RAnn over at This That and the Other Thing is hosting Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival where bloggers link their posts from the past week. It sounds like a fun idea to review what I wrote over the last 7 days so here are my posts. (I actually posted a lot this week, well, a lot for me!)
I’m linking up with Jen for this week’s Saturday Morning Quick Takes. I wasn’t going to write a Quick Takes this week but I could use 30 minutes of destressing time so I’ll set the timer and punch out some really quick Quick Takes. Ready, Steady, Go!
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I can tell it is going to be one of those mornings. I opened up a new orange juice and just as I was about to serve it I had to stop and help Matthew with something. Later I went back to the orange juice and without thinking gave the container a good shake…with the cap off. Yeah, so I had a nice orange juice bath and the counter top and everything on it got a lovely OJ spray. Everything else just went downhill from there.
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It’s funny but as I was going through a particularly difficult moment yesterday, you know when you are feeling like you going to lose your mommy mind, and I thought about an email I just wrote to another mom and sharing how all these little mommy crosses we have to carry is the road to our sanctification. As I was stomping around the house mad at something I kept repeating to myself, “This is my road to sanctification, this is my road to sanctification…” Funny that it is a lot easier to offer this advice to someone else rather than to actually live it yourself! Luckily my harried moment ended and all was good again. 😉
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I was reading a post from Call Her Happy which led me to the blog The Big White Farmhouse. Ashely of BWF has this cool blog with a homey feel that makes you want to be a better homemaker. She is also a lover of old school mail and has set up the Pen Pal Cirlces where participants are grouped together with 3 other moms and you exchange letters with each other. Real letters – stationary, stamps, an envelope in the mailbox that is not a bill or junk mail. Swoon! I signed up and if you are interested go over and sign up too! The form will be online until Aug 4. After that you can just email Ashely directly and join. 🙂 Fun!
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I was looking at my calendar and it said that it is now August. Is that possible?? The kids will be back in school in a couple weeks and this month I will turn another year older. Ugh. (Let’s not think about that. The OJ bath was enough fun for one day.) Well, a new month means the Holy Father has new prayer intentions for us to focus on during August.
GENERAL INTENTION: That parents and teachers may help the new generation to grow in upright conscience and life.
MISSION INTENTION: That the local Church in Africa, faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, may promote peace and justice.
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Today is also the First Saturday of the month so it is time for Convert Journal’s New Evangelist Monthly.
This is an informal, dynamic, crowd-sourced “meta-magazine” showcasing the best posts faithful Catholic bloggers publish each month. Here you will find many different, but faithfully Catholic viewpoints, insights and perspectives.
You can link up your favorite post of last month. It can be about the faith, family life, motherhood, whatever. The main thing is for it to be from a Catholic perspective. This month I linked my conversion story My Journey to God. If you are a Catholic blogger, add your best/favorite post too! 🙂
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Okay, my time is up so I better say good bye. Have a great weekend. I’ll leave you with a recent photo I took. (The photo challenge theme was “wildlife.” I think a bee could be considered wild. ;-))
This weekend we planned an impromptu trip to Santa Cruz and realized it was the same weekend that Thomas the Train was going to be in town. We were able to get tickets and headed to Felton near the Santa Cruz mountains.
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The Roaring Camp Station was celebrating their 50th Anniversary so it was extra festive. 🙂
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Thankfully the sun finally came out and we had blue skies.
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The train passed this walking trail in the forest.
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The view from crossing over a bridge.
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I love redwood trees. They fill me with happy memories of family camping trips. 🙂
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Thomas’ smiling face. (Thankfully the kids didn’t mind not taking a photo with Thomas since the line was ridiculously long.)
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My sweeties.
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My train buddies.
{funny}
The last time we were at The Roaring Camp was eight years ago when Bella was four and our only child. (We were losing hope of ever having another baby. Little did we know that eventually three more bambinos were on the way! ;-))
The first thing I thought of (after knots in the kids’ shoes) was my knot rosary.
But as I was taking my photo, my little buddy came to see what I was doing…
He was sticky with pink yogurt Popsicle all over his face and mouth but I couldn’t help but smile when he leaned over to give Mother Mary a kiss…
and planted a big, sticky one on her head.
By changing the photo to black and white I was able to camouflage the pink stains on his shirt, on his face and on his ear so the photo has a nice classic appeal. It reminds me of what a priest once said about taking our prayers to Mother Mary. She takes our messy deeds and offerings and gives them a Mother’s touch so they become something even more beautiful and then places them at the feet of Jesus. I’m glad she is there to clean me up. 😉
I have to admit that I am a bit of a nerd and I was loving catching up with the comic con news and seeing various video clips. I don’t think I’d actually dress up in character, unless it was something like Michonne with my zombie slaying sword. That would be cool if you don’t mind a short, chubby Mexican version. Brian would want to carry a weapon too but since he is more likely to be holding a book than a sword maybe a Sheldon costume would be more appropriate. 😉
When I am not geeking out over things like that I am loving/obsessing over British entertainment such as these.
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Downton Abbey
There seems to be two categories regarding the BBC/Masterpiece shows Downton Abbey. You either love it or you don’t get what all the fuss is about. I am definitely a love it. If you are too, you’ll also love these.
I haven’t done a Season 4 update since this post but have you seen the new stills from Season 4? Here are a few.
It breaks my heart a little to see Mary and Tom without their better halves.
I’m loving this photo.
Edith is looking sultry.
Oh dear, is this why?
Rose and her current beau.
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Jane Austen & Outdoor Movie Nights
Jane Austen is my favorite author (along with Charlotte Bronte) and I love watching all the many adaptations of her stories. I still enjoy watching the old Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet and was excited to see it was one of the summer movies offered at our local “Theater in the Forest.” It is an outdoor theater nestled in a foresty area of downtown Carmel. A couple of my mom friends brought their daughters and together we got cozy under blankets, sipped hot chocolate and passed the popcorn as we watched the movie. It was Bella’s first Jane Austen movie and I was sooo happy to share it with her. 🙂
~ 3 ~ Masterpiece Mystery
Brian and I are also big fans of BBC/Masterpiece Mystery, although some of the stories can be a little grittier for the sensitive viewer. Our fave, hands down, is Sherlock Holmes. I’ve enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch in previous movies but didn’t become a fangirl until Sherlock.
Then seeing him as Kahn in Star Trek pretty much sealed the deal.
Here’s a video of Freeman and Cumberbatch with a video message to Comic Con participants.
When the Hobbit came out I was pleased that Richard Armitage was to play Thorin since I loved him in North & South. I was equally excited when Martin Freeman/Dr. Watson played Bilbo in the Hobbit. Now Freeman will be reunited with his partner Cumberbatch/Sherlock in the sequel The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the dragon Smaug. Although his physical likeness doesn’t appear, his voice and body movements are used in a similar way as his co-star Andy Serkis’ were used for Gollum. I can’t wait for that one!
~ 5 ~ Peppa Pig
Our British love is rubbing off on the kids because they adore the cartoon Peppa Pig. It cracks me up they can go from having a Star Wars light saber battle to discussing having tea and biscuits during their summer holiday. Yesterday John-Paul was playing store with me and he handed me a coin saying, “Here is one pound, Mummy.” Maybe one day he can teach me the metric system. 😉
I love when we plan a last minute trip with the kids to just get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air and each others company. Somehow the regular kid craziness gets a little tamed in the big outdoors.
In the Kitchen…
M – Tri-tip sandwiches and salad
T – Breakfast Dinner
W – BBQ chicken, baked potato & broccoli
TH – Spaghetti & Salad
F – Chicken quesadillas with fresh salsa & guac
S – Leftovers
S – Dinner at in-laws
Praying…
For engaged couples, especially my sis
For those praying to find their spouse, especially those having a difficult time waiting
For those in abusive relationships
For those suffering from addiction
For the souls in purgatory, especially family, friends and those most forgotten
And for a number of special intentions
Pondering…
I’m thinking about a special Mass our Bishop is holding on Wednesday morning at the Mission. It is a Mass of Consecration praying for an end to the attacks on life, marriage, and family, as well as an end to the crime in our area. We will also pray for police, firefighters, civil servants and the military for the help and protection they need. I was going to skip it because we have swimming lessons followed by speech therapy that morning but I feel strongly that God wants me to be there so I canceled our lessons and rearranged our schedule. I hardly ever go to Mass alone with the kids but I think this will be an exception. Please join your prayers with ours on Wednesday morning (7/31) at 9:30 AM (PT).
Around the house…
Laundry, laundry and more laundry. (I couldn’t start this post until I folded and put away all the clean laundry waiting in 2 baskets. Now I’m waiting for the next load. I also have countless bags of clothes and toys etc to give to charity. (Note to self: Call St. Vincent de Paul about a pick up.)
I’m linking this photo with Ute at Flowers Round the Cross. Once a month she posts a scripture verse then asks bloggers to post a photo that captured that Scripture. Here is this month’s verse.
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. Psalm 36:5-6
