Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Theme Thursday: Hearts & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 82: Struggles, Puddle Jumping & Cheeseheads

It’s a photo mash-up as I link up with Cari for Theme Thursday: Hearts and Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}.

{pretty}

I’m linking this photo with Theme Thursday: Hearts.

Dealing with Brian’s cancer and surgery-recovery has been a roller coaster ride. Thankfully, Brian is getting better and stronger but he is still not able to do the things he used to do before the surgery – helping with the kids and around the house . (I didn’t realize how much he did until he stopped doing it!) That has made my days busier and more exhausting. Not to mention the emotional toll of knowing that the !@#$ cancer is still inside his body and he will have to go through chemo to get it out. It’s scary.

A couple weeks ago, Jessica made a comment about me being positive through all this. I’m trying, but don’t get the wrong idea. I have my moments (many moments) when I am stark raving mad. Motherhood in itself is a sure fire way to test just how selfish you are. Being a mother and a caregiver to an ill loved one has brought out my selfishness in ways that makes me ashamed. I know some will say that I am being too hard on myself but I also know what God is showing me. I know he wants me to rely on him more. To lose myself in his arms and gather  my strength from him. But that’s hard to do. It’s easier to keep myself busy…to complain about this or that…to blow up at the kids for driving me crazy because if I don’t…if I stop and “think” about all this, I’ll lose it. I’ll crumble to the floor and cry until I have no fight left in me. I need that fight to survive.

Instead, I allow myself little crying episodes, like right now as I am typing, when all the house is quiet and everyone is sleeping. Then I can let the tears fall without scaring the kids or worrying Brian. When I’m done I take a deep breath, shake it off and blog. (I’ll hold off on that nervous breakdown until we are over and done with all this cancer drama.)

Well, that was a rather long intro to my first photo of a heart. Sorry. I’m doing my best going to try harder to trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and let him be my strength, especially when I am feeling weak. I don’t have to give up the fight, I just have to make sure he is the one powering it. (If that makes sense.) 😉

A portion of the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hangs over our family altar.

***

Okay, now that I’ve had my cry and am feeling better let’s have a few fun photos. 🙂

Remember how I told you that I used my saved up Target gift cards to buy some new bakeware? Well, I put this new heart shaped muffin tin to good use by trying a new recipe for healthier carrot- apple muffins. (I’ll post the recipe at the next Pinterest Party.)

They were not super sweet so I added a little drizzle of honey on the plate. The kids actually gobbled them up! (Even my picky eater.)

{happy}

Despite the difficulties, I am so, so, so happy to have Brian home and in my life each day. I was also happy to enjoy the beard he was growing. I loved the rugged look it gave him, although he was not happy with the gray it showed. LOL. He decided he wanted to shave so I took one last photo of us together with it.

Here is the after photo. I have to admit, he does look younger without it. I told him either way, he still makes me swoon, so it’s all good. 😉

{funny}

We finally got some much needed rain and when it stopped Matthew couldn’t wait to jump in some puddles. It’s the prefect way for a two year old to start his day. 😉

{real}

Brian’s boss and co-workers are awesome people. They sent him a get well card with many lovely sentiments and this little gift…

A Packers cheesehead autographed by Aaron Rodgers! He was golfing this weekend at Pebble Beach for the AT&T ProAm and they pulled a few strings to get this for him. Brian was so excited. I love it. 🙂

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. 😉


Theme Thursday: Church Windows & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 81

It’s a photo mash-up as I link up with Cari for Theme Thursday: Church Windows and Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} .

{pretty}

I’m linking this photo with Theme Thursday: Church Windows. The lighting was not good and this was the best I could do. It was taken at the church where John-Paul goes to pre school.

{happy} & {real}

It has been crazy busy and I have been having some stressful moments so I was happy to get outside this morning. I went for my walk and the sky was gray and cloudy but the sun was breaking through and reflecting on the water. I took this photo with my iphone and used the filters to give it a dramatic look.

By the time I was done with my walk the clouds had cleared and the sky was a gorgeous blue. I took this shot with my regular camera. It’s the real thing. No filters.

 

I tried zooming in on this shot to get the bee but it was too high over my head.

{funny}

This guy just cracks me up. He can simultaneously drive me nuts and melt my heart. If we send him to pre school next year (very likely) I will go a little stir crazy not having a bambino in the house anymore. I told Brian he’d either have to get me a dog or another baby. 😉

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. 😉


Theme Thursday: Shaming & {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 80: The “I’m ashamed to say…” Edition

It’s a photo mash-up as I link up with two of my favorite blogs/bloggers –  Cari for Theme Thursday: Shaming (I’m ashamed of the language that came out of my mouth when I read the theme for today) and Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} .

{pretty}

Last night we had our first real rain of the season and we desperately needed it! When I woke up the next morning I am ashamed to say that the kids were late for school because instead of making their breakfast I went out on the deck in my pj’s and bare feet to watch the sun rise over the trees and snap some photos.

It looked like a scene from a tropical paradise, especially as the fog sat at the bottom of the hills.

So they were late getting to school…and I’m ashamed to say I’d do it all over again!

 

{happy}

I’m ashamed to say that for the last week the housework has suffered (Never mind that it’s not a shock. I mean more than usual!), the dishes have been left in the sink every night and everyone has run out of clean underwear because we have been using all our spare time to send Christmas care packages to our soldiers before the Post Office deadline. However, I am happy that my three little elves have gotten into the spirit of  Christmas and have been helping me out fill out the soldier’s Christmas stockings…

…even though I am ashamed to say that after 15 minutes of their “help” I sent them to their room to play with Legos because the chaos was driving me nuts. 😉

 

{funny}

I was dumping out some old magazines and I’m ashamed to admit how my reading material compares to Brian’s. While he is reading about the Pope’s latest homily…

…I’m checking to see what Daryl is up to and what the Governor will do to Rick and the gang.

{real}

I’m ashamed to admit that I have been celebrating Christmas since Halloween. I am ashamed to admit that I love to watch every single movie on the Hallmark Channel’s countdown to Christmas movie list, especially the romantic ones. And the other night Brian sat down with me to watch one (doesn’t he just rock!) and the two main characters were falling in love as they baked Christmas cookies and made hot chocolate. Brian suggested that we make some hot chocolate so we paused the movie and made our treats. The only thing missing? The cookies. Then I remembered that I bought a tin of Christmas cookies for a friend who loved them and I hid them in the garage so no one would be tempted to eat them.

I’m ashamed to say that I sneaked out to the garage, took them from their hiding place and opened them up so Brian and I could enjoy. Then I hid the box so the kids wouldn’t see them and Brian and I could have a secret treat another night. heehee. Yeah, I’d totally do that again, too.

(As I am typing this, Bella came into the room and saw this photo of the cookies. She said, “When did you guys have those?” I stammered and said, “Have you finished your homework?” She said no so I sent her off. I escaped this time but my crime may be found out once they start sniffing around. 😉 )

Have a blessed week! Please pray for us that we have a safe trip. I’ll post a pic from Disneyland. 🙂

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, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉


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

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!

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. 😉


{pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 78 & Theme Thursday: Double

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: Double. That was a tough one! But I finally thought of something. See {real} to find out what!

{pretty}

You can never have to many shots of the ocean, right? 😉

 

{happy}

I already posted photos from Bella’s Scrapbook Birthday Party with her friends here. These are from her actual birthday.

It is a family tradition that when the birthday person wakes up they will find our dining table decorated with their theme and various stuffed animals. The Winnie the Pooh Bear, that Bella got when she was born, has been the master of ceremonies for a decade now. He has dressed up as various characters, including a pirate, train conductor and Jedi Knight. The night before Bella’s 12th birthday I mentioned to her that she is probably didn’t want that sort of thing anymore. But no, she was still looking forward to waking up to see her  decor. So this year Pooh was one of the Newsies. 🙂

 The birthday girl with John-Paul.

I’m adding a random photo of Andrew just to make him happy and not feel left out of the post. 😉

{funny}

Bella was opening her present from her aunt, which included some rolls of candy, and you could see what was running through each one’s mind. 🙂

 

{real}

I’m linking this photo with Cari for Theme Thursday: Double.

It has become a bit of a joke in the house that when one of the boys gets hurt they need one of “mama’s kisses” to make it better. Throughout the day they’ll come running to me with (low key) injuries – a bumped knee or a hurt finger so I can kiss it. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t give it much thought if I don’t see blood or a bruise. Well, the other day Matthew came to me while I was working on the computer. He was whining and held his finger out to me. I quickly kissed it and told him it will feel better but then I did a DOUBLE TAKE. He had a curious look on his face and the kiss tasted a bit weird… he wasn’t holding out his finger for a kiss, rather, he wanted to give me the booger he poked out of his nose. Yeah, that’s right. Don’t envy my glamorous life. 😉

Thanks to Cari and LMLD for hosting!

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. 😉