The Randomness of me...but I got an award for being stylish

Ok so I have been putting this off for a little while, well because I was trying to think of some random things about me. If you hang out with me long enough you will see just how random I am but trying to come up with some was a harder task then I thought.  Emily at Speaking the truth in love and laughter tagged me for a Stylish blog award, first thought like many was ok but Emily I really appreciate you thinking of me!  Emily is one of the most encouraging but yet so funny friends I have.  Emily has such a beautiful family and God has blessed her with such a great talent of writing and encouraging others through her life and her blogs!  Emily I am sorry but I think that I will just play along, I am afraid I not have 15 people to tag.

1)  I have this obsession with everytime I go to Wal-Mart, I feel the need to have to buy some kind of bin or basket.  I guess maybe I feel that if I have all these bins and baskets that I will feel like a more organized person.  Cause in my head I feel I am a very well organized person.  I am not wondering if I need to go to some kind of meeting for this, like a BBA...Bins and Baskets Anonymous.  Meetings held on the second Monday of every month at Wal-Mart =P

2)  Some know this about me but it is still kinda random but I do not like veggies. Well I take that back I like green beans(but not fresh, I already know...I am weird) and carrots, but only cooked ones.  I have come quite a long ways though because I used to have to douse my carrots with Mrs.Dash but now I just add a few spices and I am good. =)


3)  Ok this one might make you really laugh at me but when I was in middle school I wanted to be on the cheerleading squad.  So I practiced and practiced(not that it helped).  Well I wore glasses back then (I have upgraded to contacts now) and felt they could hold me back by looking like a geek so I left them in the locker room...big mistake.  When it was my groups turn we were to stand in a line and they would call you one by one to come to your routine.  I just assumed that they would just go down the line, I never thought they would pick randomly.  So they started pointing at me to come up but guess what my sight impaired self could not see them.  Finally the girl next to me told me they were calling me but I told her to shhh and just kept smiling(cause that is an important thing in cheerleading).  So finally they called my name and they were a bit agitated and it kinda just went down hill from there.  Needless to say I did not get on the team.  Oh boy that is kinda a sad story =)

4)  I do not like pickles(remember the veggie thing) but I love the juice it leaves behind.  So like if I am eating a hamburger or ordering a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a I like to get the pickle on it and then give it to my boys.

5)  I once smelled smoke in our bathroom at work, well it worried me so I said out loud in front of everyone "We need to keep an eye out because the bathroom smelled like smoke".  Well one of my co-workers was telling me to hush and I just thought how rude telling me to hush.  I found out later that sometimes people who go ummm #2 will try to cover up the smell by quickly lighting a match and then blowing it out.  Oh I am sorry I have just always used the good ol glade(but you have to say it glad-day).  I did feel really bad for calling the person out but I guess I am just very naive and did not know. =)

6)  I do not like fruit either...hey it is different from the veggies so it is different random thing.

7)  I have my own language that my husband call Amberisms.  If I can not think of the word I will sometimes just make one up or if I confuse words.  I also sometimes mix up sayings like I sometimes say smooth move Einstein instead of smooth move exlax =)

I will give you a bonus *I also have to always sleep at the opposite of where the door is on my bed*

Well I hope I brighten your day a bit with all of my randomness.  Remember BBA meeting second Monday in February at Wal-Mart =)

Snow Day!!!

What a surprise we got on Sunday night and Monday morning! SNOW!!! Sunday night it was really cool (I sound so immature) to actually see it coming down and start piling up.  The boys, Josh and I ran outside for a quick peek.  The boys just thought it was really neat to see it falling and trying to catch them with their tongues.  I woke up Monday to see a whole lot of WHITE...EVERYWHERE.  It was so beautiful.  After talking with Josh, his dad and my boss we came to the conclusion that I would get to stay home and have a snow day!! I was beyond excited!!  Josh got to stay home with us too, so it was just one big family day...my favorites.  Per the boys request they wanted pancakes for breakfast, so I made them sprinkled pancakes and per my hubby's request made brown sugar and cinnamon pancakes.  Now the boys were stocked full of energy and ready to go. So we bundled them as much as we could and ventured outside into the huge white blanket, also known as the backyard.  The boys and I just loved it, they more just wanted to eat the snow which was just too funny to watch.  Every time I would turn around one of them was shoving snow in their mouth.  We played outside for about 45 mins then went inside for some more energy(lunch) and a quick nap.  Then we were off again, this time the whole family was outside.  We built a snowman with a huge melon, had a snowball fight, made some snow angels, attempted sledding, Caleb loved rolling down the hill and Taylor just liked eating it.  Yesterday is one of those days that will stay in my mind and just be a great memory and am so thankful I got the opportunity to stay home(one of the perks living out in the middle of nowhere).  It was just an awesome day...a great family snow day.  Here are just a few pictures, wish I could post more =)

 

A year in memories!

Sorry for all the pictures being in a mess, but I still have yet to get the hang of this blogger picture thing =) I do hope you enjoy some of our pictures from this year!  I hope you all are having a blessed week!



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 =)