photography | Revolution of Love

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 8 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

* * *

It’s Day 8 and it is late and I am exhausted after this busy day. Some things today have been awesome – like spending the day with John-Paul at his school field trip and some things not so awesome – like finding an invasion of ants in the house. So tonight I am grateful that the day is over and I can get some much needed sleep.

So now it’s time for prayers, then bed. Have a good night!

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, Letterboxd or Instagram. (It’s set to private but I’ll approve you.) 😉

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

AND

Outside my window…

Summers are grey and foggy but October is our hot month and it has been living up to tradition with 90 degree weather this week. Today it was in the high 70’s and normally that would be considered heat wave, but after the last few days’ heat, it felt heavenly!

Moments of gratitude…

This section counts as Day 6 of the series 31 Days of Gratitude. Today I am especially thankful for…

I was at the Mission earlier and I snapped this photo with my phone. It brought back memories of nearly 15 years ago when I was standing at that spot in my princess wedding dress waiting for the moment I was to take my dad’s arm and walk down the aisle. I still remember the big smile on Brian’s face as he watched me enter the church. It was like a dream.

Fast forward to the reality of today. Life is often loud and hectic with the kids and this past year has been a trial with the cross of Brian’s cancer. (For an update on Brian’s health, see the On the Homefront section.) However, this whole situation has brought us closer together and right now things are really in sync between us and in our marriage. I know in some marriages the years draw couples apart but, by the grace of God, instead they have made us stronger and closer. Yesterday Brian came into the kitchen and stole a kiss from me. I couldn’t help but laugh and say, “After 15 years of marriage…” and he finished my sentence, “We’re still going strong, baby.” So yeah, today I am super grateful for one of the biggest blessings in my life – Brian.

Praying…

For Brian’s continued recovery from the side effects of his chemo.
For those fighting cancer or illness.
For those in troubled marriages.
For our single friends who feel called to the vocation of marriage and are looking for a holy spouse.
For those who are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually.
For pregnant moms, moms dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and for women trying to have a child.
For some special intentions.

On the homefront……

A couple of people have been asking how Brian is doing so here’s an update. He is doing well, considering. He finished his chemo in July but he is still dealing with the side effects, namely numbness in his hands and feet. Sometimes it is not too bad but other times he is in pain and he can’t button a shirt or his walk is unsteady. (There is medication he can take but the doctor told him that the side effects are often worse than the ailment.) Time will tell if these symptoms will fade or remain. It is still too early to know yet.

Except for that, he is doing well otherwise. His last scan was a month ago and all his organs and lymph nodes were clean. He has to go for more testing at the end of the month and if he passes that then he passed his 3 month waiting period and he can get the chemo port removed from his chest. We are praying that this cancer chapter is forever closed!

Pondering…

I’ve been pondering the how long I will be able to continue with the 31 Days of Gratitude challenge. I love the idea and the concept but I wonder when I will burn out and skip a day. I haven’t so far buuut I am not exactly known for sticking with one thing until it is complete. The only exception is when an idea gets “in my head.” In those cases I will not give up until I make it happen. But normally, I’m more of a jump around from one thing to another type of gal. I can still remember distinctly the conversation my mom had with me before I was married. She basically told me I better be serious about this marriage because I can’t get tired if it and move on to something else. It is for life. Don’t worry Mom, this isn’t in the fickle category. This is the “in my head” category and I’m determined to give it my all. 😉

In the kitchen…

Monday: Leftovers from Bella’s birthday party. (Pizza and salad bar)

Tuesday: BBQ chicken and broccoli slaw.

Wednesday: Enchilada casserole & salad.

Thursday: Breakfast dinner – scrambles eggs with leftover enchiladas.

Friday: Grilled Cheese and slow cooker lentil & kale soup

Saturday: Turkey burgers and Southwestern black bean and corn salad

Sunday: Dinner at Oma & Opa’s

Around the house…

I’s been so busy I haven’t really had much time to work on any cleaning projects. The good news is that we had five of Bella’s best friends over yesterday for her birthday party so my front room looks awesome. The bad news is that we threw all the junk into my bedroom and closed the door, so that room looks like a tornado hit it. Sigh. Such is my life.

Reading…

I haven’t been reading much since I usually read before bed but I am too tired and never get past a page or two. These two books have been sitting on my nightstand for way too long.

Danielle Bean’s book Momnipotent

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Listening to…

The soundtrack for the movie Chef. Perfect music while cooking in the kitchen!!

Watching…

At the movies – I haven’t been to as many movies this month, although, since I was averaging one movie every two years when the kids were much smaller, I am doing good! I saw Dolphin Tale 2 with Bella and her friends yesterday. It was a sweet, clean family fun movie. I also saw If I Stay, which was bittersweet. It was slow at moments but I still enjoyed it. Lastly, I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy again but took Brian this time for a date night. The movie rocked but being there with my love, priceless.

On TV – All the new shows are starting up! I’ve set the DVR to record many of them, although it takes us nearly the whole year to get to them. So far sitting in the queue are Masterpiece Miss Marple, Masterpiece The Paradise, Sleepy Hollow, Gotham, The Middle, Parenthood, Gracepoint, Cedar Cove and more. Who knows which ones we’ll get to and which ones we’ll just delete. What are your “must watch” shows this fall?

On the blog…

Tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct 7) is our monthly Pinterest Party. I baked pumpkin mini donuts tonight and I’ll share the recipe and results tomorrow. (UPDATE : The recipe is here.) 🙂

In the blogosphere…

My Bloglovin feed has over 300 entries so tonight I will be skimming over some and deleting many. I’ll come back and update you with which ones I starred.

Pinned…

Photo Credit – sugarbeecrafts.com

I love how Mandy used a backdrop for a close up shot. I’m using that idea! 🙂

Linking-Up with…

The new host of Currently – Joyful Life! 🙂

Have a blessed week!

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, Letterboxd or Instagram (It’s set to private but I’ll approve you.) 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 5 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

* * *

On Monday, my sweet Bella turned 13 years old. 13! A teenager! It is so hard to believe.Today she had a birthday party with her closest friends and it was lovely to see her laughing and having fun with them.

I still remember vividly the day that I found out I was pregnant. It was Valentine’s Day 2001. We had been trying to get pregnant for a year with no luck. In January, we went on a pilgrimage to Rome for our 1st Anniversary. The prayer of our heart during that pilgrimage was that we’d be blessed with a child. God, in his mercy, finally answered that prayer. I was rereading Bella’s birth story and reminiscing about it all. Here is what I wrote that Valentine’s Day:

February 14, 2001

It is Valentine’s morning and I still can’t believe it. I suspected that our dream was finally coming true so I took a pregnancy test. I followed the procedure then closed my eyes while I waited for the results. I prayed three Hail Marys that I would accept God’s will graciously. After the last prayer I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the test… there it was! How many times have I seen that awful negative result but this time it was positive. There is a little one growing inside me!

Your Daddy was in the kitchen so I went in there and asked him to close his eyes and hold out his hands to receive a Valentine’s gift I wanted to give him. He did so and I then placed his hands on my stomach and told him to open his eyes. With a puzzled look he said, “What?” I said, “Guess!” His eyes grew wide and with astonishment he exclaimed, “You’re pregnant?! Are you sure?” I convinced him that it was true and we just hugged each other and cried. There are no words to describe our joy and gratitude to God for answering our prayers. I’m still in shock…but I will never forget the moment I learned of the existence of my little one. Blessed be God!

It brings tears to my eyes when I think of that tiny little baby that arrived a month early and had to stay in the NICU for 11 days. When we brought her home was ecstatic and petrified. There were no more nurses to guide me and help me along. I was on my own. I’ll admit those first couple of months were the toughest. I don’t know who cried more – me or her. But eventually we got into a rhythm and we both found our way. Since then, everyday she has brought sunshine to my life, even on the bad days.

For six years it was just the three of us as we dealt with secondary infertility and miscarriages but eventually God answered our prayers again with three little boys in a row. Now it feels like just me and Bella in a house of boys and I cherish that female bond.

Bella is still as sweet as she was when she toddled around next to me and I marvel as I watch her cross over from little girl to young lady.

So today, I am grateful for my dear Bella who made me a mother for the very first time. Blessed be God!

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 4 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

* * *

It’s Taco Tuesday…only on a Saturday. You can’t have tacos without salsa so my little kitchen helper is ready to squeeze some limes.

I have to admit, I start cooking in the kitchen very quietly to get as much done before Matthew asks, “Can I helpchu?” (Don’t ask me why his “help you” comes out “helpchu.”) Part of me wants to shoo him away so I can get things done quickly but I have to remember that these our our special moments together. Ten years from now I am going to wish he longed to help me in the kitchen.

So today I am grateful for B52’s on the radio, dancing in the kitchen, my little guy bonding with me over making salsa and his smile that is just begging for sweet kisses. 🙂

* * *

By the way, want to try out the recipe for our quick salsa?

Find it here. Ole!

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 3 of my 31 Days of Gratitude.

* * *

Today has been “catch up on computer stuff” day – finish spread sheets, answer emails, respond to comments, work on school fundraisers, pay bills, browse Facebook when I should be washing the breakfast dishes, look up a recipe on Pinterest… and the list goes on. When it was time to take John-Paul to speech therapy, instead of sitting in the car for 1/2 an hour and playing on my iPhone, I grabbed my camera and strolled the therapist’s gardens. I caught this little guy in a flower.

I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to turn off the electronics, even for just a half hour, and take a moment to quiet my racing mind, feel the warmth of the sun (although it’s unusually blazing) and enjoy the handiwork of our Creator. 🙂

What do you like to do to quiet your soul?

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Tag Archives: photography

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 8): End of A Long Day

Online Daybook/ Currently (10/6): 31 Days of Gratitude (Day 6) Edition

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 5): The Little Girl That Made Me A Mom

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 4): Dancing and Cooking in the Kitchen

31 Days of Gratitude (Day 3): My Soul, Be at Rest in God Alone