aha moment/birthday/birthday party/dress/dresses/LuLaRoe/Purpose Box/reading/Tuesday 10/Tuesday ten/water

Tuesday Ten: It’s Almost Wednesday Edition

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1. Last month, I challenged myself to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day for thirty days. I just completed the thirtieth day, and I do not look or feel any different. I suppose it’s a good habit to have, though. (Please note: I’m clearly not good a progress photos. Oops!)

Water Days

2. The boy watched Charlotte’s Web for the first time today. I can’t wait to read the book with him.

3. Speaking of reading, are you planning to read Go Set a Watchman? I was on the fence until I read this article, and now I want to read it.

4. Did I already share my aha moment? If you haven’t yet, go watch. Really.

5. We had two more birds fly in the chimney last night. Mr. Gray’s first reaction? Get them out. Mine? Broadcast live on Periscope! (Do you follow me? the_graymatters)

6. I saw a post on Facebook yesterday about limiting technology to T days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I really love that! We have cut back to in the car only, and it has made a tremendous difference.

7. I’m officially obsessed with Amelia dresses from LuLaRoe. It’s bad. I want all the patterns. They have pockets. Check out my friend Laura’s Insta here to get one for yourself.

8. Birthday party planning for the boy is in full swing–I love planning a celebration for him!

9. My hair gets more and more grey all the time. I wonder when it’s time to embrace that. Isn’t grey in style right now?

10. I wish I had a Pazookie from BJ’s right now. That would be delicious. (Yes, on the tails of my off-beat dancing video on Facebook, I want a cookie and ice cream. That’s definitely me.)

#buildingthegrayhouse/date night/family

Forsaking All Responsibilities

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You know how sometimes it just seems best to forsake all responsibility, drop everything, and just be? That was the case Saturday. We had quite a lot on tap at the new house, evening plans, and no end of anything in sight. For weeks, Mr. Gray and I have been saying we needed a proper date night, one that didn’t involve spending an hour or more at the new house planning and preparing before grabbing a quick dinner and heading home.

So we did what anyone would do; we signed the boy up for parents night out, rested, relaxed, and then headed out with plans for a kid-free evening.

Or so we thought. As we pulled into town to drop the boy off, I got a call that parents night out had been canceled. What a sad kid! He loves going to parents night out, and he was quite disappointed that he didn’t get to. (We were disappointed we didn’t get date night, too.)

Time for Plan B. We headed to the movies as a family, walked up to get our tickets, and it was sold out. Our sweet boy cried on the way out of the theater. More disappointment. We headed to a toy store he asks to go in reguarly. We’ve only been once, but he always remembers and always asks. He perked up a little.

We headed to supper with his new mini figs in tow. He picked out his supper and played while we chatted. When he ordered, the waitress told us they didn’t have pizza that evening. He chose something else and ate some of our appetizers. She came back a few minutes later to let us know they didn’t have that, either. He pouted a bit and said he’d just have dessert. (Maybe he’s mine.) Poor kid couldn’t catch a break.

When it came time for dessert, he loaded his yogurt up with tons of flavors and all the toppings he could think of. We joked that he was the date night crasher, but he was still a little too upset about not getting to go to parents night out–he didn’t think it wasn’t funny yet.

Crash the Date Night

We might not have gotten our date in, but it was some great quality family time.

busy/coffee/funny/life/manicure/pedicure

On Being Busy

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Last week, a friend and I were discussing “busy.” While we agreed that we’re all busy, we also agreed there are a few alternatives to busy.

IMG_0110

Busy:

No time for a mani-pedi
Alternative to busy: 
-Mani or pedi
-Shellac (it’s dry when you leave; back to busy)
Busy:
No time to make coffee
Alternative to busy: 
Coffee from the drive thru
Busy:
No time for crafts or projects
Alternative to busy:
Order on Etsy–be sure to rush the shipping 
Busy:
No time to cook supper 
Alternative to busy:
Order a “homemade” casserole and post that bad boy to Insta (just don’t tell anyone you didn’t make it)

Are you busy? How do you manage?

Block Island/blogging/Legos/mutton bustin/Purpose Box/Tuesday 10/Tuesday ten

T-E-N

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It’s Tuesday again, which means I manage to show up.

1. The boy is at Lego camp this week. It’s a good time for me to read, write, go to Target, have a moment. It’s glorious. The only downside? He wants to wear the same shirt every day, so I have to do laundry every night. Ha!

Lego Camp

2. Yesterday was the first birthday of Purpose Box! I can hardly believe it’s been a year–it seems like we’re just getting started!

Purpose Box Birthday

3. My mom used Uber before I did. I can’t decide if that makes me lame or just makes me have a cool mom.

4. Summer makes me want to travel–like every day. To anywhere. And I really want to go back to Block Island and ride a scooter. My super-pregnant self wasn’t allowed.

Block Island

5. Speaking of scooters, a guy at the coffee shop has been riding his mom’s scooter to work, and it’s the cutest pink-and-cream metallic thing! I want one!

6. Sunday we celebrated a friend’s birthday at a small waterpark a few towns over. It was the perfect size for the boy and his friends. He has asked a thousand times when we can go back. Looks like we should’ve bought season passes instead of a ticket for the day!

Splashway

7. We went to see Minions Friday evening; it was the first time we did an opening day theater experience with Baby Gray, and he did great. He prefers it when he can be up and dancing to all the songs, but he didn’t seem to mind too much. (Also, cute movie. We’d recommend it.)

8. The internet guys came out to install our service at the new house last week, and they thought they were only going to be able to get me the slowest speed. I was pretty bummed, but that’s country life, I guess. He came back a while later and said he had been able to connect to a faster, closer tower. I was so relieved. Isn’t that terrible? It’s internet. I don’t even mind that we have this towering antenna at the house. 

Red Door

9. We had a mutton bustin’ rematch Saturday evening. He was so proud of himself for going much farther this time. (Video here.) I had to laugh at how little he was the first time he rode (he wasn’t even three). What were we thinking? He seemed so big back then!

Mutton Bustin

Riding

10. I’m going to start a question and answer series on the blog. If you have a question, leave it in the comments, email it to me, or comment on the thread on Facebook.

faith/God/scripture/worship

His Master Plan

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Some days I try to piece things together. I want to put them in a line myself and draw the connections God is making from my own frame of reference. Some days they line up and make sense that way because they are truly from Him and of Him. Other days, I couldn’t be more off. And that’s okay.

Regardless of my interpretation of what’s going on, God has the big picture view. He has the Master Plan. His Master Plan. 

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:9
The best news is that I don’t have to get it. I don’t have to understand. I just have to surrender, step out, and follow Him. I can get lost in worship, pray, and lean in; it’s all He’s asking of me. It’s my perfect response. 
 
There will be a time I look back and see it all make sense–even if that time isn’t soon. Arms outstretched, singing at the top of my lungs, leaning in close, that’s right where I need to be.

choose joy/gratitude/happy/joy/write

Sure-Fire Ways to Brighten Your Day

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Make it a great day, or not, the choice is yours!

One of our elementary school principals used to say that on the morning announcements each day. It’s stuck with me through the years. It is truly a choice what kind of day we have. We can choose to sulk, pout, be mad or bitter, and just have a rotten day, or we can choose to rejoice in the little things, find joy, and keep our chins up!

Obviously, the ultimate source of joy is Christ, here on earth, there are a few things I can choose to do that always help my day go better than worse.

+ Make the bed. Every day. This just starts my day off right. I haven’t always done it, but I started in 2008 when we bought our first home. It makes all the difference for me. I don’t see it as a chore, but as a choice for getting the day started on a high note.

+ Have a cup of coffee. Don’t like coffee? Have tea, or your comfort drink of choice. For me, it’s a latte. It has less to do with the caffeine (lots of times I order decaf, anyway) and more to do with the ahhhhhhhhhh moment of that first drink.

Coffee

+ Go to bed with a tidy house. I do a quick walk-through before bed to make sure clutter is put away, no stray cups are left about, and general order is taking place. The biggest way this helps me? It means I wake up with a tidy house–and I’m already ahead for the day!

+ Group text with the girls. I actually have a few of these with different sets of friends, but not much else can turn my day around as quickly as our hilarity.

+ Send someone a card. It can be just a quick hand-written note or a long letter, but writing to a friend and dropping it in the mail is such a game-changer. It’s seemingly a thing of the past, but it brightens my day–and my friends.

+ Pay for the order behind you in the drive thru. Pay for the whole order, or just give the cashier a five dollar bill towards it, but either way, it’s a happy thing for all involved parties. It’s no coincidence that lots of my “day brighteners” are acts of generosity. It just feels so good to give! It’s an easy way to choose joy.

+ Be silly with your kid(s). Have a dance party, lay on the floor and play Legos, run through the sprinkler. Just pause whatever grown up thing you’re doing for a bit. It can wait. One of our favorite things to do is to take silly selfies and then flip back through them all later. My son thinks it’s absolutely hilarious.

What do you do to find the joy in each day? 

#buildingthegrayhouse/Aggies/faith/football/generosity/George Strait/Rolling Stones/Tuesday 10/Tuesday ten/vacations/writing

Ten is Really All I Can Manage

Posted on by Mrs Gray / 5 Comments

It seems as though all I’ve got lately are lists. And I think I’m okay with that. It keeps me from missing things (I do actually look back at what I’ve written), and it helps me feel like I’m here–even though I’m kind of not. I miss this space and regularity. I miss writing and sharing what God’s giving me through different seasons. As much as I miss it, though, this just isn’t the season for it, and I’m trying to be okay with that. So, here I am, with another list.

1. I actually washed and dried things all in one day in a couple of different instances this week. With the outside utility room, I thought this had become a thing of my past. I am glad to see I maybe have a few things together, after all.

2. Last week the boy bought some Legos to share with children who don’t have many toys or extra things. I am proud of him for picking things he loves and sharing them. Now to get them delivered. I hope he will always be this generous.

3. The crews are finishing at the house in next two weeks or so. We still have some of our own projects we need to finish before actually making the big move, but it’s getting closer!

Exterior

4. Sometimes 24 hour customer service lines come in really handy.

5. When God gives you a peace about something, it truly is a “peace beyond all understanding.” I love the way He is working on my heart through this transition time. We have seen so many cool things come to fruition just in this waiting season–with promises of many more.

Sunsest

6. I’m itching for a vacation; I just need to have a little more stability with houses, moves, and the like before I line anything up. Where’s your favorite vacation spot? 

7. Football season seems so close, yet so far away. I’m ready to see the new Kyle Field, settle into our new seats, and hopefully have a great season!

8. I love running into my kiddos from tutoring in town this summer! They are all so cute when they see me in a different setting–and with turquoise hair!

9.  When we saw the Rolling Stones, they played a George Strait song. A friend saw Garth Brooks this weekend, and he played a George Strait song. I guess it’s no wonder they call him King George.

Rolling Stones

10. My mom met Crosby last night (you know, from Parenthood). Also, if you haven’t watched Parenthood yet, hop over to your nearest Netflix subscription and cancel everything you have planned for the next few days. I’m gonna miss that one.

Adoption/Legos/pink hair/Purpose Box/summer hair

Thursday Thoughts

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+ I have my first “speaking engagement” for Purpose Box this evening. Public speaking is not my forte, but it’s a short time limit and a small audience, so it’s a great start!

+ While I have never struggled with infertility, miscarriage, or infant loss personally, I find that the longer we are waiting to adopt, the more my heart is in-tune with those families. A week or so ago, a friend of mine lost her week old baby, and I was crushed for days. She isn’t a close friend, but someone I know in passing. My heart was completely broken for their family. I don’t know if it’s a correlation, or just that I’m getting older and empathize better, but the more of these stories I hear, the more they hurt.

+ Legos are my nemesis. If you need to defeat me or stop me in my tracks, scatter Legos all over my living room in the name of fun.

+ I love summer hair. I did pink last year, so of course, I had to do it differently this year, but it’s always so fun! I feel like it brightens my whole personality. The boy got a summer cut, too. See you in a few months, shaggy hair!

Summer Hair

+ I bought a poncho with pom poms on it today. I have a feeling this will be my go-to outfit for the summer.

+ Ever since I talked about not washing my hair, I have had so many questions about it. Really, I wash my hair about once a week. It’s glorious. It takes a while to get down to just once a week. Start with every other day and work your way up. I was at twice a week forever. It’s a great change. Try it.

+ I made a cake this weekend that was supposed to taste like “yellow cake with brown icing” from a local deli that closed years (and years and years) ago. It was pretty stinkin’ close. Yum.

+ Have you jumped on the Periscope bandwagon yet? It took me a bit, but I kind of like it. Find me: the_graymatters.