Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

31 Days of Gratitude 2015 (Day 24): Runners in the Making

RevolutionofLove.com - 31 Days of Gratitude 2015logo_31_days15_B_500The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. Itโ€™s Day 24 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

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Today was supposed to be my recap of this week’s #LoveYourLettering challenge but the week has been so busy that I haven’t been able to participate in the lessons. I will try to catch up so that I’ll be back on track by next weekend.

RevolutionofLove.com (31_days15_day24b)This morning I spent the day with Bella, her classmates and their parents working on a school/ community project. We were stringing Big Sur marathon medallions to leather cords in preparation for the marathon next month. My sisters B & J have often talked about running one of the races and I’d love to cheer them on!

RevolutionofLove.com (31_days15_day24c)Andrew, Matthew and John-Paul ready to start their warm-ups before running.

However, I have my own little budding runners in the house. I signed up the three boys for the local Just Run program. The boys run at least 1/2 a mile each day and a full mile on meet days and the weekends. I thought it would be a great way for them to get some exercise and have fun with their friends.

I am grateful to see them growing as they challenge themselves and accomplish their running goals. Even Matthew is managing to keep up with his big brothers. However, the one who has surprised me the most is John-Paul. I thought I would get the biggest complaints from him since he’s rather spend his days on the computer or reading a book.

cwa_beach_6_15_1WJohn-Paul at the beach.

He is also the one that hates going to the beach for reasons such as… the sun, the water, the sand, the bugs. Sigh. But this running program has tapped into a whole other side of JP. He loves to run and he’s good at it. His long, lean body (he will soon pass his older brother in height) was made to run and his competitive side wants to be the best and he pushes himself to go faster and farther. I’m a little amazed.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to see John-Paul blossom, to see Andrew look after his younger brothers and push himself to run when his school friends feel like walking and talking. I am grateful to see little Matthew bursting with energy and enthusiasm for his running class. It’s good for me too since I walk the track with them and I get some exercise while I wait. (I’d run but little things like heart attacks scare me.) ๐Ÿ˜‰ By next spring, we’ll hopefully be participating in the Big Sur Marathon Kids 3K race!

And if you are wondering about Bella, she is not a part of the running program but she made her own walking program that she has been following since the beginning of summer. She was never heavy but had some baby fat and in five months she has lost 10 pounds. She looks so fit now! My kids are inspiring me!! For that, I am truly grateful.

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, ๐Ÿ˜‰

 


7 Quick Takes (10/23/15): Flashback Friday and Quick Take-Palooza

logo_7_quick_takes_c2The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. Itโ€™s Day 23 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

When I lived near LA I used to listen to KROQ and I always loved their Flashback Fridays that highlighted hits of the past. Well, today is a Flashback Friday version of 7 Quick Takes! Kelly’s Link-toberfest over at This Ain’t the Lyceum.org is winding down and we are going out with a bang! Kelly asked us which was our most popular Quick Take post but as I was reading through old QT’s and reliving the past I found some other favorite posts so here are my top 7 Quick Takes.

To keep up with the Flashback theme, I’ve put on my “oldies” playlist (otherwise known as songs from my youth) so grab your favorite band from the list (The Smiths, The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Clash, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, B52’s, Smashing Pumpkins, REM, No Doubt, Ocean Blue…) and crank it up. To start you off here is a video from Quick Takes 7/27/13 –ย  โ€œThatโ€™s the Impression That I Getโ€ from the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones. (Never have white socks with a dark suit looked so good.)

#1 – Most Popular Post

Online Daybook & 7 Quick Takes (5/22/15): Smog Checks, New Logos & Prompts from the Holy Spirit

I was watching Far from the Madding Crowd, When Calls the Heart and listening to Empire by Monsters and Men and reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life and The Girl on the Train. I also talked about following small prompts from the Holy Spirit.

Excerpt:

On Mother’s Day we were at Mass and we had the usual mothers’ blessing. All the moms were asked to stand up and after the priest blessed us the ushers went around and handed us little angel pins as a gift. I noticed that there was one older mom/grandma standing on the opposite side of the aisle from me that was mistakenly overlooked. I felt bad for her and thought that I should go over there and give her my pin. My mind answered, “Wait, what? I can’t just walk over to a stranger. She’s not going to care about some pin. That’s silly.” But the thought would not go away so as soon as the priest walked passed me after Mass, I went over to her and told her that I noticed she didn’t get a pin and I didn’t want her to think she was forgotten so please take mine. She said she didn’t want to take mine but I told her not to worry because there are more in the back of church and I’ll get another. She looked at me and smiled and then gave me a big hug and said thank you. (I’m getting teary eyed just recalling that look on her face.) It was the simplest of gestures but for that woman, it was what she needed to hear just then. So the next time you get a little prompt from the Holy Spirit, take it to heart. God may need you to be his hands and feet at that moment.

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#2 – Funniest Quick Takes (Even if I was the only one laughing.)

7 Quick Takes (3/2/12): Random Correspondences Edition

Excerpt:


Dear Tourist of the Mission,

Welcome to my parish. I am so pleased to have you join us at Mass. I do not mind you sitting behind me. I will be patient with you and your children because I know how difficult it can be to keep them quiet. I am also sympathetic that sometimes little ones need bribes of cheerios and fishy crackers to sit still. However, once your kids are over toddlerhood (and in grammar school) it is best to not let them eat in Church. And it is particularly discouraged to have them eating Jack-in-the-Box tacos and fries in the pew, minutes before Mass is going to start. The least you could have done is brought extra tacos for those of us sitting around you. That taco smell is very seductive, making one crave the greasy goodness of tortillas fried around mystery meat.

Ashamedly,
The Parishioner with the Growling Stomach

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#3 – Most Drama-Queen Quick Take (aka It doesn’t seem that bad now but back then I was in tears.)

7 Quick Takes (3/16/12): The “I Thought He Was Going to Die” Version

Excerpt:

TMI Alert – I turned my head to look back at John-Paul and saw chunks fly out of his mouth. I was covered in it, the desk chair was dripping and the desk was splattered. Immediately Matthew saw puddles of liquid to be splashed in and ran over. Luckily I was wearing a jacket over a tank top so I threw off the jacket, which had most of his lunch, and in one arm I held JP and my desk trash can, in case more was to come, and in my other arm I grabbed Matthew and ran down the long hallway to my bathroom. (See, all that walking is paying off.)

I looked in the mirror and saw vomit dripping from my cheek onto my neck. Nice. There’s nothing like the glamour of motherhood. I quickly wiped my face off then bathed JP while Matthew emptied out the contents of the bathroom drawers on the floor.

The Famous Last Words “I Only Turned for A Second” – I finished cleaning JP and then smelled Matthew’s stinky diaper. No problem, after JP’s fiasco this will be cake. Now this is where things get scary – seriously. I grabbed the phone to call the speech therapist and leave her a message that we won’t be there. I placed Matthew on the bed to be changed. As I’m leaving my message, phone cradled in my neck, I had one hand on Matthew and with the other hand I tried to grab a diaper wipe that was just… out… of… my… reach… and my wiggle worm tried to escape but headed in the wrong direction – right off the bed. He fell down and started screaming. I hang up the phone. (What a message that will be.)

Snap Out of It – I picked up Matty to comfort him and you know how a baby cries really hard then sucks in a breathe and cries even louder? Well, Mathew sucked in the air but never let it out. He just stood there then looked almost like he was going to faint. I freaked out. I thought perhaps he hit his head so hard he had brain damage. My mind traveled at warp speed – it a matter of seconds I pictured the whole scenario – me in the hospital, the doctor telling me they did everything they could, my breakdown, the funeral… I slapped myself out of it and rubbed his chest and called his name. He finally took a breath and whimpered but seemed tired out. As I debated going to the emergency room or calling 911, I quickly changed his dirty diaper. There was no time for me to change out of my vomit clothes. I’d have to bring JP with me and hope he doesn’t get sick again. In the meantime Matthew had quieted down and seemed better…

You can read the rest here but I’ll give you a hint. He lived. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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#4 – The Happiest Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (1/30/14): Brian Comes Home, Mr. Knightly Inspires & Twue Wuv Lives

I just remember being super happy when I wrote this because Brian’s surgery went well, they got all the cancer out and he was coming home!

Excerpt:

It’s been a loooong week. Brian went in for surgery last Friday and it has been a roller coaster ride of good moments and bad moments. However, all I can think about now is that I get to take this handsome man home tomorrow! (It’s Thurs night now so he comes home Friday.)ย  We are ecstatic! I told the kids they could stay home from school and we are having a welcome home party instead. ๐Ÿ™‚ Woohoo!

Brian will still need to go through chemo but he can’t do anything until his body is completely healed from the surgery. (He is still in some pain and barely getting used to food again.) The doc talked to him today and said the “good news” is that his panel of 16 nodes showed cancer in only one node. It is hard to think of that as good news. But then we found out that another patient down the hall had a panel of 22 nodes examined and he had cancer in all 22 nodes. Yeah, I guess when you look at it from his perspective, Brian is lucky. The doc said Brian is strong and (comparatively) young so once he gets his strength back, he can fight and beat this.ย  We are praying that he does!

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#5 – The Obligatory Catholic NFP Quick Take

7 Quick Takes: Memory Lane & NFP Edition

Excerpt:

I don’t know if I want to get into this, but since it has been on my mind a lot, Quick Take # 5-7 are rolled into one. (TMI Alert: skip this take if you don’t want to read about fertility, cycles and sex, or lack of it.)

I was talking to my NFP teacher last night. She has been helping Brian and I get through a rough patch in our NFP charting. She told me to let her know how things are going in the next couple weeks and then jokingly said that maybe she could tell by the tone of my blog…but probably not seems it is usually pretty upbeat or positive or whatever the exact word was that she used. I’ve been thinking about that. The last time I wrote about NFP was a couple years after Brian and I were married. Since then I’ve had a love-hate relationship with NFP. When my cycle is “normal,” it is great but when it’s not, it’s a lot tougher.

After Matthew was born my cycle has been really crazy which has required a lot of abstinence…for weeks….and weeks…and weeks with no end in sight. I’m really struggling with being faithful to the church’s teaching and having to die to myself again and again. Normally, I would not mention something so personal and private in a public place especially since it doesn’t just involve me. (But if you are reading this now, then Brian gave me the okay to post this.)

I decided to mention this topic because over the summer Danielle Bean wrote Five Ways I Don’t Love NFP and shared about her concerns and Jennifer Fulwiler gave her take in Bad at NFP and Proud. Their words were encouraging to me and I discussed the topics they brought up with Brian. They gave us that little boost we needed to hang in there and know that there are others who love God, love their Catholic faith and are trying to be open to new life yet are struggling with some of the challenges of NFP. So if by chance you are one of those people struggling, hang in there. We’re in this together. I’ll say a prayer for you. Please say a prayer for me.

Later I’ll write a longer post about what I’ve learned about NFP over the years and what I do love about it. But right now, I am not in the right frame of mind because the only title I can think of is “NFP Sucks, but I’m Using It Anyway.” ๐Ÿ˜‰

(UPDATE: Maybe I just needed to get this off my chest. It is days later and although we are still waiting, God’s grace has increased and we are resolved to wait it out as best as we can. We are praying that it draws us closer to God and to each other in the end. I have to remember the motto I use during the difficult newborn months, “And this too shall pass.”)

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#6 – The Grossest Quick Takes (aka, Did I actually write that?)

7 Quick Takes โ€“ (12/23/11): TMI Edition

This all took place while the kids were sick with a nasty cold that seemed to take forever to clear up. Normally I am used to being sneezed on (usually right in the face while I’m talking so the germs can head straight into my mouth.) And I’ve learned to live my life as a human Kleenex. I’m not exaggerating. A kid will walk up to me and literally wipe his snot nose against my pant leg leaving a huge slime trail on my leg. Ah, the glamour if motherhood. Normally, I throw a fit shrug it off but with the food poisoning all my defenses were down and those nasty germs were going to make up for all the times I avoided them. The cold wasn’t too bad but I swear (TMI alert) the stuff coming out of my nose was straight from an alien horror movie.

Thankfully the cold didn’t last too long but the plugged up nose and pressure stuffed head wouldn’t go away. On top of it all, I lost all sense of smell. Perhaps it wasn’t a huge deal but I am big on smells. I could live without smelling the Christmas delights like fresh pine and baked goods. What troubled me is that I couldn’t smell when the toast was burning. I couldn’t smell the questionable milk to see if it was still good. Matthew wore a stinky diaper for hours because I didn’t notice he stunk until Brian came home from work and told me. And have you ever tried to shop for perfume when you can’t smell?? I was in the department store snorting a bottle of fragrance when the saleslady suspiciously asked me if I needed help. I resigned to my fate and simply picked out the prettiest looking bottle hoping it wasn’t actually gag-inducing.

Then it happened. A couple days later I woke up and heard Matthew pushing and “doing his business” in bed. As I laid in bed and waited for him to be done so I could change him, I slowly started to smell the stench. I jumped out of bed and took a big whiff of his behind. Man, I was never so excited to smell a stinky diaper in all my life. I could smell again! And the heavens rejoiced. So it seemed.

Anyway, did I really spend all seven takes talking out food poisoning, snot, and poop? Wow. Thatโ€™s sad. Oh, well. Let us rejoice in the small crosses in life. Compared to what could be going wrong, that is nothing. God is good!

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# 7 – Funnest to Write Quick Takes

7 Quick Takes (3/9/12): Random but True Facts Edition

Excerpt:

25 Useless but True Facts about Me

1. “Bobbi” is not a nickname but my actual name. I love my name and I’m happy I was named after my dad. (Thanks for not naming me Roberta, mom and dad.)
2. When I was in preschool my finger got caught in wheel spokes and as a result I have a crooked right pinky with a broken nail.
3. As a kid, I loved desk items and school supplies and always wanted to be a writer. (Office supply stores still make me giddy.)
4. As a kid, I loved playing school, bank, store and carnival with my brothers and sisters. (Now I avoid going to schools & banks and live in a carnival-like house of four kids. Unfortunately for my pocketbook, I never outgrow the love of shopping.)
5. I am the oldest of nine kids. (So having four kids is really only a medium sized family.)

blue_skatesjpgPhoto Source

6. I used to have a pair of cool blue tennis shoes-roller skates.
7. My mom often told me I was a drama queen. (Sooo exaggerated.)
8. In school I was always the peacemaker who tried to bring arguing friends together. (I believe in the Rodney King mantra, “Can’t we all just get along.”)
9. I have no affection for cats whatsoever. (I just heard a unison of gasps. Sorry.)
10. I once dated a guy who turned into a stalker-crazy boyfriend.

converse_Photo Source

11. I loved my converse and doc martin shoes. (I traded in my docs for flats but I still have some brown converse.)
12. For a time, I was a sucker for guys with bald heads, tattoos and eyebrow rings yet I fell in love with a guy as clean cut as they come.
13. When I am stressed out I play a game of spider solitaire and listen to New Order.
14. I am incredibly nosey and always have to know what’s going on.

smi_alb
15. When I was younger I thought it was pathetic when people in their 30’s & 40’s went to concerts of bands from their youth. I have officially become pathetic because if there was a reunion tour in my town of the cure, the smiths, new order, depeche mode or psychedelic furs, I’d be running out the door I’d consider going.
16. I can’t sew a stitch. When I was younger, I once hemmed my pants with duct tape. (And I vaguely remember “sewing” a dress for my doll with a stapler.)
17. I was seriously discerning a religious vocation two years before meeting my spouse.
18. My husband discerned he wasn’t called to the priesthood. The day he left the seminary he started a novena to find a wife. On the last day of the novena he “met” me online. (Funny that Brian’s prayers were answered immediately while I had to wait years.)ba_bv_wed_2W
19. I feel absolutely and completely blessed to be married to the best man I have ever known. He has a certain look that can still make my heart skip a beat. (Swoon.)
20. My greatest treasures are my four kids – Bella, Andrew, John-Paul & Matthew. (Sometimes I just need a break in order to appreciate that fact!)
21. I have made a lot of incredibly stupid mistakes in my life but God has used them all to teach me a lesson and make me stronger and more understanding of other people’s weaknesses.
22. I can easily be moved to tears – both happy and sad. Hankie_2

Phot0 source (Isn’t that pretty!)

23. When I laugh my eyes water and I always bring a handkerchief to the movies when I see a funny movie…or sad one. (A real handkerchief. It is very Downton Abbey of me.)
24. I hate being mad at someone and I am eager to make up.
25. The three things I am most grateful for are my life, my family, and God’s love & mercy.

Okay, that was a huge post but I had fun looking back and laughing at my weirdness and thanking God for his goodness. I’ve truly been blessed and love being able to share a little bit of my life with you. So tonight I am thankful for you being here with me over years. I’m thankful for the shared laughs and for the offered prayers when things were rough. It means a lot to me. Thank you. xoxo

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, ๐Ÿ˜‰

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.


31 Days of Gratitude 2015 (Day 22) & Theme Thursday

RevolutionofLove.com - 31 Days of Gratitude 2015logo_31_days15_B_500The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. Itโ€™s Day 22 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

I’m linking up with Micaela for Theme Thursday: Same Photos, Different Angles.

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RevolutionofLove.com - The Farm in Salinas, CA(31_days15_day22C)As I mentioned yesterday, I went with Matthew to his class field trip to The Farm in Salinas. Yesterday I was feeling nostalgic and talked about Matthew most likely being my last baby and how I had to let go and surrender to God’s will for our family.

RevolutionofLove.com (ba_mvx_10_15)Today I am still grateful for the time I spend with my little guy. He is very much “all boy” and a mama’s boy that loves to be my helper and has not reached the age were he is too big for lots of hugs and kisses. (I am so grateful for that!!)

But today we are also talking about photography since it is time for the Theme Thursday photography challenge. Micaela asked us to play around with light and how different positions change the look of a photograph. The best time to take a photo is when the sun is softer – early morning or sunset but sometimes you have no choice but to take a photo in full sun.

RevolutionofLove.com (31_days15_day22A)I tried taking a picture of Matthew with the sun behind me. I got a clear shot of the pumpkins but poor Matty was nearly blinded by the light.RevolutionofLove.com (31_days15_day22c)

I told him to turn around and I then took a photo of him with the sun behind him. The photo was darker and I had to edit it and lighten it up but he has a more natural smile. Maybe if I would have done a few more shots I could have avoided the light and shadow on his face. However, the class was not going to wait for me to finish a long photo shoot!

Either way, he is still my cutie and for that I am very thankful. ๐Ÿ™‚

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, ๐Ÿ˜‰


31 Days of Gratitude 2015 (Day 21): Letting Go of the Idea of Having One More Baby

RevolutionofLove.com - 31 Days of Gratitude 2015logo_31_days15_B_500The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. Itโ€™s Day 21 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

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Today was Matthew’s school field trip to the “The Farm,” an organic farm in Salinas, CA. It is an annual field trip the pre-school class takes every year and I’ve been lucky enough to join each of the kids on their trip. Even a decade ago, before Bella was in school, I went with a group of home schooling friends. (Can you tell we didn’t have cell phones then, so no selfies. I also didn’t realize how much heavier I was then!) I’m so grateful to have these one-on-one moments with my children doing something special with them.

RevolutionofLove.com (31_days15_day21)Our trips to The Farm. 2015 with Matthew, 2014 with John-Paul, 2012 with Andrew and 2004 with Bella.

As I was riding on the bus with Matthew leaning on me and holding my hand tightly, I thought about that fact that this was most likely my last field trip here with a pre-schooler. Before Brian got cancer a couple years ago, we were thinking about having one more baby. On the one hand, I was feeling my age and family responsibilities but on the other hand I really wanted a sister for Bella! However, after Brian got sick, we had to be prudent, especially while he was going through chemo. The more we prayed about it, the more we felt like it was something we wanted but not necessarily what God wanted for us. A part of me had a hard time letting go of having another baby girl (or boy) and accepting that my last baby was most likely my last baby.

Thankfully, now I can say that instead of being regretful, I am filled with gratitude for my four blessings (plus two in heaven), especially when I consider that in between Bella and Andrew, we thought we’d never be able to conceive and carry to term a second child. Today I no longer feel that tug for a baby. I am truly at peace with our family and realize that God knew what was best for us especially when you factor in Brian’s parents and the help they now need from us.

It is not always easy to let go of our idea of what our life should look like, whether we want more kids or are dealing with a surprise pregnancy. Thankfully God is ready to give us all the grace we need to let go of the negative and worry and instead focus on the blessings of what is before us. For that, I am truly grateful.

PS – I’ll post more picture from The Farm tomorrow. Right now it’s late. ๐Ÿ™‚

PPS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, ๐Ÿ˜‰

 


31 Days of Gratitude & Online Daybook (10/20/15): Gratitude & A Brian Update

Revolution of Love - logo_daybook_4The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. Itโ€™s Day 20 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

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Grateful for…

  • An hour to myself after some very busy days.
  • For Brian’s good doctor’s report.
  • That my stomach bug has passed.
  • Electricity (When it is gone you realize how much you rely on it!)

Praying for..

  • The intentions of many friends.
  • Victims of the recent floods and fires.
  • Victims of abuse and domestic violence.
  • The conversion of hearts back to God.
  • All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
  • The souls in purgatory, especially family, friend and those most forgotten.

Pondering…

My selfishness. Let’s face it, we are all selfish to some degree, some of us more than others. I know that I am especially guilty. I’ll admit that I really like helping people. I like making them smile and brightening their day BUT I have to want to do it or be in the mood to do it. I don’t like when my plans are interrupted or I have to stop what I am doing for the hundredth time to clean up spilled milk, wipe a dirty rear end, stop a fight or pick up meds for my in-laws. God gives me ample opportunity to chip away at that selfishness and to surrender my will to Him.

Yesterday, God must have been pouring out the grace on me because I was able to stop, drop and roll with the punches and without the usual grumbling and eye rolling. (The power of Confessional grace, baby!) However, by late afternoon I could feel myself being pushed to the limit and my impatience was bubbling up. I was thinking to myself, yeah, this Pollyanna trying to be grateful and looking on the bright side of things is starting to suck. I could feel my selfishness and “woe is me” attitude trying to claw its way back to the top. I had to remind myself to turn back to God…to utter a prayer for more grace in the midst of the noise. I had to squelch the desire to just yell and lose it. Thankfully, more grace came and I pulled through.

I sometimes wonder, is it always going to be this hard? But as I look back on my life I realize that I am at a place when it actually matters to me. I am actually working on it and trying to grow. That is a lot better than the days when I didn’t care. I will most likely always struggle as long as I am human but I’d like to think that I am making progress and and at least realizing the key to getting through – continuously relying on God’s grace.

 

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Around the House…

I washed the breakfast dishes (although now that I think about it, I think I left last night’s dirty pan in the oven) and there’s a load of laundry washing so I’d call that progress. ๐Ÿ˜‰

 

Family Chit Chat…

Yesterday Brian had his 3 month appointment with his oncologist to check his blood work. Everything checked out and was in the normal range (although I think his red blood count was on the lower side of normal so we can work on that) and his organs looked good so, for now, there are no signs of the cancer returning. He’ll go back in another 3 months for routine scans and if he passes those, he’ll be one year cancer free.I am so, so grateful that Brian is continuing to do well. Frankly, I can’t think about the cancer too much or I’ll start freaking out with the “what ifs.” We’ve just got to keep on moving forward and re-committing to do all we can to live healthy.

 

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revolution of love blog - od_logo_kitchenIn the Kitchen…

Sunday – Whole wheat pasta, turkey meatballs and salad.

Monday – Breakfast Dinner

TuesdaySlow Cooker Lentil Soup with Kale

Wednesday – Pork Tenderloin, brown rice medley and green beans.

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Tuna Melts and broccoli.

Saturday – (Treat Night) Chipotles

 

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Watching…

(At the Movies)

bridge_of_spiesThe other night I saw Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks. The reviews I read were raving and I was intrigued. I went into the movie wanting to love it and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t move me as much as I thought it would. To be complete honest I was feeling tired (and nearly 2 1/2 hours was pretty long for a movie) so that could have affected my judgment or maybe I was just not in the mood for a drama but it just didn’t grab me. That being said, the movie is still definitely worth watching and it made me want to read more about the time and the struggles of people living in East Berlin. It also made me wonder how I would act if I were in situations like the characters – the lawyer defending the spy, his wife, the pilot. It’s thought-provoking. Did you see the movie? Did you like it? What other movies have you seen lately?

(On Youtube)

The Star Wars trailer. Naturally. (I refuse to say Natch.)

 

Listening to …

Make You Mine by Family of the Year

Reading…

America’s Test Kitchen: Slow Cooker Revolutionย  – I know it’s a cookbook and not a “real” book but now that the cooler weather is coming, I need to use my slow cooker more!

 

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There are too many posts to list since my last Daybook because I’ve posted every day this month for the #write31days challenge but here are some highlights…

 

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In the blogosphere…

A number of my blogger friends are participating in the #write31days writing challenge. Go check them out!

 

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The latest on Instagram (since my mom’s not on there and she wants to see.) ๐Ÿ˜‰RevolutionofLove.com (cwa_collage_10_20)

1 – Power outages on the Monterey Peninsula have made grocery shopping an interesting adventure.

2 – John-Paul lost his first tooth.

3 – Caught in a surprise autumn storm.

4 – Today was Bella’s first try at babysitting the boys so Brian and I could go out to lunch. She did great and we had fun. GAME CHANGER!

5 – It was 16 years ago today that Brian asked me to marry him.

6 – I just found the gift card I got for my bday. It’s been months since I’ve been to the movies, so tonight is mama’s night out!

7 – Happy October! It’s the beginning of my favorite time of year

8 – Despite, the Carmel Mission being vandalized this morning, the celebration is going on as planned. St Junipero Serra, pray for us.

9 – #projectblessed – L is for… The little touches that add loveliness to a somewhat messy and chaotic house.

 

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately! What about you? What’s currently happening in your life? Do share.

Have a great week!

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