It’s been a different kind of day from our usual Saturday here at camp. Normally, between us and the Dahlsjos, there are ten kids. Today, we have four. It has been VERY quiet!

Brady spent a portion of the day helping the camp with wood chopping for next season, leaving me with a small handful of people to keep alive.

I’d say entertained but they didn’t require much, to be honest. It was a very low key morning.

I finished a toque I was working on 😁 In different lights, I can’t see if it’s navy or purple. Perhaps it’s navy purple. Like navy blue but not. Darker than royal purple. You get it.

The kids and I drove to Bells for a little bit. The sky was just bonkers. I’m wondering if this is truly the first smoke-free day up here. It is beyond beautiful.

It was nice to just sit and watch people take their boats out for the season.

Dekker drives now 😳

Brady was back mid afternoon and took a load off after working hard. He was feeling pretty gross but some meds pulled him back together. We ate supper and moseyed down to the water for a little. It couldn’t have been more beautiful.

This kid has really been wonderful today. I’m very impressed with 1. How helpful and responsible he is, while being 2. Incredibly soft and affectionate and loving. He’s big and little. Soft and tough. A delicious mix.

And all of that to say, I am ready for bed. It’s 730. That’s ok, right?? Lake time means earlier to bed?? I think my kids might disagree 😆

Yesterday, I blogged about getting a pumpkin with the intention of cooking it up and pureeing it for baking. And while yesterday turned out to be a HUGE day even without the shop and the pumpkin, I’m really pleased to say I got it done!!! 🎃

I’m not AT ALL saying my way is the way, but this is what I did!

I washed the outside of the pumpkin really good, and I cut it in half.

I cut the stem off and scooped out all the innards. I thought using one of those spaghetti spoons would be the perfect answer to getting it all out of their really good, but it just kind of combed the pulp 😆 A basic spoon was better.

Then I just oiled cookie sheets, put the pumpkin halves upside down, and cooked it to death.

I checked after a half hour, and it was not tender yet. But at around 45-50 minutes, it was fork tender.

🎃✅

I abandoned the pumpkin to go pick up the kids from school, and when we came back, I got back to work. So did Dekker 💜 He helped me prep a bit of food for camp, and I worked on the pumpkin!

The first half of the pumpkin was an especially messy one to get out of its shell, but I found a better method and the second half went much smoother. I’d put the pieces into my blender as I went, and once it was full-ish, I’d blend the heck out of it. Then add it to the big bowl, and keep at it. And it produced a TON!!! Doesn’t the pumpkin shell look like leather??

I scooped the pumpkin into two cup measurements, as thats about what a can of pumpkin from the grocery store holds.

And then I bagged them up!!

One pumpkin provided me with 15 cups of pureed pumpkin.

Therefore…

15 cups for $4

Or

15 ounces for $6.50

Guys, if I could make a living selling pumpkin puree, I would. I would absolutely LOVE to process pumpkins all the time, it was SO fun for me! I may have to go buy another one, just for funsies, so I have excess or some to offer out. Coming into autumn, the time is perfect for pumpkin!! Think pies, cookies, loaves, muffins, coffee, etc. You name it!!

I won’t go into a whole lecture about what I’m doing. You probably know I really want to be better in the kitchen. I have goals – some lofty, some vague, and some simple that feel attainable.

I want to do a bit of intentional baking, and part of that includes some yummy pumpkin things, but wouldn’t you know it, today, during a big fat grocery shop, I found a tin of pumpkin puree for $6.50 💀 That is absurd!!!!

So, for $4, I bought a pumpkin instead.

*sigh*

So this does not at all come naturally for me but I think I’m going to process a pumpkin and make the puree myself. Trust me, I know there are WAY more benefits to doing it this way, without all the junk that lives in canned crap in the grocery store, but in all honesty, this one is about the cost, haha! I just cannot justify it. So. Thats on the list for today.

I already chopped up all the veggies for camp this weekend. But the day is not over. I have to brown ground beef. Make a packing list for the kids. Pack my own things. Make a salad dressing. Tomorrow has become a very full day for me, so as much as I can get done today, I will!

And leave it to me to add processing a pumpkin to that list 😅

Anyway. Wish me luck!!

*preheats oven*

The first day of school was a GREAT success!! I had beautiful intentions to go pick them up and take happy pictures of them, but a morning appointment in Saskatoon took foreverrrrr and I got home just barely before the kids did. So, it didn’t quite play out the way I had hoped, but such is life! The only person who was upset was me 😅

Anyway.

Dekker LOVED his first day of high school! WOW! He was SO thrilled with the level of freedom he was offered. He told me he felt like an adult. He was oddly excited about the SRC. And he definitely got a kick out of having some teacher rollover with me, hahaha! He loved his first day so much 💜 He asked me around 8:05 if it was too soon to head to school. Yes, son. It is too soon.

Laela also loved her first day. She liked her teacher, and being around her friends again! She loved playing outside, and reconnecting with her close friend. That was her highlight, for sure. Oh and her locker!! Win!!

Rowan was probably most excited about his boot room being so close to Wavy. That nurturing side of him is SO beautiful when it comes around 💜 While he insists thats the best part, he was also VERY excited that some of his closest people are in his class. He was really pumped as he ran into people and learned that they were in his class. It was nice to witness.

Solomon doesn’t say too much about school, and he tends to feel overwhelmed if I ask too much. That being said, he was VERY happy to go to school and VERY happy when he came back. He told me his teacher is very nice, and that he likes his friends. “There are a lot more things, too, but thats good for now,” he told me when I asked about his favorite things about his first day. So there you have that, haha!

Waverly got lumped into going into the city with me yesterday for an appointment, and while she is aching to start school, she was also really content coming along to Saskatoon with me. She honestly aced the day yesterday, being incredibly patient and polite while we sat through a much longer wait than expected. She crushed it, and I am SO impressed.

Today is the one day this week that isn’t booked up. So I may actually *gasp* rest a little!!

Or I’ll do laundry. Or prep for camp. Or clean up the mountain of mess thats come from getting school going. Or really any number of things that need doing that aren’t resting…

I am HAPPY to say that everyone was HAPPY to go to school today!! We all walked together 💜 Look at those huge backpacks!

We found appropriate boot rooms, classrooms, etc. We found friends and met teachers. The bell seemed to ring unceremoniously quickly, but the kids rounded up for hugs and took off to begin their days!

At least thats how it went with the kids still in elementary school 😳 One of them is in HIGH SCHOOL now!!!

Dekker met up with a buddy and they walked together, adult-free. But I can say with 100% certainty that he was really looking forward to his day at the new school!

Laela is next up as the MOST excited for school! She loves the routine. She loves the learning. And she loves her closest friend. She was told in the last few weeks that he was in the other class, but upon meeting up this morning, found out they’re in the same class!! SUCH a win!

Rowan surprised me by being excited for school! Because, up until a couple of days ago, he wasn’t. But he is ready for routine, and to see his school friends again! He happens to know a handful of his closest people are in his class, also!

Solomon was my last holdout for being excited for school, but he was super happy and handsome this morning! He is my one child going into a classroom with a teacher we have never had before. So while he feels unfamiliar, we have only heard the best things about her, and we anticipate zero issue there! When the bell rang, Solly was furthest from his door, but he game hugs and took off in the right direction 💜 Thats new confidence since last year!

I’m VERY proud of my beautiful children 💜 Every last one of them! Brady and I walked/rolled home with Wavy and the morsel in a stroller. It was peaceful and refreshing to be out in the crispy weather. Brady has since left for work and here I am, blogging mid-morning. Things are low key. We’ll be out and about in a little bit, but for now, music is going, and I’m already getting a blog done ✅

I will tell you all about how the first day of school went tomorrow 💜

It’s feeling very final out there. And I understand why. Many people are packing it in this weekend with school starting up. We still anticipate some fall camping through September, but with everyone around us starting to bring things home, I have it on the brain as well. 

As I sit here and type this out on my phone by the fire, I’m very grateful for my surroundings. Both of the BIG “getting out the door” jobs are being well managed, and I have been offered a break. So I’m taking it. 

The fire is burning nicely. The weather is nice enough for me to wear jeans and shoes and be a comfortable temperature. I can hear wind blowing through the yellow leaves, which I swear sounds different than when it blows through the green ones. Kids are working without fighting. It’s peaceful. 

We’ll pack up shortly for home. Earlier than usual. But I say again – school. Baths. Lunches. Backpacks. Plus unpacking and laundry. 

Never a shortage. Ever. We are so fortunate 💜

It’s true that it could be nicer out. The entire season has been so so smoky. I know there’s always some, but this is excessive! I have taken waaaaay fewer sky pictures in comparison to last year. Because, well…

Ya. It’s a drag. 

Yet, the weekend has been oddly quiet here. Way less populated than we anticipated for a long weekend. But the people who are here are really good people 💜 We have spent hours visiting around the fire with friends. Drinking coffee. Eating meals together. Crocheting and playing guitar. The camper has rocked with children playing rowdy games with friends old and new. Playgrounds are populated, but not as populated as fire pits. It’s just been sweet. Smoke aside, I am loving our weekend. 

Tomorrow closes off the last weekend here before summer closes and school begins. Time for more change in our household. Lots of new things afoot over here. This week alone carries much weight. 

I am very grateful for this weekend 💜 Praise God. 

It’s been a really lovely day. It promised to be super hot, but it did not deliver beyond a reasonable point at all. It was comfortable to spend time both at the beach and around the fire. 

The highlight of the day was hitting up the farmers market! There was an invite for people to set up tables in an outdoor arena and set up garage sales. I won’t lie. It was a bit disappointing. There were only two or three sales set up in there. But it didn’t stop our kids from making themselves at home. 

I even found a win or two. I did not buy the book, but I’ve sure kicked myself about that choice.

Accidentally bought cabinets. Whoops! 

Everyone got an ice cream and we packed it up and headed back to camp. We carried a few extras with us, but lost one to to the other group. 

Zero regrets buying the bus. ZERO.

It’s been a very lovely day, and I anticipate more of that tomorrow and the next day 

I’ve become an expert prepper. Not in every way, but in the few ways I need to be.

I prep for camp every single week, and this one is very much the same! The longer this list sits on the island, the more art gets added to it. Note to self: Don’t forget to pack Minecraft Steve. Whoever Minecraft Steve is…

I also figured I’d get ahead of school lunches a little, and on top of a quick stop at Walmart for some lunch things, I made a couple batches of granola bars!

Its still not over. Still lots to do. But we’re on our way.

And it wont all stop when school starts, either! Forward we go, come what may 💜

I promised a weekend recap and then I didn’t do it! Not yet, anyway! So here it is!!

Our trip last weekend came after a Saturday that Brady worked, so we got on the road a little later than usual, but it still worked!

Its becoming more and more fallish out there.

Cozier. Lazier. Definitely feeling more and more like the end of the season 💜

Still enough sun for some beach days, though!! I feel like we didn’t get enough of those this year.

Not warm enough for me to be in the water, but I have different priorities.

As I sat down in my chair on the beach to crochet, I happened to notice a hint that I had possibly sat there before with the exact same goal.

It was a successful project, if you were wondering!

The beach is good, and the campsite and fire are good, too. Beautiful people at both.

Brady finished up a wonderful renovation in the camper, making the bathroom more spacious and the toilet and sewer system work better! Win! His tools got a little confusing, but he made it work.

I believe that was also the day that Rowan figured I’d run through our camper screen door. It did not go well.

But we did have a small giggle…

And he rallied 💜 as he does.

I think the next day was when Solly got stung by a wasp?? I’m not sure. I don’t have a picture. But he got it right on the neck and BAWLED, which was completely justified. He got to cool it off with an orange crush, and then dropped it enough that it popped a hole so he got to drink it 😆 Good move, Sol.

Anyway. Everyone remains to be crazy cute, and I remain to be absolutely delighted by our family and the setup we have at Kinasao 💜