So today I bring you another real woman in our community that is an amazing mother, fitness instructor and client turned friend.  You would think that would be enough but Jenna is also passionate about healing and she is helping those in our community affected by cancer to rebuild and renew their lives.

Meet Jenna Howe…

Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of working with many different women at every stage and age of their cancer journey.  The work I do ranges from in home treatment plans using exercise and complimentary therapy for relief of chemotherapy related symptoms, post surgical recovery, post chemotherapy fitness programming, training for Dragon Boat teams and prevention programs for women who have had an early detection of malignancy.  Each one has an individual story to tell and a path to follow.  These women exude strength, compassion, togetherness and love.  These women are wives, mothers, sisters, and friends.  Some are single mothers, some have grown children or grandchildren, some have not yet married and had their own children and all express beauty in their own right.  One particular woman stands out to me as I write this.  A young woman with a sarcoma, long chemotherapy schedule, painful surgery and projected rehabilitation schedule that suggests that she will be able to walk normally in about a year.  The first moment I met her, I noticed her big gorgeous eyes and beautiful smile.  And while she felt ill from chemotherapy, felt pain and fatigue from surgery not once has she not been able to smile. This young woman’s smile is the definition of beauty to me because you can’t see anything else when she smiles. Her home is so full of love, you can feel it as you walk in and it wraps around you in a way that makes you never want to leave.  To me, beauty is love.

Jenna Howe

To find out more about Jenna please visit her website rejeneration.ca or email her at 2rejenerate@gmail.com.

Thank you Jenna for participating in our real women series, you continue to inspire me with you kindness and dedication to wellness.

Gina

It has been a while since my last post and so here are all the things that we have been up to….

We are still taking bookings for June and July so if you have not booked your family, newborn or maternity photography session yet there are still some dates available.

The blog has been quiet because I was down with a stomach bug and we also went away to Pelee Island.

Pelee Island is the southernmost point in Ontario.  You have to take a ferry to get over to the island and it takes 90 minutes from Leamington ON.  Pelee is a great place to take the family for some R&R, just be prepared the island is very quiet and you create your own entertainment.  So take lots of activities for the kids if you decide to visit.  Aside from that though the people are so warm and friendly and the beaches are beautiful.  If you’re a serious bike rider you can take advantage of the biking tours and there is a vineyard on the island as well.

Joining us on this trip was my sister and nephew.  Here are some of my favourites from our trip.

Celebrating life and love

Gina

I know the weather we are currently receiving is probably seasonal but it has been nippy over the past couple of days.  I guess I became spoiled with the unusually warm temperatures we were experiencing and today as I was longing for the warmer temperatures it hit me that I had not yet shared a story with you that I came across in the winter.  I want to share this story because it is such an important one, I have a 2 and 1/2 year old daughter and this story made my heart ache.  So with the warm summer months soon upon us, my wish for you is that as you enjoy the warm summer days that you will keep little Ava in the back of your mind so that her story never becomes yours.

Gina