days in the life of a
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December 2011
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December 29, 2011
FAMILY CHRISTMAS, ROUND 1
























After a wonderful Christmas morning worship service, we headed over to Kenny (Kim's dad) and Joyce's for a scrumptious Christmas lunch...


























...and, of course, PRESENTS!


























Nephew Morgan is telling a tale of some sorts to his sister Sydney, brother Foster, and my grandson Karter as they get ready to open gifts.


























Karter quickly scoped out the presents with his name on them.

My sweet boy was concerned, though, for his Gramaw.  Karter came up to me with a worried look on his sweet little face and asked me didn't my name start with "T"?  When I told him "yes," he said, "Gramaw, I don't think there's any presents for you under the tree.  I didn't see any that started with 'T.'  But don't worry, maybe they're on the bottom."

How PRECIOUS is that?!  He was worried I'd be disappointed not to have any presents!  I explained to him that it was okay, that the grown-ups didn't get presents at Grandpa Kenny's and I could see he was relieved that I wasn't going to be left out.

The boy watches out for his Gramaw!  LOVE THAT BABY!!!

























Pretty Gray nieces, Pagie and Erin.





































Niece Sydney relishes her role as Christmas elf!


























Karter gets a little package-opening help from Daddy...



























...while Mommy helped Kaden.


























With the Big Move, I didn't have much time to get ready for Christmas.  So I resorted to gift cards and teen/gossip magazines for the kids in the family, which turned out to be a big hit.  How easy is that?! 



























It could very well become a yearly gift tradition for those hard-to-please/don't-know-what-to-get-them teenagers!


























The adults weren't left out at all.  Kenny gave us all some very generous gifts too!


























Kaden and Karter loved the books they received.



























Foster, being just a few years older, always gets toys Karter (and now Kaden) are fascinated by.


























He's very patient with his little cousins!


























It's always fun to catch up with Pam and Dave.  They were classmates of mine at old HHS, and we share a lot of years of memories.

No, Pam did not fall face-first into a bowl of whipped cream...that is my poor photography skills showcased, not checking the lighting before I snapped the photo.  Oh well...live and learn...  I still think it's a good picture of the two of them.


























And that, my friends, was the extended-Gray family Christmas celebration.

Round 1.

We drove back home that afternoon to host the House family get-together.

Check back tomorrow for Round 2....

December 30, 2011
FAMILY CHRISTMAS, ROUND 2
























I couldn't have imagined a better way to initiate the cabin.


























On Christmas evening, Mama and Dad, my two sisters and their families, plus all of my own peeps, 24 in all, gathered together for a wonderful Christmas celebration.


























We enjoyed a delicious meal (of course!  'tis the season of eating...) and then sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, complete with a birthday cake my sister Barb made.


























Then...gifts for all the children!


























Mama showed great-granddaughter Maci the pink tutu she got for her, as Grandma Barb looked on.

























I bought Kaden and all the other children some cheesy, made-in-China battery-operated animals...which they loved.  It's one of those cute but annoying gifts that you want to be sure they take back home with them...


























The children were our biggest entertainment.  They are what make Christmas fun!


























Little Maci is cute as a button!


























Niece Seanna was here from Florida for Christmas.


























My precious, adorable, sweet little Karter-man!


























I made Mama and my sisters a photo calendar...


























...with all the family dates and a few of the photos I've taken over the year.


























We caught Dad playing with Frosty the Snowman...


























Karter helped Great-Grandpa Bud open his gifts.


























Anique reading to the two little boys...and two big ones!


























The younger generation... Karter (3 1/2), Wyatt (10), Kaden (22 months), Mira (4), Maci (2), Seanna (6 1/2).

A Christmas miracle, just to get all 6 of them to sit long enough for a photo...


























Favorite Daughter Emily and Favorite Son-in-Law Zach...



























Awww!!!  Doesn't get any SWEETER than this!


























Kaden adores Frosty....


























Looks like some serious Mommy-talk happening between Dana and Megan...




































Mama tries out her new walking stick...


























Girl fun...


























Mama and Dad enjoyed having the family together for the holiday.  Of course, we all missed Mark and Alli and their children, who were celebrating in their new Texas home.

























Barb and John.


























See-stas...from the waist down...


























...and the waist up!

I am so blessed to have two WONDERFUL sisters!  Love these two crazy girls!!!

 
























The boys were hootin' and hollerin' at the other end of the room, playing with Wyatt's lie detector.


























Kyler and his Grandma Lois...


























Our cabin ringing with joy and laughter, surrounded by the people I love!

I couldn't have asked for a better cabin initiation.

But, we still haven't had our OWN family Christmas yet.  It's tonight.

Round 3, coming up!


December 31, 2011
A VERY BIG YEAR

In our 31 years of marriage, we would be hard-pressed to choose a year that had more craziness and life changes than 2011. 

It was a very big year for our family....


JANUARY:














Kim and I decided to build a cabin and sell our house to Kristoffer and Dana.

Let the hoop-jumping begin to make that dream a reality....



FEBRUARY:






















After not working outside the home for 29 years, I took a part-time job as
office administrator for our church.  It was a huge change for me, but I love it!



MARCH:



















The permits are FINALLY approved, the mobile home is moved off the cabin site,
the financing is FINALLY arranged, and the LOGS ARE ORDERED!!!



APRIL:




























Emily and I flew down to Florida over Spring Break, visiting Maria and spending
a few days in St. Augustine.





















Kim and I spent a long wonderful weekend get-away together at a charming
bed-and-breakfast in Amish country, Holmes County, Ohio.





















And...we closed the college-kids chapter of our lives when we moved Kyler
home from Indiana University for the final time.



MAY:



















College graduations and new careers!

Zach received his doctorate in physical therapy, and Kara and Kyler both got
their bachelor's degrees in business.  Zach landed a job at St. Vincent's Hospital
in Indy, Kara started working at Hill-Rom in Batesville, and Kyler interned (and
later accepted a full-time position beginning in May 2012) at Procter & Gamble
in Cincinnati.





















Kim retired from Anthem and, the very next Monday, started a new job at Activate
Healthcare, a huge adjustment for him...well, for both of us!





















The logs arrived!  Let the cabin-raisin' begin!



JUNE:




























We married off our youngest (and final!) child!  The festivities began with a big
luau rehearsal dinner in our backyard...






























...and ended with a very happy newly-married couple!  What a great celebration!






























We barely got the wedding paraphernalia packed away when I put together and
directed our church's Vacation Bible School.  What a fun but exhausting week
that was!





















After months of stress and preparation, it was WONDERFUL to spend a weekend
at the lake with my bestest girlfriends.



JULY:




















Headed west for a few days in Kansas City with Kamaron and Anique.






















After they got settled in their new apartment with new furniture, Kim and I
checked out Emily and Zach's new place...





















...as well as a trip to Harrison, Ohio to see Kyler and Kara's apartment.

If it seems like everyone keeps moving, yes, they do.  Kyler and Kara would
move yet again 3 months later.






















Ahhh...a week on Emerald Isle, North Carolina!!!  All the gang joined us except
the newlyweds, who had been vacationing all of June and finally had to join the
real world and go to work in July.



AUGUST:



















We came back from the beach to a newly-painted RED great room, and the
transition from our house to Kristoffer and Dana's house began in earnest. 





















The cabin was really taking shape and we could begin to see the end in sight.



SEPTEMBER:



















Over Labor Day weekend, I totally purged the kitchen of my stuff...






















...and Dana moved her stuff in.





















They sold their home in Minnesota and this moving van full of their furniture
unloaded into the rec room.  Between our stuff and their stuff, the gym was FULL!






















Kim and I took our annual Labor Day Monday Indiana tour...this time visiting the
covered bridges in Parke County.



OCTOBER:



















My first ever visit to the taxidermist with a pheasant to have stuffed.





























Trunk or Treat at church...Kim and I dressed up as Two Indians, "Dot" and
"Feather."  (Probably not exactly politically correct, but hey...we live in rural
Indiana!)



NOVEMBER:




















Trip to Joplin, MO for the dedication of the Hope Memorial, which Kamaron and
Anique helped create.  Great to see them again!





















We had hoped to be moved into the cabin by Thanksgiving, but it didn't happen.
So we hosted one last shindig at the house, the House family Thanksgiving!



DECEMBER:



















Finally, after 7 months of building and 5 before that of planning, we moved into our
new cabin home on December 17...






















...just in time to get things unpacked to celebrate Christmas!

WHEW!!!  It wore me out just reliving all that!

2011 was definitely...

...a VERY BIG YEAR!