The Daily Hailey

I usually have most of the kids Christmas gifts chosen and thought out halfway through the summer. Not this summer 😂 In a lot of ways, this summer was the ultimate exception. So I did not get myself organized whatsoever, and have been feeling the impending doom feelings.

While I don’t have it all locked down by any means, I have made some decisions and a few purchases. You know how Amazon Prime Day be.

But as our life seems to be further under water each day, the clutter is making me feel a little bit crazy. Specifically the clutter in my room. So today, the Christmas gifts I do have are wrapped, checked off the list, and put out of reach, but in everyones line of vision, hahaha!

Part of me feels so happy to have gifts already up and wrapped. The DREAM is to have everything bought and acquired before November and wrapped before December. But we’ll see if I get there. I haven’t yet!

While I wrapped, Cher and I drank gross/weird/intriguing drinks and listened to Hamilton on Spotify.

What does it taste like, you ask? Cream soda. But greasy, somehow. And something different at the end. Flavor? Grit? Nobody knows.

It was a decent day, especially considering the two hours of sleep I got last night 😅 Please, Lord, let there be MORE sleep tonight!

Brady, my man. What a year this last week has been 😅 What a century this last year has been. But. We made it 💜

Its hard to know how to write this blog, because its been such a different kind of season over here. But you, my man, are worthy of all the celebration. So much of our beautiful life is thanks to you. So many of our connections and friendships are from you. Our house is our home because of you.

I know this season of our life is hard. Probably the hardest. But you, dear Brady, are my partner in it all. Our partnership has changed, but I like to think neither of us have a single regret. I love our life together, and I am beyond happy that you were born those 38 years ago 💜

Clearly your co-workers all feel the same 💜

😭🥹

You are dearly loved by so many, Brady. I hope you feel that love today, even though its a sleepy one 💜 You are SO precious to me. To all of us.

Happy birthday, Brady, my love. I’m SO happy you’re here.

Blessings of abundance. That should really be the theme over here. Can we have multi-themes? Sub themes?

Abundance.

Gratefulness.

Peace.

Grief.

What else? So so many feelings that roll on repeat over here.

Every day, I feel all of these things. One of them is hard. The rest are pretty amazing. And honestly, grief has some beautiful things tied into it as well. Its just maybe the more difficult emotion out of the list.

Today was a really full day, but it was really nice. Kids were in a few different directions, and I had the help I needed to get one of the young ones somewhere that I couldn’t do myself. I was able to make a yummy, easy supper out of food that had been gifted to our family, and have a crunchy apple on the side that we bought from a fundraiser that one of Brady’s coworkers’ kids was doing. There is a guy working in our yard to clean up some final jobs before snow really grows a pair and starts to fly. And in the midst of all the after school rowdies, another one of Brady’s coworkers came by with a meal I am SO excited to make in a couple of days, and a gift for Brady.

So look at that list.

My best friend cleans my house, and actively prays for my family.

My mom helped get Spoons somewhere after school, and she actively prays for our family.

The groceries that I made supper from came from a man who loves Jesus and attends our church, and the apples came from someone who also loves and prays for our family.

I can’t tell you anything about the yard guy 😅 but he is SO kind and works quickly and quietly, doing a really nice job.

The man who brought the meals and card actively pray for our family, and he is very warm to talk to. Offered specific things he can help with, and was on his way.

Thank you, all, for being good neighbours, and for obeying Gods request and loving your neighbours as you see needs arise. For being generous, and being thoughtful and encouraging. Texting without expectation of replies. Taking us as we are, which is not necessarily a great way, but loving us anyway.

If its not clear 💜 We love you too.

Earlier this morning, I was texting with my sister and she asked what our plans for today were.

I listed off all of the beautiful people we were going to see today, and she said “It sounds like a day full of love.”

And boy was she ever right.

Of course I missed one of our guests, who came with out foster bestie, and ended up doing our dishes and digging some lunch out for everyone while we had coffee and visited with one of our other guests 💜 which was such a gift to us.

We prayed, spoke honestly, and spent quality time with some of our favorite people.

Got in a few laughs. Only a few though 😜

And made the most of our day. It was SUCH a peaceful day. Full of love is easily the best description. I am so unbelievably grateful for the day. The people in it. Brady. The prayers. All we are going through and where we are going – for all these things, I praise the Lord.

We should all be thankful every day, but its good to be really intentional about it as well 💜

When we went around the table today, the kids were thankful for a host of things ranging from family togetherness to gravy. Each thing was entirely valid and something worthy of thanks.

We kept the day very simple and relaxed. Snacky lunch. Supper of ham, potatoes, and carrots that have all been gifted to us this season. My mom did pretty much all of the cooking, plus she made gravy. And a jello. Twice. Because a baby knocked it over and broke everything 😭 HATED that. We finished off with pumpkin pie and whipped cream from a loving neighbour.

Its really hard to look at our life and feel sorry for ourselves. I know so many don’t have the support we have. It is undeniable, though. When the water gets deep, we have so many around us who are eager to pull us up and limp us to where we need to be.

No food picture this year. No group picture. But I can show you this picture from lunch in hope it gives you a giggle.

Squidward, charcuterie style.

Complicated thanksgiving, everyone! 💜

It was hard times over here today. Lots of good, but lots of challenges as well. I can’t get into it all. We will focus on the grace of God, and the generosity and eagerness and love from those closest around us. Without each of those pieces, I don’t know how we’d ever stay afloat.

The day is winding down, but the kids are still fairly wound up, which makes sense. So the ones who wanted to opted for a late night walk and perhaps a visit to the playground. Boom! Dark park!

Laela was going to wear little shorts and her new puffy jacket 🤣 She’s going to thank me when she gets back, just you wait.

My family is so precious to me. I praise You, Lord, for every last one of them, and for every person who crossed the threshold of our home today 💜 You were undeniably present.

Tomorrow is the official friendaversary of Cher and I.

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Nine years of being besties, and without a single regret!!

We usually try to go out together, even just for a little something, to celebrate our friendaversary. For lots of reasons, this year is not the year for it, so rather, we spent some intentional time just being close and still. Also sushi bowls! Because they were long overdue.

Goodness our friendship has weathered a lot of storms! This last year hasn’t been gentle on either of us, but conveniently, we have stood strong together!! What we call our everythingship is rock solid 💪 Which we are both SO thankful to God for, because these kinds of times can truly rip people apart.

Not us, though 😘😘

I’m sorry our friendaversary wasn’t big and fluffy this year. No outings. No gifts. No fancy treats.

I’m also not sorry that our friendaversary was as it was. It was peaceful and quiet and just me and you. Just resting. Sharing air. And maybe some iced coffee mixed in there.

It was perfectly imperfect for celebrating a perfectly imperfect season of life 💜

I love you, sweet Cherice. My BEST friend 💜💚🧡 I would hide on the floor from door to door salesmen with you any time 😘

I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜
I love you 💜

And more to come 💜

If the title of this blog was somehow unclear, I’ll say it again.

Dekker got a job. A REAL job. Like, on payroll, with a schedule and responsibilities, working hard for his money.

We took some pictures before he left. Like, first day of school, but actually first day of work. Same idea. He was positively beaming. Cher drove him in (Thank you, Cher! 💜) and I picked him up.

There is so much more I want to say here. I want to give ALL the details, but in order to maintain boundaries with some people, I feel I can’t share more 😔 Which SUCKS, because I don’t like not being able to share joys with the rest of you. But that is the situation we find ourselves in this time around.

Bottom line. Dekker had a GREAT time. He LOVES good hard work and being busy. He will do very well in this job, and I am SO proud of him for locking down a real gig at this point in his life. Way to go, Dekker! You are incredible and will have everyone around you looking bad in no time 🤣

💜

As an aside, if anyone nearby is willing to drive him to or from once in a while, please let me know! That is the one part of him having a job that will make our life a little messier, but it will be worth it. He also needs some drives for drivers ed, now that his learners is officially in hand 😅 Goodness times are crazy.

I am SO grateful for today 💜

My dear daughter, Miss Laela Hazel, made me a gift in her IA class. And today, she brought it home and presented it to me. And while a lot of us moms oooo and awwww at everything their kids bring home (even when the suck) this thing is SO ADORABLE!!!

Behold 🙌

I love this little ghost for a handful of reasons.

I LOVE that she gave it to me and made it with me in mind.
I LOVE how excited she was to give it to me.
I LOVE that she was “stuck” using watercolors for the white of the ghost because it looks intentionally sheer.
And I LOVE that if you look at it just right, it looks like a shrugging ghost wearing a puffy vest.

This one right here. She’s excellent. We have our moments, and the power struggle can be strong, but we always come back to each other 💜 SO grateful for my Laela.

And my ghost. She needs a name.

People are picking up on the fact that days are a bit more challenging over here. I really appreciate all of you who have reached out and been close, while not being overbearing or nosey. You have ALL struck that happy medium right on the head, and we are SO grateful for your warmth and efforts to show love.

I had a really nice visit with one of the home care nurses this morning.

I had a really nice day with Cher.

We ate really yummy raisin bread grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, ingredients gifted to us yesterday by friends.

I had a really nice phone call with my mom.

And for supper, we ate really yummy pizza, courtesy of one of Brady’s colleagues at Zaks. And a surprise really yummy dessert, dropped off by a friend who we only met because she loved eating our apples when walking down the back alley that she came to our door one day.

Oh and we shared the lemon out of the dry ribs between the little ones 🤣 I’m not allowed to post the videos but goodness would I LOVE to! An obvious highlight 🍋

Guys. We have it so. Incredibly. Good. It boggles the mind, as my mom would say. It is hard to be a big group of sad sacks when we are so covered and supported.

Brady ate pizza and drank Pepsi for supper, and he promised to eat cake with me later this evening 🙂 I can’t wait!