I am so grateful for today. For our people. For our life, as bumpy as it gets from time to time. It is easy for me to see how smooth it also is, and how blessed we truly are. We thank the Lord for ALWAYS providing, even when it looks different, and when it looks like exactly how we picture. Which is rare 😂 as so many people understand hahaha! It can be a wild ride to say the least, but we are constantly reminded of Gods goodness and provisions for us.

Today we celebrate, and thank the Lord for all He has given us.

I am especially thankful to be home together with my family and friends, of course. Our village is just positively bananas, and somehow, it continues to grow. How – I couldn’t tell you, but I don’t desire to question it. I am just so grateful. For our beautiful close people who we’ve bother seen recently and to this we haven’t, our life is so deeply improved by your presence in it. Thank you, dear friends.

Let’s list three beyond the HUGE ones that I mentioned above.

I am grateful for:

💜 our beautiful oasis at the lake

💜 the incredible team of medical professionals I’ve become connected to and involved with in the last few months

💜 Brady’s job, and the way they have taken incredible care of Brady, and all of us, by default. We’ve hit some pretty decent snags in the last few months and they have never left us feeling insecure or not 100% looked out for

God provides all of these things for us, I firmly believe. No one else could have. Credit belongs where credit is due.

For these things, I praise the Lord 💜

It finally officially happened. I came home yesterday. Slept in my bed. And then headed out in the morning, but as a group! All eight of us.

Today was our LAST day of camp for this season of summer. 

We will be back at the end of November for a fun Christmasy day they’ve planned. I may even participate in their marketplace 🤮 that’ll be a first for me! 

Today, we packed our camper up, loaded up the shed, tarped off what needed to be tarped, and home we went. The kids were positively ROCKSTARS with helping. I was feeling somewhat under the weather/grossly overdone at first, so all I could do was shiver by the fire and delegate, but the kids were positively THERE for it. It was amazing. It ALL got done. Fight free. I even had the chance to duck away for a couple of pretty pictures. Not of the lake :/ but of other pretty things. 

We lurked for only about 3.5 hours, and had a chance to say proper goodbyes to our dear Dahlsjos. Unfortunately, I was not especially myself and didn’t think to take a group selfie or anything. Maybe next time 🤞 Surely it can’t be TOO far away!

We will see them again. And we will be back at camp again. Right now, I have real peace with being at home 💜 I haven’t spent a day around the home for about ten days, and it’s time. I am so thankful for all we go through and all we have gained and experienced. Thank you Lord for ALWAYS providing! 

I believe that tonight will be a night that everyone in my family spends in their own beds AT HOME! I’m so excited for that 💜 Not many things are better than home.

But! I have enjoyed being away, just one on one with a child 💜

I have enjoyed the learning experience that these times away tend to be 💜

Aaaaand I’ve enjoyed the coffee. Rarely do I justify Starbucks, but this is one of those occasions where I do, and its a really nice bright spot!

They even spelled my name right! 😍 Is anyone else loving the pumpkin cream Starbucks has for fall? Have it on a chai latte. You’re welcome.

While there are some fun silver linings to being away for a handful of days, I am very much anticipating home! 💜

Though. Home will just be overnight, and tomorrow is our actual LAST day at the lake, hahaha!! Ok and THEN home!! And THANKSGIVING!!!!!

😅

Have you ever been so tired that your brain decides to take a nap, leaving you to your own devices? 

But Cher, how do I know if my brain took a nap?

I’m glad you asked.

I will tell you.

The other day I was visiting my best friend and I wanted to bring to her attention that the way we have been pronouncing someone’s last name might actually be wrong. Now, if a person whose brain was awake were to begin this conversation, they might say something like: “hey, you know the last name Smith? As in John Smith?”

Sounds good right?

If your brain betrayed you for a fat nap, you’d say

“So you know how John Smith’s last name is John Smith?”

Well, I did that. And guess what else? I didn’t even notice. I kept going. It wasn’t until Hailey’s entertained expression answered my question, followed by my delayed reaction, that I was able to wonder how on earth I’ve made it this far in my academic career. 

Cher here. It has been a long time since I have written a guest post. Here it goes!

I wanted to share something that I have learned in my social control class that I keep laughing at. It is short, but still, interesting. 

So, when researchers define deviance in an objective perspective, they use four definitions to define whether or not someone is deviant. One of those definitions includes “statistical rarity.” Statistical rarity refers to a deviant act being labelled “deviant” based on population ratio. Say someone has green hair for example. Not many people in Canada have green hair, so statistically speaking, dying your hair green is a deviant act. We laughed about this in class. Of course researchers recognize that there are limitations to all definitions of deviance, but when you break it down like this, it can be pretty funny.

Consider that very few people decide to NOT watch TV. Those people would be considered a deviant if a person only used ‘statistical rarity’ as a source for defining behaviour. Social reaction is another defining factor. Many people would be confused or disagree with never watching TV. So then, two defining factors have the same limitations. It’s just interesting to me. I keep thinking about new bizarre ways people can be considered deviant. Basically, if you don’t follow the crowd, good or bad, you’re deviant. That is so flawed.

Thankfully, Objectivists have taken on subjective ways of thinking, so someone who does not watch television is not actually a deviant. I guess, they could be if they had other things going on. 

One last thought: Back in the day, women were burned a lot for being witches. Male doctors, Priests, and Officers were allowed to decide who was a witch(deviant) based on their own limited understanding of what a witch was. Did you know that even being financially independent as a woman in those days would constitute as witch craft? And people in the community would attend the horrific burning ceremonies who didn’t even agree with this, just so THEY weren’t labeled a witch. 

I leave you with these random pieces of trivia from class that I find the most interesting so far. I apologize if I have ruined your day. 

Today has been one of the biggest days. Truly. Just bonkers. Next to no downtime and LOTS of hands on work! However, here are a few small wins I can share with you! There aren’t a ton, unfortunately, but I’m sure many of you understand 💜

Starbucks! I’ve had a few yummy visits to Starbucks. I always order the americano nuevos. They always look at me like I’m a bit off. They same woman always yells “AMERICANO MISTO ADD SYRUP!” Always. I get a kick out of it.

The BLT was good, but really, this is to represent the AMAZING burger I had, and was too eager to eat to take a picture of. Cafeteria food isn’t historically known for being amazing, but the cheeseburger is crazy good. I blame the brioche bun. But sure, the BLT was decent, too.

In a rare opportunity to scroll, I came across this and laughed like a tool.

This is some bizarre fruit dish that Amazon showed me because they figured I’d super like it. They are wrong. This is not my style. Not in the kitchen, anyway. All I see are fancy bathtubs here, hahaha!! I want it for the little en suite in my (hopefully) next house!!

Aaaaand the real winner here. The lemon loaf. *sigh* This stupid cake speaks for itself. Its deadly. Yes, I occasionally eat cake for breakfast.

Thats all I have for you tonight, folks. I hope you’re content with your day, comfy in your bed, and far warmer than I am. Sleep deep, all.

Its been a really big day. Even knowing I was going to be away today, and having a bit of time to prepare, I am still reeling and tired. Whew!

I finally ate, just now. I am having a moment of peace, and I thought I’d punch out a blog while I have a minute 💜 I can’t share a whole heck of a lot, but I can tell you there is still up every day this week (except tomorrow,) and I may not be home for much or any of it!! Ack!! Sorry, Brady!! Rocking the single dad thing liker a boss! But I remain to be so grateful and humbled by our village of people who are eager to jump in wherever possible. You are how we stay afloat, friends!

Sleep well, all 💜

As it happens, this weekend is NOT the last lake weekend after all! 😅 After doing as much work as we could possibly do in the pouring rain, there were simply not enough minutes in a day, and we were not able to pack up the camper. Not. At. ALL!

I will be gone for a couple of days this coming week, and being that we are trying to keep our house spotless in case of showings, if we brought everything home in a total nightmare mess, it would be ALL on Brady to clean up in the next day or two. Which is a LARGE ask when he’s single dadding it! So for now, the camper is still mostly full, and we’ll have to make a day trip of it next weekend sometime and do all the packing and winterizing.

So far, beds are packed up, and some of the fridge stuff came back. Doubles of every condiment, let me tell you! But there is still all the stuff thats piled up – art stuff, mostly. Some nature stuff the kids have found around the bush. Kitchen stuff and first aid and such will be packed up. Oh, we definitely left dirty dishes in the sink this weekend… Mouse proofing and coolant will have to happen. We’ll lock the shed. Tarp the bikes. I think that might be it???

I am BEAT. I think our entire family has not spent as much time outside since it started getting cold, and our bodies were all completely exhausted. We left camp around 4:30 ish I believe, and it was the quietest drive home maybe of the entire season. Just WIPED.

Once we got home, everyone bathed (except me, I’m still on the docket, though) and got unpacked. I got some lunch stuff prepped for the next couple of days and wrote out some notes so no one is stranded with the kids. I’ve packed most things, and written notes for the other things, so as not to forget them tomorrow.

Man. I’m not sure I’ll last long enough for a bath. I may fall asleep first. Wish me luck.

Today, our precious Laela Hazel turns TEN!!! Double digies!

🙌

An entire decade of goodness 🥰 Here’s a peek at her last year 💜 

This year has changed Laela in such a big way 😍 She was lovely before, and she is just even better now, as if that’s even possible! It has held much positive change and growth in her!! 

If there was ever a year in early childhood where a kid reinvented themselves, for Laela, that is her tenth year on earth!! 

Laela got glasses, a haircut, and a new theatrical attitude! Being in the Frozen Jr production woke up a special part of her heart. Perhaps it was frozen before 😏 but she has become more playful, imaginative, and boisterous! She sings and dances and is just all around more animated! 

She is VERY easy to love 😍

If she is already this incredible, I cannot imagine what the future years hold for her!! I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be her mom and to have her as my daughter 💜 Thank you, Lord, for the gift that is Laela Hazel!! 

We woke up to RAIN this morning. And I mean a DOWNPOUR!!!!

We spent the morning lurking on the deck or inside the camper, listening to the rain and enjoying the sound.

There are very few weekends like this, and I’m so glad we’re here 💜

Don’t mind me, enjoying the beautiful fall (beautifall) before the snow flies ❄️