Adoption/Baby Gray/faith/family/Mr. Gray

The Next Big Step

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

I can’t tell you how long this has been sitting in my drafts–months and months. It’s something we talk about often with friends and family, but it seems as though putting it in print is a different kind of step. Taking a step here.

Life has a bit of a natural progression, it seems. As we advance, people begin to question the progress. Mr. Gray and I got married in June of 2006, and by Christmas, we had people asking when we’d be having children.

 JJWED0637

Baby Gray was born in September of 2010, and before we even left the hospital, we had people asking when we’d be having another.

People are curious, I get that. I’m curious; I’ve asked these questions myself (as I live through being on the answering end, I try to ask less and less–except with close friends, then all bets are off). The way it stands, we have a three year old, and the questions are flying. Are we having another? When? Why have we waited so long?

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Yes. When the time is right. Because we feel called to adopt.

Then comes the next set. From where? Can you not have anymore kids?

We feel as though we are supposed to pursue a domestic, private adoption. We haven’t tried, so we can’t know for sure, but we do know we feel led to expand our family through adoption.

Adoption of the heart. It’s not something people necessarily just want to do–and that’s totally okay. It’s not for everyone. It seems to go against the grain of the traditional means of growing one’s family. It’s in our hearts. It has nothing to do with pregnancy, child bearing, child birth, any of that. It is not a way out or around–it is what God has placed in our hearts. Can things change? Absolutely! We are not ultimately in control. We just follow where He leads us.

For now, we have been given an abundant life full of love, learning, fun, and so many blessings. We’re in a period of waiting and transition, and that’s okay.

2014/calf/camp house/country life/Tootsie

She’s Mostly Just a Big Dog

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

You may have seen on Facebook or Instagram that we added a baby to our home this weekend. 

She’s a lot like an actual baby in the whole sense of making bottles and feeding her on demand, all the while, you’re in your pajamas in the rain.

Bottle

More than a baby, though, she’s like a big dog.

Waiting

Especially now that she understands we have the food. She follows us around, waits for us at the door, and cries out excitedly when we get home after being gone. 

Welcome to the country.

2014/camp house/community/friends/go/moving

Plug In & Pour In

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

Some days going is really easy. The days that we close on our house or feel at home in the little house on the hill. Those are easy. Yes, let’s go.

Sold

Other days, going is hard. It’s crying and asking to go back. It’s being farther from friends than we were before (albeit closer to others) and wishing for a shorter drive. It’s being unpacked and settled in but not plugged in–to anything, really. Some days I wonder if it would have been easier to move far, far away from where we were, rather than just out of arm’s reach.

This part of the transition is harder than the anticipation, I think. We’re here. Go. We did. Now what? I know it takes time, but patience is not always my strong suit. We’ve been here just over a month, but I’m ready to be plugged in and pouring in somewhere. I’m ready for relationships and community and feeling like we belong here.

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I know it will come. I know it’s not an instant thing. My brain knows that. My heart longs for community, though. Soon. (On that note, off to lunch with Aunt B!)

date night/marriage/parenting

About that Dirty House

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

This is my space, so I’m going to do a little venting here. Indulge me, please (or don’t–use that back button and go on your merry way).

I keep reading posts about how dirty my house should be (because I have a child), how I will never sleep again (because I have a child), how I won’t ever have time to shower again (because I have a child), how I can never have friends without children again (because I have a child), among other generalizations.

I’m going to go ahead and call the bluff here.

Seriously? I get that some kids are more challenging than others, and mine is most definitely of the easy going variety. But, really? Even on our worst days (and there have been a few), I have gone to bed with a tidy house, a shower, and friends of all varieties. Most of the time when I read these posts, they scream, “My child is the center of my attention, home, and relationships!“

Family

I’m certainly not saying I don’t love my child or put him first in many cases. What I am saying is that my job is to raise him into a functional member of society and send him on his way. He won’t be the center of attention there. No one will skip their shower because he was having a moment. When my son moves off to college, or where ever he decides to go, I want to still have a relationship with my husband and my friends. They were here long before my son, and they’ll be here long after he leaves our home.

Do we take him places he sometimes doesn’t want to go? Yes. Do we have him work out his own disputes with friends? Yes. Do we treat him to special things when he makes good choices or excels at something? Of course. We enjoy so many things with him, but we make it a priority to make sure he is also learning responsibilities, decision making, and life skills at an age-appropriate pace.

I don’t have a dirty home because he helps clean up and put away. We’re not missing out on sleep because we stick to bedtime, and he isn’t allowed to leave his bed once that time has come. I’m able to take a shower each and every day because he’ll be okay for five minutes (use those vibrating bounce seats; strap ’em in near the shower and jump in!) while I take care of myself. Date nights are a priority for us because we can reconnect, and he learns that marriage is important.

I’m a better parent when I take care of myself, my marriage, and my friendships.

I realize I’m making my own generalizations here. There are days we just need to cuddle and hang out at home. There are children who require much more from their parents on a daily basis due to illness or other circumstances. That’s not what I’m talking about here.

2014/Baby Gray/go/Mother's Day/Nashville/rest/running/travel

A Mad Nash

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

I honestly have no idea where this last week went–okay, two weeks. They’re just gone. I was here, there, everywhere, and it’s all a bit of a blur.

Where to begin? The beginning, I suppose.

  • I ran my last (foreseeable) half marathon 
  • The week that followed was full of crazy trying to get my car fixed, get ahead for work and home so I could be gone, and regular everyday stuff
  • We enjoyed a belated Mother’s Day supper 
Mother's Day
  • Annie & I went to Nashville where we crammed entirely too much stuff into the time we were there. It was a little work, a little play, and all fun! We certainly didn’t miss anything! 
 Ryman
Country Music Hall of Fame
Bandit
Grand Ole Opry
Cheekwood
The Bluebird Cafe
Nashville Tour
  • Came home for a day filled with appointments and meetings 
  • Now, we’re taking a break. We’ll be back at it tomorrow, but I even skipped yoga today. It’s time to rest. 
Camel Pose

2014/Baby Gray/end of year gift/friends/Happy House/preschool/teacher/teacher appreciation

Bittersweet Ending

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

We ended the school year with a short program, family time, and a play day at school. I honestly can’t believe the year is already over–it seems like we just started!

Of course, Baby Gray had a full house for his performance. We have had so much support this year; it’s been wonderful being where our family is so they can be involved in everything he does.

Family

After the program, each class had an art show in their classrooms. I loved watching him find his art and proudly show it to each of us! We had such a great year with Mrs. Behlen. It’ll be hard to top!

Teacher

Today was the very last day of the year.

Last Day

He sent some flowers to Mrs. Behlen to thank her for “helping him bloom,” and he took some little packages of water balloons for his friends. (I found perfect little packages of water balloons at WalMart; they had two spout covers in each package and two colors of balloons. They were divided, so I just cut each one, printed on an address label and sealed. Easy peasy!)

End of Year Gifts

It was so fun to watch all of the kids play together today. We have formed such a bond with so many of those families, and it was really hard to leave today knowing we would never really be the same. It seems like a lot of weight to put on a two-day-a-week preschool, but I wasn’t the only one. The kiddos didn’t really get the whole “last day” thing, but it was cute to watch them tell each other bye.

baseball/break in/car/football/friends/garden/laundry/running/shopping/triathlon/Tuesday 10/Tuesday ten

Tuesday Ten: First World Problem Edition

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment

1. I have my first open-water triathlon coming up. I’m nervous, but it’s a short swim. I figured I had to start somewhere.

2.  Our child is obsessed with baseball stuff. He wears cleats and baseball pants all day, everyday (unless I don’t get the pants washed quickly enough).

3.  I’m in love with the idea of Stitchfix. However, I really like shopping. And I don’t really need anymore clothes. I still think I want to try it one month, though.

4.  The draft over the weekend sure made me miss football. Come on, August 28th–even if Mr. Gray says we don’t get to go to South Carolina to watch. (Surely I can talk him into it by then.)

5. Even though the break-in was a total pain, the process of getting my window fixed was almost too easy. They came to our house, fixed it in about 30 minutes, and went on their way.

6. I’m pretty ready to hit the beach. Someone make that happen.

Snorkeling

7.  Bacon, mushroom, corn, and cheese quiche for dinner last night. It was the first time I had used the new oven, and there was a bit of a learning curve (sorry, crust), but–yum! I do love a good quiche!

8. It was wonderful to see my friend Dr. Suz this weekend. It had been far too long. I only had one on-campus class during my graduate work, and I met her. We’ve been friends ever since.

9. We finally got our vegetables planted last week, and I hope they grow. We’ve had a few bad years in a row; maybe we’re due. Mr. Gray rigged up the watering system to help my black thumb out some.

10. I’m so glad I never had to live in the times of doing laundry with a wash board and wash pot outside. I feel primitive enough with our washer and dryer in an outside utility room.