winter wonderland

Ella, Grayson & Mommy had a blast sledding for 2.5 hours today. "I know what, Mommy. Let's go on another sleigh ride one more time; just one more time, kay? M'kay Mommy?" How could I resist the sweet voice of an enthusiastic two year old as I pulled the kiddos up the hill just one more time.....for over 2 hours. We seriously had a blast though. Grayson loved it too. "Maaaa!" (which really means more please, my dear sweet pack mule mother of mine). And how could I resist the sweet shouts of a snowbaby boy with a permanent smile on his face?

Silly Days

Just thought we'd share a few silly moments from the kids. Ella loved wearing Gray's hat around, and Grayson loved his spoon.....can you tell?

Thanksgiving with Oma & Opa

Well, we had our first Thanksgiving in New England. We were blessed to have Opa & Oma join us for the week. It was so nice to have family for the holiday! Thanks for coming to stay with us, Opa & Oma! We had a blast playing outside, riding the carts at Home Depot, eating turkey, and playing, playing, playing!

Grayson's Dedication

On Monday we had Gray dedicated at church. It was a more intimate occasion. We, along with Opa & Oma, met the Peighs & the Fosters right after dinner. Pastor Josh read (from 1 Samuel) how Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord; he also prayed for our son. Uncle Mark & Opa prayed for Gray too. It was a simple, intimate, and very meaningful occasion. We are so very grateful for our children, and pray God's richest blessing in their lives. We had Ella dedicated almost exactly 2 years earlier (November 23, 2006).

It's Getting Colder!

I loved the rich colors of these pictures of Ella Jane. She loves to put her hands in her pockets and run and jump. She also loves to put crispy crunchy leaves and acorns in her pockets. I personally love to put crinkled up dollar bills and crispy bacon in my pockets. Ah, did I just say that out loud?

The Boys

Like father, like son. Here are some cute moments I happened to capture of Jeff & Gray. Just home from church (love the ties!), and watching football together. So handsome! Grayson's cute too, of course.

Happy 365, Grayson!

On November 7th, Grayson turned the big numero uno. Yes, we now have a one year and a two year old. So much fun! We were blessed to have Papa & Grandma join us from Buffalo, as well as Uncle Mark, Aunt Carissa & the Peighs. Grayson enjoyed playing with his new ride-on-airplane, train set, cars, race track, football, blocks, & bristle block spinners! Thank you all for the generous cards & gifts!

HOLIDAY PHOTO CARDS ON SALE! Visit our website, www.grayellaphant.com to see our new and improved website and to view our holiday collection.

Incognito in October

On Saturday our neighborhood celebrated Halloween. Since we had costumes donated to us, we decided to take the kids out to a few houses with our friends and their two children, Abbie & Andrew. Ella was a lady bug, Abbie was a bumble bee, Grayson was a puppy, and Andrew was a horse, of course.

Fall Fun with the Family

What an exciting week we all just had! Papa & Grandmock (aka Grandma Mock), Uncle Jarrett, Uncle Justin & Aunt Jen & baby Mock (due early January) all flew in to NE for a week to celebrate Papa's 60th birthday. It was so much fun to have the whole family together again (though Uncle Jarrett didn't make the photo, sorry!). Ella & Grayson had a blast too. Gray can't stop saying "Papa", and Ella can't stop talking about playing with Grandmock and about how Jen's baby in Aunt Jen's tummy is really just a "big baby ball". What a beautiful time to come to NE. The weather was just beautiful (high 60's) and the colors of the season took everyone's breath away, especially Uncle Justin's & Janine's, seeing that they both have asthma. Right. Anyway, what a special time for us all!

Caramel Apples in the Making

On Sunday Ella sported her fancy cooking apron and accompanied Mommy in the kitchen for the annual making of ever so scrumptious and fall-favorite caramel apples. Though Grayson is too young to take part in the yummy caramel adventures, he had a blast knocking down wooden letter blocks. Good times.

Autumn in New England

On Tuesday we went to the local pumpkin patch to select our own fall icon- the pumpkin. Ella had fun choosing her favorites, which was always accompanied by one of her most popular phrases, "this one is really cute". Grayson had a blast too as he played "drum beats" on the pumpkins and attempted to suck face with every orange gourd-like squash he could get his hands on. Jeff and I feel truly blessed as we watch our children grown and learn. This is an exciting time of year. The magnificent scenery here is just breathtaking, especially during this colorful time of year.

Anxious to Move

Grayson just started crawling less than 2 weeks ago (on September 7, @ 10 mos. old). In the last couple of days he has started standing in his crib, free standing (for a few seconds at a time), and now, trying to walk. When we hold his hands, he starts walking quite fast, which makes Ella laugh, for some reason!