Tag Archives: Family

Be Having a Snow/No Car/God Day

December 12, 2013 Be Enough 2 Comments

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.

Boys, Family, health & fitness

Be Having Our First Ski of the Season 2013

November 26, 2013 Be Enough Leave a comment

We had an absolutely stellar morning on Sunday. It is incredible to be skiing together as a family. JC leading the way. CC skiing on his own and being pulled behind the Chariot. OC enjoy his snacks and watching his brothers under his blankies wearing a pair of snow boots he wasn’t too sure about.

Spontaneous pictures before we started off:

Zipping down the hills:

Going down the Jungle Trail. CC’s first time. He was wondering if the tiger was real. Nope they are all painted cardboard sweetie!

JC and I even ventured through the fresh powder to hit the animal trails. We even saw some tracks. Does this look like rabbit?

One last look at the ski:

After the ski, we went to visit mom and dad. Here’s what I wrote after visiting them.

Life is about sun and darkness, health and illness, and living life with every privilege, challenge and blessing we are given.

Boys, cancer, Family

Be Driving In Between

November 25, 2013 Be Enough 1 Comment

That drive between the new city and our old town is truly spectacular.

the sun sets off to my side as I’m heading south.

i can see deep blue green lakes and mountains near and far.

the purple sky, blue skies, the red skies, orange skies.

the orchards, the trees, the snow on the mountaintops.

BUT my soul is filled with anguish as I leave my mom, as I drive back to my ‘new’ life.

BUT my heart is with my mama, my mama in pain, my mama lying, my mama sick and unable to live her life.

My mama My mama My mama.

Life is such a dichotomy – beauty is all around me in all of God’s creation. I am amazed by the nature that I see surrounding me as I drive.

BUT my heart aches, my heart is broken, tears fall, big huge crocodile tears fall down my cheeks

BUT I pray and I hope and I sit in my pain in the presence of God’s beautiful creation amidst the pain.

Mom was in so much pain today that she couldn’t be touched. All she could handle was a quick kiss on the cheek by the boys. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and it was like I could feel the pain emanating from your body.

Peace Mama. Peace!

Boys, Family, Parenting

Be Eating Together

September 17, 2013 Be Enough 3 Comments

My mom has always been incredible at celebrating little and big things as well she has established amazing family rituals.

My mom has:
-volunteered in my boys schools,
– done many pick-ups,
-watched most activities they do,
– buys back to school clothes,
– every holiday the boys receive something,
– birthdays are a big deal,
– mom even makes a quilt when the boys move into their big boy bed. She is working on OC’s right now with help from her friend Audrey.

How does she do it?

I have to admit I do have a favourite mom ritual: eating together at dinner. This usually involves a bouquet of flowers, homemade quilted placemats, nicely set plates and utensils and a yummy homemade meal including a dish of olives that my boys sneak and gobble up even before dinner begins.

On Sunday, we had our first meal in our new house with mom and dad. (We bought it on May 10th)

I just love these two people to the moon and back. It was amazing to have them for both lunch and dinner.

Between meals, mom rested on the couch or on the Nana Cabana outside.

I really feel that a family that eats together, stays together. I wonder what the stats on that are?

I even phoned a friend and learned how to poach an egg for mom. My foodie friend wasn’t home, but her observant husband was able to give me the details after watching his chef wife all these years. Go Jimbo!

Family, men, Parenting

Be With One’s Kinsmen

September 16, 2013 Be Enough 1 Comment

Kinsmen = One of a person’s blood relations.

We have been fortunate to move to a city where many of my husband’s kinsmen live. These cousins are interesting, diverse, hilarious and extremely supportive. It also helps in the hand-me down and parenting department that they have older children. Yeah for great ‘experienced’ parents!

Last week, we asked the cousins to come over for a swim/sundae party with the ulterior motive that we needed a very heavy workbench moved out of the house.

Yesterday, three of the cousins joined me in doing two things I have always wanted to do: take a drawing course and visit a local lavender farm.

There is nothing like beautiful kinsmen in K-town. Thank you Jesus for supportive, open, family members.

Boys, cancer, Family

Be Going for a Walk

September 14, 2013 Be Enough 1 Comment

I have managed to gain over twenty pounds in the last three months. Quite a feat as this is approximately how much I gained during my nine months of pregnancy. And no I am not pregnant this time around for those wondering folks.

I am happy to say that mom’s weight has stabilized in the last two days. She also ate pizza with us tonight. We had to replace the tomato sauce with pesto and she gobbled it all up. (Tomato is hard on her mouth, esophagus, stomach.)

After dinner, mom rested while we played downstairs. Then JC convinced Nana to go out for a walk. No sooner did I have my shoes on then mom and JC were at the end of the road and into the field overlooking the lake.

Beautiful.
Peaceful.
Incredibly inspiring.
Going for a walk.

Papa and his OC.

Did we hear a snake? Nope just a quail.

Super fast CC is hard to get a photo of these days.

Now, if my mom can get off the couch to go for a walk, I know that I can at least do that as well. Thanks for the continual inspiration mom.

Boys, Family

Be Playing Chess

August 28, 2013 Be Enough 1 Comment

As we unpack boxes, we have unearthed treasures that we never even unpacked in our second house. (This is our third and hopefully our last move for a long time.)

JC found the chess board we bought in Budapest, Hungary in 2002. We agonized over the purchase because of the cost and the size. It was worth every Hungarian Forint.

Sexy Neck and I used to play chess, cards or backgammon every night after dinner while living overseas, unless there was something good on BBC.

JC has revitalized this after dinner tradition of game playing. CC likes to partner with me to help take JC’s pieces.

Game on!

cancer, Family, psychology

Be Asking For Help

August 22, 2013 Be Enough Leave a comment

I have a hard time asking for help. Whew, I said it!

Until recently I have viewed asking for help as a sign of my own incompetence or a sign of weakness. Really, I should be able to do it all right?

Now I don’t give a shit. I am completely humbled and gobsmacked by this whole thing.

Yup I haven’t shaved my legs since my mom went into the hospital and I don’t care.

I don’t have the energy to really do more than care for my family, a few close friends, spend time with my mom and pray. Sorry everything else is bonus.

So in a moment of weakness, at least that’s how I perceived it. I sent out an email to ask for help.

And was I ever blown away – people offering to let us stay in their house, hospital toys for the boys, friends stopping in to our new house with new pool toys and special salad dressing, a few treats for me and food: Soups for mom, food for our family visiting, muffins, cookies. And all these treats have been delivered to the hospital. I don’t think this hospital has seen such fine food before!

I am definitely going to ask for help more often. What a blessing! What a way to show love. I have always enjoyed helping others, but being helped isn’t so bad either.

Thanks for blessing our family.

Here is what one of my boot camp bible study buddies dropped off today.

Lasagna dinner and treats too!

And here are the new pool toys arriving at our new house. Thanks CC and your beautiful blonde.

"Be" ENOUGH