A small anecdote to hopefully give you a giggle.

At one point today, I was sitting in my recliner, and the babies were on the floor, all doing their respective things. LD was heading over to investigate Peanut at one point, when Peanut ripped a big long fat fart. Unprompted, LD laughed at the baby, and then blew a big wet raspberry in response to the super toot.

It. Was. Awesome.

There it is. That’s it, that’s all. Undeniable proof that farts are funny.

💨

I really tried. I think I nailed a few things down this morning, but there is more to do.

This morning I did a bunch of communicating with social workers, doctors, and therapists. I knocked down my big camp list and started fresh for this coming weekend. These first few are always more hands on before we fall into a good groove for the summer. I ordered a few things from both Walmart and Costco. Kids did some laundry yesterday and this morning. I tried to organize my thoughts more than anything else.

I ate lunch and even managed to crochet for a little while! Heyooo! I still managed to get out the door almost on time, and picked the kids up from school so we could head into the city on time.

I stopped at UROmed and picked up some supplies for Brady. I asked some questions I had really been wondering about, and we spitballed for a bit until I had to leave for the next place.

I got Peanut to a visit, and then drove over to the new Michaels for some yarn I need for a project. I only impulse bought five unrelated skeins that happened to be on clearance whilst also being SUPER pretty.

I took the kids through a drive-thru and they ate supper in the van and listened to music and chatted while I crocheted in the front seat. Right before we needed to pick up the baby, I snuck into the Wendy’s drive-thru for JBCs for Brady and I. And then I went to pick up Peanut.

I will admit that my nerves are a little big fried after this evening. I don’t know if its just being in close quarters for those few hours with the kids, or just how it went this particular time, but I feel a tad on the desperate side to be kid-free shortly. And that I will be! Very soon, the rest of the kids will tuck into their beds, either to read or sleep, and Brady and I will eat burgers in our bed before calling it a night. I’m ready. I’m hungry and cold. Its going to be so so nice.

Welcome to the week, everyone 💜

We’ve had a lot of changes recently with Bradys mobility. I know. Understatement alert. Nonetheless, its the truth, so let’s talk about it.

Camp looks a lot different this year compared to last. I don’t desire at all to dwell on the bad, but I do want to be honest and address it. Last year, Brady could stand.

And this year, he doesn’t.

That right there is a tough dynamic to navigate, for everyone involved. He is much more limited, and everything he does do has to happen in his wheelchair.

We also have three babies. You may have heard that. Three babies in playpens take up a LOT of space in the camper. They did last year, too, but last year, the wheelchair never left the van. Not. Once. So once Brady is in the camper, he can basically make it to the bed, and that’s all. Not the water cooler. Not the fridge. Not the sink. Nothing.

We can confidently say that camping was HARD. Part of that was the first weekend. Part of that was all the prep going into making the space work for us. And part of it was just the reality that roles need to change, making me much busier and Brady feeling slightly more helpless.

As I said. Its a HARD dynamic to navigate.

Yet!

Both Brady and I feel more optimistic about this summer. Things are absolutely challenging, and will likely always feel that way to some degree. I imagine this will be our new normal soon enough and we’ll find our way, but our way will likely never be very easy. And actually, I think thats super ok.

God has blessed up with an incredible community of people who are eager to support us and show us all the love they can possibly muster. Camping would be next to impossible without our village 💜

This dear Dahlsjo family in particular has committed to loving us, no matter who and what we bring. That is real love. Unconditional love. And we feel it around every corner. Camping would be SO much harder without their huge servant hearts.

Plus the guy who donated us the use of this platform lift for the entire season. That was also a pretty generous gift of love.

The weird bunch of saluting weirdos is an added lovely bonus, if you ask me.

Not to mention the fact that Cher cleans for us and works in our home every single week.

Not to mention the grandmas who actively babysit, and fill in on jobs they see along the way.

Not to mention the meals that still come a few times a week, just to take a load off of our minds, bodies, and brains.

This is a wild season. I feel like I’ve been saying that for a solid 4+ years at this point. But our village continues to support us in a way where we can live a really full, beautiful life without having to give up the things we feel really strongly about.

To sum it up. Camping is hard. Harder than it has ever been. But it won’t stay that way.

And! If it does, we will keep going 💜 Rarely is the right thing the easy thing.

Thank you, Lord, for Kinasao, and for the beautiful people in our life who help us get there time and time again!

Next weekend, we lay patio stone! And by “we,” I mean the group of people who have volunteered to do it for us. Yet another thing to be overwhelmingly humbled by and grateful for.

We celebrated Pipers graduation today. All throughout the day, details were filled in and things were carted to and from to prepare for her party. Naturally, the babies were pretty fussy pants about the whole thing, but we managed them the best we could and still managed to do some things. At least Peanut had a BIG ole nap!!  

After lunch, the beautification began. Is it even a camp grad if you’re not doing your makeup off the barbecue?? 

I did a little makeup for a couple of lovely faces, and threw waves into some hair, but everything was pretty low key. However, time moved quickly, and we were definitely scrambling to get everyone dressed and ready by the end. All three babies ended up in the right clothing at least, tho all loose ends were not tied up. But, it was zero hour and that didn’t matter. 

The Dahlsjos threw an absolutely beautiful party. So many people were there who LOVE Piper, ourselves included. I had the rare opportunity to offer up a speech for her, and Brady played guitar and sang a really fitting song.

Bonus point to Carrie and her kids for helping so much with our babies through the program and the meal. And what  meal it was! 🤤 That was truly a life saver. 

The party wrapped up with Piper getting her diploma, and having some pictures taken. By then, the babies had all pooped. All three of them. So Brady and I took them back to our site to freshen them up. Times were tough with the babies, and I couldn’t be as much help to the Dahlsjos as I would’ve liked to be. But look at this adorable crew!!! 😍 

They’re a sight for sore eyes, hey?? I made it back in time to sweep the kitchen but that was about it. Otherwise, all the work was done! 

Piper came and hung out in the camper a bit before bed. I took her makeup off and we talked about her gifts. She’s an awesome girl. I’m really excited to see what’s coming for her, and pretty stinking honoured to be part of her circle. It was a lovely way to wrap up the day. 

And now, I have earned my sleep 😅🥱 so off I go. Goodnight, friends. I hope you’re enjoying the long weekend as much as we are 💜

It was a really big day. But a day I am so incredibly grateful for. I totally recognize that some people just come here to go camping and that’s that. And that’s great!! No burn! But for our family, this is a beautiful community that we are humbled to be part of. 

Today had its challenging moments. Unbelievably challenging moments. I have held back tears a handful of times as I worked to manage our life, our kids, and all the things that need doing. But in those deep moments of overwhelm, God consistently provided, whether through a friend showing up and helping at the perfect time, or a boost of strength that only came from Him. We were never without what we needed. 

Some wins. 

Planning some changes in the campsite to make it operate smoother. More on those to come. Feels like some revelations. 

Getting a bed rail installed on our bed inside so Brady can get into bed easier. 

Joining the lease holders at the camp dining shelter for supper and reconnecting with some people we love. 

Introducing our table as the Bornsjos. 

Our one year old sitting at the table, with a hunk of bread in one hand and a meatball in the other, happy as a clam. 

Making centrepieces with Stacy and Sadie. 

Making plans to also make the camper itself run smoother. Thank you, Kinasao, for being willing to take our couch! We can’t wait to have more space in here!! 

About the bed rail… we laughed. 

It was a really nice day. Kids played nine square for hours. So many families coming together. It was just beautiful. 

And tomorrow is Pipers grad 💜 So much to celebrate this weekend! 

Goodnight, all 😘🥱

This is a fun play on words for me… 

We played hooky today and went to the lake first thing in the morning. Kids didn’t go to school and Brady didn’t go to work. The kids were so happy to hear we were going early, and everyone jumped in to get us on the road as soon as possible. Laela and Dekker volunteered to load the van, which was a HUGE deal. I gave them all the opportunities to change their minds, but they rocked it to the very end and got everything loaded up! 

We got to camp and worked our tails off. My. Goodness. We had willing Dahlsjos who came and helped with any and every job we could come up with. There was so much to do. While we didn’t come close to finishing all that needed doing, we took a good bite out of it and it’s functional. It’s not perfect. But it’ll work for now. 

I’d love to tell you more, but I am feeling immensely worn out at the moment and I need to just call it a night 😅 I’ve moved enough to get my jeans to my ankles and am debating whether that constitutes as “ready for bed” enough. 

Now if Spoons would just fall asleep already, maybe we could fully let down.

🥱 

I need to think of another word that isn’t “whirlwind.” I use it way too much, but its just so stinking appropriate.

I worked pretty hard today. That doesn’t mean I have lots to show for it, but I packed for camp. I prepped food. I got things organized and stacked up and where they go. Cher came and cleaned in the morning. My mom came over and bathed the babies. I ate lunch. I crocheted!! See me, even doing something on purpose that I enjoy in the day?? Its something with a timeline on it, so it was easier to justify because it also needs doing. However, Peanut did not nap for the entirety of our agreed upon time slot, so that was cut short also. Kids came home and babies went nuts, so very little else got accomplished. On my part, that is. The kids packed their clothes, including outerwear and dressy clothes for the grad party we’re attending. Dekker is fast at stuff like that, so I pimped him out for some errands. And by “pimped” I do mean he was pimpin’.

For supper, I had some crazy delicious leftover mashed potatoes given to us by someone, and some turkey given to us by yet someone else, so I made some cheater gravy, canned corn, and I shredded some cheese for makeshift chicken bowls. Turkey bowls, in this case. The potatoes we definitely reminiscent of sand castles.

I continued to pack after supper. This time, the kids went nuts, and I was really scrambling. Two out of three babies went down right away, and for a time, I was left with Wavy and Solly, who were actually totally amazing with the remaining baby. So I ran around like a headless chicken for a while, gathering up baby’s clothing and more party stuff.

Its definitely not over yet, but I needed help and didn’t have it tonight. Tomorrow it is.

Whats left?

wash my hair
pack my clothes
pack ALL thats left
food in cooler
load van
put garbage bin at the road
water plants on the deck
finish up some party things for the weekend (no details allowed)

I cannot wait until we either get it all packed and we hit the road, or we don’t get it all packed, but still get on the road 😅 When we run out of minutes, we’ll know our priorities for sure.

That’s it for me. Everyone is finally home now, under one roof, and it’s time for me to put my feet up so they don’t collapse under me. ✌️

So yesterday, I forgot to eat, and it super sucked. I felt super crappy at the end of the day and then ate a TON of supper right before bed. Oprah says not to do that, but I don’t care. It was just how the evening turned out, as it does sometimes.

However, today, I was determined not to let that happen. So once Peanut was down and LD and Spoons were eating in their high chairs, I went to the fridge to find food. And I found leftovers from Mothers Day! Our supper that day was sooooo good. Noodles. Chicken alfredo. Roasted broccoli. Shrimp bruschetta. Garlic toast. It was crazy good. I pulled out noodles and bruschetta topping, and threw some butter in a pan.

And poof. Lunch was served.

Spoons kind of whined and reached for the pan, but I didn’t share.

And I ate the whole pan worth. And it was goooood!

Mmmmm. Nice memories. Yummy memories.

The day is done now. My tummy does not hurt. And tomorrow is going to be a big one! Let’s hope the Peanut lets the tired old folks sleep tonight 🤞

As I sit in my recliner while fries cook in the oven, I feel both gross and accomplished 😅 Not my favorite balance, but still a balance, I suppose.

Here is how I got here.

This coming weekend is a big one. It is our first weekend at camp with the family, and we are NOT ready 🤣 We did as much as humanly possibly on those days where Brady and I could drive up just the two of us, but there is still much to do. I’ve prepped the best I can, but there are just only so many minutes.

Today held an evening visit for one of the babies. Cher offered to keep the other two so I could take the five around for errands with a little bit more peace than usual! I took her up on her offer, because MAN those punks get a little rowdy sometimes, and it can get loud, and kind of stressful at times.

I spent that two hour visit running from place to place, in and out of so many stores that I lost count! I got SO much done, and the kids were so great and so patient along the way! I got the kids milkshakes for the drive home, plus one for Cher 💜 and worked to unpack everything and everyone upon getting home. I felt like I RAN from about 2:50 on. And as I sit here now, I realize I haven’t eaten, and I haven’t drank anything beyond coffee or tea all day long.

So. Now we eat, and instantly fall asleep. Four hours of sleep was not enough hours of sleep last night.

😴

I used to ache through Mothers Day for the women I knew and loved who weren’t mothers who really, really wanted to be. It felt almost like a survivors guilt, where I got through losses and struggles and the waiting and wondering, and others were still there. I came out of the realm of desiring to have children with children. Many do! And many don’t. And that stinks. I’ve worked to write about it appropriately each year, where I try to hit the mark for everyone absolutely in and around the motherhood arena, wanting to validate the feelings of every woman even remotely attached to the subject.

And now, I attach to, care for, and live with children whose mother doesn’t get to see them on Mothers Day. She doesn’t get to spend the day with them, or cook for them, or wake up to them, or bathe them, or teach them right from wrong, or any of those age old things that kids do and need every single day. At least she doesn’t get to do those things right now. And trust me. I know. There is some choice involved in that, and I’m not going into that, because its really messy and crappy and HARD and no two situations are the same.

When I say that it is a privilege to have these children in our home, I really, really mean it. They are incredibly precious, innocent people who need so much love, and have SO much love!!

Spoons is the best helper we have in the house! They will put garbage in the garbage, diapers in the hallway, and bottles in the sink. Shoes will always be brought to their rightful owner. Someone crying always needs a blanket, a sippy cup, or a back rub. So many of these things are never even asked for, but they Spoons is eager to participate in their family!

LD is an absolute card, and lives to smile! If someone walks in the door and makes an excited face, LD is right behind them, basically drowning in smiles and gasps, down for whatever everyone else is pumped about. LD learned really young how to be silly and joke around, and has become an absolute beacon of light in the family!

Peanut offers big smiles, with cheeks filled with dimples. The coos come easy and high in number. Cries are easily resolved with milk, or just a buddy sitting nearby. It was clear so early in the game that Peanut just likes company. As in, family alone brings comfort.

These three precious lives fill our home with SO MUCH JOY, and there is a very real part of my heart that positively aches for their moms. Because circumstance aside, they made these little people! Environment is important, of course, but genetics are factors also. Many of these beautiful qualities are from their parents! From their mama 💜 And for one reason or another, they don’t get to be together right now. And that is HARD to swallow.

I can’t sum it all up very eloquently. Foster care is not eloquent. Its brutal and messy and super hard to wrap my brain and heart around. Mothers Day feels different though, I can tell you that much. I love these three babies so terribly much. And so do their moms.