A Little Help?

Hey! I love making the slideshows with my pictures, but I have to admit that I really don't appreciate the pop-ups that come with rockyou.com. Does anybody know another website that will help me make my slides without the girlie pop-ups? Please, please comment if you do!

Home Again

We are back from our whirlwind trip to Kentucky for my grandmother's funeral. Everything went really well. Jack didn't have any major blowouts or upchucks, although he decided that he would stay awake for the entire trip down and back! THAT was interesting. We pretty much exhausted our song list memories, played pattycake and peekaboo too many times to count, and at times just turned the radio up really loud to drown out his protesting voice. Four and a half hours is just too long for a 16 month old who is used to running around wherever he chooses!

The funeral went fine, although it was a little sad. Obviously, I will miss Mamaw very much, but the knowledge that she is with Jesus far outweighs any desire to keep her here with me. Bampy seems to be doing well. I think that Mamaw stayed alive just long enough for Bampy to get to the point where he felt he could let her go. He is going down to be with my aunt and uncle in Atlanta for a few weeks, and then he will come back to Henderson to live with my other aunt. He has even tentatively said that he will come visit us!

It was very sweet to learn that when the grandchildren were listed in the obituary, Bampy included our unborn child in the number. He made sure that he told me that twice, and I know that it was important to him. We placed a picture of Mamaw holding Jack on the table beside her coffin. She really loved Jack and always lit up when he came to visit. Even when she was paralyzed from her stroke, she wanted me to hold him up to her so she could kiss him. And strangely enough, Jack was always very subdued and gentle with her. And he usually jabbered right at her, which made her smile. I will miss you, Mamaw!

Aunt Laurie

Today my friend, Laurie, came to help me. I have been overwhelmed by the last couple of weeks, and with Jack clinging to me and puking on me, it was difficult to face the task of trying to get packed to go to Mamaw's funeral. So she came loaded with Starbucks, food, and lots of perky cheerfulness to lend a hand when I was in a hard spot. This is not the first time that Laurie has helped me in a jam! Laurie has been with me during some of the darkest days of my life, and I know I don't say it enough, but I love you, Laurie Lu, and I can't thank you enough for being my friend.

A couple of years ago Laurie and I took a trip to Florida to see her parents and go to Disney. It was, without a doubt, a trip of a lifetime for me, and one that I look back on with such good memories that I just had to share them with you.

Thank you, Aunt Laurie, for giving me a bath and helping my mommy retain her sanity. Love Jack.

Thank you, friend Laurie, for once again, being where you were desperately needed.

What Next?

Jack just puked. Alot.

Mamaw

Please pray for our family, as we just received news that my grandmother has passed away. She has been ill for quite some time, and she knew the Lord. We are praising God that she is no longer suffering and is at home with Him, but we are heartsick for my grandfather, whose whole world revolved around his wife. Please pray for his health as well.

The funeral will be Tuesday or Wednesday--we're not sure yet. Pray for us, as this is the second funeral in as many weeks, and we feel a little weary at having more pain to deal with of the same kind. God is good and He is our All in All.

For Steve, Sharon, Jeff, Jill and Jason

Glory
by Nichole Nordeman

One day, eyes that are blind will see You clearly.
And one day all who deny will finally believe.
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces.
And one day chains, once unbroken, will fall down at Your feet.

So we wait for that one day.
Come quickly, we want to see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

One day voices that lie will all be silenced.
One day all that's divided will be whole again.
One day death will retreat, and wave its white flag.
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy.

So we wait, for that one day.
Come quickly, we want to see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

We know not the day or the hour or the moments in between.
But we know the end of the story when we'll see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

Still Here

Hey everybody! We're still here, just had a really crazy, busy week. Tuesday was Jeff's dad's funeral. It went as well as could be expected. There was much sadness, but hopefully there was also a sense of closure for a broken family. It has encouraged all of us to "step things up" for God so that the legacy we leave behind for our loved ones is one that is rich with God's grace and mercy, and something to hold onto during tough times.

Jeff took the whole week off in order to put Grandma's house back in order (Jeff's dad lived with Jeff's grandma) and take care of numerous "loose ends" that unexpected death brings. I will have to say that this week has inspired me to clean out the attic!

Tomorrow is church and we are looking forward to that, since we love our church, and hopefully that will usher in a sense of "normalcy" again.

Jack is doing great--I'll try to get some new pictures up soon. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who has been praying, has sent cards, letters, emails and flowers. Your love and support has meant more to us this last week than you could possibly know!

Stephen Virgil Gray

This morning Jeff received a sad call from his grandmother. It would seem that Jeff's dad has been very ill this last week, and sometime this morning, passed away. The viewing and service will be held at Abbott Funeral Home in Delphi, on Tuesday. The viewing will be from 11-1 p.m., with the service at 1:00 p.m. The family has a plot in Rossville.

This was unexpected. Please keep Jeff and the family in your prayers. Grandma Beaulah has now lost her husband and her oldest son within a few months of each other. We are unsure exactly of Steve's relationship with the Lord. There was evidence in his life as a young man that he knew the Lord, and just in the last year he had several opportunities to make good decisions for God. Only God knew his heart, and we are believing the best about his eternal destiny.

Already friends and family have been a blessing to us. Jeff's childhood friend, Andy, was with him when he got the news and stayed with Jeff for a good part of the day until everyone could gather. Gaylene came immediately and watched Jack for me so that I could go and be with Jeff. Laurie was a great comfort to me as she prayed with me on the phone for our family. Pastor Woodall called within the hour to express support from our church and to offer their assistance with a meal. The funeral director, who just buried Grandpa, made special arrangements to meet with the family this afternoon to help finalize the funeral arrangements. God is so good. There are many sad days ahead as Jeff, his brother Jason, sister Jill, and mom Sharon, sift through the belongings and memories of a lifetime. Please keep them in your prayers.

Concert Tonight!

Runaway Jack

A couple of days ago I was watching a TV program while Jack was playing. We were on the middle floor, the one that is pretty much totally baby proofed (give or take some items accidentally left on the table within reach), so I wasn't watching him very closely. I could hear him walking around and jibber-jabbering, and my program was quite interesting, so I let him go for several minutes before I really turned my attention to him. He was quiet and I thought, "ok, I should probably check", but then he started jabbering, very excitedly, again, so I went back to watching (I know, I'm terrible). Another several minutes passed and my show went to commercial so I decided I better go find out what was going on. I got up off the couch and came toward the foyer, when to my horror I realized that the front door was open, and that Jack was OUTSIDE. All three cats were surrounding him, as if to herd him on to the porch, and Callie was meowing loudly (she's the mommy). Jack was SO pleased with himself! I don't know how he made it down the wooden step, but for some reason the cement steps down to the drive intimidated him and he stayed on the porch. He was talking his head off to those cats, I think in an effort to psyche himself up to go down those steps!

Needless to say, we are now keeping the front door locked. This morning it was left unlocked by accident, and he actually opened the door right in front of me. Once again, the cats were in attendance. It's nice to know that they are looking after him, even when his mommy isn't!

Hopeful

I am a measly 5 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy. It was at this time in the pregnancy that I found out I was pregnant with Jack. I had about a week before the morning sickness set in that time, but I've already experienced some with this one. It hasn't been even a fraction as bad as it was, and I would be willing to stay at this level through the rest of the pregnancy if I knew that it would not get worse! I've been eating snacks often and drinking a lot of water. I found that I really like the Propel Fitness Water--it has vitamin B6 in it. Not only are the B vitamins good for energy (which I've definitely needed), but I was given a B6 plus a Unisom tablet as a remedy for morning sickness with Jack, and it was the ONLY thing that gave me any relief. So, maybe it's just the yummy taste of the water, or maybe it is psychologically helpful because of the B vitamins, but I like it and it seems to help me.

Jack has been doing great! This weather has been wonderful for him. Yesterday we went to the park and I let him run around on the playground and the grass. He was born in November, and by the time sring rolled around, Jack was still unable to crawl, so he has never really spent a lot of time outside, on his own steam, playing. He LOVES it! It was so funny to watch him fall down in the grass, get back up, and look at his hands in astonishment at the dirt. I plan to let Jack be a boy and get dirty outside. I know that it may sound silly, but I want him to appreciate the feeling of dirt on his hands, especially after working outside and accomplishing tasks with his dad. I pray that he gets his work ethic from his dad, who is tireless and ALWAYS working, instead of me, who will be distracted from the most important job by a new episode of "What Not To Wear"!

Today Jack played outside on our deck. I put a baby gate up so he couldn't get off the deck, took his toys outside, and just let him go! He ran around like crazy, petting the kitties (first time he's actually been able to get his hands on one), and dragging his toys all over the deck. It was really fun to watch him play, as we've been a little "stir crazy" in the house lately. Spring is coming! What a sweet baby boy who loves to run and play. God is so good.

Gray Family 6

We are happy to announce that we will be welcoming another little Gray matter into our family sometime in November. Yes, that's right--November. For those of you a little slow on the uptake, Jack was also born in November. Let's just say that February is a good month for us!

We told the twins last night and their response was typical.....Anne screamed and Bryan said, "Cool" and went back to watching his TV program. We sure do love those kiddos! Jack, well, he hasn't said much about it yet.

Jeff is very excited, and I am excited, yet dreading the morning sickness period. So, if you don't see me around much for the next 4 months, you'll know why. If you need a refresher, read this.

We are indeed blessed.

Two Year Anniversary: Gatlinburg Revisted

| View Show | Create Your Own

The Wedding

This post is a little late, as our anniversary has already passed (yesterday), but as we were gone for a wonderful anniversary vacation, you'll have to accept it now instead of earlier!

So, where I left you last....oh yes, we had "decided" to get married. The day finally came. I was a bundle of stressful nerves all day as I waited for the clock to tick. The time finally came for me to go to Jeff's mom's house, where I was to meet Jeff, leave my car, and take off on this incredible adventure! We were so afraid that someone would find out, but I have sinced learned that we really were so sneaky that no one even suspected. I waited at Jeff's mom's house on pins and needles until Jeff finally arrived--he was late! He was also very worried, because he knew that he was going to be late, but tried to call me several times. I had left my cell phone in the car and so kept missing his calls! He was afraid that I had backed out. Silly Jeffrey. A teary grandma poo kissed us goodbye and we took off in the silver bullet.

We drove all the way to Gatlinburg, Tn that night (about 7 hours), but when I look back on it, it seemed as if the hours just flew. We felt giddy with excitement. We got in to Pigeon Forge late at night and checked in to our hotel rooms. I don't believe that either of us slept much that night....we were both too excited. Early the next morning Jeff, ever the planner, got us up and out before 8 a.m. He wanted to find the license branch and get our marrige license with plenty of time, just in case we got stuck in traffic or some other catastrophe befell us. It took about 15 minutes. Really. That's it. In Tennessee there are no blood tests or waiting periods. As long as we both had identification and someone was able to witness our signing, we were licensed for marriage. Scary, huh! From there we went to the chapel, again, just to check it out and make sure that we knew where it was. Our "wedding" was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., but when we arrived we learned that we were the only wedding scheduled for the day, and that we could get married any time we wanted! So, we changed into our wedding attire and got married at 11:00 a.m. The "reverend" asked me if I wanted to walk down the aisle carrying flowers. Honestly, I was shocked. "Absolutely not", I said. "Been there, done that, no reason to do it again". He was a little surprised, but then I think that everything about us was a little surprising. I mean, we weren't kids, and yet here we were, running away like kids to get married. We stood before him in the chapel and held hands. Jeff asked him if he could pray. Again, the reverend was surprised, but of course it was our wedding, so Jeff prayed for us, for our marriage, and thanked God that we were together, finally, forever. The minister then asked for our consents in marriage, then we read vows that we had written for each other. We exchanged rings and the minister pronounced us man and wife. We both just looked at each other and laughed. It was hard to believe it was really true. What took a very short time was packed full of meaning for both of us. I think that when most young couples get married and they make promises to each other, they have no idea to what extent they will have to go to in order to keep those promises, or how much work it will be, or how incredibly binding they are. Jeff and I already knew what it was to make those promises, only to see them torn apart. I guarantee you that we both said our vows that day with an incredible insight to what they truly meant, and that NOTHING would ever cause us to break them.

Then we went to Texas Roadhouse and had lunch.

It was all very fun, and meaningful, and incredibly exciting and romantic. We spent the next few days in a log cabin in the woods and we loved it.

Enjoy our photos. We look at them many times and remember how much we enjoyed that weekend. It was the beginning of our family. At that time, Jack was not even a tiny thought, and yet our family was beginning.

Thank you, Jeffrey, for marrying me, as flawed as I am, and loving me above all others. You are, and always will be, my best friend.



| View Show | Create Your Own

The "Proposal"

It was a moonlit night on a warm, sandy beach. The palms trees were swaying gently back and forth........um, nah.

So what is our "engagement" story? It's pretty simple, really. We just decided to get married. On February 11, 2005, we realized that was what we wanted to do. We told no one but Jeff's mom and brother (actually I told my mom that we were going to get married, but didn't tell her when). Those two weeks before we got married were probably the hardest for us because of the fact that we knew we were going to be in big trouble when we got back and everyone found out. Unfortunately, there were circumstances that I won't get into and we just decided to literally "skip town" and get married. We started making plans to go to Gatlinburg, TN. I bought outfits for us to wear, purchased Jeff's ring, made travel arrangements, and did a ton of work at school to get ready for my absence (sorry, Laurie). I'm pretty sure that I didn't sleep or eat during that entire time! In the meantime, Jeff was putting a rush on my ring, and preparing the house for my arrival. Since no one knew we were getting married, it was going to be a shock to my two roommates when they found out that their roomie was no longer living in their house! There were a lot of things that, looking back, we could have done and wished that we had done differently, but the end result was that we left on Thursday, February 24, for Gatlinburg for an incredibly romantic weekend. And that will be another post!


| View Show | Create Your Own

The Reason

Jeff and I had two songs that meant a lot to us. The first was "Bless The Broken Road", and the second was "The Reason".

Bless The Broken Road
(Boyd Bobby/Jeffrey/Hanna/Marcus Hummon)

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I’m just rollin’ home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you



The Reason
(Hoobastank)

I'm not a perfect person
as many things I wish I didn't do
but I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
it's something I must live with everyday
and all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears
that's why I need you to hear

I've found a resaon for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you
and the reason is you
and the reason is you
and the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
a side of me you didn't know
a reason for all that I do
and the reason is you

The Way We Were

Jeff and I will be celebrating two years of marriage this coming Sunday, February 25. It has been, without a doubt, the absolute BEST two years of both of our lives, and we are incredibly grateful for our marriage, our family, and the church that God has given us. Many of you may not really know the story of US, so I've decided that this week I will tell it.

Jeff and I were both divorced from our first spouses in the last five years. Our lives as "singles" were fraught with lonliness and pain, and yet, there were some real joys too. God gave us GREAT friends. When you are single and away from family, the friends that you make become your family. It was like this for both Jeff and I. Jeff was a member of the Career Class at our church, and although I attended a different ABF, I was dubbed an "honorary member" of the CC because of the fact that I attended many class events and became friends with many members. Our friends were our lifelines. Jeff's house was known as the "party house". I also had friends outside the career class--friends that were my family (and still are!) God gave both Jeff and I opportunities to do things that we would never be able to do as married people, and we are so thankful for that time. It was hard. We didn't want to be single. We were both searching for someone to share our lives with, and before we found each other, we had our friends. So this blog is dedicated to that people that were our friends when we met. We miss you! Things have definitely changed for us, and for a great number of you as well, be we will always consider you our friends, and a very important part of how we were when we met.

We'd like to invite you all this summer to our house for a bonfire--a career class reunion bonfire! We invite any former career class members and ANY current career class members to our house for a great time! All hammocks will be removed.

Love you guys!



| View Show | Create Your Own

Bored Baby

As you can see, Jack is getting a little tired (as am I) of being in the house.

Today he took it upon himself to rearrange all of my pantry goods.

Our Blizzard Pictures

Blizzard continued......

Speaking of southern friends, Steven, are you ok? Do you need Jeff to come get you? By the way, this is NOT something that your Swiffer Wet Jet can handle. Try your dirt vac.