Summer... What a beautiful fun filled season

It's 5:30 am and the sun is rising as she fills my bedroom with the first Rays of light.  I try to squeeze a few more hours of sleeping in but sometimes to no avail.  The sun, it wins me over 2 times a week for an early start of the day.  To me this is when Summer has truly arrived in my life.

 The quite of my house this early in the morning is calming yet odd.  Summer in our house is filled with the hustle  and bustle of everyday life, but it's not a normal day energy, there is relaxed feeling to it almost.  Summer months I am calmer, we all are the kids especially. My husband who still works every day till he takes his vacation time so we can do things as a family. Yes, being a stay at home mom does have it perks and Summer time is a wonderful one. 

Summer means so much to all of us. It means annual camping trips with family and friends.  We just got back from our kick off Summer camping trip which we take the kids out of school early on the last day and head off to Cultas Lake and spend 3-4 days with many friends.  This year was amazing with everyone.  Kids going tubing and jumping off the end if the dock ( I even jumped off cause who doesn't want to be a kid again ) cliff jumping, bocce tournaments, camp fires and roasting marshmallows.  Ah camping.  

                                    

  (My son and 2 of his friends getting ready for tubing)

Summer is also BBQ's, small gatherings with your loved ones, drive in movies, days at the beach, star gazing at night, mini road trips,  gardening, canning summers bounty to enjoy later in the year & of course lounging around in the shade with a glass of iced tea while reading your book is my most favorite activity of all.   The kids favorite thing to do besides camping is our annual  water fight we do with Dad after a long day at work.  Water guns, water balloons, hoses you name it, it is used in our water fights.  I of course give my dear hubby a prewarning so that is iPhone and other electronics don't get ruined as there is no mercy once he drives up and opens his car door. So much fun running around and getting soaked on a hot summers evening, truly no way to beat it. The laughter and squeals from everyone fills the air and it warms my heart as life is at its simplest for a moment in time. 

I know we all have those special moments in Summer we all look forward to and traditions to carry on and hope our kids will pass them on when they have their families one day in the distant future. The possibilities this warm season brings is bountiful and the memories that will be created are endless.  I've posted a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, to me it captures the meaning of Summer completely.  So get out there and enjoy all that Summer has to offer be it a lavish trip or a staycaction in your back yard. 

❤️NYTS

Loving your Body No More Body Shaming.

Back in the day, I had a very athletic body.  I did all sorts of sports, but my favorite was figure skating.  I ate, breathed, slept figure skating.  I had very few days off from the  sport actually.  I skated all year round, coached little CAN skate kids, young hockey teams how to be better and faster skaters.  I had up to five coaches at one time.  One day about a month or so before one of the competitions my main coach felt that I needed to loose a bit of weight.  She told me that I was to drink only 8 glasses of water a day and consume only 1 large Apple.  I didn't say anything to my parents as I thought, " hey she's my coach she knows what's she's what she's talking about."  So I did what was asked of me, and the weight started coming off in spades.  Here's the full picture though.  I am 13 years old, 5 ft 10.5 inches tall weighting in at 112 lbs.  I skated on average 2.5 hrs each morning and 3-5 hours every night.  I was not a fat kid.  I was tall and thin as well as muscular.  This was my 1st encounter of body shaming.

One day after about 1 1/2 weeks into this new eating habit as per my coach I started to get sick, no energy, falling and getting hurt, bruising very easily.  I walked off the ice as I felt light headed and my mom was there.  I told her the truth as to what was going on and the fire in her eyes had me scared.  In front of my entire skate club, she walked on the ice with her runners and started to yell at my coach.  She fired her right on the spot.  I felt so many emotions, ashamed, sad, scared, but most of all relieved.   

I had a new main coach by the next day when I stepped on the ice.   

A few moths later, we found my original coach passed out in the rink bathroom from starving herself.  She fought with a food eating disorder and pushed most of her skate kids to the brink of the same thing.  I was one of the luckier ones who stopped before it was to late.

Now here I am in my 40's same height but way different weight and body size and shape.  I've had my kids, I got very comfortable in my relationship with my hubby.  The body shaming however hasn't stopped over the years.  It's in the media, be it news, TV, print, social.  It's there, it's everywhere.  A few years back I entertained the idea of a tummy tuck.  I sent in my info via email to the Drs. Head nurse who books new patience and she even told me I was to fat to get a tummy tuck.  That I should look into gastric bypass 1st. She hadn't even seen me inperson, she was just going by my info I emailed her. Yikes!!  For me, this was one of my many wake up calls.  Why should the media decide what is attractive and what is not?  Back in the days of Monte' and Rembrandt I would be considered a goddess, a woman of desire and want.  I have curves, a soft fleshy tummy, hips, big breasts.  For me though, the most beautiful think about my body is my confidence that has grown over the years.  It is that which makes me stunning.  How can a woman with confidence not be beautiful outside and inside.  I mean come on.  

Body shaming begins at a very early age.  To early in my humble opinion.  My daughter a few years ago came to me and asked me if she was fat.  I was shocked to hear her ask that question at such a young age of 8 years old.  She's athletic, she's a dancer, she runs, rollerblades, show boards, rides her bike, swims.  You get the picture right.  She asked that question because she saw a magazine cover that showed a young lady with a tag line, " Tummy bulge workout.  Results in just 2weeks."  Now at this time in her life, my daughter still had some 'baby weight" on her tummy.  She's in no way would I ever consider her fat. My response was for her to love her body and all it can do.  Ignore those magazines at the check out at the grocery store. Since then, she loves her body, she even reminds me sometimes when I have a moment of doubt that I her mother am beautiful too.  I know I am teaching her the right out look on life and she body as well as others.  She is quite the cheerleader I tell ya. 

We have to stop body shaming once and for all.  Love your body.  Be proud of what your body does for you.  Pass on the love, it only takes one person to start a movement of acceptance and change to how we view our selves and others.

❤️️️️NYTS