The Wright Family

Catch Up

2010-10-18T08:29:00.003-05:00

To all of you people who are dying to read my blog.....I'm still alive! LOL!!! I don't even know where to start, but I'm just gonna bullet point the main points of our lives since my last post!

* Grayson graduated Pre-K. It was such a sweet little ceremony followed by a reception, and of course, Grayson got to choose where we ate for dinner.

* Dave and I celebrated birthdays! I turned the big 3-0 and he turned 37. We went to Alabama for a much needed visit with family.

* Griffin turned 2. He is such a firecracker--seriously, so stinkin' cute, but so frustrating at the same time. Somebody PLEASE tell me it's a phase! :-)

* We found out baby #3 is coming! There was a lot of sickness.....but, I'm finally on the mend. We find out what we're having on November 12th. I'm thinking pink thoughts. :-)

* Grayson started Kindergarten. It has been such a great experience for him so far! HE LOVES IT! I'm so grateful! I was a little worried because Grayson is SUPER smart and he pretty much knows all of the Kindergarten requirements. His teacher has been over-accomodating for him, so I'm thankful for her!

* Griffin and I started back to preschool.....we're just trucking along in that. Griffin actually has a REAL curriculum and is learning A LOT. He loves his teachers and they love him.

Well, those are the main highlights. Hopefully, I can update the blog a little more since I'm feeling pretty good now!

Griffinism at nap

2010-05-01T08:57:00.002-05:00

Yesterday as I laid Griffin down for his afternoon nap, this is what I heard over the monitor. I will post it like it sounds, then go back and translate it for y'all! :-)

Go t'fweep, Go t'fweep, Go t'fweep my seet Giffin, Go t'fweep, Go t'fweep, Go t'fweep my Giffin

Translation: Go to sleep, Go to sleep, Go to sleep my sweet Griffin. Go to sleep, Go to sleep, Go to sleep my Griffin (sung to the tune of Lullaby)

Graysonisms.....again!

2010-05-01T00:22:00.004-05:00

Well, once again, my sweet Grayson has said/done some things that I HAVE to write down and record before I forget! Seriously, he has THE sweetest heart.....I am so blessed! Enjoy!

*Grayson had not been having a good morning one morning a couple of weeks ago. I was beyond frustrated when we finally got into the car to leave when he said, "Mom, I decided that I'm going to be good for the rest of the day." My reply was, "Well, that's good! What made you decide that?" Then he said, "Well, I was listening to God, and He told me in my heart to turn away from my sins." Well, ok then. :-)

*We were in the car one day when he said, "Mom, I know why you and Daddy named me Grayson." I asked why and his response was, "Because it has the word grace in it and you and Daddy show me a lot of grace." VERY true!

*Last week during his soccer game, Grayson had the ball and was well on his way to making a goal. All of a sudden he stopped so one of his team mates could catch up. Then, he passed her the ball so that she could make the goal.

*Tonight was a fun night filled with making brownies, playing the wii, and watching part of the Ranger's game. It was in Seattle, so the game was late. Grayson was sent to bed around 9:45. All was quiet until 11:45 when Grayson began to loudly call Dave to come in his room. After Dave got in there, Grayson said, "Dad, what's the Ranger's score?" So glad my 5 year old is losing sleep over the Texas Rangers. :-)

Graysonisms and maybe the first Griffinism of many to come!

2010-04-07T00:15:00.003-05:00

Graysonisms first.....

1. In our Thursday night worship service at church, we were reading verses on the screen. Basically, I was trying to whisper a kid friendly version into Grayson's ear while it was being read. While explaining the Last Supper to Grayson, I said something about Jesus holding up a cup of juice. He quickly stopped me and informed me it was wine.

2. Right before we partook in the Lord's Supper, Grayson whispered to me, "Mom, do you think I would like that bread and wine over there? I'm getting kind of hungry."

3. Last Thursday, Grayson had an Easter egg hunt at his preschool. It was pretty windy, so I got him a light jacket from his closet and encouraged him to wear it during the egg hunt. His teacher, not recognizing the jacket, complimented him by saying she loved it. His response was, "It's a special jacket. It breaks wind." Yes, I had told him it was a windbreaker. LOL!

4. This morning before school Grayson asked me how God was born. I don't think he ever quite understood.....not sure I understand it all either!

And now for a Griffinism.....believe me, this is a funny kid, so I can't wait what these will be!

1. Griffin thinks every body of water is a water bottle. So, every time we pass one, his response very loudly is, "WALLA BALLA!"

2. Today I had put Griffin in his crib when we got home from school to see if he would rest some more. He didn't fall asleep, however, he was happy. I decided to leave him and turned up the monitor to listen to what he was doing. It was so sweet! He was counting to ten over and over and then he would go, "Yay Giffin!" (That's how he says his name!) So precious!

I know some of you might not think all of this is as great as I do, but I need to record it somehow so I will never forget these funny, precious moments with my boys!

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T23:57:00.005-05:00

We started our Easter celebration on Thursday night with a service at our church, including the Lord's Supper. We took Grayson into this service to use the opportunity to teach him different things about the events leading up to Easter. He was awesome during the service, but said several funny things, which I will share in another post of Graysonisms. On Saturday night, we dyed easter eggs, and Sunday morning Grayson and Griffin looked forward to opening Easter goodies from Mom and Dad. (YES.....Mom and Dad. We DON'T do Santa, nor the Easter Bunny. You may disagree, but we have our reasons, i.e. Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas and Easter, not Santa and the Easter Bunny. Don't worry. We make it very clear that there are people who do, and that it doesn't mean that they are horrible people.) We went to church, had an awesome Easter service, and later went over to our friends' house for a late Easter lunch. Below are a few pics of the boys' Easter goodies and before church.

Grayson with his Easter basket

Griffin with some of his Easter goodies

My sweet boys

Sweet Gray.....he is so precious to me.

This kid melts my heart.....look at his eyes!

Grayson's first soccer game

2010-03-15T10:01:00.003-05:00

Saturday was Grayson's first soccer game ever.......funny thing is, it was Dave's first too! They don't keep score in his league for the young ones, but he scored 2 goals! I was one proud mommy! He loved it and can't wait until the next game. I said this was Dave's first soccer game because he's our coach! Seriously, he wins "Dad of the Year." He just wanted to assist, but it turns out they were short on coaches, so he took on the role of head coach. He did really well considering his basketball playing, baseball playing background. Below are pictures of the fun game!

Coach and Grayson before we left for the game

We arrived at the fields and he said, "Now, I'm a little nervous!"

The Coach :-)

practicing before the game

Pre-game pep talk

stretching

On his way to score goal #1

After goal #1

After goal #2

Thumbs up for a fun time playing soccer

Contest

2010-03-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

My sweet friend Jessica is having a contest on her blog to get a free blog makeover. I don't know about y'all, but I would love to win this! Here's a link to enter.

www.just4crows.blogspot.com

Cabin Fever

2010-02-14T23:27:00.003-06:00

Apparently, this is what happens when it snows 13 inches outside and you're basically stuck in your house for 2 days with a VERY active 19 month old.

New things

2010-02-14T23:19:00.005-06:00

So this is a new thing that Griffin has started.....not really sure why other than the fact that he feels free. :-) He won't keep his clothes on--really it's just his pjs. I have actually read somewhere that it's a beginning sign of being ready for potty training, but this child has got to stop. Below are pictures that show his determination in getting his pjs off. It's quite entertaining.

Valentine's Fun

2010-02-14T23:14:00.002-06:00

Last night, Dave and I were able to go out for Valentine's Day because of a precious friend who offered to come hang out with our kids so we could go out. SO, she made it into a Valentine's party for Grayson. She and another sweet friend made a cake for Grayson and Erica to enjoy during our night out. There was also a special treat she gave him and Griffin. I think they had a really fun night! When Grayson tasted the cake, his response was, "This is better than pop tarts!" Seriously, if you knew this kid, you would know that's one of the best compliments he can give! :-) Below is a picture of Grayson and Miss Erica with the cake that was better than pop tarts.

When it finally stopped.....

2010-02-14T22:57:00.006-06:00

Here are some more pics of our snow! This is truly something I have NEVER seen in my lifetime. When all was said and done, it measured around 13 inches--the most snow that DFW has ever seen.

Snow!

2010-02-11T09:24:00.003-06:00

FYI.....I recorded this video on my regular camera, so it's turned sideways. :-/ Sorry! I'm sure the grandparents won't mind though. :-) Remember, if you want to watch the video, you have to pause the music player on the side. ENJOY!!!!

Let it Snow!!!!

2010-02-11T09:11:00.004-06:00

Well, it finally happened, and we were able to play in it! It snowed! We were out of town when it snowed on Christmas, and the last time we were here and it snowed, it melted before we got done with breakfast. Dave's work was canceled, and I called in because let's just face it.....I'm from Alabama, and there's no way I could have driven to work without wrecking. So, we took the opportunity to go outside and let the boys play in it for a little bit! They loved it! Grayson just had a huge smile on his face the whole time, and Griffin kept falling everywhere. Griffin didn't care though. He thought it was funny. Anyway, there was fun had by all. Enjoy the pictures, and I'm going to add a video to another post mainly for the Grandparents, but if you want to watch that's fine too. :-)

Long time, no blog

2010-01-17T19:41:00.002-06:00

Well....this blog will probably cover a whole bunch of things considering it's been a while since I last posted!

1. First of all, in regards to my last post, I'm not pregnant. Seriously, I'm okay with that. It doesn't mean that Grayson was wrong in thinking that it might happen. Maybe it will be next Christmas. Who knows? :-)

2. Dave graduated! WOO HOO!!!! And before you go asking .......so far there have been no offers to move back to the Southeast yet (hint, hint) :-) so we'll be staying in Texas until God opens another door. Ultimately, we would love to be closer to home, but we are very content with what we have here in Texas until then.

3. After Dave graduated, we went on a fabulous 3 day trip to Nashville without kids. That was our first time to be away from them at the same time. We stayed in the Opryland Hotel, went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, ICE, and did lots of shopping. To say the least, it was a much needed trip.

4. We went to Alabama for Christmas. It never is long enough. Our families are SO big!!! It's next to impossible to have a free moment going from house to house to see our aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I REALLY miss my Alabama friends, but it's always so hard to do all that traveling, especially with kids. One of these days, we will MAKE time!

5. We began a new year. We are so excited to see what this year is going to bring. The first 17 days have been great!

Pictures will come later, but until then, bye bloggy friends!

The faith of a little child......

2009-10-15T16:31:00.006-05:00

About a month ago, I was sitting in Grayson's bedroom with him talking and he looked at me and said, "Mom, I love Daddy." I simply replied with, "Yeah, he's a really good daddy isn't he?" Then the conversation went on, which I will share in a minute, but before I do, I want you to know that this child was NOT making this up. He was sharing this from experience like it had happened to him yesterday. There were NO pauses or anything, and I honestly believe with all my heart that he knows what he's talking about because he's not that far removed from the spiritual realm... and we are....as heartbreaking as that is......it's funny how as we grow older, we sometimes forget about how we came to be from our Creator......now on with the story.

......the conversation continues

Grayson: "Mom, when I was up in Heaven with God, he let me choose Daddy."

Me: Trying to kind of take it all in, I said, "That's nice."

Grayson: "Well, he did! He let me choose who my Daddy was going to be, and I chose Daddy and got you as my Mommy too."

Me: Again, still trying to take it all in, I said, "Oh really?"

Grayson: "Yes, and then he let me choose Griffin, but He told me I had to go first because that's what He had planned. Then I chose Sissy. Yep, Gretchen looks just like you Mommy. She even has curly hair (side note: If we had a little girl, her name would be Gretchen. This was not new to him because that's what Griffin's name would have been.)."

Now, first of all, I'm not pregnant. Second of all, we want a number 3 and we do hope to have a little girl some day, but are perfectly content with whichever God blesses us with. SO, you can see how this would have had a little bit of an effect on me.

Okay, now fast forward to Saturday, he tells Dave out of the blue that while he was praying, God spoke to him and told him that Gretchen would be put in Mommy's belly at Christmas.

REALLY???????!!!!!!! What am I supposed to do with this? This child believes with everything that he is that God told him this. SO, I guess we'll find out soon.....even though, I'm not really sure that I'm ready to be in that boat again. Oh well....God can and will do what he pleases!

Graysonism

2009-09-16T17:04:00.002-05:00

I was just getting Grayson up from nap and this is how our conversation went:

Me: Grayson, did you sleep?

Grayson: Mom....I don't want you to be upset. I slept for a little bit, but I don't want you to be upset.

Me: I'm not, but I hope you're telling me the truth. Lying is not a good thing. God even knows when we are lying.

Grayson: Sh! Do you hear Him talking in there (pointing at his Bible on the table by his bed)? That's how God talks to me. That's what he uses to talk to me. My Bible which is God's word, and everyone else's Bibles that are God's word.

Me: Yep....

That's the way to get out of it....start saying something sweet that blows me away. :)

Best Buds

2009-09-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things about having kids is the bond that they have with each other. Just like my brother and sister and I did when we were young, they still argue, but when it comes down to it, they adore each other. I'm starting to see it more every day. Griffin always wants to be with Grayson, and Grayson is always willing to entertain. Because it's been raining so much in Texas, I've probably let them watch more tv than normal, but at least it was Sesame Street. Maybe they learned something in the process. That's exactly what they were doing this morning when I took a picture of this...... :-)

What Griffin's Doin'

2009-09-16T16:12:00.002-05:00

So....my sweet little man is growing up so fast! I thought I just might need to blog about the things he's been doing so I won't forget.....cause we all know and understand the "Mommy Brain"! To give an update on him, he is now 14 months old. He weighs 26 pounds, and I'm not really sure how tall, but to me he looks so big! We'll know a little more in detail when we go back for his 15 month checkup in October. Until then, here's a little taste of what he's been doing....oh yeah, and what kind of mommy would I be if I didn't post some pics too?!

Things he says.....
Momma, Daddy, hey, bye bye, juice, I love you, puppy, woof woof, moo, cow, meow, uh-oh, Bubba (what he calls Grayson), paci, Bible, eyes, two, alk which translates to walk, please (which he also still signs), row row (like row, row, row, your boat), A, B, C (when trying to sing the alphabet), alright, says uh huh when asked a question and nods his head

Things he does......
follows me around like a stranded puppy (it really is sweet on most days, unless I'm trying to shower), says, "AH CHOO" after someone sneezes, claps, does hand motions to "If you're happy and you know it," dances, attempts to sing songs with me, plays with Daddy's guitars, throws the ball, likes to get the magna doodle and draw on it, runs almost everywhere, loves to take baths, likes to read books, play with his big brother, and this kid would eat anything put in front of him....we haven't found anything he won't eat

23 GLORIOUS flavors!!!

2009-08-22T21:47:00.007-05:00

Today, we went on a day trip to the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco with some friends. It was a special event where everything was free and there were games for the kids to play. It was a ton of fun, but very exhausting! Below are our pictures from the day!

We're on our way!

Cheese!

We're here!

Dave trying to wrangle the kiddos

If everyone knew my love for Dr Pepper......this was a sight to behold! :-)

First stop: Donut walk. Grayson chose a number real quick!

Dad decided to join in

I got a donut!

So did Dad!

Grayson and Jacob and their donuts

Griffin was having fun soaking it all in

Oh how we love the ChickfilA cow! He gave us coupons for free items and we took him up on his offer later! ;-)

Next stop: Fill up the bowl with ice using only your feet. Needless to say, the four year old didn't last long on this one!

Griffin still watching

So...here's a little bit of history: Grayson is sitting on the actual first counter that the first Dr Pepper was served from.

Here's some animatronic guy talking about Dr Pepper.

Look! Dr Pepper!

My favorite "old school" Dr Pepper can

This pic is blurry...but it's still cute of Grayson posing

Griffin LOVES Dr Pepper

Grayson with an old Dr Pepper delivery truck

Dave and the kids watching old Dr Pepper commercials

I think this is supposed to be an outstanding delivery man called "Foots". Weird name!

It may be a weird name, but I started loving "Foots" when I found out he went to The University of Alabama! ROLL TIDE!

Well, we learned a lot of interesting things today about Dr Pepper. First of all, there isn't a period after the Dr in Dr Pepper. Second, there is NOT prune juice in Dr Pepper. That's a myth. And finally, this place is one of the most visited places in Waco. Anyone want to guess what else people come to Waco for? Not to see the Baylor bears, my friends, but to go see where the Branch Davidians lived. NICE....

Griffin's first haircut and a Graysonism to close out the day

2009-08-06T19:20:00.006-05:00

Today, I took Griffin to get his first haircut EVER!!! It was a big step for me. With the helmet, he had the cutest curls that came out of the side of it, but I figured since he didn't have the helmet anymore that he should get a little cut. So, today was the day, and I specifically took him to one of those special kids cutting places because I knew that he would be a squirmy worm and probably cry through it. Well, did he ever make a liar out of me! That little guy sat there so still and quiet. He loved every minute of it! He also got to sit in a fire engine and watch The Wiggles while it was happening, so that probably helped. Below are some pics of before, during, and after. AND......stay tuned to the Graysonism that we closed our day out with at the end of this post.

Now for today's Graysonism.....

After dinner tonight, we were in mine and Dave's bedroom just hanging out. Grayson wanted so badly to play tic-tac-toe with Dave on Dave's phone. Grayson takes the phone, and the conversation goes something like this:

Grayson: This is so fun. I am so blessed with all of y'all!
Dave: Awww....that's nice. Grayson, what does it mean to say that you are blessed?
Grayson: It means you're not gonna get arrested.

??????????? who knows

PARTY!!!!!

2009-07-19T16:56:00.006-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, Griffin's birthday party was on Saturday, July 11th. We started the day off with swimming (I'll spare you those pictures :-). Then, we went back to the house for some grilled hot dogs, cake, and presents. You will be able to tell from the pictures, but I think he had a pretty good time, especially with the cake. He was VERY tired after it was over and even survived a nap with 4 cousins and 1 brother playing loudly in the next room! Anyway, below are some pics of the day, courtesy of my sister in law, Becky. :-) Enjoy!

Below is his "smash" cake and cupcakes for everyone else

Eating a hot dog before cake time

Blowing out the candle of his cake (with a little help from Mommy)

Hmmm....what's this?

AND....why are you putting it in my mouth?

Tastes pretty good!!!!

No, really it does.....

So good, in fact, that I'm gonna do this....forget the hands!

Now, wasn't that funny?

Now, I'm worn out, but I guess I can stay up for a few more presents!

Griffin is 1!

2009-07-14T20:48:00.003-05:00

Today, my sweet little Griffin turned 1. He is such a joy to our lives! We are so blessed to have 2 wonderful little guys with great personalities. I can't believe that it has already been a year. I'm looking forward to year #2 and many more!

This past weekend, we had a huge family birthday party for Griffin. Both of our families came from Alabama to be there. I will post pics later of the day! Also, we go to the doc next Friday for the glorious check up. I'll post stats later too!

Graysonisms

2009-07-14T20:41:00.002-05:00

Today, Grayson was playing in my room as I was getting ready. He was laying on my bed watching me brush my hair, and the conversation went like this:

Grayson: "Mom, what does your shampoo smell like?"

Me: " I don't really know."

Grayson: " Does it smell like strawberries?"

Me: "I don't think so."

Grayson: "Well, maybe not strawberries, but maybe flowers."

Me: "Yeah, probably."

Grayson: "Mom, what does Dad's shampoo smell like?"

Me: "I don't really know."

Grayson: "Maybe it smells like broccoli."

Me: (Laughing) "I hope not."

Grayson: "Mom, I think it smells like Jesus."

Later on, Grayson and I were watching "America's Got Talent" on television, and he really got into this one girl that sang. Then he said, "Mom, her singing really impressed my heart."

So sweet!!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!

2009-07-04T12:08:00.001-05:00

Morning Drive Graysonism....

2009-06-20T21:23:00.003-05:00

For those of you that don't know, I have begun working at a Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It really is GREAT! Grayson and Griffin basically go for free while I get paid. It's a little bit of a drive from our house, and it takes about 25 minutes to get there (attention non-Texans-that's not that bad). On the way, we pass this ranch, farm, or whatever it is that has buffalo. When we pass, Grayson has ALWAYS looked for the buffalo. They are pretty interesting to look at! Anyway, on this particular day, they weren't anywhere to be seen. I asked Grayson if he saw any of them. Then, the conversation went like this:

Me: "Where do you suppose they are?"

Grayson: "They're over there in the land."

Me: "What land? I didn't see them."

Grayson: "Well, they're over there in the Promise Land."

Me: (Laughing) "Oh, where's that?"

Grayson: "You know Mom! In North America!"

Me: "Um....I don't think that North America is the Promise Land."

He Was Just Born Yesterday!!

2009-06-15T08:58:00.004-05:00

I guess you could say that Griffin is officially walking! He took his first steps on June 4, and has been doing a little bit at a time every day since. Here is a video below! Don't forget to pause the music player on the side!

Graysonism on my birthday

2009-06-15T08:51:00.002-05:00

Grayson has always been a big fan of his momma. He compliments me ALL the time. Seriously, about EVERYTHING!!! I don't mind. He says things like, "Mommy, your toenails are painted so pretty!" or "Mommy, you wash those clothes so good." Well, on Friday it was my birthday, and he was extra complimentary that day. I was putting him to bed and laying down and talking with him, and all of the sudden he said, "Mommy, your freckles smell so nice. They smell just like chocolate chips."

We have the helmet!

2009-05-28T20:46:00.002-05:00

Today we went to get Griffin's helmet. I have to say that he did much better than I expected him to do. The only thing is, he sweats profusely under it!!!! Since this is the first day, he had it on for one hour, then off for the next hour all day. By next week, he will be wearing it all day long (23 hours to be exact)! Every time we took it off he was soaking wet. :-( He's adjusting well. I think Momma just needs time to adjust too. We haven't added our "touch" to it yet, but the plan is to turn it into a Texas Rangers baseball helmet. Below are some pics. Enjoy!

Griffin's first swim....and Grayson's first of the season!

2009-05-28T20:13:00.003-05:00

On Memorial Day, we decided to take the boys to our neighborhood pool for a little bit. I guess we weren't thinking because everyone else had the same idea we did! Despite the crowd, we still had fun, and it was Griffin's first experience with the pool. He had to ease into liking it, but by the time it was time to go, he was LOVING it!!!! Grayson has also gotten much more brave this year. He used to be very apprehensive about the pool, especially the kiddie pool. It has a mushroom that is a continuous waterfall and buckets that dump water. This time, he acted like it was the best thing ever. Needless to say, we had a great time! Below are some pictures of their experience.

This was the first time he was set in the water. Obviously, he wasn't liking it too much.

Then, we moved to this.....Daddy holding him!

Then, to this.....Mommy sitting beside me in the pool. He LOVED this!

He was happy from that point on!

Grayson getting ready to run around the mushroom waterfall

He insisted on wearing his goggles. I think he thought that they would keep him safe. :-)

David and Goliath-Wright Style ;-)

2009-05-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

Grayson decided that he wanted to play like David and Goliath with Dave, and I caught this very funny rendition on camera! Enjoy!

Like Father, Like Son

2009-05-04T20:02:00.002-05:00

Grayson wanted to play and be like Daddy today. He had the tie on and everything. The sweetest thing was that he came up to me after he was "dressed" and said, "Mommy, I want to dance with you!"

HELLO?????

2009-05-04T19:57:00.002-05:00

Griffin decided to pick up the phone and hold it to his ear today like he was talking on it! This particular phone rings, and he would pick it up and hold it to his ear when it rang. :-)

Griffin Talk

2009-05-03T23:21:00.003-05:00

Griffin is talking and singing in this video--TOO CUTE!!! Grayson is talking in the background. He says something about Dave's pants, but I assure you he had pants on!!!!

9 months old

2009-05-03T23:04:00.003-05:00

On April 14th, Griffin turned 9 months old. I took him to the doctor the same day as Grayson. He only had to get 2 shots. He weighed 22 lbs., and he was 28 7/8 inches long. Both of these are in the 75th percentile. He's such a fun little boy. He has now gotten tubes, which has helped with ear infections. He will get his helmet on the 28th of this month. Then, tomorrow he will go to the podiatrist to see about his ingrown toenails. He is on the go all the time, so none of this is going to slow him down. Below are some of his recent pictures.

Standing on the couch looking out the window

Hey mom!

He points to everything and it sounds like he says "Look!"

He would much rather stand on the outside of this rather than be in it.

You can't really tell here, but his hair is starting to curl a little bit in the back!

He's teething like CRAZY!!!

This is how he sleeps- sweet, huh?

Grayson-4 year old Dr.'s Visit

2009-05-03T22:56:00.003-05:00

I took Grayson for his check up on his actual birthday. Poor guy had to get 4 shots. However, he's growing "like a weed." He weighed 45 1/2 lbs. and he was 43 1/4 inches tall. Both of these are in the 95th percentile. His hearing was GREAT and so was his vision! He did very well. I'm so proud of my sweet boy!

April 16th

2009-05-03T22:03:00.003-05:00

April 16th will ALWAYS be a special day to me. It was the day that Grayson was born. One might say, "Of course that's special!" Well, let me share with you the journey that Dave and I went through to get to that day.

In December 2001, Dave left the church in which he had been serving, and he took another ministry position at a church in Anniston, Alabama. Little did we know the plans that God had for us there. I'll be honest, it was tough. REALLY tough. In May 2003, Dave knew that his time there was done and told me that he thought we should move to Texas for him to finish his degree in seminary. Well, as most of you know, I can be a little bit stubborn. There was NO way that I was moving from Alabama, halfway across the country to Texas. So, Dave patiently waited on me to listen to God. In August of that same year, Dave and one of his really good friends, along with some others decided to start a church in the same area. Dave's friend preached, and Dave led worship. It was great, and a really refreshing time for us both individually and as a couple. Even though things were going well, I could still tell Dave wasn't completely happy, and I felt like I was falling apart inside. In February 2004, there was one particular Sunday where I couldn't contain the fact that I was falling apart anymore. I didn't really know why, but all I could do was cry. Nothing, no one, etc. could make me feel better. People at church were all trying to figure it out. Here's a peppy girl who is now a wreck. Something had to be wrong. So, I did what I knew to do- I went to the gynecologist. By doing this, my wonderful doc decided to have my hormone levels tested. Because Dave and I weren't using birth control at the time, he went ahead and referred me to the infertility clinic just in case something was wrong with my hormone levels. If I did get pregnant, I could have very easily lost a baby. Turns out that my progesterone was VERY low. When I mean low, it was virtually non-existent. Normal levels are 10-15. Mine was 1. Here's what all of that means--basically, progesterone is the hormone that helps produce eggs to be fertilized. I had none of that. So, they very kindly told me to not count on getting pregnant or if I did, that I wouldn't keep the baby. They decided to put me on Clomid just in case. Well, I don't know about you, but when someone tells me that I can't do something, it makes me want to even more. I immediately wanted to get pregnant. My desire to have a child got greater with each visit to the doctor. In the mean time, every friend I had, including my sister in law became pregnant. I didn't even know how to take this. It actually made me shut down even more. How could this happen? I was meant to be a mommy. Fast forward to June 2004. Dave was still pestering me to move to Texas so he could finish seminary. I was still having none of it. On June 12, my birthday, I had met my mom in Birmingham to go shopping and have lunch. I talked with her a little about Dave's desire, but still left for the drive home full of uncertainty. On my way home, I decided to just talk with God. Why not? I was by myself and I needed some answers to my questions about moving. I began to ask God for a sign....something to let me know that He was in control and moving would be okay. Immediately, I looked up and saw a flock of birds forming a "V" in the sky right above my car. Then, I knew. I went home excitedly and wrote Dave a letter saying that I was finally ready. The next month was a blur. We were really stepping out on faith. Neither of us had jobs and Dave was starting school in August. We moved on July 19th. That same day we had one last appt. at the doctor. It was the same old stuff. When we got to Texas, I immediately started looking for teaching jobs. I probably annoyed every Human Resources department in the school districts out here. I finally got a call for one interview. Thankfully, I was liked well enough to where I got the job, but I wouldn't find that out until August 6th, the Friday before school started. Dave and I were so excited. We knew that we had done the right thing by moving to Texas. On that Sunday, which would have been the 8th, we went out to lunch after church. We were celebrating my job! Unfortunately I felt sick, so I didn't get to enjoy my lunch that much. I had a pregnancy test at home, and because I didn't feel normal, I decided to go ahead and take it. It turned out positive! Take that infertility doctor! God's bigger than you! I started my new job the next day, and the rest is history.

I share this LONG story to say that Grayson is my constant reminder of God's faithfulness. I know that He is God's blessing to us because we were obedient in moving here. I'm so glad that He has blessed us with a healthy little guy. God definitely knew that I needed a visual reminder every day of how much he loves us. I'm SO THANKFUL!!!

Grayson turns 4!!!

2009-05-03T21:54:00.006-05:00

On April 16th, my precious baby boy turned 4! I can't believe how fast the years have gone by. He is a sweet little man full of life! He loves to play ball with Daddy, and he currently thinks that everything should be said by singing it. He keeps us laughing all the time! Below are some pictures of his dino party.

Blowing out the candles

Getting ready to open gifts

The gifts

Grayson and Jacob

Eating with friends-we had dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets!

The cake made by my fabulous friend!

What's up with this?

2009-04-13T23:05:00.007-05:00

Check out Griffin's crawl!!!! Griffin has been crawling for a while now, but his crawl is non-traditional. It started as a one leg up, kind of walking on one foot, and then turned into a scoot-crawl, and now it's a one-handed crawl! It is rather humorous!

Easter baskets!!!

2009-04-12T14:08:00.003-05:00

Seeing the Easter baskets......

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T13:54:00.004-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! It's been a quiet Easter around the Wright house this year. However, that didn't stop us from having fun! We dyed Easter eggs last night, and woke up to some pretty awesome surprises in our Easter baskets. I have a video to post of the boys getting their Easter baskets, but here are a few pics first!

Since dying Easter eggs was so messy, a bath was much needed!

Here is a pic of "the loot"

Grayson's Easter basket

Griffin's Easter basket...not shown- Griffin got his FIRST tooth!!!!! :-)

My sweet almost 4 year old

My boys (Griffin was obsessed about his shoes.)

Sweet little Griffin

On the way to church

Our brief attempt at a family picture after church

Grayson Talk

2009-04-06T21:08:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday, we went to the zoo. Grayson was very excited. We have a great time whenever we go. On this particular Saturday, Grayson could not decide which zoo animal was his absolute favorite (we always talk about it when we leave). We got very up close views of the elephants, the tigers, the lions, the penguins, etc. These were all very cool, but were these Grayson's favorite? NOPE.....his favorite were the "mimchimzees" (chimpanzees)!!!!!

Tonight as we were about to eat dinner, Dave was saying the prayer. Somewhere in the prayer, Dave said, "Bless this food to our bodies..."

After he finished, we began to eat our food. About two minutes into the meal, Grayson looks at me and says, "Mmmmm, Mommy, this sure is blessin' my body!"

Ear Tubes

2009-04-02T09:15:00.004-05:00

This morning at 4am, we woke up and got ready to be at the hospital at 5:30 for Griffin to have ear tube surgery. I just thought I would show some pics of his visit. Most people probably thought I was crazy taking pictures, but it was picture worthy! He did great! The actual surgery lasted around 10 minutes, but we had to be there for the prep, surgery, and recovery.

To be honest, I was surprisingly calm about my own child. God was very gracious to allow Griffin to fall asleep before he went back, which made the "giving up" part easier. The hardest part was to be in a waiting room full of people who had much worse situations than ours. Several children, probably ranging from ages 10-12, very conscious of the fact that they were about to have surgery, were in the waiting area with us. I don't know the situations, but the anxiety in the room was THICK!!! It broke my heart for these kids, and at the same time, made me thankful for having 2 healthy boys. Below are some pictures of Griffin pre-surgery. I would have taken some after, but believe me, he wasn't having ANY of it! :-)

Bright and early, ready for surgery....

Just got prepped....now just waiting

Mommy getting some love

Let's get this over with already!

Griffin's medical bracelets....call me crazy, I took these too!

Slowly falling asleep in the waiting area

Sunday Afternoon Fun

2009-03-22T20:54:00.005-05:00

This afternoon, after nap time, we decided to take advantage of this beautiful weather that we've been having. Griffin and I only stayed out there for a short time (he hasn't been feeling well...see previous post), but I managed to get some cute pictures of Grayson. He enjoyed playing catch with Dad and kicking around the soccer ball.

Ready to play

Catching the ball...I have to brag and say that he was REALLY good at this...I wasn't sure. :-)

Kicking the soccer ball

Keeping it away from Dad

This was Grayson telling me that he won! :-)

Just a few things....

2009-03-20T21:01:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take some time and ask for prayer. If you've read one of my previous posts, you know that Griffin has different things that we are having to see specialists about. He is a pretty healthy baby in the grand scheme of things. However, he will be getting tubes put in his ears on April 2nd. We actually just went to the doctor today to find out that he had an ear infection in both ears (poor baby). That is his 4th and 5th, if you count both ears, in 6 weeks. Actually, the next issue is what is causing the ear infections.

The next issue is his head. He has ALWAYS preferred his left side. When I say always, we were told that this must have been how he laid inside me. Now, after trying multiple things, his head is still misshapen. SO, he is going to be wearing a STAR band. It's like a helmet to reshape the head. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but we were told that the bone structure of his skull has developed a "memory" and has started to grow that way, thus affecting the anatomy of his ears causing the multiple ear infections. SO, not only will it fix the shape of his head, it will help, along with the tubes, his ears.

I'm asking for prayer for these issues with Griffin, but also asking for prayer for our finances. Thank the Lord for insurance, but it still doesn't cover everything. We are currently waiting on insurance approval for the STAR band. We appreciate your prayers on everything!

Going to the park....part two (Griffin)

2009-03-16T20:30:00.003-05:00

Since Griffin is so small, there is still not a lot he can do at the playground other than swing, but he doesn't mind. Here are some photos from his trip to the park.

Well, he looks like he's having a joyous time here, don't you think?

I'm not really sure.....making some kind of noise, I'm sure.

Unfortunately, if you combine the first pic with this one, it looks like he's making himself

throw up. NICE!

Now he's happy!

CHEESE!!!!!!

Still happy

"Mom, do we really have to go back inside?"

Going to the park....part one (Grayson)

2009-03-16T20:23:00.002-05:00

It was gorgeous outside today, so after dinner, Dave and I took the boys to our neighborhood playground. We actually thought it might be nice to let Grayson ride his bike there since it had been a while. Here are some pics from his time at the park.

Here he is gearing up and getting ready to go!

Getting on the monkey bars

A monkey on the monkey bars :-)

About to come down the "wiggly" slide (as he calls it)

On our way home from the park

Daddy Time

2009-03-16T20:20:00.002-05:00

If you've read any of my other posts, you know that Griffin adores his momma! I can't complain; Grayson would much rather hang out with Dad if he had to choose. However, I LOVE to catch sweet moments such as this. Dave was singing to Griffin, and Griffin was soaking it all in.

Sweet Potato Madness

2009-03-16T20:16:00.002-05:00

I have to share these just because if any of y'all REALLY know how our first child was, this is new to us. Griffin could care less if he was swimming in sweet potatoes. Grayson on the other hand, now that's a different story.

PEACHES!!!!!

2009-02-07T17:02:00.005-06:00

Griffin loves to eat, and it shows! :-) Here are a few pics of him eating some peaches!

Jumping with Jada

2009-02-07T16:11:00.004-06:00

Today I took Grayson to go play with Jada. She is one of Grayson's very best friends from his old school. They haven't seen each other since it closed. We met at a place called Boomerangs. It's full of bouncy houses and slides, and there is also a place where they can play games. Jada and Grayson had a blast and so did Jada's sister Tana.

Here is Grayson taking Tana for a ride.

Grayson and Jada playing Skee Ball

Grayson riding one of the toys they had

Look at how sweaty he is!

Sliding down together

Grayson having fun

Grayson and Jada

Sweet friends

Six Months Old

2009-02-01T16:05:00.002-06:00

Griffin turned 6 months old on January 14th. I cannot believe how fast time is passing by. He is now sitting up, eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, and trying to get into everything. He is such an active little guy. We know that he is going to give us a work out as he gets older. We have already begun the process of baby-proofing the house! When we went to his check up, we found out he weighed 18lbs and 1 oz. He is 27 1/8 inches long. We thought he looked really big, but after looking back at Grayson's info for that age, he's 3 lbs smaller and an inch and a half shorter! He's in the 75th percentile for weight and height. His head is now in the 5oth percentile. There were also several small things that we're going to have look into about Griffin, so pray with us. He has to see a cranial specialist because one side of his head is flat. He also has to see another doctor because he might have a blocked tear duct. On top of that, he may have to get a piece of skin cut from his toe because he continues to get ingrown toenails. Finally, he may have to get tubes for his ears because he has had 3 ear infections in the duration of his life, which is not good. WHEW! So, as you can see, there's a lot of stuff that we will be finding out about Griffin. I'm just thankful that it is nothing that is big. Other than all of that, which sounds like A LOT, he is a really healthy, fun little guy! Here are some recent pics. These were only a few that I could get him to sit still long enough to take.

Jasper Continued

2009-02-01T16:00:00.003-06:00

I thought I had more pictures than this, but I think my mom and sister-in-law took them instead of me. Anyway, here are just a few more pictures of our visit.

Ally and Grayson pausing while watching CARS on Dave's phone

Griffin sitting in Pop's chair

Christmas in Jasper

2009-02-01T15:51:00.003-06:00

Christmas continued a couple of days later when we went to Jasper to see my family. It's always a full house, but we have a blast catching up. Plus, Grayson and Griffin love to see their cousins!

Grayson with a toy from Nana and Pop

Griffin with a toy from Jeanna

Grayson opening another gift

Griffin taking it easy in the exersaucer

Daddy and Grayson playing in the floor

Moulton Christmas Continued

2009-02-01T15:39:00.003-06:00

While we are at Dave's parent's house, we have the privilege of seeing other family that lives out of town. Here are some pictures from where we visited with Dave's cousins, Melinda and Glenn and their families.

Griffin in the exersaucer at Melinda's

Grayson eating some yummy food

When we got back to Granna and Papa's house, the boys were ready to relax. Here they are together on the couch. So sweet!

Christmas in Dixie---HA! HA! I mean Alabama!

2009-02-01T15:28:00.002-06:00

The first part of our trip to Bama, we spent with Dave's parents in Moulton. The boys always love going here, and Santa had apparently visited Granna and Papa's house too! :-)

Grayson and Griffin hanging out on the couch

Griffin with mommy

Grayson in his new clothes from Dave and me

Griffin opening his presents

Grayson got more cars. This present was really exciting because he finally got Sarge from the movie CARS!

Christmas Morning at our house

2009-02-01T15:04:00.003-06:00

Well, December 24th was our Christmas morning. The boys had a blast waking up at home and finding their gifts. Below are some pictures of our Christmas morning and the boys with some of their gifts.

Grayson waking up

Griffin waking up

Griffin with his new LeapFrog toy

Little Griffin

Grayson with his new toys

Christmas Eve

2009-02-01T14:49:00.003-06:00

WOW! I can't believe it's February, and I'm just now updating my blog on Christmas!!! This year Dave and I weren't leaving for home until Dec. 25th, so we decided to do our own Christmas Eve and Christmas at our house on the 23rd and 24th. On the 23rd, we let the boys open one gift (pajamas) and read the Christmas story together. Here are a couple of pictures from that night.

Griffin with his pajamas

Grayson with his pajamas.....He kept saying, "Santa knew that I wanted pajamas with his face on them!"

Dave telling the Christmas story to the boys

Griffin making sure that brother is listening :-)

Sweet brothers

Momma's Boy

2009-02-01T14:40:00.006-06:00

Griffin truly is a momma's boy. Below is just an example of my sweet little Griffin and his need to constantly be close to me. I can't say that I mind! :-)

While Mommy was standing close by

When Mommy decided to back up a little bit

ABSOLUTELY PITIFUL!!!!

Grayson's first trip to the dentist

2008-12-24T14:33:00.002-06:00

Grayson went to the dentist for the first time yesterday. He was SOOO excited. he actually did great, and the nurses complimented him on how well he behaved. He acted like he had been going to the dentist forever! Below are some pictures of his trip.

Grayson in the waiting room

In the waiting room with Mommy

In the waiting room with Daddy

In the chair getting his teeth checked....Mommy needed to be there for moral support.

All finished....his teeth were SHINY!!!!

Sad days

2008-12-21T13:39:00.003-06:00

I always knew that this day would come, but I wasn't ready for it just yet-the day that Grayson and Griffin would have to leave the wonderful childcare that they have at the seminary. You see, Grayson and Griffin's daycare is officially closing. I would go into the long story about it closing, but I'm trying not to allow the bitterness stir inside me. Anyway, we are obviously deeply saddened. We felt like this was our best option aside from me being their caregiver. Now, we are scrambling to find childcare for our boys in 2 weeks. Yes, I said 2 weeks. I know that God has a purpose and a reason, and He will provide. However, this has been a big blow. Not only are we having to find childcare, my 3 year old has to leave the friends he has been with since they were 4 months old, including Jada. When I told him that Friday was his last day, he literally sat down and cried. His heart was truly broken. So, as a mom, what did I do? I cried for about 2 days.

Luckily, Grayson's teacher is going to continue to keep him. She is watching children out of her home, and we absolutely adore her. So does Grayson. He has learned so much this year, and I know that he will be fine, even if he's not around all of his friends. Griffin is a different story. Grayson's teacher was already full, so she didn't have enough space for Griffin. There are several options that have fallen through, and there are some that I'm still looking in to. As appealing as it sounds, I can't just quit my job, and it's not like Dave can just set up the pack n play in his office. So, as I rant, I ask that you all pray- pray for me and my bitterness, pray for safety for my children, pray for a place for Griffin, and pray for all of the people involved- that includes 41 workers and about 150+ families.

On Friday, I knew that I wanted to be the cheesy mom and take pictures, especially of Grayson and Jada. So, here they are below. I hope you enjoy!

Here is Grayson with the wonderful Jada. Isn't she adorable? Grayson looks so proud. :-)

Here they are again. Dave and I laughed because it looks like they're waving goodbye to us as they go out on a date or something.

Grayson's First Field Trip

2008-12-10T11:48:00.004-06:00

On Monday, Grayson's class went on a mini-field trip to the President's house on campus. While he was there, a few of Dave's coworkers sneaked over and got some pictures. They got to sing songs to the president and his wife, and they got a special treat from them. Enjoy!

Hmmmmm......I wonder why Grayson is sitting in the back by himself. Could we say, maybe he got in trouble?

Grayson with his special treat. It was a rice krispy treat in the shape of a gingerbread man. (if that makes any sense at all!)

Here's Grayson singing a song! What's new?

Monday Morning Graysonisms

2008-12-09T20:49:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, on the way to work/school, Grayson piped up from the back seat, "Mom, when I grow up I'm gonna get married just like you and Daddy!" Then the conversation went like this:

Me: Well, just who are you gonna marry?

Grayson: Jada (I should have known)

Me: That's nice.

Grayson: We're going to have 5 girls.

Me: Grayson, that sure is a lot of kids. I'm not so sure that you would wish that they all be girls.

Grayson: Yes Mommy, I like girls!

Me: (laughing) Well, what are their names going to be?

Grayson: Foley, Moley, Rola, Molly, and Dolly

The laughing never stops!!!! :-)

Zoo pics #3

2008-11-24T16:49:00.004-06:00

Griffin finally woke up!

Griffin's first train ride

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. How wide is your wingspan? Dave was an eagle, and Grayson was a barn owl. :-)

My favorite boys in all the world!

Grayson and me

More zoo pictures

2008-11-24T16:40:00.003-06:00

Grayson on the carousel...he chose a green horse because that's Daddy's favorite color!

This is the new penguin exhibit at the zoo. It's one of our favorites!

Griffin really loved the zoo! :-)

Dave thought it would be funny if he sat on the Komodo Dragon too.

There was a nice man who offered to take a picture of all of us. Griffin was asleep so we didn't dare move him. If you look closely enough though, his little face can be seen!

4 months old!

2008-11-24T15:59:00.004-06:00

Our little Griffin turned 4 months old on November 14th. He is still surprising us with his smallness (I don't know if that's a word, but if it isn't, I just made it up!). We took him this past Thursday for his checkup and he weighed in at 15lbs and 2 oz., and he was 25 3/4 inches long. That's in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75-90th percentile for height. He is now talking as much as he possibly can, he longs to sit up, and LOVES to play in the exersaucer. He still adores Grayson. He also has the best smile. It always starts as a grin and grows into this amazing smile that will melt your heart! Below, is a picture that describes his wonderful smile!

The Zoo

2008-11-24T15:55:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, we took a trip to the zoo. We are zoo members, and November is member appreciation month. During the month, the zoo opens an hour early, and there are free train rides and free carousel rides. It was a crisp 5o degrees outside (pretty cold for Texas), so no one was there. It was such a great day. We probably stayed the longest we've ever stayed at the zoo. We were bundled up, so it was very enjoyable. I'll probably have to post several times to get all the pics on here I want to show, so stay tuned for more posts!

Above and below are pics of me and Grayson and Dave and Grayson at the Lion exhibit. The lion was eating breakfast, and he was fascinating.

The lion and his breakfast

Griffin enjoying the zoo

Griffin was excited before we left to go to the zoo

A Sunday of Graysonisms

2008-10-26T14:52:00.003-05:00

Today, Grayson has really made us laugh! He was sick yesterday, so this is quite a relief! I just wanted to share some funny things he has said. To give you a glimpse into our life, this was all said just today.

1. We were on our way to Chili's when Grayson started complaining about his stomach hurting. I asked him if he was sure because it just may be him being hungry. His response was, "Yeah, that's what it is. I feel the bear coming in to growl!"

2. This morning before church Grayson was playing in the living room. Grayson was taking up a lot of space in the floor, so I asked him to move his stuff over so Griffin could have a place to play. He said, "I can't Mommy. I've got to decoration!" He told me he was too busy "decorating" the living room with his toys.

3. For this story, I have to share some background info. Grayson has a friend at school named Jada. The teachers always joke that Grayson and Jada are quite the couple at school. I mean what can I say? Grayson is cute. :-) Anyway, today at Chili's, Grayson said the word gorgeous. I asked him if he knew what the word gorgeous meant. He said no, so I told him it meant pretty. I said, "Grayson, do you think Jada's gorgeous?" He said, "Yes, she sure is beautiful."

Dave and I just laughed. Grayson's look got real serious and he said, "Really, really, she is!"

Then, to brag on my smart boy- we went to Chili's after church, and Grayson wanted to write all of our names on our to-go boxes. He did a wonderful job! He only got a few letters messed up. Below are some pics of his writing.

This is Dave's box. The D is backwards, but he did a good job!

Grayson and I shared a box for our food. He attempted my name, and this was the product.

This was his name!

Pre-Halloween fun

2008-10-25T14:21:00.002-05:00

Last night we went to Frisco to hang out with Dave's sister, Anna. We were going to go to the Frisco Fire Department to a fall festival, but the lines going through were forever long. We decided to hang out at her house instead. We still got some great pics of the boys in their Halloween costumes. AND, Grayson was so excited to hear that he could be Spiderman again next Friday at our church's Trunk or Treat. There will be more pics to come!

The cutest pumpkin and Spiderman that I have ever seen!

Another sweet pic of pumpkin and Spidey :)

Doesn't his face scream, "Mom, why did you dress me up like a pumpkin?"

Pumpkin Patch Take 3

2008-10-18T14:38:00.002-05:00

Here's the last set of pictures.

Griffin holding a pumpkin

Me and my boys

Dave and the boys

Do I really need to say anything? How cute is he?

An attempt at a family picture

Pumpkin Patch Take 2

2008-10-18T14:27:00.003-05:00

Well....there will be yet another post....I don't know if I'm doing it wrong, but it want upload more than 5 pictures. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying them all!

Grayson as a ghost :)

Grayson got a picture on the same tractor when he was 5 months old.

Griffin's first attempt out of the stroller.

Sweet brothers

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-18T14:15:00.003-05:00

Today we took the boys to the pumpkin patch. *Note to self....don't ever go on a Saturday again. Everybody and their brother and their brother's brother was there. :-) No, really, it was very crowded and at times very annoying. Everyone is waiting in lines to get the same picture that you want. Then you feel bad for taking time to try to get your kids to look at the camera and smile. Anyway, enough ranting. We still got some good pics! Grayson enjoyed most of it, and Griffin just kinda hung out in the stroller. There are some pics with him out. I'll post 2 different posts to get all the pictures on there. Enjoy!

Here's Grayson being the ghost sheriff.

Grayson thought it was funny that he was in jail.

Sweet smiles

Grayson was just a little upset that this tractor didn't go anywhere.

Melts my heart. :-)

More to come!!!!!

Griffin's first day of school :-(

2008-09-29T22:44:00.003-05:00

Today was Griffin's first day of school. All in all, we are very blessed with the child care that we have for our two boys. I was very pleased to find out that Griffin was only 1 of 4 babies in his class with 2 teachers. I dropped him off around 9:45 (prolonging the inevitable as long as possible). I was doing fine until I talked to Dave. I completely broke down. I know it's good child care, but I need to be at home with my boys! Anyway, he had a great day. The quote from one of his teachers was, "He's such a happy baby!" so that made me feel good. At least he was happy. Can't really say that I was. Anyway, here are some pics from the day, although I forgot the camera, so there aren't any from school.

This was Griffin before we left this morning.

Another shot before we left.

This was when we got home. He was SO happy and I was trying to capture the moment, but the flash kept startling him. Funny pics!!!!

Funny pic 2

And last but not least, funny pic 3!

Griffin's Baby Dedication

2008-09-29T22:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday was Griffin's baby dedication at church. It was a crazy week. I rehearsed all week for our CD/DVD project at church. I was there Tuesday through Sunday. I guess I thought adding one more thing in the mix wouldn't be all that bad. However, in these pictures, I look really tired and my posture looks kind of slumped (is that a word?). Anyway, our church asks the parents to pick people in their lives who can be Godly influences for our children. We picked our good friends, Michael and Rebecca Griggs. Michael has been a good friend to Dave, and Rebecca and I have started getting close. At the end of the dedication, all of the Godly influences pray over the babies-VERY SWEET! Oh yes, and Grayson got to be on stage too. He

did really well, and I was very proud of how he acted.

Favorite Foto Friday

2008-09-19T22:18:00.003-05:00

PURE SWEETNESS!!!!!

Griffin is 2 months old!

2008-09-16T20:35:00.003-05:00

On Sunday Griffin turned 2 months old. He went to the doctor today for his 2 month check up. He is a big boy weighing in at 12lbs. 13oz. He's 23 1/4 inches long and his head is 15 1/2 inches around. He's in the 75th percentile for weight and height still, and in the 25th for his head. He got 2 shots and now they give an oral vaccine for the rotavirus. After his shrill scream like a little girl and then a very sad (to mommy) cry, he was asleep as soon as we got in the car. :-) He is becoming such a joy. We've struggled a little with some fussiness, but he's beginning to show more signs of contentment. My favorite are his smiles and coos. Below are some pics from today and last week that I took. They're not in order, but I'll put some captions to explain what they are.

This one is of Griffin right after we got home from the doctor today. The poor guy was worn out!

Here's another of the same shot.....I just wanted you all to get a look at how big he is!

Sweet smiles.....

and more sweet smiles!

This was one before we left for the doc this morning. By his expression, one might think he knew what was about to happen. :-)

This was after the visit to the doctor and after his really long nap.

Yep....and this lasted for approximately 10 seconds before he noticed that I was no longer holding him.

Can someone give me an answer, please?

2008-09-15T17:30:00.001-05:00

Alright.....Praise the Lord! I am down to my pre-pregnancy weight. However, this is where the real battle begins. My goal is to lose 20 more lbs. by Christmas. I know I can do it, but I've never had to worry about my weight before, so it will be a challenge. I'm really happy about this, but someone please give me some answers...... I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight, BUT 1. I still can't wear all my pants. 2. I can't wear my wedding ring. and 3. None of my shirts fit right- I kinda understand this one because of breast feeding. So, if any of you blogging buddies out there have answers or suggestions, feel free to leave them on the comment section! :)

Get out the bubble suits for your kids.....

2008-09-09T09:04:00.003-05:00

Yes, you read it correctly. This is what I want to do to my kids after hearing about the MTV Video Music Awards. I didn't watch them, but it's really not hard from all the media to kind of figure out what went on. It is sickening that our society is so drawn to these things. AND frankly, it just scares me a little bit to have a glimpse into what my kiddos are going to be faced with as children and teens. My kids still have years to go before they are faced with it, but it's only going to get worse. After all, we thought it was bad 10 years ago when I was in high school. I would definitely say things have changed since then. I also teach sixth graders who know way more than I ever did about things at that age. I know I'm rambling, but I guess I just want my kids to be kids that still have some innocence about them. They don't need to know everything. There is no need for my kid to be exposed to sex education in 4th and 5th grade. That's right. 9 and 10 year olds learning about safe sex. Should they even know what sex is? Wow....I know I'm getting on a little bit of a soap box, but come on! Anyway, I'll stop my rambling for now. In the mean time, I came across a blog for a lady named Vicky Courtney. This was her take on the VMA's.

My Sweet Grayson

2008-09-07T21:17:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time since I have blogged, and I usually blog about Griffin. However, I don't ever want to leave Grayson out. He is just as sweet and just as cute. He also says the sweetest things that remind me of how blessed I am. I will share a few stories that have made us laugh and made us cry, but first......some pictures of my guy.

He loves to hold Griffin, although I'm not that sure if Griffin enjoys it as much as Grayson. :)

This is a picture of Grayson, Scrapper, and blankie before bed tonight after a sweet, sweet time talking with Mommy and Daddy.

This is the same picture. It's just a close-up version so you can see his cute face.

On with the stories:

1. Today was promotion Sunday at church, and our church has just finished the coolest preschool space of all time. Anyway, that was just a side note. Grayson moved up classes. He was really nervous, so to distract him a little, I told him that I wanted to hear what his Bible story was today and that he better be able to tell me about it. So, after church Grayson came out with a lion face/head that he had made out of a paper plate. The paper plate was the face and pieces of yellow and orange paper had been torn to make the mane. I don't really think this had anything to do with the Bible story. I think it was just a craft, but I asked anyway.

Me: "Grayson, what was the Bible story about today? Did it have something to do with a lion?"

Grayson: "No Mommy....It was this story about God and His staff of rhythm."

I really don't know what that means. I think his Bible story was about David. All I know is that Grayson really loves music. He also knows that David was a shepherd that carried a staff, and I suppose that God had something to do with the story. Maybe he just got it mixed up. We still don't know the reason behind the lion. Needless to say, we thought it was funny.

2. I guess this story has two parts. It started tonight before bed. We did our usual: Bible story, song, prayer. Our Bible story tonight was entitled, "Paul's Journeys." It mentioned something about how the new followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians. Using this as a "teachable moment," I told Grayson that when we put our trust in Jesus we are called Christians. He said, "Well, I trust in Jesus. I'm a Christian." I guess I just don't think before I say things because I had no comeback for this. So, I called Dave in there. Dave started explaining that one day he'll understand what it means to put his faith in Jesus, briefly discussed sin (bad choices), and reminded Grayson of the stories that they read just last week about Jesus dying on the cross. When Dave got through somewhat explaining this to Grayson, he had this confused look on his face. He looked at Dave and said, "Dad, I can't do that. I can't put my face in Jesus'. That wouldn't be nice." :)

The second part to this story is when Grayson said his prayer he said, "Jesus, please help me make good choices, and Jesus, I will trust in You." This made me so emotional. I don't do it enough, but I pray that Grayson and Griffin will put their trust in Jesus. I pray that they will come to know Him one day. This is such an encouragement to me- this child who may not fully understand what it's all about, but he's saying, "Jesus, I will trust in You."

Silly Six

2008-08-27T09:57:00.002-05:00

I have been tagged by Becky.

The rules are:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules.

3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.

4. Tag six bloggers by linking.

5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

Ok, here it goes:

1. My number one is Becky's number 2. I'm a grammar teacher, so I feel a little justified in this one. I can't stand people using incorrect English or misspelling words. IT DRIVES ME NUTS!! My biggest issue is when people use "I" and "me" incorrectly. So, here's a quick grammar lesson: "I" is a pronoun that must be the subject of a verb. "Me" is a pronoun that must be the object of the verb. The easiest way to decipher the two is to remove the other noun from the sentence and see if it still makes sense. Got it? I've always been pretty good at English and I've always been a good speller. THANKS BECKY.....I'm not alone. :)

2. When the bed is made, the sheets have to be tucked under the mattress. If they aren't, it just irritates me. I don't know why.

3. I love hotels. Even though it's not my bed, there is something that excites me about being away from home. Think I'm crazy, but I even enjoyed staying in the hospital after my csection. Who wouldn't? Nurses were taking care of me and my baby. :)

4. I can't go to bed unless the kitchen is clean and the living room is picked up. It may be because these are the first two rooms I walk into in the morning when I wake up, but I can't stand if they are dirty.

5. I don't like when things are out of place. If I know that things are supposed to be in a certain place, if they have been moved, it gets all over me.

6. I can't sleep with the door open. I really don't have a reason for this, I just can't.

**Oddly enough, most of my quirks are about bed. There is probably something deeply, psychologically wrong with me. :)

I tag Kara, Jennifer, Delilah, Jessica, Aimee, and Lori.

Watch in amazement!

2008-08-26T18:18:00.004-05:00

Griffin turned six weeks old yesterday. Little did I know, he would reach a huge milestone too. Funny thing is, I don't know if Grayson ever did this because he was so chunky. It seemed as if he just stayed in one place. :) AND, babies aren't supposed to do this at six weeks! I can't believe it, but he's rolling over from tummy to back. He did it twice yesterday. I kind of thought it was just a fluke. Then, he did it twice again today! You'll have to pause the music player to hear. (It's just crying...) Watch in amazement. I know I did. :)

My sweet one month old

2008-08-19T15:26:00.002-05:00

That's right! Griffin turned one month old on last Thursday. He went for his checkup yesterday, and he weighed 10 lbs. and 7 oz. and was 22 inches long. He's still smaller than his brother. He was in the 50-75th percentile for his weight and height. AND, he still has a little head. It measured 14.5 inches and was in the 25th percentile. The doctor said this was fine as long as he was growing on a curve, which he is. The only bad parts about his visit were one shot for Hepatitis B, and he has ingrown toenails on both of his big toes. The skin is actually growing over the toenails. The doctor thinks that it will fix itself. One of his toes ended up being infected :( so he has to take a small dose of an antibiotic to knock out the infection. In the meantime, here are some recent pics taken today.

The prayers of a child

2008-08-14T08:29:00.002-05:00

Our nighttime routine has always been, in this order, Bible story, song, and prayer. We've really been working on Grayson learning to say his own prayers. Sometimes, this can be a hoot because you never know what he's going to say. However, sometimes it can be such an eye-opening experience. Grayson usually prays first, then Dave or me, depending on who is putting him down for the night.

When he first started learning to say his own prayers, they would sound like this, "Dear Lord, please help Daddy sleep, Mommy sleep, Grayson sleep, and Griffin sleep inside Mommy's belly. Amen." Then, we felt like we needed to stress to him that we not only pray for ourselves, but other people. The prayers transitioned to "Dear Lord, please help all of my family sleep and everybody else sleep. Amen." (Don't ask why the prayers were always about sleep. I guess because it was before bed.) Lately, we've been talking to Grayson about how there are people who don't know Jesus so it is very important that we pray for them.

A couple of weeks ago, while my Mom was here, she took Grayson with her to Walmart so she could get her glasses fixed. Apparently, the lady had an impact on Grayson because he prayed for her. He said he wasn't sure if she knew Jesus or not. SMART BOY! :) Then, a couple of nights ago, his prayer started off with, "Dear God, thank you for all the stuff you're doing up there in the sky." Now, anyone that knows me knows that this made me cry. It was all I could do to get through my prayer. However, my comic relief, also known as Grayson, quickly corrected me as I prayed that one day he would come to know God in an intimate way. He quickly stopped me, "But Mommy, I do know God!" SO ADORABLE!

Ladies and Gentlemen....We have a........

2008-08-12T16:01:00.002-05:00

SMILE!!!!!! I tried to get a good pic with his eyes open, but these were the best I could get! :)

Things that make you go "AWWWW"

2008-08-12T12:27:00.003-05:00

I was just scanning through some pictures today and found these of Grayson. It seems like yesterday he was this little. I can't believe he's 3 and will be 4 before we know it!

Everyone loves a "Potty" Animal

2008-08-12T11:03:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Bebe for this outstanding onesie! No one will ever know how fitting it is for our little man. :)

More pictures of Griffin

2008-08-09T14:39:00.002-05:00

So, I don't know proper blogging etiquette, but I guess it's okay to blog twice in one sitting. I just wanted to share these new pictures of my boys. The pictures turned out a little blurry. I think it's because I had the light on and the flash was on.

This one was sweet because Grayson and Griffin were "talking" to each other.

Poor Griffin....I think when I took this picture, Grayson was saying, "It's okay Griffin, me and Dad are just trying to make you smile." Notice Griffin's face. :)

And, I just thought this one was sweet.

The many faces of Griffin

2008-08-09T14:31:00.003-05:00

Need I say any more? I'm sure he's thinking, "Who is this weird lady that keeps putting this flash in my face?" It's okay....Let him think it. He's still cute, and I'm gonna keep taking pictures until he's out of the house. So, he better get used to it!

Another "Graysonism"

2008-08-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

Dave and I have begun to wonder if we watch too much t.v. We always watch at night, but never really realized how much Grayson paid attention until recently. Honestly, he never watches it, he has this insanely keen sense of hearing. Anyway, as embarrassing as it is, this is how our conversation went after bath time last night.

Grayson: "Mommy, Daddy can use weight."

Me: "Grayson, did you mean Daddy can lose weight?"

Grayson: "Yeah, that's what I said."

Me: "Okay....do you think Daddy needs to lose weight?"

Grayson: "No, but he could use weight with Alli."

Me: "Where in the world did you hear that?"

Grayson: "The lady on the tv said he could use it with Alli."

Me: UNCONTROLLABLE LAUGHTER......

Enjoy.... :-)

"Graysonisms"

2008-08-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Fun title, I know! As some of you already know, Grayson makes us laugh so hard we cry sometimes. The things that come out of his 3 year old little mind and mouth crack us up. Of course, some things make me realize he's a little more like me than I would probably like for him to be. However, here are a few "Graysonisms" that have made me laugh lately.

1. Some time while I was in the hospital, Grayson was taking a fun ride on the elevator with his Granna while I was feeding Griffin. We felt like the less questions asked about that, the better, so we decided to not do that in front of him just yet. Well, apparently, he and Granna were talking about mommy feeding Griffin, and the conversation went south very quickly. Grayson proceeded to tell his Granna that Griffin eats boobs. Shocked and surprised, Granna quickly tried to make the conversation go in a different direction. She quickly told him that we don't need to talk that way and changed the subject. :)

2. Grayson looked at me yesterday and said, "Mommy, but Griffin came out of your belly." I said, "Yeah, I know." Grayson proceeded to say, "Well, then why is your belly not flat?" I thought how blessed I was to have my little 3 year old tell me that I'm not quite back to my goal weight yet.

3. We went to eat lunch with Dave yesterday and on the way back to Dave's work, Grayson was "talking" to someone on one of our old cell phones. Grayson said, "Hey guys! Turn down the radio. I'm talking on the phone." Dave turned down the radio and asked, "Well, who are you talking to?" Grayson said, "I'm talking to someone who doesn't know God." Dave said, "Well, maybe you should tell them about Jesus." Grayson said, "I can't tell them about Jesus because I have a lot of other stuff and things to tell them about." Dave said, " If someone doesn't know God, then the most important thing you could tell them would be about Jesus." Then, Grayson proceeded to tell whoever was on the phone the story of Jesus. :)

Some of you may wonder....

2008-07-31T22:23:00.003-05:00

Some of you may wonder how Grayson is handling all of this change. He really loves Griffin. He's definitely a protector. He wants to help with diapers, calming him down, etc. He likes to sing to him and kiss him a lot.

However, it hasn't been easy. He's doing things that demand our attention like breaking the rules or talking back. Part of me feels really guilty for having to discipline him through it, but I know it's for his own good. Next week Grayson returns to daycare (tears from Mommy). I think this will help though, since he'll have a lot to do instead of stay around here and "help" take care of brother. I'm sure it can be boring for him at times. In the mean time, I'll close by sharing some pictures of him meeting Griffin for the first time and a rather cute one of him and daddy before we left for the hospital. :)

Update on Griffin

2008-07-30T21:32:00.003-05:00

Here are a few updates on Griffin. He's doing really well. He's keeping us up at times during the night, but last night was better, so we're hopeful. We went for his two week checkup on Monday and his 2nd newborn screen. Although we're trying not to compare, he is very different than Grayson. Grayson has always been in the 90th percentile or above on everything. Griffin is hanging in there at the 50th percentile on weight and height. AND, if you know anything about the Lollar side of the family (my side), the babies all have big heads. Griffin's was in the 25th percentile! He still has time to catch up, but for right now, he's our little guy. :) Enjoy the pics!

This is a picture of Griffin's "war wound" from his newborn screening.

Here he is sitting up in the corner of the couch.

Here he is chilling out in his bouncer. This is a picture of him fresh out of a bath after yet again, another pee and poop fest all over everything! :)

FOR THE LOVE....(We're taking donations)

2008-07-27T10:15:00.002-05:00

We are now taking donations to help pay for our water bill and electric bill. :) Ever since Griffin has joined us at home, he keeps peeing and pooping all over EVERYTHING! To give you an idea, I've already washed our comforter and probably 5 loads of laundry since Friday.

Now, some of you may say, "Just change the brand of diapers you're using." Already done, friends. We've also contemplated that we may need to move up to a size 1 diaper. However, they don't fit. They are WAY too big. This is new to us....Grayson was wearing size 1's when he came home from the hospital!

So, although we're just kidding about donations (I think...it may change if this continues), we're at a loss. We don't know what to do other than to "grin and bear it" for now and hope it gets much better.

Finally....

2008-07-25T16:52:00.004-05:00

Here are some comparison pics of Grayson and Griffin...

This one is of my sweet little Griffin.............

AND, this one is of my sweet little Grayson....

There will be more to come of Griffin later. :) Believe me, there are better ones, even though I think you'll be able to tell how much they look alike from these two.

Better late than never blog :)

2008-07-22T18:02:00.003-05:00

Well blogging buddies, my sweet little Griffin finally arrived last Monday, July 14th at 12:27 pm weighing a whopping 8lbs. 11oz. He was 20 inches long, and he looks just like Grayson. Everything went well. God blessed me with the best doctor and nurses that anyone could ask for. I had a great experience, even though I had major surgery.

A week has passed, and I'm already saddened by how fast time is going. He's growing very quickly, and I'm trying to cherish every minute of it that I can. I'm already very anxious about returning to work in October. SO, pray for me and my emotional state (yes, I do understand that I just gave birth a week ago).

Hopefully, when I figure out how to get photos on here (I'm sure it's easy; be patient with me. I'm still learning), I'll put some pics up of Griffin and Grayson. AND, maybe even some comparison pics. I promise you'll be shocked. Even my doctor commented about how much he looked like his big brother when she pulled his head out. :) She's only seen Grayson 3 times. Anyway, more blogging later!!!

And the countdown begins.....

2008-07-11T14:06:00.002-05:00

Well, today is officially the beginning of the downhill slope. Dave's parents will be arriving this afternoon, and my parents will be arriving some time tomorrow. We are very excited, and I know it will pass the weekend by so fast. I've been very intentional about spending a lot of time cuddling and giving attention to Grayson. This transition seems like it's gonna be harder for me than him. Any advice from all you moms of 2 or more out there? I did take Grayson to the movies today to see WALL-E. By the way, I would definitely recommend this movie. It was so cute. I have to say that it kinda caters to the boys, but I think girls would enjoy it too. Anyway, back on topic, it's been a very sweet week with him. God has really helped me have patience and understanding with him with the perspective that I'm not the only one who's going to go through a change here.

On another note, my husband was one of the great people that attempted to get the new iphone today. Thank God that he is smarter than this because when he drove up to the at&t store right by our house, practically, he said the line was wrapped around the building. It was 6 am folks! So, he drove home. He said he did think about it, but getting an iphone and getting it activated could have taken at least 15 minutes a customer. This is not including the fact that you have to have a credit check done. That could have been done before, but you know everyone standing in that line hadn't done that already. Then, the fact that the store didn't even open up until 8. Craziness I tell you!!! So, for now, he'll wait anxiously to get that slice of technological heaven in his hands. :)

Dr.'s visit

2008-07-08T17:12:00.000-05:00

Well, today was our last official visit to the doctor before the big day on Monday. Griffin will be joining our family some time Monday afternoon unless he decides to grace us with his presence before then.

I know that I am not the doctor, and I may have no idea what I am talking about. Many of you know that I think my due date is one week ahead of what the doctor says. That would mean that my actual due date would be July 16th. However, I have listened to the doctor and just gone along with what she says. Well, today, I go in and she had an emergency delivery. No big deal, I thought. Her nurse came in and did all of her work instead. I didn't mind. However, when she got to the part of measuring me, she measured me at 41 weeks!!! If you don't want to do the math yourself, according to the doctor, I am measuring 3 weeks ahead. Now, I don't know how much measuring counts, but that's one huge baby if you ask me.

Welcome to our blog!

2008-07-08T17:04:00.001-05:00

After much consideration and some encouragement from some friends, we've finally decided to have a blog. The page is not that pretty yet, but with the help of Dave, maybe it will get there. Our hope is that our family and friends here in Texas and Alabama will enjoy reading about our lives which most likely will include a lot of stories about Grayson and Griffin. :)

Happy reading!