Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful…

• For a wonderful trip at Lake Tahoe with my family and my parents and a safe trip home.
• That Brian only has one chemo round left to finish.
• For my life and the life of my husband and children.
• For the love and support of family and friends – during the good times and especially bad times.
• For the warmth of the sun after days of chilly fog.
• For the peace and solitude of the night after a hectic day.

 

Beauty in the Ordinary…

When I was younger I disliked the color purple. Now I love to see the color in nature.

 

In the Kitchen…

Monday – Chicken tacos with 5 minute salsa and veggies.

Tuesday – Turkey meatloaf, baked potato and broccoli.

Wednesday – Moroccan-style chickpea chili with brown rice.

Thursday – Breakfast dinner

Friday – Veggie pizza and Greek salad.

Saturday – Leftovers.

Sunday – Dinner wit Oma & Opa.

 

Praying…

• For my sister and her family as they prepare for the funeral of their baby.
• For all those who have lost loved ones.
• For Brian’s chemo and continued recovery from cancer.
• For those who are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually.
• For some special intentions.

 

On the homefront……

Those of you who have read my last post or have seen on Facebook already know that our extended family has suffered a great loss. My sister Elena  went into labor on Friday but Baby Joan did not make it. She was called back to God. We were all filled with shock and sorrow. However, there has been an outpouring of love and support for Elena and Vinnie and their family. People have offered prayers, words of encouragement and even money towards the Joan Iris Fund to help pay for funeral expenses. If you’d like to offer your prayers and such, check out the post Goodbye Baby Joan Iris for details.

In our own family, on Monday Brian started his last round of chemo. This has been the most difficult one so far and the side effects have been the hardest but as each day passes he gets a little better. Also on the positive side his bloodwork and levels look good and the doctor is pleased with his progress. We just pray he continues to get better and that the cancer stays away.

 

Pondering…

We all go through peaks and valleys in life and my family seems to be going through a deep valley right now. First we had Brian’s cancer returning, which resulted in another surgery and chemo. Then my sister who got married last year conceived her first child but lost the baby in miscarriage. Now my other sister lost Joan. It is times like these that I am extremely grateful for my Catholic faith because we know that life does not come without crosses. We each have our own passion and road to Calvary that we must climb. But with each passion, there also comes the joy of the resurrection. There are many moments of happiness and love when we receive a taste of heaven on earth. It is never easy to live that faith when you are in the midst of heartache and pain but God is always there as our stronghold. No matter how dark it seems, we know with certainly that the sun will rise once again and bring a new day.

 

Reading…

I finished Don’t You Forget about Me, which I’ll try to review later this week.

I am just starting Danielle Bean’s book Momnipotent.

I like to read on fiction book and one non-fiction book at a time so next I have to choose a novel but I’m not sure which to read next. I’m leaning towards If I Stay since I will see the movie next month and I like to read the book first OR…

 Wearing the Cape by Marion Harmon

 

Listening to…

Silence. Everyone is sleeping and nothing else can be heard besides the clicking of the keyboard and the owl hooting outside my window.

 

Watching…

Brian and I have been watching Masterpiece Mystery – Endeavor (one of our favorites even if it is bit dark at times) and The Last Ship (not bad for TV summer viewing). We recently rented Non-Stop (both really liked it) and The Source Code (both thought – meh.) On my own I have been enjoying Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth. (I know, I know. Guilty pleasures. ;-))

On my last Mama’s Movie Night Out I saw Begin Again. It was the only movie showing at the time I could attend. (Other than Tammy. No thanks. Every MC movie I see is the same thing.) I enjoyed Begin Again A LOT more than I was anticipating. The story line tugged at the heart and there were a number of (intentionally) comedic lines. I enjoyed watching the creative process and seeing the “vision” of a song before it was fully created. I assumed KK’s voice was dubbed but she actually sang. It was a sort of a quiet shoe gazer style but I downloaded the soundtrack. Half the songs I love; the other half, not so much. Lastly, I also really enjoyed the fact that although the main characters were attracted to each other, they didn’t automatically jump into bed together and I liked the ending. One note though, there are a lot of F-bombs so if you can’t stand that, skip it.

 

On the blog…

I’ve taken some time off so since my last Daybook and I’ve only posted three times:

The Top Ten Theme Songs of My Life

Pinterest Party & Link-up (Vol 25):  How I Use PicMonkey on My Blog (This link-up is open until Friday so add your links!)

Goodbye Baby Joan Iris

Today I am also linking up with Kendra for Answer Me This

1. How did you get your name?

My dad is named Robert, although he goes by Bob, and the first born child was going to be named after him, boy or girl. The name on my birth certificate actually says Bobbi. It’s not a nickname. However, the priest who was going to baptize me was not pleased by such a wordly name so my mom added Ann to it. Growing up I was called Bobbi Ann. Eventually I shortened it to Bobbi. Nowadays I only get called Bobbi Ann by my mom if she is upset with me. 😉

2. Do you have a set time for prayer in your day?

I start the day off with the morning offering and on a good day I do a short morning meditation after breakfast. However, during summer it has been hit and miss. I usually say my rosary (or at least a decade of it) in the car while I am shuffling kids around or running errands. I also have my phone alarm set to go off throughout the day to turn my mind to God.You’ll hear the church bells go off at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM and 5 PM and whatever kid happens to be closest to my phone (even if it’s in my pocket) will yell out, “It’s time for you to pray, mom!” So I do get a lot of reminders. I used to say a little longer prayer but these days it is a short invocation. On a good day, for my evening prayer I try to listen to the Divine Office prayers while I am making dinner. (You can hear the podcast at Divine Office.org.) I do need to work harder at saying my night prayers earlier. I tend to say them in bed before I fall asleep and so far sleep keeps winning out.

 3. Did your mom work or stay at home or both?

She was mostly at home although there were times when money was really tight and she had to work. She worked at a bank for awhile but I remember that the bank was held up. I think at that point she decided to stay at home and figure out a way to make ends meet.

4. Do you vote?

Not as often as I should. We vote for the big ones but we tend the skip the smaller elections unless there is a really important bill.

5. What’s your favorite drink?

Okay, this is where I admit what a nerd I am. I don’t like coffee and I don’t like tea. I used to drink alcohol when I was in my 20’s but after making some really stupid mistakes while drunk and then cleaning up my act, I swore off the stuff. I have since lost all taste for alcohol. So 75% of the time I drink ice water. The other 25% of the time I drink milk. (I love milk.) When I am feeling really wild and crazy I splurge and have a diet orange crush or diet root beer. Yeah, I know. Nerd.

6. How are your photography skills?

Hmmm, what would I call it? An amateur with a nice camera and a photo editing program. I love photography but don’t know anywhere as much as I wish I did.

 

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…

• Why What I Wear Matters – Catholic All Year

• Encouraging Boredom in Your Children – Letters from the Nest

• The Secret to Happy Relationships – Slow Mama

 

Pinned…

My pin of the week – I am going to be trying this recipe from Whitney at Framing Cali next week. 🙂

Photo credit – Framing Cali Blog

 

Plans for the Week…

We have swimming lessons all week, dentist appointments, an ortho appointment to see about Bella’s new braces and we’re attending a family gathering at our local church where the dads take the kids to a summer matinee movie and the moms meet at the church hall to chit chat and make lunch. After the movie the dads and kids join us for lunch. When we first heard about it Brian and I were tempted to skip it but we also realized that we need to make a greater attempt to attend Catholic family functions like this. It’s good for us and good for the kids to spend time with Catholic peers. Plus, he should be feeling better by the weekend.

Also this week (Wednesday at 11 AM eastern time to be exact) is the funeral for my niece Baby Joan Iris. I’m conflicted inside because my heart aches for Elena and Vinnie and I feel guilty having fun with my family. But if Joan’s short life taught us anything, it is that life is precious and goes too fast. We need to cherish the moments we have together and spend our days in the company of our loved ones. I know Joan will be watching us and sending us kisses from heaven.

 

Captured…

Here are some shots from our trip to Lake Tahoe.

 

 Lake Tahoe at Pope Beach

Matthew playing in the sand. Although I love the ocean, the lake is so much better for my nerves. I’m not constantly worried about the kids being pulled into the sea. 😉

Enjoying the walking path behind our hotel.

The view on our walk.

I love the smell of pine. 🙂

I’ll post more photos of Lake Tahoe later this week when I do a post about our favorite spots to visit in Lake Tahoe with kids.

Linking-Up with…

A Mama Collective’s Currently

 

Kendra’s Answer Me This

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