This is usually the post where I recap the year, and all that has gone on. Myyyyy goodness what a years its been!! 😅 There is a lot to recap, most of which I had NO IDEA was going to happen! Its been a GIANT year!! Let’s begin! 

January!

January was BIG! I was in immense pain in my hands and shoulders, unable to do pretty much anything. And then, on the first day back to school after Christmas, Dekker broke his collarbone. That SUCKED. I will never forget the helpless feeling of being physically unable to open his pain medicine. He stifled his cries and I stifled mine until we got that bloody thing open. Thank goodness, my mom committed to coming and helping us get the day moving and the kids out the door pretty much every day that month. She saved our butts. And my hands. And his shoulder. 

February was also huge!

We celebrated our eleventh anniversary, and thanks to my body rapidly changing sizes, my dress fit around my ribs again, and Cher took beautiful photos of us! We completed pretty much all of the basement renovations and started using it fully! Rowan turned FIVE, which was HUGE!! And Waverly had her second ever breath-holding spell, even though we really really didn’t want another one. This one was a scarier hit, injury wise, but it was familiar so I think we handled it better. No hospital visit this time! Woot!

March.

Also huge, haha! We kicked it off with a change of job/business with Brady, and we were finally thriving financially after a really tough year. Then Covid hit, school closed, and Brady was swiftly unemployed, haha! Juuuuust like that. So we stocked up MADLY on every grocery item known to man, and snuggled in for the month. We spent an amazing amount of time outside, going for long snowy walks around down. We also got Solly potty trained. It was a whole family affair, as you can see. 

April!

April was big and important, too! Brady remained off work, and the kids remained off of school. One big long vacation for us! The price of food went way up, and the price of gas went way down! Spring officially sprung! We planted starters! We played outside and got messy, and then got BUSY! Project one was closing in under the deck for storage, and it was AWESOME! 

May.

Surprise, it was huge. Rowan started sleepwalking, making it clear his struggles in the day pertained to the night, at least sometimes. The kids got outside and biked and biked and biked. They all got amazing tans and really really dirty. We began developing our yard, building the fence and planting the garden. We only had our power and internet chopped once! Lol! That was a WHOLE debacle! Best of all, Solomon turned four! Goodness, he is just SO stinking cute! 

June was big!

It was significant in terms of schooling!! Cher and I implemented Science Saturday, which the big kids really looked forward to! There were weirdly a lot of eggs involved, haha!! Meanwhile, we still played outside a LOT. Someone gave us a swing set, which occupied a lot of time for the little ones. And Brady and I continued to work hard on the yard and our mad tanning skills. 

July was easily our biggest month. Especially in terms of pictures!

First of all, Waverly turned two! Except she was already way too grown up for her own good. It was her magic/champagne/golden/whatever birthday, because she turned two on the second of the month. So we made a bigger stink out of it and dropped some cookies off at our friends houses and paraded her around with balloons. The day after her birthday, we went to Christopher Lake to spend some time away from the house, and with some of our friends. We fell HARD for the lake, and space, and community, and warmth there. Upon getting home, Cher and I left to Edmonton for a spontaneous early birthday trip for me, as my birthday was otherwise occupied. When we got back from Edmonton, Waverly had a CRAZY rash covering her body, so I had to take her to the doctor. That seems small, but its important to note. You’ll see. As that was happening, at lightning speed, we secured a permanent lake spot at Christopher, and purchased a shell of a camper from a friend. For the rest of July, as we worked on getting the camper project moving, and Brady’s back pain began/ramped up. We celebrated Cher’s 30th birthday by she and I having a sleepover where she was housesitting, helping my mom move, and then celebrating my birthday at the end of the month. WHEW! What a month! (two pics)

August was big.

We kicked it off with a miscarriage. That was hard. But we enjoyed the pleasant distraction of spending a weekend with our friends, Tom and Rae, at their camping spot! It felt like family. It was amazing. The month continued, filled with pickling with my mom, and tons and tons of work on the camper. Having just bought it in July, we FINISHED it in August!! Right around Dekker’s birthday, in fact! He turned nine! I can’t believe it!!! Finally, we closed the month of by getting our camper to our lake spot, and spending our first weekend there! When everything finally wound down, Brady’s leg numbness began. 

September!!

September was also a super big month, for lots and lots of reasons!!! All three older kids started school! We were all so glad it started back up again! Lol! Meanwhile, as they adjusted to that new normal, we still managed to get our way up to the lake for another couple of weekends. It was just so beautiful there, my goodness. We finally packed up for the season and accepted that fall was upon us!! Also in September, it became super apparent that Waverly’s hair was falling out :/ She began eating it, and it became clear that we needed to change that. We made the VERY hard, but quick, decision to shave her head. Dekker followed suit just days later. Solidarity. I love my kids. At the end of the month, Laela celebrated her seventeenth birthday! Man does time ever fly!

October was busy and big!

It was beautifully warm still, so we embraced it and kept things busy!! Brady’s back was in bad bad shape, but people pitched in, and we were able to get our grass planted!! Woot! What a huge gift to us! Solomon started preschool in October, and he fit in so easily. Brady finally saw a doctor about his pain and began to get the ball rolling on that, and just days after the appointment, he celebrated his 32nd birthday! We’re finally the same age again! I do NOT care for that gap, hahaha! Cher and I celebrated our third friendaversary, and traipsed around Saskatoon, doing nostalgic things 🙂 I loved it. The month wrapped up with Halloween. It was a very very cute day. 

November.

Weirdly, November wasn’t huge?? But in another way, it absolutely was. The main theme was SNOW. We got TONS of snow in November!!! The kids played outside like there was no tomorrow, and I stayed inside, crocheting a mountain of gifts! November was our first hit of sickness that was barely a cold but, according to regulations, kept the kids home. There was a full two weeks where they were some long weekends, and the days in between them were sick days. The kids were absolutely stir crazy after that, hahaha! I’ve never been more ready to send them out the door, and I think they felt the same. I did get braids that month tho!! Thanks Cher! The month ended with me feeling that bizarre disconnect from my body and thought process. It was VERY odd and off putting. I couldn’t be more thankful for the people who helped me out of that time. You know who you are. It was tough, and the support meant SO much to me. 

December!

Surprise! It was huge. It actually took a while to come back and heal from my weird little out of body breakdown. Meanwhile, the rest of the month was spent getting Christmas cards organized, finishing up gifts, and working on tying up about a million loose ends. But they all did get tied up, and Christmas did come!! There were decorations, gifts, good food, and LOTS of love for Jesus’ birthday!!  It was rowdy and calm at the same time. Noisy and peaceful. I missed the hubbub of big gatherings, but my brain and body loved rest, also. A confusing Christmas. Covid Christmas. Christ’s Christmas. We fit into a lot of categories this year! 

In all honesty, I’ve hesitated to say I’ve enjoyed this year. Because we’re supposed to hate it, right?? There have obviously been some HUGE challenges this year, no question. But we have gained a lot of ground as a family. We have been so blessed. While I do hope 2021 carries a bit more ease with it (a full school year, going out in public, maybe some income?) I can hardly ask for more than we’ve been given this year. In some ways, a lot of things have been on hold this year. And in other ways, I feel like we’re just getting started. 

Thank you Lord for getting us through 2020!

Onto the next!

At the end of every year, I like to talk about the resolutions I made, however loosely, and see how I did. You guys might have noticed that this year has played out differently than everyone expected it to, myself included. I’m actually really curious to go back into my goals for this year and see what actually got done, what didn’t even get looked at, and all the things we did that we didn’t expect to do!! 

This year, I had a theme, and I had a list. When I wrote the list of more tangible goals, some were already done, haha! Because sometimes a to-do list needs some items that are already crossed off. So I’m going to start with those. 

We had already moved kids into different rooms.
We had already tidied up the Christmas mess in my room, though you’d better believe there is another one in there as I type this!
We (but actually my mom) had already washed off the high chair, which was a horrifying mess that I somehow could not face.
We had made an anniversary plan.
We had retrieved our blanket box from my moms house.
We had priced out a drop ceiling.
We had backed up the laptop (though it didn’t fix our problem, and we bought a new one with credit card points during quarantine)
Brady had finished his quarterly report.
We had reorganized the toothbrushes now that we had kids moved downstairs.

Ok, so that was the things we had already crossed off of our to-do list! This is what was left on the list as of mid-February. 

Physical restoration. Remember my crazy hand and shoulder pain? I did eventually find my way back to a pain-free life, thanks to antidepressants calming down that part of my brain. I had NO idea that would work, but thank you Lord for modern medicine!! Sometimes, I truly feel that is the answer, and I feel like this was a total answer to prayer!

Make noodles. Still have not done that. Whoops. 

Organize craft stuff. YES! I did that!!! Only this fall, but it happened! We found and redid our now bright pink craft cabinet, and organized our craft stuff SO well. I’m very very happy with how it worked out 🙂 I dont feel instantly overwhelmed when the kids want to color or craft now!

Wash car seat covers. Whoops. Have not. 

Make a Pinterest board for the backyard. This is kinda moot now, honestly. I think I started one?? But then I had bigger fish to fry and we just did the backyard! Hahaha!

Make a Pinterest board for the garden. Same story. 

Get knocked up. Ha! Ya, no. I mean, I did, but I miscarried again. Its been a weird discouraging year in that sense, but what I can say is that I have an OB appointment coming up in the new year, and I’m excited to bounce ideas off of a specialist. 

Plan trips! Hahaha! Ya right. I mean, I went on a spontaneous birthday trip to Edmonton! That was fun! And we did book a weekend at Christopher Lake! Aaaaand then everything changed and we built the camper sooooo we spent a lot more time on that than planning vacations. 

Wash the dining room floor. It happened. It needs to happen again. 

Meal plan. Ok, so I definitely didn’t do that, but I did get WAY more capable in my kitchen and cooking meals is far less overwhelming to me than it used to be! So while I dont have some aces meal plan method down pat, I feel more organized in that area than I did when I made this list. So it feels like a win, still. 

Price out a fence and a shed. Ha! Ya. Priced and built. Woot!

Price our grass. Planted. Boom!

Order Vitex. Check! Done and done, taking it everyday! 

Keep saving blog books. I definitely didn’t do this. Waaaaay bigger fish to fry!

Create a system for the island. Sadly, I do not have a better system for the island. I’m not sure I will, honestly. But I’ll keep trying. 

Hose off the living room rug. Hahaha! This was actually horrible, lol! It didn’t get done and didn’t get done, and I was getting really irritated with it, but its just too huge to move it around on my own, and I didn’t know how to work the pressure washer, and all that stuff. Finally, the day came and Brady tried to set up to do it. But he set up in the dirty backyard, and then the pressure washer wouldn’t work. As you can imagine, it got WAY dirtier, and its back in our living room, looking vastly worse than before! Oy, lol! Maybe next year!

Knit something wearable. So I didn’t do this, but I did crochet something wearable! Three cardigans! Wavy doesn’t like hers, because she likes hoodies with pockets, lol! But Laela and I wear ours regularly 🙂 

Get contacts. Ya, no. The worldwide shut down made that kind of non-essential trip even less important. I still really want them tho. Hopefully someday. 

Set up my fitbit. Set it up, used it for a bit, now it sits. It was SO inaccurate in terms of steps, and that was mainly what I liked it for. Id be more inclined to use it if I could figure out how to get the active minutes to show on the main screen rather than step count, but I haven’t gotten that far. Just wasn’t a priority I guess. 

Clean the carpets. We did not. We spent WAY more time outdoors than we ever have this year that the inside got a little neglected. But we’ll get there 🙂 I’m not worried. 

Get more gravel on the driveway. We did that! When we got soil hauled in for the yard, we got gravel in for the driveway too! 

I’d say, all in all, we did pretty great on this list, considering the global pandemic, getting our lake spot, building a camper from the shell up, and all the bizarre health concerns were not in the plans! 

I felt like the theme of the year was meant to be glory strength! And guys, I could  never have anticipated just how accurate and PERFECT that would be!! If you want to read the post where I talk about it, I really think its bang on! But if not, I’ll share the verse that motivated it in me!

The Message version, 1 Colossians 1:11-12…“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul – not the grim strength of gritting your teeth, but the glory-strength God gives. It is the strength that endured the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us.”

This year could’ve very easily been a grim strength year, but I truly feel like God prepared me for this year, unbeknownst to me! I couldn’t be more grateful! The year has been challenging, and loaded with opportunity. Thank you, Lord, for knowing more than me, and for keeping us afloat – maybe even better than we were. 

Sometimes I hesitate to share accomplishments for fear people will think I’m being cocky or feeling too proud. Sometimes – today, for instance – I really want record of some of the things I’ve done! Because YAY! What a weird world to live in when it feels wrong to feel proud of yourself. 🤔

I took on a new challenge this year! Blankets! It actually happened by accident. I had NEVER completed a blanket EVER, not even a little kids size. It felt completely impossible. Also, one of those funny things from the past that sticks with you kept coming to mind, which was someone I used to know telling me crocheted afghans were useless and ugly. This year, as a couple of blanket patterns caught my eye, I decided that persons opinion didn’t matter to me anymore, and that I was going to go for it.

Twice.

I made them both simultaneously, but they are VERY different!

The first one I’ll show you came together smoothly, very symmetrical.

This one was the easier of the two because the squares were all the same. After making a couple, I knew the pattern in my head and could just work from memory. Its hard to see, but the grey, yellow, and white yarn are all sparkly, which I thought was fitting for the person receiving it, whose favorite color is “unicorn.” Hahaha! This blanket was a really good starting point, with all of the squares being the same. If I could change it now, I wish I had made a bigger border, because its still pretty wavy along the edge, and I wish it was a bit straighter. But, for a first effort, I’d say its a win!

Blanket two is less symmetrical, less polished, and uneven. That being said, I am SO happy with it!

This blanket was a much bigger challenge, and while its far from perfect, I’m excited about how well it turned out. The more complicated squares came out tighter, which is too bad but really hard to avoid! Therefore, the tension is different from square to square, leaving the lines a little warpy and some squares a little “firmer” than others. Attaching the squares was tricky with them so different in tension, gauge, and basic numbers, but it worked-ish. Its not even, but its still soft, made with a TON of love, and the style is bang on for its recipient!!

Finishing a blanket, or TWO, makes me feel excited and accomplished! I already really enjoyed the kids being along for the ride. They are SUCH encouraging kids, and were VERY excited about the results. I dream of, one day, doing ALL homemade gifts between our family members, and seeing the excitement on their faces when we all accomplish crafty things, makes me feel like it could happen!

How big of an undertaking would it be to make each kid a blanket for next Christmas? Probably a lofty goal. But hey, its December 29th. Never too early to start! 😆

Show me your homemade gifts!!! Given or received!

You guys were all SO loving last week when I shared with you about the changes we had made with Rowan. You can’t know how afraid I was, posting that blog, positive someone would suggest I didn’t love him well enough, or that he wasn’t being understood or appreciated. I received no feedback even remotely along those lines. Only support. It was amazing.

So here I am, back to update you! We have one more week of Melatonin use under our belts, and I figured I’d share it with you!

What I can tell you is that we started Melatonin on the best and worst time ever. Its the best because it WORKED. And he ASKED for it. And its been a RELIEF over Christmas for everyone, Rowan the most. Its the worst timing because our routine is far less scheduled than usual, meaning its an extra challenge to give it to him at the same time every night. If its off by a little, thats ok. If its off by more than a little, we see a change the next day. That being said, its still marked improvement.

One important thing I noted was that the day I posted the blog, December 21st, Rowan had a bout of sleepwalking. He hasn’t had one in months, and I didn’t much care for it, but he was easy to put back to bed. Totally reasonable. Very easy to redirect. I’ll never get used to that super dead look in his eyes tho 😶 *shivers*

So, some notes since last weeks post…

• 0 tantrums
• went down for naps happy, woke up happy
• irritable, self soothed
• dose late (6:50pm) still asleep by 7:30
• very reasonable, even though he didn’t like supper
• more tired, still WAY more reasonable
• irritable, small tantrum, rallied
• asked for a hug
• peaceful bedtime (my favorite)

So. Its working. Praise the Lord! Our current plan is to ride this out for about two months consistently. This first stretch being over Christmas is a relief, but I’m excited to get him into his usual school routine, and see how it works with that consistency behind it! At that point, we’re going to ween him from melatonin to a magnesium supplement and see what happens. Its kind of amazing how many mothers who could TOTALLY relate to our struggle reached out to me and suggested it! It was our original plan, and it was SO validating to know it could very well be the correct route!!

I am SO relieved that we’ve found a solution, at the moment, and that it appears there is more opportunity for improvement coming!!

Thank you again, friends, for your unending support!

For the past few years, I’ve bought Brady a beer advent calendar! He loves it, because not only does he get to try a bunch of different beer, he also gets a beer a day, which is a HUGE treat around here, as we don’t regularly have alcohol in the house. This year, I went with a different brand to try and mix it up a bit, and while he’s really enjoyed the “beer a day” part of it, I’m disappointed with this one :/ There are SO MANY REPEATS! It says it right on the box, but I had already purchased it. I could’ve returned it, I’m sure, but decided to just be ok with it. To be clear, he is not complaining. Its me. I’m just bummed there isn’t more variety. But! Its still beer! Haha!

I purchased Brady the “Original Stiegl Advent Calendar.” It set me back about $70, and included 22 beer, and 2 “gifts.” I should’ve looked closed when I bought it :/ I just saw that there was radler in it, and knowing Brady liked that, I jumped. My bad. Now I know. 

As in past years, Brady has diligently kept notes on his beer each day. Because of the repeats, there will be some rollover, but he added what he was eating when he drank it and some other little details. Hopefully you find it enjoyable!!

1. Grapefruit Radler – flavoured extra light beer – 2.5%
– great jumping off point, sweet and light, alcoholic Five Alive
– 4/5

2. Radler Himbeere Raspberry – Malt Beer – 2%
– smooth with a hint of zing, raspberry is present but not over powering
– 5/5

3. Goldbrau Beer – 5.1%
– solid flavour, not too strong, makes you grunt with satisfaction
– 4/5

4. Radler Zitrone Naturtrüb – 2%
– a delightful summer treat, would be delicious and refreshing on a hot day
– 4/5

5. Paracelsus Bio-Zwickl – 5.2%
– pretty average, amber beer. Not a great after taste
– 3/5

6. Columbus 1492 Pale Ale – 4.7%
– very crisp and refreshing, hoppy and slightly bitter, delicious with a sweeter meal much like my gorgeous wife’s honey garlic chicken
– 4/5

7. Becher Glass
– arrived broken in box, looked fun, however was not big enough to hold an entire beer
– 1/5

8. Goldbrau Beer – 5.1%
– second time around for this one, just as solid as the first time, paired with ribs and potatoes this time and was a total win
– 4/5 

9. Grapefruit Radler – flavoured extra light beer – 2.5%
– second time for this one too, paired with a burger, felt like summertime
– 4/5

10. Paracelsus Bio-Zwickl – 5.2%
– about the same the second time around, grilled cheese and soup mostly hid the aftertaste but it was still pretty average
– 3/5

11. Radler Himbeere Raspberry – Malt Beer – 2%
– so happy too see this one again, all the same feelings, so yummy
– 5/5

12. Radler Zitrone Naturtrüb – 2%
– second time here and so good yet again, makes me want to go to the lake
– 4/5

13. Goldbrau Beer – 5.1%
– third time for this one, consumed by itself and it wasn’t a standout, needs a hearty meal behind it but I’ll still give it the same rating as past days
– 4/5

14. Paracelsus Bio-Zwickl – 5.2%
– third time for this one and I’m still not super impressed, quite average, nothing to write  a blog about
– 3/5

15. Columbus 1492 Pale Ale – 4.7%
– delicious as refreshing after a long day, paired with perogies and farmer sausage and was remarkable
– 4/5

16. Goldbrau Beer – 5.1%
– four times here and it’s come around again, long day of work and paired with pizza, oh goodness it was yummy
– 4/5

17. Radler Zitrone Naturtrüb – 2%
– third time yum, yum yum yummy
– 5/5

18. Grapefruit Radler – flavoured extra light beer – 2.5%
– third time, sooo good,  very easy to drink it like it’s fruit punch
– 4/5

19. Columbus 1492 Pale Ale – 4.7%
– so yummy yet again, a wonderful combination of refreshing and slightly bitter
– 4/5

20. Goldbrau Beer – 5.1%
– fifth time for this one, very hearty and satisfying, paired with a mashed potato chicken bowl, very tasty
– 4/5

21. Paracelsus Bio-Zwickl – 5.2%
– four times around and it was a perfect beer for the end of a long work day, hearty and flavourful
– 3/5

22. Columbus 1492 Pale Ale – 4.7%
– four times and I have to bump my rating, this beer is fantastic
– 5/5

23. Radler Himbeere Raspberry – Malt Beer – 2%
– so glad to see this as my last hurrah, absolutely you favourite in the pack
– 5/5

24. Becher Glass – this one wasn’t broken, however it is still too small for a standard can/bottle of beer
– Hailey here! The pink foam is pretty cute in the skinny little glass! So there’s that!
– 1/5

Final thoughts!

Brady: No duds! It was ALL good! However, it wasn’t very adventurous. Would be great as a variety pack but less for an advent calendar. The beer was yummy but the excitement was lost. I wasn’t eagerly anticipating it every day the way I did in years past, when there were no repeats.

Hailey: It wasn’t my calendar, or my beer, but it was disappointing for me. There was way too much rollover. It would’ve been great for a person who specifically loved this brand of beer and wanted a variety pack, but it was kind of lame to watch :/ Once he started getting repeats, there were no new ones. No surprises. It was a bummer. A beer a day was still a treat, but it wasn’t as fun.

Anyone else have an unconventional advent calendar this year??

Alright, friends, here we are again!! Let’s talk about presents!! 

Now, I know, I know, there needs to be a disclaimer. No, I do not think Christmas is about gifts. I believe its about Jesus’ birth and celebration! But I also think gifts are really nice, and special, and fun! Do the kids anticipate them? Totally. Do we blast them with thousands of dollars worth of plastic toys? No. Would it be ok if we did? Sure! To each their own! Don’t get at me, hahaha! 

The actual main purpose of this post is to talk about the four categories we buy under, and maybe give others ideas! Its such a great way to do gifts, in my opinion!

Each child receives something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.

On top of that, we usually include a pair of jammies, and then if I’m really on top of it, I like to crochet them something too.

We were suuuper broke and suuuper busy this year, so it did not all happen, unfortunately, but alas, they got gifts and they’re happy with them! I remember last year, having a bit of a breakdown when I realized almost ALL of their gifts were things that most people would just put in a stocking as a little “extra.” But my children actively celebrated their pjs, small books, and electric toothbrushes! I don’t have to worry. My children are so grateful.

We’ll go oldest to youngest and start with Dekker. For his want, we got him a Meccano set that builds like five different kinds of street bikes. I know he was hoping for some Lego technics but he loved it! His need is a pillow, because his is a pancake. We got him one of those nice cooling memory foam ones from Costco that normally we wouldn’t justify the cost of. But he is a sweaty beast and I think the cooling effect will be extra nice! His item to wear is actually new underwear. Puma underwear. Spoiler alert, they’re all getting new underwear for their “something to wear.” Boring, maybe, but honestly I think they’ll be totally thrilled. I’m determined to just check every pair of underwear they currently own and just start fresh. Maybe we’ll do that every Christmas, lol! Dekker’s gift to read is called “The Dangerous Book for Boys,” and it might be the gift I’m most excited about! I got him the pocket edition for next to nothing off of Amazon. I can’t wait to see him flip through that, learn all kinds of cool things, take it to the lake, etc. Its a winner, trust me! And as an extra, he’s getting a cozy onesie, which he has desperately wanted for a couple of years! Its fleecy, white buffalo plaid!

Laela is next! She has been asking for her own Lego set, so I got her a cool Lego Technics set out of Costco. I think Dekker will be a little jealous, but I’m pretty sure he’ll eventually get a turn with it. Laela has received Lego Friends sets in the past, which are fun, but we got her a race car! I think she’ll love that its a tougher, older kid set. Her need is also a pillow, as her pillow is possibly flatter than Dekker’s. They both sleep on a stuffed toy on top of their pillows. Laela got underwear for her “something to wear” as I said, but she got cool bright brand name ones, too. Her book is the first of the Ivy and Bean series. She told me she’s actually already read it (merp) but she liked it, so that counts. She’s still happy with it! And she, too, got a onesie. Matching. Second spoiler alert. They all got them. 

Rowans turn! His want is his first Lego set! (See the theme here? Lol!) Its a cute policeman set. He’ll love it, and its within his age category that he should be able to build it mostly on his own. Rowan’s need is a bigger weighted blanket. We gave him one earlier this year and it seemed to help him settle a little. My poor little boy and his sleep anxiety 💔 He’s grown like a weed this year, and his blanket just is way too short. The children’s ones are usually only 4’ long :/ For my kid who LOVES soft things, its not enough. So after searching and searching, we found one that is 5’ long, and is still light enough for a kid his size! WIN! His wear is also underwear, which I snagged from Carter. However, I realize now they pack has fewer pairs than I thought, and he doesn’t have enough. I’ll have to go buy more. I had a cool bundle of gitch in my Amazon cart for so long, but had to give up on them for cheaper ones. So be it. And for reading, Rowan got one of my favourite books from childhood – Blueberries for Sal. He’s been struggling with dreams, and has some bad feelings about bears. I’m hoping this book will help a little 🙂 And like everyone else, Rowan got a super cozy fleecy buffalo plaid onesie! 

Solomon was a tricky one this year. As Rae would say, he’s a watcher. He doesn’t like to DO so much as watch. Its a constant push for us to encourage him to jump in and participate. So I wanted to get him age appropriate things, but also things that he would sort of care about. His want ended up being one of those itty bitty Lego Creative sets. Its super young and small, but I think he’d be overwhelmed by anything bigger, even if it said his age category on it. So we started small 🙂 Still lego. Still learning. His need is a new backpack and lunch kit!!! He was MOST excited about that. Easily. We got his matching set from Costco, surprise surprise. His item to wear is underwear, obviously. Cookie Monster underwear, to be more specific. Solly, of all kids, the youngest one who still has accidents sometimes, has easily the LEAST underwear! So this is a HUGE win! Hahaha! His book to read is a box set of Clifford books! I think he’ll be all over those. And he also got a onesie. 

Waverly is last, because littlest. I actually had a hard time coming up with ideas for her, or the ideas I came up with wouldn’t come together. I had in mind this great gift for her want. You know those Melissa and Doug magnetic “dolls” that you stick their little outfits on them? Kind of like paper dolls, but actually wood? Lol! There was one a couple of years ago, a much smaller than average set, called “Waverly Mermaid.” I wanted to jump at it, but she was a baby, and I figured maybe next year. And now, she’s GONE! The set still exists exactly the same, but she’s now Merry Mermaid. And I’m grouchy. Aaaaanyway, I had to give up on that dream after literal months of searching. She ended up with one of those colouring pads where you put water in the “pen” and the pictures show up, and then dry down to white again. Its all animals, so I think she’ll have fun naming them and making their sounds throughout. Her need is a potty seat! She is SO ready to potty train, I am confident, so I figured we should throw away the old potty seat (because boys are gross and pee all over it and in the seams and it never stops stinking ever) and get her her own! Its Minnie Mouse, and it talks. Her thing to wear iiiiis – you guessed it! – underwear! Cute little Walmart underwear, because it fits smaller than other brands I’ve tried. Her book to read is a Christmas book my Sandra Boynton, because she’s SO fun to read! And while her onesie isn’t quite the same as everyone else’s, she still gets one! Hers doesn’t have a hood, but its still cozy and fleecy and yummy! 

So. You can see our theme, right? Everyone’s “want” is a cool toy or activity. Their need is an actual practical gift. Wavy was potentially going to get a single mattress, but truthfully, the hang up on that one was me :/ Because I’m not ready to not need a crib in my home anymore. Their “wear” was underwear and jammies, and then they each got something to read! Sometimes its been comics, or magazines, or different things to mix it up. But this is what we’ve got this year 🙂 And you know what? They’re so happy! 

Does anyone else do category gifts?? We LOVE this way!

Last night, we loaded everyone up in our bus for the Christmas Eve service. Its usually looks VERY different than it looked this year, but the amount of effort that went into it was unbelievable. Volunteer after volunteer received our vehicle, gave us some battery operated candles and some glow sticks, and directed us to a parking spot, pointed at a large screen on the front of the church. We turned off our headlights off and tuned our radios to a particular station. Light Christmas music played while we waited.

The service was introduced, and prerecorded music played, with words underneath so we could sing along. A message was given too. Short and meaningful. It was pretty perfect. Then we all lit our lights and sang a carol or two together. It wasn’t the same as every other year, but nothing has been this year 🙂 It was fun and refreshing. Aaaaand we could all go in our jammies, hahaha!

It all wrapped up around 7:00, and another volunteer directed traffic out of the parking lot. It was a really nice outing, and good to still get to church, however unconventional.

Kids went to bed. Cards were played. Popcorn was eaten. Food for the next day was prepped. Gifts were brought down to the tree. And then, beds were slept in, because EXHAUSTION!

The morning has been lovely. We made a yummy brunch of hashbrowns, bacon, and strawberries 🙂 Everyone ate their body weight, and then we cracked out the Christmas story. Everyone sat and listened, and we discussed it afterwards. But present time came and it got a little crazy. We do gifts pretty modestly, but five kids getting just a few small things still results in a LARGE haul!!

I’ll tell you all about it another day 😉 But its been so much fun and so busy that we almost forgot to put the turkey in!! 😳

We’re all caught up now. No one is worried. There is no big deadline. No big expectations. Just being together with our people 💜while deeply missing some of our other people 💔

Merry Christmas, my friends. 🎄

We’ve never done Santa over here. No burn on those who do, or don’t, or have super strong feelings one way or another. We just never introduced it, and the kids think its a fun story 🙂 Its kind of a non-issue over here.

In the search for easy, enjoyable festive things to do, we caught wind of a town event yesterday evening! They couldn’t really call it a parade, for fear of encouraging gathering *sigh* but the local fire department and police service planned to escort Santa through town. While none of our kids buy into Santa, it was still an excitement for them! So we headed out for a slow mosey to a street we knew would be on their route.

It was fun ❤️ There was a whole lineup of emergency vehicles, decked out in extra lights, all flashy and sparkly! Sirens blooped here and there, but nothing crazy enough to put off my noise-sensitive kidlets. Leading the way was Santa, sitting in the back of a truck, waving at every person looking out their window, every family sitting in their car, and those of us outside. They actually stopped near us and Santa called out to our kids, and they excitedly chatted with him. Santa asked them questions and laughed his jolly laugh at their answers. It was SUCH a fun experience for them! There were some other familiar faces in those vehicles that are very special to our family. It was a total homerun. Santa soon went on his way, and we headed home. And by living on the far side of town, I know for a fact that their trek took almost a full two hours. I feel a little emotional even typing it out, because while Santa isn’t a pivotal part of our Christmas, the amount of effort that went into this was immense.

Guys, last night was COLD. I have no doubt in my mind that Santa was absolutely frozen to the bone by the end of it. Probably at the halfway point, even. But the beautiful effort made by our community made my heart sing!

As an extra bonus, on the walk home, a man with a beautiful light display invited us to peek in the backyard and see a bit more of their setup, and just how the lights got SO high up in the sky! The kids also LOVED that. It felt like an added special bonus for them. For all of us.

We shivered on our way home, and gained a brown bag full of treats and activities for the holiday season at home ❤️ We are truly blessed. What a beautiful community we’re in.

I am SO grateful.

Its already been such a busy time over here, and with that busyness, I end up with LOTS of pictures that I want to share! I feel like I’ve been telling stories left right and centre, but apparently, we already have some catching up to do since the last day of school!

The first batch of pictures is from a late walk we took as a family! I’m feeling very mourny about things being different, and I know everyone feels the same. Same storm, different boat, right? When quarantine happened in Spring, we survived our days with long, moseying walks through town. And thats ALL I want to do these days, but my poor husband and his frustratingly numb legs make that a huge challenge for him. Its hard. But a few days ago, when the weather was nice, we took a very slow moving, shortish walk with the kids in the dark. They LOVED it!!

Conveniently, out of nowhere, Waverly refused the sled, and insisted on walking. So she and Brady were pokey together. It was terribly cute.

It was an all around really lovely walk. It was chilly but we all had a really really nice time.

It was a great walk. Everyone was nice and red and tired when we got home.

Dekker and Laela still had some reading time after the little ones went to bed. They used to each sit on a recliner across the living room from one another, but they’ve recently changed and always end up reading next to each other. I LOVE that change.

They may fight, but there is a lot of love there. ❤️

Onto the next! I noticed that Dekker has been leaving little notes and homemade decor throughout the house. My current fave is his hope banner.

Ugh. My heart! 💜

Also yes, I do need a bigger mug shelf, thank you for noticing.

Another observation. One of my succulents has a LOT of personality. Gonna have to figure this whole thing out…

A few other random shots…

Cher printed off a whole booklet of Christmas activities for them, as well as a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

And lastly, yesterday night, the kids got their first haul of gifts! Thank you, Tom and Rae, for loving them so well!

Its been a loaded season already and we’re just a few days in! On one hand, I anticipate a much quieter, dare I say lamer, Christmas than previous years. But on another hand, its never boring around here! So hopefully these blogs will remind me how much fun we had during quarantine Christmas!!

In fact, I hear Santa is doing a lap around town in a fire engine tonight!! Maybe have to go see if we can catch a glimpse 🎅

Dear Moms/ladies,

It was really nice to communicate with so many of you yesterday over messages, texts, and comments on Facebook. I had no idea the response I would on yesterdays post about Rowan, and it turns out my fears were all for naught. You ALL supported me, and my family, 110%. You showed real love and concern, and those who offered ideas and suggestions did so with such respect and warmth! I had ZERO need to defend myself, and that says a LOT about the community of women I am grateful to be a part of. 

If you’d been along the blog ride for long enough, you know my heart aches over “mommy wars.” The fact that that term even exists is completely heartbreaking. Encouraging someone doesn’t make you less! Someone doing something different than you doesn’t mean the way you do it is wrong! Someone succeeding doesn’t make you fail! I am PROUD of my beautiful circle of women who don’t participate in this needless battle between people who could all use a shoulder from time to time. 

Friend, you are NOT the only person feeling alienated or alone. Who is exhausted and unsure, embarrassed, at the end of their rope, or fearing judgement. You are not the only mother struggling with a child, wanting to reassure those around you that they’re actually a beautiful individual, worthy of love. You are not the only one watching your child, waiting for a pin to drop and for everything to fall to pieces. You are not the only one at a loss. There are SO MANY of us, feeling responsible for things out of our control, carrying the weight of the world on our backs. 

Trust me, I understand the hesitation to reach out, or tell someone. What will they think of you?? I cannot promise seamless interactions. I don’t know your people. But what I can tell you is that being vulnerable is such a good risk sometimes! In a healthy capacity, of course. I guarantee someone around you is going through the same struggle as you, or has at one point, or knows someone who has! There is help out there, and vulnerability is hard, but its so important! If we all encouraged one another, it wouldn’t be so taboo to discuss these things! 

Thank you, ladies, for sharing your experiences with me. It was SO refreshing to know I was not alone in my struggle. It was validating to know some people had been in very similar situations, taken the route I took, and succeeded! And others had tried my route, and then kept on trying. No one thing works for everyone, but if we can all STOP JUDGING one another, we can help each other so much better!! 

You need to know, mom, you are not the only one out there in your boat. I know this to be fact. You are NOT alone!! 

I am SO proud of the women I know! What a beautiful community! 

With love, 

Hailey