Overnight Oats!

I go to work pretty early in the morning and I like to eat breakfast in my office. This means that anything that is easy to prepare (especially the night before) is a win. I love oatmeal! Not only is oatmeal healthy for you, but it also helps with lactation. I've never had supply issues, but since I like oatmeal so much, it can't hurt! It has been way hot here in Oklahoma lately and hot oatmeal just doesn't sound all that appealing to me. I've been making overnight oats for quite some time now and it is absolutely delicious. I have been using a recipe that called for 1/4 cup of greek yogurt, 1/3 cup milk, and 1/2 cup oats. To this I would add numerous combinations of things. Banana, peanut butter, and honey or Banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, or even dried cranberries, almonds, and maple syrup. Well, I've been buying regular yogurt lately because it has been what was on sale, so I searched for another recipe to accommodate this. This recipe is so delicious and tastes just like cinnamon raisin cookies!

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon raisins
Few dashes of cinnamon
Little splash of vanilla
Squirt of honey (sorry didn't picture it)

Mix all ingredients in a mason jar or container and refrigerate overnight. Eat cold!

Family Update!

It has been a rough week for the Gray family....last week my husband lost his dad unexpectedly and then this week, his grandpa who has been on hospice passed away. I'm so terribly sad. Sad for my husband, sad for his family, and sad for our girls. They lost a grandpa and a great grandpa in 7 days. 

Well, while we are in the midst of making arrangements and attending funerals, I thought I would catch up on some pictures and our recent happenings. Please keep our family in your prayers. 

 Isn't she the cutest? Her blue eyes are just stunning!

 Taelyn was so proud of her "build a monster" craft she did. She is so creative and has a great imagination!

I've been doing a lot of cooking and trying out new recipes. I made Chicken in a Crock Pot and then made Overnight Stock in a Crock Pot. They both turned out great! I also made cinnamon apple chips and both the girls loved them!

 My mom polished this pot from the lake house and planted this tropical plant for us. I think it brightens our kitchen and is a great reminder of our place at the lake!

 

 No, this little beauty didn't get a frappuchino! She did love carrying this empty cup around and pretend that she was drinking it though!

 Outside helping mom and dad with the garden!

 While we were at the lake during the 4th of July we went and saw fire works! I think they were too loud for Hensley, but she loved watching them while I covered her ears. She kept saying "whoa" and "look!". Tae enjoyed the show from inside the car :)

 Caught red handed! This was in our hotel. Little stink got to the roll of toilet paper. She loves doing this!

 The pile!

 She loves standing at the window and watching the squirrels and birds.

 Sisters!

 We took a trip to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History recently. The kiddos had a great time and they had a lot of great exhibits.

The Lake House

My husband spent his childhood weekends down at lake Texoma at his family's lake house. He has very fond memories and he has never wanted anything more than having the same for our girls. We recently acquired the lake property from Aaron's grandpa, but unfortunately it had been neglected for many, many years. There was extensive roof and floor damage and it was also dirty and cluttered and the property had been overgrown. Both Aaron and I couldn't seem to see beyond the mess, but my gracious parents came down and assured us that there was hope for this place.

In May, we went down with my parents, two of my sisters, and their families. We all worked very hard that weekend and patched the roof and the floors, cleaned out half the house, and did some yard work. We met with a local roofer and got an estimate on a metal roof. Things were definitely starting to look up!

This past weekend we went down again with my parents and finished patching the floors, cleaned the other half of the house, reupholstered the dining room chairs, put a deposit on the roof, and bug bombed the house. The roof will be put on in the coming weeks and then we will be able to fix the ceiling and lay new flooring.

What do the kids do while we are hard at work you ask????

They play in the dirt or ride on mommy's back :) In May we got some beach time in (the house is about 2 blocks from the lake!), but since this was a holiday weekend, it was a little too crowded for us.

My sweet mommy made this sign for the house. I LOVE it!

Here are some after pictures of all that we have done. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I think we can see the end and we know it will be a place that the girls will love to go.

I'm so appreciative of my families hard work. My parents have definitely put in a ton of sweat equity into this place. They can tell how much this property means to my husband and we will be forever thankful for everything they've done!