Last Easter, we spent at the playground near the hospital 💜

Brady was still living in City Hospital. While it had been hinted he would be able to be home for Easter, everyone agreed it would be a little bit early, and none of us had any interest in pushing past what was the healthiest choice. So we made it work.

While this was an incredibly difficult time in our lives, we were very grateful to be together for even just an hour or two.

I couldn’t share about these visits, because covid deemed them obsolete. While he was not allowed to visit the kids, they were allowed in the public park, and he was cleared to go for outdoor walks with me. The whole setup was suggested to us by the staff, so much so that I would go to retrieve Brady and the nurses would smile knowingly and say “Enjoy your walk! See you in a couple of hours!”

Easter weekend, they cleared Brady for two “walks.”

These visits were incredible, and we were SO grateful for them! But they were quite an operation. It was a lot for the kids, and a lot for Brady. All of it was a stretch! I was overwhelmingly grateful to go see Brady everyday, but it took 110% of my energy from me. Still, I wouldn’t change how it was done. Easter was hard, but it was GOOD.

This Easter has been much more our speed 💜 We had breakfast at my moms place, and hunted for Easter treats. We ended up lunching there, too! Everything was yummy and we had so much effortless fun!

Rowan looked at me like this and said “This bag is SO beautifully done!” He’s terribly sweet.

I love that toothless look 😆

Once lunch was done, this is happened…

So it was a perfect time to head home for quiet time.

The moment quiet time was over, we all eagerly waited at our doorway for the go ahead tooooo…

Go to Tom and Rae’s for yet more treats!!!

The hunt was on in full force. Some of Rae and Tom’s kids were over and had helped set up an elaborate egg hunt, with lists and color coding and an entire house to search. The kids had a riot! There was a lot to find, and it took some time, but then they’d dump their finding out on the table and go through them to make sure they had everything.

We were assured that everyone had a lot of fun setting it up, but still, it was a very clear loving gift for us and our children.

We left their home with more chocolate, a couple bottles of sangria, and a lot of love from being with more of our dear family.

Supper is on the stove. Sangria in hand. Brady is teaching Laela how to play chess, and Dekker is eagerly awaiting their game. I’m getting the blog up. Just about all the work is done. Now, we rest and enjoy the evening together.

We would not have made it to this Easter without Jesus. For His blood, we give thanks. He is the reason we live and breathe, and continue to!

Have a blessed Easter with your close people, friends. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Weekends are not always easy. Today was a hard day. A day where I felt more alone than usual. More stuck. “Struggly,” as we call it. Today has been an especially struggly day.

Lucky for me, I got to take a little bit of a break to crochet alone, and then Cher came over, brewed coffee, and painted my nails. The poor girl did not have a lot of nice fingers to work with, but she was soft with me, and I felt relaxed.

Even now, I’m able to sit and breathe and blog in the living room, free of any and all responsibilities. Even if just for a time, I treasure these rests.

Did you guys know I’m coming up on a big milestone with this blog? I’ve been considering redoing the whole thing. Or even just calling it quits, for fear that its getting boring and mundane. I don’t want to make big decisions when I’m feeling the way I’m feeling. But I also don’t want to beat a dead horse. Anyway.

Today has been hard. Sleep will help. Tomorrow will be better. It always is.

Nachos for supper once the kids are down.

Hear me out. I have a blog I really want to write! But being that this was the most unproductive week, and we’ve added some tidbits of sickness in here and there as well, its just happening. Today was another day I planned to write it, but alas, rather I have this cute situation on hand.

The littlest chickie woke up early to barf, and then barf some more. Only little bits, but lots of times. Poor sweetie. She tried to eat a couple bites of breakfast, but it didn’t sit right. Finally, she opted for a warm bath and a cozy setup on the couch. NO nap, of course.

Until she fell asleep.

She was terribly cute. I tucked her into bed and she stayed put comfortably for a good few hours. We checked in on her from time to time, and she was settled and content.

She is finally up, and she ate a few soda crackers really happily. Here’s hoping they stay on the inside!

Today marks the day of ONE YEAR since Brady came home from the hospital! I will absolutely never forget that day 💜

The chaos of finishing up his final therapies. The fight to get his wheelchair ordered properly. Getting him a better chair to come home in. The last minute push to apply for funding for the Batec. The rush to clean out his room so another patient could move in. The celebration with the therapists and nursing staff. The anticipation of home. So. Many. Feelings. It was a full morning, but we were so ready for what was to come. I even called the school and had the kids pulled out early to greet their dad at the door. The excitement was palpable.

The greetings were warm, and it wasn’t long before everyone settled in together 💜

I hadn’t realized how broken I felt until I was back with my husband again. There is a lot of truth to the coined phrase of having my “other half” home.

The celebrations and loving support did not end on this day. I wondered if they would, as time went on, but to this day, there are still people who check on us, offer to help us, and come with unsolicited helpful gifts. I still know with confidence that I could ask for help and someone would come. I have felt that I could probably reach out to just about anyone, and they would jump to help us. Part of me carries guilt with that, but more than that, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for the community support we have seen. I very much anticipate the days when we can turn the tables and offer more help out to our community and friends.

The one year mark of Brady coming home stirs up SO many feelings. I feel like we’re a year out, yet we are also still in the thick of it. Chemo is still going. Brady’s mobility is still changing. We still need a new home, to figure out work and money, etc etc etc. The list really goes on.

But! At least we’re all together again. I do NOT care to relive that period apart. Absolutely not. Not everyone is so lucky to have their loved ones home with them, safe and sound. There is grief there, and some survivors guilt, for sure. We must not forget those who have lost.

We could not have survived any of this without God’s grace, and we give all our thanks to Him!

One year back together! May there be many, many more 💜

The school called me today, shortly after lunch, saying Rowan took a good fall on the way in from recess. They’re not quick to call just for any little thing, but I was told it was a really good fall and he needed to come home, or maybe go to a doctor. So I abandoned my crocheting and headed to the school.

When I arrived, I was met by Rowan and three other staff members who were caring for him. He was slumped down on a couch, and they were holding an ice pack on his head and chatting quietly with him. He had indeed fallen hard running on the sidewalk. He didn’t even have time to put his hands out. Full face to concrete. The staff caught me up on the happenings, and tipped me off that he had a few symptoms of a concussion. Dizziness. Headache. He said the ice pack didn’t feel cold. And he was really unsteady when he walked. So it was clear I needed to take him in.

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I drove in and called my doctors office at the same time. I knew our doctor wasn’t in today, but I was determined to see someone on staff there, so all the records were in the right place.

It took some convincing and a couple hours of waiting, but we got an appointment. While we waited, we listened to music, drank some frozen lemonade as per Rowan’s request, and he was doing noticeably better 💜

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He is SO beautiful! Goodness!

Finally he was called into a room where we met Dr. Matt.

He asked Rowan a lot of questions, and took down all kinds of information. He was leaning towards it really just being a bump, and I was definitely ok with that idea. It was all seeming that way until his final neural test. Maybe you know this one. The doctor held up his pen and asked Rowan to use one finger to touch the end of his nose, then the pen, then his nose, and back and forth while the doctor moved the pen around. Its not as easy as it sounds, and he was doing great. Then he switched hands and it was HARD. He bombed. The doctor noticed and mentioned that it might be harder with the other hand. Except that he did WAY worse with his left hand. At that point, he decided Rowan has a mild concussion. And that made sense.

Does anything change? Nah, not really. We’ll have to watch him and see how he’s feeling in the morning. He’s currently in his jammies, cuddled up on the couch with a stuffie that was warmed in the microwave, reading books. And by “reading” I mean he’s mostly looking at pictures, so I really couldn’t ask for him to be more settled and relaxed.

But, my friends, I am exhausted.

Tomorrow is another big one, but at least I know its coming! Today was unexpected but we got through it!

Onto the next!

I had three big things on my list today, so the day felt quite daunting going into it.

That being said, thing #1 was rescheduled. I was supposed to have a phone appointment with my doctor this morning but it needed to move, and thats just fine. I always love to talk to Dr. Guselle but I will do that again soon. Taking it off the list for today is completely fine.

Thing #2 is counselling! Yes, I’ve started seeing a counsellor and I am so happy about it. Believe it or not, this last year has been immensely challenging, and not only the things that I’ve shared publicly here. Our life is full, and there is a lot to unpack. I went for counselling for 1:00, Brady went for bloodwork in the meantime, and we made it home before the kids got home from school. Win!

Thing #3 is still to come. I have a vendor meeting in a nearby town to talk about their upcoming farmers market! I finally put in my application, but I’m pretty sure I’m invited to join regardless. At least I think so! Either way, tonight is a meeting for the vendors, so I’m going. I’ll admit, I feel pretty tired at this point, but I’m excited to go and see what its all about!

I began my most recent tartan yesterday, and got a good bite out of it! Once thats done, I can start building my stock for the market! Eek! I’m SO looking forward to that! Since I last listed, I added a couple of practical items as well as some super cute decor!

On top of all of these busy things, we have so much going on in our brains and hearts and bodies this week, and our band got booked for another gig at the end of the month. Its really wonderful to be able to make room for some more extra these days 💜 Especially when the things are positive, life-giving things! Thank you Lord.

Today is my day to do things I can relax with, as well as organize a handful of other things that need attention this week. Unfortunately, we’ve been hit with a couple of extra roadblocks this morning, and its not turning out to be an especially productive day. There is still time, however, and I did accomplish one big thing, and I have finally been able to get started on my next commissioned tartan project. I will be able to put in a couple of hours on that today, maybe more depending on how the family is feeling after nap time.

Its going to be less of a “doing things” day and more of a “sit tight and see how things go” day. And thats ok, I think. I will for sure have a VERY busy day tomorrow, so things will get done then! Then Brady has a busy day on Wednesday. And Thursday is not so much busy as it is BIG. And Friday, the kids are home to stay for the break!

Oh and did I mention there is snow on the ground? Oof.

We just have to make it through the week!

Today marks the beginning of a very big week. We’ll cross some milestones and anniversaries off our list this week, and I can tell my body is already feeling it. My mental fatigue is showing itself very clearly, so I feel the urge to settle in very simply tonight. I have a small project I’m going to finish up tonight while I watch some Netflix with Brady, but I’m taking all other pressures off.

Tomorrow is my one day with nothing on the calendar, and I’m going to keep it that way. I plan to do some things that are life giving, as well as organize a handful of things I know need to be done soon that I feel will be hard to wrap my head around this coming week. So please wish me luck for that!

Forgive the short post. There will be lots of information to come over the week, and lots to talk about. I will keep everyone in the loop all along the way. But for today, I’m going to wrap up my weekend with rest 🙂 I hope you all can do the same before Monday rolls in!

The forecast is calling for snow on Tuesday. This had better be the last of it! ❄️

We are kid-free today, thanks to the always lovely Rae and Tom 💜 What a huge gift these days are. For us, and for the kids.

Usually, these days are spent with our heads down, working on our projects, uninterrupted. They are amazingly productive days! This time around, however, we decided to run some errands. Errand days can get pretty hairy with the kids, though we’ve done it many many times. But this is MUCH easier. Plus, we knew the van would be a little extra full, so this was easier. We took advantage of the day off and headed into Saskatoon as soon as the kids were off!

I’ll be honest. It didn’t start off well. We were given a Costco giftcard a while back, and we were SO excited to spend it on a Camp Chef grill for the lake! However, the north location had none in stock. We were pretty disappointed, as they were for sure spotted there just the day before. I was fine to take the loss and keep on moving. So we did.

Next was Cabela’s in search of a good camping chair. Brady needs to be pretty careful with how he sits nowadays, so we’ve been on the hunt since last spring to find the perfect chair. Cabela’s had so many so recently, but that parking lot was fuller than a Walmart on Christmas Eve, and the once full camping chair section was scarcely stocked. Another loss, and off we went.

At that point, I had hoped to hit Michaels, and then we were going to go home. Brady expressed he would rather go south and try their Costco, and then maybe the Walmart or Home Depot would have chairs to try. So I figured we’d get Michaels on the way back, and we went south!

Guys. It was worth it.

Costco was first. And they had our grill!!

Truly, that grill was the biggest deal. We really wanted to get our hands on one before they all sold out. So we bought it, as well as some swim shorts for Brady, and then headed on our way. A generous stranger in the parking lot helped load the grill into the van. That kind of thing really makes a difference for us. We need more of those.

Then we went to Walmart, and had even MORE success!! Brady found a chair that checks all the boxes. He needs something that actually scoops his bum and holds him in there. None of those nice Costco director style chairs for him. He just slides out! So this chair had a tilted seat, plus lower back support. Its had to find both, but we did! Naturally, we found it while Cher was calling other stores and inquiring about what they had that would provide the right amount of support for her newly paralyzed brother 💜 So because she did ALL the work, of course we found it elsewhere 😆 Isn’t that just how it works?

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Aaaaand while we were there, I found an elusive shade of blue (ebluesive?) yarn that I needed for my most recent tartan order! So that can begin anytime! Woot!

Walmart was also paid for on a gift card!

There was still yarn I needed, however, that wasn’t at Walmart, so we headed back into the centre of Saskatoon and hit Michaels.

I got everything I needed!! So much cotton for so many things. Soft blue for a blanket. And some fine, satiny yarn for scrunchies! Or, if you ask Brady, scrunches.

Finally, we had done everything we set out to do. So we stopped for selfies and lunch.

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And by lunch, I definitely mean frosties and fries. Because we’re teenagers.

It was an incredibly successful day. We made it home recently, and its safe to say I’m pooped! But now I get to do some work in the comfort of my room, and watch some Netflix. Three-ish more hours until the kids are home! And then bedtime. And then band practice! Whew! 😅 Big day!

Thank you for your input these last days where I’ve had questions! I thought I’d do a quick sum up of whats happened, and what direction I’m moving in.

First – the farmers market! I actually need to fill out that application but I feel like every answer to every question is still pending 😂 Still. I should officially sign up. But I had asked yesterday what I should sell! Thank you for your input! I have done some reading up on marketplace tables, and its suggested to have some nice low cost items, some mid-range, and a few higher cost. At least until I see what sells and what doesn’t. So in my head, it looks like this.

Low range items would be kitchen cloths, dish scrubbies, facial rounds, towel hangers, etc.

Mid-range I’m picturing plant hangers, and maybe market bags? I’m not sure what else qualifies as mid-range, as I don’t currently plan to be making things like toques, scarves, mitts, etc. Maybe closer to fall? I don’t know. I know a couple of you said baskets! I hesitate a bit with baskets because there is another lady who comes who sells baskets as her entire craft. Yet hers are rope baskets, so maybe thats different enough? I’m not sure. Help?

For more expensive items, I plan to have a couple of blanket out for sale, as well as to showcase what I can offer.

Most importantly, there will be a portfolio and a custom order book. Because thats what I really love to do.

So I think my plan is in place. I think. I hope!

Secondly, I asked about grass. I really appreciate everyone’s input! What I’m reading and learning from friends is that sod and hydroseed aren’t so different in price anymore. If I’m willing to hydroseed, I may as well do sod. Yet, with that I imagine I’d need some more help. And across the board, everyone says water is the priority. WATER! Personally, I don’t give a hoot about underground sprinklers. Could take or leave them. I know they would add value to our house, so thats something to consider. But if we went to the trouble to install underground sprinklers, why not just seed and water, and seed some more? Fill in the gaps, and water some more? Wouldn’t that work too? But how much do those sprinkler systems cost? Ugh. I guess there is more research ahead! One friend said I can get a sprinkler timer at Costco (Thanks, Heather!) so I’ll probably look into that type of thing, but to get an even watering, underground sprinklers is my best bet, right?

Man. Weighing options in terms of cost and convenience is hard. Adulting feels finicky these days.

If you have tips on sprinkler or crochet items you think might sell at a farmers market, please be in touch! Show me your cool Pinterest ideas, or things you see on Insta that inspire you!

Pinstagram! BOOM! Nailed it!