This week’s version of Online Daybook is a little different since it was written while on vacation, so welcome to the Online Daybook/ 7 Quick Takes Lake Tahoe 2016 Edition. (Linking up with Kelly for 7QT.)

 

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Grateful…

• For a safe trip to Lake Tahoe.
• That my mom’s surgery went well.
• For phone calls, texting and social media that keeps me connected with family even when I am far away.
• For a date night with my Sweetie thanks to Bella babysitting.
• For vacations in general. I need this recharge! (Even though I sometimes think it is more stressful than being at home!)

Praying for…

• My mom. For her recovery from surgery and that she keeps her positive spirit as she waits to heal.
• The tired, the weary and the overworked.
• For the safety of all travelers.
• For the person who was hurt at the lake yesterday and air lifted to the hospital.
• Some special intentions.

Pondering…

Of course, my mom is on my mind right now. The trip has been nice so far but it is not as fun as last year when my mom and dad were able to join us. This is actually our first solo trip without a set of grandparents to accompany us. It was hard not having my parents with me, especially knowing that my mom would be having surgery while we were in Tahoe. I really wanted to be with her as she recovered in the hospital.

I thought about canceling our trip but in one of our phone conversations my mom told me that she did not want me to be sad or to feel bad that we were having fun without  her. She wanted me to enjoy this time with Brian and the kids and she said she’d be there in spirit with us and God willing, physically with us on next year’s trip.

As it turned out, even if I was there I wouldn’t have been allowed in her room since visitors had been restricted so she could heal without germs from the outside. So for now, I am doing the best I can to enjoy this time with my family and have fun because I know that is precisely what she wants us to do. On the day of her surgery I wore my fight cancer shirt and we prayed our rosary for my mom, lifted her in prayer and took lots of photos so we could share them with her when we visit her in a couple weeks.

UPDATE: My mom is back home and recovering nicely. Thank you for the continued prayers! 🙂

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Around the Hotel…

It looks a lot like home…books scattered on the tables, action figures on the floor, fingerprints on the windows. 😉

 

Family Chit Chat…

The first time we came to Lake Tahoe was 13 years ago when Bella was just a year old.

Thirteen years later and Brian is still my sweetheart…

However, the baby is now 14 and we’ve added three cute boys to the mix. 🙂

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In the Kitchen…

Thankfully our hotel has a good sized kitchen so we’ve been able to cook our meals. However, tonight is Mexican night and we get to eat out. Ole!

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Reading…

I’ve been reading like crazy but I am behind on writing my summer books posts so I will work on those this week! Hint: Some of my list is pictured above. 🙂

 

Watching…

Brian and I just saw the first episode of the BBC mystery/thriller Thirteen about a young girl who escaped after 13 years of captivity. However, something about her story does not ring true…so the mystery begins. I love the feel of British mysteries (and dramas.)  The show itself reminds me a bit of Broadchurch, minus the lovely David Tennant. (Parental note: This is rated MA. The first episode had some language and the story line itself is dark.)

 

(At the Movies)

The last three movies I watched were Love and Friendship, Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book. Surprisingly, of the three my favorite was The Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book – I took Andrew to see this and I think I landed out enjoying it as much (if not more) as he did. The story was captivating and the special effects were enthralling. I was completely swept into the movie and it held my attention the entire time. It went beyond what I expected from a “kids” film. (Parental Note: The movie can be scary for younger kids. My 8 yr old loved it but my sensitive 6 yr old and 5 yr old skipped it and I’m glad they did. They’ll wait to watch it on blu-ray where it’s not as intense as a big screen.)

Love and Friendship – While it was not my favorite Austen story, the humor and wit of the dialogue left me smiling.

Captain America: Civil War –  I am fan of all the Marvel movies and while the movie was enjoyable I hated the “brother against brother” story. I can’t help it. I am not a fan of conflict and like when more peaceful means solve a problem. 😉

Next on my list of movies to see are Conjuring 2, The Legend of Tarzan and Star Trek Beyond.

I was also debating about watching the French film The Innocents but then I read Sr. Helen Burns review of the movie and decided to definitely watch it if it opens locally. The story, which is based on actual events, takes place in Warsaw in December 1945. A convent of nuns is attacked by Russian soldiers and many of the sisters are raped and consequently become pregnant. A young French doctor puts herself in danger to help the nuns. Sr. Burns says, “This is a very sensitive, non-sensational film of based on actual events (and many nuns have been raped and gotten pregnant during other wars as well) that manages to wrap itself around and enter deeply into the psychology of this very pointed and specific trauma” and “The Innocents is a truly religious film. Religious films are about God, not the trappings of God or His human mouthpieces.” (Read the full review here.) It is not light summer fare but sounds like a deeply moving film.

 

Listening to …

Summer is officially here. Here is the first song on my Summer 2016 playlist. 🙂

It’s Sweet Disaster by Dreamers.

 

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In the blogosphere…

Parents, Quit Lying about This by Team Whitaker

Three Martyrs for Marriage by Like Mother, Like Daughter

Writing Secrets: How To Be Your Own Editor by The Sits Girls

Some Good News by Positively Imperfect

 

Pinned…

Photo Credit: Call Her Happy

I love this super cute idea from Jenna at Call Her Happy.

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I haven’t posted anything since my last Daybook. Hey, it’s vacation time! Later this week I will hopefully finish my summer book post. In the following weeks it will be the return of Spotlight Saturday and bullet journal updates.

From the Archives:

Summer 2015 – Five Favorites: Summer Activities with Kids at Lake Tahoe

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If you follow me on social media, you have already seen these. If you haven’t, then here’s a peak into our vacation.

I love walking through the tall trees. It reminds me of the Redwoods in NoCal.

Fun at the Lake! I love the ocean but letting kids play in the calm lake is 100% less stressful than dealing with the unpredictable Pacific waves.

We don’t have miniature golf close to where we live so the kids love to visit the local Magic Carpet mini-golf. There are dinos and pirate ships on 3 different courses, although Matthew sometimes looked like he was playing hockey instead of golf. Afterwards, the boys enjoyed playing a racing game with their dad.

Playing at Tahoe Paradise Park.

Andrew giving his sister a push.

Despite the heat, there is still a bit of snow on the mountains.

If you go past the park and though the grassy area towards the river, you’ll find this to the right.

However, this year I discovered a little trail that leads to the left side of the park, along the river. When the kids were done playing I told them we were going exploring to see where the trail led.

The scenery was gorgeous.

And about a quarter of a mile down I spotted this lovely scene. I could hear the sounds of the water rushing and birds tweeting and for one brief moment life was completely perfect. Until I listened a little closer…to the whining voices around me saying, “It’s too hot!” and “There are too many bugs!” and “Are we done yet?” Sigh. Oh, well. I had my moment, brief as it was. We headed back to the park so the boys could spin themselves sick on the merry-go-round instead.

I did keep up with my walking challenge of #rol100milesin100days while in Tahoe. Bella would join me in the evening when the weather cooled down.

Other times we’d go as a family and the boys were more than happy to join me (well, when I promised them ice cream cones at the finish line.) 😉 Either way, I caught up on the days I was slacking before we left.

When the sun set on our last day we had to say goodbye to Tahoe and promised to be back next year. 🙂

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

Have a great weekend!

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