then we made the long trek back to the hotel and got ready to head home on Sunday. I had so much fun and made many good memories...thanks mom for such a fun trip!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-28T15:25:00.003-06:00

This year at Thanksgiving, we christened the new house by hosting lunch. With Erika due any day with a baby and Chris saving up vacation time for his trip to Brazil, it was just my parents and us. We let Fresh Market do the hard work and we just enjoyed a relaxing afternoon of football and Ethan! We didn't get any family pics, but look at what a big boy Ethan looks like!!!

Ethan's 1st job

2009-12-28T15:22:00.005-06:00

Over Thanksgiving break, Ethan got a part time job at Clayborne's. He learned to answer the phone, print out invoices AND swipe credit cards! He'll be making his way around here in no time. After so much hard work, he had to belly up to the bar at home for some cheez-its and juice...those slave drivers didn't give him anything at work!

Halloween Revisited

2009-12-28T14:55:00.003-06:00

Brandon just got all of the pictures off of our real camera and I couldn't NOT post this pic from Halloween. How cute are Ethan and Catie with that goofy pirate guy???

Wiggle Worms

2009-11-17T09:36:00.006-06:00

cheeeeeeeese

" 'ello...'ello.....HI looooo HI looooo"

driving the car (but he can't reach the pedals)

Ethan and I went to Wiggle Worms at the Museum of Discovery last week. They read Brown Bear what do you see and then got to see an owl!!! Ethan was scared at first, but got very interested in him when it was time to go. We also made silly glasses which Ethan is still carrying around with him. Hopefully we'll get to go back soon, he had a lot of fun playing with the other kids and running around the museum.

Happy Fall

2009-11-17T09:33:00.003-06:00

This is my favorite time of year and it's finally starting to FEEL like fall! I took Ethan to the neighborhood park the other day to check it out. He really liked the slide there, and it's got 2 slides side by side so we had fun sliding down together. Then Brandon and I had a mini date weekend. Ethan went to Plumerville for a few days and we went to Fayetteville for the South Carolina game. The weather was PERFECT for football....and we won which makes it even more fantastic!

Ethan in October

2009-11-17T09:19:00.009-06:00

loved his hat so much he wanted to wear it to church the next morning!

Our Little Pirate Ethan

Argh!!!!

Getting ready for some Razorback football....too bad we lost that day, but Mr. Ethan looked so cute!

At Children's all dressed and ready for his procedure. He did really well and we just found out that all the tests were negative!!! We are so excited to have gotten good news and happy he won't have to be scoped again in the foreseeable future.

Going to the big D

2009-11-17T09:09:00.003-06:00

watching his choo choos with headphones for mommy and daddy's sanity!

the view from our seats. 40 yard line, 5th row...THANKS DAD!!!!!

Somehow I didn't get more pictures from this weekend, but we had a blast! We stopped in Sachse on the way in to see Kara and Will which was so fun. Will has gotten so big and it was great to see him and Ethan playing together. Then we loaded up and went to dinner with Brandon's cousin Jonathan before we headed to our hotel in SouthLake. My sweet parents got the whole family tickets to the AR game at Dallas stadium and put us up at the Hilton in Southlake for the weekend. Ethan slept in the middle of a big old bed surrounded by pillows and he slept like a champ! We did some shopping and eating and lots of good family time and a great game against A&M in that incredible stadium!!!!

My birthday weekend

2009-11-17T09:04:00.005-06:00

I am the baby of my friends, but I am now in my last year of my 20's. My sweet husband sent me the MOST DELICIOUS chocolate covered strawberries to work and my parents sent me BEAUTIFUL flowers! I took Ethan to Harvestfest in Hillcrest and he had a big time with the sidewalk chalk. Brandon bought me a GORGEOUS dining room set for our new house and then our sweet friends watched Ethan on my birthday night so we could have a dinner date. Very fun weekend with my family celebration to come in Dallas for the AR v. A&M game!!

Ethan in September

2009-11-17T09:01:00.005-06:00

Picking out his new lawnmower at Home Depot. Of course he's a John Deere man!

This was the night of his 2 year pictures. He wasn't in the best mood, but we took the pictures at PVCC and he just wanted to ride on the carts. So after pictures were over, the nice guys in the pro shop let us borrow a cart to go for a ride around the course...BIG FUN!

Long time no post

2009-11-17T08:56:00.002-06:00

Sorry we've been gone so long! It's been a crazy few months for the Gray family. We sold our house in July in 3 weeks!!!! So we moved into an apartment with plans to build a house....then while we were meeting with the builder about our house plans, I got a new house listing emailed to me and it was a good match. It went on the market on Tuesday, we saw it Wednesday, made an offer and it was ours by Thursday. Then we went to the builder and asked him to do some remodeling for us. We stayed in the apartment while the house got ready, then finally moved into our new home in October. All of our recent pictures are from my phone b/c I haven't found the cameras yet, so bear with us as we get settled and then we'll get better about blogging again.

Get Comfortable

2009-09-22T19:55:00.016-06:00

Ethan's 2 year appt and first time in a gown!

measured in at 36 inches and 37 lbs. He is off the chart on both height and weight and looks like he will be at least 6'2" when he's grown. Yikes!!!

at miss calleigh's birthday party. The only kid who wanted to be in his swimsuit, only to stand on the pool steps. I think he just wanted to flaunt his body for the ladies. (he has a thing for Lauren I'm afraid)

checking out the view from the Big Dam Bridge...this is where we had our lesson on how the lock and dam work

Ethan and daddy on the bridge

Ethan and mommy say "cheese"

Ethan at night 1 of 3 for Travs baseball.....it's his first time to play on the inflatables!

notice this sweet girl Hannah is in every picture from this night. She was Ethan's babysitter b/c she "loves babies...boys and girls" She was awesome!

Ethan at night 2 of Travs games. Brandon and Ethan went while I had a meeting. Night 2 of cracker jacks for dinner as well I bet!

he's so challenged by sunglasses, but he's cute even if they're crooked!

yep, he even lines up the trucks and trains on the wall of the bull pen. he dropped one over and the pitchers were kind enough to return it, but they gave Brandon the stink eye for not keeping better control of his son and his toys!

Night 3 of travs game in 1 week. This was the razorback pep rally night and we were kid free....big fun with our friends!

I'm pretty sure I'm holding someone else's beverage and that smile is REALLY because I don't have to chase Ethan around tonight....it's my night off :) Normally I wouldn't post such a pic, but I can't recall a time when I've seen such a big cheesy smile on my face!

Since my last post, we have done a zillion things...but gotten photos of very few! We have done a week of Travelers games, 1st birthday parties for 2 sweet little girls, changed housing situations (more on that later), celebrated papa's 60th birthday, had overnight stay at the farm with Grammy and Papaw, had Ethan's 2 year appointment, had more tests run at Children's for Ethan's swallowing function, started Razorback football season, and various other activities. This weekend we will celebrate my last birthday of my twenties and get ready to head to Dallas for the big game next weekend against A&M and the WHOLE family is making the trip. I'm so ready to see my brother Chris and the whole family is eager to see the new Cowboys stadium, so it promises to be a fun trip. Stay tuned afterwards when I can finally update about our living situation and hopefully do better with pictures!

Summer Break is Over

2009-08-25T08:16:00.008-06:00

with daddy on the carousel

with daddy on the choo choo

he wanted to carry his own packages from the store

riding with daddy

Mr. Fix It is fixing the 4 wheeler for daddy

so excited to be "driving" and pushing all the buttons

Ethan was out of school for 3 weeks before the fall started up again. The Sunday before he started back, we had lots of fun just enjoying hanging out as a family before we get back into routine. We went to the zoo, back to school shopping, and then some 4 wheeling around the apartments.

My teeeeeth

2009-08-25T08:11:00.002-06:00

This has become one of Ethan's favorite activities...brushing his teeth. He's not perfected it, but practice will make perfect someday :)

Ethan's 2nd Birthday-Family Dinner

2009-08-25T07:56:00.006-06:00

these 2 cousins were FAST friends and very wild together!

Birthday boy's favorite meal...chicken strips, cheetohs, and juuuuice

another awesome creation from Diane and also super delicious!

our little family pic before blowing out candles

Ethan took his toys into his new garage and he didn't want to share his space in there, he kicked Garett out and was getting very bossy!

I took Ethan to Party City to pick his decorations for the family party at my mom and dad's house. He of course chose Cars.....which of course he got mostly gifts with wheels b/c that's what he loves. He also got some fun outdoor toys like golf clubs and a tricycle so we can play out in the parking lot here :)

Ethan's 2nd Brithday-Gymboree

2009-08-25T07:34:00.016-06:00

cupcakes by diane...they looked JUST like the invitation & super delicious as always and other kiddo snacks

bringing the drinks, just like daddy

finally participating!

probably the favorite activity- the parachute

wanting uncle courtney to open the bathketball

checking out some of the goodies

I see this face quite a lot, means he's not getting his way

sitting with his crush Lila and cousin Madi

Ethan and Madi in the party favors

We had Ethan's big birthday party at Gymboree on August 8. We invited our little church friends, neighbor friends, family, and our "aunts and uncles". Ethan was overwhelmed at times and not too big on the group activities other than the parachute, but as long as you let him do what he wanted and kept the animal crackers coming....he had lots of fun! We really appreciate everyone coming to help us celebrate his big day!

Ethan drummer boy

2009-08-25T07:32:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, Ethan really got excited about having an audience here with his mama, dada, grammy, and papaw and REALLY went to town on the rockband drumset. He is so dramatic about and gets into it like a real performance. We might have a budding musician on our hands!

sunglasses

2009-08-25T07:30:00.004-06:00

notice a pattern? ethan can put on his own sunglasses and gets so proud of himself, but he prefers them upside down! (more iphone images)

rainy day mod

2009-08-25T07:26:00.002-06:00

Brandon's been dying to take Ethan to the zoo, so we loaded up a few weeks ago and then the rain started, so we went to the museum of discovery instead. Ethan loves to play in the big trucks, but doesn't really care for sharing them. These photos are on the iphone with poor lighting, sorry they're blurry.

Cupcakes for School

2009-08-25T06:58:00.005-06:00

We took cupcakes for Ethan's last day of summer school and when I picked him up, there was one left with his backpack. He of course wanted it, so I told him he could have it when he got home....then I decided I'd rather have the mess outside than in the apartment. Ethan doesn't really like stuff like this so we played with it outside in the heat until the icing slid off and then we went inside to clean up.