Tag Archives: life

Friday! 7 ways to recap the week

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It’s been a busy week for the kids at school.  This week was the FCAT, standardized testing (quite controversial, though if we didn’t have FCAT we’d have another brand…), and it’s always stressful because the entire year is geared toward this test.  The school’s rating, federal money, etc are just a couple of things riding on the outcome of the test.  So, needless to say, we are ALL quite thrilled to see Friday this week!

— 1 —

Monday was the Boston Marathon.  Hot, hot, hot.  My girlfriend ran in it.  Being from sunny FLA, she is heat-trained and ran that puppy in 4:22, but some 4,000+people opted out for the automatic spot in next year’s race.  It wasn’t my race, but it was really cool to text the race and have it send me her updates along the way.  Very inspiring considering the girl has only been running since her late 30’s, early 40’s!

— 2 —

Monday was also free McDonald’s breakfast for the FCAT kids.  We got up early, grabbed the breakfast and came home to eat and get ready.  It was a good motivator to get the kids out of bed quickly on a Monday morning!  (The breakfast was:  apple slices, OJ or milk and an egg mcmuffin, in case you were wondering…)

— 3 —

So, so workout week.  I’ll get day 2 of strength today and I did get cardio, but for some reason I was distracted with appointments this week at lunch.  Urgh.  Yesterday’s post @ Socially Fit was a good reminder that we don’t get results from haphazard efforts and good intentions.  It takes actual participation and commitment.  I’m down 9 pounds in 8 weeks, but that doesn’t mean I’m done! Far from it, moving on…one day at a time!

— 4 —

Got my hair cut this week.  OK, trimmed.  But you KNOW how great it feels to get your hair cut.  And shampooed.  And blow dried.  By someone else.  Heaven.

— 5 —

In prayer the other night and after listening to my Among Women podcast, I realized I needed to make an Adoration visit.  Time to charge my spirit.  I did that yesterday at lunch, instead of going to the gym.  It was a good move.  I definitely needed it.  I took some time while I was there to go through my prayer journal and its sporadic entries over the last 5 years and PRAISE GOD for the answered prayers.  Some not in the way, I might prefer, but to look back and see how He works.  AWE inspiring.  Truly.  Our God is a good and gracious God and sometimes we need to step back and see the big picture.

— 6 —

One of those long prayed prayers was answered this week.  A dear friend who has been unable to conceive for the past 8 years gave birth to a sweet baby boy.  After a 36+ hour labor!!  Mom, dad, big brother and baby are doing fine.  There was quite a text bomb going early on and it was exciting to see prayers in action and the community of friends and love surrounding them.

— 7 —

Ya’ll have a great weekend!  Be blessed.  Enjoy every minute.  Life is short.  Embrace it!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Easter time, spring is here. Allelujah!!

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Easter eggs ready for dyeing.  We don’t even hide the eggs anymore.  The dye stains my fingers, and yet….we just can’t seem to drop this tradition.  Something about writing on those eggs in white crayon, adding to color, mixing it up.  Easter fun, here to stay.

Spring time is perfect for strolling together and getting our cardio on.  Quality time with my big girl while our youngest practiced for Easter Mass with the liturgical dancers.  I want the pause button for times like these.

Daylight savings time=time for a walk on the beach after dinner.  Note to self:  check the tide schedule.  Soft sand+bad knee=killing the exercise routine.

Our sweetie pie was either kissing up to the Bunny or just grateful for the probability of her own personal stash of chocolate coming into her possession and wanted to express her gratitude. I like her style.

Pre-Mass.  The boys trying to decide the best location.  At this point is was…away from the ‘rents.

He is Risen, indeed!  Gearing up for the annual outdoor Easter Mass.

A gift from my dear friend.  The “Killer Cake” from Toojays.  She introduced me to this little lovely.  Now I gave up Facebook for Lent and was not lacking in chocolate prior to Easter.  But this.  Oh.  MY.  This will hit that chocolate sweet spot like nothing you’ve ever known.  As I was cutting the cake, the kids were giving me the “why-are -you-cutting-them-so-small” eyes;  by the time our oldest was hitting the mid-way point he changed his mind and asked “Why did you cut them so big?”.  Rich.  If you ate the whole thing, it would live up to its name and kill you.  Seriously.

Glorious Easter and Happy Spring, Y’all!

Palm Sunday

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Palm Sunday.  Onset of lots of extra people in church.  (JK, but true!)  Beginning of Holy Week.

Jesus enters Jerusalem lauded and anticipated as the possible Messiah with welcoming adoration of  “Hosanna”.  Before the week’s end the same crowd will call for His death, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”. We are fickle people.  Repeating the same steps, day in, day out.  2000 years later.  Joyful anticipation of Easter, Resurrection Sunday.  Deaf to how He calls us to live our life.  To walk the Talk.  Living out our faith beyond the pew.  Accepting our differences.  Forgiving our faults.  Encouraging those mustard seeds to take root and offer rest and shade to all who are weary as that seed blooms to the giant tree.  Before we celebrate the empty tomb, the Risen Lord, we must experience the betrayal, the condemnation, the pain and suffering and the Death of Jesus.  On a Cross.  Obedient unto death.  So that we may live.  So that we may receive the strength, courage, grace and hope to make it through this life with the hope of Heaven when these days are over.   It’s a tough week.  It’s a powerful ending.

Many blessings as we enter into this holiest of weeks.  And, as the Pope said in his Palm Sunday message, “May Palm Sunday be a day of decision for you, the decision to say yes to the Lord and to follow him all the way, the decision to make his Passover, his death and resurrection, the very focus of your Christian lives. ”

When you thought no one was watching…

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I sat in my car early that morning, relaxed in the crisp air as the sun made its way into the sky and watched as quiet, sleepy children and coffee toting parents made their way to the football fields that would be our “home” for much of the day.  Our own son was warming up with his team and Hubby would be bringing the rest of the troops when the first game started at 9, and so I had a brief period of rare solitude.  And then it shattered.

Before I saw you, I heard you

You dropped so many F-bombs in 60-second period I lost count

“you should have been a girl, because you are acting like one”

F’ing Unbelievable

A boy about 9 stands outside the truck, gearing up for a day of football

A child I cannot see receives the venomous diatribe

Coming around the corner of her truck, we lock eyes

I am embarrassed for her, humiliated for her son, I drop my eyes

It doesn’t stop

Clenched jaw, uncensored words

A door slammed

Shut up.  I am not even talking to you.  Shut the F up.

I am frozen to my seat.

My eyes tear.

Kids push buttons.  Parents are stressed.  Tempers flare.  Who will be the grown up?

I’ve been here.  Not the F-bomb.  Not stupid.  But clenched jaws.  Unkind words.  Unloving actions.

I’ve been here.  I’ve been 9.  You are a pig.  You are a crybaby.  My father walks away.

We can be so awful to each other.

A door opens.  A sweaty head, tear-stained, furious boy of 9 stomps to the rear of the truck.

The silent brother hands him his equipment.

The mother continues to berate.  They walk away.

I am still frozen.  But my heart and my mind are praying.

Soften our hearts, Lord.  Help us to heal.  Open our eyes, Lord.  Help us to see.

I look for them throughout the morning and come up empty.

My mind continues to spin.  The devil taunts my cowardice.  My heart aches.

Game 1 over, I leave with my daughters while husband and son watch Game 2.

Sitting in the car, I tear out paper from a notebook, I write a letter.

I do not judge.  Parenting is hard.  I do not know the circumstances.

I do know what is right and what is wrong.  I do know what sears the soul.

I encourage forgiveness, healing.  I pray.  I bless.  I leave the letter on the windshield.

I leave the rest to God.

Did I do the right thing?  Will it make it worse?  Will she apologize?  Will he forgive?

I may never know.

God does.

He sees all.

All in favor of a two-day work week, say “Aye!”

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Since taking three days off of work to spend time with the kids for their Spring Break, my “week” is two days at work and PHEW!, I’m ready for the weekend.

I forgot how HARD being a stay-at-home mom was.  It’s been awhile, forgive me, but OH.  MY.  GOODNESS!!   The chores.  The needs to be met.  Errands to be run.  Sheesh.  Fortunately for me, I decided early on Monday (about half way through errand running) that these days off would be about bon-bons and chillaxin’.  The rest would take care of itself somewhere along the week.  And this is what my week consisted of:

  1. Monday-Wednesday at 9 a.m.  attending our church’s Lenten mission to hear Father Richard Leonard speak on the history of the church and Mary, discernment and God’s will in our lives and forgiveness and faith.  Tremendously uplifting and Living Water for this thirsty soul, right when I needed it.  Very cool how “GOD-planned” to offer this retreat on my EXACT days off.
  2. Monday, Tuesday, and today (Friday), hit the gym with my girlfriend and got our strength training on.  And abs.  And cardio.  You know it’s a good exercise week when you are still feeling it on Friday from Tuesday!
  3. I was able to have our girls’ BFFs over to play each day I was off.  The boys are older and do “their own deal”, but it was nice to be able to get them breakfast and lunch and run them around a bit as well.  Not to mention how great it felt to be able to help out some moms and provide a fun day for their girls.  Having “been there, done that”, it is always a happy feeling when you know your kids are having fun with their friends and not bored at home, coming up with new ways to irritate the you-know-what out of each other.
  4. Dinner was taken care of.  Monday:  chicken and rice for the fam and I went out with the girls to celebrate my girlfriend’s 12th annual 38th birthday!  Tuesday:  crock pot.  Wednesday:  leftovers.  See?  Dinner was taken care of.
  5. We hit the beach.  Every day.  See previous posts from this week…..Sunscreen aplenty, boogie boards, beach toys, snacks and water.  Recharged!
  6. We tried out a scrumptious cupcake bakery in town.  (sorry, no link, no web-based orders, local only)  My youngest daughter and I had a hard time picking out a dozen minis to share with everyone.  Though the price was quite affordable, the calories are simply not a luxury and we will be making a wide berth.  Except for special occasions.  Maybe.
  7. Book 3 of Hunger Games, “Mockingjay” is downloaded to my Kindle.  Which is charged.  I have to work today, however, my lunch hour and free time between football games this weekend will be consumed by Katniss, Gale and Peeta and wrapping up this depressing, yet fascinatingly addictive series.

Things that didn’t get taken care of this week:

  1. Laundry.
  2. Spring cleaning
  3. Reorganizing the pots and pans (a mess, let me assure you!)
  4. Reorganizing the spices and pantry (I want it all in ONE spot)
  5. Purging the girl’s toys
  6. Purging the boy’s clothes
  7. Purging my clothes

No big deal.  It’s still there and it WILL get done.  However, the world will go on regardless, right?

See what other’s weeks looked like @ Conversion Diary’s Friday Quick Takes with Jen Fulwiler!

Have a blessed weekend!