If you’re on my personal Instagram, you may have seen an Insta story a while back about a mistake I made in a project I was working on. I was originally SUPER excited about how it was going!
Buuuut then I messed it up, and didn’t discover it until hours later. I was SO frustrated!
I had accidentally added a few extra rows, putting an extra zig zag where one did not belong. I was pretty peeved, and very discouraged. I had worked several hours past that point, and couldn’t imagine pulling it apart, one stitch at a time. Would’ve literally been over a thousand stitches to remove. But I felt like it would drive me uuuuup the wall if I just left it. I did a poll to ask people what they might do in my position, and the overwhelming majority said to leave it. I got a handful of messages from people saying they couldn’t even see the error I was talking about. So I made it clearer.
Still, I was told to leave it, because no one would EVER notice. Only me, the creator, would see it or be bothered by it. I decided on the spot to complete the project, but give it away, since I could never wear it. Aaaaand then I didn’t touch it for at least a month. I was too bummed.
I grabbed the project on my way out the door to the lake, as an afterthought. I’m so glad I did, because I ended up working some on it, and was reminded that I really enjoy yarn projects. I also discovered that I really didn’t mind the error I had previously been so discouraged by. It wasn’t really anything at all.
Today, I finished it!!!
Cute, right?? I’m SO happy with how it turned out, error and all. Made me feel capable and motivated. I’m enjoying this odd road of trying to be brave and try new things. I think it seems like small stuff from the outside but it feels big to me.
Yay for pushing through and finishing something even though I KNOW its imperfect.
It really worked in my favor yesterday that I had a post in mind already, because posting about the day was out of the question. Yesterday may have been one of the hardest parenting days I’ve ever had. Top five, for sure, and I’m not exaggerating. It was just TOUGH. Very much a day spent “in the trenches” of motherhood.
Everything fell apart on a particularly annoying day, where Brady was feeling very behind at work and was not readily available for a phone call when I was at my breaking point. I know I could have called, and of course he would’ve answered and helped me calm down, but I also respect him and his work very much, and didn’t want to interfere. I’d survived hard days before, and could again. But it was close. I was in awful shape. The two oldest had been invited out for a little bit in the morning, and they came home as the little boys were going down for their nap. It was obvious there was tension in the house, and I was so on edge. I was determined to cool off and be a bit more chill for them, but they were SO exhausted from their morning. None of us were firing on all cylinders, and we were all at each other. Dekker finally slumped in his chair at the table and said he thought he could use a rest. He is SO mature to know what he needs and when! Laela didn’t want anything to do with a nap, but then she screamed at me for giving her a granola bar with ONLY ONE SPRINKLE ON IT!!!! Sooooo she went down for a nap, too. Once they were all down, Waverly was ready to hit the sack. And then I was.
I lay in bed, worked on a project for a bit, but eventually just settled in to rest my head and watch some YouTube. After a while, my mom called to ask me a question about a regular life thing, and poor mom, I just unloaded. She listened so lovingly, and when I was finally done, she asked if she could come over. She understands well how valuable it is, having another person around as a buffer. I jumped at her offer, and she was over maybe ten minutes later.
The afternoon was so much more pleasant than the morning had been, largely do to her company <3 They love my mom so much, and feel so familiar and safe with her. It really shows, and makes a difference.
Brady was home soon, and mom left shortly after he arrived. I felt so cared for, having people step in on a day where it was SO needed. Brady fed the kids supper and I hid upstairs a bit more. We ate a yummier supper together after the kids went to bed.
Last night was a bad night. I was so exhausted, but so anxious from the days events, I hardly slept before 5am. Then I woke around 7am to thunder, which was beautiful, but exhausting. I dozed/blinked time by for the next while and suddenly WOKE in a panic, thinking the thunder was footsteps approaching my house. I needed to be up, for my plans, and my kids!! Gah!
I was feeling a bit gun shy about getting the kids up after such a hard day yesterday, but it needed to be done. So I did, and they were in good shape first off. That helped. It also helped that I knew Cher was coming over in the morning.
And of course, she came bearing coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Because she knew I needed a pick me up. And it really worked. There was still some struggle today, but it was far less than yesterday’s struggle. What a huge relief.
I’m so thankful to have people in my life who are willing to help me, and love me, even when things aren’t glamorous, or even a little bit smooth. I really needed the moral support, the listening ears, and the unconditional love. Thank you, mom, for coming yesterday when I was in shambles, and for taking Dekker and Laela for a visit today. Thank you, Cher, for breakfast, your unwavering support, and your lack of judgement. I really needed all of those things.
I know how fortunate I am to have who I have on my team. Not everyone has the community of people I am, and for them, I thank the Lord.
From the very beginning, I’ve loved my collections. I still have a stash of pretty pencils and erasers, bouncy balls, stickers, etc. As I grew up, it turned more towards journals and jewelry. But the one collection that has consistently followed me is ROCKS!
Already a handful of rocks…
There was a really lovely man from our church who also loved rocks. He would polish rocks and sometimes give me a few as a gift. I still have a HUGE beautiful raw chunk of quarts wrapped in cloth from him. He’s since passed away, but I admit I think of him from time to time, when I find a really beautiful rock. I’d probably still bring it to church to show him. I bet he’d even polish it for me. Years ago, I got my own rock polisher for Christmas. I used it a few times, but being a child with a child-sized attention span, I only went through the process a couple of times before I lost interest. Last year, finally, I donated my polisher. I did, however, keep collecting 🙂 Because I can’t not! I have kicked myself numerous times since I donated it. SUCH a bummer. My kids would have a heyday with that thing now, as would I.
So because I’m a bit nerdy like that, this is my post about the rocks I smuggled home from the lake. I’m not offended if this isn’t your thing, but sometimes I just have to post this stuff because I want it in my records, and in the books my children (or their children) might read one day.
So we begin! The photos don’t do them justice, but you’re just going to have to trust me 🙂
This one is actually one of my faaavorites. It has such crazy silvery, shiny spots. I’ve never seen another rock like it.
This rock had FULL glitter through it. Not all too unique, I suppose, but a perfect skipping stone that I didn’t let anyone throw.
Similar to the last one, this rock also was LOADED with sparkle. Aaaaand it was pink, so it made the cut.
Ha! This one cracks me up, because it reminds me of a chunk of raw beef, or something along those lines. Its super smooth, and far less disgusting to hold than raw meat is. I like the shape.
Again, one that really stands out to me. Petrified wood, maybe? Its different than the others, with the layers, and the way one seems to have chipped out the way wood might have. I love it!
Suuuuper skinny, and pinky/quartzy/something pretty.
A similar kind of stone to the last one, but yellow! Makes me think of butter.
And then a BIG version of the last one! I’ve never seen one of these yellowy ones so big!
Can you see the shine on this one? Its like when it was being created, God decided to throw a patchy coat of “glossy” on top.
I liked this rock solely because it was kind of green, which I don’t see too often. It doesn’t really show up here, I guess. I like the layers in it, too 🙂 Subtle. Its all very unassuming.
I swear this one has a thumbprint or something!! Its SO smooth!
These ones didn’t come home with me, but I love the bites taken out of them. They’ve been through some things, I think.
This is either a super cool looking rock, or an old chunk of concrete. I almost threw it back, but then figured I’d kick myself over the “just in case” aspect. So, home it came. Not that I’ll ever really find out.
I don’t know what it is about this one. The shape of it, or the “cookies and cream” crumb look. You’re just going to have to take my word for it that this one is a good one.
I wish this one translated better in a photo. Its just a basic flat neutral rock, but it has this little shock of pink out the side! Or red, maybe? I’m not sure, but that little spot in there is sparkly and surprising. I almost want to break it open and see whats all going on in there, but I’d have to just rattle that little speck loose and have nothing to show for it.
Aaaaand a heart rock. A little lopsided, but is love really perfect? Nah, bro. Its a little wonky sometimes, but I’m a big fan of it. We definitely had love in Waskesiu, and we definitely brought love home with us. Kinda symbolic, but kinda simple, too 🖤 This was an obvious one for me to bring home.
Thats it, folks. Thanks for walking through my nerdy post with me 🙂 Sometimes I care a bit too much about what others think, and I’m trying to be a bit more honest and let some of that go. I planned to do this exact kind of post last year after our lake trip and I chickened out so no one would think I’m a dork. I’m MUCH more comfortable in my dorkiness now!
I’m not posting about this to toot my own horn, but loooook!! I made something!
This seems small, but trying new things in the kitchen takes courage for me. These cute little sprinkle scones have been staring at me for literal years from my Pinterest account, and I finally worked up the courage to make them. Today is Cher’s birthday, and she’s not a fan of a big to-do. So I decided these little cones were for both of us – for her because its her birthday, but also for me, because trying new things is hard.
I gave myself way too much time to make them, expecting failure. As it turns out, things weren’t beautifully smooth, and I needed some of that extra time! First off, there was juuust over a cup left of flour in my container, so I got the huge fresh bag from my basement and made a sizeable mess trying to empty it into the canister. The kids laughed mercilessly at me, and I laughed, too. Because I had time.
Then I didn’t have a pastry cutter. But I figured, whatever. Forks can do the same thing. But the “cold butter” I had used was actually frozen, and there was NO way the forks could do it. I decided my Pampered Chef food masher would be up the challenge, and it did a pretty great job, actually! But by the end of it, I resorted to my hands, and got the rest of the job done. Made the little well and poured in the milk.
And then I didn’t have enough milk!! Believe me, I had pulled out all the ingredients in advance, and I knew I was close to the end of the milk, but I thought I’d have juuust enough. No dice. Gah! I worked with what I had, but when I dumped the dough out, it was SO crumby and messy. I was pretty discouraged. Thankfully, it was right around that point when my mom received my desperate “my butter won’t blend in!” text. She grabbed her milk and ran over…
…and reassured me almost instantly that my dough was actually perfect!!! I wish I had more progress pictures, but she helped me see that I just needed to work it all in, knead it a little, and it would very quickly become pretty scone dough! She was totally right 🙂 It worked! We made them into a round, sliced them up, and they baked up so beautifully! Even the bottoms were pretty.
Cher graciously received them, and we spent a nice afternoon together. We indulged in a bacon plate also, lol!
We both have canker sores now, lol! Worth it. And yes. We’re all in our jammies over here, as usual.
The day has been really nice. We’ve had some more drywall touch-ups going on downstairs, so that feels like progress. Laela was invited out on a playdate this afternoon, so she was excited. And Dekker has had a lovely time of playing Lego, and upon packing it up, he opted to read a chapter book. He doesn’t usually choose to read bigger books, so that feels pretty wonderful. I’m so pleased with how the day is turning out!
Happy birthday, Cher. Not that its a big deal or anything 😉
Everyone is so happy to be home ❤️ They are SO happy to play with their toys, old and new, to read their books, to have their beds back, etc. Wavy didn’t sleep well, but I think thats just going to be our life while they molars work their way in. The others, however, slept great. Everyone was comfy and cool and content.
We kicked the morning off with my mom over a waffle brunch. She came bearing bacon, and we had the waffles, peaches, and coffee. It was an awesome morning. The kids were in full “show and tell” mode, showing my mom all the cool stuff they had acquired while at the lake, and the haul they came home to. They were amped, and it showed. They ate and played and told stories and were so happy. We all were. Wavy also had her own fun. Apparently this whole time, we had a cat and didn’t even know it.
Mmmmm. Toilet hands 🤮
Over nap time, Brady ran over to my moms for a little bit. I hadn’t mentioned it on the blog, but there was this whole ordeal while she was visiting us at the lake, where a couple big and heavy parcels had been delivered and dropped in her driveway during a rainstorm. Don’t get me started. Thanks to God, and a strong beautiful community of people, someone covered and protected them, and later on, people showed up to help her get them inside. Thank you, all who helped. You know who you are. I know my mom greatly appreciated your help, as did I. I felt pretty helpless out at the lake that night. Aaaaanyway, Brady ran over today to assemble those chairs and establish them in the living room, as well as throw away one of her old broken chairs. The new setup is SO much nicer 🙂 Once Brady got home, he scooped up the non-nappers and took them on a drive to Rosthern! Another thing I didn’t talk about on the blog was that yesterday, our Baby Brezza kicked the bucket. If you don’t know, its kind of like a Keurig, except its for baby formula. So it holds a tank of warm water at all times and a canister of formula. When baby needs a bottle, there is a perfectly mixed, perfectly heated bottle ready in seconds. Its AWESOME. I hesitated to talk about it breaking because I know, its a luxury and “the old fashioned way” and all that. But still, it was a HUGE bummer that it broke. Brady went to drove for one I found on Facebook Marketplace last night that was being sold for $20. The guy clearly had no idea what he had, but he just wanted to get rid of it. He said the water tank is cracked, but conveniently, ours is not, so a quick swap could do the trick! He even threw in a bottle warmer that he wanted to be rid of. Thank you, sir! So that was a happy outing 🙂
While they were out, and the nappers were napping, Cher came for a shorty visit. She had lots to do today and places to be, so I think she came for an hour. We haven’t seen each other much recently, with her having a trip just before we had a couple trips. We’ll see each other more tomorrow 🙂
Brady and the kids came home as naptime was wrapping up, and now the kids are outside biking. I have Waverly in here, as she’s a bit of a miserable mess these days. Poor dear. Now we just wait for our evening plans to take shape!
Jerilee is coming for the evening!! I haven’t seen much of her recently either, and she’s going on a trip very soon here, too! This was kind of our only chance to hang out for a while, so todays the day! We already have plans to get Subway for supper, and then for Brady to do some work on the basement while she and I indulge in The Bachelorette. ((NO SPOILERS! We’re behind, and this episode feels like a big one!)) We actually are hoping to make some headway on our basement again in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for that!
This has just been the BEST first day back home! Seeing all of my favorite people in the same day, and feeling motivated about the house rather than sluggish and discouraged like other times. We’ve got so many things to be thankful for.
Today was home time. Our last day of our vacation. We changed our schedule up a bit so our morning ran smoother.
Brady and I got up a bit earlier than usual and packed what we could on the main level that wasn’t the kitchen. When that was done, I went upstairs to retrieve the kids. I got them dressed and made sense of their clothes in the bedrooms so it would be really quick to repack. Once everyone descended to the main floor, we had an easy breakfast of cereal. No bakery, but there was a little change there. They happily ate, and doddled hard, distracted by our packing and bustling around. But it kept them contained, so we could get lots done. We still chatted and had a good time, but we were all where we needed to be.
We finished loading up maybe a half hour early, and on our way out, we saw the building owner was on site! We hadn’t expected to see her! We decided to drop our key off in person rather than leaving it on the table inside. She seemed happy to see us again, and kept reaching for the kids hands, wanting to touch their faces and hair, etc. She was SO smitten. It was really lovely. While we were visiting, another guest came by to speak to her, and remembered us from last summer!! It was pretty crazy, but she was nothing but sweetness herself. It was just like hanging out with friends. I loved it.
Once we finally got our butts into the van, we drove a bit further into town and hauled the kids into the grocery to pick a bakery item for themselves. They were happy to pick, and the staff was super lovely to them. We left with our variety of danishes, fruit sticks, and muffins.
Rowan doddled pretty hard so the others played…
…and eventually, we could all go!
We hit the beach for one last hurrah at the playground! The kids were really happy 🙂
Wavy even started to get a bit more used to the sand…
buuuuut really just wanted to eat rocks. She was NOT impressed when I put a stop to that.
Finally, it was time to legitimately leave town. However, my friend, Hailey, was at her parents cabin this weekend just outside of Waskesiu, and she a new baby I had yet to squeeze!! So that pitstop was VERY important!!!
I’m so glad we stopped. Goodness he’s a good baby. He squeezed good. The kids were happy, too.
We left for home after SUCH a nice visit. I wish Hailey and I saw each other more often. I love her and her family so much <3
The drive home was quick and painless! It helped that the kids had their new toys from the chalet owner to play with 🙂 We stopped in PA, did not get out of the vehicle this time, but drove through McDonalds for some fries. We also had been gifted some candy, so we split that up between everyone, making for a very yummy mid-afternoon snack. When we got home, no one was out of sorts or upset. It had been a good drive.
Of course, we arrived home to more gifts on our island, for our beautiful kids to help entertain them through the rest of the summer. I am SO fortunate to have such a warm support system for my kids! <3 Thank you EVERYONE who puts into them. I am forever grateful.
The kids opened and enjoyed their new stuff while Brady and I unpacked like mad men. We got it ALL unpacked. I can’t even believe it. I think a lot of that, though, was due to us NOT overpacking this year! I’d always rather overpack than underpack, but this year, we kind of hit the nail on the head! We didn’t have a ton of food to bring back, and the vast majority of our clothes ended up as laundry. It unpacked easily. Since thats finished, our family has inhaled an absurd amount of scrambled eggs and toast, and its just about bedtime.
As always seems to happen, we hit the sweet spot with our trip. I am SO happy and thankful we could be at the lake for the week, but I am SO happy to be home. I can’t wait to have a soak and sleep in my own bed.
It stormed here last night! We didn’t get the tornado warnings or the hail that they did back home, but we got some nice crashing thunder and some good solid rain. Brady and I played cards and then didn’t, when the baby caught a serious case of FOMO.
Once she was back down, we ordered some asian food and watched “Crazy Rich Asians,” because, theme. We had a pretty weird, restless night, for no real reason, but the morning came and the kids were ready to kick the day off! So we did!
Strawberry danishes for breakfast!
We headed outside as soon as everyone was fed and ready. Rowan’s been letting me put his hair in what we call an “ice cream bun” more often these days, including this morning! I love it.
Laela helped Solly get his sandals on, lol!
The kids all took a bag of garbage out to the dumpster on our way to the playground. Always helping.
Aaaaand then we made it to the playground! It was kind of blustery, but that didn’t stop the kids. They played great! Dekker and Laela decided one area was their “secret base” and got along really well. Rowan and Solly were loving the slides. And Wavy, as per usual, hung out on the bench with us.
Unfortunately, playground time ended with an unceremonious exit :/ If only certain stages would go on holidays when we do, am I right? So myself and unnamed child went back to our unit early, and everyone followed about a half hour or so later. Everyone ate pizza rolls, homemade granola bars, and cherries for lunch, and the three younger ones went down for naps. Quiet time ensued, and the big kids did a beautiful job of quietly reading together, and eventually moving on to colouring. They made cute cards for the lady who runs the chalet to thank her for the treats and presents.
The rain we were promised didn’t show, so we headed to the playground again! More pictures this time 🙂
This kind of weather used to be my FAVORITE kind to swim in! I hope one day my kids want to venture out into the lake when its cooler and rainy and grey and perfect.
Finally, it was coming up to supper time, and we went to buy some burger buns before heading back. Things disintegrated a bit on the walk home, so we had a quiet time before supper. Not Wavy, though. She actually fully crawled into the patio doors where Brady was barbecuing. It was hilarious, lol! She recovered, but really wanted to hang out with him. So, they hung out through the glass. Best pictures of the day. Easily.
We ate DELICIOUS burgers and drank radler. It tasted like summer should taste. So good! Everyone perked up a bit with food, so we figured we’d push our luck and go for one last visit to our beach to throw rocks. It is our last night here.
On our way out, we ran into the building owner. She was ALL smiles, and wanted to actually meet each kid. I’m amazed every time our kids meet a person with a thick accent, because somehow, they understand them perfectly! They answered her questions and smiled as she gushed over them. She had nothing but lovely things to say, to us and our children. The conversation took a turn, and we learned a HUGE piece of her life story. How she got here, who her family is, why they do what they do, etc. I don’t even know how much to share, because it felt like a personal conversation between friends. She came from a big family herself – eight kids! She had two herself, and would have loved to have more. Sometimes life gets in the way, but we both agreed that we do our best. VERY early in the conversation, she confidently said “Oh, if you’re meant to have more children, you’ll have more. God decides.” WOW did I love that!!! She knew she could go there with us, somehow. We related on so many levels, and beliefs are such a big part of our life, and hers too. I’m so happy we were able to converse with her this evening. We likely won’t see her tomorrow, so this counted for a lot. She told us she was sad we were leaving already, and I believed her. She was so genuine. I told her I was pretty sure we’d see her again soon 🙂
We finally made our way to throw rocks at the beach. No pictures 🙂 Just playing.
One last pose for each kid on the big rock…
And to bed everyone went.
The first half of the day was pretty difficult, I won’t lie. But I LOVE how it wrapped up. Its amazing how positive experiences can make you forget the negative ones so easily. I’m glad we risked it to go out this evening one last time. Was such a pleasant outing.
Cards and snacks to close the night off for Brady and I!
A great night last night! The kids were nice and bushed from throwing rocks and playing in the water.
Brady and I stayed up playing cards, eating snacks, and even watched a movie, which we almost never do. It was so cozy! Wavy only woke up once, around 2:30, and went right back! Woot!
I grabbed some bakery goods for breakfast, and we made our way to the playground for the morning. We’ve had the promise of a storm following us all day, yet it keeps being pushed further and further back. I’m still hoping it comes overnight!! Meanwhile, everyone back at home is under threat of a tornado! THAT can stay away, but a thunderstorm would be welcome.
We didn’t take too many pictures at all at the playground, mostly because we just wanted to sit this time. It wasn’t too full, so we could pretty easily keep an eye on each kid most of the time. If we were ever short one, we’d tip off the kid closest to us and they’d go run, and bellow when they located their sibling. They did a great job!! Laela and Dekker both conquered their fears of the fireman pole. Rowan set up camp on a big bear statue and made friends with any kids who happened by. Solly got brave, too, and went down the biggest slide over and over again. He was SO pleased with himself. Brady and I sat on a bench with Wavy.
She was still not fond of sitting in the sand, but she loved watching her siblings play. When they caught on to that, they played closer to her. Laela would fly down the slide and run to our bench where Wavy was flapping madly, with her hands outstretched. Waverly recently picked up on high fives, and gets so excited when her siblings offer her one.
She also dances when we suggest it. She’ll do it ALL when she’s jazzed about something, like her siblings playing on the playground! Just wait for her to join in next summer!! <3 How crazy is it that her baby party was just over a year ago??? What a time that was…
Post-playground, we headed home for lunch.
Things weren’t going quite so smoothly at that point, so lunch was short and unceremonious, and all five kids went down for a nap afterwards. Our suspicion is that, while we slept soundly, the kids maybe were up a bit in the night, because they were all acting like the hadn’t gotten any sleep! So nap time was in order, and everyone slept! Woot! Except Brady and I. We enjoyed movie night last night, so we made a movie nap time, too. We watched “The Net.” Brady had never seen it, so that needed to be rectified.
With the clouds staying grey and the cool wind picking up, we decided to stay close to home this afternoon. Everyone got baths.
We spent the rest of the afternoon making forts around Wavy and listening to Brady play guitar. It was actually super lovely.
Supper was pizza, veggies, and pringles. For the kids, anyway. Brady and I decided we deserved a treat after they went to bed, and will be indulging in some asian food right away here. Cantonese chow mien is pretty much my favourite thing, and Brady always loves ginger beef. We actually had a little ginger beef snack the other day, and apparently its an itch that needs to be scratched again!
I want to say sorry for the less-than-riveting post, but it was a less-than-riveting day, and we like to keep it real 😉 Have a great night!! Try and not be out in the tornado…
We woke up to RAIN! Honestly, I was so happy 🙂 You guys know I love the rain. Especially when the weather is otherwise lovely. And that was today. I walked to the bakery in the rain completely happily, got our danishes and cream cheese pockets, and headed back slowly. It was so refreshing.
Our morning was pretty much wonderful. It was peaceful. We hung out inside, colouring, reading, building duplo, and listening to music. Wavy was having a rough time (that poor girl and her molars!) but she worked hard and made it through the morning. While we were eating lunch, there was a knock at our door. It was a delivery from the chalet owner. Do you remember when we came and stayed a night earlier in Spring when it was still snowed over, and she sent us home with a bag full of treats? Not her, but someone came for her, carrying a gift bag filled with treats and gift!!!
It COMPLETELY blew us all away! She took time, and made a present for our kids! The couple that runs this place own and operate three businesses that we know of!! They are SO busy, and she expressed to us last time we stayed that she wished she could treat more people more often, but that summer is just too busy. Yet here she goes <3 I was SO touched.
So with that bright spot to wrap up our morning, we put the little kids down for naps, and spent some time with the big ones. I worked on a project, Brady played some guitar, and Dekker and Laela flip flopped between reading and coloring. Bradys and my bed is in the centre of the living room, and Laela and Dekker made it their comfy spot for most of the afternoon.
The rain had stopped by the time everyone woke up, so we hit the playground!
No filter on this chicky!
Everyone was super happy, and playing really well. I was pushing Rowan on the swing when the skies opened up and poured out more rain on us! WOW did that playground clear out fast! People were grumbling and trying to haul their kids off to their vehicles. And to be fair, our family had dropped our stuff under a pretty sheltered tree, so we all gathered there and weren’t getting too wet. Some of us were more excited about the rain than others, though 😉 I LOVE rain at the lake!! I couldn’t resist heading over to the water to really enjoy the rain.
Just picture it. The water was warm, and the sand felt amazing on my feet. The rain was coming down beautifully, but it wasn’t cold or windy or blustery. Just perfect. The sound was so peaceful. Very “white noise” except that it was real. And the smell!!! That was the best part, because it was SO fresh, with the occasional blast of campfire smell. Just. Perfect.
My sidekicks were pretty cute to boot, too.
Our family was waiting under the tree when I finally had some of this out of my system. Only one was less than impressed, but he lived 😉
Ok, two less than willing participants.
Really, this is what the lake should look like. Walking hand in hand, barefoot, down the sidewalk, because your shoes are too sandy. It was SO good.
We feasted on perogies, sausage, and broccoli all grilled up outside, and risked yet another walk to the side beach before bed. It was excellent. I feel so much more myself today. The rain seems to have that effect on me.
We did SO much better last night!! Thank you to those who prayed for a smoother time. It truly was so much more restful, and we felt way better equipped for the day.
I ran for bakery breakfast items on my own this morning, and the kids were thrilled to learn that they had cherry danishes today!! They love danishes no matter what, but the red ones are always the favourites.
After breakfast, we were lucky enough to have my mom come visit!! <3 I’m so thankful she was willing to drive out and be with us! She came with milk (Why are there no 4L jugs here??) and a little treat of some ginger beef for Brady and I. YUM! We loaded everyone up almost right away and went to the playground. The kids were SO looking forward to it, and they had a blast.
I admit, I was feeling pretty nervous about having them all out there, not all in my view all the time, but we had a good pep talk before we went, and everyone remembered the rules, and remembered why they were important. They kept an eye on each other, and of course, so did we. They did awesome. I’m SO proud of my children.
It was really good to see mom <3 Wavy thought so, too. Its good to get those two together.
The playground was fun, but everyone was getting fatigued and dehydrated, so it was soon time to head back for lunch. We ate pizza rolls and cold veggies and drank a ton of water. And then it was nap time!
My mom brought us some special treats – some new books for the kids to read, and some candies! It was a yummy, peaceful nap time.
We eventually settled at the table and coloured together. Brady played quiet guitar. It was pretty awesome. Wavy woke up first and joined the fray of adults and big kids, but those middle boys stayed cashed out for longer than we had bargained for. We finally had to wake them :/ It was too bad, but it was necessary. Rowan was ok, but Solly was down for the count. He was sweaty and draggy and over it the moment he was up. So we pretty quickly made the judgement call to have an early supper.
Mom took us out for supper at our favourite little restaurant in town.
We noticed the heat is doing beautiful things for Waverly’s hair!! Eek!
We ate fries, fish, burgers, pizza, grilled cheese, and our body weight in fries. Our plan had been ice cream for dessert, but we decided to delay that a little and go find another place to play. We played and chatted until the breakdown began again, then we took a long way back to the restaurant for ice cream!
Flattering for everyone, of course. They LOVED their dessert. Its actually one of my favourite things because at Waskesiu, when everyone gets a different kind, everyone shares unceasingly with one another, almost pushing their flavour against the others. No holding back, everyone tries everyone’s ice cream. Today, we passed around mango, black cherry, kit kat, rolo, peanut butter cup, and cotton candy. It was awesome 🙂 And then, because we’re us, we went to run some of that sugar off at our favourite little chunk of the beach. We threw rocks, and Dekker and Laela successfully skipped stones. It was really relaxing. SO many pretty rocks, too. I’m thinking I might make a post solely about the rocks we found here. Not that we’re bringing any home, of course, because *cough* National park *cough.*
We’re back now, and the kids are all exhausted and tucked away 🙂 Time for cards and a radler to close the day!
