Embracing Your Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke

I am member of a site called BookSneeze. Here you can get free books if you write a review about it... FREE and BOOKS Two of my favorite words! LOL
I am currently reading Embracing Your Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke. I just started it last night but I have to say that I had to make myself put it down.
I love the fact that there are boxes title Reflect and Act. It really gets a person thinking... There are also quotes throughout the book.
Like I said I have just started reading it but so far it is really great.




"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."

I am Mrs. P!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. As anyone who has planned a wedding knows it is a hectic time.. Try moving, buying a condo and planning an out of state wedding all at the same time! Man was is rough... But it was so worth it.. I now get to spend my life with Frankie and Monkey in our Paradise.
I finally got see the grandbaby- Little Man. He is such a doll.. Of course I might be biased but I don't think so! He was such a joy to have around. My in laws loved him to death... Even Frankie (who normally stays away from little babies) was in love with him. We found Frankie a couple of times downstairs rocking Little Man or holding him and talking to him...
The day before the ceremony my father called to say that he was unable to make it... He was driving his motorcycle up from Orlando to KY (a 16 hour drive) and had a blow out 250 miles from his home. By the grace of God he was able to control his motorcycle and not dump it. He was able to get to the side of the road safely.
The ceremony was beautiful.. Just Frankie, me, both of my children, Little Man and his momma, Frankie's cousin (who is like our second daughter) and my in laws... It was just the way we wanted it.
The reception was wonderful... My in laws did all the decorating. It didn't look like the same hall that we had seen. My FIL did a blessing for us and my brother in law did the toast (this Frankie didn't know about).
The food was awesome.. My in laws can cook! Jerk chicken, bbq chicken, mini cheeseburgers, pasta salad, fruit bowls, etc...
Our first dance was great.. We danced to Cross My Heart by George Strait. We had a surprise for my in laws as they are so great and have done so much for us. We dedicated a song to them for them to dance. Look At Us by Vince Gill.
I can not wait to share pictures with everyone...





"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."

Tomorrow will be the official one week mark of living in our new home! It has been great... We spent the first couple of days using a box for a "coffee table" as the monkey called it. We also sat on pillows on the floor. Then we decided we would go look for a temporary dining table (since ours will be down after the wedding). We looked around at Wal Mart and decided we didn't want to spend $70-$150 on a table and chair set.. As we were driving the Monkey saw a thrift store and pointed it out.. So there we went.. We walked in and one of the workers gave us a paper (I didn't bother to look at it). We walked around the store. Walked past a little table with 3 chairs but kept walking.. Then walked back to the little table... Told Frankie that it would work. It was meant for us since it had only 3 chairs... But Frankie was looking and said he didn't really want to spend $20 for the table and $6.98 for each chair... So I happened to look at the paper that was given to me when we walked in... There right at the top were my favorite words- 50% off all furniture... LOL So we ended up spending $21 for it all... We decided that we would put it on the porch after our items arrived (that way the parents could have somewhere to sit while smoking). Two days later Frankie's brother and his family came over for supper (BBQ Ribs, Potato salad) and brought shrimp cocktail, shrimp wrapped in bacon, baked beans and a card table with 4 chairs for us to use (they didn't know we had purchased the other one). Frankie's brother and his fiancee also gave the Monkey a full size bed and night stand.. Yay!!!! She loves it..
So we have kept with our plan to swim daily... Every day at least once. There were two days when we swam twice.. We have gone swimming as early as 8 am (this morning Frankie and I went swimming when he came home from work) and as late as 7pm.
My crock pot is my friend again.. BBQ ribs on Memorial Day and then tonight I made Boneless Chicken Breasts with Cream of Mushroom soup (which I put over brown rice). I won't be doing any baking until after we return from the wedding..




"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."

Its that time again to join in with Sylvia and others for the Homekeepers Journal.


In my kitchen ….. Today is an easy day in my kitchen. I am making pasta and sauce for supper. Once we are back from the wedding I will be cooking and baking more. I just don't want to bake and have to leave it here for while we are gone.

My marriage or relationship ….. growing stronger daily. We are at the last 2 weeks before we become Mr. and Mrs. I am so excited. I look forward to wearing his last name proudly.


With my children …… The Monkey is still doing her school work. She is getting real good with it. She is now just getting up in the morning and starting it without being asked. The Boy is going through a lot right now. Trying to figure out life. His fiance and him just split so they are trying to work on being the best parents to their son.

I feel so relieved when …..when I know where all my family members are and 2/3 are home. (The Boy lives in MA).


My spiritual life is (choose one) flourishing, declining …. (and talk about why)… Slowly flourishing. I am still trying to get into the habit of reading my Bible. I have a daily verse up on my yahoo page that I read every day. I am trying to surround myself with better influences and make better choices that I show that I am a Christian and am proud of it. I am trying not to be just a sometimes Christian but an all the time Christian.

If I am honest, the thing that keeps me from praying as much as I should is ….. Me. I always seem to wait until last thing before bed and then fall asleep... I have started praying on the spot when I get the feeling that I just have to instead of making a list and trying to do it before bed.


I see God moving in ( a particular area) and …… My life. Starting to make me remember what it is like to be a Christian and to remind me to be the best Christian I can be. He often reminds me that He is in control.

This is in the deepest, darkest recesses of my mind, but should be moved into the light …. I need our Heavenly Father to help me get over some things from the past and realize that people are different and I should hold against one person things that someone else did.

Met with the Association Board.

LOL Board... 1 person.. The President of the Board is all we met with.. But she was very nice. She is originally from Maine and I picked up her accent right away.. Needless to say at the end of the meeting Frankie signed the approval letter and we were welcomed to the neighborhood. Now it is on to closing.. We are supposed to close on Friday.. The President doubts that will happen since the Management company only works in the mornings on Friday and it is a holiday.. But we are hoping.. Even the Realtor says that we will close on Friday. Everything has just been sitting and waiting for the approval letter from the President...

I am pretty excited... We can't wait to get into the condo. I have decided to only use the dishwasher when we have dinner guests. I don't think that we will need to use a dishwasher with only three people (and it will save electricity thus saving money!). Besides, when we first get there we will only have 4 plates, 4 cups, 4 bowls.. I will need to wash them and have them ready for the next meal..Our stuff won't be here from KY until after the wedding. My MIL and FIL will be driving a U-Haul down with our items...

LOL I definitely see classes being held pool side...


We are 24 days from the wedding.. The RSVP cards are due Saturday.. Out of 50 that we have sent out, we only have received 12... What is it with people not sending RSVP's back? We attended a baby shower a few weeks ago and the sister of the new mom said that out of all the people she sent invites to only maybe 4 or 5 RSVP'd and many more showed up (yet funny thing... She hasn't sent her RSVP back to us yet!)








"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."

Homekeepers Journal Entry

What’s cooking in my kitchen this week is …… pancakes, cheesecake, pasta

The one thing that needs to be done the around here the most is …… straightening up the area we are currently staying it.. It is very small and is starting to become cluttered with our clothes, school books etc...

If someone went through my trash, they’d think …… There are a lot of people with different tastes in this house.

A memory of mine that involves the smell of vanilla …… Sitting on my couch with lit candles relaxing reading to my babies

My mind keeps on wandering back to ……. My upcoming wedding and decorating our condo once we get in.

I need God’s grace to ….. keep me going in the right direction.

Something that I am anticipating is …… Getting into our condo and decorating. Cooking in my kitchen. The wedding and getting to see my beautiful grandbaby for the first time...


Thank you Sylvia at Christian Homekeeper for another great journal.

Saturday 5/22

Yesterday was a beautiful day.. Frankie brought home Dunkin Donuts iced coffee and donuts (YUMMMM!). Instead of going to sleep after his third shift job, he stayed up.. We decided that since it was a beautiful day we would head to St. Petersburg Pier. It was awesome.. We walked around some of the shops located inside.. Then we had lunch at Cha Cha Coconuts.



View from our table

Another view from our table

Coconut Shrimp... Monkey and I ate this... Yummy...

Ohni Burger... This was Frankies lunch..


Another view from our table...



Onion Straws w/ two dipping sauces..











"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."

I am so not a patient person...

I love CHRISTmas but hate it at the same time... I love the significance behind the holiday... I love that it is the time we celebrate the birth of our loving Father, Jesus Christ... But I hate it for a few reason.. One reason is that the holiday is so commercialized now... It is really sad to see... Another reason is many people have forgotten the reason behind the holiday.. They teach their children it is about presents and Santa and Frosty and snow etc..... It really pushes my buttons when I see signs that say Happy Holidays during CHRISTmas.. Unfortunately when we had our family pictures done this past year that is what was put on our cards.. This year it will be different. I have a friend that does photography (Rubi's Photography ). She is going to take pictures for us. Then I will make the cards... But this is all off my main statement..

I am so not a patient person....
-Staring at CHRISTmas presents under the tree drives me crazy...

-When I was pregnant with my children I HAD to find out the gender... I couldn't stand not knowing..

-I am soo anxious for my wedding in 30 days...

-Now, I have to wait on this condo association... We finally got ALL the paperwork and all the monies to the proper places... Now, it is a waiting game for the Association to call. They have 5 days to call us for the appointment for the interview (having to interview for a home we bought blows my mind away). Then after the interview they have up to 10 days to make their decision... Grrrr..... The closing is supposed to be a week from tomorrow..


At least Frankie found out he has tomorrow and Sunday and Monday off this week (his work week is Friday to Thursday). So we are thinking of hitting John's Pass tomorrow.. Either pack lunch or splurge and get lunch at Bamboo Beach Bar and Grill or back at The Hut and Tiki Bar so we can sit at the water.. We also might head to St. Pete's Pier. We were talking about grabbing lunch at Cha Cha Coconuts. The Pier is awesome.. We walked it on Mother's Day. We ate off the Pier at Courigan's Irish Pub. Their BLT with Guinness Honey Mustard is awesome!

Well.. Guess I should close for now.. I decided I am going to make some pancakes for The Monkey and me... Of course she wants Chocolate Chips and whip cream with hers!

Hope y'all have a great day!


"make sure you keep it between the navigational beacons."