Baby Gray/Christmas/Santa

Santa Claus is (not) Coming to Town…

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Well, he might be coming to town, but we’re sure having scheduling conflicts! 

I had my heart set on taking Baby Gray to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop. I felt like their Santa would be less “girly” than a mall Santa. He has a log cabin instead of a little froo-froo house–manly! One weekday I called to see what time Santa would be there so I could head that direction. I was told he was there from 12:00-5:00 each weekday. Off I went! Baby Gray and I got there about 1:00, and there was no Santa. Santa was there from 5:00-8:00 each evening during the week, they said. I kindly let them know that I had driven specifically for the purpose of seeing Santa, and that I was very disappointed. I also mentioned to each employee on my way out that Santa was there from 5:00-8:00, just in case they answered the phone when another mother called and wanted Santa photos for her child.

Fast forward to tonight. Mr. Gray needed a new coat from Dillard’s, so we decided to make a trip of it. We’d go see Santa right at 5:00 and then go to Dillard’s. I had Baby Gray dressed in his cute new flannel shirt from Such & D–he was all ready for Santa! We get inside, and as we’re walking to the line, a Bass Pro employee asks if we have our “Bass Pass” to get in line. Ummmm… NO. Turns out, they give out these “Bass Passes” with time slots on them for photos with Santa. You basically have to go earlier in the day to get the pass for that evening. All of tonight’s passes were gone. Really? It was really nice of all the previous employees I had spoken to on my previous trip to mention this to me. 

Furious is not enough of a degree to measure how I felt about our trip to Bass Pro today. Someone definitely should have mentioned the “Bass Passes” on my first trip. So now I’m looking for a Santa–even a “girly” Santa–we can visit on a weekday. Our weekends are booked! We’ll see what happens!
free/money/swagbucks

Makin’ Some ‘Bucks!

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I saw on a friend’s blog that she signed up for Swagbucks… So, I did, too! You can earn points toward free stuff… Here is my referral link. Use that link to sign up for your own account to earn your own free stuff.

You can earn Swagbucks through searching the web, referring friends, and more. I’ll probably forget about it sooner than I remember to search and earn anything, but I’m going to give it a try! Who knows? I thought my blog would be a passing phase, too!

Baby Gray/blessings/lunch

Put Me Out of My Misery

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Today I went to lunch with Baby Gray (i.e., by myself–a huge fear of mine) while our house was being cleaned. I took a few things with me to do at the table, and I just watched people and listened to what was going on around me. 
At one particular table, there was a group of five little old ladies celebrating one of their birthdays. They were all at least 70, probably much older. The “birthday girl” had a desperate need to be the center of attention, and anytime the attention would shift from her, she would begin back in on the same story she had been telling the whole time. Finally, the two ladies at the end of the table began their own conversation and started ignoring her. 
The recurring theme at that table, though, was negativity. No matter what! One complained of how thick the soup was–it was too filling; she had ordered a bowl and couldn’t eat it all (I’m sure had it been a less hearty soup it wouldn’t have been filling enough; she would have wasted her money). One waited too long for her food; couldn’t this place get a better system for ordering and serving the food? (Maybe she shouldn’t have arrived ten minutes after all the other ladies.) One had been in a wreck Monday and was so pleased with the man’s insurance, except that they weren’t going to offer her full coverage because she didn’t call the police at the scene, “I’m 78 years old; I’ve never had a wreck. I though only had to call the police if someone was hurt.” (They all chimed in that since she was in a school zone when the wreck occurred, a police officer should have been present anyway; that was definitely not her fault.)
Regardless of where the conversation went, they had complaints. Now, I am by no means  pleasant all the time, but I am quite grateful for the blessings I have. I have a healthy son, a loving husband, a warm and comfortable home, a safe vehicle to drive, and so much more. God has blessed me beyond measure, and if I ever get to the point where I can no longer recognize that, someone please put me out of my misery!
Baby Gray/iPhone/vaccinations

Round Two

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Baby Gray had his two-month well baby check-up today. All was well. He weighs 14 pounds, 4 ounces; is 24.5 inches long; and his head is 16.5 inches. He’s in the 85th-95th percentiles in everything. The doctor was quite pleased with his growth, his alertness, and his other developmental tasks. 
I have to really hand it to our pediatrician’s office. I have been speaking with the nurse supervisor about every other day for the past two weeks working on getting Pediarix instead of Pentacel for Baby Gray. At first they only gave me the individual shots as the alternative to Pentacel (its Polio vaccination contains electively aborted fetal cells). I told them I was not OK with giving Baby Gray four or five shots instead of one, and the supervisor told me she would look into ordering the Pediarix for me. We had to pay for it, but she got it, and I felt much better about it all. 
He was also scheduled for RotaTeq, which I declined, and Prevnar 13. When it was time to get his vaccinations, though, I realized I forgot Pediarix is short one medication that is in Pentacel. Baby Gray’s pediatrician gave me the name and the prescribing pamphlet, and I was unable to quickly find any information about whether or not it contained cells from fetal origin. I quickly texted a friend who is knowledgeable about vaccinations, and she was not in a place where she could check on it right away. Thanks to my iPhone and a search through my emails, I was able to very quickly get enough information to make a confident decision about whether or not to allow them to administer the ActHIB.
While the actual administration of the vaccinations broke my heart, Baby Gray did an awesome job. He only cried briefly when each needle poked him, and then he was back to his cheerful self. He took a good nap afterward, and when we got home, I gave him a little acetaminophen to help keep him from feeling sore. He did not have any adverse reactions this afternoon or evening at all. I was quite pleased.
Baby Gray/Christmasday/decorating

Christmasday!

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One of my very favorite days of the year is, as it is called at our house, Christmasday–the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This is the day we cut down our tree (usually trees, but we tried something different this year), get lights on the house, and basically transform the whole house into celebration mode. I collect nativity scenes, so each room in the house has at least one–usually more. I love seeing them out and being reminded why this is such a wonderful, loving time of year!
My favorite tree farm is in Caldwell, so we don’t usually get to go there since we left College Station. Last year, we got our trees from a small farm near Luling, and they were dead long before I was ready to take them down; it was extremely disappointing (and messy). This year, we thought we’d try another farm around our area, but when we got there, the trees all looked like Charlie Brown trees–no thanks! We heard about another farm south of town last year, but we weren’t quite sure where it was, so I looked online and found it. We headed south!
It was almost identical to the farm in Caldwell! I was so excited! Even though we were only getting one tree this year, I was still glad we found one that was pretty! Baby Gray was started to get hungry as we tree-hunted, so we picked one a little more quickly than usual. It’s perfect for our space, though! We will definitely go back to that farm next year!

We did several things differently this year, but, overall, I think everything turned out great! Now it’s time to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s and wrap!
Baby Gray/Recipes/Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and Beyond

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We had a wonderful, albeit busy, Thanksgiving weekend!

Thursday we had lunch with Annie’s side of the family at Aunt Cookie’s friends’ home in Austin. Several of us were going to the game, so it being in Austin worked out well. I took broccoli & rice casserole as well as pumpkin cake with cinnamon whipped cream. I still haven’t found a broccoli & rice recipe I’m crazy about, nor has any of my mixing and melting (sans recipe) turned out the way I want. BUT, the pumpkin cake & cinnamon whip was a HIT!


Mr. Gray liked the cinnamon whip so much he wore it!


Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Cake:
1 can (14 ounce) pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
Cinnamon, to taste
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used honey Teddy Grahams)

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Grease a 9×13 pan
  • Put ther first 5 ingredients in your bowl and mix well (it will be runny)
  • Pour into greased pan
  • Sprinkle entire box of yellow cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture
  • Top with graham cracker crumbs
  • Pour melted butter evenly over the top
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
  • Serve warm with cold cinnamon whip on top! 


Cinnamon Whip:
Heavy whipping cream
Vanilla
Confectioners’ sugar
Cinnamon

  • Pour ingredients (adjust amounts to taste as needed) into bowl
  • Whip until the cream stands in peaks
  • Serve over warm pumpkin cake or other dessert

After lunch, we got Baby Gray settled with Annie & Aunt Cookie and headed to tailgate. A cold front had blown in, so it was a little chilly outside! It was perfect football weather, but I misunderstood the weather and thought it was going to be rainy & cool rather than windy & cold. Luckily, I had enough clothes to stay warm during the game. 

The Aggies pulled out a win in Austin (I’m 2-2 in Austin) for an early birthday present to me! WHOOP! 

Thank goodness no one wanted to shop Friday, so we didn’t have to get out and about with all the crazy bargain hunters! We hung around the house and relaxed, and then we headed out to The Ranch. Mr. Gray did a little hunting, and I was scouting out photo ops for the family calendar I make each year. 

Saturday was Thanksgiving at our house. We kept it low-key with turkey and tenderloin for sandwiches, potato salad, cranberry cookies, and some more pumpkin cake. I attempted sweet potato fries with my usual recipe, but it didn’t work out too well. They were either soggy and undercooked or burned. I couldn’t get to a happy, edible medium. Oh well! I’ll try again sometime.

Cranberry Cookies

1 box white cake mix
1 stick of butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1/2 package white chocolate morsels
3/4 cup Craisins

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Grease cookie sheet(s)–I almost never do, but this dough is STICKY! 
  • Combine first four ingredients until well mixed
  • Fold in white chocolate morsels and Craisins
  • Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto cookie sheet
  • Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on top


I forgot to take a photo before we ate… oops! The pumpkin cake & whip are bottom right; the cake on the left was made by Suzanne Sexton for my birthday–look her up–her stuff is YUMMY!

We had four generations present on both sides of Mr. Gray’s family and on my dad’s side as well. I orchestrated lots of photos to commemorate such an event. It was so nice to have everyone together hanging out.

 
I love hosting and having people over, and, I have to say, for my first “event” with Baby Gray, I think it went quite well!

blessings

Grazie! Merci! Gracias!

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I don’t know why we really only stop to think about (write about) what we’re thankful for once a year. In my life, there is way too much to be grateful for to cram into one day. Our family has been so blessed in so many ways! I’ve chosen a few to share. 
I’m thankful for my God. He’s amazing; His timing is perfect. He provides so much for my family in so many ways–financially, emotionally, friendships, relationships, and more! It’s truly a blessing to know Him and walk with Him through this great journey on earth. 
I’m thankful for my son. Baby Gray is such a little miracle. He grows and changes every day. He’s a perfect combination so far of Mr. Gray and I–he’s relaxed and low key (Mr. Gray) about certain things while picky and a little more high-strung (me) about others. I’ve never had a relationship of this sort–it’s truly unbelievable! 
I’m thankful for my husband. I cannot say enough about Mr. Gray and all that he is to me. He is the leader of our home–and an awesome one at that! He steps up when it’s crunch time to make sure Baby Gray and I have all we need and want before ever thinking of himself. He is the most selfless, altruistic person I have ever met. 
I am thankful for family and friends that might as well be. God has given Mr. Gray and I a support system that cannot be replaced or replicated. Our families are amazing, and we couldn’t do without our friends. I love you all dearly. 
I am thankful for my home. It is truly a blessing to have a nice home that is warm, safe, and comfortable. I try very hard to remember not to take such a blessing for granted; many people do not have a roof over their head, much less the comforts and amenities available to me. It provides warmth is the cold and cool in the heat; shade from the sun and cover in the rain. I am so grateful. 
There is so much more I am thankful for, but for now, that will have to do–I’m off to finish getting ready for our trip to Austin tomorrow. We’re having lunch with family and then off to the t.u. game. I’ll be thankful for a win come tomorrow evening! WHOOP!
running

Off I Went…

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Sunday marked my first post-baby run (jog). I felt great–I completed 1.2 miles and then a good, brisk walk to finish. Considering it’s been about a year since I’ve really run, I was pretty proud of myself. This is for sure the worst shape I’ve been in EVER! Mr. Gray said that’s to be expected, and I guess it is. In all actuality, even with the walking we did while I was pregnant, that’s the longest period of time I’ve been inactive that I can remember. 
Hopefully I’ll be able to get on a good jogging schedule and whip myself right back into shape!
Aggies/Baby Gray/football/tailgate

It’s What We Do

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Aggie football is just a way of life for us in the Fall. We travel to College Station (sometimes Austin, Waco, or other destinations) to watch the Aggies play. This weekend, we got to start sharing that with Baby Gray. His last trip to College Station was incomplete–he didn’t make it to Kyle Field. This weekend, though, he cheered the Aggies to victory, was part of a record crowd, and got some good rest while hangin’ in the Baby Bjorn!

The game was absolutely AMAZING! I’m so glad I was at the field to watch instead of in the Alumni Center–I think I would have cried! There was a crowd of 90,079 (a record high at Kyle) with 31,005 (a collegiate record) of those being students. People were on the track, standing in the Zone, EVERYWHERE! It was awesome. 
Nebraska kicked a field goal first, and we went three & out several times… it was looking a little scary on the offensive side of things. Our defense was totally on, though. It was definitely a close game. At the beginning of the third quarter, Baby Gray woke up hungry. (I had bottles ready to go at home, but they got left in the fridge.) Mr. Gray & I decided to head back to the tailgate so I could feed him more comfortably. We told Nonna & Pops bye and headed out. 
We got to the ramp to head down, and the crowd went crazy. We had gotten a second interception. I looked at Mr. Gray and told him just to find me a chair–I’d figure it out. He suggested the first aid station instead. It was perfect! They even had the game feed! We watched in there while Baby Gray ate, and then went back to our seats. 
The game was all field goals, and we kicked one in the fourth to go ahead 9-6 with a few minutes left. Sherman left it all up to DeRuyter and the defense… I’m a huge skeptic when people start talking Wrecking Crew present-day. I never saw the Wrecking Crew–it was before my time, but I’d hate to compare apples to oranges. The best I can tell, though, this year’s defense is the closest we’ve been to getting the Wrecking Crew back. They held Nebraska to win the game. 

The record-breaking student crowd flooded the field–it was great (see behind us in the photo)! Total chaos ensued… UNTIL the fight song started. I’ve never seen such craziness turn into perfectly swaying rows so quickly. It was everything that embodies the Aggie spirit. I was so glad we didn’t leave. It was an amazing scene and an awesome game.

As Old Man Andrew told Baby Gray when we got back to the tailgate, “You picked a great first game; we’ll be telling you about it for years to come!”

For someone who had no interest in Aggie traditions and all their “silliness” a few years ago, I’m sure right in the big middle of it now! This week was Bonfire Remembrance Week, and I had a heart to write about being an Aggie earlier this week. The perfect words never came, so I never wrote. A friend wrote a post that was more than I could ever have said, but totally took the words from my heart. Being a part of something like Texas A&M is such a neat thing–I know to those who aren’t part of the Aggie family, it may all look pretty weird, but to see the traditions in action and know the history makes it pretty cool.

Baby Gray/running/stroller

Up & Running

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As I mentioned in a previous post, my goal while pregnant was to be ready to run a 5K six months after Baby Gray was born. The obvious way for me to prepare for such a goal is to RUN. I waited until my six-week check-up with my OB before lacing up my tennis shoes. (That’s kind of a lie–keep reading.)
Yesterday was Monday–the first Monday since my six-week appointment. I’m not a weekend work-out fan, so Monday was my plan. I would run on Monday. Or, not so much. The logistics of this working out business are getting me. If I work out in the morning, I have to find a way to take a shower and get ready while home with Baby Gray by myself. If I wait to run in the evening, it’s dark about 5:45, and Mr. Gray is not always home by then. Once I have our jogging stroller, none of this will be a big deal–I can take Baby Gray with me. Until then, I’m not sure how this will work out. Hmmm…
Regardless, I’m running the 5K I previously found. (I’m running the Blue Bell 5K after that, too.) Hopefully I’m not running them without running at all prior to the event.