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Category Archives: Boys
Be ‘Conquering’ Your Pain
Today, I am pondering pain. We all got it somewhere, sometimes.
Today, I got me some pain watching my Mama in pain.
Sitting beside mom in her ER hospital bed, looking at her scrunched up chin, hands that can’t relax and toes that need to dance now that is some pain.
Mom has been a warrior when it comes to pain management. She tries to take the minimal amount of medication with thoughtful purpose. She doesn’t want to take too much for too long! But even she sometimes can’t ‘conquer’ her pain. Sometimes we all need a little help!
Today, mom made the decision to travel in style via ambulance to get easily into the Emergency Room in Vtown. She said the ride was a bit bumpy lying in the back over those wheel wells. Then, she waited patiently for most of the day to hear that she would be admitted into the hospital. They have her pain managed intravenously and she is starting to relax in this noisy place. Whew!
Sexy Neck sent me some interesting reading from the Mayo clinic while I was hanging out with Mama. It is great information about cancer patients and pain. Just a little light reading. 😉
This week, I read a quote in a book that went a little something like this:
We can sit in our pain now and notice it or we can deal with it later. But, we will have to deal with the pain sometime.
My other quote for today: “The well is deep, the scoop strong, and the grip even stronger. Holding on to holding on.”
Noticing.
Strength.
Sitting.
Deepness.
Conquering by being present.
Devastation.
Pain.
F*ck you cancer.
Apparently, I got me some anger today too!
Fifteenth Day of advent and I threw out an F-word.
—————-*————–*————–
PS. M, if you are reading this. All the balls are still in the air. Costco shopping is still suspended. We got our peeps in line. Three week cycle unfolds on the weekend. Trying to contact the other M for pain plan. Having difficulty. Mom will be here a few days. Chemo may be postponed.
Be Having Some Sick Days
Happy fourteenth day of advent. Have you found time to breathe, rest and enjoy the waiting?
We have had an ‘enforced’ rest time.
The stomach flu has ravaged our house likes a forest fire. The only tree standing is Sexy Neck. The rest of us have been flattened.
All I can muster, in this moment, is to share a few photos of life hanging around the house the last two days. (We can’t see mom and dad until we are not contagious.)
JC took a picture of his fort.
OC wanted a picture of his Lego creation.
My couch buddy! Poor CC!
I broke into the Christmas stash to have the boys work on this Lego creation.
Airing out the bedding.
Bye bye sickness.
Thanks for visiting!
Be Laughing at What Your Husband Says
Happy advent – day number thirteen! Can you believe that there are less than two weeks until Christmas? I love this simple time of preparing.
Today, I have decided to focus on laughter, amidst the vomit (see tomorrow’s post!)
Sexy Neck has a wonderful sense of humour that produces great big belly laughs in our house.
Over the next few weeks leading to Christmas, I hope to:
– be in my body, not a mind with a body trying to follow it.
– breathe
– notice
– laugh*
* I am going to use Sexy Neck to help me with the last one.
Here are a few ditty’s from my hubby to start us off:
“It’s official JC knows more French than me!” (JC is six and we live in a ‘bilingual’ country, French/English)
“I could see buying it if we had two more children to use it afterwards.”
” “You guys look great, but Ron couldn’t you at least comb your hair for the event? Jeesh! Not that I’m jealous you got Gramp’s hair gene or anything!” (To his brothers Christmas work party photo)
“I guess you can’t yell at a child lying in bed singing about Jesus!”
“Boys you need to behave.” says dad while wearing his school bear mascot head.
Be Having a Snow/No Car/God Day
Yesterday was our first huge dump of snow this year. We have been waiting.
This is the twelfth day of December and talking on the phone to my friend on the Island down south, I was griping about the fact that we didn’t have any snow.
AND THEN THE FLAKES BEGAN TO FALL!
Thanks for sending the flakes north, D!
The first snow is very significant for our family because it reminds us of our University days and our journey to know Jesus in a personal way. I had a football player friend who implored me to ask God to reveal himself to me. God did and continues to do so every day. I told Sexy Neck this story and four months later, he had a similar experience with God.
It was September 1995, and it was a beautiful fall University day. Steve asked God if he was real and if he was, could it snow the next day. God loved Sexy Neck so much and guess what, it snowed. Sexy Neck was floored. He couldn’t believe it! He then implored God and said, “God, I need you to show yourself again tomorrow by making is snow.” AND IT DID! Then it didn’t snow for another TWO MONTHS!
God is great! Personal. Real. Alive. He loves us all.
We spent this first snow day at home together hanging out. No car. No schedule. Just time to watch the flakes, tobaggon, create snow angels, make train sets, eat and just BE.
Be Losing Something
I have much to ponder after this weekend.
Prayer Retreat.
Visit with mom and dad.
Sexy Neck’s colleagues at our new house for a gingerbread party.
JC losing a tooth.
My life continues to be a little bit of a lot.
The most exciting news is that our oldest lost his first tooth.
The tooth was twisting and shaking for a few days, but on Sunday it decided to come out, “Pop”!
The reason for the title of the post was my reflection post tooth losing.
My son was elated. He didn’t need that tooth anymore. He knew that there was a bigger and better one coming. He was filled with joy. Pure joy and anticipation of the new tooth to come.
How often do I want to hold onto that old tooth or that old hurt or that old voice in my head that condemns? It seems that many women I know carry burdens, unforgiveness, negative self-talk to the detriment of ourselves.
This Christmas, I will let go of my judgement about the way I look, the thoughts I have that condemn my words and the feeling of never being enough. (Haha! The irony of this blog!)
I know that God wants me to let go of these baby teeth, enjoy the gap and wait to see what bigger and better things will come.
How about you? Is there anything you could let go of this Christmas season on this tenth day of Advent?
Glory to God for simple things, like teeth, that give me such great things to ponder in grace and freedom and love.
Let go.
Enjoy the gap.
Wait.
Journey.
The big tooth will come.
Be Travelling Back to Bethlehem (Advent Day 9)
Yesterday before our visit with mom and dad, we went on our annual trip to Bethlehem during the time Jesus was born. It didn’t cost us a cent!
For the last few years in Vtown a local Baptist church has held an event called Bethlehem Star. It is an incredibly well organized event from the parking to the experience to the show and a cookie and hot chocolate on the way out.
Bethlehem Star begins outside where the church recreates a Bethlehem marketplace including shekels to buy things like olives, dreidels, bread. You can also see live animals, and join the Roman Army.
After Bethlehem Star, we zoomed across town to have dinner with Nana, Papa and Auntie P. the boys broke out the handmade Nana made PJ’s and even watched a short show on the TV.
Merry Ninth day of advent in preparation for Christmas.
Be Making Angel Cookies
How about angel cookies to enjoy on this sixth day of advent?
These are super simple to make. If you are going to try making a Christmas cookie with your kids I would try these. The boys love making the dough into triangles and sticking in the pretzels.
We made these on the weekend then decorated them at Nana and Papa’s. These are yummy in our tummy kinda cookies. We decided to use the icing in the recipe book and banana chips for a head. Mom checked out the action from her chair.
Enjoy:
"Be" ENOUGH 