Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Gray

From womb to college.  I can't believe its been 18 years!

 Gray and I took a trip to Southern Virginia University.   I wanted him to get a feel for what this school is like.  It's a Liberal Arts school.   Very family friendly.   Its a very small campus in a small town.  Only about 750 students!  It is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, very pretty.  Yes, it was freezing cold!  Gray has many decisions ahead of him and we, of course, support him as he will adventure out from home in the near future.




 Nice turf field! 
The drive home was gorgeous!
We met a couple friends there.  Gray's church buds, Bennett C. and Baeden H., attend this college right now.   Silly me didn't get a snap shot of those boys, darn it!  
 



 Gray will graduate in June 2015.  We went ahead and did pictures for this grand event. 

 
These pictures are from the fall of 2014.  Gray Graduated the following spring.  We are so proud of the man he has become.  He has matured a lot from 2015 - 2016.  Now he is on a mission.  He received his call Nov. 2015.  He entered the Mexico MTC Jan. 13th 2016.  I know the Lord has blessed him to soften his heart and seek his love.  From God's love and grace Gray has changed and now he can help others make that change for themselves in the Utah Orem Mission -  Spanish speaking.  I hope he will get to visit with his cousins and our extended family will be blessed too.  God wants to unite families.  I know as each one of us unites, then we are closer to our eternal destiny - together in heaven with our Eternal Father. 

fall favorites 2014

 

19 years baby! 
Enjoying Baltimore's Inner Harbor Cruise and yummy food at Ruth Chris' Steak House.
 

 
 Friday Night Lights with Gray Gams and Varsity Team.  Go Knights!   His 18th birthday was on one of these nights too. 

 Gray' Senior Night of football.  He is #81 

 Lost the bell but gained good memories.



 Above, Owen at a friends before going to homecoming. 





 Payton up to bat with the big boys.  Fred Lucerelli was his coach - same as Gray's in past.
 Payton was on a Howard Youth Basketball Association league this fall too!  Dave McInturff was his coach.  It was a difficult league but he had a good time.
 We had a new deck added to our home in October!


 Fiona stung by bee's.  Poor baby.  I had to give her 2 Benadryl tablets.   Look at her hanging gums.  I'm sure she feels how she looks.
 Greg and I had a big part in creating the Day to Serve at Freedom Park this year.  We got the football players to join us too.  It was a big success and we raised over $1000 for a local "Feed My Sheep" multi-faith organization.  This was the end of September.


Noah, tired after a game, waiting & watching Owen's team.

I love flowers and my Fiona!  She is 3 years now!    In the fall, I was the freshman team mom for Noah's group.  It was stressful but rewarding!  I got to meet a lot of people.  Above is a game at Century, below is at FSK.
 
 
 



 In October Greg took a  trip to Germany.  He met some friends and had a great time.       


 
Owen broke his arm during football season and didn't play much since it happened last week of September.  At the time, I was so nervous about this surgery and his recovery.  He had a plate and screws put into his forearm.  Praise the Lord and the help of his PT he has recovered and is now playing on JV basketball team for his school.     His PT was so kind and reassuring.  I think he fractured the ulna but maybe it was the radius.  (Crazy how stress causes my brain not to remember details well.)







 



 Early December, Owen got his braces off, finally, and Payton got his on. 
 
 

Some Christmas pics.



 Weather was fabulous for me.  A true Arizona Christmas.  I was happy not to be freezing again as I took Fiona for a walk.



 Out of order: Pics from when my sister, Sara, came to visit.  She was here for her birthday in October and left Nov. 5.  It was a blessing to have her stay 10 days.  I loved every minute of it!





 Arlington Cemetery


 Eternal Flame






 Changing of the guard




Picture above was caught on a friends camera. This was Halloween night for our Senior boys. Thanks Katrina Hebert for this awesome, spooky pic. 


Notable mentions: Mid September, I started a regular job at Oklahoma Road Middle School.  I am their new part-time Media Clerk.  Although the pay is less than what I can get substituting 2 1/2 days a week, I enjoy the regular hours, creating new friendships and associations, clerical work experience and building up my resume. 


Thanksgiving in NY was another good experience.  We got to see all of Greg's brothers, expect Neal.  Unfortunately, he couldn't make it and was still recovering from a knee infection.  My boys love being with their grandparents.  Gray says that he wishes he can just move up to NY and live on Grandpa's property, hunting and fishing and never having to go to school again.  That funny boy. 
 Oh, yeah, we went to Hershey Park again this fall.  It is always around Gray's birthday, General Conference weekend.  We went with the Heberts and John Iroanya. 

 The basketball game at Hershey all the boys have to play at least once, even Greg!
 Pics with a Kiss.  We saw our neighbors and hooked up with them too!  Engles family.  It was a fun, chilly day!
 Payton is doing great working on his merit badges.  Here is a bike ride he, John and Hayden went on.  15 miler