create/Pinterest

What’s your Prerogative?

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment
 Sometimes when I’m on Pinterest, I feel really inspired. Sometimes I wonder how many of the photos are photo-only (like the parties; I know some are staged). Sometimes I’m aggravated because it’s an idea I thought of but didn’t get out there before some pinner got credit for it. Sometimes I pin things I’m pretty sure I’ll never make.


This robot is something I’m pretty sure I’ll never make. It’s super cute, though. I’m inspired by the person who thought of it. I like inspiration. It gets my creative juices going. What’s your Pinterest prerogative?
Christmas/products/surprise

Right on Time

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Annie is the queen of sneaking little gifts in her bag when we’re shopping together and I find something that interests me. The most recent time she pulled this off was when we were shopping at Anthropologie on Black Friday. I was sucked in by a shoe sale, and, unbeknownst to me, she back-tracked to find a kitchen timer I had been swooning over previously. 

Christmas morning as I went through my stocking, the fabulous little timer was there!

Timer

This is the cutest thing! It’s got a great feel to it–best of all, though, it works! And, it works well. It even dings twice! I love it, and I love that it was a surprise.
blessings/communication/love/marriage/Mr. Gray/writing

Speaking my Language

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As I watch marriages fall apart all around me, I want to share a few things Mr. Gray and I have found to help us keep the lines of communication open. 

I’ve written before about the journal Mr. Gray and I share. 


Lately, we’ve added another component to this: dry erase markers on the mirror! As I mentioned before, Mr. Gray isn’t huge on writing, but it’s a big part of my love language, so the markers on the mirror are another way for him to stay in his element while reaching me in an effective way. 

I’m a big saver of notes and such, so when there’s a dry erase note I really love, I snap a photo. The added bonus to that is then I have the note in my phone, and I can access it anywhere! 

Note

This isn’t a great photo, but it was a note I didn’t mind sharing.



Baby Gray/bike

It Wasn’t at First Sight

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You might remember the look of sheer terror when Baby Gray met his bike helmet for the first time at Christmas. 

Helmet

I kept telling myself that when we really got going on the bike he would feel differently about it. So, this Sunday, Mr. Gray got the bike seat added to my bike so we could try it out. 

Bike

He worked while I sewed and Baby Gray napped. Finally, the bike was done, but the nap was not. I was getting quite impatient when I finally heard a little stir from Baby Gray’s room. I rushed in to get him, and out the door we went! Our chariot awaited us!

Bike

Bike

We got everything situated and tried another meeting with the helmet. Baby Gray resisted a little, but nothing major. We encouraged him and told him we loved his hat. He subsided. 

Bike

We put the helmet on a little early; we had a few more minor adjustments to make to the bike and the seat before we could head out. As soon as we headed down he driveway, though, Baby Gray was lovin’ it!
Mr. Gray snapped our photo as we came back in–please excuse the fact that I am dressed to hang out at home rather than in our front yard. 

Bike

Next, Mr. Gray took a turn. He didn’t really fit on my bike, but it worked out fine.


Bike

Baby Gray and I went for another ride this morning, and as I sat him down in the seat, he signed for his “hat” so we could go. We rode for over thirty minutes; loves being able to see so much. He points to all the animals and names them or makes their sound. He ahg-ahg‘s at all the cars and yells “truck” each time we see one. It’s safe to say he’s over the initial helmet shock.
fish/Recipes

Something’s Fishy

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One day last week, we had Tilapia for dinner. We buy it in the individually frozen packages. It’s definitely not my favorite fish, but it has good flavor, it thaws quickly, and it cooks quickly. Tilapia is perfect to have on hand for a quick weeknight dinner! 

Fish

I almost always bake the Tilapia in some capacity. Last week, I made a crispy variety. It was very good; although, I could have made a sauce to go with it as well. It would have been a nice touch. 

Fish
You will need: 
Tilapia filets
Panko bread crumbs 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
  • Line a baking sheet with foil
  • Pour some bread crumbs onto a plate
  • Drudge the fish with the crumbs–both sides
  • Place crumby fish on foil-lined baking sheet
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a fork can pull the fish apart effortlessly
  • Serve warm with veggies and pasta or rice
  • Enjoy!



2012/Baby Gray/blessings/goals/prayer

New Car Phenomenon

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment
You know how when you want a new car you think, I want a xxx because no one has one, but the minute you think that you start seeing those cars everywhere? I think that is what has happened with one of the goals from my 2012 goals.  
Here’s what I said: 

4. I will take delight in my son. I will find joy in the fun times and the challenging times. He’ll turn two later this year, and we won’t have the terrible twos in our home. I’m not letting them in; we will pray them out. Even on days when things are not going so great, I will remind myself that he is just a little boy; he doesn’t plan to upset me or make me mad. He is merely expressing himself the best way he knows how. I will let him be little. I will strive to have patience, and take a break or count to ten when it runs out. Terrific twos, here we come! 

I meant every word of it. I don’t live in some fantasy world where things are perfect; I choose to change my attitude because it’s what I have the ability to change.

Since I posted this, and before–I thought it long before I put pen to paper (keyboard to screen?), I have heard so many negative comments by parents about their children. I have such a hard time stomaching these comments. I know that, by and large, these are fleeting moments of frustration posted or shared aloud, but I really don’t get it. Posts about the terrible twos and how it only gets worse through the third and fourth year just make me cringe. I can’t write off a whole year based on a few incidents. (For those of you thinking the famous, just you wait thoughts, hang in there with me this year. Please stick around for the terrific twos and the thriving threes; we’ll be home to the fabulous fours as well.)

One article that was brought to my attention this week was this one. I had a really hard time digesting this as well. Maybe I’m overly sensitive. Maybe I’m the one in the minority here, but I do try to find joy in each and every moment. Mr. Gray and I steal a secret little smile each time Baby Gray tests the limits a little. He’s learning about his world. We are making memories. Cliché, anyone? He is helping to create the funny stories we’ll tell when he starts dating–the stories we’ll recount when he goes off to college.
Baby Gray
Baby Gray is truly the child for which we have prayed. I am so grateful he is healthy enough to run back and forth to the windows and bang on the blinds. I am grateful he is happy enough to dance when I shake my head, “no.” I am grateful he is strong enough to climb up the slide. I am grateful he is independent enough to know what he wants and not be afraid to let us know, even if he doesn’t have the words to express himself just yet. I am grateful he is inquisitive enough to pick things up, shake them, and sometimes break them.
I will take delight in my son. 
 
goals/running

The Runaround

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
It’s gettin’ real around here. 

Run Schedule

I have a color coded calendar and schedule hanging in my closet. I’ve got a note on my mirror. I’ve paid my registration fee. I’m all in!

A couple of notes: 
If you know me, you know I don’t like things hanging where they don’t belong (ie, my closet). You also know I don’t do much pen and paper anymore. We’re sitting pretty at the six-week mark, and I don’t know if it’s actual determination or sheer terror, but, one way or another, I’m on my way!
blessings/friends/Heart Group/marriage/prayer/relationships/Revolution

Through the Door

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 1 Comment
Mr. Gray and I moved back to this area in 2008 after our stint at A&M. We were part of a small group at our church in College Station, and we were hungry for a way to build up our marriage and connect with other believers in this area as well. We were in a town with no one we knew. It was summer when we moved, so I was off work, which meant I spent my days shopping. Trust me, this is relevant. 

Many days, I found myself at a little boutique in San Marcos. The employees were helpful and friendly. It was easy to shop and chat the afternoons away. One day, my mom was with me, and she struck up a conversation with the owner–she knew her from years back at their previous location. We started talking to her and then to her daughter. 

Her daughter was my age, and my mom mentioned Mr. Gray and I were looking for a couples’ Bible study. The daughter told us that she and her husband, along with another couple led a Heart Group; it wasn’t necessarily people from their church. The group was young married couples seeking God’s presence in their marriages. One couple had a baby, but other than that, it was just couples. Since it was summer, they weren’t meeting regularly, but they got together a few times over the summer. We weren’t able to make it any of summer meetings, but when they kicked off their regular Heart Group times that Fall, we were there. This was an amazing group; it did wonders for our marriage and we developed some amazing friends. 

Group Shot

This Fall, we met for the last time as a large, collective Heart Group. With kids, schedules, and growth, it was time to move on to new groups, ministries, and callings.

Mr. Gray and I prayed over what to do next. We have come to love our time with other couples seeking the Lord. We attended a Rev Group this past semester, but we continued to pray about what our role should look like. Starting this evening, we will be leading a Rev Group. We will be able to use the skills we learned in our Heart Group and minister to others in their walk. I look forward to this next chapter and what it holds for us and our marriage.

By the way, the boutique? The shop where I now help with marketing and accounts payable. The owner? Happy. The daughter? Honey. The lone baby of the group? Shooby. The amazing friends? Many of them are pictured above. We are so grateful for our Heart Group and all that it brought us. 

It’s amazing what walking through a store door can do–sometimes it’s just the door God needed you to open to find some amazing opportunities.
Rooster

Erik Weisz… Who?

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Houdini! That’s who. He’s back. As a dog. My dog. Really.

I’ll make it quick and lacking complete sentences.
Sunday:
  • Mr. Gray locked the dog’s door as we left; I watched him.
  • Phone call during church to say Rooster has been found
  • Returned the phone call to find out they let him go
  • Mr. Gray left Rev on the hunt for Rooster
  • Second phone call in regard to found dog; she kept him until Mr. Gray arrived
  • Mr. Gray picked up Rooster
  • Mr. Gray returned home to see dog’s door on the floor as if it had never been locked
Monday: 
  • I locked dog’s door to go to the grocery store
  • Checked it 
  • Checked it again
  • Phone call in HEB to say our dog has been found 
  • Pick up Rooster
  • Returned home to see the dog’s door on the floor as if it had never been locked 
Monday afternoon: 
  • Lock dog’s door
  • Checked it
  • Push the chair in front of it
  • Head out to jog
  • Rooster is safe and sound when I return
  • Think I have it all figured out
Tuesday: 
  • I locked the dog’s door to go to a meeting
  • Check it
  • Check it again
  • Push the chair in front of it
  • Phone call as I pull into San Marcos for the meeting to say our dog has been found 
  • Politely ask caller to keep him until after the meeting; she obliges
  • Return from San Marcos
  • Pick up Rooster
  • Returned home to see the dog’s door on the floor as if it had never been locked
Dog

Dog

Seriously?

Tuesday evening: 
  • Set up iPad on table in the living room
  • Tango’d Mr. Gray’s iPhone and got camera going
  • Psyched Rooster out by setting alarm, closing the garage, turning on the truck, backing down the driveway, and turning truck off
  • Watched the Tango’d call until something happened
  • Laughed as we watched our 10 pound dog scratch, paw, and bite the dog door
  • Resigned to disappointment when we didn’t get to see him magically break out
Baby Gray/pork/Recipes

Here, Piggy

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment
Yesterday HEB had me turn my whole meal plan upside down while I was shopping. I bought a pork tenderloin (it was their Healthy at HEB special this week) to have for dinner tonight. I don’t usually care for pork, but Mr. Gray does, so I went for it. 

Pork Loin

I stuck the tenderloins (there were two in the package) in my Le Cruset, added a pack of Italian dressing mix, and topped them with shredded brussel sprouts and a can of (undrained) diced tomatoes. I baked it for about thirty-five minutes on 425 degrees. 
We had pasta with thyme and olive oil along with the vegetables and pork. Mr. Gray loved it, and I was glad to have a little change of pace.

Pork Loin

Baby Gray wasn’t too sure about the pork, but he loved the pasta and tomatoes. I love that the picky toddler stage hasn’t hindered him too much in the variety department.