Gingerbread House Tradition

I have always wondered why my Martha Stewart of a mother never started a gingerbread house tradition with me...well, now I know.....this looks like a lot of fun (and it was) but this is a lot of work....and we started with a premade house! Haze had the BEST time playing and eating all of our work! I finally gave up trying to make it look like the one on the box and we free lanced one with an "EHC!"

Almost, almost, almost.....

Almost walking, almost one and almost climbing the stairs!!!!!!!!!! We are in for a lot of changes any day now around the Clayton house! This little fella is all boy. This picture tells it all....he looks like a sweet little bunny, but he has the determination of a bull when he puts his mind to something!

Have you ever regreted teaching your kid something? Well, I have now! This is the first face I get now just about everytime I try to take a picture! If she still didn't look so dad gum cute, we would have a serious problem!

Haze hamming it up!

Thanks Santa!!!!!!!!!!!

Santa came and boy did he bring some presents! Elizabeth Haze made it clear that she wanted Santa to bring her "a pink one, and a green one and Grayson needs a yellow one." So, some how Santa found pink, green and yellow Christmas wrapping paper! I heard that this was not as easy as it sounded, especially the pink request! However, he managed it and as soon as she saw the presents she said "oh, look mommy, three pink ones, that's mines!" It was too cute. Our den was taken over by toys, barbies, Dora, and barnyard animals, but it was lots of fun! Gray's first Christmas was a success and Haze's fourth Christmas the best one yet. She really 'got it' this year and it was so much fun to listen to her talking about Santa and teaching her about getting and giving presents (the giving not such an easy lesson)! I haven't been able to get it on tape yet, but her rendition of Jingle Bells is one of the cutest things I have ever seen in my life! I'll try to post a video, but when the camera turns on, she usually stops!

Sug & Joe's Christmas Eve

We went to Sug & Joe's for Christmas Eve and had a wonderful time. Sug cooked our traditional breakfast for dinner meal and afterwards Kyle and I just sat back and let Haze and Gray play their hearts out with these two! I think all 6 of us were asleep by 9 o'clock! We were all zonked out, full as ticks and spoiled rotten!

Big G gets a make-over!

Big G and Delecia came up Sunday morning to have Christmas Brunch at our house with Drew, Taylor and Caroline. We all had a wonderful visit. Haze and Caroline played while baby Gray slept! While he was in town Big G had a make-over at The Clayton Salon! Master stylist Haze covered him in several different lotions over a 45 minute facial leaving them both smelling LOVELY! It was absolutely adorable!

The Girls!

Don't you know these two are going to get in trouble one of these days? The two years that separate them seem like eons now, but one day before we know it......they are going to be giving Kyle and Drew fits! Cousin Caroline is at the stage where she wants to play with everything she sees and Haze is in the "that's mine" and "she won't leave me alone" terrific 3's, but they made it work a little bit this weekend and boy it was fun to watch them starting Christmas traditions together. As an only child, cousins were my saving grace. I can't wait to see how this sister-hood plays out in the years to come!

Christmas with the Clevelands and Claytons

We celebrated Christmas with all of the Clevelands at C.C. and Ray's house this weekend. Oh what a great time we had. Nana, all of our aunts and cousins were there we had so much fun spending time with everyone and opening our first presents of the season. Haze and Gray especially had a ball and were over-endulged by everyone!

Christmas is the one time of year that everyone stops and takes the time to 'come home' and I am so thankful for that. My favorite memories of Christmases past aren't of presents, toys or Santa, but of tradition and family. Spending time with my grandparents, great-grands, aunts, uncles, cousins- that's what I remember most- that's my favorite part and I hope Haze and Gray feel the same way!

Snow Day with Her Joe!

Well, it wasn't as pretty as we had hoped for, but today we had just a little bit of snow and a lot of ice! We started the day off as usual, but work and school were cancelled before lunch. Sug & Joe came over to take Haze shopping (her favorite past time) but had a chance to play a little before they left. The smiles on both their faces says it all: these two are completely smitten with each other!

Christmas card photos!

I never knew how difficult it would be to get a half way decent Christmas card photo! We have tried on FOUR separate occassions to get the two of them together to smile, grin, ANYTHING but cry to no avail. There is no telling what we will end up sending out, but the cutest thing I have come up with so far is the header picture on our blog. If you will notice, they are caged in Gray's baby bed. No where to run, no where to hide- they had no choice but to smile at their crazy momma!

Sweet Boy

I feel like Mr. Gray has been getting the shaft lately due to all the birthday activities, so here he is! He turned 10 months old last week. No more single digits for this little man! He is still as sweet as ever, but is what you call ALL BOY! He is getting into everything, waving bye-bye and will be walking anyday now. He is so cute, if I say so myself!

The Party is over, but the Fun is just beginning!

Today was Haze's Princess and Pirate 3rd Birthday Party. She had more fun than you can imagine. After being up until midnight partying after the ball game, she woke up and partied all day for herself! Big G, Sug and Joe were here, as well as, cousins and lots of our close friends. We had to improvise our scheduled outdoor castle party due to the freezing weather, but I think we had a great party. The kids absolutely loved all the decorations and being dressed up! She won't be 3 until Monday. I am hanging on to 2 as long as I can! She is growing up way too fast. She is so much fun. She is our little princess and always will be!

Third Year in a Row!!!!!!!!! State Champs!!!!!!!!!!!

Well they did it! Jackson Prep won the State Championship for the third straight year in a row. That hasn't been done since 1980! It was a huge night for everyone there. Unfortunately, the weather caused Kyle, Big G and Gray to stay at home and miss the game, but Sug, Haze and I couldn't let our Joe down, so all his girls were there cheering him on. This picture is of Haze stealing the camera shot from her Joe. She was on NBC Channel 3 for his entire interview. She did a great job looking in the camera and smiling while Joe answered all the questions! A little movie star in the making. Gooooooooooooo Prep!

Football Frenzy!

These babies LOVE some football! Prep plays in the championship game this Friday and our Friday night family ritual will have to change! Although it has been a three ring circus trying to manage Haze and Gray at the games, we have

had an absolute blast cheering on Joe this season!

Trick or Treating 2008

Oh what fun we had last night! After fighting off runny noses and deep coughs all week, the four of us loaded up and went to the Zenor Halloween hayride last night. This was Elizabeth Haze's first time to 'really' trick or treat. She LOVED it! I mean LOVED it. She marched right up to those doors in her little red Dorothy shoes and said "trick or treat" like a big girl. The scareier the house, the better; she didn't care, she wanted CANDY! It had to have helped to be with a group of her closest friends, but still.......the shyness is wearing off! She looked so cute in her costume and pig tails. Her sidekick Toto, aka Gray, was the perfect accessory and looked adorable himself although he only lasted about 30 minutes on the hayride. I felt that was pretty good for his first time in a hot fluffy puppy dog costume! They both had a wonderful evening of friends and fun and passed out in the car on the way home.

Rub a Dub Dub!

Sunday our two dirty tots took their first bath together. Gray did not stop kicking and splashing the water the entire time. Haze helped wash him and loved shampooing his hair. Twice as much work, half as much time!

Pumpkin Patch

Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Patch with a lot of our Jackson friends and their children for the third year in a row. Despite the faces in this picture, we had an absolute fabulous time. There were about 40 of us. It is amazing how good children act when there are tons of them together! Haze picked 4 pumpkins, one for each of us. She named them- Momma, Daddy, Haze and Grayson.

This annual retreat always makes Kyle and me realize how fast Elizabeth Haze is growing up. Some of our best candid photos of her have been taken in the middle of the Pisgha Pumpkin Patch! This hayride is one of the biggest traditions amongst our Jackson crew and makes us gage where we all were this time last year and we speculate about where we will be next year. Last year EH was yelling "Moooooooo" at all the cows on the trail, this year she was counting them! It is amazing how fast life moves. This year Gray was slobbering and squirming all over the trailer, last year he was in my tummy. We all came back to our house after the hayride for food, fun and football. It was a HUGE party and we all had too much fun.

The Fair with Sug & Joe

Sug & Joe took us all to the fair last Sunday. Elizabeth Haze had an absolute blast! She has never so much has even asked for a toy before, but just had to have this 99 cent pink ball that cost $4 (and, of course, Joe said ok!) She went bananas over the petting zoo and the diving dogs! We all had too much fun. Gray slept!

Well, sometimes we can get cute pictures of them together and sometimes we can't! They were having the best time laughing and playing with all of our Halloween decorations, but I could never catch them together! They are both growing up so fast. Gray is trying to pull up on furniture, can say momma, dada and hay (Haze), and is cutting another tooth! Elizabeth Haze will be 3 before we know it, can have a complete conversation with us and is almost potty trained! Where did the time go? All I did was blink and here we are. Kyle and I are so blessed to have them both!

"Look Momma, we're dancing!" she said as I followed the sound of his nonstop giggling to find them in our bedroom cutting a rug. He thinks she hung the moon. No one in this world can make him laugh like his big sister. Now that he's getting more independent, she has decided he's not so bad either! It is so much fun watching them grow up together.

Baby Caroline

Uncle Drew, Aunt Taylor and Caroline came up for a weekend visit. All the kids had so much fun. Elizabeth Haze was still shy, but she had a blast. Gray played with anyone who came near him! It is hard to believe Caroline will be a year old in just two weeks! She's come a long way from the 2 pounds 4 ounces she entered this world weighing! Nothing from those NICU days remains except our memories. She's walking, talking and perfect in everyway. Our little miracle. We love her so much.

Ok, so I failed at my new mission! I haven't posted in over a month. In my defense, we have been super busy, but still, no excuse! Life has been great. We went to the beach in August and the kids loved the beach, especially Haze! She kept Kyle super busy splashing around in the Gulf. Swimming lessons are a must because she fears nothing when it comes to water! Gray loved the sun and sand, as well. He was a trooper and lasted as long as we did.

Elizabeth Haze: EHC is still in a shy phase. I really don't know what it is all about. Kyle and I are enjoying this clingy stage as we have never had it with her before and we know it won't last long. She is getting closer to 3 everyday! Time flies....she'll be 13 before we know it.

Gray: Gray has 8 teeth. Yes, eight teeth. He is sitting up and army crawling all over the place. He is already trying to pull up on furniture. He has the best disposition, but is starting to get a little attitude, himself!

I vow to do better with my posts, but daily entries are never going to happen!

Starting from scratch!

We are starting this blog from scratch! I made a promise to myself that if Frank Hodges can stand up to posting on his caring bridge site everyday, then I can maintain this easy task for my children! So, here we go. Today the 4 of us had a pretty routine day, of course, that means utter chaos. Sug and Joe came over for a couple of hours. Football practice starts tomorrow, so time with Joe will be limited to late nights on game days and a couple of hours on Saturdays, if we are lucky. But that is ok, because Joe loves football and we love Joe.

Grayson: Grayson's major milestone this weekend was learning to hold out his arms for you to pick him up. I have never forgotten the first time Elizabeth Haze reached for me and I will never forget Grayson's either. There is a certain joy that fills your heart when your baby initiates contact with you for the first time. Tooth #4 is also making its way through too! Grayson is going to cut teeth like popcorn the same way EHC did, bless both their hearts!

Haze: Haze is going through a shy phase right now. She only wants to be around her momma and daddy. She will eventually warm up to others, but momma and daddy are the flavor of the week! Momma more than daddy which is TOTALLY opposite of the norm around here. I am just enjoying it while I can, because I know this won't last long!