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Being Together!

Being Together!
All of us!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Let the Fun Begin!

The van is packed with clothes, towels, toys, food and treats. We are off on a camping trip...Hope you have a great week! I know we plan to.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Geo caching

http://www.geocaching.com

Play

We have discovered a new pass time that we are  enjoy.  Geo caching.  You go to geocaching.com and log on, put in your postal code or address and it gives you a list of coordinates locating different caches or "treasure".  We have gone the past two evenings and had a great time searching and finding this fun little boxes full of trinkets & tokens.  They are hidden all over the world.  When we travel this summer we plan to take in some GC along the way.
Last night we went with a couple of good friends of ours.  We got talking about our summer plans, these two are heading off to university in the fall and have decided to make the most of their time at home.  They are making a list (of course when they mentioned this my ears perked up, he he) their list is of 100 things they plan to do this summer.  50 activities together and 50 solo.  Of course this sounds like a ton of fun to me, so I have decided that I am going to do the same thing and encourage my family to do it too.  50 things on my own and 50 as a family. 
I have a strong desire to play this summer.  I want to explore, create and play.  This is the summer of not taking myself too seriously, of relaxing and making great memories with my children. I only have 5 summers left with Nathan at home.  This is going to fly and this may be the last one before he becomes serious about earning some money of his own.
So, today I begin a new list, one of grand adventures and time, time with the ones I love the most... 1. a summer long treasure hunt. 2. bike PEI. 3. try all the different kinds of ice cream at our favorite shop. 4...
What's on your list?
I hope you have fun today! I plan to.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Take Note and find your Wings!

I am a great list and note maker.  I make all kinds of lists, groceries to goals. I also write myself notes, notes about how the day went, memories I want to remember and notes to get myself motivated.  Sounds strange perhaps, but it works for me.  My dear husband is always making some comment about the trees I could save if I would stop, but it is what helps me to accomplish what needs to be done. 
I am working on a pretty big goal of mine these days.  I am hoping to travel Canada with my children in search of wheel chair accessibility and I would also LOVE to meet other families who have a family member with different abilities and talk about what is working for them and what is not.  Of course I would blog about it and maybe even write a book.  Maybe a spot on CBC radio?...or published in a magazine.  Something to get the message and hope out to others.  It is a huge dream for me.  When I had Jacob almost 11 years ago, I was a mess.  Life turned upside down for me.  Mostly because I had No idea what I was doing.  There were some amazing people that came into our life around that time that really helped me get a grip!  I would love to help others who might need a little support.  I have also found that there is great power that comes when we meet others who are in our same situation and can share our worries and our triumphs with each other.
Just the other day I met a mom who has a child who has many of the same abilities as my Son, Jacob and who has graduated from university!  You can't even imagine the hope that that gave me.  I was so grateful to this wonderful woman who shared her story with me and gave me a hug to boot! We were two strangers and with in ten minutes had laughed and cried together. 
Well anyway, this is the goal I am working on and it is a tricky one.  I figure I need a pretty big chunk of change to make it work.  An accessible van would be nice too, but this all requires me putting myself out there and asking...this is hard to do.  I have this nagging voice in my head that likes to say things like, "Who do you think you are?"  "You're not qualified to take this on." or "NO one wants to talk to you anyway." 
So in comes the notes of motivation to myself.  But I have to say that even they aren't working right now.
Well this morning I got up and headed to the washroom to see what kind of damage the 'sand man' had done over night and there on the counter was one of my little note books that I had written in.  It was open to a spot where I had written, "I am beginning to wonder if I am a scaredy cat..." and then a  list of things I need to do to begin this adventure of mine.  Underneath, in my sweet daughter's hand writing was written, "I love you Mom. Mom you are not a scaredy cat, you are the world! A role model. A mother! A brave, strong, amazing woman that has nothing to be afraid of. I love you. Our joys are our wings!"
I love this girl of mine. If I do nothing else in my life, knowing that I have helped to raise such an amazing person will be enough.  (and I have 3 amazing young people, how did I get so blessed?)  So I have new found strength and courage.  I must get past the planning stage and on to the doing...that is the scariest place to be!  But With encouragement and love like that, how can I go wrong?
I hope you have a noteworthy day and that you might find you wings! I plan to.
Thank you Mackenzie.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Shine

I got a letter in the mail last week informing me that the publisher I had sent my manuscript to, was not interested in pursuing it.  For a minute I was hurt and sad, almost offended.  Then I realized that to my knowledge, I don't know anyone who has ever received such a letter.   I have decided to look at it as proof that I am putting myself out there, going after the life I want and taking the risks to get there.  When my posterity see and read that letter, yes I am putting it in my book of remembrance, they will know that I tried and hopefully it will be there beside the acceptance letter and my published book! But even if I am never published, I will have the experience of trying.  That is exciting!
This thing we call living, can be really scary sometimes.  Putting ourselves out there in front of others is scary business, but I am sure that it is worth it.  At least that is what I have been told!  Maybe this fear is why I get so many questions and funny looks about turning off the T.V.  When we go against the norm it makes others nervous, it reminds them that there is another way.  It puts a mirror up and sometimes people don't like to see that things could be different if they put the effort in.  I know I find it hard and sometimes down right terrifying.
I love the quote that Nelson Mandela used in one of his speeches, it is actually by Marianne Williamson...
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates other" ~by Marianne Williamson~
This is one of my favorite quotes.  I guess there are those that don't want the "permission to do the same".  Until there eyes adjust, the shine might be too bright to look at.  That does not mean that we should hide our light. 
Soooo, I am going to tweak my manuscript and submit it to other publishers, I am going to take a look at my list of goals and I am going to begin, again, to try to accomplish some of them.  I am going after my dreams, I am going to try to make my light a bit brighter everyday! Maybe if you do the same, together we will be able to live the lives we were sent here to live, accomplishing those things that will bring us true joy and happiness!
...I hope you will have a brighter day today, I plan to!