Today felt somewhat restful. Or like, quiet. QuietER than usual. Its not ever quiet quiet. But, I sat for a little today. I gathered up some very minimal stuff for camp. I daydreamed a bit about crocheting I am aching to work on. So many projects. So little time. But it was nice.

Dekker biked around a bit. Got the mail. Packed clothes for the weekend. Read some new books he got. He spent some time in the afternoon with a friend.

Laela had quite a few jobs on her plate today, so she worked quite a bit, and then she packed up, and even went to the spray park with Wave. They did nails and tattoos.

Wavy followed Laela around to a degree, but she coloured. Practiced writing. Looked at booked. And mostly, she played with the babies. She is awesome with that. She sat with the big babies through breakfast so I could feed the lemon drop a bottle in the living room. It was awesome. And thanks to that, she got herself an afternoon at the spray park!

The babies were a little bit less peaceful. They played alright for times, but they alternated their naps, one altogether boycotting naps. There was a very brief moment where everyone was quiet, but it did not last worth anything. But. Isn’t that what happens? As soon as it seems peaceful and quiet, someone wakes up screaming? Just us? Cool 😎

As a very generous gift, Brady and I were offered a kid free couple of hours to go out for supper after radiation, which we jumped at. We enjoyed some restful time and ate a giant supper at Montanas. It was awesome 💜 and really nice to see each other away from all the other stuff. Cancer stuff. Busyness. Kids. Work. Driving. All the messy stuff. Its easy to get lost in there. So this was incredibly refreshing. Thank you, Rae and Tom, for not being afraid of our crew, no matter how the numbers change. Wait. You’ll still love us if the numbers change, right? Don’t worry. We are NOT looking to add anytime soon!

Ok. Everyone is tucked now except one, and that one isn’t home yet. So while we wait, I think we’ll eat dessert and watch some shows and finish up the deceptively restful day. My body and brain knows tomorrow will be worky and then whirlwindy. So for this evening, I hope to rest. Tomorrow, I will work. I will have help, thank goodness and also Cher! 💜 And then we’ll be gone – to radiation and then the lake!

Psh. Who stops?! 😅

The plan after radiation today was to knock out a speedy Costco shop. And by speedy I do not mean that we had a short list. We did not. But some days we meander a bit more, while others we motor. And today we were hoping to make it a quicker one so we could actually be home at a reasonable time to have supper at home.

As it tends to go recently, some of the family broke down in a big way and I was left to rush in while everyone cried in the van. As you can imagine, this method is fun for absolutely no one. And today it was especially a bummer because there had to be two carts. Brady was gracious and said I should take in a big kid to help me, so Dekker grabbed a second cart and in we went to tackle Costco!

We had to get some diapers and wipes, so we went there first in order to load carts in a smarter way. However, for the first time ever, we did the rest of the shop from there instead of going with the natural flow of the store, and that was a MISTAKE!!! Hahahaha! Dekker said “I didn’t know there was a right way to do Costco!” But guys, there absolutely is. And with that, there is also a wrong way to do Costco. Going against the flow of traffic after work hours. Do not do what we did.

However, we did get a good haul. We only missed a few things but they were things that either could wait or weren’t there this time. No big loss. We even watched the Amazon guy come and go on our doorbell camera while we waited in line.

We came home, got everything put away, and had ham and eggs for supper. For the kids, anyway. Everyone was so hands on. Brady and I will eat later. And I am SO looking forward to it. Toasted tomato sandwiches with cottage cheeeeeeese!!!

We ALL have mountains to climb. Without a doubt.

I know many people feel the need to compare mountains. And thats not necessary. EVERY mountain is a challenge to conquer. They all still feel rewarding to overcome. A “smaller” mountain is definitely still a mountain.

When Brady has his first surgery, I hated that I struggled because it was not about me. Except, realistically, of course I was part of it. Of course I struggled, too. Absolutely NO ONE faulted me for that except me. It is literally what brought me into counselling. I needed to be able to suffer without feeling guilty. Yes, Brady’s stuff seemed way bigger than mine. And I think thats a pretty fair statement still. But my suffering was just as important to come through. My struggle was just as relevant. I needed to climb my mountain just as much as he needed to climb his. Both were super important. Very different, but super important. Hopefully Brady’s mountain is wheelchair accessible….. 🧑‍🦽

Cher gave me this yesterday.

It means a LOT to have you with me on my climb, girl 💜 Your care and love are a huge support, and something I desperately need and do NOT take for granted.

Snacks, however, are on you. I’ll bring the coffee 😘

My favorite man has completed his first week of radiation treatment!

Today was his fifth fraction out of thirty. Five more weeks to go! If you were to ask him how he’s been feeling, he would likely tell you he feels no different thus far. In fact, I would way he’s a little bit more upbeat than he’s been previously, partly because he is finally doing something to tackle the issue at hand. No more waiting. Just getting to it.

Have you noticed he’s changed his look? He had to take his beard WAY shorter in order to accommodate the scary mask he has to wear during his radiation treatments. And this weekend I shaved his short hair good and short, anticipating losing much of that hair to the radiation treatments. The top should survive, however, so we’ve left it longer. He is so handsome 💜

On Brady’s first day of radiation, I posted it on Facebook because I chose to blog about Wavy’s birthday rather than Brady’s cancer treatment. I’ve started to post it each day, right around his treatment time, and I’m kind of loving it! I SO appreciate everyone who prays and reaches out, and while its possible people might lose interest in seeing the same post thirty times, I may just keep on posting those reminders. What will it hurt? Nothing, thats what.

One week down, Brady boy. Five more to go. 💪

We took a weekend off of camp and stayed home, as you know, but we drove up today to drop off our kids who are staying for the week! Overnight camp, baby!!! 🙌

Rowan and Solly get to share a cabin with Jaxon, and they were among the first to get checked in and set up! All three boys snagged top bunks and were totally ready to see their parents go 😂 Which seems healthy and also weird lol!

As we left, another couple from our campsite cordially mentioned “Freedom for the week?” I laughed and responded with “I suppose so! Freedom from two. Out of our eight. Should be a little quieter anyway.” Haha! I just had to giggle a little 🤭

The week is going to be a hot one! Good luck, Kinasao, with our temperature sensitive kids 😬 We’ll be home in our AC that doesn’t quite keep up, but sure beats not having it at all! 😅

We’ll be back on Friday of course, to pick them up, as well as send off the next kids who are going for their week!

Before then, the week holds radiation appts, blood and reviews, and all kinds of house stuff. I made a big daunting list. There is no shortage of things to do. But not all of it has a deadline, so we’ll just pick at it as it suits 🙂

Happy Sunday, guys. Reality starts again tomorrow with work and cancer treatment 💪 With only six kids though, so 😎 should be waaaaay easier.

Brady and I cooked together. It felt like it had been a while, though we work together really well, and really often. Today, we stood by our stove together, and it felt really, really normal. Normal is hard to come by over here. It shifts so much. So today felt like a treat in that area.

We made a yummy supper, based solely on the face that I bought two huge boxes of mushrooms at PBR today and I wanted to eat some of them. So we made perogies! Bacon, because I didn’t realize we were out of sausage. Roasted broccoli with garlic powder and parmesan cheese. “Gravy” which was actually condensed mushroom soup with a little milk and a LOT of sour cream. And fried mushrooms! Couldn’We made a yummy supper, based solely on the face that I bought two huge boxes of mushrooms at PBR today and I wanted to eat some of them. So we made perogies! Bacon, because I didn’t realize we were out of sausage. Roasted broccoli with garlic powder and parmesan cheese. “Gravy” which was actually condensed mushroom soup with a little milk and a LOT of sour cream. And fried mushrooms! Couldn’t actually put them in the sauce because very few members of my family like mushrooms. But I do. And Cher did. And Dekker did a little. And the morsel did!! All in all, supper did not disappoint

I am still overfull. Yet, we still ate leftover treatzza pizza in bed, because there is ALWAYS room for that.

Supper was delicious. A good food day feels like a success to me. We also got some errands done in the city, as well as some jobs done in the house. I suppose it pays to be home for a Saturday once in a while.

Sleep well, all.

While my new bathtub is nowhere near my old bathtub, I’m still incredibly grateful for it 💜 I haven’t had a ton of soaks since we moved, but as time goes on and our stress goes up, I’m having them more and more, for maintenance and comfort.

From time to time, Cher leaves me little treats, most recently, for the bath! I’m bad at using treats, because once I do (get ready) they’re gone! Lol! It just feels so final! But upon her strict instructions to actually USE her gifts, I set myself up for a cushy bath yesterday. To be specific, a pineapple bath.

I had my hair tied up in a pineapple scrunchie…

…my pineapple bath bomb…

…and I kept cool with my pineapple pop!!

These are a few of my favorite thiiiiiiings!! 😍🍍

Today, I found myself in need of another bath, which is not my norm anymore at all. But! Its not always up to me, haha! So into the bath I went, and I had the most bizarre problem I’ve had yet while running a tub.

I started the water and walked away to let it run for a few minutes. I came back to a tub that was WAY too hot. So I turned the water down into the coldest zone and walked away again. I knew it would take a minute or two to actually make a dent. And when I went to check, it was still crazy hot! I put my hand under the water and it was still good and hot! I played with the controls for a while, and let it run way too long. Hot water. That was all I could get! Granted, on the coldest setting, the water wasn’t boiling, but since I had it originally set into the hotter side of things, it was SO hot, and it would never cool off like this.

I called Brady over and he couldn’t figure it out either. Until he did.

Road work = temporary water line + black hose running down the street + super hot sunny weather = preheated water whether you like it or not.

What a WEIRD problem to have, hey???

Anyway. Brady drained the tub and ran me a fresh bath while actually paying attention to what was coming out of the tap 😬 My bad. Thanks, honey 💜 That helped a LOT.

I had a raspberry bath bomb tonight 💜 Thank you Cher! I’m loving my treats!

Nowwwww we hope my body calms the heck down soon 😅

I will be out of the house for a few hours this afternoon, and I am SO APPRECIATIVE of the help I have at home making it so I can go kid-free!!!

Well. Except for the part where I bring one kid in for a visit with their parents. But then I have a couple of hours to get things done!

Uuuuunfortunately, the most important thing I have to do is RIGHT in the middle of those hours. So with the list of things I need to do, it is a sure thing that I will be running the entire time. Which has become a bit of a norm.

In the two hour window that I am kid-free, I need to hit Walmart for a few important things: formula, flour, pumpkin puree, and some of Rowan’s snacks. I need to hit Schaan Healthcare to pick up an item that was funded through the foster association. I need to hit Bulk Barn for some baking ingredients. And I really really want to join Brady at his radiation review appointment. I know that one is technically not a need because he’s a whole adult, but its also the top priority. My mom is driving Brady in to his therapy today because he didn’t want to be stuck in the city the entire length of the visit. Which makes sense. But its an important day at RT (radiation therapy) and I want to be at the meetings I couldn’t be at last time around, thanks to covid.

Do you guys think I can get it all done in two hours? 🤣 I’m sure gonna try!!

Oh and Amazon will be delivering something to our house today. Somehow. I miss having a road. *sigh*

I still really need to order laundry machines! Goodness!

Not. Enough. Minutes.

OH AND MAYBE PBR STILL HAS BANANAS I NEED SOME!!!

😩

I’m prefacing this post by saying I will talk about Brady’s radiation in the next few days! Promise! Its just so early in the beginning, I’d like to give it a minute before I talk about it on here. But! He’s good. He’s alive. He’s at work. Keep praying 💜 I will post again when he goes in for his treatment. How cool would it be if we had people praying during every treatment?!

Ok. To a different subject. Because life keeps moving, whether your spouse has cancer or not. #cruel

When we were hoping to build our next home, a nonnegotiable for us was a mudroom. We really, really wanted one of those. With ALL the kids and ALL the outerwear that comes with them, plus a wheelchair with muddy tires, we just needed a space to dump all of our mess when we came into the house. And we only had five kids at that point, but there was SO MUCH OUTERWEAR!

But now we’ve moved here, and the “mudroom” is limited, to say the least. This is what we originally were working with.

I literally had to move laundry hampers out of here to take this picture 😅 So it doesn’t look bad, because its basically empty. Over winter, it was LOADED DOWN with jacket, snow pants, accessories, boots, and aaaaall the snow that came in with aforementioned outerwear. Plus, helmets and skates regularly made their way in as well. This space is about 2.5 feet square. Its teeny. At least its teeny for ten people! Can you fathom having seven snowsuits in there this winter? Because. We did.

The reason it was even this clear at this point is because Brady put some screws in the garage in an effort to make a different spot for jackets. Our garage isn’t heated yet, so once the weather lifted, we felt we could move their spring outerwear out there. But. It has not been a positive experience 😅

Its horrrrrrrid in there. And it takes up SO much space! Yes, I do chase it down and have everyone go and pick their mess up. But goodness it just never ever stays that way and is always a headache.

With all of this being said, about a month ago, I found the steal of the century on Facebook marketplace, and I snagged our new system!! 😍 Loooooook!!!

These locker systems are HUGE and HEAVY, and they are going to absolutely save my butt and all kinds of space in our garage. Each set of three cubbies probably weighs more than I do. They’re BEASTS. I believe I paid $200 for this setup!

With this system currently, each of the five school kids will have their own locker for ALL of their outerwear. I don’t care how they arrange it – if off-season stuff goes up into the milk crate – if everything hangs all year round – if shoes go in the bottom crate or the bottom shelf – if its tidy or ridiculous – I don’t care. It will all be expected to live INSIDE their space. The extra locker will be shared between babies. We’ll be adding more hooks, obviously. But once that is all sorted out, Brady and I can use the small hanging area from the first picture, or the entrance closet by the front door. Baby things can also live in those places as children age and need more space. We’ll have to see how that all plays out. Its not possible to know who will be here or for how long. But! We have SPACE! I’m SO excited about this!!!

Weird bright spots in super challenging times 😅 God always provides!

Was it not just the other day when…

Waverly Violet was an incredibly bright light that was born into our family six entire years ago. What an enormous gift she was for us; a gift that just keeps on giving!

As if she wasn’t already a total stunner immediately upon birth, she just gets more and more beautiful 💜 Who even knew that was possible?!

Wavy has lots of funny little details that make her her. There is no one else quite like her!

No one else styles like she does! This particular ensemble consists of her dressiest dress and her fleece onesie, tied around the waist.

No one crafts like her, or rocks their creations as well as she does. She is always so proud of what she makes, and rightfully so!!

No one helps as cute as she does. If she’s not interested in helping, she’s usually pretty polite about it, with a high pitched “hmmm, no thanks!” But if I ask her to help anyway, she’ll giggle and say “Ok, sure” with a smile on her face.

No one sleeps as softly as she does. She has always slept SO quiet, and she looks so cozy and soft.

Bottom line. Waverly is easy to love. Truly, to know her is to love her 💜

Her main request for her birthday was that everyone would come sing to her in the morning, and she LOVED that 💜

Who knew Wavy would bring so much joy and comfort and healing and silliness to our family? Only God! He knew exactly who we needed around here, and He gave us exactly the right person.

And here she is, growing like a weed, when I have specifically asked her not to. Man alive.

I LOVE you, dear Wavy. My precious youngest daughter. The baby I feared would never come after so much loss. You are a gift, and I hope you always feel loved and celebrated the way you did this morning with your siblings all piled on your bed 💜 You are deeply loved by those around you.

Praise God for Wavy!