Full time pastor
1 year ago
Monday, December 5, 2011
Welcome!
Hi and welcome! If you are visiting from Parent Life, please visit my new blog here! I started the new blog shortly after the article went to press. Thanks so much and look forward to hearing from you!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Silly Landon
Landon was looking at my right hand yesterday morning. He then asked to see my other hand. I showed it to him and of course my ring was there. He said, "Mom, I wish there wasn't a ring on your hand." I asked him why and he said, "Cause when I became an adult I would marry you!"
Then we were talking with Cameron about movies. He asked her if she had watched a particular movie on Netflix. She told him no, that she had watched it before Netflix was around. He said, "You mean, in the old days?"
Then we were talking with Cameron about movies. He asked her if she had watched a particular movie on Netflix. She told him no, that she had watched it before Netflix was around. He said, "You mean, in the old days?"
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A trendy giveaway from a friend!
A friend of mine Abbie has started a great new blog, where she does a much better job faithfully blogging than I do! :)
Today she is giving away a cute little headband, which she also graciously shows the blog world how to create on their own.
Here is the link:
http://www.fivedaysfiveways.com/2011/06/embellished-headband-tutorial-giveaway.html
Go learn a new project and see how fun her blog is!
Today she is giving away a cute little headband, which she also graciously shows the blog world how to create on their own.
Here is the link:
http://www.fivedaysfiveways.com/2011/06/embellished-headband-tutorial-giveaway.html
Go learn a new project and see how fun her blog is!
Thai Shrimp soup
My friend Linda took me to a Thai place a few months ago, where we experienced a crazy-good shrimp soup. It had been a while since I had tasted it, but I wanted to try to recreate it. It is not exactly the same, but I think it turned out pretty tasty! Enjoy.
Thai Shrimp-Coconut Soup
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 Tbs. garlic
2 Tbs. soy sauce
½ Tbs. fish sauce
½ Tbs. sesame oil
2 cans coconut milk
2 cans broth (beef or chicken)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 pkg. rice noodles
1 lb. shrimp
1 Tbs. lime juice
Chopped cilantro
Soak rice noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put remaining items (minus shrimp and cilantro) into a large pot and simmer. Drain noodles after 30 minutes and add to soup. Bring to a boil and add shrimp. Cook for five more minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
Thai Shrimp-Coconut Soup
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 Tbs. garlic
2 Tbs. soy sauce
½ Tbs. fish sauce
½ Tbs. sesame oil
2 cans coconut milk
2 cans broth (beef or chicken)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 pkg. rice noodles
1 lb. shrimp
1 Tbs. lime juice
Chopped cilantro
Soak rice noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put remaining items (minus shrimp and cilantro) into a large pot and simmer. Drain noodles after 30 minutes and add to soup. Bring to a boil and add shrimp. Cook for five more minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
VBS 2011
So many of our friends have recently asked about our story being in LifeWay's VBS material this summer. I am sorry I did not do a better job about letting everyone know! :)
Edited: here is the link to the actual VBS video:
http://mediasuite.316networks.com/player.php?v=v76s5m98
The North American Mission Board sent a team to Houston in 2009 to follow us around for 5 days and capture a bit of our story and ministry. They made a video about our story and the church that can be seen here:
For VBS, they used the same content but dubbed over using a kid's voice. For some reason I can't find that video on YouTube. (and we all know YouTube is all-knowing!)
For the record, Landon is doing well. We just had his yearly check-up in April and he was released for another year of being a normal kiddo! We are so thankful for this.
Edited: here is the link to the actual VBS video:
http://mediasuite.316networks.com/player.php?v=v76s5m98
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
One Day
Happy birthday to my sweet little man! My first-born, my only (for now!) son.
Today not only represents the 6th year that we have enjoyed having Landon on this earth, it also represents the ONE day of parenting that Ben and I have experienced without the words "biliary atresia" in the back of our minds. For 24 blessed hours, we cuddled and loved on our little boy with great peace of mind. He made us parents, and we were overwhelmed with love.
It was like a fairy tale, that first day was. Somewhere near 40 people came to the hospital to help us welcome our child into the world. We chose not to find out the gender of our first born, so there was great anticipation, both for us in the operating room, and in the overflowing waiting room.
I will never forget Dr. Haskins holding him up and saying, "It's a boy! And a big one!" And he was, 10 pounds 10 ounces. How could such a large baby have anything in the world going on?
All evening, visitors floated in and out while I floated in and out of sleep. Early the next morning, Landon's pediatrician came to visit us. She told us that his bilirubin was high, but that didn't worry me too much because most babies develop jaundice at some point. I was very jaundiced as a newborn. Ben was a little more worried. That was around 7:30 a.m. She mentioned sending him to Shreveport if necessary, but that hardly seemed reasonable to me. For jaundice? Really? Little did I know, I was about to become a near-expert in all things liver-related, and that there were two kinds of bilirubin. Only one should be elevated in neonatal jaundice, but both of Landon's levels were high.
Dr. Sokunbi came back by around lunch, and his levels still hadn't fallen. This time, I was a little more worried, because she seemed more worried. My mom dropped my little brother off with my grandpa so she could be with us. At about 5 p.m., a team from Christus Schumpert came rushing in with an incubator stretcher. We hadn't even known for sure they were coming, and there they were. My dad was there by then so he could drive Ben over to Shreveport as well. Ben and I both lay on my hospital bed sobbing while they prepared Landon for travel. We had to sign all sorts of forms saying everything from "they might give him a blood transfusion" all the way to "he might die." Talk about the fairy tale turned nightmare.
When Ben and my dad left behind the ambulance, I really thought my heart was going to break in two. I think out of the whole ordeal, that day was the hardest. Being separated from my child and husband, when we should have been all together. As a family. I had a c-section, so my doctor highly advised that I stay until the next morning before heading to Shreveport. That night was fitful for me. I should have been nursing my baby, but instead my arms were empty.
I had told my doctor that I was leaving by 7 am, with or without him, so he better come check on me by then! He was there at 6:30, bless his heart. I am sure there is nothing as difficult as dealing with a mama with a sick baby.
....to be continued
Today not only represents the 6th year that we have enjoyed having Landon on this earth, it also represents the ONE day of parenting that Ben and I have experienced without the words "biliary atresia" in the back of our minds. For 24 blessed hours, we cuddled and loved on our little boy with great peace of mind. He made us parents, and we were overwhelmed with love.
It was like a fairy tale, that first day was. Somewhere near 40 people came to the hospital to help us welcome our child into the world. We chose not to find out the gender of our first born, so there was great anticipation, both for us in the operating room, and in the overflowing waiting room.
I will never forget Dr. Haskins holding him up and saying, "It's a boy! And a big one!" And he was, 10 pounds 10 ounces. How could such a large baby have anything in the world going on?
All evening, visitors floated in and out while I floated in and out of sleep. Early the next morning, Landon's pediatrician came to visit us. She told us that his bilirubin was high, but that didn't worry me too much because most babies develop jaundice at some point. I was very jaundiced as a newborn. Ben was a little more worried. That was around 7:30 a.m. She mentioned sending him to Shreveport if necessary, but that hardly seemed reasonable to me. For jaundice? Really? Little did I know, I was about to become a near-expert in all things liver-related, and that there were two kinds of bilirubin. Only one should be elevated in neonatal jaundice, but both of Landon's levels were high.
Dr. Sokunbi came back by around lunch, and his levels still hadn't fallen. This time, I was a little more worried, because she seemed more worried. My mom dropped my little brother off with my grandpa so she could be with us. At about 5 p.m., a team from Christus Schumpert came rushing in with an incubator stretcher. We hadn't even known for sure they were coming, and there they were. My dad was there by then so he could drive Ben over to Shreveport as well. Ben and I both lay on my hospital bed sobbing while they prepared Landon for travel. We had to sign all sorts of forms saying everything from "they might give him a blood transfusion" all the way to "he might die." Talk about the fairy tale turned nightmare.
When Ben and my dad left behind the ambulance, I really thought my heart was going to break in two. I think out of the whole ordeal, that day was the hardest. Being separated from my child and husband, when we should have been all together. As a family. I had a c-section, so my doctor highly advised that I stay until the next morning before heading to Shreveport. That night was fitful for me. I should have been nursing my baby, but instead my arms were empty.
I had told my doctor that I was leaving by 7 am, with or without him, so he better come check on me by then! He was there at 6:30, bless his heart. I am sure there is nothing as difficult as dealing with a mama with a sick baby.
....to be continued
Friday, April 29, 2011
out of the mouths of babes...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Italian Mini Meat Pies
We had baseball practice for Landon tonight so I threw something together before hand, then just reheated it when we got home. It actually turned out pretty good (3/4 of the family that had it liked it!) So here goes:
Italian Mini Meat Pies
one pound ground turkey (mine already had Italian seasoning in it, if you can't find that, add about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning)
1/2 onion, chopped
butter
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce- your favorite kind
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper (I only added this to about 1/2 of the mix so the kids' wouldn't be spicy. In their words, they don't do spicy.)
a handful of chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute the onions in about a tablespoon of butter until clear. Turn off heat. Add sauce, meat (raw), 1/2 cup bread crumbs, basil, and red pepper, if using. Scoop mixture evenly into muffin pans. (Mine made about 15)
Sprinkle additional bread crumbs on top, and add mushrooms on top as well. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, then check. You want the breadcrumbs to be nice and toasted. Give them a little more time as needed. Once they look nice and crunchy on top, sprinkle with cheese, and pop back in for a few minutes to melt. I also added more fresh basil on mine after cooking.
Enjoy!
Italian Mini Meat Pies
one pound ground turkey (mine already had Italian seasoning in it, if you can't find that, add about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning)
1/2 onion, chopped
butter
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce- your favorite kind
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper (I only added this to about 1/2 of the mix so the kids' wouldn't be spicy. In their words, they don't do spicy.)
a handful of chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute the onions in about a tablespoon of butter until clear. Turn off heat. Add sauce, meat (raw), 1/2 cup bread crumbs, basil, and red pepper, if using. Scoop mixture evenly into muffin pans. (Mine made about 15)
Sprinkle additional bread crumbs on top, and add mushrooms on top as well. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, then check. You want the breadcrumbs to be nice and toasted. Give them a little more time as needed. Once they look nice and crunchy on top, sprinkle with cheese, and pop back in for a few minutes to melt. I also added more fresh basil on mine after cooking.
Enjoy!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Delicious baby!
This child has stolen my heart. I didn't know it would be possible to love a third child like this, but there is apparently a God-given place in a mother's heart for each of her children! Who knew???
I am soaking in every second with her just *in case* this is our last.
Oh and thanks to my friend Ashley for the wonderful pictures!
I am soaking in every second with her just *in case* this is our last.
Oh and thanks to my friend Ashley for the wonderful pictures!
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Beautiful, Terrible Cross
This song beautifully sums up Good Friday. Please take a moment to listen. (Pause the music at the bottom to be able to hear it, or go directly to YouTube to listen.)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Doing Well
As a stay-at-home mom, I have struggled with feelings of "failing" and being overwhelmed a great deal of the time.
I have really had a hard time putting this into words. As my sweet husband always tells me, I am the one putting the pressure on myself! I recently read a blog post (which I could remember which one) about homeschooling. The author brought to light a thought-provoking fact to me: that as long as there are little children at home all day long, my house will never be perfect! Sounds strange that a stranger made it clear to me.
However, early one morning I had a thought finally come to me concerning WHY I feel this pressure to cook more, clean more, fuss less, teach more, discipline in a better way, have laundry caught up, ..... you get the drift. When I worked OUT of the home, I finished my job at the end of the day and went home. (except when teaching, of course.) But having results there was attainable and noticeable and lasted for at least a few minutes- and right now- I feel as though I am in a constant cycle of re-doing everything I did the last 24 hours! And I know this thought is nothing new... it has been haunting stay-at-home moms forever... But it helped to have it finally formulate in my own mind. I do consider myself somewhat intelliget and probably could have done well in the "outside world" but since I have chosen to walk this path of staying at home with these three (for now!) precious gifts... I need to know that I am doing it well. Because if not, that means my whole parenting life has not been done well.
So what does it mean to "stay-at-home" and do a good job at it? I would love to hear others' thoughts...
I have really had a hard time putting this into words. As my sweet husband always tells me, I am the one putting the pressure on myself! I recently read a blog post (which I could remember which one) about homeschooling. The author brought to light a thought-provoking fact to me: that as long as there are little children at home all day long, my house will never be perfect! Sounds strange that a stranger made it clear to me.
However, early one morning I had a thought finally come to me concerning WHY I feel this pressure to cook more, clean more, fuss less, teach more, discipline in a better way, have laundry caught up, ..... you get the drift. When I worked OUT of the home, I finished my job at the end of the day and went home. (except when teaching, of course.) But having results there was attainable and noticeable and lasted for at least a few minutes- and right now- I feel as though I am in a constant cycle of re-doing everything I did the last 24 hours! And I know this thought is nothing new... it has been haunting stay-at-home moms forever... But it helped to have it finally formulate in my own mind. I do consider myself somewhat intelliget and probably could have done well in the "outside world" but since I have chosen to walk this path of staying at home with these three (for now!) precious gifts... I need to know that I am doing it well. Because if not, that means my whole parenting life has not been done well.
So what does it mean to "stay-at-home" and do a good job at it? I would love to hear others' thoughts...
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