The Bushiest Week Award

I was going with “the busiest week” but rolled with an Office reference instead. Anyone? Anyone?!

Awkward Season 2 GIF by The Office - Find & Share on GIPHY

I know at least a couple of you will get a laugh from this. Aaaaanyway…

This week is another one of those crazy ones that is fuller than feels necessary. Before all of this craziness over the last year, I had a really clear picture of what my brain and body could handle. I would say “If I have one scheduled thing on my calendar in a day, thats enough.” And that was reasonable, in my opinion! I knew what worked well for my health. There were days where there was more on my list than just the preferred one thing, but the awareness of my ideal helped me get through that stuff 🙂 Now, having shouldered a much crazier year, my capacity went waaaaay dowwwwwn, and now, I believe its rising back up to a healthier place!

I say this because maybe some of you can manage a lot more than this! And thats fabulous! But for me, right now, its BIG!

Lucky for me, lots of this stuff is good stuff!

So, here you have it.

Monday. Brady was commissioned to make some items for one of the local restaurants, so he’s hoping to pump out as much of that order as possible today! So that leaves me doing the kids stuff, which is totally fine. And I sorted and began a MOUNTAIN of laundry today. Its been WAY too long! I don’t have a ton on the books that is specific for the daytime, but Brady and I do have a band practice with Carrie post bedtime 🙂 Have I talked about that enough? Who’s coming??

Tuesday. This is our one relaxed day. I actually had to schedule in a hangout with Cher, since we’re so busy here and she’s so busy with school, too! So the morning is a date with Cher. And then the afternoon will be regularly life things. I have a commissioned order that I will be working on as much as humanly possible throughout this week, any spare moment. So hopefully I get LOTS done Tuesday afternoon! Brady will be doing some diagnosing and hopefully some work on Cher’s car that day, as well as using his spare time to either finish up his restaurant order, practicing guitar, and/or working on some inventory he’s been putting together! Have you followed his Insta yet? @icantstand.woodworking

Wednesday. I have to remember to send Dekker his stuff for curling. Or is it skating? Goodness. I think its curling. He usually remembers, but it helps everyone if I remember! Brady has a blood appointment in the morning, and we’ll need to organize ourselves and run any other errands we may have to do that day. Oh man, I have to remember to find a birthday gift for the party Solly is going to on the weekend. I also hope very much to make Thursdays supper this day so there is just one less thing to worry about on Thursday. Because…

Thursday is gig day!! We’re opening the day with a morning band practice! Wait. No. First I have to remember to send Dekker his stuff for skating. Or curling. Ugh. Who even knows? Hopefully Dekker does. Oh and the kids have a dress up day that day! Shoot! I have it written down as Solly’s dress up day, but I wonder if its all the kids… I have no idea. Whatever. But then we’ll have a band practice for a couple of hours. This is our last ditch effort to get it all put together! With stuff having changed, we need to figure out who sits where and on what and how we’ll all be most comfortable. I’m excited!! Tom and Rae will come right around supper and we’ll all eat before we run! We’ll aim to get to Clearcut a little early to get things set up and organized. Its been a while, and our setup will be different. I say again, who’s coming?? Who wants to watch me stumble my way through my usual part plus a kick drum? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Friday. We wind down on Friday. Wind down from the music stuff, that is. But its the wind up forrrrrr… chemo. 👎 Lol! Well, first, we send Laela….. skates. I think. And send Solly in general! He goes to school some Fridays, and I’m pretty sure this is one of them. Brady has a phone appointment with his systemic oncologist in the morning, and then thank goodness the pharmacy at the cancer centre finally releases Brady’s meds to someone besides himself. So that saves a whole trip into Saskatoon! He can’t get his meds until he’s had his appointment, and they keep booking that stuff on the same day! But it works out 🙂 So he’ll receive his chemo meds Friday afternoon, and cycle ELEVEN starts Friday evening!!! I feel oddly optimistic about this cycle. It feels less daunting. I guess it pays to be busy and not dread it the same way. Guys. Cycle ELEVEN. It means we’re finally coming to the end!!!! I could cry. Somewhere on this day, Brady needs to deliver his order to the restaurant, also. So, Friday is a deadline.

Saturday ends the week with Solly at a birthday party. Beyond that, we need to stay on top of our usual things. Brady will pick up where he left off on the inventory items, and I will continue working on my commissioned tartan order. Hopefully we’re both very close to done our projects by this point!

Or, we could just sleep through this week…

Nah. Too much good 💜💜💜

Solly’s Night Away

Our Solomon was given the rare opportunity to go for a full day date with grandma Rae yesterday! She made intentional plans, and took him out for the day.

They hit up the Western Development Museum, the mall, the dollar store, and they grabbed some lunch and treats along the way.

There was no shortage of stuff to do together, and he didn’t appear homesick at all!

Towards the end of the day, Solly sparked an idea, and asked Rae if five year olds could have sleepovers. Rae asked if he wanted that, and his reply was that he should probably ask his parents first 😆 Good call, dude.

So, he did! And we accepted! He came back home to gather up his blanket, toothbrush, and fresh clothes, and on he went! He did NOT hesitate, and that speaks VOLUMES to how much he has changed and developed this year! I am SO impressed!

He did well through the night, and was happy in the morning 💜 His night away was a great success!!

I am SO happy that Solomon has grown and was confident enough to spend a night away, without a sibling!

I am SO grateful for our incredible neighbours who love our children and accept them as family, no matter what.

We are so fortunate in so many ways. We are rich in love. Praise the Lord.

Successful Saturday

So yesterday’s finished friday was pretty cool! You were all SO encouraging about the blanket I made, and it sold a couple of hours after I posted the blog 💜 So that was a real confidence boost. I appreciate you all in this little venture.

This morning was spent practicing music, becauuuuuse we have a gig coming up!!! Brady, Carrie and I have done very little music together over the last two years, except for a couple of super short Christmas sets. And each time we get together for music, I just ache for how it used to be, doing a gig every month or two, and giving ourselves real time to enjoy ourselves. I have real hope that we can get back there.

We have done the bulk of the legwork now, and just need to polish a handful of the songs. But the time is closer and closer, and I feel less concerned about things being perfect and much more inclined to just have a blast with each other and whoever joins us!

So. The details. Clearcut Coffeehouse in Martensville. Super easy to find. Really cute. REALLY good food and drinks. The day is this Thursday, the 17th, and we start around 6pm. Place closes at 8pm, and we usually play until it does. If you don’t have wild plans for St Pats, you should definitely come join us!

Two years ago, almost to the day. Our last gig, right before the world shut down. It was SUCH a fun show!

A lot has changed since then, but the important stuff remains strong 💜

We can’t wait to do this again with you, friends 💜 I hope we see you there!

Another Finish Friday

Last week I showed you the popsicle blanket I made, and you were all SO supportive and warm about it! Thank you for being encouragers 💜 I previously had a pretty big complex about being the person who always brought the lame gift, because homemade wasn’t as good. I’ve worked to overcome that the last couple of years, and I have, greatly thanks to many of you. So. Thank you. I owe many of you a lot of credit and thanks.

Todays post is to show you yet another project that I finished up this last week! Its not for anyone. Just inventory, I suppose. Did I mention I was invited to join a weekly marketplace coming up later this spring? Cool, hey?? So I need to keep some skills practiced and seasoned!

Ta-da!

I was feeling like making another plaid blanket, so I did some plaid searching and settled on three purples and some neon coral in there. As I was working it up, I admit, I was NOT confident with the colors. Yet somehow, it turned out, in my opinion, quite beautiful! I am very happy with it.

Dimensions arrrrrre… dis big

I made the twisty tassels again! You may or may not remember, but I tried a new method of fringe in January with the pink/blue plaid blanket I made, and I really liked it. Its another step, for sure, but I can confidently say I like it WAY more than basic fringe!

I received my first commissioned order for a family tartan just this week, and I am VERY excited to get that project in front of me! I already had a lot of fun rebuilding the plaid in a way I could that worked for crochet, which took time and figuring but was SO rewarding in the end. Stay tuned for that soon 😘

In the meantime, if you want a plaid throw blanket, I’m your girl! 💜 Hopefully a real website will show up in the next couple of months where you can order your custom items from yours truly! What would you want to see on there?

Rehab in the Weather

Brady had another outpatient rehab appointment today. Maybe about 10 minutes before we had to leave, the weather picked up and the wind starting whipping! It went from cold but sunny to miserable and brutal out. That is what we left the house in. Visibility was LOW all down the Dalmeny highway, and it was far from ideal on the 16 as well, but once we were in the city, everything was clearer, and we got to Brady’s appointment with time to spare!

These appointments have slowly spaced out, and its seeming they may soon come to an end. But Brady continues to progress and work hard to improve everything the best he possibly can. But as is natural, it seems like we might be reaching the peak of Brady’s mobility. Not to say miracles can’t happen, because they can! And nerves can continue to heal! But at this point, Brady needs to continue to work on beefing up his hip muscles, and maintain all the rest. And what he has at that point will be what he has to work with 🙂 And thats ok. He is SO fortunate to have all the movement he has! It just seems like we may have reached our natural stopping point. Soon, anyway. The appointment was left open ended, and we will rebook in the coming months when we feel its necessary. Probably once before we start hitting up the lake! I cannot wait for lake season 💜

Please stay safe and warm, friends, with the blowing and snow and the ice it will inevitably create as the sun goes down.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a kid to get up from naps, kids to receive from school, a telemiracle video to leaf through to find our spot for those of you who missed it and have asked 😉 and a really fun evening of Bridesmaids and chinese food to look forward to!!

A Couple of Laela Things

I’m pretty enamoured with Laela these days. She has a beautiful blend of characteristics. She is so sweet and caring and responsible, while being completely bonkers and nonsensical. I really love spending time with her.

I worried about her a bit over this last year. As she watched me struggle, she became determined to shoulder the load that is simply not hers to carry. I do not want her to grow up any faster than she absolutely has to, and she was so convinced she needed to. We’ve finally struck a balance, she and I, and I really like it. She takes on more jobs than she used to, even at the moments where she’d rather not. On weekends, if she can tell I’m overwhelmed, she’ll approach me quietly and make a supper suggestion that she can do almost all on her own. Sandwiches for lunch, or macaroni for supper. Something like that. If I say I have a different plan, or something along those lines, she will always offer to help. She also will happily read to her younger siblings, so thats a big help! And she does laundry now! Woot!

In this time, she and I have grown so much closer, and I am SO grateful for it. Out of her deep desire to solve EVERY problem, she has released some of the control and rather, she just pours love. And that is awesome. She is protective of me, thats for sure, but I too am protective of her 💜 We’ve started to write notes back and forth. She has been leaving me little notes since Brady went to the hospital. I keep them up around my room. I love them. But recently, she wrote me a note that said “please write back” on it. So I did. And I am LOVING this relationship! Oof!

I hope we can always have this closeness.

Laela had the pleasure of going on a date with her dad the other day, and while they were out together, she convinced Brady I needed some new scissors for crocheting. Because she needed to think outside of herself. All on her own.

I am so proud of my Laela Hazel. Its been beautiful to watch her grow and mature over the last year, specifically. I can see strong traits from both sides of the family in her beautiful face. I can see her brain ticking in new ways at school and in life. When she and I are alone, she’ll come forward with her more personal questions and thoughts, and I am truly honoured to be her go-to. I have eagerly awaited this part of our relationship. Soon, she will be an adult, and my part of her upbringing will be done. She already has her husband selected, of course, so she’ll likely not need me quite as much 😏 Hopefully still some, though. I know I’m supposed to dread her growing up, but I really don’t.

Laela girl, you are a treasure. One of the most generous, selfless little girls I’ve ever known.

To know you is to love you 💜 I think all of your close people would agree.

Stuck Between Seasons

With the weather being SO back and forth between blizzards and blazing sun, it seems we’ve mixed up our smallest crew member. And the result is VERY cute.

Todays outfit includes a tank top watermelon dress, fleece lined Christmas leggings, a hoodie, and bare feet.

This girl has quite a style in general, and she LOVES to change her outfit multiple times a day. I know many others have kids who do that, but she is our first. She has recently discovered a basket of headbands that lives in her closet, so she has aaaaall the options to accessorize, hahaha! On any given day, she’ll have a pullover sweater over a dress, thick winter socks, sunglasses, and whatever else she can get her hands on.

She brings a lot of laughter these days 💜 I’m very grateful for her free spirit.

A Couple of Cute Things from the Last Couple of Days

Every once in a while, you get what I call a pic dump here on the blog. It tends to be just a handful of things that didn’t really warrant their own post, but are still cute, and still things I’d like to share! Unfortunately I don’t have recent pictures of ALL the kids to share in this one, but I have most of them. I promise I love them all equally!

So we begin.

First off, I’ll show you Brady after he vacuumed his hair before coming into the house after he was working on the lathe. Ya. I’m not kidding. He took a shop vac to his hair. He looks a little insane, but also, look at how that bright grey tuft of hair in the front has all become ONE CURL! Cool hey?!

He’s been sprouting greys for a good few years now, but that grey streak only showed up when his back and legs started to act up. Crazy what a tumour can do! (Feels important to note that I accidentally typed the word “humour” instead of tumour.”)

Miss Laela and I have grown SO CLOSE over the last year. She has always been nurturing and warm, and just itches to help and work and be responsible for things. I regularly pray over her that she can remain young for as long as possible, because she is just desperate to be grown up 💜 My dear Laela. If I ever seem at all distressed or tired, she will come intentionally to lay a hand or face on me, and reassure me.

She is really really soft.

My kids were really fortunate to get to spend quality time with their grandmas this weekend!

They spent a whole day across the street. Grandma Rae took this pic of Wavy helping plant her starters 💜 There was some good bonding to be had over that bowl of dirt.

And then Sunday, we had the pleasure of having my mom over ALL day!! Stories and cards were out all the live long day!

Today, Laela has taken the time to make name signs for every single bedroom door in our house, and then she put up a sign in our dining room. She said she just picked a verse from the bible at random to add to the sign. I think she did pretty well 💜

We all ate a big lunch, and now comes quiet time. Our cold is over, but my voice doesn’t feel 100% so I’m getting a cup of tea and heading to my crocheting. I always want to love tea. Its so pretty and smells so good, but I just cant get into it. I hope this doesn’t end my friendship with the Kennedys 😬 You guys good? I have to say, though, Costco got in Cold 911 from Davids Tea, and it really hits the spot for me. My kids have coined the name “sickness tea.” Lol!

Stay well, friends. The school week starts again tomorrow, but its absolutely beautiful out today!! Soak it up!

Telemiracle 46

Thank you so much, friends, for celebrating Telemiracle with us this year! I know some of you saw our story played out on the air a couple of different times, and many of you tuned in for our quick little live visit. It was really, really fun for us, as a family, to be part of it!

For those who missed it and asked for a recording, we don’t have one! Hahaha! Sorryyyyy! When the final video is posted, we’ll look for our timestamp and share it with you 🙂

We are so proud to say that Kinsmen Telemiracle pulled in over 8 MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!

This is the BIGGEST total they’ve ever seen, and we are SO happy for them, and ALL of the people they will help in this coming year. If not for these donations, we would not have all that we have. The Batec is an incredible thing, but Kinsmen also funded Brady’s wheelchair! We needed that, and would not have it without the generous donors that put into the charity.

So thank you, friends and family, who followed along, prayed, supported, or donated. We are so fortunate to be connected to so many beautiful people 💜

What the Day Entailed

The kids weren’t around these parts today, so Brady and I had the place to ourselves! We could see the kids hard at work…

So we did the same!

First, coffee. Then work.

Brady was out in the garage almost all day. He is putting together an inventory of items, so his work was a bit repetitive, though gratifying. In the afternoon, we discovered he needed a different item to continue his work, so he drove to Martensville to locate the material, plus a couple burgers to make for a quick lunch and back to work!

By the time he got home, we were both feeling like the clock was already ticking, so I grabbed one burger and left him in the garage to eat it while he worked. Meanwhile I went back upstairs to my crocheting haven. You guys really left me feeling confident and encouraged after yesterday’s post about the blankets. Thank you 💜 It means a lot to me to have so many of you in my corner.

Cher came and joined our quiet house for the afternoon and evening in order to get some schoolwork done.

All three of us worked in our respective locations and got lots done 💜 All three of us felt pretty productive, I think!

Grilled cheese sandwiches and clam chowder have filled my belly up to the brim. What a lovely way to wrap up the evening! I hope your supper was equally as delicious as mine!

Lastly, if you’re at all interested, its Telemiracle weekend!! I admit that I don’t have real tv and have NO clue how or where to watch it, but you can tune in right to the Telemiracle website and watch the livestream 🙂 We’ll be on LIVE tomorrow, early afternoon! Yikes yikes yikes. Who doesn’t want to go on live tv with five children during naptime??

Enjoy your Saturday, friends. We sure did.