Better late than never, I always say! So I’m linking up with Kelly for Friday’s Quick Takes and with Jenny for Daybook Online Journal. I’d link up with  Currently and Nell’s Week Eats but they are on a little break, so next time! 😉 Oh, and a hat tip to Jenny at Call Her Happy for giving me the idea to do my Currently post as a Quick Takes and to my sis Elena at Barefoot and Sometimes Pregnant for the inspiration to make Currently photo labels I can use each week. Thanks, ladies!)

It feels like ages since I’ve done an online Daybook. I have a rare block of time to myself so I will see if I can get of these cranked out. (UPDATE – I started this Saturday but didn’t finish it until Monday morning. Life happened.) 😉

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Grateful for…

• A lovely afternoon this weekend with Bella and her friends at the movies. I love the glimpse into their young hearts as they chat in the car. 🙂
• Brian and his goodness and strength. Sometimes I just look at him and think, what have I done to deserve this??
• For the beauty that surrounds me. It is a balm to my soul.
• For God’s grace that come when we need it most.
• For the things I take for granted – a home, running water, food on the table etc.

Praying for..

• Those who do not have the essentials of life.
• Those who are ill, especially for those fighting cancer, and that Brian remains cancer-free.
• Those who are hurting, suffering or are far from God.
• All our military and their families, especially for my brother-in-law in the Middle East that he comes back home safely.
• All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
• Some special intentions.

Pondering…

Thursday was a hard day for me. Life has been busy but bearable. However, on Thursday it was one of those days we all have…when we are pushed to the limit and think we cannot go any further. Life was already busy but the added responsibility of helping out my in-laws can sometimes be overwhelming, especially on a day when one thing after another goes wrong. After the last mishap I was just shaking my head saying, “Seriously, God?? You are going to make me carry one more cross right now??” My guardian angel whispered to me, “Well, it is Lent, you know.” Ugh, he can be cheeky like that. 😉

The next morning was Friday and that is when I am able to stay home for four hours straight and catch up on a week’s worth of chores. However, before I got into it, I turned off the computer and my phone and finally sat down with my Lenten book (that has been gathering dust) – Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (by Christian author Joanna Weaver.) I spent some time in prayer and then went through the first chapter. There are a number of points that touched me (I’ll go deep in another post) but the one thought that stayed with me is that the responsibilities I have right now are not going to change. My in-laws are needing more help and I am the one who must help pitch in and do it on top of caring for the kids and the household. So how do I get it all this done without losing my mind?

I admit that I have not spent time in pray like I should. Oh, I dash off “help Lord'” all the time but I never really stop and drink from the well of God’s grace. This paragraph really spoke to me:

“When we put work before worship, we put the cart before the horse. The cart is important; so is the horse. But the horse must come first, or we end up pulling the cart ourselves. Frustrated and weary, we can nearly break under the pressure of service, for their is always something that needs to be done. When we first spend time in his presence – when we take time to hear his voice – God provides the horsepower we need to pull the heaviest load. He saddles up grace and invites us to take a ride.”

Talk about hitting the nail on the head! It was just the encouragement (and reminder) that I needed. Blessed be God.

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Around the House…

Spring cleaning has been going very slow for the simple fact that I seem to hardly be home! Last Friday I tackled the boys’ room and got about half way done. I do have a number of bags to give away so far. I should be half way to my 40 bags in 40 days but I think I only have 10 bags so far. I’ll have to do a final push the next couple weeks.

Family Chit Chat…

Some of you have been asking how my father-in-law is doing. Sadly, not very well. His stroke did more damage than we originally thought and he has weakened mentally and physically. We had hoped that he would get stronger and we’d be able to bring him home with hired care. However, at the moment, he is very far from being able to come home. Thankfully, he is on a nice place and they take good care of him. The woman who runs the small home is Catholic and every evening they say the rosary together. It has become like a second home since we try to visit Opa almost every day. Plus, for the last couple of weeks on Sundays, we’ve been able to bring him to our home and let him sit with the kids and watch a movie just like they used to do. They chat away and show him their Lego creations and cars. They do not see his limitations but just enjoy being in his presence. There is a valuable lesson to be learned right there. 🙂

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In the Kitchen…

Saturday – Since Bella had friends over we got a treat of delivery pizza.

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

Monday – Slow cooker chicken enchilada soup (new recipe to try).

Tuesday – Tacos, homemade beans, salsa and since it’s St. Patrick’s day  – lots of green guacamole!

Wednesday – Leftovers.

Thursday – Turkey burgers and broccoli slaw. Apple pie for dessert since it’s St. Joseph’s feast day. 🙂

Friday – Minestrone soup (made with veggie broth).

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Watching…

Bella and I just watched the new Cinderella movie this afternoon. It was really lovely and magical! To some it may seem a little boring since there were no epic battles, other than the interior battles that the characters had to endure. It was an old fashioned fairy tale where the prince is actually charming and not a psychopath in disguise. The heroine is good and kind  and Christian morals are present. The girls loved it and so did I. I also had fun seeing actors who played on other favorite shows – Of course Rose from Downton Abbey but Daisy from Downton played one of the evil step sisters. Cate Blanchet was perfect as the wicked step sister and the actress that plays Agent Carter was Cinderella’s mom.)

Listening to …

I love the band Echosmith (even though I’m closer in age to their parents) and this song reflects how I am feeling at this moment. Blessed and happy. (It’s amazing what a change that prayer and a good night’s sleep will do.) 😉

What else I am hearing that is making it hard to listen to my music playing?? The boys and Brian running up and down the hallway with light sabers as they wage a loud epic Jedi battle. (Our poor neighbors.) No wonder Bella and I like to slip away to the movies. 😉

Reading…

For my spiritual reading…

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life

For my fiction reading…

I still have yet to finish reading Insurgent so I better get it done before I go watch the movie later this month.

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Here are the last few posts.

Weigh-in-Wednesday & Five Favorite Exercise Tips

Register for the Catholic Conference for 4Moms & A Coupon Code for Purchases!

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5, Finale Recap (Are you missing Downton too??)

7 Quick Takes (2/28/15): Tears, Conferences & Period Movies

A Look at My 2015 (Erin Condren) Planner

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As I mentioned in a previous post, the 2015 Catholic Conference for Women is now available for purchase. You can download (or listen online) to 27 speaker presentations, including favorite like Auntie Leila and Rachel Balducci). One of the cool things is that you also receive a discussion guide that contains questions and discussion starters for every presentation. It is a great resource for a mom’s group!  Simply show one of the videos, use the questions in the guide to prompt discussion and viola! Genius. You also receive other bonus items like e-books, podcast and coupons for various products.

The cost is $39.99 but as an affiliate you can purchase the package for $29.99 with the promo code “Revolution.” Check it out at http://www.catholicconference4moms.com.

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Here are some Instagrams I’ve taken this past week.

1. One of my favorite scriptures.

2. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

3. The boys playing a Memory game on an iPad with Opa.

4. Ocean walk.

5. Our family altar in our home.

6. Sunset.

7. I was craving huevos rancheros.

8. Your ways, O Lord, make known to me…

9. When I can only focus on the things about me that are so far from perfect, I become my own worst enemy.

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! (Wait, is that even a thing??)  😉

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