15) & Theme Thursday & 7 Quick Takes

By bobbi
December 11, 2015
6 Comments

You know, I don’t post nearly as often as I’d like but when I do post, I try squeeze into as many link-ups as I can! 😉 Today I am linking up with Micaela for Theme Thursday (Scroll down to Take #7) and Annabelle at Written by the Finger of God, who is temporarily hosting 7 Quick Takes for Kelly. (Was that too confusing?) Here is a recap of what’s been going on lately.

Revolution of Love - logo_daybook_4

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

A peaceful moment to myself after a busy day.
The love of family and friends.
The joy of the season.
Having the necessities of life.

Praying for..

The intentions of many friends.
Those who are struggling or suffering through this holiday season.
Victims of abuse, violence and war.
The conversion of hearts back to God.
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.

Pondering…

Earlier this week. I got upset with Brian about something. No need to go into details but it was something that has bothered me before and that I have already brought to his attention. I fumed quietly for awhile then told him why I was upset. He apologized and said it was not his intention to hurt me and deep down I knew it was true but I was still mad. I didn’t want to let go of the anger. Instead I fell into the trap of a passive aggressive “okay, fine” attitude. But it was not fine. That little voice in my head kept egging me on with things like, “How long have we been married? Why does he still not understand these things? If he really loved me he would just know. Why is it that I am always doing x-y-z and he isn’t?”

Well, those kind of thoughts can eat you alive if you let them. I had to learn to let it go and see things from his point of view. I forced myself to give him the benefit of the doubt, to realize that he really didn’t mean to hurt me. Instead I turned my eyes to all the ways he shows me that he loves me, even when I am acting very unlovable. Then I thought about all the times that God has forgiven me for the countless things I have done wrong. Suddenly, Brian’s transgression looked very minor. (I couldn’t help but think about that marriage post I wrote earlier this year.) Thankfully, with God’s grace, when he came into the kitchen to give me hug I was able to accept it whole heatedly, ready to let go of any residue of anger left. Blessed be God.

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

Advent is in full swing here! Our Jesse Tree is going well, although instead of daily we only pin up symbols 2-3x a week at best! I’m not concerned since we can only do so much.

I know there are some who do not put up Christmas decorations or listen to Christmas carols until Christmas in order to highlight Advent and I think that’s great! We’re just not one of those families. Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas by decorating the house and putting up our tree. The kids filled out their Letters to Baby Jesus. It was sweet to read what they promised to do for Jesus and who they chose to pray for during Advent. Their wish list wasn’t much of a surprise – Legos, Minecraft, books and for Matthew, all things football right down to a Green Bay Packer uniform. You know I’ll be posting a shot of that one! 😉

Family Chit Chat…

Everyone is doing well, except for a few of us (myself included) that have colds/coughs. Nothing serious just really annoying. I think the change in weather from Disneyland (in the 90’s) to my parents (in the 40’s) and all the traveling and stress of road trips just wore us down. But it was all worth it since we had so much fun!

Here are some pics from Disneyland.

This year is the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland. I went to DL often as a child and first took Bella to DL during the 50th. Ten years and four kids later, we are still celebrating at the Magic Kingdom. 😉
The Ferris wheel at California Adventure.
It’s A Small World, Christmas Edition.
Me with my sweet Bella.
I was bummed that my dad couldn’t make the trip this year (he had a big job to finish) but my mom was there! We’ve had some rocky years in my youth ( particularly when I was going through my “being an idiot”) stage but thankfully we are best friends now. 🙂
Brian, John-Paul Bella and my sis Jacinta. (We were so excited she could join us this year!)
My crazy boys. Life would be dull without them!
My super hero sweetie. Swoon.
On the carousel.
The Star Wars exhibit was really cool…
…as was the Marvel super hero exhibit!
Santa was spotted wearing his SoCal winter clothes. 😉
Mack was a favorite at the new light parade.
The Christmas tree is HUGE.
The fireworks were amazing! (Unless you are trying to sleep in the hotel at 9:30 PM, then it sounds like you are being bombed!)
Hand in hand with their Auntie Jacinta. As Matty would say, this was the best trip EVAH!

After Disneyland we headed to my parents’ home to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving celebration, movie time with the kids, date time with my sweetie and cousin love!

There was a lot of celebrating and sharing our love and gratitude! Our Gratitude Tree made it’s appearance for the third time in a row. Next year we will have to make a second tree since our family is growing with the blessings of new spouses and children! It truly was a special Thanksgiving and a HUGE THANK YOU to my awesome mom who has made our feast year after year. I wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of stress but she tackles it like a boss! (Love you, mom!)

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

Sunday – Whole wheat pasta, turkey meatballs and salad.

Monday – Taco Salad

Tuesday – Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Wednesday –Won Ton Soup (I’ve never made this before but want to give it a try!)

Thursday – Breakfast Dinner

Friday – Date Night!! (woohoo!)

Saturday – Leftovers

~ 4 ~

Watching…

Non-stop Hallmark Christmas movies. I know, I know but I’m addicted. 😉

Listening to …

It’s pretty much Christmas music 24/7 at our house, although we have to take turns.

Bella and I love the crooning of Michael Buble…

But the little boys found my old Relient K Christmas CD (remember CD’s??) and they are loving the punkier sounds of Christmas.

Reading…

I am finally on the last pages of Jennifer’s book Something Other Than God. (The chapter I’m on now has me in tears…)

~ 5 ~

I haven’t posted a Daybook in over a month! So here are the last month’s posts.

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 42): The Jesse Tree
Advent Activities for Kids and Catholic Women & Moms (2015)
Living A Life of Gratitude (Guest Post at BIS)
A Week in My Life 2015: Monday & Tuesday // Wednesday & Thursday// Friday // Saturday & Sunday
Theme Thursdays – Portraits: Close-ups // Catchlights
November/ December 2015 (Holiday) Goals & A Review of My October Goals
Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 41): A Sacred Space for Family Prayer

For all you planners out there, tomorrow I’ll have my “Tips for Choosing A New Planner” post and on Monday “How I Use My Bullet Journal” post.

~ 6 ~

In the blogosphere…

I haven’t had much time for blog reading (grr!) but I do have these saved to read this weekend!

Liturgical Living for Beginners: An Our Lady of Guadalupe Play Date, with help from me and CCC
Present Pile Monograms by Sometimes Martha Always Mary.com
Why I (over)share on the internet about our life by Whole Parenting Family.com
Your Blog Post Wasn’t About Me and Other Illogical Complaints of the Internet by Carrots for Michaelmas.com
How to Manage Your Internet Addiction by Slow Mama.com
Our Favorite Toys for Younger Boys by Better than Eden.com
Drinking with the Saints: The Book Pretty Much Everyone Would Love by Efficient Momma.com
Motherhood is a Muscle by Better Than Eden.com
5 days of giveaways: Young Living Essential Oils The Fike Life.com
made with love // thanksgiving by The Side of Love.com
Finding Delight in the Lord — In Every Moment Given by Muffin Dome.com
Advent and Christmas posts by Sweet Little Ones Blog.com (I was going to highlight one post but they had too many good ones to narrow it down so just scroll through the last few days!)

~ 7 ~

We close off with Micaela and Theme Thursday, which is following the “holylens prompts from Abbey at Surviving Our Blessings.com. (I love when bloggers team up with their projects!!) Since I never posted last week, here at the prompts from week 1 & 2.

1. The “O Antiphon” banners were on display at the Mission. That is a sure SIGN that Advent is here.

2. During Advent I’m doing the Waiting in His Word: A Mother’s Advent Journey scripture study. I am really trying to start each morning in meditative prayer then putting WORDS to paper. I’m hoping it will help me keep my eyes on Jesus instead of holiday stress!

3. The love of money may be the ROOT of all evil but Timothy tells us what a man of God should pursue. I made a quick scribble to hang on the fridge as a reminder – “Pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience & gentleness.”

4. I’ve been using my Blessed Is She journal for my night exams and gratitude list. What I’m most grateful for tonight is the rosary club that started at the kids’ school. My heart was so SATISFIED to unite in prayer with fellow moms.

1. The storm clouds are rolling in and it reminds me of today’s Gospel – “The rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it has been set solidly on ROCK.” May God always be our rock and our salvation.

2. I love when I SEE the colors of the liturgical season in nature.

3. We are searching through the HARVEST of this year’s trees trying to find the perfect one to bring home.

4. Last night, after a long day, I was ready to crash on the couch. Thankfully I REMEMBERED that St. Nick had shoes to fill!

1. Looking towards the ROOF of the Mission, this is what I saw – organ pipes and St. Serra.

2. The kids love looking at the “Baby’s 1st Christmas” ornaments and figuring out who is who. Not to be left out, our little ANGEL ornament represents our two baby saints waiting for us in heaven

3. After a couple of busy days with hurried prayer, it was nice to REST in the Lord this morning. (You can tell the change in our room decor.) 🙂

4. (This one chokes me up.) Opa would always kiss the kids on top of the head when we visited him. Now the kids HELP him out by bowing down so he can still kiss them while visiting him in the nursing home. #holylens #worksofmercy #yearofmercy2016

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 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, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope or Katch (past Periscopes), GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉

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31 Days of Gratitude & Online Daybook (10/20/15): Gratitude & A Brian Update

By bobbi
October 20, 2015
8 Comments

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 20 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015.

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

An hour to myself after some very busy days.
For Brian’s good doctor’s report.
That my stomach bug has passed.
Electricity (When it is gone you realize how much you rely on it!)

Praying for..

The intentions of many friends.
Victims of the recent floods and fires.
Victims of abuse and domestic violence.
The conversion of hearts back to God.
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.

Pondering…

My selfishness. Let’s face it, we are all selfish to some degree, some of us more than others. I know that I am especially guilty. I’ll admit that I really like helping people. I like making them smile and brightening their day BUT I have to want to do it or be in the mood to do it. I don’t like when my plans are interrupted or I have to stop what I am doing for the hundredth time to clean up spilled milk, wipe a dirty rear end, stop a fight or pick up meds for my in-laws. God gives me ample opportunity to chip away at that selfishness and to surrender my will to Him.

Yesterday, God must have been pouring out the grace on me because I was able to stop, drop and roll with the punches and without the usual grumbling and eye rolling. (The power of Confessional grace, baby!) However, by late afternoon I could feel myself being pushed to the limit and my impatience was bubbling up. I was thinking to myself, yeah, this Pollyanna trying to be grateful and looking on the bright side of things is starting to suck. I could feel my selfishness and “woe is me” attitude trying to claw its way back to the top. I had to remind myself to turn back to God…to utter a prayer for more grace in the midst of the noise. I had to squelch the desire to just yell and lose it. Thankfully, more grace came and I pulled through.

I sometimes wonder, is it always going to be this hard? But as I look back on my life I realize that I am at a place when it actually matters to me. I am actually working on it and trying to grow. That is a lot better than the days when I didn’t care. I will most likely always struggle as long as I am human but I’d like to think that I am making progress and and at least realizing the key to getting through – continuously relying on God’s grace.

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

I washed the breakfast dishes (although now that I think about it, I think I left last night’s dirty pan in the oven) and there’s a load of laundry washing so I’d call that progress. 😉

Family Chit Chat…

Yesterday Brian had his 3 month appointment with his oncologist to check his blood work. Everything checked out and was in the normal range (although I think his red blood count was on the lower side of normal so we can work on that) and his organs looked good so, for now, there are no signs of the cancer returning. He’ll go back in another 3 months for routine scans and if he passes those, he’ll be one year cancer free.I am so, so grateful that Brian is continuing to do well. Frankly, I can’t think about the cancer too much or I’ll start freaking out with the “what ifs.” We’ve just got to keep on moving forward and re-committing to do all we can to live healthy.

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

Sunday – Whole wheat pasta, turkey meatballs and salad.

Monday – Breakfast Dinner

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Kale

Wednesday – Pork Tenderloin, brown rice medley and green beans.

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Tuna Melts and broccoli.

Saturday – (Treat Night) Chipotles

~ 4 ~

Watching…

(At the Movies)

The other night I saw Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks. The reviews I read were raving and I was intrigued. I went into the movie wanting to love it and while I enjoyed it, it didn’t move me as much as I thought it would. To be complete honest I was feeling tired (and nearly 2 1/2 hours was pretty long for a movie) so that could have affected my judgment or maybe I was just not in the mood for a drama but it just didn’t grab me. That being said, the movie is still definitely worth watching and it made me want to read more about the time and the struggles of people living in East Berlin. It also made me wonder how I would act if I were in situations like the characters – the lawyer defending the spy, his wife, the pilot. It’s thought-provoking. Did you see the movie? Did you like it? What other movies have you seen lately?

(On Youtube)

The Star Wars trailer. Naturally. (I refuse to say Natch.)

Listening to …

Make You Mine by Family of the Year

Reading…

America’s Test Kitchen: Slow Cooker Revolution – I know it’s a cookbook and not a “real” book but now that the cooler weather is coming, I need to use my slow cooker more!

~ 5 ~

There are too many posts to list since my last Daybook because I’ve posted every day this month for the #write31days challenge but here are some highlights…

~ 6 ~

In the blogosphere…

A number of my blogger friends are participating in the #write31days writing challenge. Go check them out!

31 Days of Etsy Shop Process by Handmaid Embroidery
31 Days of Bible Quotes by The Littlest Way
31 Days of Unexpected Joy by Real Catholic Mom
31 Days Photography Improvement by MuffinDome
31 Days of Gratitude by B is for Bissonette
31 Days of Fall Fun by On the Brink of Discovery

~ 7 ~

The latest on Instagram (since my mom’s not on there and she wants to see.) 😉

1 – Power outages on the Monterey Peninsula have made grocery shopping an interesting adventure.

2 – John-Paul lost his first tooth.

3 – Caught in a surprise autumn storm.

4 – Today was Bella’s first try at babysitting the boys so Brian and I could go out to lunch. She did great and we had fun. GAME CHANGER!

5 – It was 16 years ago today that Brian asked me to marry him.

6 – I just found the gift card I got for my bday. It’s been months since I’ve been to the movies, so tonight is mama’s night out!

7 – Happy October! It’s the beginning of my favorite time of year

8 – Despite, the Carmel Mission being vandalized this morning, the celebration is going on as planned. St Junipero Serra, pray for us.

9 – #projectblessed – L is for… The little touches that add loveliness to a somewhat messy and chaotic 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 week!

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Online Daybook (9/22/15): Downton, Star Wars and Blog Bashing

By bobbi
September 22, 2015
4 Comments

I feel like it has been forever since last posting. Life has been busy. Here is a quick Online Daybook to catch you up. 🙂

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

Having a school for my kids that I trust.
More time to myself to get things done.
Support of friends.
The love of my family.
A visit from my parents last week.
A phone call from my mom this morning.
Running water. (Ours was out on Saturday.)

Praying for..

The intentions of many friends.
Those who have lost loved ones.
Immigrants and victims of war.
Victims of abuse and domestic violence.
The conversion of hearts back to God.
An end to the fires burning in CA (especially the local fire here) and WA.
People to disagree respectfully without feeling the need to tear others down with hurtful words and actions.
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.

Pondering…

I’m thinking about miscarriages. It seems like lately so many of my friends are suffering the loss of a child, whether early on or well into their pregnancies. For those who are new here, Brian and I were married in ’99 and it took a year to conceive our daughter Bella in 2001. In the years following we dealt with secondary infertility and the two times I was able to get pregnant, we lost both babies. Even though we lost them early, it hit me hard. Harder than anything else I had experienced prior. We prayed and felt our babies were boys so we named them Victor (my husband’s middle name) and Joseph (my husband’s patron saint.)

Every morning we pray a litany to our family saints (all our namesakes) and it’s only recently that I felt we should add saints Baby Victor and Baby Joseph to our litany. I explained to the kids who they were and that they have two more siblings in heaven praying for them each day. (As an aside, we were able to correct my fertility problems after my second miscarriage and we had three little guys in a row.)

It has been almost a decade now and while I am at peace with our babies being in heaven, every once in awhile (when a loved one has a miscarriage) the pain sweeps over me all over again. But I don’t mind now since it reminds me of how close they are to my heart despite our distance from one another.

If you have lost a baby, even if it was very early, don’t feel bad about grieving for your baby. Name your child (or call them “Baby Your Last Name.” Ask them to pray for you each day so that one day you can be reunited with them in God’s kingdom.

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

The house is much more picked up these days since we have set times in the day when the kids have to do a 5-minute clean up of the key messy areas of the house. There will always be the stray legos to plague my feet and the endless plastic superheroes lurking in the corners but it is much better than it was before. Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.

Family Chit Chat…

It has been an eventful week! Last week my parents came up for a visit just in time for Grandparents Day at the kids’ school. They were so excited to recite their poems, sing their songs, dance their moves and show off their work. I’m not a huge fan of school performances in general but it was nice to see my parents just as excited as the kids to share it with them. Of course, I relished having time with my family. We are close and it sometimes hurts to be separated from them after living so many years under one crazy and loud roof. But luckily 400 miles is no more than a 7 hour drive (with bathroom breaks.)

Well, not to get too spoiled, this weekend we were given the opportunity to really appreciate things we take for granted – like running water! A city water main broke and we were without water for a day. It may not seem like long but the logistics of 6 people in a house without a flushing toilet can get rough. Note to self – Fill up some empty gallon bottles with tap water for flushing emergencies! Thankfully this morning we are all showered and have properly flushed.

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

I’m going back to trying one new recipe each week in hopes to build up our sometimes boring meal rotation. This week I made chicken quesadillas (a no-brainer) with a salad that had Creamy Lime Dressing.

~ 4 ~

Watching…

(At the Movies)

I haven’t been to the movies in awhile but Brian said I should take the night off and go see something. Well, you don’t have t twist my arm…so I am thinking Mission Impossible or The Visit. Any thoughts?

(On Youtube)

Have you ever given your kids your phone so they can make a movie on it? Then as they show it to you, you think that it is absurd yet kinda funny and you love it anyway because of who made it. That’s what I felt about these Downton Abbey and Star Wars mashups. (I know, right!?) The second one is worth watching just to catch all the Downton Abbey character cameos. Hilarious. (Thanks to Emmy for the heads up.)

Listening to …

I recently found the band Silversun Pickups. I love their older music and look forward to their upcoming release Better Nature (9/25) that includes this song – Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance).

Reading…

These are on my nightstand now.

I’m embarrassed to admit that these are still sitting on my nightstand getting lonely since I read before bedtime and average about 1/2 a page before knocking out.

I’m also trying to finish all the half read books on my night stand, which includes Jennifer Fulwilers book Something Other Than God.

~ 5 ~

Here are my posts since the last Daybook. (It’s been a slow month.)

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 39): Holy Spirit Prayer {Free} Printable & Bookmarker – The link-up is open until September 30th.
September 2015 Goals (& A Review of My Summer Goals)
My Favorite Songs of Summer 2015

~ 6 ~

In the blogosphere…

I haven’t had time to read many of my favorite blogs but there has been a lot of talk lately about a certain blog and forum where people “hate read” blogs and then bash them. There are numerous categories, including “annoying Catholics.” Some of my friends and fellow bloggers were listed and ridiculed. I spent about 20 minutes on the site and had more than my fill.

I usually always try to see both sides of a story and while I understand why people may not like certain bloggers, how they write, what they believe or how they live their lives, what I don’t understand is this obsessive need to live out the “mean girl” attitude and spewing out hateful words with so much anger. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Life is too damn short to waste your hours on that kind of negativity.

And it’s not just on this website but you see this nastiness all over – online and in real life, and from both sides. (I get just as sick to hear Christians bashing “non-believers” and spewing their own brand of hatred.) Instead of disagreeing and making a logical point, people feel the need to use snark and hateful words to tear a person down.

I know we don’t live in a big Kumbaya world and our beliefs will make us targets for those that hate the Church, but for my part, I am all for a sisterhood of building each other up rather than tearing each other down. We don’t have to agree with one another but I hope that I will always be respectful of you and vice versa.

This blog is too small and insignificant to affect anyone outside of my family and circle of friends but if you are reading this and you hate this blog, it’s content, me, my family, my beliefs and you don’t want to agree to disagree, then I’m truly sorry…but don’t let me waste anymore of your time. Just click the little X or the little red button at the top corner and I won’t bother you anymore.

~ 7 ~

The latest on Instagram (since my mom’s not on there and she wants to see.) 😉

1 – I woke up to smoke in the air from a fire in a nearby town. Offering prayers for our firefighters and the victims of all the CA (and elsewhere) fires.

2 – #projectblessed – Perfect. It’s a perfect day for a lunch date with my honey.

3 – #projectblessed -colors. I originally was going to just print a copy of the Holy Spirit prayer but then I started playing with colors, fonts and clip art and made this printable instead.

4 – #projectblessed – Dark. Thank God I am feeling much better now and was able to go to Target for some medicine (and Force Friday.) Matthew and I took a quick photo with Chewie. Our family will always be fighting the dark side.

5 – #projectblessed -Blue. Yesterday I was feeling blue because I had no energy to do my chores, let alone read, go online or work on my traveler’s notebook. I just wanted to sleep. I hate being sick.

6 – While Matthew was at school I showered, washed my hair and wore it down to pick him up at noon. After getting him he does a double take and says, “What the heck is going on with your hair?” Hahaha! I guess he’s only used to me wearing it up.

7 – WIDN – Tagged by @ordinarylovely and @betweenthebobseins. I have the next hour completely to myself so I want to put some of my bday gifts to use. Should I write a letter to a friend, paint my nails, pretty my planner or go to Target and then lunch. Decisions, decisions!!

8 – Tagged by @callherhappy for WIDN. I’m making fajitas, guacamole and salsa to eat with the yummiest chips! They are new at our Whole Foods. They are from a local company, non-GMO, and delicioso!

9 – The photo came out a little dark but here’s a bottle of Cholula on my kitchen window sill. I don’t use it but it reminds me of my dad and 5 brothers. (The flowers remind me of my mom and sisters.)

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 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, Spotify or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Online Daybook (7/31/15) & 7 Quick Takes: Brian Update, Confession & Movies

By bobbi
July 31, 2015
No Comments

Happy ~~Monday~~! ~~Tuesday~~! ~~Wednesday~~! ~~Thursday~~! Friday! Okay, seriously?? I’ve sat down to write this post every day this week but every time something comes up and I’m sidetracked. Oh, well. Such is life. However, I want to make the effort to post a Daybook since many of you have asked how Brian’s cancer testing went. In a nutshell, great! For the longer version, plus a little bit of this and that, read below. 🙂 I am linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes.

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

Brian’s good health.
My brother’s successful surgery and that he’s back home with his family.
The kids’ swimming instructors and their patience.
Brian’s safe trip and return home.
The love and family and friends.

Praying for..

Those in abusive (physical or emotional) relationships.
Those who have recently lost their lives, especially under tragic circumstances, and the loved ones left behind.
The upcoming the BIS Brunches and those planing and attending.
All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies (especially my sis) and for moms contemplating an abortion.
The souls in purgatory, especially family, friend and those most forgotten.
Some special intentions.

Pondering…

My need for Reconciliation this weekend. I can always tell when I am getting close to (or past) my monthly Confession. I am more easily impatient, short tempered and put out by inconveniences. Yesterday I was upset with Brian over something stupid and caught myself talking down to him like he was one the kids. I have been trying to be careful not to do that and to lift him up with my words and actions. But I was in such a foul mood that everything anyone said to me was getting on my nerves.

I know when I get like this I need to humble myself before God and receive God’s grace through the Sacrament to strengthen my soul. If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to confession, let’s both get to it this weekend! 🙂

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

As you know, I have been trying to work on the house a little each day but the progress is so slow sometimes it is depressing. I feel like I am so far behind and have so little extra time and even with the kids “helping” I don’t feel like I am making a dent. The other day Brian came home and I just broke down and cried. I felt like a failure. I let the mess get so bad that I couldn’t get myself out of it. Of course that wasn’t completely true and Brian was quick to soothe me and gently reminded me that life with a busy family means progress may be slow but it is there. After a good cry and getting the tension off my chest, I was able to see the corners of the house that did look better and how continued purging of all the junk (my hoarding tendencies really come out when I purge!) will help me make more progress. 🙂

Family Chit Chat… (Brian Update)

My best friend and sweetheart.

As many of you know, Brian has been battling cancer for the last two years. He was clean as of Jan 2015. Last week he was scheduled for another round of bloodwork and a CT scan. We got the results in Monday and his scan was clean and his bloodwork was good. In fact, the doc said his levels have improved. Three months ago his bloodwork had him in the lower normal range. This time he was in the solidly middle range. It is such a relief to get this news. it is never something that we will be done with and we will always have that cloud over our head somewhat, but hopefully Our Lord will continue to bless us with health and healing.

Thank you so much to all of you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement. Brian thinks it’s a little weird that I share these things with you but I need the emotional support and prayers of my OL friends and in turn it may give an encouragement to someone else struggling with some of the things I discuss. So to you, the quiet lurker reading this who never comments, sending out an encouraging hug to you. No words need to be spoken. 🙂

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

I tried a new recipe for our Thursday’s breakfast dinner. I made Martha Stewart’s oven baked blueberry pancake. We don’t use white flour or white sugar so I made it with wheat flour and coconut sugar, adding a touch of cinnamon. It was a little more dense than a fluffy white pancake but still came out tasty and everyone gobbled it up! Next time I may try using wheat pastry flour.

~ 4 ~

Watching…

(At the Movies)

Summer is movie time! Here are the latest…

Me, Earl and the Dying Girl

Although I am old enough to be their parents, I enjoy watching the young adult movies filled with ironic teens who never quite talk like any teen I’ve known. Although, I happened to sit behind a group of hip, ironic teens that talked as if they belonged in one of these movies. It was kind of sweet to witness. Anyway, the movie was about a self-centered teen (Greg) who is forced by his mom to befriend a classmate (Rachel) that has leukemia. Although Rachel has cancer, the movie is really more about the self-loathing Greg learning to care about someone other than himself and risking getting hurt in order to connect with another person on a deeper level. There are touching moments and quirky humor that add to the overall movie. Rated 3 1/2 out of 5 stars or “I wouldn’t rent or buy the DVD but I’d watch it again if it happened to be on TV.” Parent’s note: The movie contains profane language, crude remarks/ behavior, a secular worldview and deals with cancer and it’s effects.

Mr. Holmes

Some may think that the story of Sherlock Homes has been done to death but I don’t mind the various versions. This movie is the story of a non-mythical Sherlock at the end of his life, dealing with his failing mind and his desire to right a case that he cannot remember. It is definitely more of a drama than a mystery. The story was a little slow at times (and the storyline a little depressing) but what really made this movie was the remarkable talent of Ian McKellen. He was painfully believable as a genius of a man grappling with the decline of his mental capabilities. Maybe it felt a little close to home seeing my father-in-law decline mentally but it touched me. Rated 3 1/2 out of 5 stars or “I wouldn’t buy the DVD but I’d rent it on DVD so Brian could watch it.” Parent’s note: The movie deals with some adult subjects.

Listening to …

Molecules by Atlas Genius is my song of the week. 🙂

Reading…

I’ve been so bad with my reading lately! I am trying to finish up Jen Fulwiler’s first book Something Other Than God so I can read her new one Like Living Among Scorpions: One Woman’s Quest to Survive Her Suburban Life.

Also on the night stand…

Lizzy and Jane

~ 5 ~

Here are last couple of posts…

Other than the granola recipe and a couple Daybooks, it’s been quiet. I’m in summer mode. 😉

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 37): Homemade Coconut Granola

~ 6 ~

In the blogosphere…

When life is so busy you don’t have time to read your favorite blogs, then I recommend at least reading Catholic All Year. Kendra manages to always have great posts such as these…

~ 7 ~

Here are some Instagrams I’ve taken these past two weeks.

1 – #projectblessed – Goodbye. Goodbye lawlessness. There’s a new sheriff in town.

2 – #projectblessed – Sitting. I’m sitting down with the sweet @celia.oz to plan a Blessed Is She Brunch for Monterey, CA.

3 – That moment when your daughter says, “I’ll make the boys’ breakfast so you can do your work, mom.” ❤️❤️ Mamas of young ones, one day your 13 yr old will make meals and your 8 yr will vacuum and your 5 yr old will match clean socks and your 4 yr old will set the table. You’ll have helpers soon!!

4 – #projectblessed – Street & Glimpse. You can get a glimpse into Matthew’s mind when you see what he wants for his birthday. We saw this while walking along the street of downtown Carmel.

5 – #projectblessed – Clean. I was cleaning the kitchen and found this guy. After a few swats with a shoe I realized it was from Matthew’s toy Spider-Man car. (I don’t know if I was more relieved or mad.)

6 – #projectblessed – handwriting

7 – #projectblessed – Where I live. Even on a gloomy day, there’s no place like home.

8 – It’s been a busy day but now I’m slowing down and writing a letter to a @blessedisshe__ sister.

9 – #projectblessed – Drink. After shopping with the boys I feel like I need a stiff drink.

~ 8 ~

Bonus Take

Speaking of Blessed Is She, tomorrow August 1, it is my turn to share a Gospel reflection with you. Here’s a snippet…

The reading of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist has never been one of my favorites. Let’s face it: it’s not the most uplifting passage. So this morning as I was trying to think of something positive, what kept coming to mind is John’s fearlessness and Herod’s cowardice.

I have always been in awe of John’s persona. He didn’t shy away from preaching about God. His call to repentance was aimed at all people, even those who could do him harm. In the end, John gave his life for the love of God.

Herod saw this. He feared and loathed John because he made him face his sins and exposed his cowardice. Although Herod wanted to put John to death, he feared John’s followers. Later when Herodias’ daughter asked for John’s head, Herod regretted his oath but he feared upsetting his guests who commanded that he follow through. So he had John beheaded.

How are we living our lives?

Are we like Herod, not wanting to face our sins and in fear of what people will think of us? Or are we like John, a fearless preacher of the Gospel, willing to die for God?

Continue reading here.

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!

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Online Daybook (7/13/15), 7QT & Answer Me This: Entertainment Edition

By bobbi
July 13, 2015
2 Comments

Happy Monday! If you attended the Edel15 conference or the ComicCon then I was really jealous of you this weekend! However, I held no grudges and did hope you were having a fun time as I kept myself busy stalking you. 😉 Now that it’s over I am linking up with Bonnie for 7 Quick Takes and Kendra for Answer Me This.

~ 1 ~

Grateful…

A moment of unusual calm that lets me type here with a minimum amount of yelling from the kiddos playing outside.
For the beauty of the earth.
For the lazy mornings that let me sleep in a little later than usual.
For stolen kisses from the man I love.
For glimpses of hope and light when all seems grey.

Praying for..

Those who are being persecuted for their faith.
Those who are hurting, depressed and have lost their faith.
The attendees of Edel, that their spirits are refreshed and friendships deepened as sisters in Christ.
For those who couldn’t attend Edel, that they find joy and peace in their circumstances and feel united to the sisterhood of Christ.
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 (especially my sis) and for moms contemplating an abortion.
The souls in purgatory, especially family, friend and those most forgotten.
Some special intentions.

UPDATE: A very special intention today. Please keep my brother Rob in your prayers as he is having surgery today. May he recover quickly and get back to his wife and two little boys!

Pondering…

I was listening to a fave Christian podcast Relevant the other day while I was taking my walk. As you know, I love walking on the Monterrey Peninsula. The beauty of the ocean waves, the trees, the mountains, the wildflowers…they turn my eyes and heart to God as I marvel at his majesty. I was reminded of this when Relevant featured a live performance from Gungor. Their song Vapor carried me away and moved me to tears as I humbly witnessed the holiness of God in nature. With all the negativity and turmoil than can trouble my heart, I truly needed that moment to gaze at nothing more than the goodness of God and to remember that He is bigger than any problem or difficulty we may have. Blessed be God!

Here is the video of Gungor playing in studio.

Or watch the visually beautiful music video here.

Vapor Lyrics:

Oh the vapor of it all — It’s a chasing of the wind — The powers of the earth so pale and thin — We will set our hearts on you again

Heaven taunts the hearts of men — We can feel it from within — The beauty of it all — The mystery — The swelling of a voice — A rising sea

Holy — You oh God are Holy — Trees clap their hands for you — Oceans they dance for you — You are holy

Oh the mystery of it all — I can never peer within — I’ll never find the words or understand — The fullness of a God — Become a man

Holy — You oh God are Holy — Trees clap their hands for you — Oceans they dance for you

You are holy — Infinite and holy — A billion suns rise for you — Clouds paint the skies for you — Mountains stand tall for you — Valleys bow down to you — Everything rising to — Sing all our songs for you

Holy — The impossible and holy — Kings become fools for you — Kingdoms to ruins for you — Vapor finds ground in you — Music finds sound for you — Everything rising — Everything rising

Come like dawn — Like waves — Like sunlight — Bring this world to life

Come like rain — Like breath — Like springtime

Bring this world to life

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

When summer started I thought I would have ample time to do some serious house cleaning and organizing but in between traveling, swimming lessons, spending time with Opa, speech therapy, errands and such, I have as much time as I did when I was running around during the school year. Oh, well. I just try to do what I can in the pockets of time I have. So far I have been able to tackle a couple of things on my summer cleaning list. I’ll post more details in the weeks to come.

Family Chit Chat…

Now that we are back from Tahoe, we are into our normal summer routine. We’ve started swimming lessons, which the boys love.

I’ve also been trying to take an hour each day to have the kids review some school material. Mostly math and reading. I got the boys these Star Wars Workbooks. They enjoy using them! Well, as much as a normal kid can enjoy doing school work on a summer day. It makes it easier when they know they can play with their light sabers or watch an episode of Star Wars Rebels if they get all their work done. 🙂 (One note about the books if you are going to buy one, check the “look inside” feature on Amazon first. I noticed that they are a little easy so you may need to go to the next grade up.)

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

Sunday – We get a treat tonight with Burrito Bowls at Chipotles. YUM!!

Monday – Chef Salad topped with chicken and fresh baked bread.

Tuesday – Turkey Enchilada Lasagna, homemade pinto beans and salad. (Making a double batch to share with a new mama.)

Wednesday – Italian Red Wine Roast Beef in the Slow Cooker with roasted potatoes and broccoli. (This is my new recipe of the week. See the Pin below.)

Thursday – Breakfast dinner. Leftover enchiladas with scrambled egg.

Friday – Tuna Melts, chips and broccoli.

Saturday – Leftover roast beef on toasted garlic wheat rolls with Southwestern corn and black bean salad.

~ 4 ~

Watching…

(At the Movies)

Here are the latest…

Inside Out – I originally was going to take all the kids to see this but in the end I only took Bella. I am glad I did. The movie was sweet but it never would have held the boys’ attention. Many people were in love with the movie and although I thought it was enjoyable and had some really nice moments, I doubt I’d watch it a second time.

Jurassic World – Before I went to see this movie with Brian, I let Bella and Andrew watch Jurassic Park for the first time. Even 22 years later, it is still an incredible movie that hasn’t lost it’s awe and tension. It was a nice preview before watching Jurassic World since there were many cool tips of the hat to JP. That being said, it was hard no to compare the original with this version. JW was a fun summer popcorn movie but it had it’s flaws. Some of the acting and dialogue was stiff and characters were flat and stereotypical. However, this movie wasn’t trying to win an Academy Award. It was trying to give you two hours of dino mayhem and fun and on that front it delivered. — UPDATE: After writing this mini review, I took Bella to see the movie. (She is excited that she is finally old enough to see some PG-13 movies.) I have to tell you that I enjoyed it so much more the second time around. Maybe because there wasn’t all these expectations and I could just relax and enjoy it. I had a lot of fun and Bella loved it.

Minions – Our family loves the Despicable Me movies, especially Matthew. I didn’t know how a third Minion-only movie would be pulled off and now I know. It is basically 90 minutes of slapstick (and sometimes crude humor) with a splash of occasional bare behinds that will send the kids giggling hysterics and you chuckling despite your resistance. If you’re already a fan, you’ll probably enjoy the movie with your kids. If you aren’t a fan, skip it.

(On Youtube)

I have been following the ComicCon in San Diego and was excited to see some of the videos and previews coming out, including these:

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens Official Comic-Con 2015 Reel (2015)

Skip this one if you aren’t already a fan of The Walking Dead – Season 6 Preview

Skip this one if your aren’t already a fan of zombies and TWD. – Fear the Walking Dead: World Premiere

Listening to …

With the gorgeous summer weather, I have been trying to walk more and hit my 10,000 steps goal every day of the week. To do that I have added new music to my walking list. These two songs are my faves of the week. 🙂

Night Riots with Contagious from their EP Howl.

Renegades by X Ambassadors from their debut album VHS.

And if you aren’t into music, then check out the interview from Jennifer Fulwiler’s podcast with Jeanie Gaffigan. I have been reading Jim’s book Dad Is Fat and it is hilarious. I was interested to hear his wife Jeannie speak. It’s not often you find faithful Catholics working in the entertainment industry. The interview was short but I was touched by Jeannie’s faith, especially when she spoke about their little daughter that only lived a day and the struggles it caused in their marriage. Yet, their faith and trust in God pulled them through and made them stronger in their marriage and commitment to God. It is beautiful. I think Jeannie needs to write a book next! 🙂

Reading…

These. Some of these I am previewing for Bella. She like teen/romance novels bur from a Christian perspective. Any suggestions?

~ 5 ~

Here are last couple of posts…

~ 6 ~

In the blogosphere…

I have 150 posts in my Bloglovin feed that have yet to be read. I’ll tackle the highlights this weekend and share my faves next time. 😉

However, I did read Kendra’s Answer Me This and I did answer her questions.

1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?

Living in along the coast of Central California, we pretty much have mild weather year round. The homes here don’t have air conditioning, ours included, because it rarely gets hot enough to need it. When we do reach crazy hot temps (over 80) then we just pray the fog rolls in quickly to cool things off. LOL. Right now we are having a warmer summer with less fog, which is nice since it actually feels like summer. The temps in our house now are in the 70’s but normally it’s in the 60’s. In winter we set our heater to about 64.

2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?

I mostly drink water but if I get a treat then it would be something lemony. Like the lemonade frozen drinks at Disneyland. Yum. 🙂

3. Where do you keep your keys?

We have this hanging in the entryway of our home, just opposite of the fmaily altar. You can see part of the Jesus icon in the mirror.

4. Have you ever really been lost?

Before the widespread use of GPS, I would get lost ALL THE TIME. The worst was when my sister and I would go to shows or clubs in LA or San Diego. I have a poor sense of direction and I’d never just go from point A to B. There would always be a few U-turns and detours on the way there. These days Siri is my best friend! The ironic thing is that I use Siri to go to kid friendly destinations instead of clubs and concerts. Oh well. 😉

5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?

See above. Although I forgot I also saw Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. I’ll wait to tell you about that for the next Online Daybook. 🙂
Pinned…

Italian Red Wine Roast Beef by Barefoot in the Kitchen

~ 7 ~

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

1. #insteadofedel – Watching the Minion movie with the kiddos.

2. #projectblessed – Dark. It’s a little dark in this section of our local library in Carmel but Blessed Junipero Serra keeps watch. #insteadofedel

3. #projectblessed – beauty. (No filter.)

4. #projectblessed – Hello. What’s that you say? Why is there a ghostbuster in our house? Hello??!! Life with boys!

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!

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Tag Archives: online daybook

Online Daybook (12/11/15) & Theme Thursday & 7 Quick Takes

31 Days of Gratitude & Online Daybook (10/20/15): Gratitude & A Brian Update

Online Daybook (9/22/15): Downton, Star Wars and Blog Bashing

Online Daybook (7/31/15) & 7 Quick Takes: Brian Update, Confession & Movies

Online Daybook (7/13/15), 7QT & Answer Me This: Entertainment Edition