But It's Only a Car

Call me sentimental, but I have a hard time parting ways with cars I've owned. My first car was a 1988 Plymouth Grand Voyager. Drove it until the transmission started messing up on it. It had almost 200,000 miles on it at the time. By the time it died, I had gotten married, so my hubby bought me another Plymouth Grand Voyager - only this time it was a 2000 model. We wound up giving that car to some friends of ours because they had more kids than we did. With both vehicles, I had a crying party after driving away. So many memories.

But this week, my husband finally parted with his car. I didn't think I'd have that hard a time with it until I started doing some thinking. So, if you don't mind listening, I would like to tell you a story about the little car that meant so much to us.

Let's set the scene: summer 2002, beautiful day outside, and I was excited. Tim and I were supposed to be going on our second date that night. He wanted to take me to Outback Steakhouse and I'd never been there before. I was busy getting ready at my parents' house when the phone rang. No one recognized the number, so we let it go to the voice mail. The caller left a message so we checked it. It was Tim. He had been in an accident. From the sound of it, it wasn't too bad, but he was being taken to the hospital.

When I arrived at Riverside, Tim filled me in on all the details. His Rodeo had been hit by another driver under the influence of drugs. The SUV had flipped in the air and was totaled. (There was also a large gash in his arm that required surgery.) He was fine but this meant he would need a new car. He looked around and finally found a 1999 Chevy Cavalier with super-low miles and in his price range. It was a base model so there was nothing fancy about it. Just a car to get him from point A to B.

Tim made up for the date that he cancelled and more. But by the end of the year, things were getting weird. We were both immature and needed some time to grow up. I didn't realize this at the time, though. On New Year's Day 2003, we were having dinner at my grandparents' house with the family. Tim came but he was acting strange. After dinner, he took me out to that car. There, he told me we were done. He just wanted to be friends. Friends? Just friends? With the guy I thought I was going to marry one day? This was a hard pill to swallow.

Any time I saw his car after that, I dreaded it. It only meant more pain or drama. We were still going to the same church, so I saw that car at least 2-3 times a week for a few months. Then...I didn't. Didn't see him or the car, I mean. He went to visit his family in Kansas for a week or so. After that, he went on sea trials for the USS Ronald Reagan. Time had come and gone, and so had our immaturity. We grew up in the months we were apart. Now, it was July 4th. Tim called me and asked if I would like to spend some time with his family who had come to visit for the day. I jumped at the offer. That day, we started our relationship over again. But this time, we were ready.

What a year 2003 was! It started terribly but was getting better as the days went on. Yet, as New Year's Day 2004 came closer, it brought old feelings back. I had a fear in the back of my mind of that holiday because of the meeting we had in his car the previous year. Again, we were supposed to meet my family for dinner that night. This time, we were going out to Golden Corral. Tim picked me up in that dreadful car. The trip over was pretty quiet. When we got in the parking lot, he looked down at the shifter and said, "There's something I need to tell you." I'm thinking...Oh, great, here it comes... Then he said, "Will you marry me?" and pulled out a ring. I was shocked! It took me a minute but I said YES!

That car also helped me realize how great a husband Tim would really be. Tim had picked me up to hang out at his condo one night. He was working on something and asked if I would run with his car to get some pizza. It was just across the street so I volunteered. On my way back, the pizza box fell to the floor. I reached down to grab it when I felt a thud. I looked up to realize I had crashed the car into some hedges. I panicked and wasn't sure what to do. You'd think hitting the brakes would have been the first thing to come to mind...but no. I turned the wheel to avoid more damage, only causing more. I finally stopped the car and noticed the side mirror was laying on the ground. I picked it up while my heart raced. What would he say?! I got back to the condo carrying a pizza box and mirror in my hands while crying my eyes out. He looked at me and said, "Are you okay?" I told him the story and we went out to look at the car. He was so patient and understanding. Not once did he look angry or raise his voice at me. He said it was only a car and he was just glad I was okay. He popped the mirror back on and we never really spoke of it again. What a great guy I had!

That summer, July 31 to be exact, Tim and I got married in the back yard of a friend's house. The car that took us for the first time as a married couple? The little car. The car that parked alone in the driveway of our first house? The little car. The car I drove to go out by myself with my son for the first time - in the pouring rain? The little car. The car that holds so many stories and memories that I could not write them all here? That darling little car.

Tim was driving home from work early November 2011 when the car stopped running. He was close to home, so he got it to start a few more times to get him there. All the water had leaked out of the car, so he filled it again. But it wasn't in there long. Over the course of the month, he replaced the water pump, thermostat, and finally, the radiator. After they all failed to help the problem, we came to the conclusion the head was cracked. No more car. We decided to donate the vehicle to the Purple Heart program. The tax write-off would be better than any cash we could get for the car. So, we setup the appointment for them to pick up the car.

Here it is (above), as I left my driveway on December 9. When I got back, it was gone. But it will not be forgotten.

We currently own a 1993 GMC Suburban Truck and 2005 Jeep Liberty, both we've had for 2 years. And on December 7, we added a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan to our family that I will be driving. I look forward to making more memories in our vehicles in the years to come. Let's pray that they are all good ones!

Thinking It Through

I was trying to get a new post out last weekend. I spent hours getting all my facts and information straight. I researched the Bible on the topic I had chosen. It was ready to go...until I saved it for later. My mind spent some time on the post and my reasons for writing it. That's when I realised that it was really written for the wrong reasons. I've decided that I will take the guideline I wrote and use it for Teen Camp this summer at my church.

So, I need to apologize to you all in not getting a new post up sooner. There has been a lot on my plate lately with family stuff, raising a toddler, keeping my home clean, etc. But through it all, God is still good and taking care of us!

Today was terribly hot. This pregnancy has made me grow intolerant to the summer weather, which is unlike me. Maybe it will be helpful since I am due in December. There's a possibility that my body is preparing itself for a winter baby. I don't know. As long as each day's forecast stays under 90 degrees, I plan to take Joshua outside almost every day this summer. He loves to play in the sand at the beach, ride the kiddie rides at Busch Gardens, and running around in the backyard. God definitely blessed my son with a natural love of the outdoors.

We are less than 3 weeks away from finding out the gender of Baby Gardner #2. I have had two people that say they are always right guess it's a girl. I am still leaning toward a boy, but I will not be disappointed either way. As long as our little one is healthy, the gender doesn't really matter. At the time we find out the gender, we will reveal the anticipated "official" name. We've had names chosen for a boy and girl since we found out we were pregnant. I love being able to call the baby by name. To me, it feels like I've bonded with them long before they ever come out of the womb. We are blessed to live in an age where we have the technology to reveal the gender before birth. It's amazing!

Sorry this post is so short, but I promise to write regularly again. Keep cool out there. Oh, and GO BOSTON BRUINS!!!

Out of the Woods

I would like to thank everyone for the great responses I got regarding my last post "Long Overdue." I had a lot of fun writing it.

This week has been a good week with my nausea. It started going away Monday/Tuesday. I'm hoping I am over the "morning sickness" part of my pregnancy. I didn't have any with Joshua. So, it was really weird to have it this time. I am also very thankful that my ankles have not swollen up yet. By this point in my first pregnancy, my ankles were large! I didn't have pre-eclampsia or anything like that. Just swelling. I hope this means I will not swell with this baby.

I switched doctor's offices this time around due to my previous doctor no longer delivering at the hospital I preferred. So, every time I make an appointment, I meet a new doctor. For my ultrasound, I met Dr. Khan. I like him a lot. He is the kind of guy I could be friends with outside of the hospital. It was very easy to talk to him and he made things very easy to understand (without making me feel dumb, lol). My next appointment is with the nurse practitioner on May 12. Then I have another u/s with the specialist for a routine first trimester test on May 24. I'm hoping I can talk the tech into trying to guess the gender. Who knows...maybe they will?

Tim's family is in town this weekend. They love the beach so we'll probably be spending a lot of our time there with them. I think it's great because I need the extra Vitamin D! Have some fun in the sun this weekend, everyone.

Long Overdue

I want to apologize to my readers for not posting in a while. But I have a great reason/excuse why...

I'M PREGNANT!!!

I am so excited to announce that we are expecting Baby Gardner #2 around December 2. I just couldn't bring myself to write this blog and keep this great news a secret. So, I decided to just not write at all until I could tell everyone.

We had our first appointment last Friday morning. The doctor did an ultrasound to confirm ONE baby and that I was a week further along than originally thought. I have had some nausea for a couple weeks now, but it has gotten better since the doctor suggested I take B6 everyday.

In celebration of this announcement, I thought it would be appropriate to write about some questions we pregnant women love...and hate. Pay attention...

"How far along are you?/When are you due?" LOVE
This is a great first question to ask once you hear the news from the proud momma. She wants everyone to know when the new bundle will arrive and hope you will anticipate their coming as much as she is!

"Are you having twins?" HATE
Okay, this is usually heard to the mom as, "You are so big that you must be having more than one!" Please, please, please, do not ask this question. Now, I cannot speak for the moms who have actually been pregnant with twins. Just know this, if she is having more than one, she will probably be so excited/shocked that you will know before you have the chance to ask.

"How are you feeling?" LOVE or HATE
This is a toss-up. If you ask the mommy who is having a really emotional day, you may regret you asked at all. On the other hand, if she's having a great pregnancy, she will be glad to tell you how wonderful it has been for her. I'll admit that I got tired of this question the further along I got. How I felt was not what I wanted to think about. I wanted my attention on the end result, holding my precious newborn. The better question to ask is probably, "How is it going?"

"Are you ready?" HATE
Of course, I'm ready! How could I not be?! Do you think I'm a horrible mother??? (Get my drift?) A better question to ask is, "How is the nursery coming along?" Or, "Do you have all the clothes/items you need?" (See next question.) Leave the "birthing process" questions out of the convo. Mommy has enough to think about and prepare for to "be ready."

"Where are you registered?" LOVE
This question is not asked enough. We WANT you to ask this question! I noticed that hardly anyone bought items from my registry because there were only a few who asked. This is important to the expectant mom. She doesn't want to have to worry about things like the furniture, stroller, car seat, window treatments, etc. She wants to focus on the birthing process and preparing herself...not the room/items. I know everyone like to buy clothes, especially for a little girl (or so I've heard. =+). But, mommy would like to buy some clothes, too! Focus on the items on the registry so mom can focus the gift cards on the clothes she wants to buy. EXTRA POINT: If you are afraid of purchasing items on a registry or just don't know how...get a gift card to that location. Momma will love you! Diapers and wipes are a huge help, too. (As long as you buy the brand MOM wants!)

"Boy or girl?" LOVE
About the time momma starts showing, you can ask this question. For those of us who like to find out the gender, we will do so somewhere between 16-20 weeks along. I even like to give people an opportunity to guess. It gets everyone excited about knowing what you are having. Once we tell you the baby's gender...DO NOT SECOND GUESS IT! "Oh, but I still think you are having..." Don't even think about it.

One last pointer...
DO NOT share your pregnancy/birth horror story. If it is negative in any way, don't tell us. We know the risks and challenges. We are aware there can be problems. But, the goal is to help momma think positively about her coming experience. If it's positive, uplifting, funny, encouraging...by all means, share away.

I'm sure I've left some questions out. But I will approach them as I remember them. I promise to be back writing more often. Have a great Easter weekend, everyone!

Pounds for Crowns Week 5

We decided last week to change the time we meet on Sundays from 5:00pm to right after the worship service (or around noon). After church was over, I ran up the stairs and into the classroom, threw my boots off, and stepped on the scale. And what I saw made me jump for joy! I lost 3.8 lbs this week which puts me at 156.6 lbs. The total weight I've lost in these 5 weeks is 9.4 pounds! Only 7.2 lbs to go until I reach my first goal. Awesome!

It was my mom's birthday yesterday. We had my parents and my sister over for lunch after church to celebrate the occasion. I made my mom's recipe of teriyaki chicken. I've had so many people ask me for the recipe that I have decided to share it here! It is so yummy and easy to make. Enjoy!

Momma Coburn's Teriyaki Chicken
Prep time: 5 min. Cooking time: 50 min.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast, unfrozen
garlic powder, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly dust chicken breast with garlic powder on all sides. Then, place chicken breast in glass baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, mix soy sauce, ketchup, and honey in measuring cup. When 20 minutes have passed, remove dish from oven and turn chicken over. Change oven temp to 300 degrees. Evenly cover chicken with teriyaki mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes.

Remove dish again, turn chicken, and baste. Return to oven for final 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with brown rice and vegetables.

Note: For larger batches, increase sauce measurements and cooking times as needed. I made 4 lbs chicken in 2 dishes on 350 degrees for three 20 min. intervals. And sauce measurements were increased to 2/3 cup each. Also, the sauce is great to pour over the chicken when serving.

Music To My Ears

What a fun, busy week I've had! I played the organ for a wedding on Friday afternoon. I came home for about an hour afterward and then headed out to the Bible Truth Music regional choir conference in Yorktown, VA. (Please visit their website! http://www.bibletruthmusic.com/ ) I had 7 members of my choir, including myself, attend the event. The church served dinner on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Everything was delicious!

After we ate dinner, we immediately started learning 6 new songs that most of us had never heard before. We spent a few hours on Friday night rehearsing and learning the basics of the music. Right before we were released for the night, my mom, my husband, and I were asked to sing in the ensemble. So, we had one more new song to learn! We didn't get home until about 10:30pm. My baby boy was already asleep so I didn't get to see him that night.

Saturday, we had to be at the church by 8:30am for breakfast. I made the tough decision to leave my son, asleep, with my sister (the babysitter!). I really missed him but I knew it would go smoother if he didn't have to say goodbye to me. We rehearsed the 6 songs we heard the night before again on Saturday. Would we learn them in time? Yes! At 4:00pm, the concert started and we sang each song like we had practiced them for months. My sister got to the concert late so I kept peeking between the choir folks to get a good look at my son. He was a good boy during the entire concert. Once we finished our part, I quickly made my way to my seat so I could love on my son. He wanted to get down and play so I took him in the nursery so he could run around. It had been almost a whole 24 hours since I had seen him last and I enjoyed every minute holding him!

Alright, I've been saying that I would write about the NCAA basketball tournament and haven't done it yet. The time has arrived! We are down to the Final Four. I didn't do well in my brackets after the first round. But there were so many upsets this year! Of course, the teams I had been cheering for since the beginning of the tournament were ODU, VCU, George Mason, Richmond, and Hampton. These are the "local" teams for my area. Of those five, only one has gone far and that is VCU. They are playing Butler in the Final Four on Saturday with a chance to play for the championship game next Monday. No one thought they would do as well as they have. Actually, they had to play their way in to the regular tournament. A lot of analysts thought the committee should not have let VCU in at all. But, look where they are now?! They deserve this moment. Shaka Smart, their head coach, has been the conquering hero for the team. I hope they can go all the way and win the whole thing. It's going to be tough, but look at what they've already accomplished. It can be done.

I'll have another post shortly with my weight-loss results this week. See you in a little bit.

Catching Up

I apologize for not writing at all this week. There has been a lot going on! This post will take me from last Tuesday to Saturday. I'll write another post with my weight-loss results tomorrow.

So, last Tuesday night I watched "Biggest Loser." The two teams had to become one team, and lose more weight than they lost together the previous week. They had a group challenge and a pop challenge which teamed them up in pairs which was made up of one member from the previous red or black teams. My thinking during this episode is that we already know the red team has an alliance. Since that is the case, the black team should do the same. I know they were one team this week, but an alliance is in place to end, regardless of what color shirt they are wearing.

When it was apparent that they were not all going to get immunity and someone would have to be sent home, Marci should have kept her mouth shut. The black team should have voted Kaylee off to give the red team one less member in the long run. I hope Marci's decision to sacrifice herself doesn't hurt her girls in the coming weeks. Side note: Thank you, Jen, for your vote to send Kaylee home. I wish the other girls had done the same.

Thursday was St. Patrick's Day...my favorite holiday of the year! I wore my green shirt, socks, nail polish, earrings, bracelet, hat, glasses and eye shadow. We ate breakfast at The Pub. They were serving corned beef and eggs, french toast casserole, breakfast Shepherd's Pie, and steak & eggs. After we left there, we headed over to Target for a little while before going to NASCAR Sports Grille to watch the ODU/Butler game. It was an incredible game, but I wish ODU had won. I'll be talking more about the NCAA tournament in another post this week.

Friday, my bff and I went to the zoo. Joshua loves lions and he had a blast looking at all the animals. We played at the playground and ate lunch there, too. It was a gorgeous day! That evening, my family sang at a benefit sing for Cystic Fibrosis. There was a great crowd out to hear the 6 Southern Gospel groups. We raised $725 in the offering that night. Awesome! If you are one of the ones who came, thank you so much for your contribution. It will go a long way!

On Saturday, I had what I would consider to be the perfect day. I woke up that morning to the news that my friend's brother-in-law had accepted Christ as his Savior. Now, I know this is always something to be happy about, but he was just given days to a week to live. His decision was needed urgently before he entered eternity! Then, we went to Busch Gardens for a few hours where we had the best time. Joshua rode quite a few rides, some by himself! It was so much fun. On our way back, Tim dropped me off at the mall to buy a dress and get my hair fixed up for the opera that night. He bought a tuxedo and brought me flowers. We ate at a fancy restaurant and had a great time with friends. I would love to go again in the future! I think we're going to try "The Mikado" next Spring when the VA Opera performs it in 2012.

Sorry if it feels like I crammed everything in here. I will admit that the basketball games took up a lot of my time when I wasn't out doing something else. I will do a much better job of keeping up with my blog this week...promise. :)

Pounds for Crowns Week 3

I lost 1.6 lbs this week! This brings my total weight-loss to 5.2 lbs and I now weigh 160.8 pounds. I think I had a pretty easy week. There were a few times that I was tempted to cheat, but I surprised myself at how strong I was to not give in. My splurge meal this week was going to eat Mexican food and I ordered a full order of flautas (but no guacamole). I ate 2/3 of the plate. It was so yummy! But I made sure that I ate good all week so I could spoil myself. I did not get out to walk as much as I wanted to, but my goal is to do more walking this week. The good thing is I am supposed to walk around the zoo on Friday and around Busch Gardens on Saturday. That should give me enough activity even if I don't get to walk earlier in the week.

Last night's episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" was crazy. Lisa was definitely put in a position to fail by a majority of the team. She didn't really help herself in the boardroom either which put the final nail in the coffin. Why couldn't she have been more outspoken in front of Mr. Trump as she was during her interviews? Goodbye, Lisa. It was nice having you these two weeks. I personally felt that Dionne Warwick should have been fired after the way she disrespected Marlee. I hope she's the next to go.

Joshua, my son, has had hiccups off and on for the last few days. I think this means he's going through a growth spurt. His appetite hasn't really changed so I don't know for certain. He is finally growing out of everything in the 9-12 month size. I had to get some new clothes for him this week. Answer me this...how do you make a kid gain weight that doesn't eat a lot? He's not a finicky eater. He just eats when he wants to. His last visit to the doctor was awkward because he was underweight. I want him to at least be in a healthy weight range when we go back in a few months. I know he looks just like his father (tall and skinny), but Joshua needs to gain some weight.

Tonight is the finale of "The Bachelor." I will be tweeting live tonight if you want to follow along. http://twitter.com/rngfreckles Make sure you keep a tissue box nearby! Also, they will be announcing the next Bachelorette on Jimmy Kimmel tonight. I don't normally stay up that late so I'll find out tomorrow. Of course, I'll be talking about it here. Until then, don't forget to fill out your NCAA basketball brackets! I love this time of year. Go ODU and Hampton!

Pounds for Crowns Week 2

I stepped on the scale Sunday evening, hoping to pull a large number. Instead, I got a disappointing 0.6 pound loss. I know, I know...it's better than gaining! But I was still looking forward to losing 3 or 4 pounds this week. Oh, well. I just know that I need to do more activity this week than I did last week. Maybe this means I'll pull a large number next week! Anyway, this week's weigh-in put me at 162.4 lbs and a total weight-loss of 3.6 lbs.

I found so many good foods to eat that are low in point value. Some days, I don't have enough room in my stomach to eat all of my daily allotment of points. Joshua and I went for a walk on Monday and we'll probably go again one or two more times this week. I say "we" but he was just in the stroller. We go to the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton when it's too cold or wet outside. I am very thankful to have a place to walk indoors so I have no excuse to get out and be active.

My son has been an emotional kid so far this week. He's thrown quite a few temper tantrums and has had attitude changes at the drop of a hat. His nose has been running all day so I would like to blame this on him possibly being sick. But I really think the culprit is teething. Yes! He will be 18 months on Thursday and he is already getting his 2-year molars in. My mom mentioned it to me tonight and after researching the symptoms, I am 99% positive this is the issue. He has been early for all of his teeth so it doesn't really surprise me, but this is the first time he has had any teething problems. His only symptom of teething in the past has been waking up frequently in the middle of the night. But today? He has been fussy, grumpy, runny-nosed, chewing his fingers (rather than the norm of sucking on them), and refusing some food. I just hope he gets these teeth in quickly because it's hard to handle a grumpy little boy who cries at any given moment.

Of course, I did watch my favorite TV shows this week. But it's late and I'm too tired to write about them right now. I will do my best to post tomorrow. Goodnight!

Controlling My Anger

I apologize for not writing about "The Biggest Loser" this week. I wanted to wait a little while before writing because I was SO mad about this week's episode. I have heard comments on FB and Twitter about it that I would like to address as well. Guess we should start at the beginning...

After last week's weigh-in, we find the contestants are sent home to their families for 2 weeks. I think it's a little earlier than usual but a lot of these people were very homesick this season. Most of them did a great job keeping up with their diet and exercise programs while away from the Ranch. When they got back home, they knew the challenge would be to run a 5k. The reward...you could pick your trainer again in the order you finished the challenge. My thoughts, at this moment, were, "Great! Now the teams can go back the way they wanted them to be originally. No big deal!" But then Sarah does the unexpected! She chooses to stay with the black team, essentially sealing Arthur's doom. I heard some people say they were upset with Jen, but she was in the same position Arthur was in and was going to be sent home if she didn't get to re-choose her trainer. Please don't blame Jen! It really is Sarah's fault for what would become the most emotional weigh-in I have ever seen.

Black team weighed in first and kicked some booty! I am so proud of them!! Then, the red team. Rulon weighed in first and had me thinking that the red team might actually win the weigh-in. But the rest of the team had horrible numbers. Moses and Kaylee apparently had a hard time being accountable to their weight loss at home. They didn't show it or mention it until Arthur said something in the interview. Funny, the red team didnt even acknowledge that the father and daughter had dropped the ball. As poor Arthur goes up to get his weight, he is reminded that he could have immunity if he loses over 18 pounds. Then the scale shows he only lost 16. I screamed. I knew what that meant. But, hark! In comes Bob and Jillian to tell the red team to get some backbone and keep him on the ranch. Was there now hope? Uh, no. The red team decided to vote with their own interests at heart and booted Arthur from the ranch. My thoughts? Go black team and go Courtney. I hope every red team member loses every weigh-in left in the season...and Sarah, too. (Who I was cheering for, but no longer.)

Another thing that has gotten my blood boiling this week is the NFL/NFLPA labor talks. Court documents released this week showed how the NFL and the owners would have had access to $4 billion (yes, that's billion with a "b") during a potential lockout. And the players would not have had access to the money. But the crazy thing is, a 1-2 year lockout has been premeditated for 3 years now. Unbelievable! Good thing is the judge who presides over the NFL disputes ruled in favor of the players and that money will now have to be divided properly to the players for "damages" and such. As I write this, both sides have agreed to extend the CBA talks thru next Friday. I hope this means that they are seriously trying to get a new CBA and not just attempting to delay the inevitable. Can't we just get this deal done peaceably?

Now that I've shared what has burned me up this week, let me share some good news! My darling son has been on a great schedule since the beginning of last week. He's been getting up early, eating breakfast and lunch on time, laying down for a good nap without fighting, and going to bed at a decent hour. I didn't really do anything to cause it, he's just been a good boy! I guess God is the one I should thank for this change of behavior in him. It has been such a help to know how to plan my days. Let's hope that this schedule continues! Have a great weekend everyone.

Pounds for Crowns Week 1

FINALLY! I lost 3 pounds this week on WW, after gaining the previous 3 weeks on P90X!! This puts me at 163.0 lbs. I am still over a 25 BMI for being overweight, but I am so close to being in a healthy weight range.

This starting week wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe it's because I'm so excited to be getting rid of this weight. The hardest day of the week was Saturday. Tim and I attended the Apprentice School graduation at the Ferguson Center that afternoon. After the Baccalaureate service, they served a light lunch. In the past, they've had salad, grilled chicken, steamed veggies, etc. But not this year. Ham biscuits (like Hardee's), fried chicken strips, chicken cordon bleu nuggets, potato salad, pasta salad, and egg rolls were all to be found on the buffet table. The egg rolls were 100 calories each (thank God!), and the deviled eggs they had were about 70 calories each. They also had a fruit and cheese area, which helped fill me with less damage to my diet. And dessert? Brownies and an assortment of large, chunky cookies. I ate the same amount of points for a tiny plate of food as I did for 3 trips to the salad bar at Jason's Deli on Sunday! Unbelievable.

Now to the activity which helped burn some of my calories...walking. Thursday morning, I walked for 20 minutes at Boo Williams since it was so cold out. Saturday, while at the graduation, I did a lot of walking to get from the Baccaleureate service to the graduation area. I also had to meet Tim in the back where he took his robe off before and after the graduation. (It was a long walk.) But the best part of the week was yesterday afternoon. We had gotten home from lunch, and Joshua and Tim had laid down to sleep. Instead of watching the basketball game, I decided to take a walk. I walked very briskly for about 45 minutes in the cool air, listening to Pandora Radio on my phone. It was so peaceful. I am looking forward to the next few Sundays to take advantage of this again.

Today, I took Joshua to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. He has seen some of the commercials so he was familiar with it before we got there. He wasn't afraid of the character that came out to greet the kids or of the rides that bumped him around. He is a little small for most of the games but I got to play those. ;+) It was nice to get out and have a good time. Mostly, it was good to chase him around to help burn calories!

No. I did not watch the Oscars. I was hoping "Toy Story 3" would win Best Picture, but they did not. Other than that, I didn't really care to watch. But I am looking forward to tonight's episode of "The Bachelor." We will found out which 2 ladies will make it to the final rose ceremony. Sometime during the show, they will reveal the newest cast for "Dancing with the Stars." I cannot wait!!! I love, love, love that show. I will be tweeting live (@rngfreckles) if you want to follow along. And of course, I will update here as well.

Just a reminder, only about 15 days are left before my Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser ends! Please read my previous post http://justanotherfreckledgirl.blogspot.com/2011/02/cystic-fibrosis-benefit.html and get involved before it's too late!

Pounds for Crowns Weigh-in

As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to stop doing the P90X program due to gaining weight the first 3 weeks. I started on the old Weight Watchers Flex program today. A few of the ladies at my church get together each Sunday night and have a weekly weigh-in. Our leader thought of the name "Pounds for Crowns." Each week, we bring $1 and after a few months, we donate the funds to one of our missionaries. Neat, huh?! I thought so, too.

I weighed in last night (going to be transparent and accountable to my readers!) at 166.0 pounds. Our first goal as a group is to lose 10%. This means my first goal is 16.6 pounds and my second goal is 30 total pounds. I get 25 WW points a day and 35 flex points for the week. If you're not sure what I'm talking about...sorry! Just google it and there are plenty of sites that can explain it for you. The last time I was on this program, I lost 25 pounds. You might be asking why I gained the weight back. Well, I had a baby. I lost most of the baby weight in the first year. But around the time I stopped nursing, the pounds piled on. It was my own fault! I knew I wasn't eating right. Yeah, we ate "healthy" most of the time because of my son, but my portions were large. I also kept a stash of stuff Joshua couldn't eat and would snack after he laid down to sleep. It is my goal that I will continue every day to make my eating habits I have learned from WW stick for years to come. Pray for me as I go on this journey and I wish you success in any weight-loss program you may be participating in! (If you are, and you are a friend of mine on FB, message me about the e-mail accountability program I'm in.)

The weather has been incredible the last few days. Today will be the last nice day for a little while. I plan on taking advantage of it as soon as Joshua wakes up from his nap. And maybe Tim will join us for a family walk! With the beautiful weather, we were able to go to 2 Apprentice School baseball games. Unfortunately, they lost both of them. But we always have a great time when we go. Joshua loved running around and talking to everyone nearby. Silly kid.

Looking forward to watching "The Bachelor" tonight to see how Brad reacts to being in the girls' home environment. I really hope Emily's little girl will open up to Brad. It will help their relationship so much! Of course, I'll write about it later this week. Don't forget to read my post on how you can help me raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research! ( http://justanotherfreckledgirl.blogspot.com/2011/02/cystic-fibrosis-benefit.html ) Only 23 days left! Hope you all have a great day.

Great Weekend in Review

Our family survived Great Wolf Lodge. Four rooms, 13 adults, 12 children (ages 1 month-8 years), and water = a great time! Joshua really didn't like the water. I don't understand why. He did like the tubes, though. He rode the lazy river with me twice and fell asleep on me in the wave pool. It was the best part of the weekend. I won't be posting pictures here because I was in a swimsuit...not pretty. =+)

Saturday night, my parents came over for a little bit. I went to the grocery store by myself to pick up some things to snack on. It was so nice not having to worry about keeping Joshua happy while looking for stuff. Ended up making my mexican dip and we had fruit and cream cheese dip. I bought the movie "Hoosiers" and we watched it after Tim and my dad played Wii Golf. Pretty good movie!

I did okay during the first Sunday of the NFL off-season. We got home from church and the Bruins game was on. They were ahead in the first period, but the Red Wings got serious in the last 2 periods. Lost 4-2. Then I switched over to the Celtics/Heat game. My Twitter timeline was saying we were losing, but by the time I started watching the game, things had turned around. What a great game! Rondo had a triple-double and Big Baby pulled through right when needed.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. I sure did! I spent the afternoon with my friend in Gloucester and her daughter. She made egg salad (one of my faves) and brownies! The fellowship was the best part, of course. I don't get out the house much anymore or get a lot of social time during the week. We talked about trying to find a playgroup that I could take Joshua to. (If anyone reading this knows of any good ones, please comment!) On our way home, we got stuck at the drawbridge. Since Joshua had fallen asleep, I decided to take the auto tour of the Yorktown Battlefield. It was a beautiful drive and an even more beautiful day. Tim texted me when I got home and told me to get ready to go out that night. He surprised me and took me to the Captain George's seafood restaurant in Williamsburg. It was sooooo good! They have a few locations on the East Coast. I highly encourage you to visit their website http://captaingeorges.com/ and try to make a trip to eat there. On our way home, he bought me a beautiful rose. I have such a sweet husband.

Since I went out last night, I wasn't able to watch "The Bachelor." I am going to try and watch it while Joshua takes his nap today. I also have a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis that starts today. I will post later on the details so everyone can get involved. Joshua is getting mad at me for being on the computer...gotta go!

A Really Big Loser

Okay, I watched "Biggest Loser" last night going in with the impression that most of the drama was over. Ha! Arthur is not very smart. Why didn't he just keep his mouth shut? He put his team in a lose-lose situation and target has now been placed on his back. He is "lucky" the black team did so well with their weigh-in or he probably would have been voted off this week. And the good thing for the red team was Q did not back up his promise. It was easy to vote him off and move on. Next week is going to be the first really tough week when voting people off. They will have spent between 2-7 weeks together, friendships will be made, and then someone will have to go home. I noticed the preview for next week looks really emotional. Grab your tissues, folks!

Hockey and basketball are in full swing and baseball season will be starting soon. Busch Gardens opens in a little over a month. I hear birds singing outside my window in the mornings now. You guys know what all this means, right? Warmer weather will be here soon! But first, we have a sprinkling of snow scheduled tomorrow. Yuck. I like snow, on holidays, but that's about it. I'll be so glad when summer gets here.

Joshua is yelling about something so I better go. We're getting ready to hang out with Aunt Bebop and my grandparents today. Have a great Wednesday!

Green, Yellow, and Bloody Football

Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers on winning Super Bowl XLV! I was only 2 points away from being right on the money with the final score. My husband told me, before the game, the score I had was too high. As the game went on, he changed his tune and said I was going to be pretty close. I love when he knows that I am right!

As I mentioned before, my mom is a Packers fan. We invited my parents over to our house for the game. My son, Joshua, was running around the room while we were eating and watching the game. Next thing we know, he hits the wood floor, face first. He almost put his teeth through his bottom lip and it wouldn't stop bleeding. And he didn't want us to put ice on it so he screamed the whole time. Then, he didn't want anyone but my mom and the only thing that calmed him down was watching SpongeBob. She didn't even get to watch the last half of the game. I felt bad about the whole thing, but she was glad she could help. BTW, Joshua is fine now. He had a swollen lip yesterday but it has gone down a lot today. Poor baby!

I watched "The Bachelor" last night. I didn't think Michelle could get any scarier, but she did last night. I can't believe Brad didn't send her home. I am pretty certain she saw Jake's season and is trying to win like Vienna did...by being a crazy stalker. Now that there is only 6 ladies left, things are going to get even more emotional in the weeks to come. He will have more time to spend with each girl which means more jealousy with the other girls. Oh, what fun!

P90X update: I started Week 3 yesterday. I have been weighing in each week to see how much I'm losing. After Week 1, I gained 1.6 pounds. After Week 2, I lost one pound. So, I am now at +0.6 pounds. Ugh. I have decided to stop doing the exact diet they call for, but I follow the guidelines. If I wasn't losing anything after doing it exactly like they said, I don't see why I can't eat my own way and try to lose more. And Tim has been so busy with school work that he stopped doing the workouts for now. I'm hoping he starts back up next week.

We are going to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend with our families. I was really hoping to have lost a few pounds before getting in my swimsuit, but no hope there. Anyway, it should be a great time. Joshua is old enough this year to enjoy the water and I get to meet my 2 new neices, Sarah and Hannah! I hope to update again before we go, but I never know if Joshua will let me do so. So, just in case...have a great week everyone!

Just Call Me Crazy

I volunteered to watch my friend's neice and nephew today. So I currently have a 3 year old, and two one year olds (one is mine) in my house. Joshua is trying to learn the concept of sharing but I don't think he really gets it. Good thing is, Joshua will take a nap once Kyle wakes up. So I should really only be "watching" 2 kids most of the day. Thank you, Lord, for naptime. I'm being funny, of course. All 3 kids are playing really well with each other. I told a few people of my endeavor today, and they told me I was crazy. Well, call me crazy, because I love helping my friend out.

Alright, time for my picks in the games this weekend. AFC: Steelers NFC: Packers My friend (and Steelers fan), Robert, is going to the AFCCG this weekend. Last time he went, they made it to the Super Bowl. Hope he's their good luck charm again. But, I will be cheering for the Packers in the Super Bowl. They are my mom's team. (And I just don't like the Jets or Steelers.)

Sorry this post is short, but having a house full of kids makes it hard to focus. I hear a noise and start wondering what they could be doing, or breaking. I should be back on Monday to post about the games. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

TV This Week

Alrighty...the Bachelor. I know everyone either really hates or loves this show. So if you are one of the haters, skip this part. My pick from the very first night has been Emily. Her story broke my heart and I want her to find love! But this week, we find she is still not opening up to Brad. Yes, she told her history on the date...but it was when the date was coming to an end. If she had done it first thing, when he'd given her the opportunity, it would have made the date go so much better. Hopefully, this will not put her behind the others. Speaking of the others, does Michelle seem crazy to anyone? The first night I thought she might be a forerunner. But now, I wish she would do something stupid and get sent home. I was sad to see Madison go home. She was growing on me! I wish her all the best, though. Most of these girls needs to grow up. They get mad over all the kissing and hugging he's doing with the other girls. What do you expect from this show? Most of you watched the first 10 or so seasons and still applied to be there! Crazy...but I guess, that's why we love the show. DRAMA.

Biggest Loser: I have two picks this season. I like Courtney from the Ranch side, and Sarah from the Unknowns side. Courtney has the mindset to win the whole thing. Sarah's story touched my heart and I want to see the best for her life after the show is over. I've been pretty good at picking a winner the last few seasons, but I can't decide which one of these two will make it all the way. On a not-so-positive note, the twins are horrible liars. You cannot tell me they BOTH gained 9 pounds each without trying. I'm sorry. Maybe they did workout and do the actions. But they probably had a food binge when the others weren't around. Dan. Don. We are not stupid. I think you both should have been sent home after being so selfish. That was horrible.

My hubby, Tim, and I will be starting P90X next week. He's doing it to build muscle. I'm doing it to lose weight and build muscle. I still have my "baby weight" on me and my baby is 16 months. So, it's about time to lose those pounds. I'm hoping to lose enough weight by February 11 so I can look good in my swimsuit at Great Wolf Lodge. We take our neices and nephews every year as their Christmas present. I think this may be the last year we go. The kids are big enough that they would probably enjoy the beach more. Tim and I will be going to OBX this summer to check it out. I don't like sand, but if it means a vacation and good food, I'm all for it!

I have to get back to working on my house. My brother-in-law is coming in tonight because he has an interview at the shipyard tomorrow. Don't want the house to be a mess. Have a great afternoon!

2011 Resolution

Okay. My resolution for 2011 is to keep up with this blog! I downloaded Blogger-Droid on my phone so I can keep up. Let's fill in from where we left off!

Braces: Love that they are off!!!!! I went right out and ate a cheeseburger (which I scarfed down in 60 seconds). It used to take me a long to time to eat anything that I had to bite into. The little things in life are so underappreciated.

Football: My Patriots are playing the best football ever. I really believe they will make it all the way and win the Super Bowl. I just wish I could be there to see it! I was trying to talk my hubby into going to the AFC Championship game but he said not this year. Oh, well. At least I got to attend the butt-whooping of the Jets on December 6. That was a fun game (my first NFL game, btw). Congratulations to the players who were voted in to the Pro Bowl. Also, congrats to Wes Welker who was selected for the Ed Block Courage Award. If you haven't heard about Wes' foundation, please visit his website and find out more. http://www.weswelkerfoundation.org/

Family: My baby boy is almost 16 months. Crazy! Didn't we just celebrate his first birthday? He is having surgery next Thursday. Please pray for him, and for my sanity. I know he'll be okay, but I will probably be a wreck. Tim is finished with the investment property we purchased in October. It should go on the market this week. Let's hope it sells quickly and for the full amount we ask.

SG: Let's see...since my last post, my family has sung a few times. Of course, my favorite is the All-Night Sing we have every November. This year was the best we've had for a long time. Great variety of groups and we went until almost midnight! Also since September, I've had the privilege to see the Mitchum Brothers, the Hoppers, and the Dove Brothers. (We don't get as many "big" SG groups in my area any more, but it's starting to turn around.) The Mitchum Brothers were great, as usual, and the Hoppers blew my socks off. They didn't sing "That's Him," which was disappointing. But the one I really want to talk about is DBQ. I didn't know they had a band. At first, I wasn't sure what they would sound like. I've been so used to them singing with tracks or a pianist. But, I loved it!!! I especially enjoyed the bass guitarist. He did an incredible job! There are probably some other big groups, even non-SG, that would love to get their hands on him.

I would love to post more but my son is having a temper tantrum and throwing things. Gotta go! I promise I'll be back soon with a new post. Have a great day!

One Year, Football

I apologize for taking sooo long to post. It's been a busy couple of weeks! We had my son's first year birthday party last weekend. It was bigger than originally anticipated, but well worth all the time and energy put in. As this was my first birthday party for my own child, I realized people wanted to get him toys. If it had been me buying all the gifts, I would have brought clothes and cash...with a toy or two. But he's happier to get the toys, I'm sure.

My baby boy also started walking this week! Unbelievable how fast they grow. Everyone gets so excited when he starts walking. They think I haven't seen it before and turn it into a huge event like, "I got to see him walk first!" Of course, I burst their bubble and say that this is nothing new. But they don't care. People are funny.

Now, let's move on to something else I'm excited about...FOOTBALL! =+) My Pats played great for the season opener. (I was supposed to have been at that game but we decided to delay our trip until the spring. Maybe I'll get to go to a game next year.) Welker made a huge comeback and the newbies showed their skills. Mark my words, Hernandez and Tate will be big players for the Patriots offence this year. I don't want to talk about this week's game against the Jets. Reason #1- I didn't get to see the game so I can't critique it. #2- I heard it was sad and I don't want to depress myself. hehe Anyway, it was one game. We will pick up, brush off, and move on.

A few predictions/suggestions I'd like to offer for a few other NFL teams: *Cowboys are going nowhere this year. Sorry! I think Houston will help Dallas move to 0-3 and it will be downhill from there. *Colts are back. Don't know what happened the first week. *Eagles need to put Vick in as starting QB. Don't know why Andy Reid doesn't see that. *AFC East is going to be a tight race...minus the Bills.

Well, it's time for me to get to bed. I get my braces off tomorrow after wearing them for 2 years and 5 months. Think I'll buy a caramel apple this week. Yum.

Weekend Update

Ahh, home sweet home! I guess most of my writing will be during my son's naptime. He likes to press on the keyboard and the power button when I sit at the computer. Makes it hard to get things done, if ya know what I mean.

What did I do this weekend? Spent way too much time in a car. I think my son would agree with me. Went to my brother-in-law's wedding. Really nice. They had it in the backyard of their home at 5pm. It wasn't too hot and the sun was shining on the happy bride and groom for the ceremony. I wish them all the best!

Today, I am working feverishly to get things together for puppet practice tonight. We start rehearsals for our Halloween play for the last week or so of October. It's been a while since we've done a Halloween play. I know a lot of churches don't "celebrate" Halloween and either don't do anything for the holiday or have a harvest party instead. My church isn't scared of the word Halloween. We use the traditions to our advantage and find ways to spread the Gospel instead. Kids take candy...ours has a message of hope with each piece. We usually have a harvest party for kids aged 12 and under, too. But since the holidays falls on a Sunday this year, I thought it would be a great opporunity to get more people in the church to see our puppet play. We usually do a theme of "No Fear" or something like that. We also show how you can "defeat the devil" in some way using comedy but with a point. I'm hoping to eventually get the show recorded so I can share it with the world, here, on my tiny blog.

Well, my son has decided that taking a nap for 40 minutes was all he needed today. Ugh. Pray that I get all this stuff done before tonight. Oh, guess that's one more thing you should know about me. I'm a procrastinator. Yikes!