The Daily Hailey

Well, friends, we’re all packed up at camp for the season. It was a bittersweet day, for sure! Last night I lamented over and over how much I was going to miss our spot. I was reassured that I would get a nice break from the cycle of unpacking and repacking, and all the prep that goes into it all. Which is true. We have needed help all summer with that part, and we are eternally grateful to beautiful Cher for always working hard to make that easy for us. It will be ok to pack up and go home for the season.

And that remains true. Except that today, our campsite was the hub I dream it to be. Most of the afternoon, we had nine kids around our fire. Dekker was a HUGE help in Bradys part of winterizing the camper. Think emptying all the tanks, running antifreeze, etc. One of our kids new friends was my dedicated helper on the inside, folding up beds, packing the fridge up, and cleaning.

Our friends there were ready to leave long before we were, but they hung around and encouraged their older kids to entertain our kids while we worked. It was AWESOME.

The inside of our camper is now FULL of our outside stuff, and the outside is pretty tidy and ready for fall.

We didn’t get far into the drive AT ALL before we lost one 😆😴

She was SO knocked out. I’ll be honest. I rubbed French fries on her lips to finally wake her up. She wasn’t having it before then.

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We aren’t far from home now, and I feel peace about being done our beautiful season at the lake. I will still miss it deeply, but I can say with confidence that we could not have hit summer harder, and I am beyond grateful for the chance we had to be there as much as we were. Praise the Lord!!!

Onto the fall! School. Projects. Healing. Rest. Dreaming of next summer 💜

Today has been a very cute day 💜 We took family pictures, and have kept things super relaxed and low key. Cher has been here with us and took some beautiful pictures of the kids. Also some really funny one. So while not every child is represented here, trust that we love them all, but these ones were around to be photographed. And it was an excellent result 😍

These girls were just on fire 🔥 SO gorgeous!!!

Solly was also terribly cute, splitting fire wood with the splitter! He doesn’t usually care to push through a hard task but we kept him hyped up and he kept trying!

He only knocked himself in the forehead once 😬

But then, he got it!!!!!

It’s been an all around adorable day 💜 Tomorrow, we will pack up for the season. There will be a grief there. But a gratefulness that we get to come back next year.

Thank you Lord for our beautiful kids, and our spot here at the lake 💜

Thank you Cher for these pictures 😘

Many of you gave me a SERIOUS confidence boost the other day on the subject of my crocheting 🥺 Sometimes I’m embarrassed by my passion for it, but I’ve decided that the times I’ve been talked down or insulted about it are behind me, and I’ve decided to believe it’s valuable and positive!!! And friends, you were part of that, on the blog here and on Facebook. What a huge encouragement to me 💜 What a beautiful gift.

As we’re driving to the lake for the last time this season, I thought I’d share my “mobile work station” with you 😆

I crochet on my lap, obviously. Just the other day, I read that some diehards put a nursing pillow around them to prop their arms up. That’s pretty genius, if you ask me! But currently, I haven’t gone in that deep 😆 I kick off my shoes, so I can sit cross legged. In today’s case, those are my Toms from value village. They have a fake sheepskin moment inside them and are super cozy. On the floor with them is a drawer insert I stole from my mom before she threw it away a year or so ago, and the ball of yarn I’m using sits in there so it stays clean! In the little side pocket, you’ll noticed it holds sunglasses, and a ginger ale from back in the radiation days, always combatting a headache or nausea.

I’m VERY MUCH enjoying this particular project. The colours are a random mess but it’s actually coming together super beautifully, in my humble opinion. I hope I get lots of time to crochet around a fire in the cool fall air this weekend 💜

My goodness. I know Solly is “big” now, and if he’s big, you know Wavy is a grown up. According to her, anyway. But the other day, Brady and I ran a couple of errands with the two of them in tow, and it was one of the cutest littles things I’ve ever seen. Goodness those kids! 😍

We hit Canadian Tire for a few things we needed to winterize our camper, (antifreeze, a short hose, and some preventative mouse poison) and then grabbed a couple of coffees for our drive. Dollar Days are over at McDonalds, if anyone is wondering. But thats ok. We took advantage plenty!

Our cutest part of the day was Home Depot, hands down!!!

Yes, I asked them to hold hands, and I have NO regrets!!! They were SO cute! And doesn’t Solomon just seem huge here??? Crazy!! As if they weren’t cute enough holding hands…

We got some lightbulbs. A pump. Furnace filters. Teeny zip ties. Rope. Some of this is craft stuff 😉 because you guys know I have a problem. We did NOT buy firewood 😳

We made a super fast stop at Michaels for a long tapestry needle for me (I didn’t even buy yarn!! See me??? Restraint!) and then hit Nutters on Broadway for Rowan’s magnesium gummies. They were all sold out, but the salesperson helped me find some chewable tablets, so we’ll give those a try!

And then, folks, it was perfectly timed that we were done running errands…

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Sooooo we went home! We got home just in time for lunch, and everyone enjoyed some quiet time afterwards. Those whirlwind mornings call for relaxing afternoons, and we are so fortunate to have that luxury. Thank you Lord.

Brady completed his fourth cycle of chemotherapy yesterday! Thats one third of the way done! Woop woop!

Yes. One third. Originally we were told it would be 6-12 cycles, but when I mentioned that to my doctor, she lovingly sent us a letter from a good while back now from Brady’s systemic oncologist, indicating she very much intends to do the full years worth. While I wish we had been informed of her decision when she made it, at least we know now, and onward we go. At least we know what we’re looking at now.

At this point, we’ve noticed a few side effects from the chemotherapy. While Brady is hardly taken down by things you’d expect (ie: nausea, severe fatigue) he has noted a change in his throat. We knew it was a possibility, and its small so far, but there is a change.

Food gets stuck in Brady’s throat now. Not all foods. But, I guess you could call them sticky foods? So far, the most noticeable culprit is macaroni and cheese. Yes yes, I know, KD is bad for you anyway, we’re aware. But it happens sometimes that its what we eat, and when we do, Brady has to take a drink every two bites or so, otherwise it all builds up and he has a full feeling in his chest.

This is small. But the possibility that it could grow in the next eight months is there. We’ve been informed that some people go through chemotherapy and spend the rest of their lives eating a semi-solid diet. That is not Brady’s ideal, obviously. So we pray God’s protection and keep pressing on!

That is truly the only change we’ve noticed. Brady is completely himself, whether on or off chemo. God knows what we need. He hasn’t left us yet, and I don’t imagine He will. So we roll…

We had our big first day of school for the older three kids last week, but Solly’s school didn’t start until today. I was hopeful that it would go smoothly, as he has been talking about his first day for a while now, seemingly excitedly anticipating it!

Solly lives in shorts, but he opted for pants today, so weirdly, that suggested to me that he felt more serious about the day. More “business.” I liked it. He picked a grey tshirt, and I zipped him into a yellow hoodie. Boom. Ready.

He ate breakfast quickly, and packed his lunch into his backpack, filled his water bottles, and organized his masks and such all without complaint. He was SO happy!

Too bad it was so sunny out for pictures 😆☀️

We all walked to school together, as we do for a while at least. Especially with a kindergartener, we want everyone to know where to go and when. Solly lagged a little under his heavy backpack full of supplies, but when I told him it was ONLY for today, and it would be so much lighter after today, he was completely fine.

I am SO happy to tell you that Solomon’s confidence did not wane, and he arrived at his door completely gung ho! There was a cute little crowd of children waiting with their teacher outside the door. Our family hadn’t been able to go to the classroom walk-through on its scheduled day, so his teacher lovingly offered me to go walk him through the classroom before everyone went in to start the morning. I took him in, showed him his chair, and we took a quick peek at the giant lego table. Its going to be a GREAT day!

Except I forgot to send extra clothes. So, no pants peeing, Solly! There are rules…

He is five. But I swear, this morning, to me, he may as well be fifteen.

Brady time!

So I posted this on my Instagram account a week or two ago but I for those of you who don’t follow me and/or use Instagram, I’m gonna run you through this little table I built a couple weeks ago.

Hailey and I had the thought that it’d be nice to have a little table to set our coffees on while we sit next to the fire and my first idea was that I could build it with screws and treated lumber like everything else we’ve built this summer. But then I saw a piece of firewood that Hailey had chopped in a particular way that left it almost completely flat and smooth on one side. Gather enough of those and you’ve got a table top. Kindling for legs and stretchers. Use wood joinery methods instead of screws and you got a table with character. 😊

So we began gathering firewood that could be used for the top and the legs.

Once I had a small collection and a good ten day stay at the lake ahead of us I pulled out my tools and started chiseling.

First I needed to attach all the top pieces together. So I decided to cut what’s called a half lap joint into the underside of all the tops in order to glue two pieces of kindling across the underside of all four tops.

I had a lot of fun using my chisel to smooth the kindling. I didn’t have a hand plane here so a sharp chisel was the next best thing.

Also the wood chip mess on the ground was something I definitely enjoyed.

Next was gluing the top together. I only had three clamps so I had to glue one side at a time. Lots of time to sit and watch the fire. 🔥

Once the top was glued together I started working at notching out the tops of each leg in order to glue them to the underside of the table top.

My next step was probably the most challenging and time consuming of the whole build but also the most rewarding as well. I decided to add the stretchers aka little cross pieces by cutting round through tenons and drilling holes in the table legs to slide them through. The tenons were cut by hand with my chisel. Eight of them took me close to six hours but I had a blast!

Once all eight joints were cut I took it apart, added glue and then ‘clamped’ it together for the night. 💪

Once the glue had set and cured all I had left to do was trim the legs even and level. That took all of 15 minutes and it was done!

Ready to take its place and serve its purpose. 😊

Side note, as I was waiting for the glue to dry in the legs I made a wooden mallet from firewood as well. Which, from what I understand, is a right of passage for new woodworkers. I’d say not bad for my first mallet. 😊

You can probably guess by the title that you’re in for a shorty photo dump. Too many cute things that aren’t quiiiiite enough to be their own post. So. Behold.

Wavy is approaching ponytail status 😍 I’m so stoked about it!!

She is still be unceasing bathroom buddy. She cries if I don’t take her along.

I don’t know about you, but this is SO relatable to me! 🙌

Wavy was helping chop wood the other day and wanted to be photographed but it was just too sunsetty 😆

This was a super unsettling find while collecting firewood 😳 looks pretty abandoned, but still.

Our site is just a picture of welcoming, if you ask me. Home away from home.

A solid explanation of where “lucky duck” came from, perhaps 🦆

These two hiding out. Reading books in the morning.

Preparing for winter already 😩 Dekker wanted an ear flap two years ago and I finally got there, lol! He’s happy!

Never a dull moment here. Except there are LOTS of quiet, restful moments. For which I am so grateful 💜

If you’re on my Facebook, you may have noticed the GIANT ego boost I received yesterday about my crocheted blankets. That was wildly unexpected and so appreciated 💜 I am completely flattered with all the complements. What confidence you all instilled! Thank you!!

I started crocheting when I was around twelve. I remember my mom giving me a small crochet hooks that she had it her sewing kit. It was a small size. Kind of a pink/nude color. She had one ball of variegated yarn that she gave me. She showed me how to chain and do a singe stitch. And then she left to make us all supper. I sat in my room and played around with it, occasionally surfacing to the kitchen, having completely forgotten the stitch. She’d patiently show me again, and I’d take off to go see if I could make it work.

I’ve come a long way since making those crooked flat topped toques for everyone I knew.

Crocheting has now become a bit more of a need than a hobby. When Brady left for his surgery, I had crochet plans! I figured I’d have ALL this spare time; and I was going to crochet everything in those days. But as it happened, I couldn’t squeak out a single project. I had NO gumption. No passion.

Very quickly after my husband was back home safely under our roof, my anxiety bug bit HARD. Conveniently,
so did the crocheting bug! I bit back and began working on projects way beyond my comfort zone. Crocheting kept my hands busy, and instead of picking my poor destroyed shoulders, arms, and fingers, they created beautiful things. When my brain got too swirly and scared, I could think about counting stitches and watch progress in a positive way.

Since Brady came home, I have completed six full sized afghans, two baby blankets, and I’m halfway through another full sized one. I posted some on Facebook, but I’ll put them here too, in case you missed them.

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The first two, I actually managed to make for Christmas gifts last year, and the bottom one was from this year. I have more I’m excited to share with you, but they get their own post another 😘

As if I haven’t said it enough, I greatly appreciated your support yesterday on Facebook. You encouraged me in my work abs creativity. It’s exciting to see something from my childhood aid in my healing and end up making beautiful things.

Thank you, friends.

It’s the long weekend! We’re officially through the first stretch of school to settle in the three older ones. Solomon starts next week! But for now, he’s been walking with us all to school in the mornings, getting to know the route.

He is terribly cute 😍 so is his little sister. Goodness these kids!

While the kids were at school, Brady, Cher and I got things ready for the lake!!

That’s right, folks, we’re back at Kinasao this weekend! Rain or shine, we’re there!! Sooooo excited!! Veggies were chopped, clothes were packed, lists were made, etc etc etc. Thank gar I can tell is there are different factors that made it easy.

One is the fact that Cher did most of it 😏 She’s a nice lady.

The other factor is that we’ve packed for ten day stays. Where packing for a weekend used to wipe me out, now a long weekend is a piece of cake! It felt like we barely brought anything! It was easy! We did it last minute, even!

To me, this is progress. Victory. Thank you Lord for the opportunities you’ve given us.