The Daily Hailey

Summer was so different this year. That goes without saying. Our family greatly enjoys fall camping, and we usually go every weekend until we can’t anymore – usually into the very beginnings of October. With all of the changes over here, we haven’t been in Kinasao in two months. Yesterday was our day for fall camping 💜 Transport was funded (don’t ask me exactly how, I don’t know the answer) so Brady slept through his bus ride and I took the rest of our clan up to Christopher Lake in time for lunch. We even had the pleasure of bringing our little foster bestie, which was such a gift to us, and made the whole thing feel like the whole family was there.

Most of the pictures, I can’t show you, because our little ones were right in there with everyone. But you’ll have to believe me that we had a beautiful gang of those we love so deeply. Our Dahlsjos were with us. (For the many of you who have asked, “doll show.” Lol!) Scott came down to visit. Sue did also. Our closest camp people were nearby and full of love and softness.

Photo highlight reel in no particular order:

The kids found a haul of shells in the sand. Not sure how they got there (or who got them there) but it was SO fun for the kids to dig for them! They happened upon some of the smooth stones that go in plants or fishtanks as well. “Butt cheeks” as Wavy called them.

The trees and the skies did not disappoint 💜

We had a very tame fox friend hanging around 🦊

At least he didn’t legitimately steal out food like the squirrel! It took a cupcake!! You can’t see it, but you’ll have to trust me. No joke.

Brady’s iced capp took on the fall flavoring

as did my tiramisu a la Sadie 😋

And the water 😍 It was so so beautiful down by the water. Took some pretty great pictures of a certain little down there. Every picture of that kid is a great picture! But the water on its own is lovely too 💜

Kinasao is such a precious place for our family. Our last day there this summer was incredibly hard, and yesterday, we got to rewrite that day. No idea what next summer will hold, but today, I am just very grateful we got that day.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! Thank you for Kinasao!!!

As we’re on the road today…

There have been a lot of songs this last year that have felt like theme songs. This one is new to me, and these days, I could just pump it on repeat. I will be the first to admit that worship music is rarely my thing. While I LOVE to sing, and I LOVE to praise the Lord, yikes sometimes worship music just suuuuucks 😩 Take this all with a grain of salt if you love worship music. I just struggle with the majority of it. But this song just cries to my heart. That bridge gets me all stompy and I can barely sing it aloud without choking up. So please take a second and give it a listen.

When the world offers counterfeit, we choose Jesus!

When it costs more than we can give, we choose Jesus!

When the world can’t make sense of it, we choose Jesus!

When nobody’s coming with, we choose Jesus!

😭

Tell me who’s coming with!

Every year, our school hosts a soccer tournament for our grades five and six kids to compete against other schools. Each year, I try to get out there and hit at least a few of the games. This year, I had both Rowan and Solly playing, so I definitely had to get there! Aaaaand this year, Brady could come, too! Extra special! 💜

Rowan has played a lot of recess soccer and has a lot of fun. He has a great run with great endurance.

Solly isn’t much for sports but when he was on the field, he was waving his arms, calling out to his team, in full participation mode!

Dekker is expected to manage some volunteering at his age, so today, he helped ref some of the grade five games. Not his jam, but he managed it well without any real nerves or apprehension.

Brady and I huffed it to the elementary school for Sollys games, and then further to Centennial park for Rowans. That one was a trek, let me tell you! You don’t realize how uneven grass and lawn is until you’re huffing a man in a chair! Whew! But we made it!! By the time we were ready to head back to our house, I didn’t have much left in the tank to take a longer, more peaceful, way. I had to take the most direct way, which was right along the main drag through town. Which, on a day like today, was bustling with school buses, parent vehicles, and even the recycling truck. And WOW was everyone SO patient and kind. We were definitely not in the ideal position on the road, yet everyone waited to patiently to go past us safely and slowly, waving to reassure us that we were seen and safe. It wasn’t too long ago that my self talk would’ve tormented me, telling me that everyone was annoyed and we were too slow or we didn’t deserve to be on the road that way. That I should have pushed it and just gone the long way. But today, my self talk has changed a lot. Not only was it totally clear that no one was annoyed with us, but had they been, I actually feel quiet secure in our position on the road, and even though it maybe was less convenient for some, we had every right to walk where we did. It was a challenge to get to these games, and I’m so very glad we could make it happen. Couldn’t do it without help at home, of course, c/o Cher 💜 And the reassurance of the many people who whispered to me that they were around if I needed someone to help get Brady where he needed to be brought a lot of comfort. We feel so taken care of 💜

Piano is back in action!! I have

laela was here 😛

Alright, Laela had her fun. Thats what I get for walking away from my laptop.

So, as I was saying, piano is back in action!! I have three kids in piano again this year – Laela, Solomon, and Waverly. Everyone is one lesson in and our instrument is back in full force.

Today, Wavy had a lesson and then immediately left for a playdate, so, there’s that. Solly had his lesson, came home, practiced, and then played for at least another 45 minutes. And then Laela snuck in some practicing before and after supper, asking me lots of questions about the theory she is learning. All along, there is a toddler holding themselves up by the keys, booming along with her plinky plunkies. I’d show you a picture, but, its illegal.

My favorite part of piano so far was Laela after her lesson yesterday. I was coming into the house as she was leaving. She came home early for her piano lesson, had it, dropped her books, and ran to the school to get into an impromptu volleyball game against the junior boys team. As we passed, she called to me “Piano was really good. I have purple books! They’re PURPLE!!!”

She proved it to me today 😂

I’ll admit that juggling volleyball and piano sometimes is a lot, and not something I necessarily love. I suppose I can be grateful that ballet is starting a little late at least, as their teacher is having a baby. So one less activity to schedule around.

Its the season for settling into evvvvverything!! 😅 But when the books are purple, its all worth it.

We have been so fortunate to receive gifts from so many people in and around our community. I catch myself often overthinking where our beautiful village came from, and how little we did to actually earn it. But I know I don’t need to question those things, and rather, just be grateful. There are seasons where we need more and seasons where we can give more. I just feel like the season of need refuses to quit 😅

Aaaaanyway.

Todays supper consisted of:

Potatoes from the Sawyers 🥔

Ham from the Dahlsjos 🐷

Corn from Heather 🌽

Carrots from Rae 🥕

How did we get SO lucky?? How do we have it THIS good??

Thank you, all, for putting into us in all the ways you do. Its not only food, but goodness when its food, its goooood food! 🤤 And that day, friends, was today 💜

You’ve probably seen I’ve posted comics before from the cartoon called Strange Planet. Nathan Pyle, the guy who write them, is SO funny to me. Definitely my kind of dry humour.

Anyway. Sometimes he posts questions, or odd prompts to get people to interact on posts. I know how it works, but for him, I’ll bite. And today, I’ll share this one with you, because GHOSTS! Tell me which one you’d pick.

My initial choice was the haunting melody via the ghostly banjo. Because I like music, as well as the mental picture of a ghost playing a banjo for me. However, I think I’m switching. I think. Quandary.

I think I’m going to choose rearranging my kitchen. This is why.

Every other option is constant or daily. The rearranging of the kitchen doesn’t specify that, which makes me a little bit hopeful. It is possible that it means the kitchen rearranged just absolutely all day long, which would obviously be annoying. However, if I opened a drawer and my ideal thing wasn’t in that drawer, perhaps I could just close it and reopen it, and there would be a host of new stuff in there 🤷‍♀️ Its possible, right? So maybe that one would push me to be more organized, where I would open something and be able to spot everything I might need, since going back into that same spot a second time wouldn’t work the same.

I think I choose the kitchen.

What do you choose?

Today was a bit of a wild one. Not in a bad way, but in the way where I feel like I’ve been running. Though I haven’t. But my brain has been.

I can’t even tell you how many calls I fielded. Well. I probably could tell you, but I don’t want to look. When I’d be on the phone, I’d miss a different call, or come back to a handful of messages that all needed replying to. NOT saying anything regarding my people I love to text and call!! But like, appointment stuff. Health care stuff. Heavier things that our loved ones sending messages 💜 Nothing was bad, but my brain is so tired 😅

My kids are all out in various locations with different friends, except the little ones who are still napping, so I can definitely keep my feet up a little longer. Not too terribly long, but longER, anyway. I have to stop crocheting, though, and do something more productive.

Should I…

A. Make a document to help organize our finances?

or

B. Unpack the Skylight calendar I got for half price on Marketplace and win the war against intimidation?

🤷‍♀️

I started this new thing and I think every parent out there should try it. It greatly assists with being asked a million questions every day, as well as adds some humour, because who doesn’t need more of that? It goes like this.

Kid: Mom?
Me: Nope.
Kid:….. aw…
Me: 😏

Thats our version, anyway. Make it your own.

You’re welcome.

We had the immense pleasure of spending the day today with our dear Dahlsjos 💜 How we made it through our time without taking pictures!!! is beyond me!! 😩 Maybe because we just enjoyed our time together rather than trying to save it on our phones. It was really peaceful and refreshing to be among some of our more favorite people.

We chatted. Ate simple food. The kids played and caught up on lost time. Shared out dramas and traumas, and some good tight hugs. We called it right at 7pm so they could make their trek home, and I could get our sweet foster bestie home before bedtime.

It is a HUGE gift to know we can have our Dahlsjos over and still be exactly ourselves. With no pressure on anyone or anything to be perfect or any kind of way. We just were together, and that was enough.

We love you guys. We have missed you so dearly this summer. Thank you for making this drive. We hope to see you all again soon 💜

I’m not sure there’s been a week recently that I have been so ready to see go. It wasn’t a bad week, per se, but it was such a loaded week. I was SO relieved when the kids were off to school and I could just take some deep breaths. No appointments today!

Not only was today a bit of a freer day, but the kids were invited to go swim at a friends place after they got home!

Not only were my five occupied after school, but I had the pleasure of receiving our little foster bestie halfway through the afternoon! That is ALWAYS a win!

Not only that, but Brady woke up in time for supper. We had bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, and fresh oranges. Love some breakfast for supper over here.

And not only do I have SO much to be grateful for in our day, but we also are grateful to not need home care tomorrow! No burn on them, but its lovely to not lay in wait for an appointment. In fact, we will see some very dear friends tomorrow, which is its own gift. I’m already grateful that they’re coming, and I will be grateful again once they’re here, and yet again after.

Not being facetious either. I know our things are heavy, but Gods mercy never fails, and we feel it over and over.