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Baby Gray/blessings/friends/nursery/shower

Showered with Blessings

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Cheesy, I know. BUT…

I was so overwhelmed Saturday when I got to my shower (which was at my house, so I had gone to get a pedicure while the hostesses prepped). Overwhelmed tends to have a negative connotation, but that’s not what I mean at all! I have amazing friends who bent over backwards to make my shower fit me to a T. I had a ton of people show up to celebrate Mr. Gray and I and the arrival of our new son. It was such an amazing day of love and kindness.

Bean had talked to Nonna and Annie and gotten mementos from Mr. Gray and my childhood to display. It was so neat to see our little clothes, needlepoint blocks that were made for us, Mr. Gray’s baseball memories, and so much more! She and Honey got here extra early to start setting things up (they even got Mr. Gray in on the action). The hostesses made my favorite foods, and everything was color coordinated to match the nursery!

Everything was delicious and oh, so cute! Aunt B got the cake here in one piece (and did a great job finding someone who made a cake that was cute and delicious all at the same time). The center pieces were so cute! They were made of cloth diapers with socks and pacifiers for embellishment! Everyone raved about Cookie’s Spinach Artichoke dip and Bean’s black bean salsa/relish. Delish!

Did I mention tons of people showed up? Don’t let that empty chair fool you–the place was packed! What a blessing it truly is that so many people love and care about us. I really enjoyed everyone’s company, even though I didn’t get to visit as much as I would’ve liked with everyone.

These amazing ladies are my friends. I don’t know where I’d be without them. I am so blessed to have each and every one of them in my life. We wrapped up the shower with prayer over the nursery. Thank you for the beautiful prayer, Honey.

Sunday evening, OK it was the middle of the night, I started sorting and going through the shower gifts to get them washed and ready for Baby Gray’s arrival. The photo above is after one round of sorting and organizing. (Didn’t I say we were blessed?) Since, I have gotten all the bottles, dishes, silverware, and kitchen stuff washed and put away, and I am almost done with washing all the clothes, blankets, and sheets. I can’t wait to get it all where it goes!

Thank you so much to everyone who attended the shower or thought about us on Saturday. Mr. Gray and I are so grateful for all the love and support that surrounds us!

Baby Gray/dancing/Papa

He’s Got His Dancin’ Shoes On!

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

The man in this photo was an amazing man. He took care of his wife, daughters, and granddaughters. They were always his first priority. He loved golfing, playing dominoes (if he didn’t beat you, it’s because he wasn’t playing), and caring for his yard. He was a deacon in the church, and he lived like it each day. He loved his God, and he’s gone to be with him now. His hip no longer hurts, and he’s been re-united with the love of his life! They’re dancing now, and she’s singing a beautiful song for him.

My Papa was such a special man. While I’m sad he’s gone from us, I’m so excited that he’s gone to be with his Father, and that he’s been re-united with Grammie (he can even hear her now, because her voice is strong and beautiful and his ears hear loud and clear). He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him and those whose lives he touched along his path.

I can’t wait to hear all the stories people will tell about him at the funeral; people save the best stories to tell posthumously. I’ll treasure those stories to share with Baby Gray, who will be Papa’s first male descendant. I’m so sad he didn’t get to meet Baby Gray; he was so excited when he found out. We’ll share all the stories and pictures of Papa with him when he’s older so that he can know what a great man and role model his Papa was.

Aggies/Baby Gray/football

We Are the Aggies…

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

Mr. Gray’s family has always been pretty Aggie. I have always been more of an Aggie than a Longhorn, but I never thought I would be “brainwashed” if I went to A&M. Little did I know, I’d be right in the big middle of it all! I found out last week, that my family’s Aggie legacy runs a lot deeper than Granddaddy’s two-week stint at A&M.

There is a diploma hanging in Grandmommy’s house from A&M College that my great-great-grandfather earned. It’s signed by Sull Ross, who was the president of A&M at the time Barber (as Grandmommy calls him) attended. For years, I didn’t understand the significance of that piece of paper on her wall. Last year after Muster, she told me Mr. Gray and I could have it, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. In that same conversation. She also mentioned she had a copy of “A&M’s first annual” from Barber’s college years. I didn’t think anything of it.

Fast forward to this past Friday. I had gone over to show her photos, the wedding program, and some other mementos from our Block Island trip, and she pulled the “first annual” out for me to see. Not only was she absolutely correct about it being the first one, but Barber was a very active member of the class of ’95 and on the editorial staff of the Olio.

I read it cover to cover Friday and took everything in; obviously things had changed with time, but it was so neat to see how many things were the same (traditions, familiar names on campus). My favorite thing in the whole book was a page that listed each man’s religion, political affiliation, and favorite feature in a woman! Can you imagine how that would go over these days?

For more information about the Olio online, you can check here and here.

To top my Friday off, I got to have lunch with my dad and a couple of Old Ags who enjoyed hearing about the yearbook I was still so excited about. That prompted them to tell some stories of their own! WOW! It’s amazing how grown men, years later still talk so fondly of their days at A&M. Once we finished up our lunch, I headed to the frame shop to take Granddaddy’s Corps pins (circa 1939) to be put in a shadow box.

In other Aggie news, I had a strange dream that my Aggie Ring fell off in a river. When I pulled it out of the water a few seconds later, it was all beat up and the diamond had fallen out–I was devastated! Thank goodness when I woke up it was perfectly in tact!

Also, I found out yesterday that Baby Gray is due two days before A&M’s birthday. So he has the option of being a Come & Take It baby, an Aggie baby, or having 10.10.10 as his super cool birthday! We’ll see when he decides to make his debut! Any of those (or the surrounding) days are fine with me–I’ll take him any day!

Last, but certainly not least, Aggie Football begins in 39 days! WHOOP! (Remember, I wasn’t going to be interested in any of this…)

Baby Gray/furniture/garage sale/liriope/table/yard

Revolving Door

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 2 Comments

Our home is like a revolving door for all things furniture & decor. I get tired of something in one place and repurpose it quite frequently. My latest repurposed item was the wine rack that greeted guests at our front door. I moved it to the office to serve as a printer stand, complete with a place for the computer, (our desk is now an art table, remember?) some sketch books, paints, and other art or office supplies. That left us with a huge blank space at the front door! My first thought was to put something round in the space since we had something angular to begin with. However, after an antique day-trip yesterday, and a round or two at World Market and Pier One, we decided on this little telephone table!

I had also grown tired of our kitchen table and the barstools on which it required me to sit!

So, while I was out yesterday, I found this cute little number to replace it with.

A shop I had long overlooked was the winner of the kitchen table find, and so much more! I can’t wait to continue shopping at Max’s Mercantile!

I have also been prepping for my garage sale (August 21st, come buy our stuff) off and on as we get ready for Baby Gray. I made major progress on that feat today as well. We had tons of glassware that we rarely used that needed to be cleaned out and condensed so that BG could have a cabinet for all his cute little stuff. Mr. Gray and I got everything into exactly as much space as we needed–the task was much less daunting than I anticipated. My closet and dresser were next to be conquered. WOW! I can’t believe how many things hang in my closet and go unworn. They’re all in the garage sale pile now!

Our final (and possibly largest) piece of progress this weekend was on the yard. Mr. Gray re-mulched the front flower bed and replaced some Liriope plants that weren’t faring too well. He then created a new bed of much for our back yard tree. There is too much shade under it (and from the fence) for much to grow but weeds, so he wanted to stop the weed invasion. I think it looks great–Mr. Gray is so handy!

Baby Gray/doctor/Kerbey Lane/mustache/nursery/roast

The Beds of Our Lives

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

I don’t think I know many more soap opera titles; don’t worry, this phase will be over soon.

Let’s recap:

We did away with the guest room

to make room for the nursery.

We’ve been working on the nursery, and we pretty much had everything but the crib… until now. (See the cute little sock monkey Annie got? I love it!) The crib is in, so now Baby Gray’s room is as ready as it’ll be until after the shower! (Well, the recliner is going to get a facelift…)

After we got rid of the guest room, though, no one could come visit us… except Annie, who likes to sleep on our couch. We didn’t have enough space in the art room for our other full-sized bed, so we got a daybed, and it’s just perfect! Mr. Gray has room to do his art; I have a little space to scrapbook, craft, or work on the computer; and guests can sleep without having to camp out on the couch! It’s a win, win, win situation!

In other Matters:

Mr. Gray FINALLY shaved that “rapey” mustache! HOORAY!
The roast in the crock pot was delicious… see more here.
We had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and we left early enough to eat at Kerbey Lane! Made. My. Day.
Baby Gray is still doing great! We had all good news!
We are such a blessed family; I couldn’t ask for more.

beef/crock pot/dinner/Recipes/roast

As the Crock Pot Simmers…

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Since the spaghetti & meatballs experiment went pretty well, I decided to try another crock pot dish for this evening’s dinner. While scrounging for ideas earlier in the week, Mr. Gray pointed out that we had a roast in the freezer (it was too big for my tiny crock pot, so Mr. Gray cut it into chunks before he headed to work at daylight this morning).

I started the chunks (he left them pretty large), carrots, some onion, and new potatoes about 8:30 this morning. All I added was a little Hot Shot (I don’t cook anything without it… consult your spice aisle at the grocery store), some Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, and a little soy sauce (shhh… don’t tell Mr. Gray; I add it to almost all the beef I cook). I set the ol’ crock pot on low and closed the lid…

Results to follow.

Aside: I need a life… it looks like all we do is EAT!

UPDATE:

Well, once again, the crock pot I thought I didn’t like did a great job! The roast was fantastic–and so easy it’s unreal!

We even have leftovers for tonight! Look for more crock pot recipes to come…

beef/crock pot/dinner/Recipes/spaghetti and meatballs

What a Crock… of Success!

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Yesterday, I did a little experiment with my crock pot (normally we’re not friends). I was testing out spaghetti and meatballs with a bit of a modification since I was home. I was scared it wasn’t going to be very good, so I didn’t post the recipe. However, it was really yummy! Mr. Gray “ate so much [his] stomach hurt!”

Crockpot SCR151-WG 1-1/2-Quart Round-Shaped Manual Slow Cooker, White

Crock Pot Spaghetti & Meatballs

1 pound ground meat

1/8 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

Fresh basil, shredded, to taste

1/4 cup onion, finely minced

Onion powder, to taste

Course ground black pepper, to taste

Oregano, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Olive oil

Thin spaghetti (as much as you need, depending on servings)

20 ounces pre-made spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup water

Combine meat & quick oats in large mixing bowl
Slowly add milk & egg
Add the rest of the seasonings and continue to combine
Form the meat into balls (I make them somewhere between a golf ball and a baseball size)
Coat the bottom of the crock pot in a thin layer of olive oil
Place meatballs into the crock pot
(You can stop here and refrigerate the meatballs if making that part the night before.)
Turn the crock pot on low with only the meatballs for 30 minutes to an hour (Leave it on while you’re getting ready to go to work without the other items)
Meanwhile, soak the spaghetti in room temperature water while meatballs are cooking
Drain and dry spaghetti before placing into crock pot on top of meatballs
Cover meatballs & spaghetti with sauce
Pour water over the top of all three
Close the lid and let it cook!

Mr. Gray & I both really enjoyed this dinner. It definitely beats a cold salad every Monday and Wednesday for the next four weeks! Up next, roast, potatoes, and carrots! My crock pot and I might become friends, after all!

baking/beef/crock pot/dinner/Recipes/spaghetti and meatballs/teaching

Oh, These Backwards Days

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

I got up this morning and started dinner. Yes, dinner. It’s a teaching day, so I decided maybe the crock pot is the solution instead of cold salads every Monday and Wednesday through mid-August. I know Mr. Gray will appreciate this new idea. Since I’m home, I can modify crock pot recipes some from total stick-it-in-and-forget-it practices (I know that’s the point of a crock pot).

For today’s menu, I decided on spaghetti and meatballs. Because I wanted to test the feasibility of doing this in one stick-it-in-and-forget-it step, I started with just the meatballs (unbrowned) to see what would happen.

So far, they’ve been in there about forty-five minutes, and they smell amazing! I’m going to flip them at an hour and then add sauce and pasta to simmer until this afternoon (assuming it doesn’t smell so good I try to eat it for lunch).

I’ll post the recipe if this dinner turns out to be any good. I borrowed from a Pioneer Woman recipe, but changed them to an Italian-style meatball. My sauce is cheater HEB sauce I can just throw in the crock pot on top of the spaghetti and meatballs. (I soaked the spaghetti noodles in room-temperature water first since they wouldn’t boil in the crock pot.)

Now I’m off to finish up my backwards day; so far, I’ve cooked dinner and baked muffins for breakfast. My plans for the day include washing clothes, reading, relaxing, and then going to work (backwards, backwards, backwards).

UPDATE:

I checked the meatballs at an hour, and it wasn’t necessary to flip them. They’re cooking very evenly. I drained and blotted the spaghetti noodles before putting them on top of the meatballs and covering with sauce. The lid is back on and dinner is cooking!

Annie/Applebee's/date/dinner

See You in the Funny Papers…

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

Yesterday Mr. Gray and I had a little date night and went to a local production of Annie. It was amazing–the children in the show were so talented! The little girl who played Annie was in fifth grade, but, boy, could she sing! I had never seen a live production of Annie, so I was quite surprised at the amount of political jargon that was taken out of the movie. I understand why, but it really changed the storyline in some places. Overall, I was really impressed with the whole thing.

Mr. Gray worked cattle yesterday, so we didn’t have time to go eat dinner before the show. That left us with a myriad of choices once it was over–at 10:30! We ended up at Applebee’s, which isn’t generally a favorite of mine anyway. When we walked in, the hostess had on some Hawaiian garb, as did the rest of the wait staff. This wouldn’t have been so bad if anyone had said, “Hi, welcome to Hawaiian night,” or anything that remotely acknowledged the fact that waiters and waitresses had on swimsuits and grass skirts! To top it off, we were seated right next to the karaoke machine (and its speakers). It really looked like a sad night club scene in a movie–maybe worse. Thank goodness that’s not our normal Saturday night scene!