14): Gilbert Blythe, Point Lobos and A Catholic Conference

By bobbi
April 21, 2015
6 Comments

I’m on my second week of no blogging so I’m popping in for a quick Online Daybook to catch up. 😉

I’m linking up with Kelly for Quick Takes and with Jenny for Daybook Online Journal and Like Mother, Like Daughter‘s {pretty, happy, funny, real} (Scroll down to #7 for that.)

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

My hubs.
My kiddos.
My extended family.
My little haven, it may be messy and loud but it is home.

Praying for..

Those who are fighting serious illness and depression.
Those who will die this week.
Those who are victims of abuse and family dysfunction.
Those on my prayer list.
All pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
Many special intentions.

Pondering…Photo Source

Gilbert Blythe. Isn’t it strange how attached we can become to a fictional character? When I heard the news that Jonathon Crombie died, my heart sank, not only for the man and actor but for the character he played. It was as if Anne was really losing her husband and we were saying good bye to a beloved friend. It is strange that we can watch a show – whether Downton Abbey or The Walking Dead and the characters are as real to us as the people in our own lives. We follow the shows almost religiously and we cry when they cry and rejoice when they are happy. I sometimes wonder if I give the real people in my life that kind of attention. Do I make the effort to reach out to a friend going through a rough time or do I offer to help another when she is in need. Why is it easier for me to feel emotion from the comfort of my own couch than to step outside my door and help a living and breathing person? This week I’m going to make an effort to set aside the fictional characters and interact with the real people in my life. 😉

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

I’m slowly making progress on my spring cleaning and organizing. I don’t have a lot of free time but during Easter break I devoted each day to a specific area and cleaned it up. Granted there are a hundreds of areas that need attention but it’s a start!

Family Chit Chat…

Last week my “baby” Matthew turned 4 years old! Our family tradition of dressing up Pooh Bear as the birthday host continued. This time he was a buff Captain America.

I had such a tough time when I found out I was pregnant because I felt like I wasn’t ready for another baby and the doc was freaking out since I was well over the 35 year old “cut off date,” but in the end, everything worked out fine and he was actually my easiest labor. (Well, if you don’t count him coming too fast and the nurses telling me to hold it until the doc could get there. (What the what?!) Anyway, now I can’t imagine life without my sweet spitfire.

In other news, Brian and I celebrated the 16th anniversary of the day we first met in person after 5 months of “online dating.” I knew by the end of that day that we would one day be married.

I woke up to a hot breakfast and a love note to start my day. Swoon. 🙂

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

Monday – Breakfast dinner.

Tuesday – Tacos, homemade beans and salad.

Wednesday – Chef salad and soup.

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

Friday – (Brian is cooking while I’m gone.) Hotdogs, chili beans, broccoli.

Saturday – (Ditto) Spaghetti and salad.

Sunday – To celebrate my safe return – Eat out. 🙂

~ 4 ~

Watching…

Last night I watched the Blessed Is She Google Hang Out. It was great to see my fellow BIS ladies and to hear what they had to share! (You may find me participating at the next one.) 😉 If you were unable to watch, no worries. Watch it on Youtube! 🙂

Listening to …

I added I’m Good by The Mowgli’s to my walking playlist. It is fun and addictive.

Reading…

I’ve been hearing a lot about The Girl on the Train so I downloaded it, even though I have a huge pile of unread books to finish. I know, I know…

~ 5 ~

I haven’t posted in awhile…life, you know. However, I’ve got a queue of half written posts in my draft folder and I promise that after my last big room mom/ school project is complete, I’ll be able to get back to it. (Cuz I miss it!)

~ 6 ~

Did I mention that this weekend I am attending the CWBN California Conference?? I am so excited. For the longest time I was dragging my feet to make hotel reservations because I kept thinking that something was going to happen to stop me from attending. Well, I’m hoping that is just a little drama queen seeping out. (Kind of like the way I was certain I would be orphaned by the time I was 13. But alas, decades later and my parents are alive and well.) 😉

So… my blog reading time has been looking at the blogs of my fellow attendees. When I come back from the conference I will do a post of all the great ladies I met – some who you already know, like Kendra and Micaela and Jenna but lots of other bloggers that you may not know as well…… Did I mention that I am so excited? There’s talk of Friday meet ups and movie nights and more…Squeal!

~ 7 ~

For Matthew’s birthday, we went to Point Lobos for a hike and picnic. It was our visit of 2015. I love it there! Here are a few shots.

These shots are being linked up with Like Mother, Like Daughter‘s {pretty, happy, funny, real}. The link up isn’t until Thursday but I know I won’t be posting that day so I am doing it now. 😉

The weather was perfect!

You can’t help but smile. 🙂

We made it to the top!

Mandatory group photo by mom. 😉

Heading back down.

Random shot.

Time for our picnic. The birthday boys’ favorite gift was his Iron Man from Grandma and Grandpa. He insisted that he come to the hike and picnic with us. 🙂

Andrew and Brian are like two peas in a pod. 🙂

Sweet Bella and John-Paul acting goofy as usual. 😉

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~~! I mean, Tuesday. (I started this Monday.) 😉

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. 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Online Daybook & 7 QT (3/30/15): Kindness, Dances & iZombie

By bobbi
March 30, 2015
6 Comments

This started out as a Quick Takes on Friday but I never seemed to get more than a couple minutes to myself to sit and write so Friday went into Saturday and then Sunday and now back to Monday. Since Monday is my Online Daybook day, I’ll just make this a Leftovers Day – a little bit of this and a little bit of that to round up the past week or two.

To share some blogging love, I’m linking up with Kelly for Friday’s Quick Takes and with Jenny for Daybook Online Journal.

~ 1 ~

Grateful for…

The warmth of the sun.
Flowers blooming everywhere.
This quiet time right now.
My mom’s phone call this morning. Hearing her voice always makes me smile.
The grace of Confession. (No wonder I feel so zen.) 😉
The grace of Holy Week.

Praying for..

That I make the most of this Holy Week.
For my FIL’s continued recovery and that he’ll get strong enough to visit our home for Easter.
For all caregivers, especially of their own loved ones.
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 pregnant moms, those trying to get pregnant, those who have lost their babies and for moms contemplating an abortion.
Some special intentions.

Pondering…

(I wrote this part of Friday.)

It’s been another long week and I need something to get my mind off the horrors in the news – the pilot that killed himself and 150 passengers, the women that sliced into a pregnant mom and stole her baby, the authorities that refused to charge the woman for murder because the 7 months old baby wasn’t a “person” and countless other infuriating and heart wrenching stories. WTH? I can’t help but get cynical and feel jaded about all this, but then God always sends me a ray of hope to remind me that as screwed up as some things may be, there is always hope and a light ready to shine in the darkness.

Just the other day I was running errands and waiting in line to get out of one shopping center to go across the street to the next shopping center. All the cars were at a stop as we waited for an older man who was in a wheel chair (he was missing a leg) trying to cross the street. He was really struggling so one of the guys waiting at the intersection jumped out of his car and ran over to the guy and helped him get across the street. In the meantime, traffic was backing up and I was waiting for people to get impatient and start honking. Or I thought there would be that one idiot driver who always thinks he’s above waiting so he swerves in and out of traffic to get through. But no, everyone waited patiently as the guy pushed the man across two intersections and then they waited until the guy was able to run back into his car before anyone moved. Everyone just nodded to each other in solidarity and moved on without incident.

It was such a simple thing but it brought tears to my eyes to see kindness and patience displayed. What is that line from Cinderella? “Have courage and be kind.” So right now I must combat these evils with courage and kindness, remembering that the little things done with great love (united by God’s grace) can move hearts and change lives.

~ 2 ~

Around the House…

Truthfully? There is a never ending mess and I’m gathering up my strength to tackle it. See that pretty kitchen scene in the photo below? There are so many dirty dishes on the sink you can’t see any of that! The kids are in school until noon on Wednesday. After they eat lunch that afternoon they get a chore list and spring cleaning begins!

Family Chit Chat…

Last week I was crazy busy helping plan and execute our school’s Father-Daughter Dance. It was rather ironic that I spent so much time planing a dance that both my daughter and her father swore they could not attend since they hate dancing. Thankfully, I talked them into going and at least making an appearance, especially since these young years are so fleeting!! 😉

To prove my point, here is Bella at her first FDD in kindergarten. In eight short years, now Bella is in 7th grade. 🙂

Brian was in high demand that week. On the feast of St. Joseph it was Daddy’s Day at Matthew’s preschool. He made him a jar filled with candy kisses (which Brian wisely took to work) and a tie with his favorite thing he loves to do with Brian. Matty will literally stand by the door every evening holding two light sabers waiting for Brian to come home. I have to explain to the poor little guy that Daddy needs a few minutes to unwind before he can unleash his Jedi powers. 😉

Speaking of Matthew, this morning I took him to his school admissions test to see if he’d be able to attend Pre-K at the big kids’ school. He passed. Yay! That means for one year I will be able to have all the kids in one school. I’ll have a student in 8th, 2nd, K and Pre-K. I’ll still be running around with three different school schedules (and various activities/speech therapy) but at least school will be in one location, until the following year when Bella started HIGH SCHOOL!! (Excuse me while I pass out….)

~ 3 ~

In the Kitchen…

I haven’t planned this week’s menu yet. Yesterday I had an enchilada marathon, making meals for us, my inlaws and a friend with a new baby. My helpful hint? Forget rolling the enchiladas individually. Instead make it like a lasagna. Soo much quicker and easier! Tonight we’ll have leftovers and the rest of the week’s menu I’ll figure out later. 😉

~ 4 ~

Watching…

(If you are not into the zombie thing, skip down to “Listening to.”) 😉

I am super behind on The Walking Dead because ever since Brian got tired of the show (a couple seasons ago) I have been watching it myself after he goes to bed. But lately, I have been too tired to stay up late so I have at least 5 episodes sitting in my DVR, including the finale! SO I think this weekend, I will have a TWD binge. Until then, no spoilers!

Photo Credit – CW

However, there is a zombie show that Brian and I started watching together. If you are into zombies and a fan of Veronica Mars (and you don’t hate The CW) then you should enjoy the new iZombie. It has such a VM feel because Rob Thomas is one of the developers of this comic book turned TV show. The main character Liv (you may recognize her as Tinker Bell from Once Upon A Time) was turned into a zombie and now must function in the real world as one of the undead. She gets a job at the morgue, where she has access to a brain buffet. However, one of the side effects of eating brains is that she gets glimpses of their memory, and for those who were murdered, she also sees clues to the people that murdered them. Finding a purpose in her undead life, she helps the police solves these crimes by posing as a psychic. Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, and I was skeptical, but it works. 🙂 Do you already watch? What do you think?

Listening to …

I’ve really been enjoying the Kaiser Chiefs lately. I love their song Coming Home from the album Education, Education, Education & War.

But I was even more excited to hear their newest single Falling Awake and added it to my walking playlist. I love the 80’s new wave vibe. Although the concert footage makes me miss the days I went to shows and concerts. These days the closest I get to a concert is listening to the boys sing in the back seat. Now that I think about it… that’s pretty priceless and more than a fair trade. 😉

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…

Okay, I landed out watching the movie before I finished reading Insurgent and I liked not having the spoiler alerts in my head and knowing what was going to happen next. So now I can go back to the book and get all the details that were left out of the movie. (I did enjoy the movie a lot, BTW!)

~ 5 ~

Here are the last few posts.

Can you say blogging slacker?? I love to write but finding the time.. so hard! I did get one guest post for Fumbling towards Grace out last week for the feast of The Annunciation.

I am the Handmaid of the Lord (Guest Post)

~ 6 ~

Kelly took care of a nice list so I don’t have to. 😉

Bloggers Be Writing ‘Bout: Holy Week

by This Ain’t the Lyceum.

And Kendra ALWAYS has a perfect post for any time of the year. This week get Easter book suggestions and a lovely Easter print!

A Little Peek inside Our Easter Baskets

~ 7 ~

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

1. Day 28 of #holylens – WATER.

2. I made our traditional St Patrick’s Day meal – tacos with lots of green guacamole. Ole!

3. Day 29 of #holylens – I can HEAR a little voice say, “No, Bobbi. You don’t actually need a Poky little puppy book and the marching plate.”

4. Day 30 of #holylens – St Joseph is one of the patrons of our HOUSE. Happy feast day!) Painting at the Carmel Mission.)

5. Day 33 of #holylens – The fragrant smell of this FRUIT is like a touch of summer on this drizzly spring day.

6. Day 37 of #holylens and #onlyonething – The male DESCENDANTS of our family make sure we have plenty of protection around the house. I found these guys guarding my desk this morning. I AM a bit biased, but I think they rock.

7. Day 38 of #onlyonething – I BELIEVE we can learn a lesson from nature. Take note, new mamas, don’t feel bad about retreating and just focusing on you and your baby.

8. It’s a wild Friday night as we string medals for the upcoming Big Sur marathon. (It’s a project with Bella’s class.)

9. Day 39 of #holylens – I had to GATHER my strength to get off the couch and out the door but I’m glad I did. #nofilter #worththeeffort

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! 😉

Online Daybook/Currently: Mid-March 2015

By bobbi
March 16, 2015
8 Comments

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.) 😉

~ 1 ~

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.

~ 2 ~

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. 🙂

~ 3 ~

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).

~ 4 ~

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.

~ 5 ~

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.

~ 7 ~

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??) 😉

Online Daybook – January Days 2015: A Wedding, Awards & Thoughts about Paul Coakley

By bobbi
January 21, 2015
8 Comments

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful for

A last minute breakfast date this morning with Brian.
The beginning of longer days and warmer weather.
Family and friends, near and far.
My father-in-law for taking all four kids to his house for a couple hours on Friday. They love it and I enjoy the weekly down time.
A warm home, running water and food on the table.
Sweet hugs and precious kisses.

Beauty in the Ordinary…

I’ve been loving Blessed Is She’s photo challenge #projectblessed. Here is one of my favorite shots for the theme “morning glory.” This is what I saw that morning on my walk.

In the Kitchen…

It’s an off dinner week since Brian is working the late shift tonight and will miss dinner. On Thursday he is fasting for his medical tests and Friday he has to eat very light once his tests are over. So mostly clear broth for him and soup and sandwiches for us.

Praying…

For all those suffering from cancer and other illnesses.
For those who have lost loved ones, especially those that died suddenly.
For the depressed, lonely and mentally ill.
For all the pregnant mamas and those trying to get pregnant.
For all those who have asked for our prayers.
For the souls in purgatory.
For some special intentions.

On the homefront……

Jacob and Amanda

Life has slowed down just a tad now that the holidays are over. A couple weeks ago my younger brother Jacob was married to his sweet bride Amanda.

The wedding cake. Amanda used the wedding figures from her parents’ wedding. So sweet!

The trip to SoCal went surprisingly well and it was a JOY to be reunited with all my family members. I am the oldest of nine and we were all there. Even my sister in VA was able to fly in with her husband (and their youngest) to attend the wedding.

My beautiful sisters. It’s funny how Bridgett and Jacinta in the middle look alike while Elena and I on the ends look alike. 🙂

My handsome brothers.

Can you believe that I FORGOT my big camera?? Well, Matthew told me not to worry. He took shots with his Leapster camera. Aw, a boy after my own heart.

Luckily Amanda’s mom took this great shot of the boys at the wedding. (Thanks, Carol!)

Now that we are back home, it is back to school and I am busy with my room mom activities. (Wait, tell me again why I volunteered for this?) The rest is just life in general.

Brian Update…

Brian had to go into work later for an evening meeting so we decided to go out to breakfast.

I took extra time to get ready and look nice for Brian. Matthew saw me and explained, “Mama! You look so clean and shiny!” It was a nice compliment until I wondered, well, what the heck do I look like the other days?? 😉

Walking hand in hand downtown reminded me of our early years of marriage. I still sometime pinch myself to see if I am really dreaming. How did I deserve such a man.

Not the best picture because we both kept laughing that I was too short and had a hard time getting in the shot but I like it because it reminds me of how much fun we have together. 🙂

A couple of people have asked me how Brian is doing and if you don’t follow along on Facebook or Instagram, on Friday he goes for his big annual testing for cancer. (He also has bloodwork done quarterly.) In 2013 is when they first found the cancer. In 2014 is when the cancer came back. We are praying that in 2015 he is cancer free! We truly appreciate all your prayers and messages you leave us. Brian is amazed that so many people are asking and praying. I assure you he is on his knees every day praying for you too. (Me too! I just don’t stay on my knees as ling as I should!)

Pondering…

Praying for Brian and knowing that his test is coming up has me a little worried. Part of me is just leaving it all in the hands of God but the other part of me is still a little worried.

Photo Credit: Team Paul and Ann Coakley

It has especially been hard today (Tuesday, Jan 20) since Paul Coakley died this afternoon. If you don’t know him or haven’t been following along on Facebook, Paul was a young dad and Franciscan University alumni married to Ann. They have three young children and Ann is pregnant with their 4th. (They also have 4 babies in heaven.) It was just a month ago that they found out that Paul had cancer. It was already advanced and Paul fought valiantly but he was called home today.

Through it all Ann’s faith and trust in God has been amazing. In one of her posts she shared that at the end she told Paul, “If God was calling him home we both had to accept that. I would take care of our babies here and he could go play with our four angels in heaven.” That just breaks my heart. I pray I would never have to say that to Brian (or he to me) for many, many years to come. But if I did, then I pray that I can have the same grace of surrender. Please remember the Coakley family in your prayers. I can’t even imagine what they are going thought right now, especially Ann and the little ones wondering when their Daddy will come back home. (Now, excuse me while I go get a kleenex to wipe the makeup I just cried off.)

Okay, I’ve composed myself and am back at the keyboard. I struggle with situations like these. I can’t help but think, why bother praying for a person’s recovery if God is going to take them away anyway. What use is our prayers? Deep in my heart I know our prayers are valuable and that Paul and the family received much grace – grace of a peaceful death and strength to endure the cross they are bearing. I know that I cannot see all that God sees and the countless lives and souls that Paul’s death has touched. Even now, as I sit hear crying to God, God has taken this opportunity to draw me closer to Him. To remind me that this life is fragile and that we are not our own, but children of God. He knows the bigger picture and the blessings that this particular cross will bring.

Paul sparked that. A man I didn’t know existed a week ago and yet he has touched the lives of all of us in the family as we prayed for him. God knows exactly what miracles that will take place because of Paul’s life and fight at the end. So while, I still struggle with it, I do accept that our prayers are efficacious, but only God knows exactly how. I can only imagine how many more lives Paul will help now that he is united with God. (Okay, I need another kleenex. I should just keep a darn box on my desk.)

UPDATE: Just as I was about to publish this, I saw this beautiful post from Paul’s’ close friend Mary – Did God Answer Our Prayers…

Around the house…

Ugh, there are many problem areas! I just finished putting away the last of the Christmas decor last week. Now I have the spring cleaning bug. (In Cali spring arrives in January.) As I mentioned in my 2015 goal list, I signed up for A Bowl Full of Lemon’s Home Organization 101: 14 Week Challenge. This week I am working on the pantry. (I think my record so far has been finding a food item that expired 5 years ago.)

UPDATE: I’m actually switching my cleaning challenge. I’ll complete the more intense ABFOL challenge later in spring but for now I am doing the 31 Day to Clean: Having A Martha House the Mary Way hosted by Christian blogger and author Sarah Mae. God has been putting Mary and Martha into my life left and right! I’ve already started and I must say, it is just what I needed! I’ll blog more about it soon. 🙂

Reading…

I know I said that I wasn’t going to buy any more books until I finished the huge stack of books I started last year, but I had to get one more to help me with my Theme of 2015. I lot of people have said it was good but I just started. I’ll post about it as I go along.

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

Listening to…

Silence. (This can’t be good. I better check on the kids.)

Watching…

Well, you already know I am watching Downton Abbey and commenting on the episodes here but Brian and I just started two new shows.

The first is Grantchester. We only say the first episode but Brian and I both liked it. We are big mystery fans and it reminded us of the Fr. Brown Mysteries only with a cuter clergyman. It stars James Norton (who was also on Death Comes to Pemberley) as Sydney Chambers, a young clergy man who doesn’t seem like your typical man of the cloth. He enjoys jazz music, drinking whiskey and spending time with a female best friend (whom he secretly loves but she doesn’t return the feelings.) Yet, he also seems introspective, spiritual, has a heart for helping people and is fighting some PTSD from the war. The first episode has the usual violence with a murder (nothing graphic) and a flashback of a couple having an affair but again, nothing too graphic as long as no kids are in the room. Anyway, if you already saw it, what did you think?

The other show we started watching was one of the Marvel “comic book shows” Agent Carter. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. I love the 40’s setting and the clothes and hairstyles and ruby red lips and the butt-kicking lady in a skirt and heels was a nice touch too. It was a fun diversion. 🙂

On the blog…

In the past two week I posted:

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 34): Epiphany Party Add your post. It is open until the end of January!

TV Talk: Downton Abbey, Season 5, Episode 2 Recap

Theme of 2015: Be Still

Goals for 2015 & Mini-Goals for January & February

Downton Abbey, Season 5: Episode 3 Recap

In the blogosphere…

It’s that time of year again! Time for Bonnie’s 2015 Sheenazing Awards. Yours truly was nominated for “Best Under Appreciated Blog.” (I have mixed emotions about that title. 😉 )

If you want to make me feel like a school kid picked first on the soft ball team, go give me a vote! 😉 You can read the full post here or just go straight to the voting page here. (You can skip any categories you are unfamiliar with.)

I am privileged to be nominated. (Thank you, whoever you guys are!) I know I am just a small blog with a small audience of friends but it’s still nice knowing that others appreciate the work I put into the blog. Ultimately I do it for fun and to connect with other Catholic women and to share my love of Our Lord. There are so many other small bloggers who are touching lives but aren’t as well known. Erica over at Saint Affairs had a great idea to do a link-up cerebrating our favorite lesser-known blogs. She says:

But what about all of the amazing Catholic blogs that didn’t make it onto those lists? Surely you know a few because I know I do. I would love to support all of them, let them know that their words are being read, that they are making a positive difference in the blogosphere, so let’s do a link-up.

Let’s do this!

Blogs That You May Not Be Reading, But You Should Be link-up

Visit Erica’s post here for more details!

Pinned…

I’ve been wanting to organize my books so I can lend them out (after I finally finish reading them.) When I do, I am going to use these Free Printable Library Cards.

Photo credit: clemen tinecreative.co.za

My sister just posted this on Facebook this morning. It seems very appropriate considering the thoughts that have been going through my head lately.

Plans for the Week…

Brian’s test, paying, attending a friend’s’ baptism and party, doc, ortho and dentist appts, and numerous school activities, especial during Catholic Schools Week.

And looking ahead, I am making plans to attend the Catholic Women Blogging Network California Conference in April! I am so excited that there is something I can attend on the west coast since I couldn’t make it to Edel this year. Will you be joining me???

Captured…

The prompt for the #projectblessed photo challenge was Childhood. I love the signs of childhood around our house. (The toys and Legos on the floor I can do without, but this was cute.) In the scene Darth Vader and Kanan are battling it out for the last remnants of banana bread. 😉

Have a blessed week!! 🙂

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

Online Daybook (12/22/14): December Days

By bobbi
December 22, 2014
5 Comments

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful for

A bit of a respite after a busy week(s)
All the recent rain.
Having 75% of my gift wrapping done.
Finally finishing and mailing out our Christmas cards and family letter.
Christmas vacation
For one more week of Advent. (May I make the most of it!)
For 15 years of marriage with the man of my dreams. (Actually he is above and beyond my dreams!)

Beauty in the Ordinary…

After a day of stormy weather, that moment when the sun comes out and everything looks fresh and clean.

Raindrops everywhere.

In the Kitchen…

The kitchen smells of the yummy goodness of coconut granola to be given as gifts.

S – Roasted turkey breast, corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans. (Since I had an extra turkey I popped it in the oven today so we’d have plenty of leftovers for the next couple of days.

M – Turkey sandwiches.

T – Turkey enchiladas & salad.

W – Minestrone soup and grilled cheese. (A quick dinner since we are going to Christmas Eve Mass.)

Th – Christmas dinner at my in-laws.

F – Leftovers.

S – Date Night/ Eat Out.

S – Anniversary Dinner (Haven’t decided yet. 🙂 )

Praying…

For my single friends looking for a holy spouse.
For all those suffering from troubled marriages.
For those suffering from loss, depression and loneliness during the holidays.
For those separated from their loved ones, especially for the military and their families.
For the victims of violence and all those affected by it.
For peace within the hearts of all people.

On the homefront……

This past week was so crazy. It was packed with school events and being Andrew’s first grade room mom, I also had some special school projects to complete. Friday was my busiest day and I left the house in a whirlwind – the kitchen looked like it exploded. I got everything done but you know how you can go, go, go, go, go and then when you are done you just break down. Yeah, well that was me. On a normal day, the hundred little things that go wrong are expected and dealt with but my nerves were so fried that I couldn’t take it anymore and when Brian got home I handed him the reigns and went to the bathroom for a good cry. Thankfully, that’s all I really needed and I was back to normal.

The next day, the first day of our vacation, I just stood home and turned on the Christmas music and finished my Christmas cards and the last of my packages. The kids worked on their Christmas gifts and the house felt peaceful once again.

Pondering…

The best moments this Advent have been the simple and unexpected things such as…

Unexpectedly joining Bella to sing Christmas carols with her youth group at a local convalescent home.

Or making smores on a cold and rainy day. Matthew was amazed we could have a beach bonfire in our home. (We haven’t used our fireplace much.)

I’m glad we still have one more week of Advent. No matter how good (or bad) the past three weeks have been, we still have the home stretch to refocus our eyes on the Christ Child and make the most of our days before Christmas. 😉

Around the house…

Twinkling lights and Christmas smells. (Unless you go into the boys room or the family room. Then it is just mess, mess, mess. Seriously, I have to do another quick charity bin collection before Christmas morning comes!)

Reading…

I haven’t been reading much lately but the two that are on my nightstand (or in my kindle) are…

The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living by Lisa Hendey

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Listening to…

Christmas at Downton Abbey

Normally, I am a hot cocoa and Bing Crosby or Nat King Cole Christmas music type of person but today I was feeling like tea and biscuits with a lovely Christmas choir. Not to mention that Julian Ovenden, who sings a couple of songs, has an amazing voice! He is the actor that plays Mary’s suitor Charles Blake. (#teamblake) I’ve been a fangirl since he was on Foyle’s War and played Foyle’s son Andrew. (I was watching a lot of Foyle’s War when I chose the name of my first born son. ;-)) Cora also sings a couple songs and Carson reads Twas the Night before Christmas. Fun!

Watching…

(At the Movies)

Tonight we will start watching The Hobbit in preparation for our movie night next weekend to see The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Although I go to the movies alone regularly (after the kids are asleep), movies out with my sweetie seem to happen only once a year!

(On TV)

Now that our regular shows are on Christmas hiatus we are catching up with past seasons of Downton Abbey in preparation for Season 5, which starts Jan 4th.

(On Youtube)

When Bella and I need a laugh we watch this together.

On the blog…

It’s been quiet with the holidays. 🙂

In the blogosphere…

I haven’t had time to read any of my favorite blogs but since we’re on Christmas vacation now I am hoping to catch up!

Photo Credit: Blessed Is She.net

However, I do know that over at Blessed Is She.net Monday is my day to share my thoughts on the day’s Scripture readings. Here is a snippet…

In a few short days, Christmas will be here. Every year I resolve to make this a holy Advent and not to get wrapped up in the commercialism or the busyness of the season and really prepare my heart to receive the Christ Child. Inevitably, I reach a point where I am stressing out over everything that I have to finish. My tendency, besides skipping prayer all together, is to rush through my daily devotional so I can check “prayer” off the To Do list and get back to my stressful day.

Today’s Gospel is challenging me to look at this day in a different way by focusing on Mary’s attitude. Today’s Gospel is challenging me to look at this day in a different way by focusing on Mary’s attitude. Here she was newly pregnant and in a situation that was less than ideal—how is she going to explain this to Joseph? What will other people think? What will this mean for her future life? However, instead of stressing, she responds with humility and docility to God’s will.

Continue reading here.

Pinned…

I am going to make this to go with our Christmas brunch – Christmas Tree Fruit Platter: 🙂

Photo credit: The First Year Blog.com

Plans for the Week…

The obvious things – finish our last minute Christmas prep, Christmas Eve Mass, Christmas/ Jesus’ birthdya party in the morning, Christmas dinner at my in-laws and on the weekend Brian and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. We debated whether or not to do a fancy dinner but we opted for dinner and a movie instead.It’s more “us.” 😉

Captured…

The joy of jumping in puddles in the rain.