tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57659542375301827702024-03-13T04:16:11.592-06:00The Gray'sThe Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-44868594674631167502012-06-29T09:55:00.000-06:002012-06-29T09:55:03.297-06:00Halloween 2011What is greater than dressing up and getting copious amounts of candy? For these kids, nothing!<br />
The boys went back and forth for weeks trying to decide what they wanted to be for Halloween. We looked in books and online and there was always something new that caught their eye. Finally Alex decided he wanted to be Luigi. We got his costume and he was so excited that it came with a hat and a mustache!<br />
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Austin wanted to be a ninja (surprise, surprise) but that still took a little more looking. You would not believe how many different ninja outfit are out there. I finally got him to pick one and we got that ordered as well.<br />
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Keira has really been into ladybug girl books and wanted to be ladybug girl. My sister's little girl was a lady bug for Halloween one year and she let us borrow her costume. Keira loved it. We found her some little ladybug boots to finish off the look and the best part is they are rain boot so she can wear them in bad weather after Halloween too. <br />
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The kids had a blast going trick or treating and seeing friends and cousins. When they got home we tried to get a picture of all of them together but this was the best I could get. Keira is a gangster, Austin always the ninja, and Alex the Lion is squinting. . . oh well it makes me smile every time I look at it :).<br />
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My grandparents and all our family on down were in charge of the Carpenter Family Reunion this year. We got together a couple of times to decide on a theme and we finally convinced our parents to let us do a medieval theme. My parents had sweatshirts and t-shirts made up with the Carpenter Coat of Arms and we planned a few games to go along with it. Saturday morning was the 5k and half marathon with breakfast served at the finish line. All of my cousins had been training for months and somehow convinced Travis to run with them. He had not run more than two miles together before this but he finished and with a pretty good time. I was going to run the half but I ran the 5k instead. <br />
We had a breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and orange juice at the finish line for anyone who wanted to eat after running and for the cheerleaders. <br />
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After the race we had a few games for the kids and had a large meal with everyone Saturday night. Sunday we went to church and came home and had a few games. Travis and I were the first ones to try out the balancing overgrown q-tip game. The name escapes me right now but that's what the boys thought they were. I don't think that anyone else had as much fun as we did going up against each other. Sunday afternoon we had a potluck with everyone and then that night we had delicious scones. Monday morning we woke up very early and drove to Lagoon to be with Trav's family at their annual Lagoon day. We ran from ride to ride and had a picnic in the pavilions. Travis made me get on WICKED because I am not a huge roller coaster fan. I can handle a lot of them but when they spin or go upside down it takes me awhile to get on. We also went on Wild Mouse a few times, which is one of Travis' least favorite rides. He thinks it's going to jerk him right over the side. . . <br />
After a full day at the park from open to close we grabbed a bite to eat and headed for home. We put the kids straight to bed and unloaded as much as we could before we crashed ourselves. <br />
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Labor Day weekend is always one of the busiest of the year for us, but getting to see all our family definitely makes it worth it. The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-90640686363321428782012-05-16T09:52:00.002-06:002012-05-16T09:52:29.649-06:00Provo River Falls 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It seems like for the first time ever we weren't in a hurry to get to my family reunion. We usually leave Friday night and are setting up camp at 10 or 11pm. This year we both had Friday off and we just took our time, took some back roads, and really enjoyed the ride. We decided to stretch our legs at the Provo River Falls and get some pictures of the kids. The boys were happy to oblige, however the Bug had fallen asleep and it took her a little while to wake up. <br />
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While the bug was waking up we let the boys run around for awhile and see the waterfall close up. There weren't too many people there so they could do what they wanted. We've been there a few times when the place is overrun by photographers, professional and amateur. <br />
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The first few pictures we took of the boys were pretty funny, Austin loves to ham it up for the camera. We have pictures of him hanging from trees jumping from the rocks and making silly faces. Alex will do a goofy one and then get down to business. <br />
He is such a handsome little guy and his smile lights up his whole face!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnWNzz4aUV0/T7O2bDpu-UI/AAAAAAAAA9U/AJgMVUfbz_o/s1600/IMG_0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnWNzz4aUV0/T7O2bDpu-UI/AAAAAAAAA9U/AJgMVUfbz_o/s320/IMG_0692.jpg" width="213" /></a>When we can get a real smile out of Austin, I love it! He's such a goof though, that those are few and far between. I don't mind it too much because that is his personality and it comes out in the pictures. Travis was trying to get him to lean against the tree and<br />
relax, a pretty hard task for someone always on the go. We finally got a pretty good picture, and I am happy.<br />
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At this point Keira was still not ready for her pictures so we took a few of the boys together. I love that my boys are friends. They have their moments when one wants to kill the other but at the end of the day they have each others backs. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2rXpBq3ZW2A/T7O8XmPwBVI/AAAAAAAAA9o/RqSPgfuKKLY/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2rXpBq3ZW2A/T7O8XmPwBVI/AAAAAAAAA9o/RqSPgfuKKLY/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" width="213" /></a>We finally got the bug to smile for the camera. As you can see from her hair, she didn't want it messed with but I think the picture is still cute. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Every time I look at her I just think, where did my baby go? <br />
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It took her awhile to want to play in the water but after I helped her get her toes wet she was out with her brothers in the shallow parts. I am so glad we stopped for awhile. It broke up our trip and we had fun getting pictures of our kids. <br />
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For the first time ever, I believe, we used the timer setting on our camera. We wanted to get a family shot and we were the only ones at the the falls at the time. Travis set it up on a rock and ran over to us. The first picture we were all looking in different directions and talking. The second one looked pretty good. <br />
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We may have a new tradition in the making. We go to my family reunion in Wyoming every year and if we have the time this isn't really out of the way at all.<br />
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I LOVE MY CUTE LITTLE FAMILY!!</div>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-86402807013468520232012-05-09T21:39:00.000-06:002012-05-09T21:43:47.388-06:00To Kindergarten and Beyond!<br />
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Alex was so excited to start Kindergarten this year. He had so much fun buying new school clothes and picking out a new backpack. </div>
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Alex loves anything to do with Mario Brothers so he was really excited to find this backpack. I told </div>
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him he could actually color in the characters on the side and he looked at me like I was crazy.<br />
Because of my work schedule I have Austin on A track and Alex on AM Kindergarten track. That means I have to have one to school by 8:00 and the other by 9:15. Then I get to pick up at 12:08 and 2:15. Luckily when the weather is nice Austin will walk or ride his bike but I just can't let Alex go yet. Plus they won't release the Kindergarten kids unless you are there. Winter will be interesting but I can't wait for next year when they will both be on the same track. <br />
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We decided to walk on Alex's first day of school. Well I pushed the Bug in the stroller and Alex rode his scooter. He was such a good sport letting me take a ton of pictures. <br />
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We had to take one by the school sign and Keria had to be with her big brother before he left for the day. <br />
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Keira didn't understand why Alex got to go play on the playground and
then lined up and went inside with the other kids. She was a little
upset that her bother left her. I did OK until she started crying and
then I was a bit of a mess myself.<br />
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We made it home and in no time at all we were headed back to the school to pick Alex up. He survived! He was so excited to tell me all about his teacher and the things they did on the first day of school. He even got a treat!The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-83613293362806049142012-05-09T16:40:00.001-06:002012-05-09T16:40:43.827-06:00Back to School for AustinCan't believe my little man started 3rd grade this year. Where does the time go??? <br />
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The first day of school is always exciting and Austin was up before me and had his new school clothes on. He was ready for some breakfast and then off to school. We had to get a picture of the backpack he picked out before we left for school though. <br />
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Austin informed me he was too big for me to follow him out to the playground or take pictures of him going into his classroom so I had to settle for the stairs and then let him go. I guess he's gone through enough pictures through the last few years that I can live with just a couple this year.The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-86025193851758940222012-05-09T16:15:00.002-06:002012-05-09T21:44:37.571-06:00Silver Lake HikeWe decided to go hiking and Travis really wanted to hike to Silver Lake up American Fork canyon. He had been there before his mission and didn't think it was too hard of a hike. So, we packed up the kids and made our way to the canyon. We loaded up water and snacks, strapped on backpacks and headed up the trail. <br />
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Everyone was all smiles as we started up the mountain and we were having a great time. The boys loved saying hi to people as we passed them and stopping for the occasional drink and snack. <br />
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The lake was a lot farther up the mountain than Travis remembered and I don't know that Travis took into account that hiking with a 2 year old would slow us down a little. We were getting grumpy and talked about turning around and going back. I figured we had made it that far it would be pointless to turn around and go back without seeing the lake.<br />
We had to hike through snow that had not melted yet and the boys really enjoyed kicking it around. It felt good to walk through when it was so warm outside. We had to help the kids up the steep part at the very end but we finally made it. The views from <br />
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The lake was freezing so we didn't get in the water but the boys loved
climbing on the rocks and around the trees. Keira pretty much stayed with me and didn't venture out much. I didn't mind having a snuggle buddy, though. After another snack break
we started to head back down the mountain. <br />
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I couldn't resist taking a couple more shots on the way down.<br />
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Alex was definitely the
trooper of the day. He never complained while hiking up the mountain
and he never stopped on the way down. Even when it started to rain
about half way down he was still in good spirits. Travis took Keira and Alex down pretty quickly once it started to rain but Austin was dragging his feet a little. I stayed back with him and we didn't mind getting a little wet. We realized we couldn't hear Travis and the other kids anymore so we decided to try and take a shortcut down the side of the mountain. We finally caught up to Travis but I don't know if it was the smartest decision we could have made. We spent most of the time sliding down on our feet, with our rear ends inches from the ground, grabbing whatever we could to slow us down. Austin seemed to enjoy it, and I guess that's what matters. <br />
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When we got down to the truck we were greeted with a double rainbow. I took it as a good omen and Travis got a ton of pictures of it. The boys just wanted to follow it so they could find the pot of gold. Keira didn't see any of it as she promptly crashed as soon as she got in the car.<br />
When we were at Silver Lake someone told us about another lake farther up the mountain. Maybe next year we will make it to that one.The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-59723397247841679472012-05-08T11:40:00.001-06:002012-05-08T11:40:33.804-06:00A little 4th of July CampingThis year we went camping in West Canyon with some of Travis' family over the 4th. The kids love going out there! They go hiking, roast marshmallows, build forts, and get to play with their cousins. <br />
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We always have lots of bikes, scooters, and sand toys for the kids to play with while they wait for their turn on the 4 wheelers. <br />
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And when we say that's the last ride of the day the hiking begins. When they make their way back they usually find a great place to build a fort and it keeps them busy the rest of the time. I love watching my kids play and use their imaginations. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29d9fwkEkeI/T6lXlIeDhJI/AAAAAAAAA6E/mM1b6g3ZdYM/s1600/IMG_0454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29d9fwkEkeI/T6lXlIeDhJI/AAAAAAAAA6E/mM1b6g3ZdYM/s320/IMG_0454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do you know what you get when you mix 2 year olds with dirt, Capri Suns, and mashmallows? A big mess!! It's a good thing we love these little girls because I don't think you could tell they were girls when we got home. <br />
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My baby turned 2!</div>
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Keira's birthday is so close to the 4th of July so we had a patriotic theme this year. Several of the kids also came dressed in red, white, and blue. I tried to curb my party planning just a little because Travis always thinks I go overboard. <br />
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We had her party at the park by our house and we let the kids play on the playground for awhile before we let Keira open presents. The adorable pink sofa she is sitting on was a gift from her grandma and a couple of her aunts. <br />
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We had cupcakes and rootbeer floats while watching fireworks. We waited as long as we could but we didn't want to keep everyone out too late so Fireworks were done in twilight. <br />
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We also brought sparklers for all the kids and from the look on Keira's face it's hard to tell if she loved it or was afraid of it. <br />
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I also had glow sticks and necklaces for the kids as well.<br />
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I love being able to get together with friends and family and birthdays are a good excuse to do just that. I'm so glad that even though Travis thinks I go overboard, he still lets me do these every year. The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-32075513710029217522012-05-08T11:00:00.001-06:002012-05-08T11:01:11.988-06:00Fun in the Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of my favorite days are in the summer where we didn't really do anything but have a little fun outside. The kids wanted to blow bubbles so I let them loose and grabbed my camera. Alex and Keria went with traditional bubble wands but Austin, always the inventor, tried to think up something new.<br />
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I'm not sure it ever made any bubbles but he had a lot of fun inventing it. He used rope, a play gun, and a bubble accessory piece. <br />
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I love these kids so much!! I wouldn't trade them for anything!The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-14766578058036689332012-05-08T10:51:00.001-06:002012-05-08T10:51:07.055-06:00Preschool Graduation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alex's Graduation theme this year was "Night Among the Stars". They had the cutest little program where they sang songs about the things they learned and and they got to say what they wanted to be when they grew up. I had been at the church most of the day with Krissi and Carol setting up and doing a dress rehearsal with the kids but for some reason I mixed up Austin and Alex's graduation times and we showed up about 20 min. late. Alex slipped right into his place though like it wasn't a big deal. <br />
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At the end of the program all of the big kids lined up at the back of the gym and when Krissi called their name they got to walk down the red carpet and receive their diploma. <br />
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Everyone was all smiles and once everyone had their diploma they got to throw their caps in the air.<br />
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We pinned the work they had done throughout the year up on the walls and they had the books they worked on as well. Alex had fun showing off what he had worked on to his grandparents and Aunts and Uncles, we had a great night celebrating Alex's achievements. Still hard to believe that he will be in Kindergarten.The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-13991139324652119812012-01-24T08:10:00.004-07:002012-01-24T08:22:08.181-07:002nd Grade End of Year Program<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6FKCbqCKQY/Tx7LtOP0XaI/AAAAAAAAA2w/zHL6vBxV4X4/s1600/IMG_9152.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A6FKCbqCKQY/Tx7LtOP0XaI/AAAAAAAAA2w/zHL6vBxV4X4/s320/IMG_9152.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701218156076621218" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Austins program this year was Proud to be an American. He worked so hard to learn all the songs and the actions. They told the kids that if anyone in their family was military they could invite them. After the first song, they invited current and past military up and they sang a song to them. It was so cute! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCBn3m4C8YI/Tx7LtaP9ZTI/AAAAAAAAA28/Y603bmnFVhM/s1600/IMG_9154.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xCBn3m4C8YI/Tx7LtaP9ZTI/AAAAAAAAA28/Y603bmnFVhM/s320/IMG_9154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701218159298438450" border="0" /></a>Austin invited his Uncle Ben to his program so he got to sing to him. They sang the national anthem, God Bless America, Yankee Doodle, My Country Tis' of Thee, and several more. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Q7LyoA5NEw/Tx7LvHtauRI/AAAAAAAAA3I/3tLLSGHhEa8/s1600/IMG_9177.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Q7LyoA5NEw/Tx7LvHtauRI/AAAAAAAAA3I/3tLLSGHhEa8/s320/IMG_9177.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701218188681459986" border="0" /></a> They also did a slide show of all the kids ancestors during a couple of the songs. After the program Austin got to go back to his classroom and get cookies and punch, and of course take a picture with his teacher.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XcW9LVXzCR4/Tx7LvdCxUcI/AAAAAAAAA3U/PLbbiANwFPI/s1600/IMG_9185.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XcW9LVXzCR4/Tx7LvdCxUcI/AAAAAAAAA3U/PLbbiANwFPI/s320/IMG_9185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701218194408165826" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-45291630152880513932012-01-21T17:05:00.003-07:002012-01-21T17:24:45.721-07:00Austin's Baptism<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVUtcFCB11E/TxtWUV0zRgI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/ySmd6sQ5UVk/s1600/IMG_9141.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fVUtcFCB11E/TxtWUV0zRgI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/ySmd6sQ5UVk/s320/IMG_9141.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700244660823475714" border="0" /></a><br /></div>On April 30, 2011 Austin was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.<br />I can't believe I am old enough to have a child baptized! Austin had so much support from family, friends, and ward members.<br />Lindsey, Austin's aunt, played the piano for us, and his Grandma Carpenter led the music. His grandfathers both gave talks about baptism and the gift of the holy ghost, and his Grandma Gray gave one of the prayers. Austin listened to everything that was said and gave answers when he was asked.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjG8HOpEomI/TxtWUHnYUPI/AAAAAAAAA2M/S-3elQEtEkk/s1600/IMG_9139.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vjG8HOpEomI/TxtWUHnYUPI/AAAAAAAAA2M/S-3elQEtEkk/s320/IMG_9139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700244657009086706" border="0" /></a>Sometimes when you least expect it something comes completely out of the blue. Here is a little backs story:<br />Last Christmas we did a white elephant exchange with Travis' family. I was the lucky winner of adult size batman underwear, yay!<br />So, the bishop was talking to Austin about being a member of the church and what an honor it was. Austin decided this was the perfect time to tell the Bishop and EVERYONE in the primary room that his mom had batman underwear. I was so embarrassed! I was bright red and couldn't say a thing. It's a very good thing that our bishop is a good friend of our because if not we may have been called in to answer a few question.<br />After Austin was baptized and confirmed we all went to eat at Golden Corral. Austin loves this place because he can eat as much as he wants and it's all free. . . haha<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k0f9Hva5NgE/TxtWVNSD3sI/AAAAAAAAA2k/3MkBFCEoaVc/s1600/IMG_9146.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k0f9Hva5NgE/TxtWVNSD3sI/AAAAAAAAA2k/3MkBFCEoaVc/s320/IMG_9146.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700244675710148290" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-68546105257653707482011-11-10T11:31:00.004-07:002011-11-10T11:56:23.605-07:00Easter Egg Hunts 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMgE4eNVgd0/TrwbOETHBsI/AAAAAAAAA1A/4orsXUF4EoQ/s1600/IMG_9091.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMgE4eNVgd0/TrwbOETHBsI/AAAAAAAAA1A/4orsXUF4EoQ/s320/IMG_9091.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673439559065994946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This was Keira's first year being able to hunt in the city egg hunt. It was so much fun watching her!! She decided before the horn went off that she wanted a purple egg. She went and picked up several eggs but if they were not purple she just put them back down and kept looking. She did end up getting one egg . . . and it was purple :). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RGJMithOAuQ/TrwbNwrJ2NI/AAAAAAAAA00/k0R7obiy8PM/s1600/IMG_9085.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RGJMithOAuQ/TrwbNwrJ2NI/AAAAAAAAA00/k0R7obiy8PM/s320/IMG_9085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673439553798133970" border="0" /></a>The boys ran right out to the middle and picked up as many eggs as they could. I love this picture of Keira looking at Austin's basket. I can just see her thought bubble <oh, that="" s="" what="" you="" re="" supposed="" to="" do="">. </oh,><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DWxO6SlHImY/TrwbOvjv3oI/AAAAAAAAA1M/y5I-u15KXWc/s1600/IMG_9093.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DWxO6SlHImY/TrwbOvjv3oI/AAAAAAAAA1M/y5I-u15KXWc/s320/IMG_9093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673439570678505090" border="0" /></a>~Oh, that's what you're supposed to do!~ <oh, that="" s="" what="" you="" re="" supposed="" to="" do="">Sund</oh,><oh, that="" s="" what="" you="" re="" supposed="" to="" do="">ay morning before church our kids got to see what the</oh,><oh, that="" s="" what="" you="" re="" supposed="" to="" do=""> Easter Bunny hid for them. This time, with a little help from dad, Keira got more than one egg.</oh,><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k7L4HhstXk/TrwbPK4SdKI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/dWoZQk1UQsY/s1600/IMG_9097.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k7L4HhstXk/TrwbPK4SdKI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/dWoZQk1UQsY/s320/IMG_9097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673439578012415138" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BVw13p3ENxo/Trwd5EesDYI/AAAAAAAAA1o/Ravkp4gIHkM/s1600/IMG_9101.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BVw13p3ENxo/Trwd5EesDYI/AAAAAAAAA1o/Ravkp4gIHkM/s320/IMG_9101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673442496872189314" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yXhSC2RJ_k/Trwd5TAwISI/AAAAAAAAA10/iFIz9tIesLw/s1600/IMG_9103.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yXhSC2RJ_k/Trwd5TAwISI/AAAAAAAAA10/iFIz9tIesLw/s320/IMG_9103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673442500773159202" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-18293152545827823072011-11-01T09:24:00.004-06:002011-11-01T10:05:01.687-06:00A Very Harry BirthdayAustin decided he wanted a Harry Potter birthday this year. I started my research early and got a lot of great ideas. I made his invitations look like a Hogwarts letter. We told the kids that they were invited to Hogwarts for special midterm classes for Austin's birthday.<br />Travis and I were different professors and the kids had to go to classes. They started out in the Great Hall and got their instructions and were sorted into their houses. This was my favorite part because the kids couldn't figure out how the hat was talking to them. I made the hat myself out of brown felt and then I hid a cell phone underneath it. Travis started out upstairs and when they walked up to the hat he would start talking. He then would put them in a house. As soon as everyone was sorted I grabbed the phone and put it away. The kids kept coming up to the hat and asking it things and even checked underneath. But, I told them the hat only comes to life during the sorting.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5SAUdh6pdQ/TrAV6EIe90I/AAAAAAAAAzU/Zd3KG85hhFA/s1600/IMG_9017.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5SAUdh6pdQ/TrAV6EIe90I/AAAAAAAAAzU/Zd3KG85hhFA/s320/IMG_9017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670056018145376066" border="0" /></a> So, after the sorting they had to go to Potions with Prof. Snape, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ByeXw6f5Ck/TrAV6duObNI/AAAAAAAAAzg/wbaAMrvoItA/s1600/IMG_9022.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ByeXw6f5Ck/TrAV6duObNI/AAAAAAAAAzg/wbaAMrvoItA/s320/IMG_9022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670056025014562002" border="0" /></a>Divination with Prof. Trelawny, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid, and Transfiguration with Prof. McGonagall. After attending each class and earning (or losing) <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-Zx8aNF2Xw/TrAV62luISI/AAAAAAAAAzs/fHbPqp78P9A/s1600/IMG_9027.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-Zx8aNF2Xw/TrAV62luISI/AAAAAAAAAzs/fHbPqp78P9A/s320/IMG_9027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670056031689777442" border="0" /></a>house points we had the end of term feast. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPz2ygHKMbg/TrAYEXdtcpI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/-eKxqKNOQDs/s1600/IMG_9063.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPz2ygHKMbg/TrAYEXdtcpI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/-eKxqKNOQDs/s320/IMG_9063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670058394156626578" border="0" /></a> We had butterbeer (cream soda), licorice wands, bertie botts every flavor beans, cockroach clusters (chocolate covered peanuts), acid pops (s0ur candies), lemon drops, and everyone got a cauldron cake (a chocolate cupcake with icing, hot fudge, and caramel)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbBqdp0sfho/TrAYDg24Z5I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/xkPD4c5Q56A/s1600/IMG_9061.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbBqdp0sfho/TrAYDg24Z5I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/xkPD4c5Q56A/s320/IMG_9061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670058379498252178" border="0" /></a> everyone had to cast a spell on their cauldron cake before eating it and then they popped and fizzed in their mouth (poprocks sprinkled on top of each cake). <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnX7CkIPEOs/TrAV7b95KdI/AAAAAAAAAz8/uz6hjUJnKsI/s1600/IMG_9056.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnX7CkIPEOs/TrAV7b95KdI/AAAAAAAAAz8/uz6hjUJnKsI/s320/IMG_9056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670056041723275730" border="0" /></a> Austin had a blast opening presents and getting a lot of Harry Potter themed items.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ajGVdERcJVk/TrAYDQKoLOI/AAAAAAAAA0E/P7zzfCBkO1Q/s1600/IMG_9031.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ajGVdERcJVk/TrAYDQKoLOI/AAAAAAAAA0E/P7zzfCBkO1Q/s320/IMG_9031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670058375017671906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ys1s8RE_es/TrAYEhDFg3I/AAAAAAAAA0g/fqkwACuYv20/s1600/IMG_9068.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ys1s8RE_es/TrAYEhDFg3I/AAAAAAAAA0g/fqkwACuYv20/s320/IMG_9068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670058396729312114" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-86456735594393853722011-05-02T20:40:00.005-06:002011-05-02T22:14:56.426-06:00Girls in Bikinis, Boys doin' the TwistTravis and I decided to take a vacation and not take the kiddos. We kept going back and forth on what we were going to do and where we were going to go. We decided to go to Catalina Island and break up our trip in Vegas and Long Beach. I had a store meeting Saturday night so Travis came and picked me up and we made our way down to St. George. We got there about 2 am and crashed at Trav's boss' condo. We were up again by 8 am and made our way to Cali. We stayed in Long Beach Sunday night ready to take the ferry over to Catalina Monday morning. We got to the port and the winds were too high to go out. They told us to come back later in the afternoon and see if it had calmed down any. We had a few hours to spare so we decided to go to LA. We went t0 Hollywood Blvd and looked up a few stars. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHUb_aMnZjw/Tb9sk12bHtI/AAAAAAAAAyA/-P-jBK4v99Y/s1600/IMG_8867.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHUb_aMnZjw/Tb9sk12bHtI/AAAAAAAAAyA/-P-jBK4v99Y/s320/IMG_8867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602315841658625746" border="0" /></a> Audrey Hepburn is one of my all time favorite actresses and Travis was nice enough to help me hunt down her star. I don't know what I would do without internet on our phones. We wanted to get some pictures of the Hollywood sign so we typed it in to google and then used navigation to get there. We took this winding road for what seemed like forever and finally we saw the sign. We met a bunch of kids from Utah state and we took their pictures and they took ours.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FnK5CzLgndM/Tb9slIKZztI/AAAAAAAAAyI/MTNosndZsQE/s1600/IMG_8874.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FnK5CzLgndM/Tb9slIKZztI/AAAAAAAAAyI/MTNosndZsQE/s320/IMG_8874.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602315846574264018" border="0" /></a>After taking pictures we made our way back to Long Beach. We ate at this great place called Rock Bottom Brewery. They probably thought we were weird when we didn't order any drinks, the food was great though. We also went through all the little shops on the pier. I loved the hat shop! They also had great pizza at this little pizzeria where they made everything from scratch on site. I think California is big on that in general. Everywhere we went it seemed like everything was made on site.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-g4WxaelTg/Tb9skUlB1TI/AAAAAAAAAx4/YYZLmrGwgUA/s1600/IMG_8855.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S-g4WxaelTg/Tb9skUlB1TI/AAAAAAAAAx4/YYZLmrGwgUA/s320/IMG_8855.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602315832727295282" border="0" /></a>We also took a few pictures on the beach. The wind was so cold we didn't last very long. The sand felt good between my toes though, I loved it. We checked back at the port and nothing was going out the rest of the day so we decided we better find somewhere to stay for the night. We saw the Queen Mary from our hotel the night before and thought it would be fun to stay there. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfdR1EhFLE8/Tb9slc04hNI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/gulEtk6GsPw/s1600/IMG_8877.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfdR1EhFLE8/Tb9slc04hNI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/gulEtk6GsPw/s320/IMG_8877.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602315852121146578" border="0" /></a> We pretty much got our room and crashed. I get motion sick and so I had taken Dramamine an hour before we were supposed to get on the ferry. It said it was the non-drowsy kind but it still knocked me out. We got up early on Tuesday to grab something to eat and look around the ship.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6WQpEzL0CfQ/Tb90kKCcsnI/AAAAAAAAAyY/mweXSk3rquw/s1600/IMG_8878.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6WQpEzL0CfQ/Tb90kKCcsnI/AAAAAAAAAyY/mweXSk3rquw/s320/IMG_8878.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602324625990922866" border="0" /></a>This is one of the hallways down by our room. In the room they have plaques that tell you what items are original pieces to the Queen Mary. These are just some pictures from the ship. The phone booth is actually to place reservations for the restaurant on board.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmhdkBU9wYI/Tb90kgbEpEI/AAAAAAAAAyo/2p39MR-ViS8/s1600/IMG_8887.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmhdkBU9wYI/Tb90kgbEpEI/AAAAAAAAAyo/2p39MR-ViS8/s320/IMG_8887.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602324631999784002" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jb9nTxeaAUk/Tb90kzmAy1I/AAAAAAAAAyw/CUvMJV0_bfk/s1600/IMG_8889.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jb9nTxeaAUk/Tb90kzmAy1I/AAAAAAAAAyw/CUvMJV0_bfk/s320/IMG_8889.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602324637145942866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pc57tfS2YXM/Tb90kdEE9SI/AAAAAAAAAyg/s_n1A3qEcJg/s1600/IMG_8880.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pc57tfS2YXM/Tb90kdEE9SI/AAAAAAAAAyg/s_n1A3qEcJg/s320/IMG_8880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602324631098029346" border="0" /></a>This was a shot Travis took from the Queen Mary, California is beautiful! We made our way to the port again and they said we were good to go. YAY!! Finally we were on our way to Catalina. We went and checked into our hotel and decided to walk around for awhile. We walked through some of the shops and then walked through some of the town. It was so beautiful! Everything is laid back and when they don't have cruise ships there the town shuts down at 6 pm. It reminded me of Germany. This is the first vacation that I can remember that I came home and didn't feel like I needed a vacation after my vacation. We walked up to Lover's Cove and the golf course. We walked on the beach, ate ice cream, and took a nap every day. We were also able to see these little guys. We saw seals and dolphins and Travis drooled over all the fish. <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpxeuEc4uwk/Tb93BFo5uJI/AAAAAAAAAzA/506cRIfaPTg/s1600/IMG_8959.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpxeuEc4uwk/Tb93BFo5uJI/AAAAAAAAAzA/506cRIfaPTg/s320/IMG_8959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602327322049493138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tws6NevfN_I/Tb93A4_lGvI/AAAAAAAAAy4/8hmyMbyt8FY/s1600/IMG_8923.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tws6NevfN_I/Tb93A4_lGvI/AAAAAAAAAy4/8hmyMbyt8FY/s320/IMG_8923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602327318654950130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WGwCwqnzQYQ/Tb93BdEYxjI/AAAAAAAAAzI/IPiZduqSxUE/s1600/IMG_8976.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WGwCwqnzQYQ/Tb93BdEYxjI/AAAAAAAAAzI/IPiZduqSxUE/s320/IMG_8976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602327328338789938" border="0" /></a> We left Catalina early Thursday morning and made our way to Vegas. We hit the outlet mall before grabbing a bite to eat at Cafe Rio. BYU basketball had a game earlier that day so there was a ton of blue and Jimmer shirts. We stayed at Bally's which was a first for us. When we went to check in they upgraded our room to a suit. It was so nice! We got a king size bed, a huge tv, and a hot tub in the middle of the room. We walked the strip and did once more did some shopping. On the way down to California Travis got sunglasses, shorts, a new hat, and new shirts. I got a pair of sunglasses. So, on the way home I got a new work shirt and two new pair of jeans at Lucky. I love coming home to my kiddos, they make you feel so loved. Keira ran out to me and gave me the biggest squeeze. The boys ran out and said, " What did you bring us?"The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-4699019290885717452011-05-02T20:07:00.003-06:002011-05-02T20:29:26.387-06:00Progress on the Basement<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz_as79GU7E/Tb9kPS-7MoI/AAAAAAAAAxY/KNHmvSPihNY/s1600/IMG_8838.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz_as79GU7E/Tb9kPS-7MoI/AAAAAAAAAxY/KNHmvSPihNY/s320/IMG_8838.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602306675428766338" border="0" /></a><br />Do you know what happens when you work on something for TWO YEARS? I do, you say to heck with it and finally hire someone to come in and do the work you don't want to do. We got a guy to come in and finish sanding and texture on our basement. He got everything finished up in one day and we got to start painting. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr8GdV-ll48/Tb9kQs20zpI/AAAAAAAAAxw/Leh5bhVjt-Q/s1600/IMG_8843.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr8GdV-ll48/Tb9kQs20zpI/AAAAAAAAAxw/Leh5bhVjt-Q/s320/IMG_8843.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602306699553984146" border="0" /></a>We painted the family room and the computer room in the tan color, it's also the same color as our living room and dining area.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmZrTdS_Rd8/Tb9kP9hZ8cI/AAAAAAAAAxg/OBewVzSq1Rc/s1600/IMG_8840.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmZrTdS_Rd8/Tb9kP9hZ8cI/AAAAAAAAAxg/OBewVzSq1Rc/s320/IMG_8840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602306686847676866" border="0" /></a><br />We went with this really pretty aqua color for our bathroom and it's going to look great when I get everything put together. We found a black coffee colored vanity that makes the color stand out that much more. Word to the wise don't pick out a paint color after midnight and expect to like it in the morning. I went to pick up more ceiling paint and Travis said that if I wanted to paint the playroom I needed to get the paint right then. I thought that a pale green would make the boys happy but we could add a little girl to it as well. I got home and Travis started painting. It was a complete shock! I didn't expect the color to be that bright. The boys love the color and it is growing on me, I'm sure I will like it more when we have door on and it isn't screaming at me in the family room. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7iuD0HTQdTk/Tb9kQIjMRoI/AAAAAAAAAxo/EXqpU6PnoTs/s1600/IMG_8842.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7iuD0HTQdTk/Tb9kQIjMRoI/AAAAAAAAAxo/EXqpU6PnoTs/s320/IMG_8842.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602306689807959682" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-10519419917460063892011-05-02T17:04:00.003-06:002011-05-02T17:29:28.497-06:00Kangaroo Zoo 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NFM6E7rGcTU/Tb8-NbTjETI/AAAAAAAAAxI/KX0HPIUgqBo/s1600/IMG_8823.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NFM6E7rGcTU/Tb8-NbTjETI/AAAAAAAAAxI/KX0HPIUgqBo/s320/IMG_8823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602264861861155122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rnOIeV-wOu0/Tb8-N-O9XRI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/5PMR8LmnxlE/s1600/IMG_8826.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rnOIeV-wOu0/Tb8-N-O9XRI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/5PMR8LmnxlE/s320/IMG_8826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602264871237147922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Abfg8vhDTCE/Tb8-NMEviDI/AAAAAAAAAxA/-ASrzq6EuGw/s1600/IMG_8818.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Abfg8vhDTCE/Tb8-NMEviDI/AAAAAAAAAxA/-ASrzq6EuGw/s320/IMG_8818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602264857772525618" border="0" /></a><br />My in laws take the kids to Kangaroo Zoo for Valentine's Day every year. This year we decided to go the Saturday before, so the kids had enough time to play and we didn't have to worry about school. On Friday one of Krissi's daycare kids came in the cutest tie-dye heart shirt. So, Carol decided to make them for all of the grandkids. They turned out so cute and it was so easy to spot <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDxRP5mn9as/Tb89Yq66eEI/AAAAAAAAAwg/Upc5zTsSoso/s1600/IMG_8799.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDxRP5mn9as/Tb89Yq66eEI/AAAAAAAAAwg/Upc5zTsSoso/s320/IMG_8799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602263955519731778" border="0" /></a>one of our kids. We tried taking Keira on a couple of the larger slides but she wanted nothing to do with them. Finally, I grabbed her and climbed up and went down with her. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQkwH9d9q_g/Tb89ZGV0gPI/AAAAAAAAAwo/rHg5NoP7wWU/s1600/IMG_8800.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQkwH9d9q_g/Tb89ZGV0gPI/AAAAAAAAAwo/rHg5NoP7wWU/s320/IMG_8800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602263962880344306" border="0" /></a> She was ok once we got down but she fought me the entire way up that ladder. The boys had fun running around with their cousins and sliding and jumping on everything they could.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BU9FDV8aoiI/Tb89ZiEERPI/AAAAAAAAAw4/SYEpB3CrhdU/s1600/IMG_8813.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BU9FDV8aoiI/Tb89ZiEERPI/AAAAAAAAAw4/SYEpB3CrhdU/s320/IMG_8813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602263970322072818" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eG6TcudWU-A/Tb89Zfnn68I/AAAAAAAAAww/0tU-uN-ICE8/s1600/IMG_8806.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eG6TcudWU-A/Tb89Zfnn68I/AAAAAAAAAww/0tU-uN-ICE8/s320/IMG_8806.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602263969665903554" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-40524355886792506052011-05-02T16:48:00.002-06:002011-05-02T17:00:45.760-06:00Carpet NO MORE!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBwSq6FFxhY/Tb83J9H9QaI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Lo_5fooA38Q/s1600/IMG_8790.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VBwSq6FFxhY/Tb83J9H9QaI/AAAAAAAAAwA/Lo_5fooA38Q/s320/IMG_8790.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602257105638474146" border="0" /></a><br />For a very long time I wanted to get rid of the carpet in the front room of our house. It was old, gross, and I hated it. Travis kept saying that we would have to finish the basement first. I don't know what changed his mind but it changed and we put in wood floor laminate. Friday night we ripped out everything we could without waking up our kids and finally went to bed about 1 am on Saturday morning. We got up about 7 and finished up what we couldn't do the night before. When Cory got to our house we were pulling nails out of the floor. By the way, that part sucks! After we had a smooth floor we laid down the thin foam paper stuff and started laying out the laminate. I was actually surprised how fast it went down.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzUxkD9GpL0/Tb83KC7ZsBI/AAAAAAAAAwI/J-6_qjYsEXI/s1600/IMG_8794.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzUxkD9GpL0/Tb83KC7ZsBI/AAAAAAAAAwI/J-6_qjYsEXI/s320/IMG_8794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602257107196424210" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-omg0RH1l188/Tb83KhwmJII/AAAAAAAAAwY/T3ATJYKZNQU/s1600/IMG_8829.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-omg0RH1l188/Tb83KhwmJII/AAAAAAAAAwY/T3ATJYKZNQU/s320/IMG_8829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602257115472602242" border="0" /></a><br /> It took longer when you had to go around vents or into closets but we got the living room and dining area done in one day. We did the kitchen the next weekend. With new paint and new floor the upstairs is going to look just as new as the downstairs. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0aXlIL1w1pc/Tb83KZS3zuI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/FVxiUkFNphE/s1600/IMG_8828.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0aXlIL1w1pc/Tb83KZS3zuI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/FVxiUkFNphE/s320/IMG_8828.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602257113200447202" border="0" /></a>I just need to get my baseboards back up!The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-15084024858981590522011-05-02T16:25:00.005-06:002011-05-02T16:44:06.870-06:00Alex's Birthday PartyAlex decided he wanted a Mario Brothers birthday party this year. Well, at first, he wanted a Luigi party but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find enough of just Luigi so he graciously consented to a Mario and Luigi party. We had his party the Saturday before his birthday. We had games set up for all the kids we had Yoshi egg races (with a fair amount of cheating) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwG6HfQjcpI/Tb8yQ_schHI/AAAAAAAAAvI/j58hzP7SgK0/s1600/IMG_8733.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwG6HfQjcpI/Tb8yQ_schHI/AAAAAAAAAvI/j58hzP7SgK0/s320/IMG_8733.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602251729029334130" border="0" /></a>and then I made Travis be Mario and the kids got to be the fire shooting plants and try and hit Travis with a ball.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8J-aZ-2dds/Tb8yRnJt9QI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/cC7_pw1VVSw/s1600/IMG_8739.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g8J-aZ-2dds/Tb8yRnJt9QI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/cC7_pw1VVSw/s320/IMG_8739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602251739621094658" border="0" /></a> I also had blocks and question marks through out the room and when it came time, the kids all ran around and tried to get the most points. I found a website that sold little question mark boxed and star power boxes so that's what the prizes were. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lptMkb4mD3Q/Tb8ySdPxslI/AAAAAAAAAvY/uI5WeaWFj3c/s1600/IMG_8763.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lptMkb4mD3Q/Tb8ySdPxslI/AAAAAAAAAvY/uI5WeaWFj3c/s320/IMG_8763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602251754142020178" border="0" /></a>We also had our Wii set up for the kids to play Mario Brothers. Alex got to choose the ice cream and he chose play-dough. I had never had it before but it was brightly colored and fit in well with the Mario land we were creating. After having tried the ice cream I don't think I'll be buying that kind again. Alex wasn't really a fan of it either. The cupcakes were super cute though. I made red and green frosting and then topped them off with a few white chocolate chips that were upside down. They looked like "bigs" and "1 ups". <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnIc_0-N37Q/Tb8yS_9gWnI/AAAAAAAAAvg/LN0bytONMYg/s1600/IMG_8783.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnIc_0-N37Q/Tb8yS_9gWnI/AAAAAAAAAvg/LN0bytONMYg/s320/IMG_8783.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602251763460627058" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_19m5ztqCM/Tb8zOxAQ3II/AAAAAAAAAvo/8Dnr6_PL19U/s1600/IMG_8785.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_19m5ztqCM/Tb8zOxAQ3II/AAAAAAAAAvo/8Dnr6_PL19U/s320/IMG_8785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602252790237813890" border="0" /></a>On his actual birthday he got to open presents from us and then we took Keira to my parents house and took the boys to Trafalga in Lehi. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05sJWFxEvRc/Tb8zPViBUYI/AAAAAAAAAvw/OR861btKHAs/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05sJWFxEvRc/Tb8zPViBUYI/AAAAAAAAAvw/OR861btKHAs/s320/IMG_0342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602252800043078018" border="0" /></a> We played mini golf and went Laser Tagging twice. They also climbed the wall, went on all the rides, and had ice cream. We picked up Keira and on the way home both of the boys fell asleep in the car. I love when we tucker them out!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3FxJqq1GIQ/Tb8zP1d-wVI/AAAAAAAAAv4/e4NlH3QkEUw/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3FxJqq1GIQ/Tb8zP1d-wVI/AAAAAAAAAv4/e4NlH3QkEUw/s320/IMG_0344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602252808616067410" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-2610127638105607682011-04-20T14:37:00.005-06:002011-04-20T15:19:28.863-06:00Christmas 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46eqvGLvpQY/Ta9NPAwYRlI/AAAAAAAAAus/RKhn0uwUQYI/s1600/IMG_8729.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46eqvGLvpQY/Ta9NPAwYRlI/AAAAAAAAAus/RKhn0uwUQYI/s320/IMG_8729.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597777782141109842" border="0" /></a><br />Like everyone else the holidays are super busy for us. We are so lucky to have our families so close so we can see them on Christmas . . . and all the other days. Both of our families have traditions over Christmas so that makes Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas a marathon event. I work Christmas Eve and I've been lucky enough to work the morning the last few years. As soon as work is done I meet Travis and the kids at his mom's Christmas party. This party is a huge deal to our kids. They have lots of cousins to play with, have great food, Santa Claus comes, and we go on a caroling hay ride through Main Street in Lehi. As soon as that party ends we head over to my parents house to watch a movie. We used to go to a theater but with all the little ones it's just easier right now to veg in my parents theater room. After the movie ends my dad reads the Christmas story from the Bible and then we head home. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KY0OlmFqOek/Ta9IhkPS_XI/AAAAAAAAAuE/u69YuU1WAlI/s1600/IMG_0327.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KY0OlmFqOek/Ta9IhkPS_XI/AAAAAAAAAuE/u69YuU1WAlI/s320/IMG_0327.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597772603345534322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZzjQ2ThK1c/Ta9IjUzpsvI/AAAAAAAAAuM/fwAqLqjGHNw/s1600/IMG_0328.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZzjQ2ThK1c/Ta9IjUzpsvI/AAAAAAAAAuM/fwAqLqjGHNw/s320/IMG_0328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597772633562788594" border="0" /></a> We let the kids open their Christmas Eve presents and then send them off to bed. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tF5Y06wIUQg/Ta9Ijn5ATxI/AAAAAAAAAuU/dvh5OkAYlrI/s1600/IMG_0329.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tF5Y06wIUQg/Ta9Ijn5ATxI/AAAAAAAAAuU/dvh5OkAYlrI/s320/IMG_0329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597772638685515538" border="0" /></a> We are usually up by 6am on Christmas morning so that our kids can see what Santa brought them and open their presents before we head out to our families. We've been going over to my parents house pretty early the last couple of years so that we can talk to Kevin, my brother serving a mission in Peru. This year Trav's parents came out to our house so it let us relax at home a little longer. The next day it's off to work again completely exhausted and ready for a vacation!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRtIhWeuQnA/Ta9NOiIoypI/AAAAAAAAAuc/B4VM12xV9G4/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bRtIhWeuQnA/Ta9NOiIoypI/AAAAAAAAAuc/B4VM12xV9G4/s320/IMG_0333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597777773921356434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0kYaeUSfOM/Ta9NO6qCE6I/AAAAAAAAAuk/R1LDF2eCINM/s1600/IMG_8727.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A0kYaeUSfOM/Ta9NO6qCE6I/AAAAAAAAAuk/R1LDF2eCINM/s320/IMG_8727.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597777780503876514" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-71960235545977084112011-04-08T15:13:00.005-06:002011-04-08T16:21:12.013-06:00Christmas Programs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQQ9BDAVCf8/TZ98mhifgkI/AAAAAAAAAtc/wjR1ueVCQvk/s1600/IMG_8658.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQQ9BDAVCf8/TZ98mhifgkI/AAAAAAAAAtc/wjR1ueVCQvk/s320/IMG_8658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593326263497359938" border="0" /></a><br />We had a lot of fun at the Christmas Programs this year. Keira and I went Austin's because his was during the middle of the day. He did a great job singing all his songs and doing all the actions. I love watching all the kids get up because for at least the first song they are trying to find their parents.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpXn-eOR0Fw/TZ98m3P-LHI/AAAAAAAAAtk/YiZWQbDLs7U/s1600/IMG_8694.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BpXn-eOR0Fw/TZ98m3P-LHI/AAAAAAAAAtk/YiZWQbDLs7U/s320/IMG_8694.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593326269325257842" border="0" /></a><br />Alex did his Christmas program on a Friday night. I am helping Krissi with Preschool this year so it was a family affair. We had made reindeer headbands and each of the kids had a red clown nose. I don't know if they'll do that again, it looked cute but the noses kept falling off or the kids would play with them. I guess that's to be expected with 3 and 4 year olds. All of the preschoolers looked so cute and festive. The last song they sang was Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Near the end of the song Santa Claus came out. After the program ended we had treats and the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T_KHHF3hIEk/TZ98nZM6M0I/AAAAAAAAAts/S4-YLJ8EUL4/s1600/IMG_8710.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T_KHHF3hIEk/TZ98nZM6M0I/AAAAAAAAAts/S4-YLJ8EUL4/s320/IMG_8710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593326278439220034" border="0" /></a>Austin already knew what he was going to ask for, he had it planned for weeks. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1zFha5xwVc/TZ-I5L382hI/AAAAAAAAAt0/-a9i4l5Ook4/s1600/IMG_8714.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1zFha5xwVc/TZ-I5L382hI/AAAAAAAAAt0/-a9i4l5Ook4/s320/IMG_8714.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593339778238831122" border="0" /></a>Alex had to think for a minute, and Keira wanted nothing to do with it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIcT_rxRQWU/TZ-I5a9CgRI/AAAAAAAAAt8/G4I-vVuJ0ck/s1600/IMG_8717.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIcT_rxRQWU/TZ-I5a9CgRI/AAAAAAAAAt8/G4I-vVuJ0ck/s320/IMG_8717.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593339782286704914" border="0" /></a><br />Every time I see this picture I laugh out loud. It's priceless!The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-68796583811521478872011-04-08T09:34:00.003-06:002011-04-08T15:04:18.130-06:00Vegas Baby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9kIogvJrMA/TZ9nBVuqSHI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Gfb5dfWWkdE/s1600/IMG_8479.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9kIogvJrMA/TZ9nBVuqSHI/AAAAAAAAAtM/Gfb5dfWWkdE/s320/IMG_8479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593302534927829106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first part of December we went to Vegas for the NFR (National Finals Rodeo). My in-laws rented a vacation home so that everyone could stay together. We had a lot of fun shopping, shopping, oh and more shopping. Travis was such a good sport! He can't complain though, he came home with a whole new wardrobe. We went to two different outlet malls and I got my newI guess that's what happens when you start loosing weigh. We went to Fremont St. while we were there as well as Gold and Silver Pawn. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PTNnAwH6iZU/TZ9nBNX8cAI/AAAAAAAAAtE/88hwtc-0wpA/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PTNnAwH6iZU/TZ9nBNX8cAI/AAAAAAAAAtE/88hwtc-0wpA/s320/IMG_0324.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593302532685066242" border="0" /></a> If you've ever seen Pawn Starts that's the pawn shop they film in. It was really fun to walk around, but it was so crowded. We had a lot of fun at the rodeo and ate yummy nachos. That is one of my favorite parts of rodeos; burger and nachos. Travis knew a lot of people who were competing but I can't remember their names. . . . so I have no idea who this picture is of but he got trampled. Don't worry, he's ok :).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA5B9Nr6DLU/TZ9nB6wQXLI/AAAAAAAAAtU/tBZBKo3jIJI/s1600/IMG_8579.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HA5B9Nr6DLU/TZ9nB6wQXLI/AAAAAAAAAtU/tBZBKo3jIJI/s320/IMG_8579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593302544866630834" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-39509483848967296082011-03-03T21:38:00.004-07:002011-03-03T22:14:07.146-07:00Halloween<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xjELbdLFzRU/TXB0Cmx1SCI/AAAAAAAAAs0/m0um2yzf_iE/s1600/IMG_7179.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xjELbdLFzRU/TXB0Cmx1SCI/AAAAAAAAAs0/m0um2yzf_iE/s320/IMG_7179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580087526430165026" border="0" /></a><br />I think the boys changed their minds about 5 times each before they decided what they wanted to be this year. First they wanted to do peter pan then wizard of oz. I told them they didn't have to match so that helped make their minds up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DK9_pjL84XE/TXBy0pBTZFI/AAAAAAAAAsc/GNGqLVpxfvw/s1600/IMG_0320.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DK9_pjL84XE/TXBy0pBTZFI/AAAAAAAAAsc/GNGqLVpxfvw/s320/IMG_0320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580086187002127442" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ze89wLY62ps/TXB0CUc4QwI/AAAAAAAAAss/_3DjBQylZ_8/s1600/IMG_7178.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ze89wLY62ps/TXB0CUc4QwI/AAAAAAAAAss/_3DjBQylZ_8/s320/IMG_7178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580087521510441730" border="0" /></a><br />Austin went as Harry Potter, he was so excited! We bought him a Gryffindor robe, a wand, and Harry Potter glasses. His favorite part though was dying his hair black, or spraying it rather. He told me we HAD to change his hair color because everyone would think he was Ron, not Harry.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5PdSELzw-5A/TXBy0dHDm0I/AAAAAAAAAsU/zo7O8IkBkIo/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5PdSELzw-5A/TXBy0dHDm0I/AAAAAAAAAsU/zo7O8IkBkIo/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580086183805033282" border="0" /></a><br />Alex went as Superman and this came as a total surprise to me. I didn't even know he liked Superman that much. If any of you have listened to Jerry Seinfeld he does a bit on Halloween. He talks about how his costumes looked more like his superheros pajamas rather than the real costume. This is what I thought of Alex's costume, but he absolutely loved it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yqj-Lr82xSo/TXBy0NJAIdI/AAAAAAAAAsM/YkGeLfrxitE/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yqj-Lr82xSo/TXBy0NJAIdI/AAAAAAAAAsM/YkGeLfrxitE/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580086179518226898" border="0" /></a><br />Keira went as a flapper!! I wanted to find something that you wouldn't see on every other girl. I searched the internet for weeks before I decided her costume. She looked so cute. She had sequins on the top with a printed necklace that was knotted and of course the fringe on the bottom. It also came with the cute headband and we added the cute little boa.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw49yNVUMsg/TXB0CDfiPFI/AAAAAAAAAsk/CjOjZAucemM/s1600/IMG_7176.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw49yNVUMsg/TXB0CDfiPFI/AAAAAAAAAsk/CjOjZAucemM/s320/IMG_7176.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580087516958178386" border="0" /></a><br />We had Grandma Gray's Halloween party a couple days before Halloween . Her theme was Redneck and it was so much fun. We had to throw ping pong balls through a toilet seat and then play beer pong (sans beer). The kids got to eat doughnuts hanging from a stick and this year we had a huge marshmallow fight. My mother-in-law made marshmallow guns and the fight was all over the house and outside. The adults may have had more fun than the kids. We also did Trunk-or-Treat Halloween night before Travis took the boys out around other parts of the neighborhood. Keira and I stayed home and answered the door. The boys were already planning what they were going to be next year. I have a feeling that we will be matching, Austin is so set on it.The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-62650384174040855942011-02-23T07:39:00.003-07:002011-02-23T14:42:23.467-07:00Fishing in September<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o3UZgxhgdyw/TWV-ZLmPCtI/AAAAAAAAAr0/p835uy9Bfw0/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o3UZgxhgdyw/TWV-ZLmPCtI/AAAAAAAAAr0/p835uy9Bfw0/s320/IMG_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577002684643216082" border="0" /></a><br />Travis loves to go fishing and in the last year or so he's gotten into it a lot more. We go with friends and family a lot. This was one of our last fishing trips of the year, well for me and the kids anyway. Travis likes to go to new places to fish but one of our favorites is American Fork Canyon. We went up in the afternoon and Travis got the boys' poles set up and in the water. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qv1skefEm0c/TWV-ZqOaBOI/AAAAAAAAAsE/kb4XpuzLNME/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qv1skefEm0c/TWV-ZqOaBOI/AAAAAAAAAsE/kb4XpuzLNME/s320/IMG_0307.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577002692864771298" border="0" /></a> He is great at making sure they are ready first. After the boys are set he gets his own stuff ready. On this particular fishing trip Austin wasn't too into fishing. He found a little peninsula full of mud and decided he need to go there. He didn't think the water was too deep but I made him roll his pants up to his thighs anyway. He made it over there fine. He had fun making mud pies and squishing his toes around. When it was time to leave he started coming back over. He was cold and wanted to get out of the water so he tried to run the rest of the way.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUp-BZW-poY/TWV-Zb2AEaI/AAAAAAAAAr8/URZDDWG_PyA/s1600/IMG_0306.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xUp-BZW-poY/TWV-Zb2AEaI/AAAAAAAAAr8/URZDDWG_PyA/s320/IMG_0306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577002689004310946" border="0" /></a> He didn't make it. He was a little more than half way across when he fell and got soaked. I took him to the car and made him take off all his wet muddy clothes and he had to wear Trav's sweatshirt on the way home. I guess that's what you get when you have little boys. I usually have clothes in the back of my car. I've found you never know when someone will need something, and they've come in handy several times.The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765954237530182770.post-20674314397069060632011-02-22T08:00:00.006-07:002011-02-22T08:44:29.230-07:00Labor Day Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njMt5qLNOsE/TWPTfqXf_TI/AAAAAAAAAq0/SETfkYsKIa4/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njMt5qLNOsE/TWPTfqXf_TI/AAAAAAAAAq0/SETfkYsKIa4/s320/IMG_0262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576533304517066034" border="0" /></a><br />This year was a little different for us. Usually over Labor Day we are in Wyoming having a grand ol' time at the Carpenter Family Reunion. This year we had too much going on to go up. Krissi and Brady were blessing their little girl and Travis couldn't get enough time off of work. We started a new tradition last year, with the Gray's, to spend Labor Day at Lagoon. This has been a hit both years so I think we'll be doing this for a long time. My kids love it even when we are coming straight down from the mountain. This year, we were well rested and ready to have some fun. The kids ran from one ride to another as fast as we would let them. The first thing they wanted to do though was the bumper cars.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Paaqkj2iHc/TWPTgBsv1uI/AAAAAAAAAq8/uVheaTYc2S0/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Paaqkj2iHc/TWPTgBsv1uI/AAAAAAAAAq8/uVheaTYc2S0/s320/IMG_0263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576533310780200674" border="0" /></a> Why is that so fun for kids? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIRlkplby0I/TWPTgX47tVI/AAAAAAAAArE/tTuFTpmMaKs/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIRlkplby0I/TWPTgX47tVI/AAAAAAAAArE/tTuFTpmMaKs/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576533316736890194" border="0" /></a>We had lunch in the park and then went on some more rides. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3wHhnvUyYc/TWPXPpjfTVI/AAAAAAAAArk/vdV8YVV4Rf0/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3wHhnvUyYc/TWPXPpjfTVI/AAAAAAAAArk/vdV8YVV4Rf0/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576537427467521362" border="0" /></a> We took Keira on her first roller coaster ride. It was the little dragon one. She was not very fond of it. The picture isn't the greatest but she was shaking, crying, and well not very happy. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqhQMC1XKEw/TWPTg5uImJI/AAAAAAAAArM/4_0dLw8jAz8/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqhQMC1XKEw/TWPTg5uImJI/AAAAAAAAArM/4_0dLw8jAz8/s320/IMG_0285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576533325818402962" border="0" /></a>Before we left we had to go on the tubes and the boys wanted to ride the log ride.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnCzm4hWab4/TWPWH-X3cyI/AAAAAAAAArU/nwFoHI1Ebbk/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnCzm4hWab4/TWPWH-X3cyI/AAAAAAAAArU/nwFoHI1Ebbk/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576536196105335586" border="0" /></a> It was not very warm this year so we skipped Lagoona Beach all together. These, of course, the kids couldn't miss.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEWAFosaVOI/TWPWIczC2-I/AAAAAAAAArc/a7JpojKNEIc/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEWAFosaVOI/TWPWIczC2-I/AAAAAAAAArc/a7JpojKNEIc/s320/IMG_0293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576536204272393186" border="0" /></a> After a long but fun day at the park we went to Firehouse Pizza. I think this has become a tradition as well. We got there and had to wait forever to be seated and then our food took forever. They didn't have enough people their to help everyone. Last year they were a little slow too. I know people love this place, but so far I haven't been impressed. Maybe I should try it some time other than Labor day. The kids were so exhausted they fell asleep on the way home. Mom and Dad enjoyed some much needed quiet after a long day.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvMj3TJNcLk/TWPXPxQ-U2I/AAAAAAAAArs/_TZKwRiZzwg/s1600/IMG_0303.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvMj3TJNcLk/TWPXPxQ-U2I/AAAAAAAAArs/_TZKwRiZzwg/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576537429537346402" border="0" /></a>The Gray Famhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09656245663741679194noreply@blogger.com0