I’m linking up with Kelly for Friday’s Quick Takes.

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Grateful for…

• A car that runs well, even though I am currently at the service center getting a mandatory smog check.
• My sweet Matty, even though he is at the age when he constantly asks one question after another without taking a breath.
• The sun that is breaking through these gloomy clouds.
• Family and friends that fill our lives with love.

Praying for..

• Those who feel alone and unloved.
• Those who are suffering abuse and for the conversion of their abusers.
• Those who are ill, especially for those fighting cancer, and that Brian remains cancer-free.
• All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
• The souls in purgatory, especially family, friend and those most forgotten.
• Some special intentions.

Pondering…

The prompting of the Holy Spirit. I remember many years ago listening to a priest give a talk about the Holy Spirit. He said that the HS will often prompt us to do something, usually to help another person. Maybe something will pop into your head, such as – I should give so-and-so a call or I should offer that lady in the grocery story some help or I should tell that struggling young mom at school that despite what she may feel, she is doing an awesome job. The priest said that often these kind of things comes from the Holy Spirit. It really made me think about how we are Jesus’ hands and feet. We are the ones who are called to share his love with others.

There are many times when I get these kind of ideas in my head. My first reaction is, “Yes! That would really be a kind ting to do.” My second reaction is to think, “Yeah, but I’m kinda busy or that person is going to think I’m crazy if I go up and talk to them.” I either procrastinate so long that the opportunity is gone or I just plain chicken out. Lately, I’ve been trying to listen to this little prompts in my head. I do a quick “test” of the action. Will it cause me harm? That eliminates prompts like, “Maybe I should pick up that scary looking hitchhiker on the side of the road.” Um, no. Is it safe and doesn’t take me away from my immediate duties? For example, I think I should bring over soup to a sick friend but I have to pick up my kids from school. Instead I make plans to bring the soup after I pick them up. Other spur of the moments ideas can be done right away – like offering a word of encouragement to someone. The only thing I may harm is my pride if I am rebuffed.

For example, on Mother’s Day we were at Mass and we had the usual mothers’ blessing. All the moms were asked to stand up and after the priest blessed us the ushers went around and handed us little angel pins as a gift. I noticed that there was one older mom/grandma standing on the opposite side of the aisle from me that was mistakenly overlooked. I felt bad for her and thought that I should go over there and give her my pin. My mind answered, “Wait, what? I can’t just walk over to a stranger. She’s not going to care about some pin. That’s silly.” But the thought would not go away so as soon as the priest walked passed me during the procession, I went over to her and told her that I noticed she didn’t get a pin and I didn’t want her to think she was forgotten so please take mine. She said she didn’t want to take mine but I told her not to worry because there are more in the back of church and I’ll get another. She looked at me and smiled and then gave me a big hug and said thank you. (I’m getting teary eyed just recalling that look on her face.) It was the simplest of gestures but for that woman, it was what she needed to hear just then. So the next time you get a little prompt from the Holy Spirit, take it to heart. God may need you to be his hands and feet at that moment.

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Around the House…

I am in the process of working on my June goals and one of them is to tackle the numerous areas of the house that need serious purging and cleaning. I’ll share that with you on another posts. 😉

Family Chit Chat…

As  I mentioned I am the gas station getting my car smogged. Luckily, the gas station has a table, umbrella and surrounding flowers so customers have a nice spot to wait. I am getting some writing done while Matthew watches Spiderman videos. 🙂

We are nearing all the end of the school year activities. Next week is spirit week at school followed by the annual mini-Olympics. Plus Bella is in the school musical of Annie, Jr so she has been having long practices after school and on the weekends. It is fun but very busy and I am really looking forward to the slower days of summer when I am not constantly shuttling around kids from one activity to another. Plus we have our Tahoe trip coming up next month and I am sooooo excited for that! Woohoo!

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In the Kitchen…

It is Memorial Day weekend so I will definitely need to make something BBQ. And since I am I trying to make one new recipe a week, I thought I’d try this Healthy 7 Layer Dip. Sounds tasty!

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Watching…

(At the Movies) No new movies this week but I’ll be back in the theater next week. I’ve got a list of ones I want to watch in the coming weeks including The Avengers: Age of Ultron (I’m waiting for a date night with Brian to see that one), Tomorrowland (I’ll be taking Bella and her best friend), Far from the Maddening Crowd (I’ll probably go see that solo next week). If time allows I may see Woman in God before it leaves theaters. I was going to skip Mad Max but Jennifer Willits was talking about how much she enjoyed it on her podcast so maybe I’ll add it to the list. For those who are wondering how I can go to the movies so often, that is one of the perks of your kids being a little older. They go to bed and (usually) stay asleep and you can slip out for two hours without it becoming a monumental endeavor. That and I have a rockin hubby who lets me have the night off. (Plus I have a number of theater gift cards I am using up.) 😉

What movies are you looking forward to this summer?

(On TV)

Awhile back I wrote about the Hallmark series When Call the Heart. I said:

We’ve been watching a lot of action/superhero movies so tonight we will catch up on the new Hallmark series When Calls the Heart. It is based on the book(s)  When Calls the Heart (Canadian West Book #1) by Janet Oke. The show has a “Little House on the Prairie” feel, perhaps because it is directed by Michael Landon, Jr. Plus, I am a sucker for a romance story and I’m rooting for Elizabeth and Jack.

Season two has started and the love triangle has shifted, now giving Jack some competition for Elizabeth’s affections. If you haven’t been watching, Season 1 is now available on Netflix.

Listening to …

I won’t be able to download the new Monsters and Men album Beneath the Skin until June 9th but in the meantime I can enjoy their single Empire. 🙂

Reading…

Same as last week.

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I am working on updating my blog logo. I narrowed it down to four choice. Please do me a favor and tell me which one you like the best! Thank you!! 🙂

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Oh, and don’t forget to enter the contest to win one of Jenna’s Mini-Hoop necklaces! Only 2 days left!

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In the blogosphere…

7 kindnesses to show your spouse while raising small kids by Whole Parenting Family.com

Using PicMonkey to Make Graphic Designs by Catholic All Year

Beautiful Like Me by Roses for Mommy

Life Lessons in 17 Years of Marriage by A Catholic Reversal

7 Valuable Life Lessons: Virtues of an Imperfect Mother by The Pitter Patter Diaries.com

By Our Love, By Our Love by Fumblin Toward Grace.com

Infertility and Big Families by Annery at Home

From Me to You #2 {Giveaway Series} (Win a Blessed Is She Journal) by Saint Affairs

Taos Pubelo: A Sacred Place by Sew Travel Inspired.com

Pinned…

  Sidewalk Chalk Fun by Sweet Litttle Ones Blog.com

Rhubarb Streusel Pie (Yum!!!!) by Coppertop Kitchen

Using PicMonkey to Make Word Art by Catholic All Year

Our Lady of Fatima — Anniversary Celebration with Free Bow by Catholic Fit Mom for Life

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

1.  I want to tell you how much I love my new @chatbooks with my IG photos. (Only $6 a book!) Thanks for the heads up @jiza_zito. #projectblessed

3. #projectblessed – Together. The boys and I worked together to plant flowers around the house.

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

Have a great weekend!

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. 😉

Hey guys, happy Friday! It’s been a crazy week and the early part of it had me at the end of my rope but thankfully things are going much more smoothly now. 😉

I’m linking up with Kelly for Friday’s Quick Takes and with Jenny for Daybook Online Journal.

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Grateful for…

• God’s grace that lifts you when you can’t go on.
• A husband that cares for me and puts up with my occasional nonsense.
• For my kiddos smiles and kisses that makes me forget how crazy they can sometimes be.
• The beauty of nature that turns my heart back to the Creator.
• The grace of confession.

Praying for..

• Those who feel broken and alone in their plights.
• Those who are far from God that the grace of conversion will touch their heart.
• Those who are ill, especially for those fighting cancer, and that Brian remains cancer-free.
• Those fighting addictions and for those with loved ones who are addicted but refuse help.
• All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
• The souls in purgatory, especially fmaily, friend and those most forgotten.
• Some special intentions.

Pondering…

Mother’s Day came and went and while it was not a bad day, it was a very busy day taking care of people outside of my home. There was no time to sit and relax and the days following were no different. By Tuesday, I was at the end of my rope physically and emotionally and crying out to God for help. I made a comment about it on social media and I was touched by the friends who offered prayers and words of encouragement. It warms my heart to be a part of this universal Catholic family that knows no bounds. Plus, we have a Father that cares of us and gives us what we need just when we need it.

For me this week, it was in a form of an email from Allison Gringas. She had a Catholic Blogger Week Mega-Giveaway with numerous prizes and she told me that I was one of the winners! Guess what I won?? The gift of PRAYER… for one week I will be covered in prayer by a powerhouse woman of prayer,  Elizabeth Reardon from Theology Is A Verb. God does have a sense of humor but He’s also awesome because it is JUST. WHAT. I. NEED. And let me tell you, it is working because I feel so much at peace right now. I still have a tons to do but I am in a better attitude to do it. So a big thanks to all who have prayed for me this week, most especially to Elizabeth. And thanks to Allison for having the contest in the first place. I have been going over her blog and she has some great posts, fun link ups and interesting talks. Go check it out. 🙂

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Around the House…

Yesterday the kids were not feeling well and the weather was gloomy with rain in the forecast (all .01 inches of it) so I let them stay home from school and rest. It was a blessing in disguise for me because I was able to lock myself in the house and pay bills, balance the checkbook (which hadn’t been dusted off in months) and get a mound of other paperwork done. I feel a little more caught up in that area. Now if I can tame the laundry beast, I’d be golden.

Family Chit Chat…

As I mentioned, Mother’s Day sort of came and went but I did enjoy my favorite homemade gifts from the kids, a Mother’s Day tea at Matthew’s preschool, Mass with my lovelies and gifts that included a Fandango gift card, movie candy, nail polish kit and a selfie stick. Do they know me or what? As a side note, I first saw a selfie stick being used while we were at Disneyland last year and Brian and I couldn’t stop laughing at the ridiculousness of it. But then, Karianna brought one when we attended the CWBNCA and I saw how handy it was and how easier it made taking group shots. This mocker is now a user. Thanks for the heads up, Karianna.  😉

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In the Kitchen…

As I mentioned last week, I was in a a meal planning rut so I’ve been trying to try one new recipe each week to add to our faves. This week I tried Sunday Slow Cooker: Pork Tenderloin and Apples from SlenderKitchen.com. It came out tasty and my mother-in-law loved it, which definitely pleased me since she is good cook herself. Next time around I think it may be better is I browned the meet before cooking it. (It wasn’t very “pretty.”) Plus, I got it in late so I cooked it on high and it was a little dry. Luckily, there was enough juice to pour on top to moisten it. So next time around I’ll cook it on low for a shorter period of time.

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Watching…

This week Brian told me I needed a break so he took over night duties and sent me to the movies.  I used my Fandango gift card to go see The Age of Adaline. Now, I am a sucker for romantic movies but it is always a little disheartening that most movies follow the typical worldly attitude that you must sleep together first and then see if you happen to fall in love. That’s probably why I love B&W classic movies and literary adaptations (like Jane Austen) so much. The norm is first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage. Call me old fashioned. With that said, this movie was not different but if you can get past that and the stretch of science behind AofA, then the movie was enjoyable. It had some sweet moments and kept my interest until the end.

Listening to …

I’ve been enjoying Death Cab for Cutie’s new album Kintsugi. The song Black Sun is great for putting me in a mellow mood.

Reading…

No changes here.

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…

The Girl on the Train

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A little while ago I posted my Five Fave Podcasts. When I asked for podcast suggestions, my OLF Jen recommend that I check out SQPN. I had heard about it before but never took the time to look around. I finally did and I especially enjoyed Fr. Roderick’s show The Break. I loved it so much that I updated my list to include The Break. Like a musical Top 40 countdown, The Catholic Guy was knocked out of the Top 5. TCG moves down one notch to #6. Coming in at #5 is The Break with Fr. Roderick.

The Break

 I love how Fr. Roderick talked about movies, TV shows, and geeky topics in the light of our faith. I have had fun listening to his opinions but the real moment I fell in love with him was when I watched him last month preview the newest Star Wars trailer. As a movie lover, Star Wars fan and mom of three Jedi, I thought it was awesome. 😉

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Oh, and don’t forget to enter the contest to win one of Jenna’s Mini-Hoop necklaces! Only 9 days left!

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A few things I have been reading online…

Using PicMonkey to Make Good Photos Look Great by Catholic All Year

Want to Start A Blog? 5 Tips for Beginners by Best Bib and Tucker

Fr. Junipero Serra: A Vital Part of California’s Heritage by Muffin Dome

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons by Tomato’s Vine

{May Sketch-Along}: Come Holy Spirit by The Pitter Patter Diaries

The Many Shapes of Me by Saint Affairs

Bring Truman Home

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Here are some Instagrams I’ve taken this past week. (It’s been a slow posting week.)

1. Today I’m especially thanking God for my four blessings on earth (and two blessings in heaven) that made me a mother.

3. #projectblessed – Inspiration. I’m in a cooking rut so I browsed online for some meal inspiration. Tonight it’s slow cooker pork roast with apples and onions.

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

Have a great weekend!

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. 😉