Month: March 2019

Biking 2019

We had a full morning, with getting to church for sound check, being busy for a bit between then and church, and then actually getting to church for the morning! A serious thank you goes to Jerilee for driving out and hanging with our kids for that hour for our practice! They were all in great spirits, which helps so much going into church.

Church itself went great. Music went smoothly, the kids did well, Wavy didn’t cry when I passed her off to a friend, and once the three oldest had gone to children’s church, Brady and I were 1:1 with kids. I had Wavy, and he had Solly. It was so chill. Though Waverly is SO loud!!! She’s lucky she’s so stinking cute or she might’ve been disruptive 😉

Aaaaanyway, after church, I took Brady and the kids home. Brady got them lunched and fed, and ALL FIVE OF THEM SLEPT!!! That almost never happens, but Rowan gets up a million times in the night to pee now (because potty training) and I think Dekker is getting less sleep. Some days, its just super clear that he needs to sleep. But he knows it, too, and feels so much better after.

Post-naps, they all went outside to bike.

They LOVE biking outside. This raises three points in my mind.

1. I have pretty big shoes to fill when Brady goes back to work later this week and I’m on mom duty again. They’ve been loving the outside time! I have to get them out there more.

2. We have to get our garage tidier/emptier so we can leave the bikes down and reachable. They currently hang from hooks on the ceiling, which works great, but I can barely reach them down. Our van takes up so much space in the garage that there’s nowhere for them to be set down and stay down. Hmmm… Who wants to come shopping in my garage?

3. Last point. What do you guys think? Dekker wants to bike to school, which I’m totally fine with. However, he and Laela walk together on her days. She still has training wheels. Would you let her bike to school with training wheels? Maybe lots of kids do, I really don’t know. I just have it in my head that they wouldn’t until the biked without them?? Any seasoned parents care to chime in? Maybe I made the whole thing up…

Regardless, the snow is melting and spring has officially come. Let the season of wipeouts begin!

While I was Home this Afternoon

This afternoon, I was home for a bit. We invited Cher over for coffee, and since her life is about to pick up with some high-stakes exams, she took Waverly’s monthly pictures just a little bit early!

Wavy was pretty stoic for most of today’s shoot but still SO cute!!

While Cher and I visited, sipped coffee, and took pictures of Wavy, Brady went to work installing some new car seats! We had taken the car seats out while we were away this weekend, leaving them with Jerilee in case of an emergency, and when he reinstalled them, we discovered we needed to replace not one but two of them!! Gah! Sooooo during a quick trip in to the city this week, we took care of that, and they’re now comfortably where they belong.

Girlies in the front here…

Dekker in the middle row, and the little boys in the back!

Yes! Laela’s in a booster now! She is STOKED! She’s 40 lbs, over 40″ tall, and over the age of 4! Rowan, on the other hand, is over 4 years old, and over 40″ tall, and is 39 lbs!! SO CLOSE!!! We’ll keep him in a convertible car seat for a while still here, because we have it, but how crazy is it that he and Laela are only ONE POUND apart?!

As I’m writing this out, I’m away, and Brady has the kids all playing outside while he’s finally installing a mailbox on our house!!

I’m so happy to finally have one of these! We got a little bit of heck this past Christmas season for not having one, so basically, now that it exists, I expect presents. Ha! I tease. Sort of. (Turns out we need a new entrance mat, haha!)

Tomorrow morning is church, and we’re up for worship leading! Hope we see some of you there! <3

Busy Busy!

Today felt like a busy day! Busy but so good!

It was a more “relaxed” version of busy for me. I was in Saskatoon bright and early to run an errand or two, and then I did some little jobs throughout the day, and hung out with my mom. It was super lovely.

Brady, on the other hand, had a busier day! He not only was single-dadding it again, and kept everyone alive and happy…

but he got some stuff done!

Today, there were two big goals.

Goal number one was getting the bikes ready! He spent some time this afternoon getting tires pumped and frames tightened up so the kids could bike again! The bikes, trikes, and balance bikes are all ready for the season. That includes his bike, and my bike. Full disclosure. I do not like to bike. But I love my family, and they bike. So thats something. Also, my bike is cute, so that helps, too.

Goal number two is about something I haven’t shared on here yet! Brady, Carrie, and I booked a gig. Gulp. As in, playing music for people to listen to. Double gulp. Aaaaanyway, its coming up in April, and we’ve been practicing and trying to get organized for it already. Last night, we made a big list of songs we either know or want to learn. All of this being said, Brady took my rough list and found chords for every single song! He printed them off and is making two tidy binders of music for our house and Carrie’s house. So much work went into that! I’m so thankful!

I’m not entirely sure what tomorrow will hold, but I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Five Things That Made Me Smile Today

1. After yesterday’s blog post, Brady sent me this picture of the kids at bedtime. Not only does it prove that Solly is ALWAYS making that face, but it also shows my children reading the Bible together before bed, which I love.

2. Today, as Dekker and Laela walked to school, the rest of us were heading to the city. We drove past them on our way out, and rather than getting confused, they laughed and jumped and waved like crazy! It was adorable.

3. We were at Walmart today, and the weather was beautiful! No big bulky jackets to fuss with, or boots to fall off when trying to remove the kid from the cart. I went to grab a cart for my family and was SO RELIEVED when this was a doll and not a baby. Calling that a positive moment. Hope she doesn’t haunt your dreams.

4. I’m SO excited about a whole new kind of yarny craft I recently discovered! I would share a picture, buuut I’m going to keep it to myself for a bit 😉 I want to see if I’m any good at it first!

5. I love all my children, but I spent a bit of one on one time with Waverly this morning, and it really made me happy. She was SO cute and happy. She was cooperative with everyone, and even offered up a very precious “Hi!,” which doesn’t happen all too often.

Lots of little wins today. What’s one of yours?

Hey Solly

Hey Solly! Smile!
Hey Solly! Give a nice smile!
Hey Solly! Make a funny face!
Hey Solly! What does a cow say?
Hey Solly! Are you ok?
Hey Solly! Are you tired?
Hey Solly! Are you happy?
Hey Solly! We’re going to the city!
Hey Solly! We’re going to church!
Hey Solly! Do you love Wavy?
Hey Solly!

Every. Single. Time. Always.
Just in case you were wondering what the inside of his mouth looks like.
Great teeth, though!

D-D-D-D-Daddy and the Kidsssss

Sing it like “Benny and the Jets!”

Brady’s week off of work couldn’t have come at a better time! I’ve been unexpectedly away from home for the last couple of days, and Brady has graciously taken on the role of single dadding. I’ve been able to be out of the house without any guilt or resentment laid on me. I know I’m SO fortunate to have a loving, understanding, involved spouse to count on! It gives me some very real, very important opportunities.

I’m also thankful to him for sending pictures all along the way, so I don’t miss anyone too too much 😉 

Yes, Solly has a ponytail now!

My kids are also totally understanding about my being away, and it makes the mornings that I see them SO sweet and special. The hugs are genuine and the conversations are about whats important to them now. I love those times, and I’m happy to have them. Soon, I’m sure I’ll be back home full time, and they’ll be bored of me again 😉 But this has its sweet aspects too.

The Best Things About Getting Home

It was so good to come home to our beautiful family yesterday. Sometimes, after a trip, I feel not quite ready to leave, or that it was too short. This weekends trip was short, but it still felt great to be home. I missed our kids, and then comfort of our home. Also, our bed. The hotel bed was fine, but our bed is sooo comfy, and our blankets and pillows are better. It felt so good.

I was on the phone yesterday evening when someone knocked on our door. We weren’t expecting anyone! Brady went down to see who it was, and wouldn’t you know it was someone with treats! LOTS of treats!!

You better believe Brady and I ate a few pieces of these before we went to sleep, and will likely do the same today if the kids don’t beat us to it! But MY GOSH! Can I say it any louder?? WE HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE!!! What an enormous gift, again.

Brady and I realized this morning that Dekker actually has today off school! We had completely forgotten! So we just hung out! Dekker likes school just fine, but he loves home. Today, I harassed him while we sat on the couch together, and we had SO much fun!

He’s getting tougher, so I can really put my weight on him and rough him up a bit, and he just laughs and laughs and laughs. He’s so serious so often, and it’s SO GOOD to see him laugh the way he does!

Now to find our way to Waskesiu…

26 Hours

Our trip to Regina came and went in only 26 hours! It felt longer than that, and I’m SO grateful to Jerilee for giving us that night away! The life we’ve chosen isn’t quick to give us getaways, so we are SO thankful when we do get those opportunities!

We left Saskatoon early/mid afternoon on Saturday after filling the van with gas and picking up iced capps.

We listened to good music on the drive, specifically the mew Marianas Trench album. Guys, its SO good! We were amped to hear it live, we wanted to know the songs as well as possible!

We got to Regina and checked into our hotel. We had missed the memo that our Holiday Inn & Suites had suites. I know. Thank you, captain obvious. But thats what we got! A nice big room with a king bed, a couch and some chairs at a table, a bathroom (obviously,) a small fridge, a keurig, among other things. The staff were nice, too. We checked in and got ready for the concert. It wasn’t long before we needed to leave to go get ourselves fed! To Boston Pizza we went!

I know, nothing too crazy, but we like it there. We got an appetizer and a pizza and had a really yummy supper. Guys, I could eat tropical chicken pizza all day every day. Its my faaavorite!

From there, we headed to the concert! We were about an hour early, but that turned out to be a good choice, because even that early, we parked a good ways away.

For the sake of parking, it made sense to be early, but for no other reason. Rather than another arena tour, Marianas Trench is going through auditoriums, so picture theatre seats rather than crowds of people pushing towards the stage. I like both, but the old lady in me loves having my spot to set my hypothetical stuff, and the guarantee that no one will be standing directly against me. Except Brady. He’s allowed.

We waited along with everyone else, and the doors opened about a half hour before the show started.

We felt pretty “meh” about the opening band. They had a LOT of fun, which was great, but everything was super electronic and distorted. I couldn’t understand a single word, and I think lyrics are a big part of the music I like. But to each their own. I was MUCH more excited about the main event band!!

And guys, they did not disappoint!

Say what you will about Marianas Trench. I know they’re a popular radio band, and not everyone’s cup of tea. If you like their singles at all, I challenge you to go listen to the music they haven’t put on the radio! Their opening and closing numbers are SO artistic and full, and a clear display of their raw talent. They can jump from style to style, seemingly effortlessly, and ace it all! The lead singer ran around the auditorium, sang HARD, and hit all the falsetto notes, with serious power behind them! It was pretty amazing! I screamed and cheered for them like I would’ve back in high school. It was just so so fun! And WOW, was I deaf afterwards!! Worth it!

We got back to our hotel, after picking up some ice cream, and snuggled in bed, watching some tv and eating dessert. I fell asleep embarrassingly quickly, but I was completely spent!!

This morning, we took our time getting moving. Meanwhile, Jerilee was decorating cookies with our kids, sending pictures, and feeding them/keeping them alive for us. A loving neighbour even dropped by a bunch of fresh cinnamon buns!! Our family was SO well cared for! We were able to doddle a little bit getting our of Regina, and made our way home without rush. The best way!

We’re home now, after a warm reception 🙂 Everyone was happy and well and full of stories! And truthfully, we were very happy to be home. It was SO nice to get out, but man do we love our kids, also! Its great to be home. Always.

Thank you, friends, who help us get out once in a while, and make sure we get some treats and special times away together. What an enormous gift!

When We Go to Edmonton…

Spring tends to get people excited and motivated, in general, and I’m no different. All of a sudden, goals feel a bit more reachable, and getting up in the morning feels less backwards. Who gets up when its pitch black out anyway?? But now, the suns out, the temperature is up, and everything feels a bit lighter. There’s so much to look forward to! The kids are going to school in lighter jackets, splash pants, and rubber boots.

Here I am, over here, just itching for my annual spring Edmonton trip with Jerilee! It is SUCH a fun part of the weather improving!! Our very first year, we went in February and that was a poor choice. We FROZE. We both hate winter, so spring is just a way better time for it.

In the spirit of dreaming about shopping, I present to you my Ikea wishlist!! Now, guys, I’m counting on you. If I’m missing something awesome, tell me!! Also, it feels important to say, there is NO WAY I’ll be getting all of these things. Hence, “WISH” list. I’m not made of money, but dreaming is free!

We’ll start with the big stuff. Ready? GO!

I’d love a bathroom vanity for the basement! Now, we’re trying pretty hard to make the basement match the rest of our house but to be totally honest, we like our kitchen cabinets from Ikea SO MUCH BETTER than our “custom” bathroom cabinets. So even if the basement bathroom vanity doesn’t match the one upstairs, I’d rather not buy the same ones locally.

Ideally, with that vanity would come a sink. Or two! I anticipate we’ll have a small handful of kids getting ready for school downstairs eventually, and I think two sinks would be smart. So I’d at least look at Ikea.

I’d love to get some cabinets over the toilets. I don’t know why I didn’t think of these sooner, but they’re an obvious choice for a family like our who will always need more storage solutions. So ideally, we’d have one for all three toilets in our house. I’m not sure we’d need one in the en suite, but we’ll decide when the time comes.

Once our basement exists, the tv will move downstairs and we’ll just have a sitting area upstairs, probably with our instruments and such. I’d love a cabinet that sits on the big long wall along the living room and dining room, to sort of break that area up. Maybe something like this. We’ll have to see.

Possibly this bitty little bunk bed for the little boys when the bedrooms move around. Possibly not. Its SO nice and short, with full sized twin mattresses. But I’m not sure yet. 

Ok, to the smaller stuff!

I want metal garbage cans! No link, because I don’t even care. But our plastic ones upstairs – the plastic garbage cans that EVERYONE has – have absorbed the smell of Waverly’s diapers, and I’m pretty over it.

I’m thinking maybe some new pots… Doing research on that. Ours are starting to wear out, and I think I want to change what we use completely. There’s also a big pasta pot with a pasta insert. I love the idea of that way too much. Also the steamer insert thing. We love steamed veggies over here.

I’m stoked about the 365 food storage containers! The containers are big and priced well! I’ve seen some large families use them on YouTube who swear by them! I’d love to check them out myself. My pantry would be happy, too.

I bought some cute succulents at Ikea the last time I was there, and I’d love some more! Plus, some cute pots to put them in! I don’t know what happened last time around, but there were NO pots for them that weren’t ridiculously large. 

Also this bougy watering can would make my life, haha! Seriously, I put this towards the end, but its actually at the very top of my list of wants.

We need more little glasses. Now that the older kids are using real glasses, they’re breaking a little more often, lol! Ours from Ikea have pears on them, but those are long gone. Not sure what they’ll have when we get there next, but we’ll probably get the same size and shape so they all stack together.

I’d really like this little hanging laundry thing! For little annoying things that I drape over hangers and end up on the floor. Bras and such. Would be SO nice, and will fit nicely in our laundry area in the basement once its all finished. Could also bring to the lake for swim suits, wet clothes, etc.

Whew! Guys. How did I do? Its kind of ominous, but I’d never buy it all at once. And if I did, I’d be dumb, because it wouldn’t all fit in Jerilee’s car, haha!

What am I missing? What are your Ikea must-haves?

The Plan vs Whats Actually Happening

I’ve been SO anticipating this weekend!! Brady and I are getting a whole night away to go see one of our favorite bands in concert in Regina! Jerilee agreed to watch all of our kids so we could go away for a bit 🙂 What amaaazing people we have!! Goodness!

I’ve been saying recently that I’ve been working hard to not buy food before eating up ALL we have. Mostly that means convenience food right now. Pantry stuff. Frozen stuff. You know the stuff I mean. And we’ve been doing a pretty good job, if I do say so myself! But yesterday it became clear to me that we NEEDED a grocery shop!

We are out of bananas. We have three apples. No more fresh veggies besides a bag of some sad lettuce I chopped up a while back. (Don’t worry, no ones getting scurvy over here. We’ve been rocking all the yummy frozen green things in our freezer! Green beans, brussel sprouts, and broccoli!) We officially drank ALL the milk this morning. ALL of it. I even took the last shot of creamer for my coffee and it wasn’t enough to make it taste like I like it. We’re OUT! And as you all know, when we run out of milk around here, its time.

So today was going to be a big errand running day. We need Costco for most of it, and Superstore to fill in the gaps. Does anyone wish they could just hit Costco? How great would that be?! If they got our creamer, we could almost do it! I was also hoping to take Wavy in for her flu booster finally. We’re so behind. There were lots of things to pick up and do today.

A wrench got thrown into my plan when Laela woke up feeling queasy. She said she felt like she might throw up, and couldn’t find a comfy way to sit or lie down that felt better. She decided to try some breakfast, and sitting out in the dining room, in the morning light, she looked pale and droopy. I called the school to confirm her absence, and she cried. But she understood. In the last week, Dekker has come home with nausea, and Brady had a nauseous tummy for a couple of days that never turned into anything. I’m SO hoping this is what Laela’s does, too. Just an off day for her tummy, but no actual barfing. Please, Lord!

So, no grocery shopping today. Brady will have to do it after work. No shot for Wavy. As for this weekend, we’ve already put money into tickets and a hotel, so we can’t exactly skip it. So PLEASE pray Miss Laela is totally fine by tomorrow morning! Rather than accomplishing big things today, we’re going to lay on the couch, read stories, drink water, and keep it suuuper lame. Could be worse. A cozy home day is always nice!