Yesterday the rain was pelting hard and cold and the kids and I had a long way to go to get home on bicycle. It was the kind of night where you really feel like you’re braving the elements–banding together like warriors to overcome the odds. It took real determination and courage to keep walking, keep pedaling, keep pushing for the finish line when their tired bodies had already had a very big day.
It’s amazing how responsible a mother is for the general well-being of her group.
In situations like the one last night, where my kids were tired, cold, wet and wanted to go home (but still had 40 minutes of tough pedaling to do) I realize that the ONLY way we’re going to make it through the ordeal is if I keep a positive attitude.
I would tell them again and again how brave they were–how strong and courageous. If I gave up even a little bit myself, because I was tired, impatient or just frustrated, I could feel their courage waning. I could feel the elements and fatigue moving in on them faster than I could lift them up.
And so I persisted by validating them until I was hoarse.
“You can do it!”
“You’re amazing!”
“You’re so strong, so courageous! Look at you go!”
These should be uttered as part of every Mother’s Code of Honor. Some days I think that if we only said words like these, it would be enough to get them through the day. Put your attention on the things you want to grow. Lay off the corrections and criticisms that slow them down and cause them to lose hope and confidence.
They were AMAZING. True heros. Mika was limping a bit by the time we got home, and so Sebastian stepped up to the opportunity to help her by pushing her bike. Mika, who really didn’t need help, pretended that it was so much easier for her to push his bike and said how appreciative she was.
He beamed with pride.
Then I blissed out while they started telling each other how much they loved each other. They hugged with helmets bumping while the rain kept pelting down on them.
I yelled out to the stars that I was the luckiest mom in the whole universe, and of course, they beamed again and just started helping each other even more. The compliments flowed faster than rain and offers of assistance pelted me harder, so I stopped noticing the cold.
It’s easy to get distracted by life.
We get pulled down by the drama, the bills the to do lists. But these are the moments that remind me life is what we make it. All manner of odds that stand against you cannot crush your determinism, your will to persist and to thrive.
Once we got inside, warmed up and dried off, Sebastian told me I was “beautiful like a raw food colored rainbow.”
Can it get better than that? I don’t think so.
Who knew that these would be the glory moments of my life? It’s not some sweaty beach day or starlit night sky that will stay etched in my mind as the pleasure moments that marked my days. It’s the gut-wrenching trials and tribulations of life as a superhero.
The moments that I predict will be the toughest… the moments where there’ a fine line to cross between giving up and “giving ‘er all I’ve got”… those have been my glory moments.
I cannot often find words to express my gratitude to the two remarkable people with whom I have had the privilege and honor of sharing these moments.
And so I come here, to bask in the serenity of being…
The serenity of “Mom”.
Tera
For those of you who read my initial blog on my attempts to 
Hey Raw Moms, if you’ve got a husband like mine, then you know the sheer jealousy that can take over as you watch him graciously gulp down an entire pizza without so much as a belch. Or a zit. Or an ounce of flab. Yeah, I know I know, my hubby gets those mood swings that undoubtedly, In MY mind, seem diet related– but to the outside world, he’s a toxin free hunk! I mean, look at the guy! 
I love being a Mom and truly believe for some of us it is a Spiritual Calling. For as long as I can remember, all I have ever wanted was to have a family. I always knew with certainty that I would have children, nurse them, and devote myself to consciously raising them. When you live in that clear an intention, the Universe conspires to support you no matter what…A la THE SECRET. Becoming a mother is a Course in Miracles, and feeding my family is a sacred task. This is why I have embraced the Living Foods lifestyle. Everything about it is in harmony with the pure vibration of a child’s potential. I seek only to develop and harness that potential and do nothing to diminish it. And so, I have converted my family over to Raw. It has been so exciting, yet not without its challenges
I have learned the hard way that an over emphasis on food can mar the entire experience and though I am Raw and convinced it is the best way to go, I am more apt to attract people to the benefits if I walk my own path in harmony with others. I feel that this food and lifestyle is a very gentle and loving experience for ALL! But I don’t push it.
I encourage my little tigers to take their time and really savour every bite, and to be thankful. I really do believe the woman sets the tone in the home, and my husband holds the space for us all. He models good habits by putting his fork down between bites, chewing thoroughly, even closing his eyes and letting out little “Ahhhhh”s and “Mmmmm”s. He even declares enthusiastically “Mama sure is the best chef in town!” To which my sons usually chime in “She sure is!” Having support makes mealtimes an experience of bonding, laughter, storytelling and true sustenance.
It’ been while since I posted. Sorry about that ladies. It’s a long story. So I’ll just say in short, “Life happens”.
This desire has always stayed with me. My husband and I have always had this same love, and we’ve instilled it in our children while they were growing up. I am so glad that we did. This summer we decided to go camping again as we hadn’t taken a vacation in years and we all need it. Our closest friends Jim and Cindy brought their four children as well, plus one extra, and we all went camping in Kejimkujik national park. You can check it out on line. If you’re ever in Nova Scotia it is one of the most beautiful places to camp. You can even take canoes, packed with your supplies and go on one of the islands. It’s more like being in the wilderness, just watch out for Bears. So bring your Bear guide book with you. I’ve included some pictures of our camping trip. I hope you enjoy them.
We hadn’t gone camping since my husband and I had gone raw. So on this trip I decided that in order to stay raw, I would need to prepare all the raw food that we needed before hand. For the children I would bring some of their vegan foods, since they are not 100% raw. So first thing I had to do was plan all the meals we would be having so that things would go smoothly and we’d have everything we needed. Remember there is no electricity. So I made enough almond-milk to last us and place the almond-milk in glass containers with lids in our large cooler. You can freeze them before going on a trip, this way they thaw slowly and will last longer. The cooler was packed full with nuts, fruit and veggies that needed to be kept cold, hemp seeds, flax, chia seeds, etc. I spent two days before the trip filling my dehydrator with foods like: burgers, crackers, bread, lathers, buckwheat crispies: chocolate and vanilla flavor, things that would keep well and not go bad. I also packed a large tote with all the kitchen supplies I would need: raw agave nectar, Vega smoothie pouches, spices, real vanilla extract, vanilla beans, dried: cranberries, blueberries, goji berries and cherries, herbs, maple syrup for the children, grains and other seeds for sprouting, more fruits and root vegetables.
Then they took their bikes and hit the trails. Can you imagine 9 kids in a straight line riding down these wooded trail. Kaylee was the youngest , but she had 8 big boys to take care of her and give her attention. And me, I sat back put up my feet and soaked everything in that day. Can you believe I even got to read a whole book while camping? I haven’ done that in years. The meals were so easy and quick to prepare since I had done most of the work ahead of time. So this left time for all of us to go hiking, swim at the falls, you name it, we did it. But most of all it was the feeling - no stress. I was in my realm again, were I felt so “at home” for the first time in a very long time. Nothing we did was rushed, just the calm sounds of rushing water, rain dancing in the trees, the gentle sound of the wind, the birds singing. I loved this world I was in, and I wanted so much to stay. My children felt the same way. They were having to much fun!
If you haven’t yet heard about it, then I may as well make it known, that BIG BESSY is bigger than we could ever have anticipated. If you’ve been around here for a while, then you would already have heard about our 
In all honesty, I won’t be surprised if Jenny Craig starts knocking on our door for the secret recipes!
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