14): Lake Tahoe Edition

By bobbi
June 23, 2014
5 Comments

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful…

From the drive on Hwy 50 just before you reach Lake Tahoe.

That we are on vacation for a whole week at Lake Tahoe.
That Brian was able to make the trip. (He was still feeling ill from his chemo last Monday and we weren’t sure if we could make the trip.)
That Brian is feeling better each day.
That my parents could join us on the trip.
The beauty of God’s creation.
Family time, despite the boys noisy energy when you just want some quiet. 🙂

Beauty in the Ordinary…

This little guy.

In the Kitchen…

Luckily, Brian’s parents have a time-share they let us use and the hotel room is like a fancy apartment (with a separate guest room for my parents) and a kitchen so we can make our meals. Woohoo!

Sunday – Eat out since we arrived at our hotel late and there was no time to cook.

Monday – Paleo taco salad. My mom cooked this yummy dish and I made a quick 5 minute salsa to go with it.

Tuesday – Beach day! Hotdogs over a camp fire and smores for dessert.

Wednesday – Spaghetti with ground turkey marina and salad.

Thursday – Breakfast dinner

Friday – Tuna Melts and minestrone soup

Saturday – Road trip home so not sure yet.

Praying…

For Brian’s chemo and continued recovery from cancer.
For all those who are fighting cancer and other illnesses.
For family and friends who are pregnant especially my sis who is past her due date.
For those who are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually.
For some special intentions.

On the homefront……

On Monday (6/16) Brian started Round 5 of chemo. (His second to the last round!)

The next day Brian celebrated his birthday with his dad whose birthday was a couple days before.

On Thursday a sweet friend brought us a meal and beautiful flowers for the table because she knows things are always a bit tougher on chemo weeks. Love her.

The rest of the week I packed clothes, supplies and food for the trip.

On Sunday we were scheduled for our road trip but Brian was feeling too ill to go. He wanted us to go as planned and then he’d join us later in the week if he felt better. I told the kids and they were so sad (and some in tears) that dad would not join us. Thankfully, at the last minute (literally!) Brian decided he wanted to try and make the trip. Today (Monday night) he is feeling better and was able to join us on the outings we had planned. He also had time where he just slept and recuperated so that’s good. He is dealing with all this like a trooper and I am so, so thankful that he is here with us and enjoying this time with us.

Pondering…

The need to rest and regroup in order to properly function and handle the crosses (big and small) of life.

Reading…

I haven’t had a chance to read lately so while I am on this vacation I really want to finish Jen’s book’s Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It. She is such a great writer… the way she can describe a scene or abstract thought until you can picture it in your mind’s eye always amazes me.

Listening to…

Silence. Everyone is sleeping and nothing else can be heard besides the clicking of the keyboard. Well, that and the noisy air conditioner. My dad walked into our room and said, “Wow, it feels like Carmel in here.” (Cold.)

Watching…

In the theater – Last week Bella and I went to see Maleficent. Like most movies, there were some that loved it and some that hated it. Personally, I thought it was well done and found the story of healing and redemption to be uplifting.

At home – Did you catch The Escape Artist on Masterpiece Mystery? I saw part 1 last week and I was on the edge of my seat. I missed part 2 on Sunday with the trip but we DVRed it so no spoilers!

On the blog…

Tomorrow is the next Pinterest Party and there was a recipe I was supposed to have ready but i never got a chance so it’ll be a quickie archive post instead.

In the blogosphere…

I am just now catching up on my reading so I am still behind but I did catch these worthwhile reads so far…

God’s View Of Love {Teaching Our Children About Their Bodies and Sexuality} – Saint Affairs

Hearing the Voice of God in the Midst of Chaos – (Best) Bib and Tucker

Real Food – PSA #3 – The Littlest Way

Pinned…

I haven’t pinned much lately (as witnessed here – pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/pins/) but I did pin this one. Yummy!

Best Whole Chicken Recipe – Erring on the Side of Love

Plans for the Week…

Tomorrow we have some water fun at Pope Beach (photo from last year’s trip.) Later in the week we have some nature hikes, mini golf and if Brian is up for it, a date night while my parent’s babysit. Yay!

Captured…

I didn’t have my real camera with me so this is a phone shot but this was taken at our favorite nature trail to take the kids.

Linking-Up with…

Jenny at The Littlest Way

A Mama Collective’s Currently

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Theme Thursday: W & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 79: True Wuv Edition

By bobbi
October 24, 2013
2 Comments

Well, I’ve been gone for awhile but I am back home and happy to report that it was a lovely trip and my sister Bridgette had a wonderful wedding. Although I am on a blogging break and haven’t taken many recent photos for this, I am itching to post something. So I went through my iphone and found a few photos that I could use to join Cari for Theme Thursday: W and Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} . Since I’ve got Love…true wuv on my mind, I bring to you…

“Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam…
And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…”

True Wuv

The happy couple in honeymooning in my neck of the woods so here are some of the things they will see in Monterey, CA.

Waves of water washing over your weary feet.

Wall Murals on Cannery Row

The Wharf

Walkways in Downtown Carmel

Windows at the Carmel Mission

Okay, my honeymooning sister actually took this photo yesterday. (Hey, Bridge, I stole this photo off facebook but I thought you’d be cool with it since I am doing you laundry as I’m typing this. Yeah, okay, thanks.) 😉

Thanks to Cari & LMLD for hosting!

Theme Thursday: Recess & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 75

By bobbi
September 4, 2013
4 Comments

It’s another photo mash-up today as I link up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} and with Cari for Theme Thursday: Recess. With summer coming to an end and everyone going back to school we had one last chance to enjoy a family recess! We decided to try a new hiking area that we haven’t been to in years. (Literally, the last time Brian and I have were there we had no kids and were starting to worry that we’d never have a baby! LOL.) We visited Jacks Peak in Monterey, CA.

{pretty}

Brian and the kids were getting a little far ahead so I had to run to catch up. (And I use the term “run” loosely.)

Better.

{happy}

Fall is my favorite season and I was surprised and happy to see leaves turning already!

Don’t you love the sound of leaves crunching under your feet?

Nice.

I pumped up the color a little bit to make the leaf pop. 🙂

{funny}

Andrew was collecting a few small rocks for his endless collections and John-Paul wanted a piece of the action. Not satisfied with puny pebbles, he chose two rocks that he named Peppa and George. It was cute until he made me carry them when he could no longer lift them.

While they were collected rocks, Brian and I were looking for strong walking sticks because we were freaking out over all the “beware of mountain lion” signs. I googled “what to do if you meet a mountain lions” and then stumbled on the mother of all walking sticks. I felt like Gandolf ready to yell, “You shall not pass!” Either that or I’d do some Darth Maul moves with a double sided light saber.

Actually we turned around, walked back to the parking lot and drove over to the other side of the park where there were more people who could call 911 if my stealth like moves didn’t work.

{real}

The second trail lead us to the actual “Jacks Peak,” which gave a gorgeous view of the bay, despite the fog that was rolling in (and sitting over the ocean.)

And even though we were on a recess, that didn’t mean we couldn’t learn something new. The sign said, “You should have a spectacular view of the Monterey Bay providing it is not foggy. At this point you are standing near the top of Jack’s Peak (elevation 1,068 ft), the highest point of land on the Monterey Peninsula. Jacks Peak is named after David Jacks, a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Monterey in 1850 and became a very successful businessman and landowner. Today, David Jacks is better known for the creamy white cheese his local dairies produced, which became known as ‘Monterey Jack’ cheese.”

So there you have it! The next time you have a delicious piece of Monterey Jack, think of me with that walking stick. 😉 (But not while you’re eating. You might choke if you laugh.) Oh, and when you come by for a visit, after paying at the entrance, make a right if you want the trail that leads to the great view. 🙂

Thanks to Cari and LMLD for hosting!

7 Quick Takes (8/23/13): Mary, Reading & Traveling

By bobbi
August 23, 2013
5 Comments

I’m linking up with Jen today for 7 Quick Takes and because I am so on the ball today, I am linker #138. Out of the 200’s, baby! 😉

~ 1 ~

My friend Maria sent me this article last week and I forgot I wanted to post it.

Pope to Consecrate World to Mary’s Immaculate Heart

Vatican City, Aug 14, 2013 / 12:03 am (CNA).- Pope Francis will consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this Oct. 13 as part of the Marian Day celebration that will involve the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima.

“The Holy Father strongly desires that the Marian Day may have present, as a special sign, one of the most significant Marian icons for Christians throughout the world and, for that reason, we thought of the beloved original Statue of Our Lady of Fatima,” wrote Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Continue reading…

~ 2 ~

Here are some posts you may enjoy…

Speaking of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Annabelle has a great post – Blog Enthronement and Consecration to the Two Hearts.

Then her blog lead me to a great post by Sue – Confessions of a Former Hot-Tempered Mother.

I read this post from Rhonda, bookmarked it, printed it out and reference it when I start being ornery (as Brian calls it.) It’s stuff I already know but too often need a reminder. – R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Eleven Tips for Spicing Up Your Marriage

Then when you are done keeping things nice and lovely with your spouse you can visit my sis and get some tips for having Kids at Mass.

Lastly, speaking of kids, if you have a blog with kid photos, make sure to read Kierste’s post – {do you have a family blog? tips to safeguard your family’s online photo safety}.

~ 3 ~

Photo Source: © http://10kmiles.com/

Okay, was that too much self-help reading? Then sit back and enjoy a treat. A friend of the family has taken on an amazing adventure! Basically, he quit his job and is traveling across the United States exploring and taking photos. This is what he says:

I was working a great job for a private school in Silicon Valley, but I just wasn’t happy. I have a work to live mentality and Silicon Valley has very much a “live to work” mentality. So I decided that instead, I just want to live and experience life!

I had this tugging in my gut for months to just drop everything and hit the road. The opportunity finally provided itself and I gave notice at my job. In August 2013 I will be hitting the road on a 10,000 mile journey throughout the US. I’ll be taking photos (which I would love for you to purchase to help me eat on this journey) and looking for hidden gems.

K.C. is blogging about his journey here – http://10kmiles.com and he’s on Facebook here. It has been exciting and moving to read. The traveler in me makes me want to go on a road trip, although the mother in me worries about his safety! LOL. And the woefully amateur photographer in me is in love with his photos. So gorgeous. Go check it out!

~ 4 ~

For your random bit of humor… Have you ever wondered what celebs would look like if they were normal schmucks like us? NYC artist Danny Evans used photoshop to give us peek at what could have been. Frankly, I could not stop laughing. My long ago teen idol Johnny Depp went from dream to nightmare but it is interesting that they only way he could make David Beckham look bad was to change him into a businessman. LOL.

~ 5 ~

Attention back seat shoppers, if you read my 5 Favorites post on Wednesday, you already know that I am looking for a sleeve to carry my Macbook Air. I have narrowed it down to two from Etsy.

I like the bright colors and design of this one and the fact that it zips all the way around and has sturdier protection.

On the other hand I also really like the color and design of this one, especially the zippered section in the front. However, the main compartment does not zipper and has a button opening instead.

Help an undecided girl out, which do you think would be better?

~ 6 ~

Jen over at Suscipio is hosting the 3-2-1 Fantastically Fun Friday link-up without the link-up! “Huh?” you may say. Instead of linking your blog you simply answer her 3 questions in the comment box so bloggers and non-bloggers can participate and so it does not interfere with your already scheduled link-ups (Like Jen F’s 7QT.) So here is my contribution:

3 Things I’m Grateful For:

Brian finally got his scheduled changed so he no longer has to work the late shift (coming home at 7:30) and he has his weekends off now. Happy dance. (To the glee and embarrassment of my children.)

For a great (even if it was incredibly fast) summer that officially ends on Monday when the last of the kiddos are back in school. Then Matthew and I will be solo at home a few hours of the day. Now if only I could teach him to throw the dirty laundry in the washer instead of the toilet, we’d be golden. 😉

I’m thankful for another year of this crazy but incredibly blessed life.

2 Places I Would Love to Visit

I’d love to take another cross country trip but this time with my hubby and kids. (See what you started, KC.)

Either back to Rome with the kids (Brian and I went for our first anniversary) or to Austria, where my mother-in-law is from and the pictures I’ve seen are gorgeous or actually the whole UK… (Did I mention I have a hard time of narrowing things down?)

1 Place I Love to Go

There are so many spots of gorgeous nature here along the coast that I love but I still can’t resist slipping away every once in awhile and going to sit inside the movie theater to be swept away in a good story. (In fact, if you texted me last night and I didn’t answer, it was because my phone was on Cinemode. ;-))

~ 7 ~

I know I almost never miss Cari’s Theme Thursday photography challenge but since the topic was Food and I just posted a recipe with strawberries…

and I just posted a recipe with blueberries…

that I thought I’d skip this week and join next week’s theme “Shadow” instead.

Have a great weekend!

Pinterest Party & Link-up (Vol 9): Mini Traveling Office

By bobbi
August 13, 2013
5 Comments

Welcome to the RoL Pinterest Party. Join me every 2nd and 4th Tuesday as we link up and share how we made, cooked, baked, crafted, did, or created one of the pins on our Pinterest boards.

Not on Pinterest? No problem. Link-up your own creation to inspire us so we can pin it to our own boards. It can be a recipe, sewing project, Catholic craft, homeschool project, organizing/ homemaking tip, themed birthday party, whatever you’d like.

Don’t have a post ready? The link-up will be open for 10 days so there’s still time. Plus, feel free to link up a new post or an older post that hasn’t had much traffic lately.

Don’t have a blog? No problem. Post your photo and a description on the RoL Facebook page. 🙂

* * * * *

My Pinterest Boards –pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/

The Pin That Inspired This Post – The Traveling Blogger

Back in April one of my favorite organizing bloggers, Jen at iheartorganizing posted The Traveling Blogger. She talked about how she keeps her traveling “office” organized.

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

I was particularly interested in how she used a makeup bag to hold her office essentials. I was smitten with the idea and every time I went to Target or Ulta I’d browse the make-up bags to see if there was something I could use in a similar fashion. I tried a few but they landed out being too small or too big or didn’t have enough pockets and I returned them back.

It’s August now and back to school supplies have been calling my name. I really wanted to get my traveling office together because I knew I’d be spending a lot of time in the car once school started and I was shuffling kids around and waiting in parking lots for school bells to ring. During those moments I always have a few spare moments to get some work done or a card written and mailed.

So when I went to Target this weekend, in between buying Q-tips and toothpaste, I passed the make-up bags and spotted this gem.

It had three zippered sections, sleeves for pens and was roomy enough to fit a lot but not too bulky for my tote bag. (I did not realize it at the time but when I went back to reread Jen’s original post, this was the exact make up bag she had purchased. No wonder she said it was perfect. It is!

So I gathered all the things I wanted to have in my mini traveling office: a mini journal, a small notebook, post-it notes, scissors, tape, mini stapler, staples, paper clips, binder clips, a cute little tin to hold the clips and staples (thanks for that mom ;-)) sharpie, pens, markers, thank you cards, blank note cards and stamps.

That may seem like a lot of stuff but it fit..and I even added a roll or two of washi tape since taking this pic. 🙂

Sometimes I feel a little bad that I get more excited about office supplies than actual makeup but what can I say. I’m a nerd that way. All I know is that I love my little office set, almost as much as the Hello Kitty pencil case I had in the 4th grade. Some things never change. 😉

UPDATE: It’s been over a month and I still love my little mini-office. Right now I am participating in the Planner Addicts Photo Challenge and for Day 9 I had to list my favorite essential while planning. My mini-office won hands down. 😉

* * * * *

Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose your creation, share about it and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. 🙂 (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along. Here is the html code:

4. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

You have 10 days to post your link, so if you can’t get things done by Tuesday, no worries, put it up when you can. We’ll be here. Have fun!

Lastly, you can follow me on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/. 🙂

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Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: traveling