Sooooo here’s the thing. This week was bananas, and we did not accomplish a whole lot on the RV at all. Whoops! If you’re a regular reader here, you know we’ve been neck deep in a move this week, and believe it or not, the deadline was tighter on that one! Lol! 

The things we did manage to get done on the RV weren’t altogether exciting either 😆 Our first move over the last week was to break one of the four windows we bought. The big one, naturally. We haven’t had a chance to call and reorder it yet, but you’d better believe we’re going to pay the extra money to have them install it into the frame rather than us! But the smaller three went in smoothly! Woot!

We were able to confirm that the air conditioner is, in fact, pooched. Merp. But again, we haven’t had a chance just yet to bring it back for an exchange/refund. Hopefully soon, because it would make installing flooring and wall panels a LOT more pleasant! 

Brady picked up some shallow electrical boxes and installed some switches that look a lot nicer than they do when they’re hanging from the ceiling! 

Thats really it for physical work, honestly!

We acquired a good fridge for the camper. ✅ 

We decided to use some paint that we already had, even though I thought the finish wouldn’t be as good. Turns out, its the best! ✅

We came up with a completely different kitchen layout! Whew! Its SO much better than our original plan, and I’m so happy we talked about it again! Yay! ✅

***

As things would go, the post was just too short and boring, and Brady was feeling too unproductive, so he decided to start the kitchen cabinets today! Eek! 

Its happening!! 

Have a lovely weekend, friends! Hopefully we’ll have WAY more to show you next time! 

I feel loved and celebrated today, on my birthday. And I’ve felt loved and celebrated all week! In the midst of the moving and busyness, I came home to things like this.

And this.

This morning, I woke up to Brady’s alarm, and the promise of breakfast out. It did not disappoint.

It was SO delicious, and we both ate SO much! We decided to walk our huge breakfast off along the river. For those of you from Saskatoon, we walked from the train bridge to the Bezz and back! It was a far walk, but it was really really lovely! And HOT! Wow! I loved it.

We took our time in the city, and made our way back to a houseful of children and Cher, playing in the backyard happily, as well as a handful of gifts.

From Cher, I got these adorable little sets that are SO me.

Brady got me some cute little joggers from Old Navy that I’ve been eyeing for far too long. They are the softest things I own.

And the kids got me an outdoor speaker to listen to music

Along with cards and a bracelet.

I really hit the jackpot with my little family, wow!!!

My mom joined the fun in the early afternoon, bearing a full supper she made, and a beautiful card and gift.

I did not expect a birthday celebration today. And I say that with ZERO bitterness! Some years are just busier than others, and thats totally ok! But this has been a very pleasant surprise, and I am so thankful for my people. There has been a touch of grief for me around time moving forward, and those around me have been nothing but warm and gentle with me. I have everything I need.

On my pillow…

Thank you, friends, for all you do, in all the ways. I appreciate you all.

Friends, its DONE! Today, we cleaned, mowed, weed whipped, hauled, scrubbed appliances, and picked at all the little jobs that had gotten missed. My part is done, anyway. As we speak, my mom, Cher, and Brady are off finishing the move we’ve been working at since last week. They’re hauling out a big load of stuff to go to a thrift store, cleaning the shed out, and removing the picture nails out of the wall. Its almost done! Woot! They’re doing that gruelling work, and its my job to get the littles down for bed. Seems fair, haha!

Thanks to us all trading off here and there, and Rae jumping in yet again, the kids had a really lovely day of playing out in the pool in the bizarre heat. Its a wonder how none of them seem heatstrokey.

I couldn’t be happier with how this week played out. Moving and change are hard things, but people came around exactly when we needed, and its been completed respectfully and warmly. Thank you, Lord, for our people, who constantly show up.

Today was easily the biggest day of the move we’ve been helping with! Brady and I spent the morning packing up what I’ve been calling the loose ends. It was all in preparation for the furniture move this evening. While we worked, the kids played in the backyard.

And some played in the house when they got all hot and bothered. Those ones sat in boxes. Lol!

After we had a successful morning of work, we settled at our house for lunch. Chicken wings and KD! I’ve gotta say, Wavy was better at eating wings than I ever would’ve thought.

For the rest of the day, Cher had lovingly volunteered to watch the kids! It was a HUGE gift to us, so Brady and I could both go help together! But truly, it seemed like they had a really lovely time together, too. The kids LOVED their afternoon with Cher!!

We worked together until about 4:30, and then called it to go home and make supper! I had Mississippi Chicken in the crock pot, and a big pot of potatoes peeled, chopped, and waiting. I hacked up some cold veggies when we got home, and mom mashed the potatoes. The nine of us sat down to a really yummy supper together, half the group was soaked from the pool, with muddy feet, and the rest of us were drenched in sweat. But we ate well, got the dishes done, and the kids to bed shortly thereafter.

It was right around suppertime we learned that some of our moving crew had dropped out, and we had to make some changes on the spot! Thankfully, our loving neighbour, Rae, willingly came across the street and spent the evening with the kids, and Cher and I went to my moms to help with the furniture move. What a HUGE relief it was when two members of our crew showed up, and called in reinforcements. You all know who you are. I hope you know how grateful our group is for your group. ❤️

The evening went surprisingly smoothly, with only ONE small casualty, which was at my hand 🙁 Booooo. But alas, our movee is moved!!

As I said, today was the biggest day, for everyone involved. I am so thankful for our people. Thank you Lord!

I feel a little bit guilty. When I titled Saturday’s post “The Move Begins,” I didn’t put it together that some of you might have read it as us moving. If you missed it in the first paragraph, we are not moving, but simply helping someone else move. And today was another big, productive moving day!

I am amazed at two things. One is how much we got DONE today!!! WOW! We are ahead of schedule, which is such a relief! Today the whole kitchen moved over, as well as all the freezer and fridge stuff, pantry stuff, tupperware, etc etc etc. It was just immensely productive, and I’m SO thankful for that!

And I’m amazed at my kids. Once again, this morning, they came along and occupied themselves beautifully while we worked and organized. Very little refereeing was needed, and we could all keep our heads down and work! It was awesome!! They were game for anything, and I am SO proud of them!

After lunch, Cher came over to tag us out so Brady and I could both keep working while she watched the kids. It was a pretty cute gig, apparently.

My plan was to head back home after nap time, get the kids up, regroup, and see what was needed next. But lo and behold, we were SO far ahead that we were DONE for the day at that point!!! I showed up around 3:00, as planned, and that was IT!! CRAZY!

We enjoyed a big perogie feed for supper…

With bacon and cheesy broccoli. It was SO good!!!

Now comes an evening of not moving! We NEED to do more on the camper, but we also need to rest, so we live through the week! Hahaha! I think I’ll crochet and watch some YouTube. Anyone else?

I have always loved to write. When I was a kid, it was mostly poems or short stories with accompanying pictures. Today I had the pleasure of digging through a big tub of my childhood stuff, 80% of which were papers. Some of it, I tossed really quickly, but lots of it I combed through piece by piece. Report cards were entertaining some years. WAY too many characters I made up. Notes I had written, or had been written to me. Journal entries. You name it, it was in there. Here are the most notable items.

First, a dress that was custom made for me an a little, little girl. Awkwardly enough, it still fit, somewhat. Doesn’t my head look unbelievably large this way??

Ok, friends, introducing me! Lol!

Then, this. If you have ever asked yourself why I blog, here you have it!

Me and Santa. Doesn’t he look happy to be in this picture?

When I said I wanted to grow up to be a mom, is this what I had in mind???

I wonder if my mom worried about me…

Aaaaand we’ll end on this questionable “book” I wrote. 😳 Mr. Drill.

Guess what. It only got sketchier.

Aaaaand sketchier.

But hey, at least he went on trips from time to time…

All in all, it was a very informative, entertaining afternoon. Now you all know far too much about me as a child. I’m both sorry, and not sorry.

We’re helping with a gradual move over the next few days, and today was day one!! Day one tends to be a big day of a project because all the organization goes down that day!

I peptalked the kids over breakfast, about how Brady and I were available to them, but we were going to be busy, also. We talked about keeping attitudes good, giving the benefit of the doubt, using nice voices, etc. Laela was appointed Waverly’s special helper if she needed something that could be handled by a children. Everyone agreed to be on their best behavior!

And I’ve gotta say, they were!! Towards the end of the morning, coming up on lunch, they started to get a little snippy and fighty, but thats to be expected, being hungry and out in the wind for three-ish hours. A kid would be flustered or a little upset, and someone would suggest a game or invite them to the sandbox, etc. It wasn’t perfect but it was smoother than I thought it would be! Snacks don’t hurt either.

We had particular goals in mind for today, and everything we originally talked about fit in ONE van load!! Woop woop!

All of this to say, next RV series post, you guys need to be extra impressed, because we have smaller windows to work in this coming week, but our six week deadline for the camper hasn’t changed!

Eek! July promised to be bananas busy, and it does not disappoint! I am weirdly relishing in it, though! Not feeling stretched especially thin at all 🙂 Thank you, Lord, for endurance, and for positive attitudes from all involved!

I was SO grateful for all the positive feedback on last weeks series post! I’ll be honest, I expected a bit of flack about the mice, but not a single person said anything. Trust me, I know, mice are dirty and I was pretty unhappy when we discovered they had been there, but I’m SO thankful to have had my supportive people nearby and willingly support the mouse poop removal! Woot! Our trailer is officially mouse-free!! 

The day after my last post, we had already done a bunch more work, and holding it all in has been something of a nightmare, haha! Not the nightmare I’ll talk more about later, but a difficulty, nonetheless. So I held it all together and here I am now, sharing with you!! 

The first thing we tackled was removing the cabinets in the room that will be the kids room. We had hoped to complete that the week before but at the time, we were hoping to salvage them and wanted to take our time and be extra nice to them. Unfortunately, they needed to be completely disassembled, so we won’t be reusing them. Ah well, we tried! 

At least we have that wall free now! 

Next, we ripped up the flooring. 😳 THAT was our nightmare. 

We lifted a few pieces pretty seamlessly, and figured it would be a pretty simple job. How hard is removing click laminate anyway? Turns out, when the people who installed it glued just about every piece down with PL Premium, its VERY hard. I would hammer a skinny little pry bar under it to separate the glue from the floor, lift the pry bar, and it would just break a little chunk off of the board. It. Was. Miserable. 

So what should’ve been a half hour turnaround took a LOT longer. But, we got it there! Our diligent little kids carried the boards out and stacked them in a pile while we ripped those boards up, flaking little chunks into everyone’s hair. It was a mess, but it was good! Victory! We did it! 

Thanks for nothing, Gayle Wood. Da. 🤷‍♀️

I figured we were close to done gutting the camper at this point, and I moved onto the stereo system. By “stereo system,” I mean we have a radio and tape deck, lol! First of all, I didn’t love the weird blue upholstery that it was mounted in, but I was also curious if we could somehow many it Bluetooth capable. Because of those things, we decided to pull it out and see what we could change/adapt. Aaaaand we found more mouse poop. *sigh* Sooooo Brady got on that for us again. Or did Solly? 🤔

We ended up cutting out the blue “wall” and Cher cleaned the back walls for us. (Thank you both for doing so much dirty work!) 

As weather permitted, Brady continued to seal the outside of the camper. 

He FINISHED it!!! 💪

We did a bunch of burning…

And what we couldn’t burn, we took the dump!

Hopefully just the one big dump run!! 

The day of the dump run, we went to Saskatoon for a BIG materials shop!!! We had received a quote for our flooring, wall panels, and MDF, so we were VERY excited to go pick it all up!! We were disappointed the learn the flooring we had been given SUCH a good price on was not in stock :/ And the employees weren’t especially willing to try and help us order more. Merp. But! Brady was able to acquire his big stack of MDF, as well aaaaaaaas beadboard for the walls!! 😍

Its SO pretty!!!

Believe it or not, beadboard was cheaper than regular RV wall panels! So I don’t even have to feel guilty about having it look pretty in there!

We pulled the futon mattress apart and tried to save what we could. The foams were stained, so we threw them out, but we washed the nice couch cover, as well as the mattress cover, in hopes that we could just replace the foam and move along. Unfortunately, the covers fell apart in the wash – zippers completely ripped off. Merp. So I guess no futon for us! We’ll have to find something else! We’ve got time!

Speaking of mattresses, though, we found a solution to the kids beds! At least for now, while they’re little. We purchased a stack of those tri-fold camper mattresses, and they line up perfectly in our plans for their room! YAY! They were also cheaper at Costco than at Walmart, so, take note of that!

Brady redid some of the plumbing underneath the camper this week, too! A pip had ripped off completely, and had been lovingly 😳 taped back on 😳 So he fixed that up good and proper!

Brady drove into the city on Thursday morning to run a few RV errands. Firstly, our camper came with a hefty hitch adapter, but since we’re parking it permanently somewhere, we don’t require the adapter. Brady managed to sell it for a nice chunk of money to someone who really wanted it! YAY! On the same errand run, he picked up a new AC unit, as our camper unit’s fan still ran, but it didn’t cool beyond that. He had done some research in advance, and picked up a really nice looking one from an autowrecker. 

That same day, Thursday, Brady went to install the AC unit but realized he was short a gasket. Thankfully, we have an RV dealer about 15 minutes away, and he ran there to see if what he needed was priced reasonably well. Turns out, every little part he was needing was priced WAY better than he had anticipated, and he came home with a small haul of necessities! 

Seals, covers, etc. He was SO stoked about his haul, and about getting the AC unit installed!

Aaaaand then it didn’t work. He checked and rechecked his wiring, and it was all correct. He researched how to test it, but then couldn’t find his multimeter. Saying it was frustrating was a bit of an understatement. 😬

We troubleshot a little bit after the kids went to bed, but to no avail. We’ll figure it out. It was a nice date, though! Can’t complain!

Today, Friday, Brady went into Saskatoon to pick up a couple more big ticket items!! First was our glass, to replace the windows that were broken. 

Installing them is proving more difficult than anticipated, so hopefully I’ll touch more on that next week.

And second was our flooring. That’s a gruelling story. The long and the short of it was that our contact at Coop who gives us great deals has left. We knew he was leaving, and he gave us our quote in advance, but the flooring was discontinued and they didn’t carry even half of what we needed. Brady ended up on the phone with another employee who worked hard for him. She tracked down a box here and a box there, at different Coop locations and at her supplier locations. When she found enough, she called. And today was the day he could pick it up! YES!

I’ve been saying that the weeks we accomplish flooring and walls will be by far the most exciting weeks! No one will care after those updates, hahaha! But I guess with that, there will be cabinets, bedrooms, and decor. So maybe there is still stuff to see….. 

Week two…

We’re still having fun, in case anyone is wondering! No regrets!!! 

In case you missed yesterday’s post, it was Cher’s birthday! The big 3-0 that she’s been anticipating for years. And all she wanted to do was hang out together. Nothing more. We arranged to have a sleepover, eat yummy food, and watch 13 Going on 30. That was it. And that, we did!

The day began with breakfast!

Last year was the first time I really did Cher’s birthday with her. She’s not a big fan of birthdays, so to try and hit the proper middle ground, I simply made her some bright “birthday” scones. They were a hit, so we decided they would be a tradition!

We added bacon to the mix, because who would ever say no to bacon?

We dropped some bday scones off at her moms and my moms, and then we headed out for our day together! While we were gone, Brady got the kids outside and they played while he did some camper work 🙂

It was productive and everyone was happy! Win!

Cher and I did exactly what we had planned. We watched some shows, ate yummy food, and generally just enjoyed the downtime together. Eventually, we decided on a change of scenery, and ended up sitting out on the porch and playing a game.

It was pretty blissful until the mosquitos moved in. So we opted to move in as well.

Our whole evening was really slow going, and this morning was the same. Luckily, we had no deadlines or need to rush. It was an awesome time of quiet rest, and I think both of us welcomed that.

Meanwhile, Brady had loaded the kids up and done a quick errand or two that he could with the kids, and then he played outside with them until Cher and I showed up with breakfast.

It was sad to see her go, as it always is after we’ve spent really nice time together. I anticipate we’ll have another chance sooner than later 😘

Cher turns thirty today!! She and I have been friends now for about two years, and we’ve spent those years, specifically the last six months or so, getting ridiculously close 💜 She has surpassed “best friend” into my sister. We lead completely different lives, but our hearts are the same. It is SO clear to us both that God designed our friendship, so when stuff comes up that isn’t so easy, the only option is to work it out. And I LOVE that. I LOVE her. We’ve learned a lot about each other, and I thought I’d list thirty of those things right here, in honour of her thirtieth birthday. Some of them roll over, but bear with me! I can’t not brag about her.

Cher was SO EXCITED to turn thirty! She is not afraid to age. Quite the contrary. She anticipates the future and what it brings positively and with enthusiasm. 

She feels other people’s feelings. An empath, she says. Sometimes I can see how challenging that is for her, because she hurts so deeply when I hurt, but her sensitive heart just loves. Its a challenge for her but a blessing to her friends. 

Cher is driven!! She is a super hard working, goal oriented woman! I’ve never known another friend to TRY the way she tries! To WORK the way she works! 

“Artistic” doesn’t do her justice. Her “quick little sketches” are bananas. She paints and colours and draws and photographs and edits and photoshops. She knows her way around art on paper and screen SO well. 

Part of that is that she pays very close attention to detail. She’ll go that extra mile to do something to the best of her ability and not cut corners. 

Cher laughs at herself! Or she turtles her head into her hoodie, haha! That too 😉 But she can definitely laugh at things that are hard or mistakes she makes. Sometimes in the moment, and sometimes after. If she and I have a difficult conversation or have to work out something hard, we can always crack jokes about it later. I love that 🙂 Not too serious, but not too casual either. 

Cher is VERY generous. I have to be careful with this one. I’ve witnessed it in my home countless times, where she will fulfill just about any need she can! Whether its a missing ingredient for a meal I’m thinking of making, a gift for the kids, something she’s noticed on her own that we could use, or time spent.

She LOVES our children. LOVES them. She has an extra special bond with Waverly, having been in the room when she was born, but I know for a fact that she would step in front of a moving vehicle for each and every one of them. She is their auntie, because she is my sister.  

I have NEVER had a friend who wants to take responsibility for their place in a disagreement or a struggle. I never want to let her have any, but she insists. She hears what I say, actually considers it, and then I see the obvious efforts! Its crazy! She is SO humble! 

On the flip side of that, she is honest. This is a big one, and I’ve seen its grow in the recent past. Honesty is HARD but its SO worth it! Its made our friendship way stronger!

Can we just address the fact that Cher is GORGEOUS?!?! My goodness!! Her eyes are striking, with that popping blue, and her hair is so long and annoyingly perfect ombre. She is SO soft and warm. You can see her heart just by looking at her!

Cher is very considerate. She respects our time so well, and respects how our home and family works. She occasionally offers Brady and I some alone time, to go for walks in the evening or things along those lines, because she knows we don’t get that terribly often. I really appreciate that. 

She is always growing. She is the opposite of stagnant. Her quest for self improvement is amazing to watch. I am SO proud of her!

She has an excellent tolerance for yucky stuff! Lol! And I mean anything from cleaning up mouse poop in our camper to wiping Laela up after she threw up in our living room to wiping noses to cleaning our house. Its crazy. 

Cher puts into her people. Science Saturday? ALL her. Just because she knew the kids would love it. She brings treats, or takes them out for treats and walks on her own! If there is a job around here that she knows I’m dreading, she often just jumps on it, or encourages me by doing it alongside. 

I won’t go into this one in too much depth, but how that woman is still standing, I simply do not understand. She is easily one of the strongest people I know. She has lived through more in her 30 years than MANY live through in their entire lives, and she still stands tall. Still works on herself. She doesn’t play the victim, even when she could totally justify it. No excuses. She WILL succeed! Ugh. SO proud. 

Cher is very self aware. I think that’s a huge part of how she’s made it through some her struggles in the last few years. She knows what her body and heart need to be healthy, and she’s not afraid to ask for those things. 

Cher is hilarious. So many jokes. So many movie references. My goodness we laugh SO MUCH together! Our senses of humour have melded together since we’ve become so close, and I think everyone (or at least she and I) can agree that we’re both extra hilarious. Watch out, world! 

She loves wholly and completely. I don’t know if she specifically pays attention to stereotypical “love languages” but she hits the nail on the head every time. She knows how every member of my family likes to be loved, and showers it down on them! She is crazy invested, and it shows!  

Cher is completely selfless. Sometimes she feels otherwise, but I know she would move Heaven and earth if I asked her to, even if she had her own stuff on the line.  

Its a bit of a secret, but Cher is sentimental. Everything has a special association, and I really enjoy being part of her life in that way. Special memories sit a little deeper in her heart. I’m so excited to see her be a mom one day and tear up over first onesies, finger-painted pictures, etc.  

When a problem needs solving, Cher is your girl. Period. And being that we’ve lived pretty different lives thus far, when I’m explaining stuff to my kids, she has new angles that add a whole new level of learning! I LOVE that about her!  

Cher offers reassurance like none other. I feel like there is some built-in crappy thing where people don’t want others to feel good or secure about themselves. I have never been so reassured, complimented, and comforted by a friend. I never have to wonder where we stand. I always know. And if I’m being a girl and questioning it, she will tell me in my eyes. Its amazing. Everyone should have that. She is SO encouraging. Its crazy.

Cher is NOT a mean girl. Not even a little bit. She doesn’t do passive aggressive, silent treatment garbage. She isn’t gossipy or rude. She doesn’t hold grudges. Huh. Funny how being a nice girl fits with 1 Corinthians 13 so smoothly.

The amount of life experiences Cher has had are pretty crazy. With them come the reality that she has overcome obstacles one after the other, and she has gained great knowledge and strength from that! She has the ability to help SO MANY PEOPLE in her life, thanks to those obstacles. When it feels the deck is stacked against you, its actually awesome in some ways!

Cher appreciates! Everything! If you’ve spent any amount of time with her, you know this, but Cher is the BEST person in the world to cook for. She always appreciates anything we make, and thanks us profusely. I never have to wonder if she’s happy with what she has. She always is, and she always says.  

Something really special about hanging out with Cher is that she taught me more about being present. I’ve never been a crazy phone addict, but she next to never looks at her phone when we’re together. Even if we’re just watching a show, we’re intentionally watching together! Its SO nice to be so present, and its been a good lesson for me. That being said, its also really nice to occasionally just sit and scroll phones together. Once in a blue moon we do that, and its also really really nice 🙂 

Cher rocks wisdom like its going out of style. If I’m wondering something, she is on the ball to research online, consult the bible, ask friends, ask her mom, or direct me where to check. Or, often, she knows the answer! Its bananas how informed she is!

My Cher never ever gives up. When I say I’ve failed, she reminds me that failing only occurs when someone quits trying, and that is something she NEVER does. I am often amazed at the endurance she has.  

The most important one! Cher seeks Jesus! With God, ALL things are possible, and she knows it!! He is at the centre of EVERYTHING. I know love that she lives that way.