14): Gilbert Blythe, Point Lobos and A Catholic Conference

By bobbi
April 21, 2015
6 Comments

I’m on my second week of no blogging so I’m popping in for a quick Online Daybook to catch up. 😉

I’m linking up with Kelly for Quick Takes and with Jenny for Daybook Online Journal and Like Mother, Like Daughter‘s {pretty, happy, funny, real} (Scroll down to #7 for that.)

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Grateful for…

My hubs.
My kiddos.
My extended family.
My little haven, it may be messy and loud but it is home.

Praying for..

Those who are fighting serious illness and depression.
Those who will die this week.
Those who are victims of abuse and family dysfunction.
Those on my prayer list.
All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
Many special intentions.

Pondering…Photo Source

Gilbert Blythe. Isn’t it strange how attached we can become to a fictional character? When I heard the news that Jonathon Crombie died, my heart sank, not only for the man and actor but for the character he played. It was as if Anne was really losing her husband and we were saying good bye to a beloved friend. It is strange that we can watch a show – whether Downton Abbey or The Walking Dead and the characters are as real to us as the people in our own lives. We follow the shows almost religiously and we cry when they cry and rejoice when they are happy. I sometimes wonder if I give the real people in my life that kind of attention. Do I make the effort to reach out to a friend going through a rough time or do I offer to help another when she is in need. Why is it easier for me to feel emotion from the comfort of my own couch than to step outside my door and help a living and breathing person? This week I’m going to make an effort to set aside the fictional characters and interact with the real people in my life. 😉

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Around the House…

I’m slowly making progress on my spring cleaning and organizing. I don’t have a lot of free time but during Easter break I devoted each day to a specific area and cleaned it up. Granted there are a hundreds of areas that need attention but it’s a start!

Family Chit Chat…

Last week my “baby” Matthew turned 4 years old! Our family tradition of dressing up Pooh Bear as the birthday host continued. This time he was a buff Captain America.

I had such a tough time when I found out I was pregnant because I felt like I wasn’t ready for another baby and the doc was freaking out since I was well over the 35 year old “cut off date,” but in the end, everything worked out fine and he was actually my easiest labor. (Well, if you don’t count him coming too fast and the nurses telling me to hold it until the doc could get there. (What the what?!) Anyway, now I can’t imagine life without my sweet spitfire.

In other news, Brian and I celebrated the 16th anniversary of the day we first met in person after 5 months of “online dating.” I knew by the end of that day that we would one day be married.

I woke up to a hot breakfast and a love note to start my day. Swoon. 🙂

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In the Kitchen…

Monday – Breakfast dinner.

Tuesday – Tacos, homemade beans and salad.

Wednesday – Chef salad and soup.

Thursday – Slow cooker BBQ chicken, roasted potatoes and green beans.

Friday – (Brian is cooking while I’m gone.) Hotdogs, chili beans, broccoli.

Saturday – (Ditto) Spaghetti and salad.

Sunday – To celebrate my safe return – Eat out. 🙂

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Watching…

Last night I watched the Blessed Is She Google Hang Out. It was great to see my fellow BIS ladies and to hear what they had to share! (You may find me participating at the next one.) 😉 If you were unable to watch, no worries. Watch it on Youtube! 🙂

Listening to …

I added I’m Good by The Mowgli’s to my walking playlist. It is fun and addictive.

Reading…

I’ve been hearing a lot about The Girl on the Train so I downloaded it, even though I have a huge pile of unread books to finish. I know, I know…

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I haven’t posted in awhile…life, you know. However, I’ve got a queue of half written posts in my draft folder and I promise that after my last big room mom/ school project is complete, I’ll be able to get back to it. (Cuz I miss it!)

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Did I mention that this weekend I am attending the CWBN California Conference?? I am so excited. For the longest time I was dragging my feet to make hotel reservations because I kept thinking that something was going to happen to stop me from attending. Well, I’m hoping that is just a little drama queen seeping out. (Kind of like the way I was certain I would be orphaned by the time I was 13. But alas, decades later and my parents are alive and well.) 😉

So… my blog reading time has been looking at the blogs of my fellow attendees. When I come back from the conference I will do a post of all the great ladies I met – some who you already know, like Kendra and Micaela and Jenna but lots of other bloggers that you may not know as well…… Did I mention that I am so excited? There’s talk of Friday meet ups and movie nights and more…Squeal!

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For Matthew’s birthday, we went to Point Lobos for a hike and picnic. It was our visit of 2015. I love it there! Here are a few shots.

These shots are being linked up with Like Mother, Like Daughter‘s {pretty, happy, funny, real}. The link up isn’t until Thursday but I know I won’t be posting that day so I am doing it now. 😉

The weather was perfect!

You can’t help but smile. 🙂

We made it to the top!

Mandatory group photo by mom. 😉

Heading back down.

Random shot.

Time for our picnic. The birthday boys’ favorite gift was his Iron Man from Grandma and Grandpa. He insisted that he come to the hike and picnic with us. 🙂

Andrew and Brian are like two peas in a pod. 🙂

Sweet Bella and John-Paul acting goofy as usual. 😉

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately! What about you? What’s currently happening in your life? What are you reading or watching these days?

Have a happy ~~Monday~~! I mean, Tuesday. (I started this Monday.) 😉

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, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

A Week in My Life 2014 – Tues & Wed: Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

By bobbi
November 13, 2014
2 Comments

I think this is pretty but if only bath time was as calm and sweet as this photo implied.

* * *

Today I am linking up with…

Kathryn over at Team Whitaker for Week in My Life 2014. (See my Monday here.)

Cari over at Clan Donaldson for Theme Thursday: Lean. (Scroll down to the last photo.)

The lovely ladies over at Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}.

* * *

No school + Target run = One happy boy.

Okay, I have to admit that Tuesday was uneventful. I am seriously sitting here thinking what in the world did I do that day? Well, there was only one moment that stands out in my mind. On Monday the three older kids had the day off to celebrate Veteran’s Day. Matthew’s pre school has done the same for years. Well, I did not check the pre school calendar to see that THIS year they get Tuesday off instead of Monday. So it was the usual morning routine of getting the older kids off to their school then getting Matthew off to pre school. However, when I arrived there were no cars and all the lights were off. A quick check to the online pre school calendar showed my mistake. Sigh. So much for my pre-planning. Oh well, that just meant that Matthew had to come with me on my morning shopping challenge where I hit four stores within two hours – Costco, Target, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. He loved it.

The rest of the day was a blur so let’s move on to…Yeah, it’s funny now but it wasn’t then! And the drawer was open just enough for the sauce to drip in and dirty the dish towels.

Okay, mama said there would be days like this. At first, it seemed like an ordinary day with me going about my business when some time in the late morning, there was a shift and everything started going wrong. Now, nothing major, mind you, but you know those crazy little things – spilled food, unrolled toilet paper, kid with a marker and a wall, broken dish, toys everywhere, brothers fighting, kids screaming, boys that can’t aim in the toilet, dirty behinds to wipe, and laundry and dishes that you swear your neighbors sneak into your house because there’s no way one family could make that much mess!

Maybe it was the fact that the kids had only a 1/2 day of school. Maybe because it was raining and they couldn’t go outside. Maybe because I have so little patience and I groan and rant when things are not going right. Whatever, it was no buneo. I somehow managed to get dinner on the table early, even though I had no time to eat myself because I had to get Bella to her youth group on time that night.

After dropping Bella off, I pulled out my little finger rosary to say say a decade, asking God to help me calm down. I started thinking about Mary and told her, “You know, Blessed Mother, sometimes it drives me nuts that I am supposed to be all calm and humble like you. I’m not like you. I am not ‘let it be done unto me…’ I’m more, ‘What the @#$% is going on?!’ How am I supposed to relate to you when I am the opposite of you?”

Then I thought about my own kids and all the naughty moments they have throughout the day. Do I love them any less because they misbehave? No. Do I have the desire to jump off the bunk bed and land on my little brother? No, but just because I am not tempted to do that doesn’t mean I love my kiddo any less or that I’m incapable of helping him correct his behavior. The same thing with our heavenly Mother. She doesn’t have to experience the same temptations in order to love us and and help us.

Mary is my Mother and she is constantly lifting my head and looking at me in the eye and saying, “Why are you being so disobedient to your Father? Does he not love you unconditionally? Do you not want to return that love to him?” Sigh. Of course, I do.

Like a loving and good mother that lets you lean on her, Mary hugs me and points me right back to where I should be – at the feet of Jesus. So I turned my heart back to God and asked for his forgiveness for being so self-centered and bratty. I asked for his mercy and shed a few tears of thanks for bringing peace to my heart once again. God is good. All the time.

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 9) (vol 89): A Day on the Farm

By bobbi
October 9, 2014
6 Comments

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 9 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

AND

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {p, h, f, r}

Yesterday, John-Paul’s class went on a field trip to a local organic farm/ pumpkin patch. We had so much fun! Here are a few photos of the festivities.

{pretty}

The Farm is located in Salinas, CA.

They have great fresh, organic produce.

There were little nooks of loveliness tucked away everywhere.

We passed these fields of wildflowers while on the hay ride.

{happy}

John-Paul was happy to…

Walk through the fields and pick vegetables…

Pet chickens…

Go on a hay ride…

And pose for mama. Okay, maybe not that one so much. 😉

{funny}

The kids were cracking up that the goat was kicking it on the roof. They thought it was even funnier when he came down to see them.

{real}

Okay, do you want me to be real? I had so much fun with JP but I was not made for country life.

I hate livestock.

I hate animal smells.(Yet I had no problem with the kids’ potent diapers. Weird.)

I hate the flies that are buzzing around everywhere.

I love that there are people made for this kind of life and I will do my best to support them…

Including buying their amazingly fresh and delicious produce…

And spending money in their cute stores.

So I’m a city girl who like a touch of country life. So be it.

I do however, have an appreciation of all those who labor in love on their farms and for

the migrant workers that toil in the fields so I can put fresh produce on my family’s dinner table.

For all the hard workers of the harvest, I am most grateful.

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

7 Quick Takes (6/13/14) & {p,h,f,r} vol. 88 & Theme Thursday – Old Fashioned: Beach Bonfires and BBC/Masterpiece Love

By bobbi
June 13, 2014
10 Comments

Well, today the kids have Mass and a closing ceremony at school and then they are officially done for the school year. I am already in vacation mode as I sit here in my pajamas typing on the computer, waiting for the what seems like the 100th load of laundry to finish. It has been a jam packed week with birthdays, end of school year parties, preschool graduations and other end of the year festivities. I feel like I’ve hardly been home all week, except to prep food and take it to a party. As such, the blog has also been neglected but I just figure you guys are as busy as I am at this time of year so I don’t sweat it. 😉 But just to keep you in the loop as to why I haven’t blogged, here’s what we’ve been doing this week.

I am linking up with Kathryn for Jen’s for 7 Quick Takes, Cari for (gasp!) Theme Thursday: Old Fashioned (see Take #3) and the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}.

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On Sunday, Andrew celebrated his 7th birthday. He wanted an ocean party complete with a trip to his favorite spot – the Monterey Aquarium. After days of grey fog the sun finally came out to make a beautiful day.

The view from one of the observation decks.

The birthday boy.

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{pretty}

I had a ton of photos I took at the Aquarium but to spare you the photo dump I added my faves to this collage.

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{happy} / Theme Thursday: Old Fashioned

There were three end of the year school parties and our favorite was the old fashioned beach bonfire.

Although it was roughly 59 degrees and the water was COLD, Bella, Matthew and Andrew couldn’t resist playing in the waves. (A beanie and bare feet – Cali attire.)

Meanwhile, John Paul takes after his daddy. Neither of them like to take off their shoes and most definitely don’t want to feel the sand between their toes. (That baffles me!) At one point they both were just staring off into the sunset contemplating. It was so sweet.

I was just happy to stand there and let the waves wash over my feet. (And even more happy that I didn’t drop my camera or anything.) 😉

The sun is setting behind the fog.

We ended the day with old fashioned smores. Can you spot the stick with the flaming marshmallow??

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{funny}

I think it’s funny that we are supposed to celebrate pre-school graduations. I don’t really get it…

…but I play along anyway. Besides, John-Paul is so cute in his little cap. So congrats to my little grad.

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{real}

All these outings are a lot of fun but with all the potlucks we joined, out kitchen looked like this pretty much all week. (And this is only a small portion of the mess.) Don’t even get me started on the laundry. Yesterday I was trying to convince a size 7 boy that he could borrow a clean pair of underwear from his size 4 brother. No bueno. Yeah, so today I don’t plan on leaving the house until all the laundry and dishes are done. (Check back with me in a few days.)

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Happy Father’s Day!

Happy early Father’s Day to all you papas out there, especially my own sweet Daddy, my father-in-law Opa and finally my hubby – father to my children, my sweetheart and my super hero Brian. We’ll be celebrating the day with fresh homemade ice cream with our new Cuisinart ice cream maker as soon as Amazon Prime delivers it today. (I heart Amazon!!)

Later I’ll post how it worked out for us.

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Masterpiece Mystery

source

After we put the kids to bed on Father’s Day, Brian and I will meet on the couch to enjoy the return of Masterpiece Mystery, which I love even more than the beginning of Downton Abbey season. First on the roster is Dave Tennant with The Escape Artist.

The rest of the season includes:

ENDEAVOUR: Season 2 (June 29-July 20, 2014) – Smart and well done.

HERCULE POIROT: Season 12 ( July 27 to August 3, 2014) – HP is an oldie but a goodie.

BREATHLESS (August 24 to September 7, 2014) – Not sure about this one. Looks like a Mad Men type show, which I wouldn’t mind if the characters can manage to keep their pants on.

MISS MARPLE (September 21 and 28, 2014) – I still miss the old Miss Marple character but enjoy the show none the less.

INSPECTOR LEWIS: Season 7 (October 5-19, 2014) – I’m glad the boys are back! (And not just because I have a little crush on Hathaway, who reminds me of Brian.)

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY (October 26-November 2, 2014) – I’ve got this book in my reading queue so I can read it before I watch the show. 🙂

Get more details at PBS: Masterpiece Mystery. (Now I’m just waiting for more Sherlock, Broadchurch, Whitechapel and Wallander.) 😉

That’s it for now. Have a great weekend!

PPS – This post contains affiliate links. (I get a small credit for purchases made through my Amazon links.)

Saturday Night 7 Quick Takes, {pretty, happy, funny, real} & Answer Me This

By bobbi
June 1, 2014
4 Comments

~ 1 ~

I spent all week finishing up my You’re A Good Mom post and never got to finish my link-up posts. So today you get a trio post with Jen’s 7 Quick Takes, LMLD’s {pretty, happy, funny, real} and Kendra’s Answer Me This.

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{pretty}

The view from our deck.

~ 3~

{happy}

On Monday Brian and I went on a lunch date before he started Round 4 of chemo on Tuesday. We had lunch then walked around downtown Carmel.

I was super happy to go out with my sweetheart. 🙂

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{funny}

Our hallway doubles as a parking garage.

I was in the other room and heard, “You can do it, Spidey!” 🙂

~ 5 ~
{real}

The other day it was really windy outside and the boys wanted to make paper airplanes to see if they’d fly. However, John-Paul insisted that we fly kites, even though we don’t have any. I compromised. We made the airplanes and got out the Tinker Toys to create make-shift airplane kites. They had a blast. 🙂

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Now Answer Me This hosted by Kendra at Catholic All Year.

1. Do you have a smart phone?

I have an iPhone and it literally goes with me everywhere and holds so much of my stuff, it’s crazy. I have the older 4S and plan to update it but I am waiting for the new iPhone 6 coming out in September. I remember that I bought my current iPhone in August of 2011 as an early birthday gift. I wanted to have it before I went into go into labor with John-Paul. I loved that I was able to post to post to Facebook and tweet labor updates as I was waking up and down the halls waiting for the contractions to get stronger. Here is one of the first photos taken with my phone.

2. Which is your favorite meal of the day?

Probably dinner since that is the meal in which we are all able to sit down together and eat. Lunch is usually something quick while I am running around picking up kids from pre-school. I am not a huge “breakfast food” fan. In fact this morning for breakfast I had a bowl on lentil soup. 😉

3. Shower or bath?

Definitely shower. I don’t have time to bathe and even if I did I am not brave enough to sit in our tub (where I shower the boys.) Scary.

4. Think of a person you love. How many days have you been in love with that person? (Don’t worry, this site will do the math for you. And, hey, now you can order this card!)

I can’t tell you the exact date I fell in love with Brian but I know I fell in love with him before I met him in person, so I will start it on the date I read his online profile and sent him an email. Have you heard this story? It is such a God-coincidence. In a nutshell – Brian was in the seminary for 1 and 1/2 years but discerned it wasn’t his vocation. Someone recommended that he try to find a good Catholic girl on Ave Maria Singles.com. He came home, joined and started a novena to find the woman God meant to be his wife. On the last day of the novena he went to the chapel at the Carmel Mission, finished his novena prayers and told God that if he was meant to be married then God would just have to bring his future wife right to his doorstep. Later that night, God delivered his future wife on the doorstep of his computer. I also joined Ave Maria and sent my first email to him on the 9th day of the novena. A year later we were married at the Mission. 🙂 So I have been in love with Brian for 5,683 days. 🙂

5. What’s the best church you’ve ever been inside?

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Breathtaking.

6. Happy Feast of the Visitation (on Saturday!) Has anyone ever come to help YOU?

Me, Bella and my sisters Jacinta and Bridgette.

My family is always there when I need their help, even though we live 400 miles apart. (I am in Central CA and they are in So Cal.) My mom and my sisters were especially there when I needed them most – during baby births and while Brian was sick in the hospital. Even when it is not emergency, anytime they come they always help me out. It’s not often that my entire family gets up here (I’m the oldest of 9) but I get the most visits from my parents and two of my three sisters. Elena is the only family member not living in California. I told her when Matthew turns 5 (in 2 years!) then we’d try to come to VA to visit them. 🙂

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It is late so I must say good night. Have a blessed Sunday! 🙂

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: pretty, happy, funny, real

Online Daybook (4/21/14): Gilbert Blythe, Point Lobos and A Catholic Conference

A Week in My Life 2014 – Tues & Wed: Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 9) (vol 89): A Day on the Farm

7 Quick Takes (6/13/14) & {p,h,f,r} vol. 88 & Theme Thursday – Old Fashioned: Beach Bonfires and BBC/Masterpiece Love

Saturday Night 7 Quick Takes, {pretty, happy, funny, real} & Answer Me This