Category Archives: Family

Be Riding Waves of Gratitude

Over two years ago, I started down a road that I never knew I would go down.  My energetic, athletic mom had cancer take over her body.  It pummelled her, humbled our family and eventually took her body on Boxing Day six months later.  

I rode waves of grief.  

Face planting.  

Knee crawling.  

Life stealing.  

Grief. 

I had never known pain like this. 

I had never lived a day without my previous mama.  

But I did.  

And I am.  

I was at the beach a few days ago and was watching this: 

  
And then I noticed a woman sitting under a tree, just like my mom used to, watching the boys play in the sand. I would have felt paralyzed by this before but now I just found gratitude in my heart for this beautiful woman who reminded me of my mama.  

  
I am living.  

Living with abundance.  

Living a life of my dreams.  

I am continually surrounded by saints on this earth.  

Friends who walk with me. 

Strangers who bless me with their presence.  

Friends who LOVE my boys. 

Friends who ask ‘how are you?’ And wait to hear the answer.  

Right now in my life, I am riding the waves of gratitude.  

It hits me every day at how blessed I truly am.  

I feel extremely grateful for who I am surrounded by, all that I have and all that I can do.  

The possibilities are truly only limited by my mind.  

My opportunities seem to flow into my dreaming mind and humbled heart.  

I am free.  

I am flying.  

I am riding waves of gratitude. 

 

Be Clickety Clacking with Vision

Clickety clack.

The pieces are all falling into place.

Snap.

Press.

Thunk.

The dreams of my mind are coming true in more ways than one right now.

Every day, I live in awe of how life events are unfolding, how my thoughts and reality are becoming woven together.

In the spring, I was thinking about a club that our family could join to create community for our boys, reinforce skills that we learn in our family that would be reinforced within this community as well as a place to have fun.  Only one week later, a friend invited us to a Paddle Centre where our family could pay a membership fee to go on Stand-Up Paddle boards, kayaks or surfskis and have our own beachfront property to use without the taxes.  A week after the open house, we were members and our family is experiencing a rich time of being a part of a caring and athletic community.

Click.

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At end of June, our family create a list of what we wanted to do together this summer.  It is only mid-July and we have done almost half of the things on our wishlist.  Everyone is tremendously happy and we are enjoying being together and everything we are doing: Skateboard park, waterslides, reading together, swim parties, birthday party…

Clack.

Last fall, I had hoped for a water feature with running water in our backyard.  This summer, every day, I enjoy our wonderful fish pond.

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Click clack.

One morning a while ago, I got up and had a thought that I would love it if my husband would dance with me.  Later that afternoon, my husband was fixing something in the bathroom, I went to take a look and wouldn’t you know it, but he grabbed me and started dancing.

Clickety clack.

Just like that.

Positive visions, thoughts, intentions, creating moments in life that inspire and encourage me.

Lastly, my eight year old, snapped a photo of me at the one place I spend early mornings and late evenings for the foreseeable future, teaching families online who school at home, connecting with people, reading and writing.   I am taking hold of my time and my vision.  The five rituals that I am creating in my life every day are: Connecting with Sexy Neck (my husband), cuddling my boys, reading, writing and exercising.

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Clickety Clack.

Just like that!!

I leave you with two quotes from one of my favourite motivation speakers, now deceased, Jim Rohn says:

  • “Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day.”
  • “Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day.”

What dreams could you create with a few simple disciplines practiced every day?

With discipline and vision, dreams do come true every day. I am proof!

Be Outdoor Piano Players

Life is about finding moments that fill you and make you smile.

Yesterday was one of those moments.

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A waterfront, outdoor piano.

My three boys and our wonderful friend and piano teacher.

Smiles and claps from passerby’s.

A man joining us to play some Chopin.

Steven Tyler, from Aerosmith, playing on the same piano later in the afternoon.

I am very proud of my outdoor piano players.

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What moments will make you smile today?

Be Playing with Paper

I walked out the door yesterday for four hours.

Walked into our old church to celebrate an incredible colleague’s life.

A woman who was a mom, wife, teacher, friend, aunt… an incredible human being, filled with inner light and love.

She also had the best shoes and rings!

Her students’ sang the birthday song in the most creative, loving and loud way possible.  (I know because I was across the hall from her!)

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While I was gone, Sexy Neck played with the boys.

Putting water in the fish pond.

Tidying up the yard.

Eating snacks.

And creating with white printer paper.

Sexy Neck has to be one of the most creative people that I know.

He can take any normal object and create something beautiful and inspiring!

Yesterday it was paper…

Created into rescue vehicles.  We now have a roadway on our kitchen table and some very happy boys!

Thank you Sexy Neck for seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

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What ordinary object today will create an extraordinary for you or the people you love?

Have a wonderful Sunday Funday and rest day!

Be ‘Success’ful

I am not sure who to credit this photo or these words with, but I believe that this is the definition of success for me. I saw this on facebook and it struck a chord deep within me.  I heard a loud ‘gong’!

I believe I need to embrace all these words below the iceberg to be ‘Success’ful.


Hard work.

Risk.

Late nights.

Struggles.

Failures.

Persistence.

Action.

Discipline.

Courage.

Doubts.

Changes.

Criticisms.

Disappointments

Adversity.

Rejections.

Sacrifices.


For the first time in my life I am living outside my comfort zones EVERY DAY. I know my dreams and freedoms live OUTSIDE OF MY COMFORT ZONE.

Did you know I was afraid of horses?  My heart skipped a beat today as I lead this large animal with my son on his back.  I was afraid.  Did that stop me?

Absolutely not!

Success for my son.

Being ‘success’ful outside of my comfort zone.

Be the Gift of a Vomit Bowl

After my mom died, there were few things that I asked for nor wanted.

Stuff just doesn’t hold much “significance” for me.

One thing that we did take was the two blue bowls that my mom had during her cancer journey.

It wasn’t until this morning that I understood the significance of these bowls and the gift that I had been given.

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Last night, my oldest threw up, eleven times… yup, we counted.

We slept for about two hours and now we are into our day, living our life.

I have learned that we don’t live in a world where everything is perfect or where everything will go as we planned.  BUT we can find comfort in chaos and beautiful moments while cleaning a vomit bowl.

My Sexy Neck sent me this text after JC and I’s long night:

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The gift of watching my mom vomit over and over and over again as she journeyed through cancer.  My mom and I would laugh as we were the two most squeamish members of our family when it came to vomit.

The gift of a bowl to help my children and to be able to walk with them through their sickness.

New beginnings.

New Learnings.

A blue bowl.

The gift of a messy, marvelous life that my mom lived fully.

My own messy, marvelous life that I live with in freedom and grace.

Be Finding Flow

Oh I want to rap this post, but my words will have to suffice. 

Flow. 

Flowing. 

Flow ‘in. 

I am in the flow. 

My flow is coming in the form of authentic communication.

Communication that is not trying to change someone by resonate WITH someone. 

Communication that flows like a piano duet.  

One part of the duet can be playing the low notes but they stay in harmony wherever they are in the song. 

The people that continue to come into my life, whether it is new or old friends, are part of this beautiful flow that exists in my life right now.  

Nothing holding me back.  

Playing notes side by side.  

Highs and lows. 

All flowing together.  

Where will you find your flow today? 

Will it be in communication?

In movement?

In music?

Alone?

Be find ‘in ya flow!

Peace out!