Grey is an animal

Well yesterday uncle jim and aunty em treated us to a trip to the zoo. Thanks again for bidding on those tickets at the fundraiser auction...worked out pretty good for everyone involved :) Anyway, it was a beautiful day to get out and check out the animals with the family. Turns out Grey was not exactly as pumped as uncle jim was to go to the zoo. Here he is on the way there...not too enthused.
But then when we got there, he was pretty happy!
That happiness soon faded when i pulled an "aunt pat" and wanted to get a picture of the three of us in front of the famous John Ball Statue. Just like my aunt Pat would do to us cousins every time we'd go anywhere!!! (love you for it though aunt Pat :) Here's the family, and what appears to be John Ball kissing my wifes head. hands off buddy

Grey was pretty happy as he entered the zoo stopping off and checking out the alligators, he was making his funny little noises he makes when he sees dogs and was quite content...untill we entered the aquarium...


this is when things went south...


we thought he might like the petting zoo...nope, hated it.

but wait... he kinda liked it.

We then made our way thru the zoo, and it was pretty cool. in fact heres a bear that was acting pretty cool!


So out of all the incredibly great animals that were there to view, Grey seemed the most excited with the drinking fountain...oh well. :)

oh but wait... now it was time to go and look how happy he is!!! rascal!


thanks again aunty em and uncle jimmy!

great times :)

love Andy, Leigh, & Grey

A Huge Success!

Last night was our big fundraiser for the West Michigan Spina Bifida Association...It was a big success!! Emily Bush and I decided a few months ago that we wanted to do something more to help raise money and awareness so we started brainstorming. :) We came up with this idea of partnering with a restaurant and holding a silent auction.

Vitale's in Ada was kind enough to donate 10% of the nights revenue to the WMSBA. Thanks again, Vitales!!
We were a bit nervous about our silent auction, nervous that we wouldn't get enough items and nervous that no one would bid on them! We were wrong!!
Some of the top sellers were these original pieces done by non other then Greyson Gibbs and Carson Bush! Although we did realize that they are spending too much time together...their paintings look oddly similar! :)
Here is Grey with his Grandma Neal, the big winner of his artwork! (mom, it better be hanging up next time we are there!!) :)I can't say thank you enough to all of the people that were able to make it out, and to all of those that were thinking of us. I was overwhelmed at the end of the night when I thought about how many people came to show their love and support to our two sweet boys. Greyson and Carson are so blessed to have so many people who love them and care for them. When we found out that I was pregnant, I thought that my life would be full of t-ball games and soccer...instead it is full of therapy, appointments, and now fundraising!...I woudn't have it any other way. :) Last night was a big moment for us...showing people that spina bifida isn't something to be afraid of or look down upon. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!
Andy is taking the picture or he would be in it too. :)

Mother's Day...

Boy oh Boy is it great to be a mother!! :) Earlier this week, Andy informed me that he and Grey needed to go to Aunty Em's house (Andy's sister) for a little "mother's day surprise". I assumed that they were going to be doing something involving clay...maybe a clay handprint or footprint. Maybe Grey would try his hand at the potter's wheel (Emily is quite the creative type and has all of these fun toys at her house.) Turns out, I was quite wrong! :) This morning I received the best Mother's Day gift...one of a kind artwork from my very talented one year old!! Here we are this morning showing it off.



Andy also made me a "making of the artwork" book full of photos of their night. Oh. My. Goodness. These pictures are HILARIOUS! Emily made Grey a beret that apparently he wore the entire time. He is just too cute!

Here he is getting started. He knew just what to do. Dip in the paint...and...
Go crazy!

All of the best artists have mustaches...Grey is no exception. :)

It's a good thing that he had this painter's smock on, he may have gotten more paint on it than the canvas!
Such a cutie, even with the painted on mustache...
Needless to say, he had a bath before coming home. :)
Thanks for all of your help uncle Jim and Aunt Emmy!
Here are some other pictures from today...Mommy and Grey
HA!! What an adventure trying to get the perfect family picture. This is us trying to get Grey to look at the camera (that was propped up on our garbage can, the neighbors must think that we are nuts!)
Ah, there it is. Our happy family!!

I hope that you all had as great of a Mother's Day as I did. I have been so blessed with such a great husband and son. God is good!! :)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! and Mom! We love you!!

Everyone's Invited!!!

We just wanted to give everyone a heads up on a fundraising event we are planning. Leigh and Emily (Carson's mom) have planed an event at a local Italian restaurant here in the Grand Rapids area. It's purpose: to help raise awareness and funds for those living with spina bifida. And somewhat more specifically to raise money for our local SB chapter to help family's go to this years SB conference in Cincinnati. We'll be there, any other SB families out there going?

Anyway, I've been really proud of Leigh for the work she's done so far, along with the responses she's received and the willingness of those out there to help. Sure it might have helped that she dropped into the envelope the cutest possible photo of Greyson when she sent out donation request letters. :) hehehe But we thank everyone that has already helped out.

Here's the invitation we sent.

(click to enlarge)

Feel free to spread the word.

oh and here's a new pic of Grey.

love to all,

the gibbs'