After yesterday’s chaos of trying to scrounge up winter gear for the kids, it became clear that the older kids needed boots. Hand-me-downs are a big deal around here, and the oldest kids are often the ones who need to move on up to new things first. Because, logic. So we toyed with the idea of taking the kids into Saskatoon after school to find boots for the big kids. But they came home tired and ruffled and annoyed, and we suuuper didn’t want to run that risk.

I was SO thankful to see a local friend post that she was giving away a pair of winter boots for free that very evening! I jumped at them, and we were able to go walk for them as a family later than evening. Dekker’s previous pair of boots were already a little tight last season, so we felt confident they could pass down nicely to Rowan. They could pass to Laela, but Laela and Rowan are virtually the same size, so we figured maybe we could get her a pair thats a bit more girly, since she almost never gets girly outerwear.

Cher offered Brady and I an errand date today. Isn’t that amazing??? We have next to no money to burn, but we did have errands that needed doing, meaning boots for Laela, as well as groceries. And this way, we could do it without kiddos, and we could mosey our way along to be easy on Brady’s back! We happily accepted, and headed out today, mid-morning.

We started at Value Village, in hopes of finding boots, but it didn’t happen. I had a bit of a giggle and debated buying one of these, but it would just sit empty, so I resisted, lol!

We decided not to try any other second hand places, and rather just hit Walmart for groceries and boots, and whatever else. We found some really nice black and purple winter boots for Laela, as well as some long sleeved shirts, and much needed duvet clips. And then we spontaneously bought up a pantry worth of dry goods!! We’ve done SO GOOD this year buying way more fresh, healthier food, and eating what we already have, without always going out for quick little shops here and there. We’ve saved so much money on groceries!! But finally, the pantry was short on soup, noodles, gravies, condiments, etc. It was time, and we made it count! What a haul! I didn’t even stop in the yarn aisle. Thats saying a lot.

Meanwhile, at home…

Lunch was a picnic in a fort!! These lucky kids!

Everyone is happy when auntie is over!!

Brady and I grabbed some little lunch, and then picked up our last few items at the Coop. We came home to a beautifully quiet, peaceful house. Dishwasher and Meryl running. Naps in full swing. We quickly got groceries put away, and visited with Cher for a little bit before she cleared out to head home to work on her own stuff.

At about that point, Brady’s legs were finished, so we took a lay down and watched an episode or two in bed before the big kids got home from school. It was a good stretch of relaxing! Except that my body wasn’t ready to wind down, so I crocheted while we watched.

Now that everyone is home and unpacked, there is more to do! We have leftover thanksgiving supper for supper, so supper will be an easy one! Aaand then I have some cleaning to do, and a few things to organize before tomorrow. We have a busy end of the week on its way!

Tis the season to not know how to dress your kids for school! Full disclosure. I don’t like winter. You probably know that if you’ve been part of the blog long enough. Being cold is not my favorite. But I’ve got to say that today brought new appreciation for it. The kids were STOKED.

Brady went to get Dekker and Solomon up for the morning, and I went to get Rowan. I lay on top of him in his bed, like I always do, and he giggled and hugged me. I told him it had snowed and he lit right up! He was SO excited! We went to the big window to check it out before he started getting ready for the day. He was elated!!!

I got the girlies next, and they were also SO excited. Wavy fled the bedroom immediately, and Laela was only a couple of steps behind. They met the boys out by the window, and they all talked excitedly about winter. They were so so excited.

Brady also loves winter, so bully for him, as my grandma would say. Haha! So he was happy this morning, jokingly telling me not to look outside, but opening ALL the curtains, so I couldn’t live in denial.

With snow comes different winter gear, and that is probably my least favorite part of it. That, and the wind, and ice, and cold, and bad drivers, and frostbite, and being cold when I wake up, and all that good stuff. So this morning, while the kids ate breakfast and I made lunches, Brady found the tubs of winter stuff and the hunt for well-fitting jackets, pants, and boots began!

Praise the Lord, we have almost everything we need! There wasn’t complete rollover like we had expected from last years gear, but we were gifted some extra items from a friend last season, and they helped us stretch what we had into everyone having a jacket and pants that fit!! Boots are another thing. We may even run into the city after school and try to replace some items, but we have enough for today anyway. I am constantly frustrated by the amount of handmedowns that we store, but at the same time, they have saved our butts yet again!

I do not like winter, but the kids were SO joyful about it this morning, and that helped a lot.

Don’e be mad at me if you notice my Christmas stuff up WAY too early this year! Maybe its just my way of making the most of it and enjoying the season!

Have a lovely first true snowy day! ❄️

As discussed last weekend, we should always try to be thankful, regardless of the day on the calendar. That being said, yesterday was our belated thanksgiving with my mom! And how perfect is it that we found her a nice big table the day before! Finally! Thank you, Lord!

We breakfasted and then headed on over to her place to watch church all together. It was SO good. I didn’t realize how much I missed church.

After church, we lunched. Now, let’s think about this. On a day where we are feasting for supper, we should have a small lunch, yes? Nope. Not at my moms! I ate my body weight in hashbrown casserole, breakfast sausage, muffins, and grapes. It was YUGE!!! 🙌

Brady and I took Solomon and Waverly home after lunch, and put them down for shorty naps. Once they were tucked in, Brady ducked out to pick up a FREE bedframe that a friend was getting rid of. Rowan has rocked a mattress on the floor for a long while now, without any complaint, but we knew he would be thrilled to have a bedframe! So they helped him load it up, and I helped him load it into the house! Eek!

We took the final stretch of nap time to chat with Cher! It was SO good to see her. Feels like not enough recently. It was short and sweet 💜 I’ll take what I can get!

We headed back out after naps to find mom coloring and playing cards with the kids. Very cozy. Like home. As the fun continued, mom got the turkey out and carved it up. I know many people don’t like turkey, but let me tell you, you haven’t had hers!! I know we’re all partial to whats familiar, but my mom has NEVER made a dry turkey. EVER. And her gravy is always amaaazing! We made mashed potatoes with the potatoes from our garden, and then everything else that goes with the traditional thanksgiving meal. We ate like royalty!!!

Forgive the slightly warped picture, but its better than nothing!!

It shows what it needs to show ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We ate SO much, played a little, and then we went home. Rowan was thrilled with his new bed. It may be a bit dated, but he oozed that good genuinely gratefulness that makes my heart just soar. “I love it! Thank you SO MUCH!! Its so tall!” He insisted that we do bedtime prayers in his room so everyone could experience his bed 😆

My moms place is currently under a boil water advisory, so once everyone was tucked in, I ran a fresh culligan jug of water over her way, and she was already done the dishes! Woot! That woman works fast when she doesn’t want me to help her! Hahaha!

All in all, it was such a beautiful day all together. It felt just perfect. Comfy. Homey. Thanksgivingy!!

Thank you for hosting us, mom!

This last little while, I’ve been sleeping way harder than I usually do. I write a lot of that off as the winter weather moving in, and the night being longer and darker. There was even light snow yesterday!! That is a totally logical explanation to me, and I think its definitely a big part of it. Last night specifically, I slept SO hard. Brady and I both slept in, and I had to pee SO badly when I woke up. The kind of “badly” where normally, I’d have woken up to pee in the night. But I did not. Because I was sleeping SO hard.

And then I took stock of yesterdays events.

Yesterday, in preparation for a late family thanksgiving, Brady and I moved two tables from our house into my moms house, along with chairs, leafs, a turkey, and some jugs of water. Poorly timed water main break on the street :/

Shortly thereafter, we finally found her the table on Facebook marketplace! We’ve been searching for literal months to find her something nice, and big, and sturdy, and affordable. And it finally showed up yesterday!! So we all piled into the big vans and went to Saskatoon to retrieve it! We needed Brady’s van to haul it, but two people to carry it.

So we hauled that table out of someone house, and down their flight of stairs. In the loading of the table, Brady’s numb legs misstepped and he fell flat on his back on the sidewalk. So that wasn’t ideal, but God protected him, and so far, nothing has gotten worse or gone out since then. We loaded the new table into the van, and brought it back to moms!

Mom lovingly took our kids home, and Dekker helped her get Wavy into her crib and to bed! Everyone else was reading books and hanging out in the living room while Brady and I got the new table into moms place, while simultaneously removing the two tables we’d brought there earlier 😅 It wasn’t as much of a gong show as it sounds, but it was definitely a laugh. Thankfully, the two tables we moved to and from were both those cute old fashioned chrome ones, so they weren’t so heavy at all.

Once we had moved everything where it belonged, we drove home. Brady immediately grabbed his socket set and headed back to moms, so he could put the table legs on. Mom went with him, and I’ve got to say, the table is PERFECT for her!!! What an answer to prayer!

Brady got home and was still feeling surprisingly good, so we decided to push it and move the new cabinet into the house! Eek!!! He had finished painting it the day before, and it was all set and cured and ready. He took the drawers out, and we slowly worked it into the house, up our stairs, and into the main area. I’ll show it to you soon, I promise 😉 But its a total win. I’m SO thankful! I had my eye on an Ikea cabinet for a couple of years already, but at $400, we couldn’t just pick it up whenever we felt like it. The cabinet we landed on was $10, and the paint to fix it up was $20. Praise the Lord!

On top of ALL the hauling of furniture yesterday, Brady bathed all five kids, and I did six loads of laundry. And! Everyone stayed alive, so they fed them even!!

Man! Just writing that all out makes me want to go back to sleep, haha! Pretty sure we earned that hard sleep last night! But, up and at ’em! Its our Thanksgiving today!! We’ll be off shortly to spend the day with my mom, and I’m SO looking forward to it!

Happy Sunday, friends!

Thank you SO MUCH to our friends and family who have expressed their care and concern about Brady and his entry into the pain game! Years ago, when I began having babies, I asked Brady what had been the biggest pain he’d ever experienced, and he told me a story about wiping out on his bike, and getting some road rash on his legs. At the time, I kind of laughed, as I can’t imagine that is anywhere near the pain of childbirth. It has been confirmed by Brady that his current pain surpasses the pain of his childhood road rash. So, while there is no comparison needed, this is the most pain he’s been in in his entire life.

It isn’t a secret that we were very discouraged after Brady’s last physio appointment. He was expecting to see a ortho specialist and saw someone who simply discounted all of what he was doing, and but did not tell him what to do in replacement of those things. It was maddening for both he and I. We eagerly awaited a follow-up with Brady’s original physio to see what he had to say.

Brady said he listened to his explanation and frustration around the “specialist” appointment with a bit of a smirk on his face. He knew the other physio personally. It turns out that they agree on a lot, disagree on some, and the biggest thing – the second guy just sucks at explaining things. There was a decently long discussion. I’ll try and break it down into points here.

(From here on out, I’m going to say physio #1 about Brady’s original guy, and physio #2 about the guy we were expecting to be a specialist. I’d go with names, but physio #1’s name is Brad, and with Brady’s name, its going to get WAY too confusing! Bear with me!)

Brady’s physio is very happy that he is not in need of surgery! That means that everyone agrees that Brady does not have permanent damage. Woot!! He is also very happy that Brady has been able to work a couple of light duty days!

Brady’s stretches and exercises are working (despite what physio #2 says) and he will go forward with those. That was explained to Brady as simply a new school of thought in physiotherapy, and that physio #2 is more old school, and doesn’t value the new school as much. So be it. As physio #1 said to Brady, now that we’ve confirmed there is no permanent damage, they’ve got all they need from physio #2 and they’ll keep doing whats working.

Brady had a herniated disc, and with that, there is often a tie to the bladder. It can show up like this, where a person can’t pee when they want, or it can be spastic, and he could have to pee all the time. Or worst case scenario, there is incontinence to think about. So thank the Lord, Brady is on the lesser of the evils!

Brady’s back pain is slowly improving, but his numbness is at an all-time high. And he still cannot fully empty his bladder. That has not improved at all. Physio #2 said “it’ll get better in 6 weeks to 6 months.” And that was it. Physio #1 explained it really clearly. He reminded us that, the disc can heal up and his pain can go away, and that will happen closer to the 6 week mark. But, nerves are often damaged in these situations, and if you’ve ever had nerve damage, you know it can take even up to a year for it to heal. It is VERY likely Brady will fully regain the feeling, but it may take a long time, and thats where the “6 weeks to 6 months” guesstimation shows up.

A BIG takeaway from that follow-up physio appointment was a new way to sit in his van. Brady can be surprisingly pain free at the end of a work day, but that drive home just destroys him, and he comes into the house hunched over like an old man. In his case, his body is so far extended, he actually has to work backwards and try to compress it a little. So rather than working for nice, tall, straight posture, he has built up under his thighs, and shuffled his butt forward, putting his body in a C shape. It sounds grossly uncomfortable, but he feels SO much better after a drive now!!

So. We’re working with it. Brady has little bits of work popping up here and there, and he can take most of it. Not all, but most. Its SO hard to turn work down after being off for so long, but so be it. God has never just not showed up for us. He always has and will continue to. Please keep praying for Brady’s healing!

Goodness, I LOVE that good feeling of getting things accomplished, but nothing quite beats it when you can do it with a friend 💜 Cher had a plan to drive to Saskatoon today for an errand, and invited me along. It turned into a whole morning out and about, and I think I can safely say we both thoroughly enjoyed our time together!

We started at Starbucks. To be clear, we weren’t going to start at Starbucks. We were going to start at Indigo, but we jumped the gun, and it wasn’t open yet, haha! So we coffeed first. That vanilla sweet cream cold brew just will never ever get old! While we were there, Cher bought me a cozy grey mug that fits just beautifully in my hands. You know how the mug feels just matters?? It really does, and that mug feels GOOD! Thank you, Cher 😘

We sipped our drinks until Indigo opened, and we went in for our shop. She got what she came for, plus a couple of school supplies, and I ended up getting a bit of Christmas shopping done, as well as I picked up a box of cute Christmas cards. They’re 50% off today! I got a good deal, and paid SO little for it all. Win!

From there, we were going to go home, but ducked into Value Village with a small goal in mind. We moseyed through the whole store, though, and I managed to find Dekker a super cute fair isle zip up sweater for only $2.50, and a longer sweatshirt dress for Laela for $3. I love Value Village!

Aaaaand because we love it, we hit Dollarama on the way home, and both came out of it with stationary. Dollarama has some very cute folders/folios/’notebooks/binders. I spent $6 and have some truly beautiful things!

I arrived home to a quiet house, where my husband was painting the last coat on the cabinet that should aid greatly in our upstairs organization. I cannot wait for you guys to see it! Maybe you remember me talking about. I posted on the blog about finding the cabinet for only $10, but not knowing whether to store it until we could by the paint color I wanted, or to paint it a different color we had on hand, or to spend too much money and get that paint anyway. We ended up going to the Habitat Restore and buying a totally different color for a lot less. Eek! I’m so excited!

And frankly, the sooner that thing is in the house, the sooner I can park in the garage again. Guys. Its frosty out there. Brrrrr! ❄️

Brady took Dekker to his appointment yesterday, and as suspected, it turned out to be his LAST official ophthalmologist at the hospital with the paediatric specialist! Crazy! While I’ll admit that I felt very comfortable with him being there, I understand the need to move along when a specialist is no longer needed. And how fortunate are we that we are in that boat!

It was clear in the beginning of the appointment that Dekker’s prescription had changed, so they decided to administer eyedrops and get a concrete number on him. Of course, waiting rooms are pretty much gone now, so they had to sit in the little exam room for over a half hour. They put a movie on, but Dekker was uninterested. He and Brady took a couple of selfies, and then Brady read him jokes and they laughed their way through their wait.

It turned out to be a solidly uneventful appointment, which is the ideal. His prescription was slightly different, but nothing that urgently needs changing. Just a refreshed Rx for the next time he gets glasses. Otherwise, his eye turn is no longer present, and everything has seemed strong since his surgery when he was 2.5 years old. He’s been advised to find an optometrist and go forward with yearly checkups, like normal. After seven years of going to City Hospital every 4-6 months, that is a HUGE relief!!

I had slipped Dekker some money before he left, so after his appointment, he took Brady out for a birthday drink and donut. He chose the most decadent, poop-looking donut from the window, and they both got orange juice. It was adorable.

Those squinty eyes, though! So light sensitive!

Dekker made it back to school at the very end of lunch time, and surprise! He did NOT break his collarbone in the afternoon like he had last time he went to the ophthalmologist! Heyooo! However, his eyes were so dilated that he couldn’t see anything, and ended up doodling during most of the afternoon, haha! Praise the Lord for understanding teachers to love our children!

And praise the Lord for progress, and healing, and resilient children!

This beautiful man is celebrating his 32nd birthday today!

And by celebrating, I mean he officially ages, and thats about it. Its Wednesday, so there’s the fact that its a weekday. This morning, he’s taking Dekker to an eye appointment. It might actually be his last one at the hospital!! But we’ll see. And then this afternoon, he’ll go in for some more light duty painting. Tonight, we’ll eat yummy food and watch a movie. Thats about it! I’ve picked up some little gifts for him recently, but I’ve buckled and given them to him early, because MAN, that boy has been deserving of a pick me up. Or like a thousand pick me ups.

Thank you to those who reached out and asked about Brady’s appointment. I’ll cut to the chase and tell you it was kind of a bust :/ Unproductive is a good word. He saw a physio who specialized in backs and spines and whatnot. He very quickly concluded that Brady didn’t need surgery, which is great, but with that, he said if Brady didn’t need surgery, he doesn’t need a scan. He said things like “Keep doing what you’re doing,” and then simultaneously told Brady that all of the stretches and exercises he’s doing won’t help. He said “Everyone needs to figure out their own way,” except he’s the specialist and Brady is the patient. He gave no advice on what Brady should do different, but that what he is doing is wrong. He is told that a herniated disc will heal itself within six weeks to six months.

So. That was very discouraging. Brady has a call into our doctor already, to see what she says. Both Dr Guselle and Brady’s original physio want him to have imaging. There has to be more to this.

This world of pain is new for Brady. And its big. And overwhelming. Not small potatoes at all. Big potatoes. Paintatoes. I’ll stop.

I could not be more proud of Brady. He has been brave, and courageous, and his endurance is unreal. His worth ethic is one of his strongest qualities, but working at something like this has been a real test, and he has succeeded. He is still in pain, but he does not play the victim. I’ve never met a stronger man who checks all the boxes.
Physical strength ✔️Emotional strength ✔️ Spiritual strength ✔️
Strength of character ✔️

Brady, you’re the best husband I’ve ever had. I am SO fortunate to know you and have you in my life, as my husband. I wouldn’t ask for anything more.

Preschool mornings are so crazy. Two hours with Wavy. Four out of my five kids are off to school, and the house is bizarrely quiet. Don’t get me wrong, its SO nice. Waverly is a very easy little friend to have around. She’ll happily do whatever I do, and she goes with the flow so nicely, just chatting away beside me. I am so grateful for her.

This morning was a really special treat! Jerilee came for coffee for the first time in a long time. It was SO nice to see her in the daytime, with just one little one toddling around, and no big deadlines or expectations. It was such a nice way to spend the morning.

Now I wait to hear back from Brady. He’s at an important appointment today, and I’ll admit that my heart is shaky for him. Feeling a touch emotionally fragile. Not very strong. Ready for answers, or direction, or anything even remotely in that arena.

Today, nap time is for naps, for all of us here at home.

Being thankful should happen every day, turkey or not. We’re not going to have a big gathering or a traditional feasty feast until next weekend. But I’m still grateful! We all are!

Dekker is grateful for his friends and family. He likes hanging with the little guys. He shares a room with Solomon, and he believes Waverly can do no wrong. He’s also forming stronger relationships with Laela and Rowan as they walk to school together. Its just getting better and better.

Laela is thankful for food. Now, Laela isn’t a big eater, but when she likes her meal, she is genuinely grateful for it. She’ll gush about it as she eats, and try to encourage the children who are maybe less fond of it to enjoy it. She’ll talk at length about what she likes about it. She also loves to help make food.

Rowan is thankful for his teddy bear. I’m taking that to mean he really likes his comfort. His teddy and his weighted blanket are imperative in his sleeping and relaxing. That being said, I have to be his mom and say that he has been finding new comfort in Jesus, and he maybe just doesn’t realize it yet. The last few nights, I’ve written his prayers down. “Dear Jesus, give me strength and peace. Help me not to be afraid. The devil is not welcome here.” “Fill our home with your goodness.” “Rescue us, Lord.” He is SO spiritually mature, its unbelievable! This morning, he told me he feels good feelings of love, but “different love. Love from God.” So, Rowan is thankful for his teddy, but I think he’s thankful for God’s comfort.

Solomon is thankful for his backpack and preschool! He has stayed on the younger side of his age, maturity-wise, for a long while, and preschool is kind of the first time he’s stepped out of his little kid zone to be a big kid! And he has settled right in! So I’d say he’s thankful for the new experience, and also the independence of going to his own thing by himself.

Waverly is thankful for auntie 😍 No word of a lie. Wavy LOVES Cher, and Cher LOVES Wavy. Those two have such a special bond. Cher has been “auntie” since Wavy could talk, and I don’t see that ever changing. Her comfort level is 1000% with Cher. I am not surprised at all that she said she was thankful for her auntie.

Brady and I are both thankful for the same thing. We are thankful for the most productive season of our lives! We made huge strides towards the future of our family, in terms of making our yard usable, and more importantly, the camper at the lake. We had been responsible pre-covid, and had saved money to do projects, so we were very careful and intentional, and managed to do what we did without digging ourselves into a gigantic financial hole. Don’t get me wrong, we really miss income, lol! The sooner we can get Brady’s body back up to snuff, the better! We have been SO careful financially through this season, and God has provided. We have not gone without. Its been very slim, yet we’ve acted responsibly, and kept on living. And now, we have a lake spot that we could have for years and years to come! A part of our family’s future! We are SO grateful!

Aaaaand I’m thankful for Brady’s assessment coming up tomorrow! PLEASE, if you’re the praying type, pray for wisdom for the professionals he sees tomorrow. That they can see the problem and that it is fixable more easily than we’re imagining.

Thank you, Lord, for all you’ve given us.