The Ewell Corner

A visit to Santa 2011

2011-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

I told the kids they had to put on their "Christmas sweaters" to see Santa!

Waiting in line ...

We wouldn't have survived without Marmi!!

45 minutes later...we survived!

The boys...because Eden didn't like Santa

...so mommy had to hold her to feel better about taking the picture...

Gray told Santa that he wants a T-REX and Eden wants a stroller- what a big boy being a little messenger:)

And finally a nice picture of us by the tree...Gray loved the bubbles Santa gave him.

Merry Christmas!

2011-11-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

I seriously loved how these turned out...Angie Berrio at www.berriophotography.blogspot.com took these for my mom and Dave for their annual pictures with the grandbabies photoshoot and I tagged along...She is so talented and I love that these images are captured!! They are up Spanish fork canyon. Enjoy!

Everett Neal- 9 months

2011-11-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 9 months to our beautiful 9 month old baby boy Everett. Time sure flies a lot faster with each child I have, and I feel like relishing each tender moment with this little bebe boy so I can remember him "when he was a baby" because I know that before we know it he will be a little toddler bouncing around. This is just what happened with my Gray and Edy- they are so grown up now! But that is another post...Here I want to capture the latest and greatest of EVERETT:

17lbs-12% 26"-30%

pictures taken on his 9 month birthday 11-15-11

*loves to crawl all around the house on the carpet, and side scooch on his bum on hard cold surfaces...smart boy! Avoiding bruised knees:)

*Loves to stand up against anything his height, pulling up, letting go to b

alance for 4 seconds and then plopping down on the diapered bum.

*Also doing a great job going up the stairs...this is a scary one because the going down part is still to be mastered. In the last 2 weeks or so he has fallen down the stairs when we didnt notice him crawl out of the living room and boy is he fast! I am grateful for the one time in between the falls that I was cooking dinner, heard him babbling/calling to us, I went to find him and he was sitting at the top of the stairs staring down at me...my heart skipped a dozen beats and I bounded up the stairs to get him and smothered him with kisses. It is on to a new gate to block the stairs I guess!!

*He loves to pull his daddy's hair and will usually spend all his time with daddy doing this. Nate fears he might go bald because of Everett, but says it would be worth it for him;)

*He nurses upon waking up, and going to sleep each night. And, most days there is a feeding or two during the day, but for the most part he is so social and interested in other things going on that he cant focus enough to stay on the boob! So he gets formula baba's too. And more than the liquid calories, this baby like munching on real food. At breakfast lunch and dinner he is at his high chair munching on bite sized pieces of whatever the family is having.

*And how does he eat, you ask? I dont know because he still does not have one tooth:) He is teething though, I am waiting to see a little white chiclet emerge any day. Today he has been chomping on his thumb a lot...

*He also can be found in random times of the day zooming around in his walker. He runs in that thing! And he runs over toes with no mercy, Eden and Grayson and I are usually the victims :)

*He has the cutest darn smile that makes my heart melt. And he cant go a day without a stranger commenting on his eyelashes and eyes! He is our handsome little guy.

*He loves to sit and laugh at his big brother and sister, they are his biggest entertainers for sure.

*He has had about 8 ear infections since July, so Dr. Marriott referred us to a petiatric ENT Dr Kelly. We went to see him this last week- he checked out his ears and had him do a hearing test too. His ears were still fluid filled (despite being on day 5 of antibiotics) and his hearing test showed a flat pentagram and low to moderate hearing because of all of the fluid causing muffled hearing. So we scheduled his surgery to get ear tubes. We had his surgery today, he mostly played before hand and after getting briefed by Dr Kelly and the anesthesiologist he went in for surgery. After sitting in the waiting room for about 15 minutes the Dr let me know it went great and gave me some instructions for after care and I went to find my baby in recovery. He was just waking up and crying pretty hard, trying to nurse on the nurse (no pun intended) and so I took him and sat in the rocker and he ate and fell asleep pretty good - I got his prescription and we headed home. We are just keeping him comfortable with ibuprofen and tylenol and have to do his ear drops twice a day but he is basically back to his normal self!

Playing with toys pre-surgery in his cute baby scrubs:)

We love this boy, he has truly brought me so much joy, from the moment I first held him in the hospital after he was born, and spending that 2 days with him mostly to myself- he had me falling in love with him so fast. I remember seeing his serious like expression- staring into his squinty newborn eyes, and loving on him because he just didnt cry much and nursed so so well. He has had me wrapped around his little finger from the get go. Now he is turning into a happy boy that is content laying on my shoulder, or playing on the floor with toys. He has an independent, peaceful spirit and I look forward to watching him grow in the future. Love you my Evy boy!

xoxoxo-mama

Preschool is now in session!

2011-09-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

And Gray had a great time!

Here are pictures from the big day:

Telling mommy about his show and tell item, he chose blue teddy bear

And this is his "SMILE!" picture:)

And with Ms. Tara and a classmate before walking into school:

And then we picked up Gray after 2 - here they are walking out holding onto their line-up rings

With his buddy Luke, telling me he had a good time at preschool

I think it will be a great year for Gray! He had a blast and now has Tues/Thurs to look forward to each week:) Go Grayson!

Same pose...Same age...Different boys...

2011-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Eden's Party!!

2011-07-25T12:45:00.001-07:00

Eden's party was such a blast! Thanks for coming Eddington's, Gray's, Cromar's, Killian's, and Junca's- and especially thanks for all the fun toys and clothes for our girl:) Here are pictures from the fun day:

Eden in her party outfit- a little shy from all of the attention

The yummy food, pulled pork sandwiches, chips and salsa, veggie tray, and drinks!
Big brother Grayson admiring the princess cake

Everett finally woke up to the party goin' on-wahhhhh!!

Mommy picked him up to play...cuddling and tummy time!

And some daddy time for Everett, too

Marmy cuddling with her grand-girlies Eden and Savannah

Present time!! Cute clothes, dolls, a stroller, jewelery and a bathing suit, doggie, puppy pillow!! What spoiling was had!

Off for her first walk with the dolly and stroller!

CAKE TIME!!!

She loved everyone singing to her:)

After the long day- she was one happy girlie! Here she is cuddling with Marmy and Abuelo, winding down:)

Thanks again for helping Edy enjoy her 2nd birthday! Below are some of her recent developments and fun things I want to capture so we can remember her at this age:

*talking in sentences

*loves to pretend to be a mama-singing baby dolls to sleep, cuddling, pushing in stroller, playing...you name it

*loves the temple picture and singing I love to see the Temple song

*recognizes and names Thomas Monson when she see's his picture

*loves nursery with her big brother

*loves jumping on the trampoline and swinging and climbing the slide

*very independent phase-wants to walk instead of ride in stroller...wants to push cart in stores with mommy

*loves bathtime and getting dressed after

*loves admiring her reflection in mirror

*loves to be all over baby brother Everett, says he's "coot" and "hi bebe" and kicklekickle's him all over

*loves running in circles all over the house with big brother Gray

*asks daddy for a kiss and hug when we drop him off at work and says "bye, have a good woork daddy" when he gets out of the car

*loves watching DOWA and PunBob with Gray

*love love loves dancing - especially at live concerts like Fiesta days in Sp Fork:)

*loves folding her arms to say prayers

*still wakes up and falls asleep to a baba of whole milk+carnation chocolate mix, warmed up!

And so much more- Eden, we love you, you have brought so much life, sweetness, fun, and love into our homes and lives! We are having so much fun watching you grow into a big girl. xoxoxoxo baby girlie- We are so lucky you are in our family! Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Eden is turning 2!!

2011-07-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Next week is Eden's 2nd birthday....we are having a princess party!! Here are some pictures I took of her to capture her in all her summer beauty:) A birthday post and party pictures all about our big girl Eden to come- stay tuned!

Landscaping 2011

2011-06-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Way to go landscaping Nate!!
more flowers and plants to come...so excited :)

My new camera...

2011-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

So for my birthday this year Nate splurged and got me a Nikon D3100 SLR Camera!! I feel so lucky, my passion and desire for photography is finally possible! I am looking forward to beginning an SLR photography course from my mom for Christmas (when I was going to get the camera). Any friends or family wanting free pictures while I practice let me know! I hope to have a little business up and running in about a year...keep posted! Here are some amateur shots I have taken the last few days just playing around:

10 Weeks

2011-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Everett really looks like a mix of me (steph) and my brother Michael above...

My handsome Everett is already 10 weeks old! Finally started smiling, we love his little chunky body, and he is still the easiest baby on the planet...honestly, I have been sleeping at night since the day he was born...and he rarely cries during the day!! After Grayson & Eden this is a welcomed change! We love you Everett!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

The festivities began with some egg dying on Saturday morning- fun fun! Gray and Eden took turns spinning the egg coloring thingy, and picking the colors for each egg. Aren't they purdy!?

Easter morning started out like most, with this little beauty coming in our room to wake us up. This is a picture of her coming to her brothers bed to wake him up too with a "Happy Easter!"

A still sleepy Grayson and Eden coming down the stairs to check out what this Easter bunny business is all about...This was the first Easter where Gray really got the concept and had been looking forward to this morning with a lot of anticipation!

Eden and Grayson checking out their baskets of candy, rubber ducky's, and goofy balls for Gray and a My Little Pony for Eden:)

And the Easter Egg Hunt begins...some were hidden behind pillows...

some on the couch's edge...

this is the best "staged" surprised face Grayson could come up with...hahahaha, hopefully his posing gets more natural with time;)

...and his best smiley face- CHEESE!!! Look at all the eggs we found!

Eden just loves combing her pony's hair!

Everett slept through it all...see the next post for pics from this morning, his 10 week birthday!

We then enjoyed a crazy...difficult sacrament meeting, were pity'd by all...church is crazy with this cute 3 year old and darling 21 month old!

Late in the day we had yummy food and fun with family. Abuelo made awesome cerdo, and Alicia and Kelly were in town. Even baby Savannah came to her first Easter party, it was a great day all in all. We are so grateful for this time of year, for the resurrection of our savior, and the opportunity to be with those loved ones past one day again and live forever together. Miss you daddio!

Best ROASTED CHICKEN & VEGGIES ever!

2011-04-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe is AMAZING and EASY and FAST! All the credit goes to my Abuela Suny who lives in my downstairs apartment. She cooked this for us once ... we LOVED it, and so I had her teach me the recipe and my family is now hooked. So easy too:

PREP

Take a whole chicken, remove all the giblets from the inside, rinse off the whole bird and pat dry with paper towel. With shears, cut along spine and split open whole bird and lay flat breast and skin side down(you should see all the ribs/bones facing up) on a large cookie sheet sprayed with PAM. make a cut under each leg and between breasts so the chicken can be as flat as possible to assure even cooking.

MARINADE/RUB

Mix the following in a small bowl:

1/2 C Mayonnaise

1 T Knorr Swiss chicken bouillon powder

1 T Coarse ground mustard

1/2 t of the following:

basil

oregano

crushed red pepper

salt to taste

any other seasonings you like

Rub this mixture all over the chicken skin. Keep the bowl and add 1/4 cup of olive oil to it to scrape the sides and mix whatever is left in the bowl to cover your veggies.

VEGGIES

Peel and chunk the following veggies into large bite size pieces, and roll in the bowl with olive oil/spice mixture.

4 Potatoes

2 Sweet potatoes

3 carrots

Peel, and cut into whole quarters:

2 Onions

And wedge/remove seeds:

2 Fuji Apples

Scatter all veggies and apple around bird on cookie sheet. Bake in 350* oven for 1 1/2 hour. And ENJOY....we love it just as is, nothing else except maybe good french bread.

Leave me a comment if you try it! I've never posted a recipe, so...good luck friends!

My pretty little thing...

2011-03-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

Edee- oh how you are growing up so so fast! I sure do love to watch you get bigger and bigger- your little legs are finally getting pudgier, and you are a great eater now days...a big step since you haven't grown the best since 9 months old...which really worried us at times...you may be a petite little thing, but you sure have a big personality! You love to cuddle and kiss your baby brother, you love to mimic your big brother too- he is your favorite playtime friend. And- I love that your beautiful hair is getting longer- we always blow dry it after your bath and you just look like a big big girl:) It is so fun to have you as my girl in the house- I love the sweet bond between you and me:) Thank you for bringing our lives and home so much joy little doll!

Introducing Everett Neal

2011-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Born on February 15th, 2011 at 2:28 pm

7lbs 14oz and 20 inches

I was scheduled for the induction two days after my due date if I didn't go into labor before then...which I did not...so on the night before my mom came up to our house to spend then night. The morning of the 15th my mom and I drove up to the U of U hospital around 8 am, stopping at Corner Bakery Cafe on our way - my mom treated us to breakfast because I knew I would not be eating until after I had the baby- and who knows how long that would take! Nate stayed home about one hour behind us waiting for his parents to show up at our house to watch Grayson and Eden. Well- we showed up at the hospital around 9 am and got set up in room 1, the nurse started my antibiotic, I.V., and pitocin. I was checked and dilated to a 3, which I had been for the previous 3 weeks. The plan was to let the antibiotic run one dose which is 4 hours, break my water, and go from there. So at 4 hours later at 12:30 the Dr. broke my water and said I was a 4. I got my eqidural around 11:30, so I was nice and numb- but not as numb as I had been with Gray and Eden. I actually had more sensation in my legs, and no sensation in my belly or back- which I really enjoyed- to be numb in all the right places but still able to somewhat move my legs. Well, around 1:15 I felt a sensation really low - but almost didn't believe it because they just broke my water 45 minutes prior... but my nurse checked me anyway and said I was a 9 and complete! Whoa that was fast! She called the Dr. and started setting things up in the room, and by around 2 I was completely dilated and ready to start pushing! My Dr showed up, and I pushed through 2 contractions ( about 2-3 pushes each) and Everett was born! I am so glad this delivery I didn't tear or need any stitches...Well, after he was born- and looking great we were all very happy. My placenta was taking a long tome to deliver, my Dr. was concerned also because I was hemorrhaging, and once my placenta came it was torn. She had to reach in and remove the rest manually and this caused more bleeding...long story short- I lost about 1 1/2 liters of blood, need two shots of methydren( a medication to stop bleeding) and the nurses rubbed my stomach about every hour while I stayed in the hospital the next 2 days and monitored bleeding. Luckily my levels were up enough the next day that I did not need a transfusion, and now I am just on iron supplements to build up my hematocrit and not be so anemic. We are so blessed to live today- who knows 100 years ago- with my "lazy uterus" as my Dr. calls it...I am so grateful to be around to raise my beautiful babies! We are so blessed to have Everett home. He is SO peaceful- quiet- and easy to soothe...I count my blessings to have him be such a great little guy. We are just smitten! Here are pictures of the great day he was born and in the hospital stay after:

Mommy and Everett skin to skin- right after the Dr pulled him out

Happy Mommy nursing her boy!

Over a pound and one inch longer than Grayson and Eden were!

Marmy and Abuelo Dave enjoying their new grand baby boy

Big broter and sister meeting Everett- they are soooo in love!

Big brother Gray and Daddy came to the hospital to take us home on Friday the 17th

18 month Eden

2011-01-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Happy 18 months to our favorite girl!!!

Yes, it is true...I can'not believe it either but Eden turned 18 months on Friday! Wow, looking at her it is hard to believe, because she is below the 0% on weight, about 7% on height, and a whopping 85% on the noggin...like my mom coached me to give the comeback in elementary school, "Big head for a big brain!!" Which is true for this little one- the thing people comment on most is how well she is talking for her age! The Dr. said she is at a 2 year old level! Here are some of the cute things she rattles off on a regular conversation basis:

*waving at us when she leaves the room(usually following big brother Gray) Buh Bye!! Love you!! **kissy noises with the lips**

*I want_____________ (fill in the blank with the following)

dada, mama, dayday(Grayson), down, up, baba, cookie, to jump, see saw(on our lap holding hands leaning forward and back, go-go(Yogurt), food, chee (cheese), blankie, pillow, baby, bath time, caillou(a show), doggie, toy, marmy(grandma), wehweh(abuela), juice, shoe, teeth(tooth brush), dance...

And some more fun things about our sweet girl at 18 months:

*loves to wave and say hi to people

*Loveloveloves her big brother- still her fave person around...she is his little shadow, pulls his hair, lets him wrestle her around, always wants to be around him

*she loves singing and dancing- is usually doing one of the two any random time of day

*loves bath time

*loves to shake her finger at us and say "nonono"

*when we ask her "how old are you" she says"I'm One!!!" and holds up her right pointer finger

*loves to "clean-up" when we sing the song she just starts picking things up and putting them away

*is a total daddy's girl- insists on being with only him EVERY morning until he is off for work

*Is a champ eater now-took a long effort to get this way- but as soon as Abuela and Abuelo moved in downstairs she is fed yummy home cooking at lunch which she loves- especially chicken and fish

*Loves to make a funny face showing her teeth and straining her face

*always ready for a quick cuddle

*very independent, if she is held it is usually because we want to pick her up...she loves to wander around and play with toys, Grayson, or flip pages of books and "read"

*likes looking in the mirror lately after she gets dressed

*loves taking care of her baby dolls, kissing them, wrapping them in blankies, helping them jump while saying"jump jump!"

Here some pictures I just took of her eating her lunch:

bye bye!!

Christmas Eve 2010 Pics

2011-01-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

So this is a bit delayed, but these are some pictures of Christmas Eve. Ever since we put up our tree, Eden was a terror...see the two pictures below to get an idea why...She just would not leave the ornaments or decorations alone! So the whole month of December- our tree was actually decorated in the top 1/3. We thought on Christmas Eve we would spread out the ornaments properly again, Eden went right back at it!

And here is Eden and Gray just hamming it up for the camera:

And mama, proudly displaying her bump- at the time I was 33 weeks.

We have a fun Christmas morning video too- which will be in the next post- when I can get around to uploading it:)

Baby, oh baby

2011-01-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

So as an update to all of you blogger friends and family- and thank you for all the phone calls/texts of support- yes, i am indeed on 'modified bed-rest' or as my doctor put it, "I don't want you in your bed all day, but sitting with your feet up...no walking around, no shopping, no lifting kids." And those are my instructions, and popping two pills every 6 hours-which have been working, to stop the contractions from returning. So here is the back story to tell how this all came to be:

Tuesday 01/04

Nate gets home from work around 5:30, and I tell him I have been having some pains during the afternoon- and just been uncomfortable...So we order dinner out with a gift card that we had from Christmas so we don't have to cook, and settle in for Biggest Loser season premiere, my fav show:) The tightness with pain continues all evening, but I don't think to time them yet. We all go to bed around 9:45 and by 11:45 I am awaken - almost jolted awake with a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I get out of bed to go to the bathroom, and I let Nate know the pain is getting worse, and i move from the bed to the recliner chair and start timing these pains...which are consistently 4-5 minutes apart. I drift in and out of sleep all night and by 6:30 I get up and take a shower, and decide to go in to the hospital. About half way driving my self in I almost turn around because I hate thinking I will just be sent home...but I keep on driving. I get there and walking in and getting registered- the pains are still pretty bad. I lay down on the triage bed in the labor and delivery wing, give a urine sample, get set up to monitors, get swabbed for several infections that could cause pre term labor, confirm I am having regular contractions, and my cervix is checked for dilation...and I am a 3 and 60% effaced. The nurse says my Dr. wants me admitted and so I am put in my room, hooked up to everything again, and given 3 rounds of pills each 30 minutes apart, to hopefully stop my contractions. They don't slow down yet, and my next dose is 6 hours later and from there on out, every 6 hours. Finally after the next dose 6 hours later, my body starts responding to the medication, and my contractions slow down. I get checked for dilation again and thank heavens, no more progress. By now it is the next day- Thursday, and my Dr. wants me to stay one more night at least to make sure I am stable to go home and be on bed rest and continue the medication. Which is what I did, and I went home by Friday around noon. Since then, I have tried my best to stay non-active...and the minute I am, like just getting up to shower and dry my hair for example- which takes maybe 45 minutes on my feet, the tightness starts up again. This reminds me that this is for real! I can't walk around at all!

So here I am, today I am 35 weeks and 1 day, And my Dr.'s goal is to at least get me to 36 weeks before I deliver, 37 weeks even better. I want to deliver a baby ready to breathe and regulate his temperature...I want to be able to bring him home when I go home...We are praying that this will be the case, whenever he needs to come.

I will keep you all posted- I go in to the hospital to see my Dr. again on Thursday- she will check me again and we will go from there. Thanks again for all the prayers, support, food, and love! We look forward to seeing our baby boy...just hopefully all in the best time:)

By the way- we settled on a name: Everett Neal Ewell, yay- finally! This little guy has been the hardest to name! Stay in there Everett- but we still can't wait to meet you and hold you. xoxoxoxo

-mama

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

We had a low key Halloween, I am sure next year will be more exciting for Gray. This year it was rainy so we didn't go trick or treating, and we were helping my grandparents move in so we spent Saturday evening transporting their luggage from my mom's in Sp Fork up to our place. But at least we had fun at Nate's work party where the kids dressed up and O.D'd on candy and I took these 2 pics below with my high quality

camera on my phone:)

Our LadyBug and Doggie together in daddy's office!!

And our happy Doggie loving all the candy available!

Next year will be a much more interesting Halloween post-I promise;)

As you can see...

2010-10-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

We got our family pictures done!! Thanks to the amazingly talented Channing who is a BLAST to work with. The kids loved her and so do I!! Here are a few of our faves:

Thanks again Channing!! Happy Fall to you all!

Fireplace renovation

2010-09-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Way to go Nate! I am lucky my hubby knows how to do projects like this so he can create exactly what we want. Here are before and after pictures of the fireplace in our living room.

This first picture shows the top 1/3 of the floor to ceiling '70s lava rock Nate had to demolish- probably the hardest part of the whole project. He then framed the upper wall with room for our TV and a mantle:

This picture shows the finished drywall on the upper wall area:

Next Nate had to put metal framing and cement board on the lower wall where our stone would be applied...and his little helper Gray ran by in time for this picture:) :

And last but not least, our final result! We still have to hang and center the TV a little bit and paint the rest of the living room this great light mocha color that you see in this picture...we only painted this area of the fireplace so far. I will take more pictures to display our whole living room renovation including our furniture and decor soon. Enjoy:)

Announcement...

2010-08-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

...and our due date is now Valentine's Day!! Little boy was smaller than my original due date of Feb 6th...

And on to numero 3

2010-06-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks- in case you missed my facebook announcement, we are having another baby! We are thrilled and excited to meet this new addition to our family. We are right on track to having all of our babies by the time I am 32...hahaha we will see:) This baby is set to join us the first week of February 2011. I love being a mommy to Gray and Edy, we can't wait to meet this new one. I will post when we find out whether this baby is a boy or girl. Any guesses??? I am loving the names Reese Stephanie for a girl and Hyrum Nathan for a boy. This is likely to change- last time I posted name ideas was with Grayson and I was sure he would be a Will or Wyatt- not the case. Anyway- first appointment is July 1st- any prayers that all will be well and we have a heart beat are sure welcome:)

Gray goes Potty!!

2010-04-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

This is the training potty seat we have for Grayson, and combined with a shorter toilet in the kids bathroom, I am proud to announce the success of potty training Grayson!! He is not full time yet, but he lets me know about 4 times a day that he needs to poo-poo. So, we run to his bathroom, he takes his diaper off and climbs up the toilet all by himself and poops each time, and sometimes he tinkles too!! I am so happy-this kid is basically potty training himself- YAY!! That is our good news moment. He LOVES more than anything to make mommy and daddy proud. That's why I think he does it:) GO GRAY!!

Giveaway to check out...

2010-04-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Attention mom- readers out there!! Check the sidebar button for sherbert blossom for a great diaper bag giveaway! Her blog is great too!

Our big 2 year old!!

2010-04-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Gray turned 2 on Sunday, and that being Easter- we decided to celebrate with family on Friday the 2nd. We had a big party at our house with Grayson's favorite menu: Pizza (from COSTCO of course) and cake! But not just any cake- CHANCAKES airplane cake!! It was just as delish as cute- Channing does an amazing job, she did our wedding cake too:)

Here is the cake before Gray got to it:
and after...notice the damaged tail! Hahahaha!!

This is Gray a little wierded out & confused as we sang Happy Bday

And blowing out the candles!

And the following are party pics, we are so happy everyone came to help us celebrate! Thanks for all the love & gifts for our big boy:)

...What happens when Gray has a say...

2010-03-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

He picked out the whole ensemble ... hence the girlish overalls from 12-18 month size, the "man-bag" that resembles life savers all over, and the train conductor hat from cousin Remy's Thomas the Train birthday party:

gotta love it!!!

March Madness

2010-03-25T06:45:00.001-07:00

At least this boy makes Nate and I feel like we are going mad sometimes!! He is turning 2 in a week, and he keeps us on our toes. He is a blast though and learning so fast, his talking skills are getting better and better, and one of his favorite things lately is going to the park where he would prefer to play till the sun went down. He wants to live there actually...Anyway- here are some pictures of Gray eating one of his favorite snacks (cheese) and lookin' out the window:

King of the double armed hold- on any given day in any given moment, this is how Nate can be found in the Ewell household. If he is home at all, Grayson is climbing him, wrestling him, whining for his attention, playing with him- you name it. Ever since that kid popped out he has wanted to be with daddy if he has it his way! Nate is just that way, I can totally relate with Gray on this one;)

And March means Eden, or as Grayson calls her: Nienie, is now 8 months!! Wow, this is seriously crazy for me, I feel like she is still my little newborn baby, time really does fly with #2. She is just a joy in our family- as you can see, her smile is so dang cute, and she is constantly happy and loves to play with toys, is great at eating food, and if you lay her on the floor she may not be crawling yet- but she gets from point A to point B in a graceful roll, roll, roll. She sits up and loves to watch her big brother- who loves to shower her with hugs and kisses. They are each others favorite-that's for sure! We love you big girl Eden!!

My amazing sis

2010-01-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Emma is so freaking brave, and ambitious and awesome. She got an internship in D.C. working with refugee issues for a non profit organization, and so her life is now out East! She is doing the work that she is passionate about, and working her butt off to support herself in an expensive...and AMAZING city. We had a girls weekend moving Emma out to D.C., Eden and I flew out there to meet her and get her all unpacked, go shopping for essentials, and enjoy the city. It is a really cool city- we had never been there before, so it was really fun to go. Here were a few of our favorite things to do while there:

Shopping at H&M, and walking this very cool street and area in D.C. near Georgetown

Seeing the amazing sites of such a historic place...

And just hang out as girls- especially sleeping on the floor in her room, the night before we got her bed and when we didn't know you had to flip the switch next to the furnace for it to work. Sure we were cold and uncomfortable...but we cuddled all night( hahahaha )

I hope she has so much fun, and learns, and grows, and loves life in this new chapter. I know she will do so well and have a great time. Can't wait to visit you this summer Mem's! Love you!!!

Happy 5 months Eden

2009-12-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

Sitting pretty in her Sunday best!

Mobile Uploads*November-December

2009-12-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Not the best quality of pictures-because they are from my phone- but cute updates nonetheless...

Gray just checkin' on the little sis

Grayson's favorite: bath time!!
My boy is growing up so fast:)

Why I wanna win a computer!!

2009-12-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

See the little blondie on the left...giving his cousin a snuggle hug?? Well- don't be fooled people- he is not as innocent as he may seem!! You see, he got a handle of our one and only computer- the Acer netbook, and totally ruined the screen by smashing a little metal bit inside..so we are no longer owners of a computer- just in a temporary fix from a loaner that won't be available to us much longer.

So, in my blog stalking I love Nieniedialogues- as you can notice on my sidebar...I check her site daily for inspiration, enlightenment, and entertainment. Well, whaddya know- she is having a computer give away contest!! I also checked out 5 other ways to win a.k.a. leaving a comment on several other sheblogs : 1, 2, 3, 4! Check it out if you want to enter...or add a comment to vote to give it to us!! Vote for the Ewell's!! And we will definitely keep it out of our Grayson's reach if we win:)

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

2009-11-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

4 months of pure bliss!

2009-11-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Eden Amelia will be 4 months on Saturday, so we took some cute pictures

And here is a little blog update on what she is up to lately:

Eden still loves to be swaddled really snug- and when done right she will nap and nap happily for long spurts during the day.

Eden is getting much more coordinated with her hands- she takes control when she is drinks mama's milk, and most of the time she likes to fold her hands and hold them right under her chin...I have caught her doing the hand stare with crossed eyes a time or two also:)

She is very vocal- we call it her singing, because it is a constant cooing and sounds really pretty! But our all time favorite has to be her squeals of joy- which happen randomly and very often...we can even be in the next room and her her little squeaks:) SO dang cute!

She is getting longer and chubbier! Our growing girl, we will have her 4 month check up on Monday, I will post her stats then:)

Still our peaceful, happy, quiet girl- she is so so happy most of the time- and doesn't cry often- as soon as her "issue" that she was crying over is resolved- everything is peachy keen.

She is so feminine- it's in her hand movements, its in her girly squirmy smile & noises, its in her long elegant eyelashes.

She is truly our girly girl sent from heaven- and we love her more with each passing day!

Halloween '09

2009-11-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

We started out the night at Michael & Liz's house for some yummy soup and fun...Here is Eden crying- she was too hot in her pumpkin costume...and her weird parents:)

Then we went home and went trick or treating with Gray the Gorilla

He loved these glow sticks that our neighbors the Harrisons let him play with all night

All in all it was a great Halloween, next year Eden will have to go trick or treating too:)

Here is Gray after trick or treating...all chocolate faced with twizzler in hand

Gotta get away!!

2009-10-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny video of Gray being terrified of a little electronic barking doggie... It so funny! Especially the end where he scooches away! HAHAHA!!

Big guy in the house...18 months!!

2009-10-19T09:42:00.001-07:00

Here is Gray- being tuff...what a little male model:)

We just can't believe how fast time has flown by since Grayson Michael came to us a little over 18 months ago. So, today I thought I would write a letter to Grayson to record what he is up to and how he has grown. This is why I blog- to keep a journal of our lives and what the happenings are for us. I want to make it into our family book someday:)

Dear Gray,

Well bud- you sure do make Daddy and I super happy. When you were blessed, one of the things your dad mentioned was to bless you with a sense of humor...and that you have- big time! You crack us up several times a day, even several times an hour! A few of the things you do to entertain us are:

spinny-spinny-roundandround: this is what your dad and I sing to see you dance...well, to spin around as you stare with your eyes in the direction you are spinning. This usually ends as you get so dizzy, and you try to walk away and you fall...and start to crack up. We love to watch you dance!

Your baby sister, Eden...you just love her so much: every time you notice Eden, you smile with your big gappy smile and say"HI!" You usually point at/towards her and say "deedee" your way of saying Eden. You LOVE to give her kisses and carisias-you make the big loud "mwah!"sound and charge her way to shower her with kisses. And you love to point out that you know how to say"eye" and you usually poke her in her eyes with your pointy finger until mommy or daddy say"good job, thanks big brother!"...and redirects you elsewhere so you don't poke her eyes anymore. And you don't mind because....

You are all over the place!! You are totally a ball of energy, you love to run, play outside, dance to music, unfold all the laundry, empty the cabinets, help mommy put things away and unload the washer to the dryer. We don't worry about you going up and down the stairs much anymore- you are super fast at the whole feet first -belly slide down the stairs. You love to be with your daddy, whenever he gets home from work, you are totally attached to him or at his side. You love to "help" daddy with the yard, and you still crack up every time he burys his mouth into your neck to bite/tickle you...that hasn't changed since you were born:)

You are getting really good at communicating: Especially the following- More, baba, all done, door, shoe, agua, mama, dadda, emma, irene, teeth, nose, eyes, toes, yuck, eewww, diaper, yummm...granted- your pronunciation is only understandable to most family that you know very well, but you are definitly get the point across! Even strangers comment on how "expressive" you are...you are on the brink of talking for real:)

But, your faces say it all: The favorite, cutest thing about you that people notice is your faces...whether its sticking your tungue out and making the grossed out face and saying "ewwww", or squinting your eyes and tilting your head when you pretend to sleep, or just running up to us with those pouty lips to give a kiss- we love your cute little face!

Whats just around the corner : Coming up this Christmas you will move into the big boy bed and big bedroom. Mommy and Daddy will decorate it with stripes and cars everywhere! You love to notice what the toilet is for too, and you are constantly taking off your diaper if you don't have pants on...so potty training should be soon too...

We want you to know that you are such a great boy, big brother, helper, and son. We can't imagine life without you in it and thank Heavenly Father for you in our prayers everyday:) Happy 18 months baby boy- We LOVE you!!!

Little chubby legs

2009-10-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

My latest creation: Chubbies- my version of "baby legs"...arent they cute? Love em' with her worm onsie! I will post other pics later of her modeling the other chubbies in other colors and patterns soon-stay tuned:)

Somebody caught a case of the giggles!!!

2009-10-06T17:28:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when Eden hangs out with marmy (her abuela)...

Fall Sunday up Millcreek Canyon

2009-09-28T10:34:00.001-07:00

Every Sunday we rotate dinner locations between our families houses...but this last Sunday we all decided to head up to Millcreek Canyon for a pot luck dinner. The fall leaves were beautiful- and we had a blast:) Here are some pictures from the fun:

Funny... Nate-in active conversation, me-enjoying Maris playing with my hair-aghhh-relaxation:) And Gray-staring at who knows what??
Isnt's she lovely?? Eden- 8 1/2 weeks old...just snuggled up like she loves to be:)

And- the big boys- Gray and cousin Remy...do u notice Gray's squinty eyes?? He loves to cuddle-kiss&hug...and makes those eyes whenever he does any of that!! What cute pals:)

August of Fun

2009-09-03T12:02:00.001-07:00

August was a fun month- we had a lot of family in town for my Abuelos' 50th Anniversary Party...So I decided to plan a surprise party for my mom's birthday- which we had at Liberty Park where Abuelo made YUMMY chivitos. Above is me relaxing with my newest baby girl- we love to snuggle. The next picture is : Nate, me with Eden in the Moby Wrap, Grayson with Marmy, and Dave. Below is mommy daddy and Eden- dont mind Eden's spit up stain all over Nate- he is an awesome Dad:)

Below is Dave - holding best buds Remy & Gray. And- Marmy -beautiful birthday girl- holding her newest grandbaby- Eden Amelia.

And below are pictures of the beautiful and fun Anniversary party we had for Abuela and Abuelo celebrating 50 years of Amor...
Here is the lovely couple, and then all their children with spouses.

Eden spent most of the pary like this:

Below are some pics of mommy with her babies & daddy with his girl:

Gray is growing up so fast and loves to be social &make people laugh...his latest favorites to do are saying byebye while waving, holding and kissing Eden, climb Aunt Emma like a jungle gym, playing pretend (especially pretending to eat/drink toy food) and dancing to music in mommy or daddys arms.

August went by fast- it was wonderful to see all the famly in town to celebrate. We are so so happy Camille is here for BYU!! Eden is now 6 weeeks old and smiling a bit. October she will be blessed at church...that post will be coming soon...

We can't wait to start...

2009-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Kindermusic!!!
Coming up this September, Grayson and I will be having so much fun on Thursdays at 11:20. If any of you are interested and can be in Sandy once a week to enjoy- email my friend Teresa at praterkm@msn.com

Water Baby

2009-08-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Eden is a girl who loves warm water- and soaking in it!! Here she is-in all her 3 weeks- enjoying life...and we are loving her being here:) Our sweetest little thing!

Day 10 with our new little Eden

2009-07-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to report that life- or sleeping at night, that is- is so much better for me now that Eden is here! I am no longer getting up each hour to go pee because I am no longer pregnant...and we have an angel on our hands- she just eats about every 3-3 1/2 hours, and then immediatly crashes and barely ever cries! It is so so easy. I am not saying all this to brag about our baby- but, in comparison to what we had to deal with when Grayson was a newborn- up until 8 months- which was fussy-colicky-refluxy-never wanting to sleep crazy boy...believe me, we are now counting our blessings. Grayson now sleeps a solid 9 hours at night- so his hard nights are over. I think Heavenly Father knows our situation with having Gray still so young and so high energy- that He blessed me with sleep at night so I can chase him around all day. Well, here are some pictures from this last week when Eden was 5 days old, and me and Gray just chillin' Enjoy:)

Eden's Slideshow

2009-07-22T10:23:00.001-07:00

Introducing: Eden Amelia Ewell!!

2009-07-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Born Tuesday July 21st 2009 at 3:58 pm at the University of Utah Hospital. Weighing 6lbs 14oz and measuring 19 inches long. Mom got her out with a laugh and a half-a-push...very different than big brother Graysons delivery- fast and easy, and we were all very happy about that! She is a very peaceful girl- barely cries, eats like a champ for an hour at a time, and is beautiful with a full head of black hair! We are so happy to have her here and healthy.

Thanks to all for the love, support, and well wishes:)

My Big Boy

2009-06-29T12:50:00.001-07:00

Almost a big brother- getting funnier everyday. We love our Gray!!

37 week belly

2009-06-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Gray loves to cuddle with baby!! and...I am about to POP people!!

Memorial Day celebration and my 27th Birthday.

2009-05-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Wow- getting closer to 30- pretty crazy! We had family over to celebrate the holiday and enjoy great food...and my newly decorated home makeover!! My mom and sis did a total revamp - painted, decorated, hired help to hang doors, the best birthday present I could ever imagine!! And so much work...I will take more detailed pictures later and post the before and afters. It is amazing- I love that tag team- they really need to start a business- thanks mom and Em! Here are some pics of me blowing out candles- we didn't have a lighter around so Nate came through and saved the day with a blow torch- aghhh!! Thanks for the wonderful gifts and celebrating with us Devine's, Cromar's, Matus's, Lucia and Gray's! Love you all:)

We're Baaack!!

2009-05-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

...From our 11 day trip- whew!! Nate's parents drove out and picked us up from CLE airport, and we all went out to visit Nate's brother & family in Erie PA. where he is studying to be a Nurse Anesthetist. Our first stop- Niagara Falls:

What a blast! And perfectly on our way to stop #2, Palmyra, N.Y. where we visited the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith's homes there, the Temple, Hill Cumorah, and the printing shop where the first Book of Mormon was printed. I forgot my camera the first day- so I only have pics of the print shop. I am going to ask my sis in law to email me the other pics.

After two days there we headed back to Erie to spend a few days at Andy and Micah's house. While we were there we went to Presque Isle to see Lake Erie- beautiful!!! Grayson had a blast playing on the beach and swinging on the swings:

We also went to the Erie Zoo- Grayson's favorite animal was the polar bear. He had a lot of fun petting a goat too:)

We also were able to visit Kirtland, Oh. We loved the tour there where we saw the Newel K Whitney store and home, the bronze exhibit by LDS artist Angela Johnson- breathtaking- that is there until June 3rd, and the Kirtland Temple. Amazing, testimony building experience.
Our last night in Erie, I was surprised with an early birthday celebration- Thanks Sherie and Micah!! Nate's family is the greatest- here are some pictures of us enjoying the cake and ice cream and also- a few of Grayson playing in their beautiful back yard.
We then rented a car and drove to Detroit to stay with my Uncle Carlos and Aunt Janet and cousin Camille. We visited our great friends who we miss so much- the Thurbers and they gave us the cutest baby girl clothes-thanks Hillary and Milo!! And we also stopped off for a visit with Uncle Steve and cousin Crystal. While at the Junca's house- Camille had prom night! I had so much fun doing her hair and makeup-she looked stunning. Grayson just loves to hang out with the Carlos, Janet, Camille and doggie Leah too- and we had the best meals as always- Janet is the best cook!! All in all it was a blast!
Thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa Ewell, Andy and Micah and girls, Thurber gang and Junca's for making our trip just a blast! We are so blessed to have amazing family and friends that we love to visit so much.
And in case you didn't notice in the pics above- my belly is ever growing with Eden Amelia inside, we only have 7 weeks left until her due date!! AGHHHH!!

My life...hahaha

2009-04-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Grayson is 1!

2009-04-14T08:25:00.001-07:00

Well...he's been 1 for 10 days now...but better to post late than never right! I haven't been able to find my card reader- so here are the delayed pics and post I have been meaning to get up:)

Hooray Its my Birthday!! Grayson loves to ride hid Daddy's shoulders:)

Cake time! Grayson ate his own baby bundtlet cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes- chocolate chocolate chip- his fave! The pictures follow the chronology of cake destruction by Gray...wtih a cute video at the end, where he says "ahhh dun" at the end a.k.a. "All Done"
His favorite new saying:)

Present Time! Grayson got a lot of fun wooden toys- including a rocking moose- and the last pic is a candid in a new shirt from Marmy...

Happy Birthday Gray! We love you baby boy- thank you for the best year ever, you are so fun to watch grow and grow each day:)

Edward Cullen look- alike???

2009-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Look out ladies! I spotted this guy on top at Costco yesterday- looks like an Edward to me:) hahahaha

Cuteness

2009-03-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would post a few cute pics of Gray boy;)

2009-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

8 Things

Here are the rules:

1) Post rules on your blog
2)Answer the six "8" items

8 Favorite Shows: (Can you say Reality TV?? hahaha)
1. Biggest Loser
2. Bachelor
3. Top Chef
4. So You Think You Can Dance
5. Dancing With the Stars
6. American Idol
7. 30 Rock
8. The Office

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Draper Temple Dedication- Amazing
2. Played with Grayson & Nate & Emma
3. Watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition
4. Made sandwiches for lunch
5. Made pasta for dinner
6. Watched House
7. Read D&C with the hubby
8. Enjoyed my Sabbath

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Warmer weather
2. Having another baby
3. Taking a trip SOMEWHERE before the baby gets here
4. Grayson's 1st Birthday 4/4
5. My 27th Birthday 5/25(I'm gettin' old!)
6. My bathroom to be finished- mainly the jetted tub(hopefully while I am prego so I can enjoy it:)
7. Our house being done with remodeling inside and out- almost there!
8. Decorating my house!

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Buca di Beppo
2. Cafe Rio/Costa Vida
3. Zupas
4. Red Robin
5. Johnny Carinos
6. Trio
7. Cheescake Factory
8. Rodizio/Tucanos/Braza Grille

8 Things On My Wish List:

1. Getting fit post baby #2 and dancing again!
2. Trip to Uruguay & Brazil
3. A new 3 row car to accomodate more car seats
4. Nice weather!
5. Millions of dollars
6. That my dad were still here with us
7. Free flights to visit family whenever we wanted
8. H & M in Utah

8 People I Tag:
1. Garianne
2. Moni
3. Micah
4. Nancy
5. Sarah
6. Jen
7. Tia
8. Jayme

Love, Love, Love, Love-Crazy Love

2009-03-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy 2 year Anniversary to us!!
(And Happy St. Patricks Day to you all:)

Looking back on the last two years of our lives, hands down they have been the best. I am so blessed to have Nate as my hubby, best friend, my handy man, and the best daddy to Grayson and baby girl to be. We have had so much fun- the love grows deeper and deeper with each passing day- and I really chose the best man to spend eternity with. It was a beautiful day on March 17, 2007- temps in the 70's out of nowhere was amazing, and our wedding and reception were a dream.

Fast forward one year later- we went for takeout at The Cheesecake Factory and headed to the UofU hospital for our first induction...of three- all a week apart each, the third of which brought us our funny- cutie pie- sweet baby boy Grayson Michael.

Building a family with Nathan is so fun and we cannot wait to meet our baby girl in July. Life is sweet- moments of joy that fill it truly make us realize all of our blessings from a loving Heavenly Father. We look forward to the years ahead:)

Cousin Remy's 1st Birthday!!

2009-03-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Remy turned 1 on March 1st, and we went to his monkey birthday party and had a blast! Liz and Michael sure know how to throw their big boy a party:) The food was great, decorations so so cute- and the birthday boy was so cute opening up all his gifts...We got some great ideas for Gray's birthday coming up on April 4th- it seems like just yesterday when these two little guys were born and now they're one and turning one! It has been a great year watching them develop and grow...

Nate & Gray-best buds and me-eating the yummy food:)

The boys playin' with Remy's new horsie, and trying to catch the red balloon!

Nate's 30th Birthday Celebration!

2009-02-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

The Happy 30 year old! Nate's birthday was February 19th, so we went out with the family to celebrate at Cheescake Factory- and of course Nate had an Ice Cream Cake from Coldstone!!

Grayson enjoys to kick back and relax at parties- and our latest family photos- so cute:)

Just a few pics of the party people- thanks for coming and celebrating with us everybody!! Happy Birthday Nate:)

We are having a....

2009-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

LITTLE GIRL!!! Yay- she will be making her debut late July- due on the 22nd, and we are so excited to have one of each soon:) Nate will have a Daddy's Girl, She will be my little mini me, and Grayson will be her body guard and best friend! SO excited to share the good news with you all!

And He Is Off!!

2009-01-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

Elder Junca at the MTC- Enjoy these next 2 years Jonathan!! Chile Vina Del Mar mission is lucky to have you! By the way- it hilarious that Grayson looks like he is wearing a wig! Hahaha, and Emma says he looks like Chucky!

Quick Michigan Trip

2009-01-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

Above are some cute pics from our flight out to MI. My Uncle Carlos and his family were sealed in the Detroit Temple for time and all eternity - so, my Mom, Emma, Michael, Grayson and I flew out for a quick trip...it was too short! We are so happy for them and good luck on your mission to Chile Jonathan aka Elder Junca!!! We love you!!

The Handsome Elder!

HO Ho HO!!!

2008-12-15T20:43:00.001-08:00

Here are pictures of Grayson telling Santa all he wants for Christmas this year. He just woke up from his nap so the smiles weren't coming out no matter how many funny noises and faces I would make! But, he is our little cutie- wearing his new cute sweater from Marmy:)

Tenderness

2008-12-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

What Grays' got goin on with his favorite Tia Emma.

Guess what???

2008-11-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Grayson has been smiling all gums lately:) He brings so much joy to our lives. Looking back on these last almost 8 months is surreal, to realize how I felt holding him in my arms for the first time... when he kind of resembled a wrinkly caveman- furry and all...I thought to myself, little baby- I am going to love you forever. And that blew my mind. And that love- which I thought began so strong in-utero, was nothing compared to today. I feel warm inside looking at you, I pray for you daily, I give thanks that you came into our lives daily! Your daddy thinks you are just the cutest, most fun thing to ever come to this earth :) I love watching him love you, I am living my dream come true... And- this is only the beginning... BECAUSE, you are going to be a BIG BROTHER Gray!!!

Yes friends, it is true!! Nate and I will add yet another branch to our little family tree- new baby Ewell set to debut July 22nd, 2009. 15 1/2 months after Grayson- and we can't wait to discover even more love in our home. This is what life is all about and we are loving the journey:)

Sunday family dinner

2008-11-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

We love having dinner as a family every Sunday. These pictures are from this last Sunday at Irene's house- Gray, Remy, Marmy, Emma, and Dani. We just love hanging out, eating good food, and having fun with the cute little baby boys- who are 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 months now- crazy how time flies:)

Best Buds

2008-11-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

Grayson and Remy are tight- they love to play together! Here is a picture of the two of them just standing around, leaning on the ottoman. Having a cousin only one month older is so fun!

Weekend with Grandma & Grandpa Ewell, Grayson's First Halloween, and our Dinner Party!!

2008-11-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Grayson loves spending time with his Grandma and Grandpa Ewell! Grandpa came up to help Nate with building my salon- and Grandma played with Gray all weekend long:) He really loves when Grandpa sings to him too:)

And we had everyone over for a Halloween Dinner..more fallish than spooky- Butternut Squash soup, and paninis- yummm!! And, Cider- yessss:) Thanks for coming guys!

My favorite is Grayson's face in the table picture...he looks drunk or something, drunk on sweet potatoes his favorite- hilarious! Next party time- Thanksgiving!! Can't wait

Graysons first a-swingin'

2008-10-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here's Gray boy on the swing at the park in Price Ut. We visited Uncle Mark and Aunt Wendy at their new house. Grayson loved the park and didn't want to leave!!

Funny websites I found

2008-10-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

stuffwhitepeoplelike.com

yearbookyourself.com

Detroit Rock City

2008-10-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

Nathan ran the half marathon in Detroit over the weekend, so we made a fun little family vacation out of it all. We hit up all of my favorite hot spots while there like the historic Eastern Farmers Market, Maybury's State Park, and the new Detroit River walk - beautifully done thanks to GM, and who could forget the cider mill!! I just love fresh Michigan apple cider and old fashioned donuts:) Sorry to friends there we didn't get to visit- we flew in Friday late- spent Saturday with Janet & Carlos, Sunday Nate ran, we flew home to SLC Monday morning...very quick but fun little trip! Thanks Junca's for the comfy bed- yummy food and beautiful walks in Northville! We love you guys!

DETROIT RIVERWALK
This is basically how Gray got around all weekend- with Tio Carlos carrying him in the snuggly

Walking on the Detroit side- thats Windsor Canada across the way.

Gray with Uncle Carlos and Aunt Janet - who is the best Detroit tour guide I know- she knows all the cool facts!

These are in front of the Ren Cen, Detroit Skyline crowned jewel and GMs headquarters.

Gotta represent Warren- my home town- this is me pointing out Warren on the map of Michigan in the ground.

DETROIT EASTERN FARMERS MARKET

Check out the history here: http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/ Pretty awesome place

Here are pics in my favorite store off to the side of Eastern Market- R Hirt Jr and Co. In Short
A stately three-story red brick building is home to this specialty goods company, founded by Rudolf Hirt Jr. in 1887. The first-floor counter is a gateway to 400 gourmet cheeses, and the high ceilings, wooden floors and bustling atmosphere harkens to the days before supermarkets.
Customers can follow the yellow signs to the top floors, where they'll find household wares and more items made out of wicker than should rightfully exist.(from website http://detroit.citysearch.com/profile/5224630/detroit_mi/r_hirt_jr_co.html)

DO you like Graysons knee highs???

CIDER MILL
Nate and Gray at the cider mill near Carlos and Janets house in Northville. Nate remembers his dad holding him like this when he was little and got cold:)

Here are Nate's cell phone pics from the run. This marathon goes over the Detroit River's Ambassador bridge, through Windson Ontario, back under the river in the tunnel, and back through downtown Detroit.

MAYBURY's STATE PARK

This park is beautiful! It used to be the Sanatorium for Tuberculosis back in the old days- and is now a beautiful state park with trails and ponds and trees.

Hooded BabyBundle Bags-Coming soon to www.etsy.com!!

2008-10-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

This adorable Hooded BundleBaby Bag will soon be available on www.etsy.com

Stay tuned for more info, or you can place orders directly through me. One size only, fits 0-12 months- handmade, available by special order, several colors, washable Acrylic-zip up and softsoftsoft.

Christmas Picture Preview

2008-10-10T08:38:00.001-07:00

We were loving the fall-ness in the air, so we decided to capture the memories with our first "official" family picture- Ewell Portrait 2008! Just a little preview for the Christmas card picture- I hope you are all enjoying the cripsness and coolness in the air- It's my favorite time of year! Keep posted for Halloween pictures to come- Grayson is a chicken this year- super cute:) Happy Fall y'all!

6 Month lil' Scooter, Roller, Mover & Shaker

2008-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Grayson is Half a Year old!! Happy 6 month birthday baby boy- his current favorites are being on his belly - attempting crawling in all sorts of ways-army scoot- bouncing back and forth on his hands and knees- face planting... but he does get from point "a" to point "b" now to retrieve toys and binkies out of reach- so I guess it is a crawl after all!! He loves to make noises by sucking in air and making a funny sound with his throat, he loves to razz with his tongue and spit everywhere, he could stare at his two hands mesmerized over and over all day, and he loves giving hugs and sloppy kisses. We love his grey-green eyes and fun personality, there is never a dull moment with Gray boy- and these 6 months have really flown by. We love you Gray baby! You are growing up so fast and it is so fun to watch you learn and grow:)

Family Photo!

2008-09-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

W are so happy to have Grayson in our lives!

Bumbo and rice cereal

2008-08-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest Gray baby pics...he doesn't like to wear clothes much- he is a diaper sporting baby. His new favs???Blue Bumbo chair and food!!!

Grayson also is loving to sing, scream, grab everything, laugh over and over, and kissing mama:) 4 months is so much fun!

3 month old cutie-pie

2008-07-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am ready for church in my cute new blue outfit my Marmalade bought me!
Can you believe I am 3 months old now??I grow up so so fast!

I love this little baby!

2008-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

I love being Grayson's mom! He makes all my days better- how did we get along without him??? I cant even remember...

2 MONTH OLD LIL' ROCKSTAR

2008-06-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

CHECK ME OUT- I AM A BIG 2 MONTH OLD NOW! PaRtY oN!!

A WORK IN PROGRESS- Befores and Afters

2008-06-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Just a little background- Nate bought our house when we were engaged- October of 2006. It was a forclosure/bankruptcy situation and Nate won the bid. Here are some before and afters to show what nasty condition this house was in, not to mention the basement which we refinished as a walk out apartment for my aunt and her family. These are pictures of the main floor and upstairs- we still have to paint and finish the guest room, master bedroom and master bath. This summer Nate has been working outside on the landscaping. He will finish the inside this fall.

I will start off with my favorite before and after- the kitchen! Nate removed the old panel-flourescent ceiling and raised it up, and opened up the kitchen by not doing the old design with the peninsula. Now we have beautiful dark Ikea cabinets, a farm sink, stainless appliances, french yellow walls, AMAZING granite counter tops, slate floors...I must say- the pictures DO NOT do the kitchen justice! It is my dream!

This was our dining room before- the old owners used it as a bedroom. This house was like a hotel for their kids friends...and after- I still want to decorate some more in this room but it is a lot better!

This is the front of our house, before the old owners poured some concrete pads as a parking lot...as you can see in the after we removed the pads and are growing new grass- we also got a new door and lights and garage door( not visible ) We hope to paint the shingles next spring and Nate is working on the yard as we speak (planting new bushes, etc...)

This is the bathroom on the main level off the kitchen. The old owners had several animals living in here...it was soooo nasty. And after, we added a new pedastool sink and new toilet, painted, and removed the old broken white tile and added slate. We still need to paint the trim- but much better!

This is the smaller upstairs bedroom. A boy lived there before- now it is Graysons nursery- no more flags and chick pics on the wall- this was the funnest project for me:)

And this is the backyard- Nate cut down some trees, planted new ones, removed the dog pen, and built a new vinyl fence! Now we are waiting for new grass to grow- it is sooo green!

This is the living room, notice in the before pic- pixie fairie wallpaper border (gag) nasty carpet, and ugly fireplace doors. We painted, got new carpet and windows ( both in the whole house ) and OF COURSE removed the old curtains.

And this is the upstairs bathroom in the hallway that is shared by the two of the three bedrooms. We decided to go with his and hers sinks, painted a neutral color, and replace the ceramic tile with slate- and got a new toilet. Notice the new blinds too- those are also throughout the whole house.

And this is Nates latest project- laying a brick walkway to allow guests and renters downstairs to walk to their door in the back of the house. The basement apartment is a walkout basement under the deck. Nate plans on refinishing the deck too- right now it is in pretty bad shape.

I am so lucky to have Nate- who works all day so I can stay home with our beautiful baby, and then comes home and works on this house non stop. He is my handyman- and I love him for all he does for us- great job babe! I will post more pics as the work continues!

Happy 26th Birthday Mommy!

2008-05-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

I had such a great 26th birthday celebration! Nate started my day off right and took me bday clothes shopping- always fun

I got to spend the day with my two favorite guys...

We went to dinner with the whole family at Cheesecake Factory-my favorite! Yummyyyyy!!
My mom got me my favorite cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes" in Sandy- here I am blowing out my imaginary candles

I must admit, my favorite early birthday present is my little adorable boy Grayson...All in all it has been a great year- I couldnt be more blessed. I have a wonderful husband, and family:) Only thing that would make it better is my sister Emilie coming home from her mission- only 68 more days! Cant wait!

Mafia Men

2008-05-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

Check us out! We know we look good-We are I-talian Stallions in our preppy collared shirts that Marmalade brought back for us from Pisa, Italy. Do-not-mess-widdduss ( insert Italian accent)

Graysons Baby Blessing

2008-05-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

Grayson's blessing was last Sunday May 4th, and it was really a beautiful day! Not only was it Grayson's blessing, but his one month birthday:) Nate did an amazing job with the blessing, and afterwards we invited our families over for some lunch and cake- all in all we had a wonderful time.

THANKS SARAH PRIDDY!!!

2008-05-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

My moms friend Sarah sent me all these cute little decorated onesies, the coolest blanket and burp clothes, and some new outfits I can wear this summer! And- who could ever forget my new best friend, Mr Elephant towel- I was especially happy he came too- as you can see in my pictures! Thanks so much "Aunt" Sarah- I cant wait to meet you someday- Love Grayson

2008-05-01T12:42:00.001-07:00

Grayson loves Marmalade

2008-04-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

We spent Sunday with my mom, aka Marmalade:) Grayson loves her so so much- he loves to suck on her pinkie to calm him down, and she can always get out those painful burpies out like no one else!I don't know what I would do without my mom being so close, and I am so glad she loves to hang out with us so often- there is no one else I would rather hang out with!

Daddy and Me!

2008-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Grayson loves his daddy very much! In fact, when he doesn't want to breastfeed, and he cries and cries- daddy dances with him and he gets happy again real fast! His dad is also the best diaper changer in the world- it is always done really fast and well so Grayson doesn't get too cold during the changing:) Daddy and Grayson will do a lot of things together- and Dad cant wait to see his boy everyday after work he holds Grayson while Mom gets dinner ready- they love to chill together!

THUMBS UP

2008-04-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

LIFE IS PRETTY GOOD FOR GRAYSON, HE EATS GREAT- MOM IS LIKE BESSIE THE COW WHEN IT COMES TO MILK-SO THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH SUPPLY-AND GRAYSON SURELY DEMANDS! WE HOPE HE GROWS BIGGER AND BIGGER- I CAUGHT HIM GIVIN US THE THUMBS UP IN HIS CARSEAT YESTERDAY AND HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE. HE'S WEARING THE HAT AND SWEATER HIS MARMALADE(GRANDMA) MADE HIM. HE LOVES HIS MARMALADE! WE HAD A GREAT DAY:)

HEY CUZ!!

2008-04-08T15:57:00.001-07:00

REMY CAME DOWN WITH HIS MOMMY LIZ AND MET GRAYSON FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE IS ALMOST EXACTLY 5 WEEKS OLDER...AND A LOT BIGGER! GRAYSON LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE TOY NEXT TO HIS BIG, AWESOME COUSIN! THESE TWO WILL BE BUDDIES FOR LIFE!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD GRAYSON!

2008-04-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

GRAYSON MICHAEL EWELL
BORN APRIL 4TH 2008 AT 2:20AM
6LBS 10OZ 19 INCHES
BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY BOY! WE ARE ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE!

INDUCTION SCHEDULED!

2008-03-13T19:26:00.001-07:00

WELL-I GOT A PHONE CALL YESTERDAY TO SCHEDULE MY INDUCTION! IRONICALLY-NATE AND I WILL SPEND OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY -MONDAY MARCH 17TH 2008- EN ROUTE TO UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL - BY 8PM TO BE INDUCED...OR AT LEAST BEGIN THE PROCESS! THE DR. TOLD ME WHEN I GET THERE THEY WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF "RIPENING THE CERVIX" AT 8PM, I WILL STAY THE NIGHT AND BE MONITORED- AND BY 6AM TUESDAY MORNING- IF I HAVE NOT GONE INTO LABOR FROM THE CERVIX MEDICATION NATURALLY- AND I HAVE PROGRESSED TO 2CM- MY PITOCIN WILL BEGIN AND WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE OUR LITTLE BOY GRAYSON MICHAEL EWELL BY TUESDAY EVENING! SO EXCITING...OUR NEXT POST SHOULD BE PICTURES AND UPDATES-AND WE WILL BE NEW PARENTS!!! STAY TUNED!

I'M AN AUNT!!!

2008-03-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

How amazing is that! Remington Michael Louis Gray was born on March 1st at 1:55 AM weighing 7lbs 7oz and 21"long. He is an angel baby-so good, we are all just in love with him. I love to go to Michael and Liz's house to visit, and Remy and I get to cuddle. My baby was loving it from the inside of me, it looked like Remy was on a waterbed (my belly) when my baby would move! The cousins are already playing! I LOVE REMY-I CANT BELIEVE I AM AN AUNT!!!

36 Weeks

2008-02-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, This is definitely the home stretch! I feel great, and our nursery is ready- and we are feeling pretty ready too! I may have to be induced at 37 weeks because of the family history of aorta problems. Its the disease that took my dad's life a little over a year ago- luckily I do not have an enlargement in my Aorta, but because of the family history-I feel like I am in the best hands with the team at University of Utah Hospital. They are supportive and all about taking the safest route for baby and I. Some people with this disease have complications going all 40 weeks-so whenever the baby's lungs are ready I will be induced, and they will start checking that next week. I will keep you all posted! We cant wait to meet the baby! ANd a little update, our top 3 names are: Grayson Michael, Wyatt Gray, or Harrison Michael:)

28 weeks and counting

2008-01-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well everybody, heres my 28 week belly, I have slowly been putting together the babies scrapbook, and to go along with the 3D fetal fotos I took pictures to coordinate what he makes me look like from the outside! Today I am going to paint the nursery with my moms help, we are going to do a neutral dark brown suede like color. The babies furniture is a maple color-we have a crib, changing table, glider chair and ottoman. An amazing family in my ward gave me all this furniture-and a bassinet for our room-we are sososo grateful, thank you Milams! I want to recover a bumper and blanket with creme bedding, and I am getting a way fuzzy rug for in front of the crib. It will be a very organic natural looking nursery...I am not very into a "themey" room. I will take pics as soon as I finish for you all to see:)

FETAL FOTOS!!!

2008-01-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

WELL, HERE IS OUR BABY'S VERY FIRST 3D PICTURES...I THINK HE LOOKS JUST LIKE HIS DAD-A LITTLE MINI NATE! IT WAS SO FUN TO SEE HIM-WE ONLY HAVE 12 WEEKS LEFT TO GO, HE IS STILL REALLY ACTIVE AND I LOVE BEING PREGNANT. NATE AND I HAVE TO FINISH THE NURSERY STILL WHICH IS FUN TO PLAN OUT. MY BROTHER AND HIS WIFE ARE HAVING A BABY BOY 4 WEEKS BEFORE US SO I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE THE TWO BOY COUSINS PLAY! I STILL CANT BELIEVE NATE AND I WILL BE PARENTS SO SOON...WHAT AN ADVENTURE AWAITS US AHEAD!

What A Fun Christmas!

2007-12-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas 2007. We spent time with family enjoying great food, gifts, traditions, and fun:) Nate and I are looking forward to the new year ahead to welcome our new baby boy in March...Only 13 weeks to go-thank heavens because I CANT STAND THIS HEARTBURN ANYMORE!!! Who am I kidding, it will probably only get worse as I grow! Hahahaha:) More belly pics to come-next week I have my 28 week check up and I am going to fetal fotos for a 3D picture to see our little boys face!! CANT WAIT! Stay tuned for all those pics later:) HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

FIRST OFFICIAL PREGO PIC! 24 WEEKS

2007-12-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well, for all of you that have requested to see my growing belly-here is the debut! I am 24 weeks now, feel great, lots of energy, and loving feeling the kicks from my little man inside:)

TEMPLE SQUARE

2007-12-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

The Christmas lights at temple square in SLC this time of year are just magical! We had a lot of fun walking around and taking a bunch of pictures...even though it was freezing! So far this holiday season is just all around fun-family time, traditions, good food. I love the Spirit that Christmas brings-to remember our Saviors birth-the most important day to all mankind, and I am truly grateful for the tender mercies in my life I noticed-lent to me by the Savior daily...I cant wait to get to the gift giving too-this has by far been the most fun shopping for Christmas I have ever had and I cant wait to give everyone their presents!

20 WEEKS

2007-11-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted in forever! I am 20 weeks along now, with a baby boy! His name will be Wyatt Gray Ewell (unless we change our minds last minute...probably not though) He has been moving the last few days quite a bit which is really fun to feel-such a miracle going on in there! I will have my in depth ultrasound at the hospital on Wed 11-14 and will post more pics soon. Here are some ultrasound pics from 15 weeks at fetal fotos when we found out we were having a boy:)

Life is good

2007-09-01T19:06:00.001-07:00

Well, after a whirlwind couple of years, my life is panning out to be just as great as I could ever dream. I married Nathan on March 17, 2007 in the Provo Temple. We are best friends, he couldnt be a better husband and I live to make him happy:) We are thrilled to be starting our own little family, with a baby on the way March 31st 2008! I keep having dreams about a little baby boy the looks a lot like Nate...Sometimes his name is Will, sometimes its Wyatt...two names I never though of before thats for sure! It was pretty amazing hearing the heartbeat-126bpm- two weeks ago. Life is growing inside me and I can hardly believe it sometimes! This is Life in the Best Lane!