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Baby Gray/fashion/Fashion Friday/independent

Fashionably Funny

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

With our early mornings this week, we have been picking out clothes the night before to save time.

My favorite choice of the week went a little something life this:

Me: What dry clothes do you want for tomorrow?
BG: The plain shirt. The one with the donkey on it.
Me: The what? You don’t have a donkey shirt.
BG: You know, the unicorn.
(Mr. Gray and I stare blankly at each other.)
Me: Wait. The plain Polo shirt? With a horse?
BG: Yes! That one! The donkey.

Oh, how we laughed. The he did it again for a second “donkey shirt” later in the week.

2014/faith/go/struggles/swim/swimming/wait

Wrapped in Pretty Paper

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Whoa! We have been running crazy this week! I don’t know what I was thinking when I signed the boy up for swim lessons in New Braunfels–other than that I didn’t have anywhere here to sign him up after he broke his arm and we had to postpone the lessons.

He fakes his time there well. He enjoys the pre-lesson where he plays independently, and he enjoys the post-lesson where he eats a snack.

What he doens’t enjoy is the actual lesson part.

Not even a little bit.

It’s so funny to see him get out so proud after he’s resisted so much during the lesson.

It’s a little convicting, too.

Isn’t that how life goes? We step out in God’s plan, all excited by the opportunity and the new that awaits us. We buy the supplies; we prepare; we think of how great the ending will be.

Then we struggle through the middle. We hem-haw around. We resist. We question what God has asked us to do. We cling to the past. We dig our heels in and protest. (We may or may not sit in the very middle of the pool and cry.)

Finally, the end of the lesson comes, and we wrap it all up with pretty paper and a bow then talk about how fun it was. We might remember a struggle or two, but we don’t always get down to the real and the raw–the emotions that encompass us while we’re still in the water. While we’re still struggling to swim. Why is that? Why do we bury the hard parts instead of sharing them to help encourage others. Sometimes it is hard; life is hard. What lesson would we learn, though, if everything was easy all the time?

Uncategorized

A Thankless Effort (On Thank You Notes)

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

I have always tried to be mindful of thank you notes. I love to put pen to paper and express gratitude for what people have done for me.

Lately, I have done less pen to paper, and more fingers to keyboard, and I am trying to get back to the former.

When I was training for the Skeese Greets Triathlon, a sweet older gentlemen offered me some suggestions on how to better my swimming. Being as I’m self-taught, and I hadn’t the first clue about what I was doing when I started last year, his help was welcomed and made a ton of difference for me.

I checked with the front desk of the gym to try to get his address, but they were unable to find it. I rode around for a month or more with the note in my center console. Yesterday when Baby Gray was at swim lessons, I spotted him! I ran to the car to grab the note. We visited. He asked how the race went, and he was so appreciative that I took the time to seek him out and thank him.

I get by with a little help from my friends, indeed. And, you know, a thank you note or two along the way never hurt anyone.

2014/calf/camp house/runaway/Tootsie/video

Prison Break

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

On this episode of The Grays on the Prairie, our beloved Tootise comes up missing. Being the ranch hand that I am, I noticed her absence pretty much immediately. Without that bawling, how could I not?

We mounted our trusty steeds (read: all piled in the golf cart) and set out. After a couple of circles, we spotted her. As soon as we called, she came runnin’ right to us!

With the tiniest prompting, she followed us all the way home.

The fence is fixed, and she’s safe and sound.

canning/homemade/jar/mason jar/pickles/Recipes/summer

Quick Pickles

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 2 Comments

Last week, I tried my hand at homemade pickles. I promised I’d share them if they were delicious, and they were a hit over Fourth of July weekend! So, as promised, here’s the recipe for these delicious, dill quick pickles!

You will need:

2-3 large fresh cucumbers (they should still be spiky) or more smaller cucumbers
1 package of fresh dill sprigs (if you’ve got homegrown, a good handful will do)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
Just less than 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canning salt

1. Cut cucumbers into chips or spears
2. Combine cucumbers, dill sprigs, and garlic slices in a large jar (or split into two smaller jars)
3. In a medium saucepan, bring water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil; stir until salt is dissolved
4. Pour over cucumber mixture in jar
5. Allow to cool to room temperature
6. Cover tightly and refrigerate 24 hours

Y’all, they were delicious! We ate them plain, on sandwiches, on burgers, everywhere! I was pretty impressed, and I can’t wait to make them again!

2014/change/family/Fourth of July/go/move

Happy Birthday, USA!

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

It’s the Fourth of July. I’m home in a quite house; the boys are at work. It’s so different from the Fourths of our past, but it’s also welcome. Yes, I’m missing being at the parade (our hometown doesn’t have one) and being decked out in our red, white, and blue, but it’s coming.

For the first time, we are traveling this holiday. We are headed to eat good food, be with family, and splash in the pool. As I sit here and reflect on what it means to be an American, to live in the land of the free, to worship as we want–when and where we want, I’m so grateful. We are blessed to be Americans.

By the way if you need a festive recipe for your celebrations today, check here.

#fridayintroductions/Adoption/purchase with purpose/Subsidy Shades/Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: Subsidy Shades Edition

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 2 Comments

It’s Wordless Wednesday around here–well my words, anyway. I found Subsidy Shades through #fridayintroductions, and I love their story! It’s right up my alley–adoption, purchase with purpose, and sunglasses! I’ll turn it over to Melissa now!

Hi! We are Melissa, Robert and Jacquie. We are a young family of three, having adopted Jacqueline through infant domestic adoption.

Adoption has certainly blessed our lives! In 2012 we started the process and in 2013 our tiny bundle of joy arrived weighing in at just 5 pounds! Our adoption costs have been tremendous. Jacquie’s sweet birthmother is a single mother to four children and had major health complications during her pregnancy. Being the adoptive parents we were responsible for all of her costs during that time. Her adoption cost us nearly $60,000.

Last summer Jacquie’s birth family became homeless on the hard streets of Detroit. With the help of family and friends we were able to fly them in to our home, to live with us while we raised funds to purchase them a residence. We were able to get the family a forever home but were unable to reach our fundraising goal. Happy to help, we were put in another tight financial situation.

Today, Jacqueline is a thriving one year old. We are starting the adoption journey again! (Are we crazy or what?!) Robert and I are so excited to expand our family through another infant domestic adoption and give Jacqueline a brother or sister of the same race. In order for us to do this, we need your help. We have created Subsidy Shades to help our family (and families like us) who need financial assistance in the adoption process. All proceeds of Subsidy Shades go directly to a fund to help expand our growing family.

We love our family, friends and kind strangers so much! Rock those shades and spread the word! Much love!

– The Mugar’s

I hope you love their story as much as I do! Find them around the web:
Shop
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

#firstworldproblems/30 Before 30/beach/football/Tuesday 10/Tuesday ten

Ten Again

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

1. I’m almost thirty years old, and when I get home from the beach, my mom still asks me if I got sunburned. What she means to ask is if I put on sunscreen. The answer is yes.

2. I’m almost thirty years old. Wow. I’ve completed my non-30 Before 30 goal, so now all that’s left is to sit back and see what Mr. Gray decides to do to celebrate me come November! (I’m kidding. Mostly.)

3. It’s almost time for the most wonderful time of the year–not Christmas, football! I will remember to go to Chalk Talk this year. Really, I will.

4. Hopefully we get to be done with the sling Thursday. We go back for our follow up appointment and x-rays. Baby Gray is using his arm at pretty much 100%, so I’m praying it’s completely healed and we get an all-clear.

5. I tried my hand at homemade pickles for the first time yesterday. I hope they’re delicious! (I’ll share the recipe if they are.)

6. We had a lengthy discussion at our girls’ dinner last night about which side the washing machine goes on and which side the dryer goes on. It’s the ultimate example of #firstworldproblems.

7. Every summer I want to dye part of my hair pink. Every summer others do it before I do. I don’t like to be a follower, so I just never do it. Maybe next summer I’ll be on the ball.

8. I could eat a sandwich every day. I just love them. (Speaking of sandwiches, did you see this tweet? So funny–and true!)

9. Apparently T Swift is bringing Keds back. I’m not sure how I feel about this (remind me I said that when I trade in my TOMS For Keds).

10. I keep feeling like I’m on the verge of starting something. I have no idea what it is, though. It’s the strangest thing. I guess I’ll know when I know. (Then I’ll tell you guys.)

Fourth of July/fruit/Recipes