I use the term “date” loosely. Brady had an early morning appointment today that we went to together, and as life goes, that feels like a date! So I’ll take it! As we drove out of town around 7am, I was flabbergasted to see how many kids are already out, biking around town with their friends. I was NEVER out this early as a kid unless I absolutely had to be! It was so strange for me to see, as I was curled up in the passengers seat in my leggings, chatting quietly with Brady and not ready to talk to anyone else.

He had his appointment, and then we hit Walmart for a few things. Laela and Solly both broke their flip flops over the weekend, so we bought some cheapies. Some photo paper. Gum. A couple of small things, but nothing thrilling. It was nice to just peruse. We grabbed some coffee and breakfast on the way home, and took our time 💜 It was really, really nice.

We got home to an empty house, as my mom had taken the kids for a walk. Brady changed for work and headed back out the door, and I got to blogging and unpacking our few items. The kids surfaced very shortly after we got home, with fresh shells from the pond to rinse in the sink. It was a happy group of some of my favorite people 💜 Very very nice for me to witness.

Now that I’m home, its lunch time. People will eat. Some small people will bathe. Laundry will happen. And a few other jobs will either get finished up, or just started. Either way, I’m aiming for a productive day, but not too terribly productive, haha! Just comfortably productive enough.

Have a lovely, semi-productive day, friends 💜

Mondays are the days to get the week organized. I mean, theoretically its already fairly set up, but its still a big day of organizing for me.

It almost always includes getting things unpacked from camp. Laundry. Making sure we eat up the leftovers from the weekend.

Meanwhile, I need to find windows of time to pack up for the next weekend away, and I need to make them in time to have a grocery list put together to pimp out on Brady so he can pick things up at coop after work. So, Monday is for meal planning also.

Our life has become quite a bit fuller with appointments, so this week as a whole holds five appointments overall. One is for Brady during his workday, so I don’t have to manage that one. And two of them are at the same time. So three time slots, I suppose. But I had childcare worked out ahead of time (thank you in advance, mom!) so that should work out smoothly.

Somewhere in here, I’d REALLY like to get the kids school supplies organized. Thats just something I don’t want to wait on. But I have fewer hands-free hours than I used to have, so that may not be feasible at this point. But its still on the list.

I think that about concludes this meeting. Thank you for being part of the team. Let’s crush this week, guys.

Our weekend at the lake was quite a cute one, and it was fairly smooth, for which I was incredibly grateful! We had some really positive moments on that first Saturday.

Laela got WAY braver this weekend and started running and jumping of the dock 💜

Brady build a rack for our kayaks, the Dahlsjos paddle boards, and the paddle boat that we share 💜

And we made a HUGE feed of perogies, sausage, and broccoli 💜 We put the buttery steakhouse rub on the broccoli and it was positively deadly. Deadly like that guy on YouTube. THAT kind of deadly.

Our kids got a bit weird after that, but it made for fun pictures.

The sunset was beautiful, as it always is. Its impossible to capture it on my phone, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.

And the very next morning gave us an incredible fire and a slow moving smorning with the kids 💜

Sunday was warmer earlier in the morning, so we loaded up to hit the beach. Not all the kids fit on the cart every time. It’s a bit more dependent on what we’re all bringing down with us. So some of the kids walked today, and Laela offered to carry the coffees, which was SO sweet of her.

Can’t take a picture without being photobombed, though.

Or just being a weirdo.

We ate good food and spent good time with good people. Our Dahlsjos came for the last couple of hours of the afternoon, which makes it feel all the more homey 💜

Packing up was fairly smooth, and we hit the road with a quiet van load of kids. We hit PA for supper and indulged fully, feeding ourselves italian cheesy bread and milkshakes for supper. It, like Saturdays supper, was deadly. Our van was even quieter after we ate, and the end of the drive was a mix of loud singing in the van and dead silence. I loved it.

We are home, and cozy, in our own beds. But camp is never far from our minds.

These are such precious days. So many more pictures I wish I could share of dearly loved family members 💜 But you’ll just have to take my word for it. The lake life is GOOD for ALL of us. We are so unbelievably blessed with this lake spot, and then summer gifts it has given my family.

We’ll be back soon 💜

The day began crispy, positively begging for a morning fire. I happily obliged. No fanning or effort needed. It lit immediately. Easily. Smokey the bear is right to say risks are up there, as things are dry and easy to burn. Only YOU can prevent forest fires! 🔥 

It hasn’t been the sunshiniest day but it’s been just absolutely comfortable and lovely. No one is sweating but we’re all in shortsighted. We can keep the fire going. The breeze is keeping the bugs away. It feels effortless in some ways. Less effortless in others 😅 Effortful, perhaps. Is that a word? 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

The afternoon will be spent on the beach, swimming and sanding, but also building a boat rack for our few things, as well as the Dahlsjos items. I’ll show you when it’s done. If that’s this weekend. I’m not committing to anything because my hands are fuller than they were a month ago, so I’m significantly less helpful with projects such as this. 

The “project” I’m “working on” trumps any construction of any type anyway 💜 No regrets there! 

Happy weekend, friends! ☀️ I hope you’re enjoying some breathing room and relaxation. 

What started as a full day of appointments in the city turned into a relaxing drive to the lake. Sometimes it feels like the lake is home, and that our house is our home away from home 💜 It’s hard to say which is which, but we are so grateful for our beautiful spot here, and our beautiful spot there. 

But for now, we’re here 💜

It is a beautiful “here” to be. Thank you Lord for this place, and that we get to share in it. 

My counsellor would laugh at me when we’re discuss balance. I’d tell her I was pretty sure it was a myth, and she would laugh and then promptly assure that it was, in fact, a real thing. I’m still not so sure, because I feel like everyone and their dog is on the hunt for balance in so may different facets. There are some areas where I think I can safely say I’ve achieved some minimal appropriate balance, but I think I have learned that there isn’t exactly a perfect balance. There is wiggle room in balance. A window of balance, perhaps. You know what I mean. A “from here to here” balance situation.

Anyway. The balance I find myself searching for that feels the most rewarding is the balance between relaxation and productivity. If I can have both of those things in the same day, I usually feel pretty bomb. Yesterday, I hit it! And it felt really really good!!

Cher came for breakfast and coffee, and everyone just hung out and enjoyed the morning. In the late morning, Cher headed off to her thing, and I got to some of mine. A BIG part of that was phone calls! I had a handful of places to call, either with inquiries or to book things. I got a couple of answers, and a really lovely contact person at another place! I got in touch with Dr. Guselle about some stuff, and recruited for some babysitting over the coming week or so.

Then the kids lunched, and once the nappers were napping, I sat on the back deck and orchestrated some work for some kids who needed the extra work 😉 You get it. I sat and supervised, and Cher popped by to sit with me for a little 💜 She made me some iced tea and we chatted. I took an important phone call at the same time. Once jobs were done, we took a load off until 2pm when more things needed doing. Cher headed on her way shortly thereafter, and naps ended not long after that. Around 3pm, the kids and I headed out for a walk. A couple stayed at the spray park while the rest of us went to the drugstore for s prescription. We walked back and picked up the wet kids on our way.

Home held air conditioning and the promise of Brady being home soon 💜 Supper was planned and easy, and the kids were happy about it. I could plan for camp a bit while the kids played lego and listened to music.

It was a beautiful balance. One I hope to achieve again someday 😅

Our backyard has been an absolute disaster for a while now. Once the front yard was getting established, it felt like we had finally jumped a big hurdle. Unfortunately, the backyard was a MUCH bigger hurdle, and with everything on the go over here, that sucker has been neglected! Not to mention, the kids have been playing at the park more often these days anyway, because of the spray park. So the backyard hasn’t been missed. But WOW its bad. BAD.

A few days ago, I noted that some of the weeds had positively exploded and were as tall as the fence! We absolutely canNOT have that! So we did some brainstorming, thought about hiring it out, and finally settled on me getting frustrated and just going out there and starting to pull them all out.

For a fairly small yard, there were a LOT of weeds. My first attempt was feeble at best. Dekker came out to help me without any prompting, and he grabbed us both some gloves and brought me the empty rain barrel to load up with weeds. We worked for a while until our cute neighbour poked her head up over the fence and offered to bring her trimmer over! I told her I was worried the big weeds might take her trimmer down, but she insisted she come and try. So she ate supper, and showed up with her whipper and her safety glasses, game for anything!

We worked for a solid two hours. Me and her, Dekker and Laela. And got the entire thing mowed down!!!! I am SO relieved! It still needs help. 100% it needs help. But we could actually be back there now! And we can actually think about trenching for sprinklers at some point, eventually resulting in grass! Though I believe that has to wait for fall now. Right? Help…

It was a lot of work, but it was cute 💜

Dekker and Laela kept gushing about how much fun they were having, and they were working. It was such a pleasant time. I love when we can be super productive while also being happy. Thank you Lord for the gifts you give!

As I put the July calendar together yesterday, I was relieved to see we have more breathing room than we did earlier in the year. It’s actually really funny. February holds a lot for our family, but I found January to be more of a strain on us than February, and was much busier for the brain and heart. February was heavy, but it was also the kick off of our foster care venture! Which made March, April and May CRAZY busy! Plus, you know, all the other things in our life. Our people. School. Work. Church. Life. It has really been bonkers.

June was quieter for us in terms of foster stuff, as our worker was on a holiday trip, and in the meantime, her supervisors were reading through a HUGE document she had written about our family. It was more the “waiting for approval” time. We were finally approved on Friday, June 9th, and had a beautiful new family member arrive in our home on Monday, June 12th. Two weeks after that, school wrapped up, and I wasn’t even there for it! Ack! Our life is insane these days!

But July feels like a breath of fresh air 💜 There are still a lot of things to do. For sure over the next two weeks, we have multiple appointments – eye doctor, family doctor, and a few others I won’t go into detail on. Oh and another MRI. One of the big ones with the entire spine and the brain. There are a lot of things on our plate, but I’m grateful we can all breathe a little easier these days. Staying in bed a bit longer is nice. The timelines around school being off is nice. Everyone feels a bit more free. Some things are slowing down.

But some things are still nuts. I want to sort out school supplies stuff NOW so I don’t have to panic at the end of August. And I need to fix the backyard. And prep for camp. And everything else.

Never a shortage! And I wouldn’t trade it 💜

We only spent one night at the lake this weekend, but we went at the exact right time!! We enjoyed spending time with our Dahlsjos at the lake, over supper, and into the evening.

It was a really nice few hours 💜 Waverly even did me a solid and grew a brand new dot 😍

Do you see it there on her collarbone? Isn’t it beautiful???

We parted ways and separately witnessed the storm move in.

At one point, a few of us motored down to the beach to rescue our paddle boat that we were suspicious had been left in the water. We were correct! But I don’t have proof, because bringing my phone out there would’ve been DUMB. Lol! It POURED! Thunder and lightening were 👌 on point! And wind was crazy! It was just an awesome storm!

We woke up to a chilly day that felt more like fall camping already! But it was Wavy’s birthday, and we made it fun 💜

It wasn’t a bonkers level birthday, but we were happy to be together for the time we could be! We drove home and picked up McDonalds pancakes along the way, as per the birthday girls request. And then stopped and saved our butts when we discovered all four tires had loose lug nuts 😵 Loved that…

Now, we’re working away, cleaning up after the huge stretch of busyness our family just came off of. I barely made it home before we got ready for the lake! Ack! Lots of work to do around here, but many hands make light work!

Happy stat, guys!! The first real week of summer holidays begins tomorrow! And there is certainly a LOT to do this coming week!!! Good luck, everyone!! 💜

Our dear little girl – Waverly Violet – turns FIVE today.

While I remember her birth so vividly that it feels like it happened yesterday, it’s also been a full five years of having her in our family, and I’d never trade it! She is a bright light! 

Wavy continues to come into her own. She loves to sing, and she makes up her own songs as she plays. She loves to run and be outside. She loves to tease. She loves to draw people and write her name. She loves her friends and she cannot wait for school! She is positively FULL of life and fun! 

Waverly is beautiful in all the ways. She is a smiley girl who loves to laugh and be sweet. She is pretty and strong. She wants to help and contribute to her family. She wants to care for our newest family member, even if there are tears or struggle involved. 

She is not afraid of much. And even when she is scared or sad, she is still very brave! 

I’ll be honest. I could watch her play and be comfortable and at ease all day long. 

She is a total light in our home, and I believe she radiates that in many other homes as well. With auntie. With grandma. With Tom and Rae. With the Dahlsjos. She spreads love and joy in all directions. I am so grateful for Waverly. I know I’m not the only one. To know this girl is to love her. 

Thank you, auntie, for taking the beautiful pictures, yet again 😘

Thank you for joining us, Miss Wave. I hope you feel so loved and happy on your birthday today 💜💖☀️🌺🌸

Here’s to FIVE!!!