Christmas Card Photo

It is Christmas card time--which means that I need your address. If I list your name below, please text me your address or you may not get one of my world famous HANDMADE Christmas cards.

Address Needed:

Amanda Jolley

David & Jana Corless

Vanessa

Paul Risenmay (I want your mom's address)

Seriously I spent approx. 24 hours making these cards. I guess I felt the urge to make them since I work for a craft company that promotes giving handmade. However, I told Michael that he is in charge of the cards next year. Which will either mean we do not send cards or they are purchased from Wal-Mart. Ha Ha

Happy Holidays!

Family Photos

I am totally in love with my latest purchase. Remington had his photos taken over Thanksgiving break by a buddy of mine Casey Hyer. If you click on his name and go to client login enter the word "liz" you can view all of the unedited photos. Please do not judge my fatness--still struggling to loose the baby weight even 9 months later.

He edited a few and I wanted to share them with you. I think you will agree that Remington is going to be a hot commodity when he gets older with all of the ladies.

Our Little Mozart!

Splash Splash I Was Taking A Bath...

Monkeying Around

Remington dressed like a monkey for Halloween and opening his Halloween card from his gparents...Check it out!

THRILLER

I am so proud of my coworkers, not only did we kick butt with our amazing Thriller routine but we also won the competition out of the whole company.

The entire sales & marketing department (30+ people) dressed up like Zombies and we did the dance to Thriller. We even decorated our area incorporating the movie theatre, abandoned ally and of course the haunted graveyard which the zombies awoke from. I am in the front row in the multicolored green and blue dress.

We even had a professional make-up artist come and do our faces. They put latex makeup on our faces and peeled it back to make it look like we had crazy wrinkles. Can you tell that I work with competitive people if we had someone come in to do our makeup?

Happy Halloween!

P.S. I will post pics of Remy in his monkey outfit tomorrow.

No More Mini Vans!

I admit it--I do not want a minivan. And last night confirmed this for me, although this experience could occur regardless of the vehicle you drive, but today I am blaming it on the minivan. Michael, Remy and I were out for a nightly walk through the Sandy neighborhood that we can't wait to move out of when we approached a group of teenagers hanging out on the street. I guess it is the local hangout for teenagers that live between 114000 south and 106000 south--lucky us! So as we were walking past this group of teenagers a car approached and parked in a driveway about 5 steps in front of us without even paying attention to the fact that there were pedestrians on the sidewalk (thinking the car belong to the driveway) we proceeded to walk down the sidewalk when the next thing we know the crazy person driving the minivan proceeded to back out of the driveway without looking behind them. I was walking a little bit ahead of Michael with Remy in the shoulder carrier when the lady literally backed her minivan into my right side. It happen oh so quickly and as soon as we realized what was happening Michael banged on the back of the van and some type of sensor went off alerting the lady to stop. Do not worry--we are all perfectly fine. No bruises or scratches and Remy had no clue what was going on. As you can assume I was pretty shook up and a little angry (Remember: Never upset a Southern woman, disagree with her, stick your nose in her business and absolutely never try to run her and her 7 month over with your mini van whether deliberately or on accident). And to top it all off the lady in the minivan wouldn't even roll down her window to apologize after nearly making a Lizzie & Remy sandwich on the asphalt.

So remember...
1. Look both ways and behind you before backing up a motor vehicle.
2. If you do happen to accidentally hit someone with your motor vehicle, at least roll down your window to make sure the scared out of their pants victims are okay.
3. Ban all minivans from women in Utah who have driver's license.

Naming our boy!

A lot of people have asked how we came up with the name Remington, since it isn't the typical name that a lot of people use. From the very beginning we had named our child Savannah Jane--that was until we found out it didn't have girl parts. So then I was completely without a clue on what to name the little man, so I told Michael that it would be his choice. I still can't believe I gave up that serious of a choice to Michael, but I did. We knew that our son's name had to honor Michael's father, since we had a conversation w/ his sister after his dad died where we all agreed that Michael would be the one to name his son after his dad.

I didn't want to name another person in the family Michael (as their first name), so I left it up to my husbands sport fanatic ways to name our child. Michael loves football and several years ago there was a player in Michigan whose name was Remington--Michael loved it. It took a few weeks to get me used to the idea, but shortly thereafter I was sold on the name as well. Now onto the middle name, since the first name didn't honor his dad. Since Michael has 2 middle names "Christopher Carl" we decided we would make it a tradition and have Remington have two middle names--solution to our honoring Michael's dad. We gave Remington his grandfathers name as his middle name. So there you have it--Remington Michael Louis Gray. A long name, but one that is for sure going to make a statement one day.

A Note From Daycare

On Friday's Remington attends daycare. This gives him a chance to interact with other kids his age and even hang out with his older cousin Zoe (Brandi's daughter). I had to take a picture of the name tag the daycare created to put on his jacket so they knew whose it was. Remigton--I guess that is how you spell my sons name. You would think that payment for their care would be enough to get them to spell his name right. Regardless this is a photo to keep for ever.

We Love Palin!

I admit I was a little dismayed when John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running-mate. However, after hearing her speak last night at the GOP Convention all I gotta say is "she is one tough cookie."

I love her stand on: energy and being an advocate for special needs kids. She is truly a smart lady who I think will inspire women from all walks of life regardless of their political preference.

I am sad it wasn't Mitt Romney up there accepting the Vice President spot, but if I had to pick a 2nd favorite Sarah Palin is getting my vote!

Oh and did you see the cute daughter of her's--Pipper--licking down her little baby brother's hair during the speech? So freakin cute!

Giggles, Smiles and Babbling!

MAKING A MESS!

Remy talks about his bandage: If I look like this, you should see the other guy!



Remington is becoming a little man every day. His personality is starting to show and from what I can tell he is so freakin perfect. Above are some photos of Remy eating sweet potatos, sitting in his Bumbo and showing off his war marks. Don't worry he is fine--we just put a band-aid on his face because he has issues scratching his face while sleeping. I think the scratching calms him down and he doesn't realize he is messing up his face.

One of Those Star Struck Moments

Guess who I just exchanged emails with? I will give you a few guesses: she is beautiful, she is famous and she previously was the host of Good Morning America and was actually the longest running co-host on early morning television.


So do you have a guess yet? I didn't make it very hard.


The answer: Joan Lunden


I think I might frame the email, just for fun!

Missing in Action

A lot has happened since our last post:

1. Sold our house--That baby is someone else's prize possession now!
2. Moved into a basement apartment. Still looking for our dream home.
3. Remy has started eating mashed up green beans and peas. He is so funny. Whenever he wants more he pounds his hands on his seat.
4. Remy has started meowing like a cat.
5. Reagan got engaged and got a freakin' 2 carat. We will be going to NC in January for the blessed occassion.
6. Grandma Mae Dean misses Remy--she is requesting shared visitation rights.
7. Emma came home from Canada (We are so glad she is back. And she is just a breath of fresh air!)
8. I got a promotion at work. No pay increase--they blame it on lack of budget.
9. Michael got offered another job running a car dealership w/ a guy who his previous employeer was business partners with. Michael doesn't want to do it full-time, so we will see what happens there.
10. At work we are doing a flex-schedule, so I have every Monday off. It is a fabulous day!

In My Mind I'm Going To Carolina!

That's right kids! Remington and I are leaving to embark on a journey to North Carolina this afternoon. We are both super excited--Remington can't wait to go play in the Massengil's pool and slobber on Cousin David. Liz can't wait to be with the people who know and love her the best! And Southern Food doesn't hurt either, but hey I can't get too excited as I have a super sexy mama weight goal to obtain by the end of hte year or sooner if I really want to challenge myself... Just a little HAPPY FYI on the super sexy mama weight front--I have lost a little more than 40 pounds since the monkey arrived. I know that is like a 6 year old kid I have lost and boy I hope I never find that kid again! Only 20 more to go and I may be the lucky winner of a brand-new wardrobe compliments of Hubby So Sexy! Last night we went to GAP and of course I hit up the sale rack--and to my surprise I have dropped yet another clothing size. I am telling you South Beach works--it would work even better if I would actually stick to you. I think I have only literally followed the rules with that diet for like 2 weeks in the past 2 months, but limiting sugar and carbs is where it is at! So long Mac and CHeese--hello turkey sandiwches w/ out hte bread!

Oh and Reagan is getting married.... Ya'll all know my BFF from days in Caswell--she is marrying Casey in January, so another great excuse for Remington and I to fly the friendly skies (also known as do not bring a bag if you do you will be charged an additional $25 even though your ticket was like $800 and you have to sit next to a stinky fat man)...

Growing up way too fast!

This week has been exciting--Remy turned 4 months old and had his first taste of rice cereal! He LOVES eating rice cereal, he just opens his mouth super big and goes for it. And in the end I have jsut about as much cereal in my hair and on my shirt as he gets in his mouth.

The other day Michael called me at work and told me, "Remy, is growing up way too fast. He isnt' a newborn anymore." That statement couldn't be more true. Remy is less like a newborn and more like our buddy now. He laughs and coos and smiles and has his own unique personality that is so freakin adorable. (MOTHERS KEEP YOUR DAUGHTERS IN DOORS BECAUSE REMY IS SO FREAKIN CUTE THAT YOU DAUGHTERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST HIM) Okay, well maybe they can resist him if he forgets his manners and passes gas--oh that is another thing! This little man has big boy gas that is loud and STINKY! I always think that it is Michael and it always ends up being Remington!

Check out our photo collage above...
Remington eating corn (Well not really, but he moved his gums up and down the corn cob. He loved it!)
Michael's friend from Thailand came to visit. Here we are with her and her son at Pizza Factory.
Remington with his Daddy on Father's Day, he loved the bow!

Walle....

Remington went to his first movie on Saturday. Michael wanted to take him to see the new pixar movie--Walle! Remy just sat there in amazement at the big screen and kicked and squilled. It was so cute to see him.

We're Under CONTRACT!

Woo hoo--that is all I can say! Late last night we found out that we have our house (we have been trying to sell for 10 months) under contract! So a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been so helpful during this process! Anyone looking to buy or get rid of your house--check out our new pal Travis Davies--he rocks!

Oh can I say one or two more things--

Dear New Owners,

You are going to learn the words "Choo Choo" very fast! You will never get a solid night sleep again, but hey don't feel bad about that you got a screaming deal on the house!

Daddy's Got a New Job

Many of you know that life in the Gray household has been less than a lazy Sunday afternoon for the past few months. And no it isn't because of Remy--he is an angel! It has been because of Michael's work situation. For the past three years Michael has worked for a car dealership and had been working towards opening up another dealership in Boise sometime in 2008. Well we moved ourselves up there and got started on everything only to realize that being business partners with the original dealership owner was like making a deal with the devil. Promises were broken, deliverables not delivered and support was lacking. So we lost alot of our money in this big move for our family and careers, but after about 2 months of not being able to have team work from Ben--we had to call it quits and do what was best for our family. Lucikly I hadn't quit my job during the move (I will still on maternity leave), so I moved back to Utah and went back to my job. And Michael just started a new job as a restaurant consultant--you know how we love food. So far this new job seems like a new challenge and great opportunity for us. I am not sure the specifics of Michael's new job, but all I know is their company has amazing deals on some of the best restaurants around. The Utah restaurant pool is still filling up--thanks to Micael, but other states have some great options available. So check out the Web site and support my hubby and make sure to check back often 'cause you never know when you favorite spot will be added.

Oh and even more fun--Michael's sister Stephanie is going to be his assistant so they will be working together which is great for Michael to have a talented person on his team.

There is a logo on the right side of our site, click on it and you will be taken to the corporate Web site. Happy Eating!

3 months and bigger than ever!

I didn't think that a 3 month old would be so big. For some reason i had in my mind that being a newborn lasted for like the first year, boy was I wrong. Remington has just blossomed into a big boy who coo's and laughs and sometimes even sounds like he is saying-daddy. Yesterday was Remy's 3 month birthday which meant we had cake and he was the center of attention.

Below are some photos of the last few days. I love the bath photos. He just chills and has such a great time in the water. And check out him holding his bottle--he is a pro.

Video of Remy

Check out the video of Remy. You will need to go and mute the music at the bottom to hear Remy talking in his video! I will add another video tomorrow of Remy and Grayson playing.

Cheesecake Factory

We all went out yesterday for Stephanie's bday to the Cheesecake Factory. Seriously I do not see what all the hype is about this place. We have been twice and I wasn't impressed either time, but maybe my taste buds are broken! Above are some cute pictures of the gang.

Saturday is a special day!

Last Saturday Remy had a big adventurous day! He went for a hike w/ mom in City Creek Canyon which was beautiful and at the same time was a great workout! Remy loved the hike he just sat in his Baby Bjorn and looked about. For Mom however I had a great time lugging 14 extra pounds straight up the mountain! But one day my butt will thank me for carrying that extra Remy weight up the mountain and hopefully losing the cellulite.

Then Remy and I went to the BYU Cougar Soccer game to watch cousin Jonathan play. At the game Aunt Nessa came and sat with us on the grass. Below is a picture of Ness and Remy chillin'.

During the game I yelled so much to cheer on Jonathan that after the game he told me some of the girls watching the game thought that he had a wife and kid!

My Teddy Bear

Remy is such a cute little boy and sometimes even looks like a teddy bear. A few weeks ago he modeled the bear suit for me.

Italian Men

Marmalade just arrived back from her trip to Italy and Remy couldn't be happier. He even did some craft time yesterday and made her a welcome home sign. Check out the photos below of Remy and his cousin Grayson wearing their collar shirts from Italy. Remember boys--Pop your collar!

We miss Daddy!

Michael is back in Boise running the business while Remy and I are camping out at Marmalade's house. (She is in Italy so it is lonely here) Remy and I wanted to just let Michael know that we miss him and can't wait to see him tonight!

Grayson's Blessing

Michael, Remy and I went down to Salt Lake this past weekend to celebrate Grayson's blessing. Here is a cute photo of the two cousins hanging out with Dad and Marmalade (gma)!

We had so much fun seeing everyone and you can't beat the fabulous weather we had. (Beautiful tulips everywhere)

2 months old and lovin' it!

Stop Being a Baby

This past week Michael has cracked me up with his parenting skills. Whenever Remy starts crying Michael turns to him and says, "Son, stop being a baby."



Stop being a baby? Is he kidding me, I think he has forgotten that the little one is only 7 weeks old and advanced for his age. (Show me another 7 week old who can roll over--that is right he rolled over on his own this morning after he took a jog around the block) Telling Remy to stop being a baby is the worst parenting advice I think we can give to the little chump considering his life span on earth so far.



I think a better parenting line to use on Remy would be, "Remy girls cry and you are not a girl so stop crying."



Oh the joys of parenthood!

Public Display of Gross!

While travelling the friendly skies we came upon a few flying objects that resembled GROSS! The first was in Raleigh where we loaded the plane behind a couple who had no sense of covering up. I am a mom and I breastfeed and sometimes you have to do it in public, but you do not have to do it in public and basically walk around in front of everyone showing off your goods or in this case your gross. This lady was up and walking around in front of everyone w/out a blanket with her belly showing everywhere breast feeding what looked like a 40 pound white bear!Honey let me give you some advice from one breastfeeding mother to the next--DO NOT walk around in a public place with your goods hanging out and your stomach exposed like it is spring break in Cancun. Not even your 40 pound white bear would appreciate it in the long run. Michael used one of my favorite words to describe this ladies shenanigans--white trash! (I tried to take a photo so you would be able to see this for yourself, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.

My second display of gross came on our flight to SLC when this gigantic boy sat beside us and he proceeded to eat his pretzels with his mouth open. I do not think I have ever seen someone chomp so hard on pretzels and leave their mouth open as wide as my hips. He was a respectable looking lad until he ate with his mouth open, come on it is 2008 and proper eating guidelines have been around since the cavemen--please comply.

And last but not least please do not mistake the airplane, airport or any other public location as your bedroom. This couple in front of us basically got it on in front of us for 3 hours on the plane. Come on we learned in elementary to keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves at all times. Please comply or I may be forced to publicy tell you to get a room!

North Carolina Blessings....

Little Remington is a world traveler and he can't even say daddy yet! Last week Remy took his first plane ride to Grammy Mae Dean's house in North Carolina. He was such a good boy and didnt' even need a bottle as the plane took off and landed. (I tell you what--this little man is an angel) While in North Carolina Remy was introduce to "The Road" and all the folks... I think his favorite part was being pulled apart by his cousin David (only 4 1/2 months older).

While in North Carolina Remington was blessed at church by his daddy! His daddy did a dang good job. The plan was to have Remy wear an outfit that one of his uncle's wore when they were blessed. Check him out trying on Derek's blessing outfit... Remy is busting out of the buttons like a fat baby should!

He tried on all of the outfits and none of them fit his chubby little thights---or so we thought. So Grandma #2 Myra went and bought him this gorgeous blessing outfit (known in the South and probably everywhere other than Utah as a Christening outfit), but when we tried it on him it was a tad bit too big. So we retried one of my brother's outfits and it magically fit--Grandma Mae Dean didn't know how to put it on correctly the first time. Ha Ha... So Remy wore a nice vintage blessing outfit.

Here is a photo of the proud mom and pop!

Remy also hung out with his great grandpa aldridge. He and Curry have very length conversations about what it takes to live 98 years. Ann kept saying "There is 98 years between Remy and Grandpa. Isn't that amazing."