My goodness I almost wrote twelve!! 😅 Time is definitely clipping along with this beauty. I feel like her year of photos really shows how much she has changed in the last year! WOW!!!

Laela has had a really big year, and has changed SO MUCH! There have been some challenges, of course, some that I truly believe were born out of some trauma and coping with some of the heaviness that came from our suffering when Brady had his initial surgery. This little girl feels BIG need to run the show in so many ways, and I just ache for her to stay little just a teeny bit longer.

Yet, she insists on growing up, and honestly, I’m not mad at it 💜 We have SO much fun together!

We baked together. Cooked together. I’ve taught her life skills along those lines, and she has met the challenge each time. We have built together and worked side by side.

She isn’t afraid to sweat, or to do the details. She is an incredible mix of girly girl and rough and tumble, and I am LOVING that balance. She is a stone cold weirdo, and I am here for it.

We have lots of fun, but I can attest also, after spending a week at home together this month, she is also an amazing person to just share air with 💜 She doesn’t always need the action and the run around. She is a peaceful girl she loves to be cozy.

I have amazing birthday pictures from the lake to show you, but its late, so maybe tomorrow. You’ll just have to take my word for it that she was happy 💜 She also loves to be that – happy.

I said of Laela “She was born with a BANG” to which she replied “I was born with BANGS?!?!” But she knows 😏 She likes to brag that she was the fastest, which is true. Wouldn’t have chosen it that way, but I wouldn’t change it for anything either.

The HAPPIEST birthday to you, Laela Hazel. Like your birth, you bring excitement to our lives every single day. And when the crazy part is over, we can all rest and be content together. You bring SO much love and warmth and care into our lives, including the lives of our three babies, who are totally and completely blessed by you every single day 💜 You are an AMAZING daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and friend, and my dear, you are loved by many. I hope you feel it.

I love you, Lala. Now stop reading the blog and get back to class! 😘

Laela!! 💜 her actual birthday is tomorrow, but we will be winterizing and packing camp up tomorrow, so we celebrated today. I want to tell you all about it in a bit more detail, so it might wait until we get home, but what I CAN tell you is that Laela was flawlessly content at every turn. The morning was so quiet and peaceful. In the afternoon, a friend we love stopped by with gifts for laela and goodbyes for the rest of us. And the evening brought our dear Dahlsjos, who ducked away from harvest for a few hours to rain some love down on our family, celebrate with us, and also to say some goodbyes. The whole day was bittersweet, but truly lovely. 

We wrapped the day with another family golf cart ride, and we puttered our way to Bells Beach. Aaaaalmost didn’t make it home, that battery was lowwwww. But we did it! 

I say again, I want to tell you more another day. But I can tell you that today was beautiful. Just like the girl we celebrated. 

Goodness, girl. You are a wonder. 

It’s been a more challenging summer with the kids on the golf cart. After an oddly entitled season for our kids, we have taken way fewer pleasure cruises than in previous seasons. 

But tonight, I presented a pep talk, and everyone agreed to have an argument-free ride, and to consider not where they just feel like sitting, but where others might want to also sit. 

And it was a grand success 💜 and the perfect evening for it. 

We sat by the water for a little bit and admired the sights and sounds. I prayed and thanked the Lord for all the beautiful things and people He’s given us and put into our lives. When I was done, Sol exclaimed “Nice prayer, mom! Even though it was really long!” 😂 I learned from the best, right, mom? 😏😘 

It was a beautiful end to the day 💜 who would’ve thought we could fit ten people on one golf cart, and be comfortable and happy? It’s all God 💜 All glory to Him!

Welp. I had a blog already in the works, but this is WAY more important than my feelings towards grounds in my coffee.

I just learned that Laela thought Swedish Fish were actually sweet-ish fish, and I will NEVER not think of them that way 🤣

This girl makes my life better absolutely always 😂

Thats all.

I was given a few hours off today, which was unexpected and so so welcomed. While Cher played with/lunched/kept alive my three babies, I lay in my bed and watched true crime while I accomplished a small handful of things. I did up the October calendar, and when that was done, I crocheted. I can’t explain it. Crocheting is when I feel SO inexplicably myself. I put the finishing touches on a baby blanket I’ve been making that I’ve been SO close to finishing for what feels like forever. That felt good. Meanwhile, I was brought coffee, twice, as well as Pocky sticks, a strudel, and fresh hot scrambled eggs.

It was a deliciously restful few hours spent tucked away, and while I’m still quite tired from the new schedule of nonsleeping we’ve been running 😅 I feel a bit fresher in the brain and patience department.

Thank you for the lovely break, sweet Cherice 💜 That was SO kind of you.

Tonight holds a yummy supper that will be eaten after kids go to bed. And then tomorrow I’ll pull together the rest of the packing. And possibly going into the city if I ever hear back from the social worker I need to hear back from. Hahaha! We shall see!! It’ll all get done!

It was a really fun morning 💜 I left when the kids left for school. Brady stayed with the babies. I picked up a gigantic coffee, and headed to my salon, where my hair girl opened for just she and I. We spent about four hours together, and she got my hair all freshened up for fall!! Its never a pretty process 😅

But it tends to end well!!

Bright pink, with some peach and yellow thrown in there, and purple at the roots. *chefs kiss*

I SO appreciate having a good long history with Carlinna. She knows what I’m going for. We click and converse so smoothly and easily. We agree on a lot of things, and can relate on many others. Its always a lot of fun going there and catching up!

When I finished up with my hair, Brady and I (and the babies) met nearby at a Telus location and got new phones! Heyooo! We are long overdue for our upgrades, so it was fun to go in person and get it all fresh and new as well.

Home was fairly calm and easy. Brady took Rowan to parkour, and I hung back and fed the kids leftovers. The Morsel yelled pretty much all evening, so my nerves are fried and I’m ready for bed!

But first, supper.

Well. No. First first, kids to bed. THEN supper.

Whew!

I had a nice 40-ish minutes in Value Village by myself this evening while Brady took the kids to pick up some supper. I went in with some goals, and unfortunately, they had nothing that even sort of resembled what I wanted. Which was a bummer, but also, gave me some time to just peruse and take my time.

Even in my meandering through the store, to all my favorite shelves and racks, there really wasn’t much that caught my eye. I did come home with two really nice quality festive puzzles for the kids, but also for me 😅 I already did them and I can confirm they have all the pieces!! Success!!

I thought about bringing this one home. Like I REALLY thought about it. 🤣

If it wasn’t SO much money I would’ve probably jumped because 😂🤣 WHAT IN THE WORLD?!

Anyway. I giggled to myself a little. I felt restful. I took my time. And then I ate a junior bacon cheeseburger and drank a vanilla coke, and it was nice.

Tomorrow will be even better 💜 Fresh haaaaaaair!

Today felt like an extra special ballet day. Both of the girls missed it last week, thanks to a gross virus and a fever. I didn’t know for sure if ballet would go forward today, because there was no school, but it was confirmed this morning. Both girls took a bath and I did their hair. I don’t do much for hair, and they don’t want me to, but the ballet teacher has requested their hair in buns this year, so I went for it and while nothing is perfect, the girls hair was up off their necks and out of their faces. Put all that together with new tights (thanks, Amazon) and new little onesies (just from Walmart) and they looked so fresh and ready!

Aaaaand a little dorky, because thats who we are, lol!

It is SO funny having ballet here 💜 I never thought I’d be able to have kids in dance, and it is SUCH a pleasant surprise that we CAN!!!

I really like having the kids in stuff. In their stuff. What a beautiful opportunity.

It was a two drink kind of drive home 🤣 Sounds like drinky drinks. Not that kind. This kind.

McDonalds has a feature milkshake that claims to taste like orange and cream, and I REALLY wanted to try it to see if it was as creamsiclish as it sounded. And it was!!! YUM! Like. Its total trash, I don’t deny that, but it is a really fun delicious treat that our entire family was able to enjoy!!

There is a weird part of me that almost feels shameful when I buy all of my children a treat. Like, I shouldn’t, because its just too much. If we had two kids, I wouldn’t bat an eye. No one would. But when I’m buying nine milkshakes, it seems frivolous and inappropriate. I don’t know. I’m not looking for validation. Its just something I’ve noticed about myself, and I think I need to switch my mindset a little. Because its great that I can buy them treats like that sometimes! Its awesome, in fact! And they shouldn’t be without special things because there are a lot of them. Our family size wasn’t their choice.

So anyway. I ordered a schwack ton of milkshakes through the drive-thru today. Even for the bit babies, who care about that stuff now. Conveniently, snack size milkshakes exist for only $2! Cool, hey?

Anyway. I downed that thing super quickly, as expected, and chased it with a big coffee. Considering the nights we’ve been having, the coffee was necessary to survive to the end of the day 😅

And we DID!!! 🥳 Its definitely bedtime, thought. For all of us.

Goodnight, friends 💜

It is a little too cold for the beach these days. We’re still in the spirit of camp but no more swimming for us! 

Old habits die hard, I guess. 

All in all, it’s so beautiful out here. None of us can complain. Not for a second. 

We ate bison burgers for supper, completely with Doritos and iced tea, and topped it all off with roasting Rice Krispie squares over the fire 🔥 

Tomorrow will likely be about the same weather – crispy fall weather.

I can’t wait to crochet by the fire and sip coffee among friends 💜 So little time here left.