Blessings of a year gone by!

As this year is coming to a close, I kinda want to look back at this past year.  It was been filled with a lot of changes.  Change - You know that word is actually hard for a lot of people to get a hold of and I have to admit it was not easy for me.  I still have days where it is a bit hard but I know that God is seeing me through and I have the love of my husband and boys that keep me going.  We have been through a very tough patch this year and I would like to think I could share it with you all but I do not think I am that ready yet but know that God was and is still in control of it.  We are so thankful for the family and friends we have in our life and who have prayed for us, you will not know how much we love you!  I would like to share just a little about each of us through this year and kinda sum up what we have been doing.

Joshua has had a great year.  God has blessed his gun business beyond anything we could ask for.  God has blessed Josh with such a leader and a business savvy attitude that many things he touches he just excels.  His boss has been a huge blessing in our life and we are so thankful for all the ways he has helped Josh out.  He first gave Josh a job, then he offered Josh his store front to start Josh’s business if Josh would manage his sawmill for him.  I just love this man for his commitment.  His commitment to his work and more importantly to his family.  He does everything he can to provide for us, he loves me with a kind of love that most long for and he loves his boys with all of his heart.  I love when he comes home and the boys get so excited to see him and though he is really tired he takes some time to make them feel loved!  I am so proud to call this man my husband, through all that he has gone through this past year and half, he remains focused.  Thank you babe!  Oh I forgot to mention that God has blessed Joshua with the opportunity to play guitar for the youth here and Joshua is so happy to be doing something he loves again.

Caleb was just born to be a big brother.  Caleb has his daddy’s patience(he did not get that from me J), there are days that he gets a little frustrated but most days he just takes time for Taylor.  He has so much compassion for people, I am just praying that Josh and I can help him use that gift for God’s kingdom.  I catch myself most days just staring at him, thinking how big he has gotten.  Next year he starts school and that is going to be a very hard time for me, mainly because I have had to work his last year at home but I do know that he will do great.  Caleb is also our monkey of the family, he will climb trees without any fear.  The boys got a playground for Christmas and he will climb to the tippy top of the thing, but he is so careful about it.  I know that sounds crazy but he really is.  Caleb has been through two surgeries this year, one for a lump under his throat and one to stitch up his cheek that he cut wide open walking past a piece of metal tin roof.  When I look back on those two thing right there I see how much God was with him and me!  He is such a brave boy!  This year Caleb has also been asking a lot of questions about God and Jesus(who he says is his heroJ), and he says the sweetest prayers that just come from his heart!  Ok one last story about Caleb, I have this book that I write a lot of what the boys say or do, kinda like a journal well as I was reading this past year I saw a funny story.  Caleb was sitting on the table, which he is not supposed to do…well here is the dialect

Me: Caleb please get off the table

Caleb: But Auntie sits on it

Me: Well if Auntie jumped off a bridge would you(yes I know but I did go down that route)

Caleb:  Would she catch me?

That silly boy

Ok well onto Taylor, boy when I finish bragging(I am a mom I am aloud right?) I will have to have another post for a few pictures J Taylor is the ham of the family, that is the side of Joshua he got.  He is the funniest little thing, I just wish I could just record half the stuff he says or the faces he makes.  Right now he likes to tease me and I will ask him for a kiss and he will tell me “No kisses allowed”, but he will have this huge smile.  This has been the big year for Taylor.  He has given up his bibbies, which we thought we would never get rid of, he has been doing an awesome job on his potty training for the past 7 days now he has woke up with a dry diaper!  He now wants to wear underwear like his brother and the day before Christmas he told me that he did not want to wear diapers at night anymore, as he said those are for babies.    And around this time last year was when he transitioned from his crib to a big boy bed, so Taylor has had a lot of major changes this year.  Taylor loves to sing and dance, a couple of months ago he would use just about anything as a microphone and now he will act like he know all the words to any song that we are listening too, so funny!  Taylor has learned so much in this past year and some of it has come from his big brother whom he just adores.  He used to call him bubba, he would run around the house yelling “buubba, buubbba”.  Then he started trying to say Caleb and it came out “Cub” but now that big boy and say Caleb.  I can’t wait to see what BIG things this year will hold for my sweet boy!

Well I guess now it is my turn, this year has held lots of change, growing and some growing.  I am trying to learn to just let things go because in the end it really is not that big of a deal.  Joshua and I have had to make a lot of decisions this year and where some it could tear apart, I think it has brought us closer.  I think that is because we know that God has been in control of every situation this year and still is.  I see Him with us with everything with Caleb, to us with our move, our house and just us growing as a family.  I think it is funny because God has done some really BIG things in my life and has shown me that if I genuinely and humbly pray for something that He will answer it.  I think He knew that I needed it.  I know this maybe sounding really weird but I have had a tough year emotionally and I feel He was just reassuring me.  Does that make sense?  Well anywho other big things is that I am going to be an Aunt, well my best friend who I call my sister found out about a month or so ago that she is pregnant!  So I am now saying that I am an Aunt, Leah said that is was ok J.  I know there are some more things but you have read most of my year through my blog so I will conclude with that I am thankful for each and every situation in my life and for the family and friends who love my family and I and pray for us!  May you all have a blessed 2011 and many more to come!  A few pictures from the year to come J

On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul ~~Psalm 138:3 (NASB)

A GregorWii Christmas

Are you recovering from this past Christmas?  I didn’t quite know what to have thought of this Christmas at first, for some reason I was just not really feeling it which is not like me.  I LOVE Christmas and it has nothing to do with buying presents(which I love to do) or Santa but it does have to do with a baby.  But I also love this time of year because this time of year just seems to bring out the best of peoples hearts, seeing others so giving just does my heart good.  Sadly though up until the week before Christmas I was just not really there.  Caleb actually showed me and grew my heart a size or two bigger(like the Grinch).  You see  the Sunday before Christmas our pastor was actually sharing his message and it was on the Grinch and how Christmas is more about giving and making our hearts just a bit bigger.  When Caleb was eating his M&M’s he had gotten from his Sunday School teacher, one of the college kids behind him was teasing him that he wanted some of his M&M’s.  Most kids will tell them no but not Caleb, that boy has one of the biggest hearts I know of.  He got out of his pew and went and offered him some of his M&M’s.  That day my heart was filling with the Christmas spirit!  I would love to share some of our Christmas with you.

On Christmas Eve we started to make Christmas cookies for Santa.  I love making cookies with the boys, there is just so much fun that is being had J There was some mixing, tasting, rolling, more nibbling, maybe a little flour fight J, some more nibbling, cookie cutting, SPRINKLES and then the boys eating the sprinkles.  We had so much fun, I just enjoy spending my time with them.  Here are a few pictures below.

 

Christmas morning was so nice and actually relaxed.  Taylor who has been asking everyday since the presents got put out if he could open them, could finally open his presents except he kinda went nuts and just started opening any present he could get his little fingers on.  He was so funny!  We decided to get a family gift this year and got us and the kids a Wii.  Which we have named the GregorWii, catchy huh?  Jeremy actually came up with that cool name and we like it.  Anywho Caleb loves the Wii, he likes to sword fight and play the Star Wars game we got him and let me tell you that boy is good!  Taylor is still getting used to it but I think he will come around soon.  He loves the animals he got and all the movies.  That boy could watch movies all day if you let him. Oh I forgot but the boys did get a “deer stand”(playground) for Christmas from Josh’s parents and Caleb just is a monkey on that thing and Taylor is now learning to climb and swing too!  We are so thankful for all of our friends who love our kids and send them some special things too!  Josh and I did our annual ornament exchange.  Each year we both get each other an ornament we have done it for the past 8 years now.  It started out at first as a simple lets get each other a sweet little ornament but now it is kinda a competition, a fun competition J I would have pictures from it but whoa, I was looking a tad bit rough so I think I will spare you all. Hehe.  Oh and before I unload some of the pictures from Christmas I have to tell you that the boys and I had our first white Christmas!  It was so beautiful, the boys went and played out in the snow a bit.  Jessica, Josh and I cooked the Christmas meal and it was really yummy!  I just love when Joshua makes his Christmas ham, it is the best!

Well that about does it for Christmas at the Chez Gregory household, I think the only thing that would have made this Christmas a bit nicer would have been if my family was with us too cause they love Christmas just as much as I do.  Well pray you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and may you have a wonderful New Year! 



us in the aftermath =)



Taylorsaurus is turning three!!

Taylor toot,

People used to tell me how quickly time goes by as you get older, I do not realize how quick it did until I had two precious boys!  And time goes by so fast.  You are such an amazing blessing in all of our lives.  This has been a year of many changes for you.  You have learned so much and you have gained quite the funny little personality. 

I am going to miss so many wonderful things that I can not get back.  Like around this time last year I was still rocking you to sleep,  those are some of my favorite times with you because since I had to go back to work, I missed a lot of new things you were doing and that time at night was just me and you!  I am going to miss when you “don’t” need me much anymore, you are taking notes from your awesome big brother about becoming an independent but still sweet little boy.  No longer a baby but as you say “I big boy”.  And everything is now “I do it by myself”.  You have such a way of making everyone around you smile, even when we are trying to be mad J

Taylor God has big plans for your life, I can see so many wonderful things coming out right now like how you absolutely love to sing and dance.  If there is music you are moving and if you know most of the song you are singing right along making up a few of your own little words along the way.  Daddy, Caleb and I are so proud of you and love you very much Taylor! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!