Category Archives: Family

Be Giving Leftovers Away

I am wondering why we always give our families “leftovers”.

Our best selves are often given to those people we work with, see at the gym or in the line-up at the grocery store.

We smile.

Say a friendly hello.

Display consistent kindness and consideration.

We rarely raise our voices or yell in our workplace.

But, when we are at home, a different menu is being served.

The ‘leftovers” go to our families.

These lovely people that we have given birth to or have given birth to us.

Those people that we are placed on a family tree with.

Yup, those ones.

Can’t just erase a name off of there, can we?

The ones that get our grumpiest selves and our often complaining selves.

Those same ones that we show our ‘true’ colours to.

The ones we ignore, avoid and can’t say one kind word to or pretend to say kind words to, but it is meaningless.

The ones that we visit with and then nap for one hour on the sofa.

My journey, as I have watched my family of origin evolve over almost two years since my mom’s death, is that it is no longer okay to give my brood of boys my leftovers.

I want my family to know me the best.

My boys will get my best self.

I will give them the most smiles, the friendliest eyes and the kindest words.

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My family.

The one I chose.

Sexy Neck.

The boys I birthed.

JC, OC and CC.

8, 6, 4.

My brood of boys.

My best self.

All of my love.

All of my life.

Allowing space for them to be themselves.

Allowing myself to be me.

The full meal deal.

Me.

Be Slaying Cake Demons

Two years of buying cakes.  

Ice cream. 

Fondant. 

Chocolate.  

Vanilla. 

Cakes. 

Made by professionals.  

Two years ago was the first time that my boys did not have a birthday cake made by my mom.  

Elmo. 

Bert. 

Pirate.  

Digger.  

Cakes.  

Whatever the boys requested, my mom would lovingly and happily create.  

My boys most memorable birthday moments have been their cakes. 

Tonight, I slayed some cake demons.  Often the hardest things create the most freedom within us and around us.  

Tonight, I made my newly four year old’s request for a fire truck cake.  

Tears in my eyes.  

Heart racing.  

Knees trembling.  

Pink icing and all. 

(Who knew red icing was so hard to make?) 

I MADE A FIRE TRUCK CAKE! 

Soul cleansing.  

Mind moving.  

New habits.  

Overcoming.  

Triumphing. 

Cake making.  

Happy Birthday OC. 

(My mom’s namesake.) 

  
What hard stuff will you push through today?   What freedom will you create? 

Be Tweaking My Neck 

Yessiree Bob, I tweaked my neck.  

No idea how.  

I wasn’t twerking.

Just living life.  

I am so grateful for this time of tweaking.  

Time to slow down.  

Time to look at the clear blue skies.  

An opportunity to be grateful.  

No matter the circumstances.  

I have work where I choose my daily rhythm.   

I can put my health first.   

I can lie flat on my back if I need to.  

No day shall pass where I will not spend time in gratitude.  

Even with a pain in my neck!

Look at this view:



Even in the midst of physical and emotional pain, we can find gratitude.  

We just need to choose to look.  

(From whatever position we may be in!) 

 

Be Having a House Concert with RvZ

We are living our dreams right now.

Our why is clear.

Our how and what is not.

We love it!

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For almost twenty years, Sexy Neck and I have dreamed about Rachelle Van Zanten playing live in our home or yard.  Last night it happened!  We had heard she was playing at a festival a few hours away and we asked, yup, just asked, if it was possible for her to play poolside in our yard.  Thirty of our greatest new and old friends, came to enjoy this over two hour private show with one of Canada’s best slide guitar players, either female or male.

National Geographic Explorer in Residence, Wade Davis, has said, “Rachelle Van Zanten is our voice, the muse of the north, a woman as strong and beautiful as the mountains, as fluid as the sea.  She writes songs to inspire the wind, give voice to thunder and fire the hearts of all sentient beings fighting to protect the land she loves so dearly.”

What an incredible memory it now is.

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Music.

Guitar.

Hand-crafted songs.

HIlarious stories.

Talented musician.

Gobsmacked with joy!

What an incredible night!

Be Toasting the Roast

Saturday morning here and you can imagine that it involves a pot of coffee brewing.  

A wake-me up in a cup. 

A sip of Java. 

A morning toast to the roast. 

 We don’t all like coffee, but the smell is distinctive and very comforting.  

And a coffee shop up at the Star ski hill can make you feel completely at home in winter or summer.    
Cheers! 

Be Hitting the Targets I Set!

One of the best hockey players in the world, Wayne Gretzky, was once quoted as saying: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!”

Before I wasn’t even in the game.

I was working very hard.

Going no where.

I was floating.

Listening to all the chatter around me.

Now, I am listening to the still inner voice inside of ME.

In my life right now I am taking a TON of shots.

Saying “yes” to new opportunities.

Being open to the possibilities.

Allowing myself to feel deeply and go deeper still.

This week, I was on the phone with M, someone that I have known for almost ten years… She is twenty-something and she is a FORCE.

I was sharing with M my last sixteen week journey of setting goals and achieving them.

Here is a photo of this first journey:

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Now after a very fun sixteen weeks of achieving many goals, I was in a quandary. Weight loss is no longer one of my MAJOR goals.  Hmmmmm… Now what?  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with this second challenge and I expressed my ‘unknowing’ to friend/business partner.

Later in the day, she send me her ideas via text.   My ‘unknowing’ brought out a ‘knowledge’ in her that profoundly helped me and spurred me on.  Isn’t it awesome that she even thought of having “party tricks” as a goal!!

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Here is what I came up with because of her awesome inspiration:

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And here is me getting started to see where I am at: (It wasn’t pretty!)

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4 push-ups (the last one was with VERY shaky arms)

No chin-ups (I could barely hang there for 2 seconds)

And NOW I am off moving towards the targets that I set for myself.

The ULTIMATE goal is to be the healthiest ME and live the most energetic, positive-infused days of my life with my brood of boys, family and incredible circle of friends.

Be Overflowing with Disney Wonder

We had a trip of a lifetime courtesy of Sexy Neck’s grandparents(in the bottom right corner).

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We spent seven days on the Disney Wonder living the magic inspired by Walt Disney’s vision.  We had some of the happiest times as a family and the best food we have ever eaten.

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We were very fortunate to travel into Alaska to see whales and beautiful blue glaciers.

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I am truly short for words with the incredible experience.