Winter flashback

 Awww...a Pic from years ago when we went skating together as a family. Now that boy wears the same jacket his dad was wearing. I love being reminded of these special moments.

#familytime #fatherandson #skating #winterwonderland #wintercity #yegsports #makingmemories

Review of 2022 and beyond at 2am LOL

 Good mawning!!

Why now? Review of 2022 and beyond at 2am LOL. (And why the relationship you are having with YOU matters).

All peaceful and cozy in my slumber, and mind "chitchat" begins LOL.

Usually it's a review of the day to come lately but this time, going over a comparison of time in conversations.

"Mind": Did you know more conversation came at "you" from haters than it came from friends and family?

"Me": Hmmmm...that's interesting. It makes me think of all those who are struggling with depression and when "friends" wonder "how?" or "why?"... Do we really cry at the loss or at knowing we didn't connect in enough?

"Mind": You have worked some pretty crap jobs and didn't get paid a whole lot...at ALL! Let's take a look at them all...

"Me": Hmmm... yeah, working through that area of development in my life and that road is still under construction LOL. And I am learning as I go.

"Mind": Let's take a look at all the places you've lived as a married woman and see how that went.

"Me": Repair and reno all the way LOL. Safer too.

... Yup! 2022 came with a LOT of gnashing of teeth... And it was definitely a MUCH smaller circle of folks to lean in with for support.

This brought me back to the gift of relationship I have with myself and with God. And the power of anchoring into the statements "I am here", and "I am STILL here."

I choose to CONTINUE in this experience of life. Periodt!

And THAT is enough.

For you AND for me! And in however you choose that experience to look like.

To the "haters"... thank you...for the stress and the reminders and lessons...and the company LOL. You are here and you reminded me of the same

As we continue into 2023, let's be mindful of "getting to" BE.... HERE.

Your relationship with yourself matters. Because it frames how you will respond, even to your"self". And it matters because your experience AND presence matters "."

Let's make it a good one!

Blessings to you all for 2023

#ThankyouGod #gratitude #Divinegifts #oneanotherlove #ofgreatValue #lifetothefull #Sawubona #LoveFirst #Harvestthegood #biggerpicture #Iam #here #bestisyettocome

#greaterstill

Celebrating the 25th

 Okay, 3rd times a charm

(1st one didn't post although I thought it had...2nd time it crashed... So yeah...)

Today is the 25th of the month. And we celebrate the 25th every month which started after the youngest was born. This because both boys would receive gifts on the others birthday for years.

Inspired by Alice in wonderland and a tea party, we celebrate "unbirthdays" too.

Today, we share in the gratitude for the gift and contributions that Jesus shared into our lives. Perhaps it's his "unbirthday" too, and we celebrate all the same.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family. Celebrating the gifts of Light and Love shared in our lives.

#merrychristmas #happyholidays #thankyouJesus #birthdayparty #letscelebrate #gratitude #Divinegifts #oneanotherlove #ofgreatValue #lifetothefull #Sawubona

Breathing in the gift...of living and experiences.

 Good mawning!

Breathing in the gift...of living and experiences.

I am currently sitting in a mix of "feels" at the moment.

I am reflecting on the simplicity of the joy and giddiness my children used to express at this time of year. It was fun creating sparkling memories with them. The work in it was effortless. A labour of love.

I am grateful for the constant of life's work and experiences "we" create for ourselves, in our society. Simple things like rescheduled deliveries AND living in the other side of that experience makes me feel honoured to GET TO witness a bigger picture in this thing called living.

I am grateful to my friends who are surviving through many challenges AND choosing to show up as fully as possible in the THRIVING aspect of their lives. It has also amplified for me an intense gratitude to those who show up IN this life with the INTENT of living it out FULLY

And ALL these wonderful gifts of living being LIVED has me in tears of gratitude!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

That so outweighs the 'rest' that cause heaviness on "ones" soul.

I speak from myself in my own experience, but perhaps there are those out there that can relate... I don't believe in speaking as a 'collective'. I guess that may apply in many other areas of life as well.

I LOVE celebrating diversity and living it out to its fullest... however you are choosing to live it. No matter how messy it may seem to others.

Haha, that reminds me...to get back to making messy memories count with my kids.

Have an amazing day...and holiday time. And enjoy all of your 'presence'.

#ThankyouGod #gratitude #Divinegifts #oneanotherlove #ofgreatValue #lifetothefull #Sawubona #LoveFirst #relationships #makememories #yougettochoose #tolive #mindsetmatters #mentalhealth #healthandwellness #Grateful

Running with a pacer. Let's not do this life's journey alone

 Good mawning!

Running with a pacer.

Over the last week for many and for us, as a family, over the last couple months….we have been focusing in on “finishing a race”.

This race happens to be a current “challenge” in our lives. A simple situation that turns sideways and “ugly” fast. Now of course, because of the nature of the circumstance, that possibility was “there”, but you can always hope that you get to run and complete the race, or your leg of it as smooth as possible.

This is a picture of our son and my hubby.

Running a leg of an ultra race together. He was a part of a youth relay group. My hubby was there to help pace our son as he ran his leg of the race through the mountains. As one of the oldest in the youth group, he got the leg with the higher difficulty rating. My other son and I helped him to stay consistent with his training for the race by going out for “runs” with him and to keep him moving. LOL by no means were the two of us at the level of running our older son is, but we were there to keep his head in the game and to keep him moving forward.

My hubby on the other hand had run multiple ultra races that year and his training was extensive. He was definitely more apt for keeping the pace if not providing that bit of “push” on the course so that he would stay within his timing.

So with this reflection and our current challenge, we have come together to help one another to stay “on course”.

It can be so easy to just “let” the circumstance continue in the direction you DON’T want it to go because you may feel you are powerless to change in it and that you have let it get this “far”.

That is a hard space to be in. And from what I have learned over the years, from both personal challenges, our family’s journey with trail running as well as helping to support others in their difficult times is…

…it takes up WAY MORE energy and effort to go it alone. It can also take up time and energy to go through it with the WRONG kind of support.

Now of course, if you have a growth mindset in place, you can glean some sort of lesson and growth from even experiencing the “wrong” support. So how do you find what works for you without going through knowing some supports, mentors, or coaches may not be the fit you are looking for?

1. Have a vision of what it is that you really want on the other side of the “running the course”. What does YOUR “win” look like? What will you have from having finished the “race” you are going through?
   
   
   
2. Don’t feel through the pain of what you are going through to “find” the solution to what you are looking for. Hmmmm…in short, it comes back to the quote that speaks to not trying to solve a problem from the same thinking that created it. You can hope to solve the problem from the space of the problem itself. You’ve got to feel into the possibility of the solution already being achieved and you living in it. Imagining the outcome. And for me, this is where I need “pacing”.

I can see the vision, I can sorta feel into the outcome and the rest sometimes gets too heavy to carry. I personally like to have support in the process. YES! Even coaches/mentors/teachers need coaching/mentoring/teaching. We find safe communities of like-minded folks to be in that helps to provide support as we are on our journey of growth.

Get someone who can see you where you are at and has also “gotten” to where it is you want to be. Who has navigated a similar course to what it is you are travelling at this time.

Our current challenge isn’t unfamiliar to us, but staying on course with it to see it to the end is imperative. So as a family (and with God’s divine support as well), we are each doing our part to help one another cross the finish line.

Do you have those in your life that support you in the way that you need support? If not, reach out to someone who may be able to help. You could also reach out to those who may know someone who could help. I have helped many people personally connect to the support they need, either through coaching and mentoring with me or finding someone who would be a good fit for THEIR needs.You can send me a message for support. I am here and available to listen.

We don’t have to run this journey alone. It’s much better when we KNOW we have support along way.

Photo credit: @kenandersonphotography

#thankYouGod #DivineSupport #grateful #pacing #trailrunning #race #lifesjourney #oneanotherlove #getsupport #growthmindset #mentalhealth #goals #intentions #success #finishtherace #family #lifetothefull #biggerpicture #greaterstill #mindsetmatters

Is hard work really "hard"?

 Good mawning!

Thoughts around "hard" work.

Yesterday, as a family, we were out doing family business.

"We" do renovations and property maintenance work.

I say "we" because the main work is done by my hubby, a trained carpenter and handyman.

The work we did yesterday would not be for everyone to choose to do. And... Our boys did a lot of the work.

This morning as I am navigating my morning routine, I see that they also attended to almost ALL their household contributions yesterday as well.

Some would say they worked hard.

But they didn't.

They worked willingly, focused, consistently, and without resistance.

The work was what it was. Not easy or hard.

WE add the ease or "hardness" to it by how we show up in it.

Currently we have 2 similar projects (and a few ongoing) that are different in so many ways and stages that are highlighting for us many lessons. One of which is gratitude.

We are grateful for who we get to work with. We are grateful for who we get to serve and help. We are grateful that we CAN do the work we are doing. And we are grateful for being in the process of watching things grow and expand.

We are ALL here to share a worthy contribution and to enjoy the being in the process of the work we get to do.

What ways do you enjoying applying yourself willingly? What work do you do with ease that others find "hard"?

#ThankyouGod #gratitude #Divinegifts #oneanotherlove #ofgreatValue #hardwork #worksmart #willingness #lightentheload #serving #contribution #raisingmen #parenting #familybusiness #geterdone #growthmindset #simpleandconsistent #trusttheprocess #mindsetmatters