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!!!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Putting it in Perspective
Late last night, the news broke that the United States military had killed Osama bin Laden. My first reaction was of joy and complete pleasure! Hearing how our brave men and women had confronted him and shot him made my patriotism swell with pride! What a great day to be an American!!
But today, my thoughts have changed to sadness. Follow me here...
Brother Byron Foxx was at my church a few weeks ago for revival and said these words, "Lord, put in my heart a love for everyone for whom Jesus died." Of course, this is everybody. This includes the liars, the wrong-doers, the manipulators, the scoundrels, the murderers, and yes...even Osama bin Laden.
What that man did to our country, to the innocent lives on 9/11, was vicious. "Vengeance is mine," saith the Lord. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Right? But we are also talking about his soul. Do you think God was sad to know that bin Laden was an evil man? Yes. But how much more sad did it make Him that he probably never accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as his Savior? Wow.
The greatest justice this man will get is going to a place of torment for eternity in a place called hell. But does that really mean we should be rejoicing over this? Our joys should be aimed to our military and intelligence departments who were successful in taking one more terrorist out of the picture for the world. But please, do not focus your happiness on the fact that a lost soul went to hell.
"Dear Lord, help us to have a broken heart for those that have not accepted You. Help us to have true compassion for the lost and give us the courage to speak Your TRUTH to them. Amen."
But today, my thoughts have changed to sadness. Follow me here...
Brother Byron Foxx was at my church a few weeks ago for revival and said these words, "Lord, put in my heart a love for everyone for whom Jesus died." Of course, this is everybody. This includes the liars, the wrong-doers, the manipulators, the scoundrels, the murderers, and yes...even Osama bin Laden.
What that man did to our country, to the innocent lives on 9/11, was vicious. "Vengeance is mine," saith the Lord. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Right? But we are also talking about his soul. Do you think God was sad to know that bin Laden was an evil man? Yes. But how much more sad did it make Him that he probably never accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as his Savior? Wow.
The greatest justice this man will get is going to a place of torment for eternity in a place called hell. But does that really mean we should be rejoicing over this? Our joys should be aimed to our military and intelligence departments who were successful in taking one more terrorist out of the picture for the world. But please, do not focus your happiness on the fact that a lost soul went to hell.
"Dear Lord, help us to have a broken heart for those that have not accepted You. Help us to have true compassion for the lost and give us the courage to speak Your TRUTH to them. Amen."
Friday, April 29, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, April 22, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, March 28, 2011
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Pounds for Crowns Week 4
Sunday, I stepped on the scale to get a disappointing loss of only 0.4 lbs. This puts my current weight to 160.4 lbs. I can't wait to get out of the 160s! I was surprised I didn't lose more knowing how much walking I did on Friday and Saturday. I hope this means I am going to have a great week soon and get into those 150s again. Anyway, my total weight-loss since starting back on WW is 5.6 pounds.
I decided to not watch "Celebrity Apprentice" until Monday morning because I was so interested in all the basketball going on. (Again, I will be posting more about the tournament later in the week.) But, what I saw was not surprising. Nikki did the right thing by taking responsibility for her team losing. She showed her integrity by not throwing someone "under the bus." Too bad it didn't help keep her around longer. She was a sweet girl.
Monday night, "DWTS" premiered for season 12. Most of the stars are average dancers but the one that surprised me the most was Kirstie Alley. I didn't think she would do that good, but she can dance! Top 5 dancers, in my opinion, are: 1. Ralph Macchio 2. Kirstie Alley 3. Chelsea Kane 4. Hines Ward 5.Kendra Wilkinson. The last two have a little more work to do to catch up with the top 3, but they have potential.
Last night, I watched one of the best episodes of "Biggest Loser" this season. The contestants were split into 4 teams, with the new black team needing one more member. They had to choose one player from all the previous contestants to come back and join their team. They chose Jay. Probably a good decision but my heart really wanted them to bring Arthur back. Kaylee finally realizes that she should go home and tries to get her team to throw the weigh-in to make it possible. But they won the weigh-in. This turns into a verbal-boxing match with Alison on how "you can leave whenever you want to." Of course, the red team (who lost the weigh-in) would still have to send someone home, whether Kaylee left or not. What happened next was the best part of the show. Justin told the teams to send him home so Courtney could stay. How awesome is that?! What a merciful thing to do. They respected his wishes. We got to see an update at the end of the show and it looks like he is doing very well. Just a heads up...next week looks to be crazy.
I have a wedding to play the piano/organ for on Friday, then a choir conference all weekend in Yorktown. And the Sweet 16 round starts Thursday for the NCAA tournament. As usual, I will be talking about it all right here. So come back!
I decided to not watch "Celebrity Apprentice" until Monday morning because I was so interested in all the basketball going on. (Again, I will be posting more about the tournament later in the week.) But, what I saw was not surprising. Nikki did the right thing by taking responsibility for her team losing. She showed her integrity by not throwing someone "under the bus." Too bad it didn't help keep her around longer. She was a sweet girl.
Monday night, "DWTS" premiered for season 12. Most of the stars are average dancers but the one that surprised me the most was Kirstie Alley. I didn't think she would do that good, but she can dance! Top 5 dancers, in my opinion, are: 1. Ralph Macchio 2. Kirstie Alley 3. Chelsea Kane 4. Hines Ward 5.Kendra Wilkinson. The last two have a little more work to do to catch up with the top 3, but they have potential.
Last night, I watched one of the best episodes of "Biggest Loser" this season. The contestants were split into 4 teams, with the new black team needing one more member. They had to choose one player from all the previous contestants to come back and join their team. They chose Jay. Probably a good decision but my heart really wanted them to bring Arthur back. Kaylee finally realizes that she should go home and tries to get her team to throw the weigh-in to make it possible. But they won the weigh-in. This turns into a verbal-boxing match with Alison on how "you can leave whenever you want to." Of course, the red team (who lost the weigh-in) would still have to send someone home, whether Kaylee left or not. What happened next was the best part of the show. Justin told the teams to send him home so Courtney could stay. How awesome is that?! What a merciful thing to do. They respected his wishes. We got to see an update at the end of the show and it looks like he is doing very well. Just a heads up...next week looks to be crazy.
I have a wedding to play the piano/organ for on Friday, then a choir conference all weekend in Yorktown. And the Sweet 16 round starts Thursday for the NCAA tournament. As usual, I will be talking about it all right here. So come back!
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