Tag Archives: love

Boys, Family, Parenting

Be Eating Together

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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?

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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!

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Boys, cancer, Family

Be Going for a Walk

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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.

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Papa and his OC.

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Did we hear a snake? Nope just a quail.

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

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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, Goals, Uncategorized

Be Choosing

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Life is about choices. Every day choices.

Yes, we are not apathetic humans chosen by God to be puppets.

We don’t need to continue in a job that kills our Spirit. We don’t need a new house, car, boat… We don’t need to choose to fill our schedules with stuff. We don’t need to zip here and there not even recognizing the people God has put around us.

Every day we have a choice.

Today:

I choose to look for God in my anguish.

I choose my husband.

I choose to love my children.

I choose the peeps I want to hangout with.

I choose nature.

I choose to love where I am. Right now.

I choose delicious, healthy food.

I choose to move my body, not because I have to, but because I can.

I choose to celebrate all the special moments with gift of my thoughts, time and joy.

I choose to say what I feel and what I want.

I choose simplicity.

I choose forgiveness of those I feel have wronged me.

I choose to live life every day.

I choose hard work. Yup, some days this SAHM stuff ain’t for the faint of heart.

I choose love. Love for my amazing God, my family, my friends, my ‘neighbours’ and for myself.

What will you choose today?

Boys, cancer, Family, Jesus Christ

Be Surrounded By God At The Skateboard Park

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Before I had my boys, I was never one to frequent the skateboard park.

As I stood at the park today, I realize I was afraid of them because they were an unknown entity. I had a lot of fears as I have gone through my life, but now with mom’s cancer diagnosis, time in the hospital and journey home, these fears are insignificant.

Today, I chose to take my boys to the skateboard park. And not only did I get to see my boys rip around the park in the rain, but God showed me His sovereign love.

God’s love was expressed through the boys freedom to try new things, the grace they give each other when something goes ‘wrong’, and the joy that flows through them as they zip around the park.

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I don’t doubt that these words were put down in the bottom of the skateboard ramp were put there for me on this day. I also don’t doubt that the only way I can walk through these days is because of the prayers of the saints that walk this earth with me – thank you my saints!

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“Faith. Hope. Love. You are loved!” Thanks for the reminder.

cancer, Christianity, Family, Jesus Christ

Be Learning Lessons From A Hospital Bed

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Be present.

Be making a will.

Be asking people to pray for you.

Be honest.

Be talking about the hard things.

Be enjoying my mom’s breath.

Be letting go of expectations.

Be talking about God.

Be talking about death.

Be talking about poo.

Be real.

Be honest and say what you feel.

Be sitting.

Be listening to and learn from other people’s cancer stories.

Be loving.

Be open to any help you can get.

Be humble and gracious.

Be watching for where God is working.

Be eating even if you aren’t hungry.

Be having a good old cry.

Be asking for a hug and let the other person hold you up.

Be letting God hold you in the palm on His hand.

Be full of faith and trust.

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Family, Parenting

Be Writing A Letter To Cancer

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Yup, cancer. The big C. The beast. The indiscriminate illness. One of our worst nightmares. I am talking about you little c-a-n-c-e-r.

First, I want to introduce you to my mama. She’s magnificent. Really magnificent. She celebrated her seventieth birthday in a March. In April, she rode in a Tour de France training Camp for two weeks riding sometimes 90 kms per day. She even fell off her bike three times.

Yup, that’s my mom, she’s one tough, athletic, caring and beautiful woman.

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She came from a small farming town where she rode a horse to school. She is resilient.

She loved helping her dad around the farm rather than hanging out with her mom in the kitchen. She is strong.

She was a leader at school as well as an academic and basketball star. She is all around smart.

She put herself through University to become an excellent teacher and then she gave up her career when my sister and I came along. She is passionate and compassionate.

She went back to work once I hit school and she managed to do it all – work, home cooked meals, travel, organize our lives, plan fabulous parties and I could go on. She can do it all!

Cancer, I almost forgot to tell you, if my mom is feeling tired and weary from trying to cast you away. She’s got my dad at her side. Her knight. Her partner in crime. No cracks have I seen in their 42 years of marriage. He’s even put his golf clubs on the shelf, so watch out. He is a force!

Plus you’ve got to add one power into this “thing” you are trying to do in my mom’s body – God. My sister and I plus our hubbies, we know Jesus. We know his power to heal and transform lives. You bet we will have our mom and dad covered with prayer. We know the angels will be sitting by her beside. We will also be by my mom’s side to love her up and keep her going, especially with a few good books, reality tv shows and neck kisses.

And if that ain’t enough, we have got family and friends all over the world ready to kick your butt. Special niece in Spain, nephew up north, siblings to the east/south and friends in PG, Vtown, Western Canada, Australia, and 100 Mile. You don’t know who you are dealing with.

So, cancer now that you’ve met my mom, and her team brace yourself because you aren’t going to know what hit you! And we haven’t even met her medical team yet!