The Gray's

More Summer Crazyness

2011-08-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

24th of July-
Ben and I usually get a team together every year for the 24th volleyball tournament. THis year we played with Brindi and Trey Platt and Adam and Sami Waite and Jaime. We had alot of fun. Every year Ben says that its his last year, and I always hope its not. Next year though, we might not be able to be home for it b/c well be living in Farmington then, so we'll see. I never get any pictures of us playing, but I did get a picture of our FAN CLUB! ;) Aren't they cute! Then comes the Ice cream Social. Addison could not be more excited for all the ice cream. She is such a fire ball! Im pretty sure Ben and I would be so bored without her around. NIkki and the Kids were here for the 24th and they went to the parade with us. Addison had crazy spray painted hair for it. Marianne does GIrls on the run and they were in the parade and spray painted thier hair so we did Addison and Lilas too.

The Heap Reunion- I took thursday and Friday off work determined to go to the reunion and stay in a tent with Addison. I was rainy, so i was really worried. Ben had to work so i went up with Addison and Mikayla helped me set up my tent. The first night went really well and Ben was going to come up the next evening, then it started pouring and I was worried about the ten getting wet inside so i decided to just drive home. I was pretty sad about it, i was looking forward to camping with Ben, but it was probably good I went home b/c I was able to help set up for blake and Amandas reeption.

Blake and Amandas Reception-

The reception went well. Mom did a great job planning everything. All the kids had such a good time dancing. Colby and Brisa were so cute! She said you put your finger on my head like this and ill spin haha!

Mesa Trip-
Ben and I made a trip to Mesa for Kacey and Rex Platt's sealing. I was so glad I was able to be there for it. Then we spent the rest of the time just hanging out with my mom. We went swimming at Mitches and Addison loved it. Maybe she is my kid after all. I have always loved the water and up until a few days before this trip Addison wanted nothing to do with water ever besides a bath. I was so glad she had fun. and it was much overdo to spend some good quality time with my mom. Ever since her aneurysm I feel like ive been given a second chance to make spending time with her a priority. Like a reminder that there isnt always going to be a tomorrow, do it today!

Why is it cute to show your crack when your little!

Mommy wears it on her eyes- I wear it on my eyes...Looks great kid! Every time i turn around this kid is getting into my mascara. At least shes smart enought to put it on her eyes.
Starting to like the Water YAY!

Jace got baptized. It was so fun to be there for jace. Miguel baptized him making it his first time. It was awesome.

Thats right ppl, My kid is CRAZY! Who knows where she even learns these things ;)

Summer Happenings

2011-07-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

WOW~ We have had a busy summer so far. We moved out of our house at the end of June so that our renters could move in and we have been living with bens parents ever since. Bens brother and his family live there also, so its been a full house. Sometimes crazy and overwhelming, but mostly alot of fun. For sure makes you appreciate your own space ;) We were able to refinish the basement at our house. we didnt quite get it done before our renters moved in, but its done now. Also in the last weekend of June I was able to go to the Sherwood reunion in Utah. I was so nervous about going. I went without Ben or Addison with my aunts and cousins. Im so glad I went, I had such a good time and was able to see many ppl that I havent seen in years. It would have been better if they could have met Ben and Addison though! Maybe next time. In July so far weve mostly done family stuff. We spent the first couple weeks at the house in all our spare time finishing the basement. Ben did such a good job it looks amazing. For the 4th of July, we just kinda hung around here. We went to the races at the park and Addison didnt really know what to do. . Then last weekend we went to Mesa for Blakes Wedding. This weekend is the 24th of July and next weekend is Blakes reception up here, so we have a busy month. It's been fun, but ill be glad when things settle down. Oh ya I forgot in June we had the Crosby reunion, and in July we had The Gray reunion. For the crosby reunion we went to a place outside of showlow and spent the day, it was fun. For the gray reunion we had breakfast at Uncle Arlands and then went out to Lyman to go canoeing. Much to my dismay Addison hates the water, so sad I love the water and I want her to love it too!
FARMINGTON- We were originally headed to farmington the end of August, but Ben decided to take the classes online and were going to head that way in January when his program starts. Im so excited to go and see what a new town has to offer. And I'm so excited for Ben to be pursuing a Career that he seems to really enjoy ;) Im so glad we have been given the opportunity to go and so thankful we have the means to do so! Well thats all for now. Im thinking I need to plan a vacation for our little family before we are tied down to school....HMMM Where to go? New Basement!4th of July Blakes Wedding Crosby Reunion Sherwood Reunion Gray Reunion

HAPPY EASTER!

2011-04-25T10:16:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone. The Easter Bunny found us despite my Thought that Addison really didnt need an easter basket. He brought Addison Playdough and Flip flops and Candy. After she found her basket the the easter bunny hid we colored eggs. Addison wanted to color herself too i guess because she drank some of the pink dye ;) Then we made a yummy breakfast and then headed to Roundvalley to meet adam and Sami Waite. We had a picnic in the mountains with them and thier kids. We had an Easter egg hunt there and Tylar helped Addison find eggs(thanks Tylar). We had so much fun and got a little too much sun. WE rode four wheelers and played baseball and did a little shooting. Ben handing me the pistol and i said what should i shoot? He said aim for that water bottle. but you wont get it, so i did and i blew it to pieces first try :) It was pretty overcast all day and a little windy, but mostly pretty good weather. we got lucky its been so windy lately. Addison rode the four wheeler with Payton and loved it. She also biffed it face first in the dirt. all in all we had a great time. Sunday Jaime and Boyd invited us over for Easter Dinner. It was so good. We made choc chip cookies and I let addison lick the beater. She was in heaven!

WILD CHILD

2011-04-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

A bunch of pictures of our CRAZY GIRL!

Working with dad

Eating crushed ice that she loves!

Playing at walmart with kamryn

Learning to potty!

Helping mom make bread.

Drinking from the hose...SICK!

Playing with our new pets

JUST LIKE DAD!

Addison is TWO!

2011-04-25T08:43:00.001-07:00

Addison ans Her cousin Lila are One day apart, so we celebrated thier birthdays together. We also celbrated thier 1st birthdays together, we're hoping to always do it that way. This year mari and I made them a Barbie cake. WE had so much fun doing it. I don't think they even knew how cool it was! We had a family lunch and the kids had cake and opened presents. We all had a good time! I can't believ my baby is two. Guess shes not really a baby anymore. WE love her some much and have had so much fun with her growing personality. Here are a few things about Addison:
She loves to read books
She loves babies
Shes crazy most of the time
She is a daddy's girl
Shes afraid of dogs
She loves chickens
she loves plums, green beans, bell peppers
She hates snow peas
She loves to brush her teeth

These are just a few things i can think of about addison.

WE'RE ALL OKAY!

2011-04-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

My mom made it! She has a long road ahead of her but is mostly back to normal. My mom will probably kill me for putting these pictures up of her, but she never looks at my blog. If you ask her about any of this she doesnt remember. The nurses and doctors told us we could even take her back to that room and she wouldnt remember any of it probably and she doesn't She was having some short term memorey problems but it seems to be coming back to her. Her first week out of the hospital she was pretty weak and slow in anything she did. she would get tired and out of breath quickly. She did a couple weeks of out patient rehab and is now back home. She is able to drive, but has not returned to work yet, All in time! I am so grateful, and feel so blessed to still have her here. The doctors keep telling us she is a medical miracle, I'm so greatful for that! Thank you to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers on our behalf, and thank you to bishop Duncan and family for the blessing you gave her, and for the support you provided to our family!( We called Bishop DUncan on our way to mesa the night this happened and him and his wife rushed to the hospital and He gave my mom a blessing while she was still at the first hospital, then they followed to good sams and stayed there with nikki until Jaime and I got there. We were so greatful for them providing that support to her and to our mom!)

Nightmare...Wide awake!

2011-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon my mom was having a really bad headache and throwing up so she called my sister to come over. Nikki just thought it was a bad case of the flu. Next thing you know Nikki is calling to tell me the ambulance just took my mom to the hospital. then she called form the hospital ta say that my mom had a brain aneurysm. WHAT....anytime ive ever heard the word aneurysm it's in the same sentence with the word died...All I could think was if I lost my mom too I might have a meltdown. I already lost my dad i could NOT lose my mom too! Jaime and I hopped in the car and rushed to the hospital. By the time we got there they had already transferred my mom from banner Gateway to good sam's. It was 11pm or so when we got there and as soon as they let us in to see her i was in hell. She did not look good, I was trying to think positive, but I still kept thinking what if. Me and my two sisters slept in chairs at her bedside that night. then we spent the following day just waiting to hear what was going on. That afternoon about 4 they transferred her to St. Joe's Hospital. As soon as we got there we knew she was in good hands. They took her into surgery first thing the next morning and it went well. I'm skipping lots of details and medical terms, but that's most of the story. surgery was wed morning. Since then shes has several rough days. Saturday I'm came home to get my baby that i hadn't seen since monday. I was dying. Yesterday, Sunday my mom called and talked to me on the phone. Keep in mind on Saturday when i was there she could not have done this. I was in heaven, it made my day. Today, Monday, she is eating her first meal of real food since last monday sometime. The doctors say were not out of the woods yet b/c she could still have a stroke or siezures etc...she will be in the ICU for another week or two, but I feel so blessed that she has progressed the way she has. As I was driving to work this morning I was sad b/c i normally call her. she is driving to work the same time as i am usually. We have a long road in front of us, but I feel like I'm going to get my mom back in one piece and There is nothing in the world that would make me happier. I know the lord would never give us tests we couldn't handle, but he's really pushing it with our family. I hope to someday understand why! One last thing, This last week has shown me how lucky i am to have such good sisters, it would have been alot harder if we didnt have each other to lean on.

The new year so far!

2011-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well, everyone talks about goals in January right, and then nobody talks about them after that, theres a reason for that! haha! Its now the beginning of March. I've been working for Sundt construction for almost two months now, and I'm really enjoying it. The people out here are great. Addison is growing like a dang weed. Everyday she talks better and better and her attitude continues to entertain us all. I still babysit Kamryn sherwood on the weekends sometimes and her and Addison have a ball. My cousin Chaz recently became a dad to the most beautiful little girl. Her name is Bella and we loved getting to meet her. Andrea and Marianne both had thier babies this last week. I dont have pictures yet to post of them, but hopefully soon. New babies are so much fun ;) Lots of pictures of what we did that last two months. We took a couple trips to mesa to visit family and help with house projects. Other than that we've just been living life, wondering what we did everyday without Addison to entertain us! Anyway, i know noone cares what I write, pictures are the imprtant part ;)

Pig Tails & Babies

2011-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Addisons hair is finally long enough to do something with. Heres her new DO ;) Her new favorite thing to play with is babies and anything to do with them. she carries her babies around and feeds them and even has to sleep with them.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T19:34:00.001-08:00

We spent Christmas in SJ with the Heap family. My mom and Sister nikki and her two kids came up and had christmas with us. we are always happy to have ppl spend christmas with us. its just not the same with only the three of us. this is the second year that nikki has spent christmas with us ;) We had the progressive dinner with all the Heaps on thursday night and all the kids dressed up for the nativity. Then santa came and we got pictures of the kids on his lap and he gave all the kids presents. Christmas eve morning we all went to AUnt Jenny's so the kids could make trains. Addison didn't make one because she just wanted to eat the candy not put it on her train Then that night we let all the kids open their Christmas Pajamas. Then Christmas morning came and Nikki told Tristen " santa came lets go see what he brought" to which tristen replied "He still came even though I was bad" hahaha So we opened present and then prepared christmas dinner we had more food than we knew what to do with. Ham, Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls, Stuffing, Cheese Ball....Wow im pretty sure we all gained ten pounds. Im so thankful to be so fortunate. I think this time of year we should all remember that not everyone gets to have big feasts. We should be so greatful for what we have and the time we get to share with our families.

Addison wanted a candy cane, but couldnt get it off the tree. I guess she decided the only way was to eat it off haha!

Ben and I spent New Years in Mesa. We were down there helping my mom get moved into her new house. I had a sinus cold so we ended up going to bed at 10...I know were so lame, but we didn't want to go out with all the crazies down there, and plus i just didnt fill good. To be honest I dont feel like i missed out ;) Ben and I both set some new years goals. One that we have in common is to eat healthy and exercise. Wish us luck!

I NEVER keep up!

2011-01-07T13:59:00.001-08:00

So, lets start with Halloween...Addison was a Cheerleader...thats right an ASU cheerleader...Im hoping if i get it out of her system now she wont be one in real life, ASU or otherwise ;) We walked in the parade from the court house down main street and back up to the park. We walked with Jaime and the Boys and Mari and the girls and Tristen and Calli. It was sooo windy, but we still had alot of fun. That evening Ben and I and Addison and Jon and mari and the girls and mom and dad walked around the neighborhood by mom and dads house it was cold so we didnt stay out too long but we had a good time. Mom and dad even dressed up. Here are some pictures of the night. Its the first halloween that I didnt make a stop at Nanas for some of the "GOOD Candy" she would always have big candy bars for all the grandkids and great grandkids

Someone told me to update my blog so here i am!

2010-10-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Lets see alot has happened since august i Guess i just dont know what ;) I quit my job at the county and I babysit and get to stay home with Addison all day. I love being home but babysitting can be hard at times, but all in all its working out really well. I turned 23 on the 16th of september WOW im getting old haha. but we didnt get any pictures. Ben got me a WII for my birthday and we had some friends over for games and cake ;) STRAWBERRY DELIGHT MMMM! Then just a couple weekends ago ben and i took a vacation without addison for our anniversary. We left Addison with bens mom and went to mesa. We spoiled ourselves and stayed in a hotel for 3 nights. we slept in too late and stayed up too late. ;) we got to spend a little bit of time with some family. we hung out with one of bens very good friends and his wife and had a great time. and last but not least we went to a Jack Johnson concert. It was a blast, we had such a good time.

Update on the Little missy~

Shes growing faster than ever and so is her personality. She just completely full of it. We love her so much and are so glad she chose us to be her parents ;) here are some fun pictures of her.

Im Horrible!

2010-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Im so horrible at keeping up with my blog. This has been a crazy summer filled with the crosby reunion, camping at big lake, fourth or july, 24th of july,The Heap Reunion etc....weve had so much fun. Sad news is my grandma passed away the 24th of july week. Its such a blessing for her to finally be pain free but we all miss her so much.

June- The crosby reunion! We had a blast. we went to a beautiful place just outside of showlow and just spent all day friday and all day saturday. we didnt stay the night because its hard in a tent with addison. We had a lot of fun and got to see alot of the family that we dont see very often.

July- For the fourth of July Ben was working so we didnt do much. I watched my niece and nephew calli and tristen for the weekend and we went to the parade in roundvalley with my sister jaime and had lunch at her sister in law audreys house. then we headed back to SJ and that night calli and I and addison went out to lyman and watched fire works with one of my friends who was camping out there. we had a good time.

15th of July- we went to big lake with part of bens family. we drove up on a thursday and stayed the night and by friday afternoon addison had a high fever and we had to go home. it was a huge bummer and we were really dissapointed we missed out on that! I did get a few pictures in the time we were there though!

24th of july- we started off by playing in the volleyball tournament. I think we got third or so. By the end we were so dead beat tired that we didnt care what we got. We always have alot of fun but its alot of playing to do in two days. We went to the ice cream social and had dinner there before hand. Then my sister nikki and her friend sherri and kids came to stay with us for the weekend, they were a blast .We watched the parade with bens family and went out to the camp fire circle with my family. And my favorite part is the the dance. I love country dancing. Ben is so good at it. I suck and he probably hates dancing with me but i always have a great time ;) I of course didnt get as many pictures as i hoped.

NANA- Anyone you ask has nothing but great things to say about our NANA. She was a great woman no doubt about it! we all loved her and miss her so much. Ive had a harder time with it than i thought I would. All the grandkids were able to sing at her funeral. we sang "wind beneath my wings" and "smile" two songs that i found very fitting for her. I think more than anything else Im jealous of the reunion shes having with Papa and uncle george and Most of all my dad! Thats a day that I look forward to in good time after ive fulfilled my life here, but what a great day that will be. I just love this picture of Addison and Nana! its the most recent one i have ;)

Last but not least the Heap reunion- RAIN RAIN RAIN!....ok thats not all but pretty much. Ben and i went up friday morning early and it was a really nice day, we just hung out and enjoyed everyones company, we drove home friday night and came back early saturday morning. Had to be there in time for breakfast. the food and the heap reunion is one of my favorite parts and the fact that the men cook is pretty nice too. It rained most of saturday and then about 7 pm it got really nice so we all sat around the camp fire for a few hours and visited and listened to boyd play the guitar.

ONE LAST THING- Addison finally started walking. The other night I was at my inlaws and we were talking about how addison could walk if she wanted shes just lazy, so I was showing my mother in law how she would walk in between us and she just kept going across the living room...down the hall...etc! and that was it :0 she walks and crawls now but is walking more and more everyday. Its so bittersweet. they grow up so fast! I have a video of her but i cant figure out how to get it on my blog ;(

TWO THINGS THAT MELT MY HEART

2010-07-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed up to Big Lake with part of Bens family and by friday afternoon Addison had a high fever and was not a happy camper so we ended up going home friday night hoping shed be ok in the morning and we could head back. No such luck, i ended up taking her to the doctor and ben went back to camp and packed up our stuff. then that night Ben was up sick all night. Sunday afternoon my two sick Loves fell asleep. Its the most Melt your heart picture ever. Ben might possibly kill me for putting this up but i couldnt help it. It's the sweetest thing EVER!

PNEMONIA....

2010-04-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

My one year old has pnemonia...SERIOUSLY. That has to be the saddest thing ever. a one year old cant tell you they feel like crap or what they want to eat. Its probably the first time ive felt completely helpless as a mom. all i can do is sit big and hope that medicine does its job. all the while with my one year old running a 103 fever two days in a row and when that ends has the worst croupy cough you've ever heard. Then i found a new tooth . SAD SAD DAY. my poor baby. on a lighter note she does seem to be feeling alot better.

Addison Turned 1!

2010-04-20T11:42:00.001-07:00

Addison turned one on the 31st of March. We waited until the next weekend and had a little party with the family ine Mesa and with her cousin Lila who turned one a day after her. We had alot of fun. I can't wait until she actually knows its her Birthday.

SEXY CRAZY LOVE

2010-03-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well so much has happened since i last wrote. valentines day came and went, Ben and I were too busy with the new house to notice it even happened...well lets get real, i noticed, but I let ben pretend to not notice since he was working so hard ;) Addison got a valentines day puppy from her mi mi.(my mom) and she loved it. The next big event was my lifelong friend Kaceys wedding. I totally cried like it was my daughter or something wow how lame am I. She looked beautiful and we all had so much fun. We all headed there either by flight or by car. Janell me and whitney all rode together. the first night there we all went out to a karaoke bar at Kcs request. we dressed her up in a veil and a blinky tiarra and a sash. the bar tender of course couldnt believe we came just for the music. so we sucked the place dry of all thier sprite and grenadine ;) and had a blast. we butchered several songs and a drunk girl even sang us praise by yelling"this is karaoke night you guys suck" so nice of her ;) same girl fell off her chair onto the floor soon after, serves her right haha! That night i determined to get into the hot tub so whitney and I and mandi broke in at about 1 AM it was totally worth it. The next day was kcs wedding. we ate breakfast on the beach which was amazing and then headed back to the hotel for hours of primping. KC looked AMAZING. the wedding was beautiful and they looked so happy. I took tons of pictures and got some pretty decent ones. then we headed to another hotel very close to the reception place. at the reception we had some AMAZING food and cupcakes. everything was beautiful we had a blast. It was the first time i have ever left Addison over night and i was actually just fine. But i was so happy to get home to her. Shes just turned one and I cant believe it. shes growing up way too fast.

My mom and Addison on Valentines Day!

Kacey in her sweet outfit ;) and all of us out on the town for her bachalorette party!

Her wedding was beautiful!

I LOVE this picture so dang cute!

All of us at Kaceys reception/dinner. The food was AWESOME!

Happenings at the Gray house

2010-02-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

Well, life at our house has been pretty busy lately. Im working at the County Attorneys office and Ben is spending all his free time working on finishing the house. there have been several late nights for him. Im so fortunate to have such a hard working hubby. The house is getting so close im getting really excited ;) Addison has started to crawl, but id hardling call it crawling she scoots on her stomach. I cant believe that shell be one next month, so crazy how time flies. here are some pictures of recent happenings. First BEN HAD A BIRTHDAY SHOUT HURRAY lol. I threw a surprise party for him with the help of Brindi and Trey Platt and he had no idea. It was alot of fun.

Then Addison and I spent the weekend in Mesa with Janell and we had a blast. Addison made friends with Janells hamster carborator. she totally wanted to touch him, then we taught her how to be a gansta haha! Janell got a skate board with a shirt she bought;)

Kisses from mom! and CRAZY tights!

Addison with Hayes they are almost exactly a month apart. look at both of them making those mean faces ;)

Catch up!

2010-01-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Im so behind on my blog...... i have lots of pictures to post or recent happennings at the Gray house. Ive been busy working and hanging out with the family and taking car of our new dog that i havent posted in a while Christmas was a blast. My sister Nikki and her kids spent it with us. We are always so glad when family comes b/c we think its kinda boring with just us and Addison isnt old enough to be excited just yet ;) Everything is good with us, we recently got a new puppy named Yankee, we sold our truck and are in the process of getting a new vehicle, were also in the process of buying a house and redoing it. STRESS...my poor husband has so much on his plate, but what a good man he is he takes it all in stride. here are so pictures

This first picture really had nothing to do with christmas just look at that face...she know shes in trouble :)

I think this picture is HILARIOUS!

SORRY, no picture of Yankee yet :(

TODAY

2009-12-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken on my cell phone today so they are not that great, but they fit her personality so well. We are so lucky to have such a happy baby. This is the way she is most of the time. we have so much fun with her.

Pictures Pictures Pictures

2009-12-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, alot has happened, there are lots of random pictures of Addison growing up way too Fast, and thanksgiving. This picture below is Addison with her great grandma Heap. It became my favorite picture immediately. They both look so sweet in it. We spent Thanksgiving here in SJ because Bens job keeps us kinda grounded sometimes, and with me working now it makes it hard for us to be on the same schedule. Addison is eight months old now. she has two teeth. She has no interest in crawling if you ask me, but who knows she could surprise us. I guess thats about it for now. Im sure there's more, but Ill just go with short and sweet!

This picture if of my Friends newest little girl Alli, this was the first time we got to meet her because they live in louisianna.

JAIME HULSEY PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-11-11T19:07:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, My sister Jaime Is starting a photography Business. Go to http://jaimehulseyphotography.blogspot.com/ To enter her contest and see all her AWESOME photos.

Addison's First Halloween

2009-11-03T15:00:00.001-08:00

Addison was a Spider and I was a Web. Ben drew a web on a shirt for me ;) Addison was so tired that I didnt make it very far before she fell asleep.

New Things

2009-10-22T21:53:00.001-07:00

Addison is sitting up on her own now, and she has her first tooth ;) I just finished my first week of my new job at the Apache County Attorneys Office and I really like it. Its hard to be away from the baby, but Im really enjoying the job. Ben and I are still not moved into my moms house. Its taking alot longer than we thought to get my mom and sisters stuff all moved out but its getting really close. Were going to do some updates in it before we move in though. Well thats all for now I guess

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

Well, this post is a little late. It was our first anniversary last sunday the 11th. We decided to picnic instead of going out to eat. We went out to Lyman Lake. It was a really nice day and all the leaves on the tress are changing to yellow. It was really pretty out there, we had a really good time together. Then that night we cut our cake and it actually tasted good ;) This first year of marriage has been CRAZY ;) We went from single to married to parents all in one year. So many changes, but I coudlnt have asked for a better person to do it with. My husband is such a sweetie. He does so much to help all the time. He does laundry and dishes and housework, and helps with the baby the only thing I think he wont do is cook ;) Unless he has to. I honestly don't know what id do if I had a husband that expected me to do everything. I'm so thankful for him and all his hard work. He works so hard to make sure our family has everything we want and need. Thanks for being such a good hubby Ben I LOVE YOU!. This has been the best year of my life.

Update...

2009-10-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Addison is six months old now, WOW I can hardly believe it ;) Shes growing so fast. I started her on cereal a couple weeks before she was six months and she loves it. So far shes had whole wheat cereal, bananas, and sweet Potatoes. She constantly sticks her tongue out, its hilarious! She is so close to sitting up. Shell sit for a short time by herself but then she falls over. She loves to stand up. If you stand her up next to the couch shell stand there for a good amount of time before she buckles. She is such a good baby, we have a blast with her. Shes so curious about everything and everyone. She is always grabbing things now which is taking some getting used to. Ive about had a lap full of dinner several times;) She still wakes up several times a night which is killing me, but I dont know how to fix it.

Update on us...We are in the process of buying a house and were so excited. I cant wait to have my own space to decorate. Im going back to work in about a week. I got a job at the county attorneys office. Ill be working four tens, Im really nervous about leaving Addison, but I know that shell be fine.

Addison is Five Months

2009-09-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

On the 31st Addison was five months old, I still can't believe how fast its gone by. Whenever she smiles she scrunches up her nose and squints her eyes. Its so funny. She also LOVES bath time. she could be in the worst mood ever and you put her in the bath shes happy as can be and KICKS like crazy. She always has to be rocked to sleep, but today she fell asleep on her own under her play dome.

Were does the time go....

2009-08-28T09:10:00.001-07:00

It flies by! It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing my baby home from the hospital and she will be five months in a few days. Anyway, she has quite the personality now. she loves to play with toys, mostly ones the rotate in the air like the fan haha! She still cant stand to be left alone. she has to have all attention on her at all times, and when she does she is so happy, smiling and laughing all the time! She is an early bird. she wakes up for the day as happy as can be around 6 at the latest... She tries to sit up but doesn't quite have it yet. I cant believe my baby is growing so fast.

Upside Down

2009-08-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

I went in to get Addison out of her Crib and she had her feet where her head had been when I laid her down. She barely knows how to roll over I'm not sure how she did that, but it was pretty funny.

New Things

2009-07-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Last night Addison slept in her crib. It wasn't the first time, but it was the first time without us in there with her. We started her in her crib at the beginning of the week, but we were sleeping on the floor in her room because we had family visiting, so last night was her first night alone in her own room. She did fine, same as any other night. And I did fine too, with a baby monitor I still felt like she was right by me.

Addisons Blessing

Saturday night We blessed Addison. We planned on doing it much sooner, but we couldn't get the family all together before now. It went so well. I just want to tell my husband what a GREAT job he did. Ben gave her such a sweet blessing. I am so blessed to have a husband who holds the priesthood and is able to bless our baby. He is such a good man, I couldn't have found a better husband and father. I love you sweetie! Also thanks to all the men who participated in her blessing.

Pioneer Days~

We had a bunch of family here for the week to celebrate the 24th with us, it was alot of fun. Ben and I participated in the volleyball tournament and our team won the championship. I couldn't have done it without all the help with the baby from my family. THANKS!

These are some pictures of Ben playing with the kids. They all LOVE their Uncle Ben!

Also for some reason we had a hawk in our yard and Ben got some really close up pictures of it. He thinks it must have been hurt since it was letting them get so close.

Addison's First Camping Trip

2009-07-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

We headed up to camp on Thursday and stayed until Saturday night. Addison did really well the majority of the time. She just didnt sleep very well. The weather was great. The fishing was horrible, but i did take addison. I strapped her to me and tried fishing , but it proved to be kinda complicated with a kid strapped to me ;) All in all we had alot of fun.

And She ROLLS

2009-07-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Addison is rolling over now. So far only from back to front. Almost everytime you lay her down she rolls to her side. Its so much fun having a baby around. There is always something new and exciting. We are taking her camping for the first time this weekend so ill have fun pictures of that soon!

Baby Pictures

2009-07-06T09:35:00.001-07:00

Well here are a few pictures of me as a baby....Does anyone think my child even resembles me? The pictures Start with me and alternate Me, Addison...

Fourth of July!

2009-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

The fourth of July was alot of fun. I got to spend some time with some friends i never get to see. Somehow we always forget to take any pictures together. Anyway, here are some pictures of Addison and the picnic at the park. That night I took her to see the fireworks. I swear she didn't blink. She loved them. I dont have any pictures, but she didnt make a peep the entire time she just stared at the fireworks wide awake. It was so cool you could tell she really liked them.

These are a couple pictures I took of her on sunday in her church dress. Look at her Cute Dimples ;)

Family Fun

2009-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to Mesa to spend some time with the Gray's. Ben's cousin trevor

had a pool party, we put Addison in her suit, but she didn't swim this time. We also went to our nephew carson's baptism. Afterwards we finally got a family picture taken. I dont think we've had one since she was born. After taking the picture I realized how chubby my face is. Needless to say I started running yesterday ;) Here are some pictures from the weekend. we had alot of fun!

Our family picture after the baptism. And all of Addison's cousins ;) well not all, but most

Addison W/ her cousin Lila...they are a day apart!

Addison's First time Swimming

2009-06-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Addison is three months old in these pictures and It was a perfect day to take her swimming. She didn't cry, but she also wasn't exactly excited about it...she looked so cute in her swim suit ;)

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T13:28:00.001-07:00

I know its the day after Father's Day, but I wanted to Do a post for it and had no time yesterday. Thanks to our little Addison, Ben is now a Father. This was his first Father's Day. Addison bought him crocs that she knew he wanted ;). We attended church and then had a nice big lunch with his parents. Then we had dinner with my sisters and mom.

Anyway, I just wanted to write a little something about Ben. He is not only an awesome husband, but an awesome father to Addison. Before having her he had a strict "three month Rule" which meant it didnt matter who the kid was he didn't hold them until they were at least three months old. Well that lasted three minutes. She couldn't have been much older than that when she was placed in her daddy's arms and he of course took her with no hesitation. Addison is at the age now where she coos and smiles and laughs. She loves to talk to her Dad the most. When he talks to her she grins from ear to ear and tells the longest stories. Anyway, I could go on for pages about the two loves of my life, but I'll stop:) Here are some cute pictures of them together! I LOVE YOU HONEY~HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD FATHER'S DAY!

Laughs

2009-06-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was holding Addison in the air bouncing her and she started crackin up. I loved it. It was the first time we've been able to make her laugh. she usually just laughs randomly. It was great! I was having such a bad day and when she did that I forgot all about it. It's amazing how much joy a child brings to your life. Being a mom is the most rewarding thing ive ever done.

Picture Overload

2009-06-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

My sister Jaime took these pictures of her a while back, but I just barely got them. I think they are so cute. So if anyone needs pictures taken she does an awesome job. There are way too many to put on here, so I just picked out some of my Favorites. Addison is getting so big. She is a very alert baby. She has found her hands and sucks them every chance she gets. She is a very happy SMILEY baby and loves to tell stories ;) She hates to be alone, but is happy as long as she can see someone in the room with her. She sleeps basically through the night depending on when I lay her down, but its usually from about ten or eleven until four or five AM ;) Anyway, Hope you enjoy the pictures!

ADDISON RILEY GRAY

These last two pictures are at the Crosby Reunion of Addison with my niece Jami.

Most Recent Pictures Of Addison

2009-06-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

These are the most recent pictures of Addison, and shes actually awake! I don't know why, but it wouldnt let me rotate these ones.

This is Addison with her cousin Brigden. It's my cousin Casey's baby boy.

Addison with her great grandma Heap

Apparently we were both exhausted ;)

Addison with her cousin Hayes. He is my sister Jaime's youngest.

Here is Addison in a dress her auntie Phyll bought her. Also known as Phyllis Hamblin, not really her aunt, but thats what she is called ;)

Our Baby Girl

2009-06-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

These are just a few recent pictures of Addison. She is almost ten weeks now and we are loving every minute of it. shes smiles and laughs at us now. She likes to spend time on her tummy. She is such a good baby. She still sleeps quite a bit. Nights with her are pretty good I think. she was sleeping from about midnight to six, but the last couple nights shes gone down at 10:30 and sleeps to about 4 or 5. I love the picture of her and Ben, I think she looks just like him in it! I have several pictures of her and I asleep together. Somehow every time we fall asleep together Ben takes a picture! I have lots more cute pictures I just don't have time right now to put them up. I went back to work this week. Im only working 15 hours a week so I think it will be good. She stays home with Ben when I work.

We meet the Grandparents

2009-05-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this month Ben's parents came home from their mission. We went to the valley to be there when they arrived. We hung out with the family all weekend long and Addison got to meet her cousin Lila Jean who was born the day after her along with her Gray grandparents and the whole Gray family and also Great grandma Crosby! Here are some pictures of the weekend!

Me And Marianne with Addison and Lila

My mom with Addison

Aunt Andrea bought Addison and Lila matching outfits!

Addison and Great Grandma Crosby

The Family

Four Generations

Ben at the KID table. He's always been so good with kids

Ladawn with Addison

One Month!

2009-05-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, Addison is almost two months old and I am barely putting up one month pictures. I have had alot going on with my inlaws coming home and havent had time for my blog. Here are a few pictures of addison at one month old!

She has such long skinny feet. I can't imagine where she would have got that from ;)

This is her favorite way to sleep lately! She looks so content!

And this is her lovely patch of hair on top that is always doing something crazy!

Growing~ Growing~Growing

2009-04-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Addison is almost a month old. She is starting to be awake more, and she is kindof on a schedule now, she wakes up almost exactly every three hours, except the nights when I get lucky and she sleeps a little longer. Last night was AMAZING she slept for almost 6 hours straight! Anyway, I forgot to take a three week picture of her, but here are a few recent pictures of her.

On another note...Addison gets to meet her grandma and grandpa Gray this weekend. Not only them, but all of the Gray Family. Noone has seen her yet! She of coarse has no idea, but I am so excited to finally meet my inlaws, and for everyone to meet her. I would pay to meet another person that gets married , and has a baby before they meet thier inlaws! Its been fun getting to know them through emails and phone calls, but I can't wait to meet them and get to know them in real life!

Play Day

2009-04-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of my friends came over with their boys to hang out. It was the first time we've had them all together so we took a few pictures of them! Addisons feet are as long as the boys and they are 6 weeks and about 10 weeks older than she is!

Addison

2009-04-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

These are just a bunch of pictures I've taken of Addison....We are both doing really well! they say babies just eat and sleep...mine really does. She wakes up to eat and I put her in her bassinet then she sleeps 3-4 hours and starts over again. I thought waking up in the middle of the night would be the worst thing ever, but when its your own child its different. I don't mind it at all. I still just stare at her all the time... I just can't believe how much she changes all the time ;) I'm not really sure who she looks like. At first I thought she was all Ben, but now I don't know!

ONE WEEK

2009-04-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

OK...It's past one week now but I'm barely getting around to putting her one week picture up! everything is going well with her and us...we are all adjusting well and it's so much fun. I love being a mom so much already!

~Shes Here~

2009-04-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

Finally our Baby Girl is here, and here is our story...We got to the Hospital at about 2 p.m. by 6:30 I was completely dialated and ready to have her, but the doctor wasn't there yet, nobody thought I would be ready that fast INCLUDING the doctor ;) Here are some pictures of her...shes already changing so much! Meet...

Addison Riley Gray!
Born March 31,2009 @ 7:11 P.M.
7lbs 6oz, 20 inches long

I didn't get a chance to put this pic up before I had her.....this was just a few days before...

Spring Time....Or maybe not!

2009-03-26T16:55:00.001-07:00

Just as I'm getting ready to have a baby and so excited for the nice warm weather, I look outside and what do I see...SNOW! Its practically April and it's snowing. Probably one last time just to freeze all the new buds on the trees!

A night of Baby sitting

2009-03-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ben and I watched my niece Calli and nephew Tristen for a couple hours the other night while thier parents went to dinner. These are just a few pictures we took while they were over. They both love Ben....Ever since they met him they like him better than me ;( everytime they see me they say wheres Ben...or if we come together they go running to him screaming B-E-N! So unfair, I'm the one who changes thier diapers! ;)

Before & After

2009-03-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the Before and After pictures of the room Ben has been working on Redoing and Now It's FINISHED!

BEFORE...Brick Fireplace, Orange carpet, and popcorn cieling.

AFTER... New carpet, wood floor, all new walls, Baseboards, and fresh paint!

Oh the Maroon isnt Paint...Just covering the window till we get curtians!

~Babies Room~

2009-03-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the babies room....painting it really was kindof a pain, and I wish we would have done a small stripe of pink, but with the wall hangings up it turned out really well. there is also a little bit of green in the bedding...when we finally name her we are going to hang pink and green letter blocks on the wall so that will be the finishing touch i guess!!!

~Baby Names~

2009-03-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that choosing a name for her would be so hard...We finally narrowed it down and I had basically made up my mind until...my husband found out one of his friends daughters is named the same thing......it really shouldnt matter I dont think, but I think it bothers my hubby, so I'm torn I really want this name, but I want him to want it to....what do I do?

~Patiently Waiting~

2009-03-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Or not ....Everyone around me has had thier baby early...I am so blessed to have a healthy baby and I know its best to have it go full term, but really 40 weeks is a LONG time. Im so ready to have her here. We have everything ready for her so now all we can do is WAIT. We painted her room and washed and cleaned everything from top to bottom! I'm so glad it's all done, but at the same time I wish i had something to do...so I SEW! I finished the blanket I made for her, and now I'm making one for my sisters new baby boy! Sorry no pictures, I havent taken any yet...I will soon! Recently, a friend of ours gave us cloth baby shoes that she made and they are so so cute so next im going to try to make some of those!

The Den

Well, the room we tore apart is almost finished. It's painted and waiting for flooring, but due to parents on the mission who we want to surprise I wont be posting any pictures of it until after they see it all finished ;)

~Baby Shower & A New Nephew~

2009-03-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

So, the day of my baby shower my sister went into labor....It was ALL so much fun and everything turned out well. Here are pictures of my shower and of my new nephew... Hayes Cutler Hulsey!

Way Back When...

2009-02-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

When Janell and I actually got to see each other. Who woulda thought you got to see your best friend....We were always taking pictures everywhere we went, and usually always eating. From cheesy dogs and fire hot cheetos to huge Ice cream cones from DQ! Whatever it was it was usually really FATTENING and really MESSY, but O SO GOOD! I miss it so much. Thank goodness she'll be here this weekend. We'll practically have a reunion I havent seen her for over a month...almost two months...since our New York trip! ;(

~Going Private~

2009-02-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that after the baby comes I'll be going private. Sorry I just don't feel comfortable putting pictures of our baby on here unless it's private. Please E-mail or leave me a comment if you want to be invited to read it. My e-mail is burt22_44@hotmail.com I'm thinking the end of march will be a good time to make the change, so let me know ASAP!

~New Room~

2009-02-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

These are more pictures of the room we are working on redoing. I can't wait for it all to be finished! And I guess I shouldnt say we...really Ben is redoing it all ;)

~Learning to Sew~

2009-02-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much your priorities change when you start a family. I've never had much interest in sewing and now that our baby girl is almost here I want to learn everything I can so I can teach her! So one of my friends moms who is like a second mom to me is teaching me how to sew. The first thing she taught me to make were burp cloths which were so much fun, we're going to make more ;) Then she is going to teach me how to make a really neat blanket, and my mom is giving me an old sewing machine, I'm so excited! Here is a picture of the three burp clothes I made!

~January~

2009-01-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, January is over and here are some pictures of a few things we did!

Blake and Jon rode with us to Tyson Baca's wedding in greer. Here is a picture of ben and I at the wedding!

Ben Decided to tear the old fire place out of the Den..This is the damage ;) I helped a little, it was fun. I can't wait until it's finished. Ben is putting a wall up over the fireplace and one other wall to add insulation to the room. Im not sure what well use it for when hes done, but I'm excited for it to be finished!

Ben Had a birthday! Happy Birthday Honey! Well, I got him a portable dvd player b/c he works on the train and there is alot of down time. It seems to have been a good buy so far!
I Watch my niece a nephew-Tristen and Calli half day b/c I only wk part time and my sister went back to wk full time to cover for a girl on maternity leave. Since I'm pregnant I like to walk so...I take them with me. The next one is just a cute picture of Calli!

So many people have been asking me to put pictures of my baby bump up...This is probably one of two pictures I have of my belly my whole pregnancy! These pictures are all at D'coda Raban's baby shower. We're due about six weeks apart. The next is a picture of Randi and I.. and the last one is a picture of some of my closest friends. I think we've been friends since we were in diapers just about! Ashley Norton, Kacey Hamblin, D'coda Raban, Coda's Lovely Mom, Kyla Booth, Me, and Randi Norton. It was so much fun to have everyone together. I don't see much of them since I live in SJ now!

~NEW YORK~

2009-01-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

This is at Rockafeller Center. The funniest part was this guy that went into it with us. He looked at us like we were so ridiculous! This picture is of us on a ferry we took from Staten Island so that we could see the Statue of Liberty. Shes behind us if you look close.

This one is a picture of us on new years eve day. we were headed to Yankee Stadium and then to time Square for New Years Eve! And this is how we slept O SO MUCH FUN!

Us in Central Park! Some random place I cant remember the name I just thought it was really pretty so we took a picture there.

This on is at the Modern Art Museum they had huge hello Kitty statues ;) and Then the one with our rings from TIFFANY'S of course!

Trinity Church was so amazing,There is a cemetery there and all the headstones were so old it was way cool to see.
This is all the luggage Janell and I had to lug around from aiport to shuttle to train to subway and then a short walk to the apartment WOW!

This is on the train that took us to Jamaica ;) we thought it was pretty funny it was just the name of the train station! Then of course the Statue of Liberty!

Here was on the way to New York, we got stuck in chicago and had to stay the night. Lucky for us my brother in law knew a girl there and she picked us up and we stayed at her house and caught a flight early the next morning!

We went to the Yankee Stadium because they are tearing it down, the new one is already built across the street. Ben was wishing he got to see it so i promised him id bring him back something i stole from there so I chipped off a little piece of the wall haha! it was the best i could do!

This is a painting in central park under one of the bridges and Janell made me take a picture by it cause im pregnant too!

These next pictures are all taken while we were walking around Central Park!

This was our HOT DOG ON THE STREET, we had to buy one from a hot dog stand...you cant go to New York and not eat one!

Christmas and New Years

2009-01-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Well, Sorry but there wont be any pictures with this post. Our computer crashed so i cant upload any of them. Christmas was a blast. Ben's Brother Jon and his family came up and also Ben's sister Andrea and her family. We had so much fun. I made my first turkey ever for Christmas dinner and it was so YUMMY! I was so scared to make it, so im really happy it turned out well. We had so much other good food the entire weekend. Christmas morning was alot of fun with all the kids there. Everyone left on Sunday and I did too. I headed to the valley with Janell to Fly out monday to New York. I bawled my eyes out when I left Ben :( Im such a Baby! We got on a flight monday morning and were supposed to connect to another flight in chicago. Well, since we were flying standby we ended up not getting on any of the flights that day so we were stuck in chicago for the night. Bens Brother Sterling happened to know a girl there who came and picked us up and we satyed at her house and caught a flight early Tuesday morning. By the time we got to brooklynn it was about 1 PM. We were so glad to finally be there. This would be way too long if I wrote about everything we did, but we got to see lots of sights like the statue of liberty, ground zero, grand Central station, staten Island, Central Park, China Town , Rockafeller center, Time Square, etc.... we were there until friday morning at about 3 am. we took a cab back to the airport and caught a 6 am flight that took us to chicago and lucky for us we connected on the next flight at 845 and were back in phoenix by noon. Then i got in the car and drove back to SJ. Finally getting home by about 4:30 pm. I was so so happy to be home. I had a cold the entire trip and by the time i got home it was so much worse. And I got homesick so quick, being sick and pregnant on top of that left me quite emotional lol! SO ANNOYING! All in all it was a cool experience! Now Christmas and New Years are over and its back to the grind. Im actually glad! Being so far from home made me realize how truly happy I am. I have a wonderful hubby that I love so much and is so good to me, and I get to live in SJ and I love it here. Im so lucky to have such a good life. And on top of that we will be blessed with a baby girl in about three months...WOW I CAN'T WAIT!

Baby Pictures!

2008-12-09T12:16:00.001-08:00

Here is our first look at our Baby Girl. Isn't she so BEAUTIFUL already! We just can't wait to have her here with us! The first one she has her arm up over her face so you can see her hand, arm and the side of her face. The second one is of her chubby little cheeks and face!

WEDDING

2008-12-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well, I Finally got my computer to let me upload pictures so here are some wedding photos!
Jake was Bens best man, and Janell was my my Maid of honor. My nephew kason was the ring bearer and his niece Talley was the flower girl. Then there is a picture of our two families. Bens family is so much bigger than mine!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!

2008-12-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe It's already Christmas time! This last weekend Ben and I went and cut down a tree, It was harder than I thought to find a decent one. Ours isn't perfect but we LOVE it! It was alot of fun to go to the mountains and cut one down together. It our first christmas together and we got an ornament with our names on it that says our first christmas to hang on our tree. I finally got my computer to let me add pictures. Before it wasnt letting me upload them! YAY, I'm so glad!
Baby

Well, she kicks alot now, its the craziest feeling in the world especially when im sleeping and shes kicking me like crazy. Its so exciting to know our daughter is growing in there. Only four more months and well have her here with us...We're so excited!

It's a Girl

2008-12-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

Ben and I went in for an ultrasound today and found out were having a girl! I've thought it was a boy all along and Ben kept assuring me it was a girl and as usual he was right! We are so excited!

Our life in SJ!

2008-11-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

well, I've been told my blog is empty, so I though I'd add a little more about our new beggining!
We got married October 11th,2008, in the SJ downtown chapel and had our reception right after. Janell richardson was my maid of honor and my two sisters were my other bridesmaids. Jake Isaacson was bens best man and two of his brothers were the other groomsmen. we had alot of fun and it ended all to quick. We went on our honeymoon to greer lodge and it was such a nice getaway. Now Ben and I are living in his parents home in SJ until they come home from thier mission in May and then we are planning on getting into a house of our own. We've been married over a month now and we are really liking it. well I like it, I guess I shouldn't speak for ben :)! So far I think cooking dinner everynight has been the biggest hill for me to climb. I think I finally got the whole planning dinners for a few weeks thing down so I don't have to go to the store all the time! Everything else was an easy transition ;) Lucky for me Ben has no clothes and I have tons so the closet works out nicely. And turns out we wear the same size shoes so thats always fun. more fun for him because I love shoes so I have tons of shoes and I'm crazy and always buy boy shoes so its perfect for him lol!

BABY!
Ok on to the exciting stuff, we will soon be adding a new addition to the family and we are so excited! I'm just starting to show so I look more bloated than pregnant really ha ha! we've been having alot of fun with searching for baby names and have found a few that we really like. Everyone always asks if we want a boy or girl and I don't really know. There a reasons we want both so well be happy with either one! Well, thats all for now!

Kisses!

2008-11-11T19:53:00.001-08:00

2008-11-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

I am barely figuring out this whole blogging thing so I will have pictures up soon. Ben and I just got married In October and moved to St. Johns. We love it! I work for Isaacson Engineering and Ben works for the Railroad out at TEP.