I know, the title really makes this sound like an exciting post 😆 We have some exciting stuff on the horizon but I’ll share that with you guys on Monday, probably. (No, not a baby announcement. I wish!)

Yesterday was a nice normal Friday. Cher, Dekker, and I went for a walk, which was a pretty cute gig.

We also spent a bit of time outside, trying to plant my kitchen lettuce in the garden. But the bulk of our time was spent inside with Waverly, since we’re trying to keep her from getting too warm. The other kids, however, played outside in the pool and on the trampoline. It was a really nice day.

Today held a morning walk and planning sesh with my mom, which was SO nice! I love her. I’ve also done a bit of crocheting and tidying, and some YouTube watching. I’ve been sipping iced coffee, and I ate nachos for lunch. Cannot complain!

Lastly, tomorrow is Sunday, and we’re leading worship at church 😳 Sooooo thats been a while! We won’t bring the kids this time, just to get a feel for the expectations on the kids. So, that’ll be “normal.” Aaaaand I already know the meals I’m making for Sunday so that’s always a relief for me. Sunday should be a fun day, but as I said, I’ll tell you all about it in the next day or two 😉

Have a lovely weekend, friends! I hope its normal and comfortable.

Its been a super crazy week since we got home from the lake. I’ll share all kinds of details and stories with you soon enough, but the last couple of days specifically have been centred around Miss Waverly and her banaaaaanas new rash she’s rocking! I’m actually going to refrain from posting pictures to avoid the mad guessing game, but I’d happily send some in private messages to anyone who wants to help or wager a guess.

Wavy presented something of a heat rash while we were at the lake. It was a very small problem, and didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. It lessened in a day or two, and save for a couple of lingering dots on her tummy, she seemed completely fine.

While I was in Edmonton, her rash exploded. It covered her whole belly and rode up into her armpits and neck. All the hot spots. She started scratching like a crazy person. Pimply spots formed all down her legs and her face, and some filled with fluid. Her hands and feet like by far the weirdest, with ringworm-looking spots and lines. She never. Stops. Scratching.

Yesterday, it had only worsened, so I called my doctor for a consult. She was booked, but they put us in the “urgent queue” to speak to a physician before the end of the day. As I’ve come to expect, Dr. Guselle noticed her name in the queue and snagged her out of there to call us herself. We talked in detail about Wavy’s rash and she gave me the office email to send pictures to. I sent her a long email with progress pictures, starting with the heat rash at the lake.

She called back shortly thereafter and figured, unfortunately, we’re probably looking at a couple of viral rashes mixed together that need to run their course. She could’ve picked something up at the lake, plus she’s teething, plus she’s prone to eczema. The perfect storm, lol! However, her symptoms needed help fast, so Dr. Guselle prescribed a special cream for her hands and other hot spots, like her armpits and leg folds. The bigger areas, like her tummy and the back of her neck, I’m treating with basic topical antihistamine, and she’s taking regular Benadryl. Today, finally, there is improvement worth noting!

There is more skin color on her belly between the spots. Her knee “hives” are waaay down. She’s not as puffy and swollen. Her hand markings are still pronounced but they’re lighter and less pronounced. I am SO relieved.

Goodness, Waverly. Always keeping us on our toes!

Cher and I decided Monday to go to Edmonton on Wednesday! Woot! It was a last minute decision, but she let it slip that she was thinking of taking me to Ikea as a birthday gift, and with July filling up the way it is, we decided to go sooner than later! And that happened yesterday!

We left at 5:30am, which was both gross and strategic. We hoped to avoid lunch traffic in Edmonton, and we did! We grabbed coffee and bagels on the way in, and listened to good music. The rain came as we drove, which we were eagerly anticipating, but it got a little too heavy, and made getting around big scary, spraying semis a bit more difficult than we’d have liked. But we made it!

We got to Ikea in good time, and only waited about five minutes to get in. Its worth noting that she and I both wore black leggings, grey leggings, and a blue button down. Of course its not well documented at all, but, great minds thing alike!

The weather was overcast but not cold. It was a pretty perfect setup actually! We scrambled a little to find a cart, but when we finally did, the shop began!

We spent a good three and a half hours in Ikea, and while it was sparser than usual, thanks to Covid, we both got quite the haul. I came out with new dishes, kids cutlery, bookends, a waterproof outdoor blanket, a yellow cactus and a planter, a big pot, a corkscrew, a cheese grater and container, sandwich bags, a kids duvet cover, drawer organizers, and plenty more than I’m confident I’m missing. It was an excellent haul!

Post-Ikea, we hit up Olive Garden. It was only mid-afternoon, so we basically had the place to ourselves.

And MAN the food was ridiculously good!

We ate far too much, packed the rest up, and headed out for a quick Winners break. Cher found one item, bought it, and we headed home!

We listened to good music, good stand-up comedy, and had a lot of good conversation the whole way home. It was such a special birthday celebration for me, and such a special trip for us 💜Here we were, thinking we wouldn’t get a chance to go on a trip together this year, and look at us go!

It was SO nice to be away together, but it is always SO nice to come home!

I feel like I’ve been talking a lot about Wavy recently. She’s pretty excellent, so I don’t feel too jerky about it, but its been more than usual, for sure. Usually, I talk about my kid on their birthday, and then I talk about their party the next day. I had the luxury of Cher offering to take some pictures of Wavy on her birthday, and they are SO beautiful, they get their own post!!

We got Waverly up after her nap, and she wasn’t feeling photos right away. I put her in her new little romper and her birthday crown so she could get excited about being all dressed up and ready.

It helped. But more so, playing with her blanket and my slippers was what did it.

Once she was happy, I just slipped those items away from her and we got into it. These photos need no captions, really. She is SO loved. SO LOVED.

Love by her mommy.

Loved by her daddy.

Loved by her parents, together.

She is a silly little goof, and has enough personality for ten children. She has found the magical balance between being delicate and sweet and a super weirdo. How did she do that??

She is SO gorgeous. I don’t understand where she even came from…

I love this girl. Yes, I love her pretty hair and her striking eyes. Her soft skin and her little teeth. I love her understanding and comprehension, and I love the fun we have together.

But my goodness, her heart SHINES!!! You can see her heart in these pictures. Its undeniable. I understand that, on the internet, we all put our best foot forward, but what you see is what you get with this girl. She is sweet.

Thank you, Lord, for Waverly.

This is a pretty jumbled, directionless post but the pictures are cute! Haha! So, enjoy!

The kids have been pretty tired but pretty adorable since we got home from the lake. Yesterday would’ve been our catch-up day, and it kinda was, but we also spent the biggest chunk of that day outside in the blasting heat! We did, however, find Waverly had tucked herself into Laela’s bed halfway through the morning.

That little girl knows what she needs more than any other toddler I’ve known.

We weeded the garden and they played in the pool and on the swings, trampoline, and in the pile of leftover topsoil. It was dirty and productive and HOT. So everyone is still beat today.

Rowan was SO proud of his swinging skills, he requested I come take a picture of him.

He knows how to pump, but always wants a push to get started. And I get that, because its easier, and more fun. But we’re not always immediately available to give him a push, and yesterday he got aaaaall the way up high on his swing just by pumping! Good job, Rowan!!

Side note: Waverly calls pushed “Booses.” Its adorable.

We closed off yesterday evening with a fire and a slushy drink. It was SO hot in the day, and nice and cool in the evening.

Unrelated to being outside, I watered my succulents and noticed the one Laela had given me for Mother’s Day had grown like CRAZY!

Isn’t that amazing?? I can barely fit it all into the picture! Maybe time to put the long ones into a hanging planter.

So, onto today. This morning, we made some exciting, albeit small-seeming, strides with Solomon! We’ve been seeing lately that he has some catching up to do in some of his life and play skills. We’ve made some small shifts over the last couple of weeks and have seen some really positive improvement! Today, he initiated play with Waverly, invited her to play downstairs with him, helped her take off my slippers, and led her by hand down the stairs.

A month ago, not only would Solly not have invited someone else to play, but he wouldn’t have gone downstairs without Brady or I. He wouldn’t have considered her safety the way he did, and he wouldn’t have been so soft with her the way he was. He did SO WELL!!! Claps for Solly!!

Pinterest showed me this today. I want one. That is all.

And lastly, we went on a little morning outing today, and Waverly was being a super patient little goof, posing for pictures and being a dork in general, just like her family.

She’s bananas. They all are. Its been a cute couple of days 🙂 The pictures simply cannot be missed.

As you know, Waverly celebrated her second birthday on July 2nd, which isn’t only special because its her birthday and we love her, but also because its her magic birthday!! We keep bdays pretty simple over here, but we tried to dress it up a little extra this time around, as she only has ONE magic birthday and we wanted her to feel really extra special. Here is the photo play by play of her birthday party, mostly taken and all edited by Cher! Thank you for all your hard work 😘 

We decorated the night before 🙂 

The day began with a BIG breakfast!! 

We served pancakes, bacon, and peaches. It was super delicious, and the birthday girl was the life of the party. Sticky and hyper and the life of the party!

Belly bacon!

She opened presents after breakfast! 

She got a really thought out, lovely card…

A couple of little toys…

A bunch of clothes, specifically tank tops, which she really needed…

And from us, she got new bedding! A pillow and a nice fluffy duvet.

She was SO happy! And its fair to say she napped extra comfortably after lunch 🙂 

Everyone played the afternoon away. It was relaxed and fun for all. Once Waverly was awake, we snuck her upstairs for a birthday photo shoot. I’ll share those photos with you tomorrow! Too many pictures on this post already 😆 We ordered Pizza Hut for supper, and had chips and chocolate milk with it. There were NO objections. And then dessert came out!

Again, no objections. We had homemade Oreos with light pink cream cheese icing. Waverly was elated. And again, goofy. 

Once dessert was over, my mom and I packed up some cookies into bags…

And we made our way around town to share them with our friends! 

People have been big on the birthday parades during Covid, and I think they’re really lovely. We decided to put a different spin on it, though, and take the party around rather. We stopped by a good handful of houses and shared our treats with our friends. It was so so nice. Wavy was exhausted by the end. Upon getting home, though, I remembered the ONE thing she had asked to do that day. 

“Jumpaline?” 

So I took her to the backyard to jump on the trampoline while the other kids got tucked in for bed. 

It was beautiful. She was beautiful.

She IS beautiful in all of the ways. Sometimes it sounds cliche to say someone is beautiful inside and out, but it’s just the truth. She has been completely stunning since the day she was born. A stand-out beautiful little girl, but her personality and heart are overflowing with beauty. She is as light and airy and sweet as she looks in pictures. She lights up a room and adds SO much joy to our lives and our family. 

Waverly Violet, you melt my heart, and the hearts of your entire family 💜 We love you! Thank you for inviting us to your party. 

We were SO fortunate to be able to book a little family getaway amidst all of this Covid crap. Waskesiu felt a bit too big and busy for the likes of us, so we booked a cabin near our friends camp spot at Christopher Lake for this weekend. Our first of two weekends we have booked away this summer.

It felt like home. I can’t even describe it. We’ve gone for a couple of day trips here and there, and we’ve always really enjoyed our time, but this year, we watched the kids just flourish before our eyes. It was incredible. Its a nice small space, with not too many people around at all. It feels so safe and comfortable. For the most part, we were able to just let the kids run with their friends, being confident they would be out of harms way. We could really see ourselves there. Maybe someday!

Here is your photo play by play!

The place we stayed was beautiful. It’s not always available, necessarily, because its part of a camp nearby, but thanks to Covid, it was readily available to rent, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We spent the bulk of our time with our friends and their kids. The first night, we enjoyed a fire with copper and hose, just for fun. The kids played and ate popsicles and generally got the lay of the land.

The next day was spent outside. They ran and played at the Ark Park and beached and tanned. It was beautiful.

We ate simple food 🙂

The kids TOTALLY ran the show in a lot of ways 😆 The four of us adults sat at the picnic table and the kids got the fire! 🔥

I REALLY want to draw attention to Dekker in this post. He thrived at the lake this weekend. Our friends generously let us play with all of their beach stuff, and Dekker began to venture out on the water. None of our kids are confident in water at this point, but Dekker was SO brave and had such an amazing time of adventure! He started on the kayak…

Then he “surfed.”

The most impressive, however, was when he got up on the paddle board. It was like he had done it forever 😧

He was out on the water for so long, and only fell off once at the very end. He was upset but he didn’t panic, and I encouraged him to walk out in the water later and see how far he could touch. He did it, and felt much better. But sadly, that was our last time out on the water. He was disappointed, and wanted to go out again, which I think is a good sign ☺️

He was just SO grown up this weekend. I was so impressed.

We BBQed and s’mored it up that night!

The kids stayed up SO late and had SO much fun! Our full Saturday there just felt blissful. I couldn’t believe how at ease it all felt. I know a lot of that had to do with our friends being SO welcoming and warm, and the other part was just the general feel there. It was excellent.

We spent this morning packing and breakfasting, and then we moseyed over to our friends site for the last few hours. It was more overcast today, so we didn’t hit the beach, but we visited around the fire while the kids ran around and played.

Right before our time in our cabin was about to run out, Brady ran and loaded the last stuff into our van while Braden took our kids each on a little drive through the campsites. It was 110% awesome! The kids loved it!

But it had to come to an end, with an embarrassing weepy tantrum, as it tends to happen 😆😩 But it was pretty clear everyone was pretty tired…

It was sad to leave, but it was nice to come home, too. We miss our friends, our family, and our home. Everything is already pretty much unpacked, laundry is rolling, kids are bathed, and supper is in the oven. I’m sad that being responsible means the fire smell is already washing out and off of everything, but I hope very much that we can go again soon 💜

Most of the photos of our weekend away will have to wait for tomorrow or the next day when we have wifi, but take my word for it that we chose the right weekend to join our friends at Christopher Lake! The sun is HOT and the water is warm. The kids smell like sweat and bug spray. We’re all dirty and comfortable. Its been such a nice vacay.

We have a big lodge all to ourselves. It sleeps ten and has dishes for twenty. The dining area is massive, and there are six stools at the counter. The kitchen is full. There are two bathrooms. There is a fireplace and AC. Its clean and the people running it are so polite and friendly. Its pretty much amazing. 

My favorite part of this place – the bedroom situation. Brady and I have a bedroom to ourselves, and then there are two other big bedrooms. Each one has two sets of bunk beds, and then one has a single bed as well. And our kids chose to have a big ole sleepover ❤️

Nothing really delights my heart more than that. Did they get a full nights sleep, you ask? You’d better believe they suuuuuper didn’t, but it was so worth it 😆 As we tucked them in, Laela was excitedly preparing everyone for how fun Wavy is to share a room with. Hahaha! She’s not wrong. 

Its been cute. Restful and tiring all at once, as vacations with kids tend to be. I wouldn’t trade it. It is SO peaceful here. 

I want to tell you ALL about Waverly’s birthday party yesterday, but I can’t for a few reasons! They all run together, but here you have them!

I had done a little pre-writing about her birthday, but that post is packed away on the iPad, which I don’t have access to right now. I don’t have it available, because its packed! Because we’re going away for the weekend, and its coming along! Woohoo! So I’ll share more details when I can get that document back in my hands.

Also, with us leaving for the weekend, I’m taking a quick break from packing and should get back to it, so no time for big details at the moment. But you’ll definitely get them, along with an amazing haul of beautiful pictures! Thank you, Cher, for those. 💜

Lastly, you might ask yourself how I’m even writing this post. You probably aren’t, but just go with me 😉 Months ago, our laptop started to really fail us. It was slow as molasses, and worst of all, half of the keyboard quit working. We tried all kinds of things, and it couldn’t rally. We worked around it, and I just started blogging on my iPad, which I actually really like. But the laptop was still something we used a lot and it was getting harder and harder. And then we remembered, of all things, our age old credit card points.

When Brady and I were 18, we each got a visa card. They were the lowest on the totem pole, “free with your new account” cards, and they grew points sooooooo sloooooow. But, 14 years later, we had just shy of the amount we needed for a brand new macbook!! So, we bit that bullet not long ago, paying about $160 in taxes and fees, and here I am, blogging on our beautiful dark grey skinny mini new MacBook Air! Woop woop! I’m so thankful to have a fully working laptop again!

All that to say, its too new and we’re not bringing it this weekend 😆 Oh and hey, yes we’re gone this weekend. Our house is being actively checked on, so watch it 🤨

Aaaaanyway. Waverly’s birthday was SO special and SO pretty, and I can’t wait to tell you all about, but since I’ve started even typing this shorty post, Solly has somehow managed to pee on his own head (not joking) so I’m pretty sure I’m needed. Packing is not – I repeat NOT – going smoothly! Haha!

Happy Friday, friends!

My tiniest baby girl turns TWO today!! Happy birthday, sweet Wavy!!! 

Let’s take a look at Waverly’s previous twelve months. 

It goes without saying that Wavy brought special blessing to our home. She came to us after a brutal time of struggle and loss, and she brought light and hope and excitement and a strong reminder that God always knows what we need when. 

For her little deets, Waverly is definitely our most petite child. She’s right around 24 pounds. She has almost all of her teeth, but she’s still short a two-year molar or two. Her hair is craaazy long, and craaazy blonde! We’ll see if the blonde stays through the winter or if its just bleached out like crazy in the sun ☀️ 

Wavy is positively BURSTING with personality, as you may know if you’ve met her before.

She loves to make funny faces or do silly things to make others laugh. She gallops and runs and jumps SO well. She tells jokes and prays, and she’ll repeat pretty much everything anyone says. She picks up words so easily, and therefore, communicates SO well. 

She knows what she wants, and she asks for it. She insists on picking her own clothes. Thats a first for us around here. She is 110% happily cooperative with brushing teeth, baths, diapers, etc. Sometimes she’ll whine and ask “Whyyyyyuh?” We’ll tell her why, and 9/10 times, she says “Okay” and happily goes along. 

Sometimes Waverly cries and says things like “I want be big” or “I want coffeeeee.” Please, sweetheart, don’t be big too fast. I’m not ready…

Your family loves you so dearly, Waverly Violet.

You changed our vibe, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Our life is lighter and happier since you came along. And for that – for you – I praise the Lord.