Category Archives: Parenting

Be a Preschooler

September 13, 2014 Be Enough Leave a comment

This week our almost three year old, OC, started preschool one day per week for two hours.

It was one of those days where OC appeared to “grow-up” overnight.

We stared Friday with our Preschooler wanting to pour his own milk. His lunch kit and water bottle were on the counter. He proudly hung his new MEC backpack beside his brothers.

OC grabbed his backpack and we were off. Everyone was excited.

OC is happy that he has the same teacher as his big brother CC. He was very happy with his flag creation on his first day of preschool.

The big brothers were happy to spend this day celebrating OC and enjoyed “hanging” out at the preschool playground.

You are a gift OC, to our family and this world.

We appreciate your laughter, your emotions, your spunk, your wanting to try everything! We love you!

As we said Welcome to Preschool to OC, I said goodbye to my preschool scrapbook into the recycling bin.

I am learning life is about being open and letting go…

Freedom.

Joy.

Peace.

Preschool.

Family, God, Parenting

Be Introducing Sexy Neck

September 9, 2014 Be Enough 5 Comments

This is Sexy Neck, aka Steve, one year before we got married. (1996)

We met playing volleyball, living 785 kilometres apart, then dated long distance for four and a half years living 298 kilometres apart. We had never lived in the same city until we got engaged.

Sexy Neck is first and foremost kind. Also very athletic. Intelligent. Loves God. Witty. Sexy. Artistic (most people don’t know he can draw and learned to play guitar by ear). Hardworking. Dog lover. Gardener. Handy. He’s an idea guy. I think he tells me about a new idea every day!

And he is incredibly “cool”. He loved taking “Selfie’s” before selfies were selfies.

Here we are back in 1996!

Full of gratitude for this man.

His strong shoulders.

The love for his boys.

His passion and care for me.

Sexy Neck, are you blushing?

P.S. We ran into a friend’s mom that we had never met before, but she had been reading the blog. She giggled when she saw Steve, called him Sexy Neck then asked to see his neck. It was one of the sweetest moments in our new neighbourhood with an old volleyball friend’s mom!

Goals, God, Parenting

Be Talking About Money $$ (and Food)

September 9, 2014 Be Enough 3 Comments

September should be the new year.

New activities.

New routines.

An almost new school year.

New lessons while cooking dinner.

And talk about money!

Sexy Neck and I have embarked on an intensive look at our budget.

Spreadsheets.

Bills.

Bank statements.

Daily conversations.

We have lived in our home for over a year. Our boys are in the activities they would like to be in. We have found our places to grocery shop and realized how our spending has changed. We miss our backyard rental suite that we had in our old home, but we have ideas. STAY TUNED!

I have been working on our budgeting spreadsheet as well as listening to Youtube videos about budgeting. I have come across a very interesting man, who was once bankrupt, who believes in God and now teaches others about finance. His name is Dave Ramsey. Youtube him and you will find out some interesting things. I listened last night to a short eight minute video and here are some of the highlights:

God owns money, stuff, time and talents.
We are the managers.
These things (money, stuff, time and talents) are not ours, stop worrying about them.
God made us to be givers.

He also spoke about giving money to others or tithing. He basically said that to tithe means one tenth. We could give away one tenth of our income right at the beginning of the month.

Today, I was cooking dinner and thought about this concept of giving away one tenth of our income right away.

When I was cooking dinner, I was stretching our leftovers from last night to feed us all dinner as well as make sure that I had leftovers for Sexy Neck’s lunch for tomorrow. I decided to first put the food in Sexy Neck’s lunch and then serve the rest of us dinner.

Guess what? When I served the lunch first there was enough for dinner, but I know if I served dinner first there wouldn’t have been any leftovers.

I wonder if we gave away ten percent of our income right at the beginning of the month… I bet there would be enough for everything else too!

Boys, Parenting

Be Floating a Boat on the First Day of School

September 2, 2014 Be Enough 1 Comment

Kindergarten and Grade two was scheduled to start today for our family. Due to an impasse between teachers and our close-minded government who deems summer school an essential service but not the regular school year, half a million students are not in school today.

I am sick to my stomach for my colleagues on the picket line but full of joy for my boys.

We started off this school year dropping Daddy at school because his car is in the shop. I asked the boys what they wanted to do today on the first day of school. As I folded the laundry, the boys put on their aprons, picked their wood from the pile in the garage and boat construction began. JC even showed me he can safely use Sexy Neck’s saw.

Now off to Mommy School at our kitchen table classroom after a quick swim. It will be an encouraging taste of writing, reading and Math.

Building my boys up.

Extending our summer.

Praying for a resolution.

Enjoy each of these ‘bonus’ days.

No place I would rather be.

Raising boys into men.

One day at a time.

One pencil mark.

One piece of paper.

One piece of wood.

One nail.

One Christ guiding my ways.

Glory to Him who weaves everything together for good!

Boys, Parenting

Be a Pirate and a Lawn Mower

August 23, 2014 Be Enough Leave a comment

Our boys are able to pick two camps to do each summer. I try to sign them up when Sexy Neck works in the summertime. Sexy Neck was back at work on Monday and the big boys were at Sailing Camp.

Today was the last day… AArrrrr… it was Pirate Day! These boys have the best imaginations and their abilities to come up with a costume astound me. Here they are:

JC got to go on a catamaran and even had a water fight with the paddle boarders. CC was in his wee boat steering it around the bay. Way to go pirate sailors!

I had to add this shot of OC tonight! Just like daddy..

Boys, Parenting

Be Disturbed

August 12, 2014 Be Enough Leave a comment

I checked my stats page and look what someone was searching for on MY site:

I am not sure what to do about this. I don’t understand people who would search for photos of boys in underwear.

My mama bear heart is wanting to protect my boys!

My innocent, heartfelt and well intentioned blog doesn’t feel the same after seeing this.

Are my blogging days over?

Parenting, Uncategorized

Be a Grandparent

August 10, 2014 Be Enough 3 Comments

Grandparents can be the greatest gifts in the world!

They don’t have to worry about kids eating their veggies.

Grandparents don’t need to make decision about schooling, moving, and daily schedule. The day-to-day household grind can be left behind when visiting grandchildren.

Grandparents are gifts because they get to just be. Not planning or pondering, just present.

Smiling.

Crafting.

Swimming.

Laughing.