Dekker used to say this phrase when he was very young. As in not even close to in school yet. If he was disappointed by literally anything, he would hang his head and say “I wasn’t plannin’ for that today.” It was hilarious.
Today did not go how we planned. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I’ll get into it more another day, but today isn’t the day.
Today was the day for chocolate milk and alfredo noodles.
A day that was light on work, where we just made it through the afternoon and evening playfully and relaxedly. We are covered in the peace and grace of God, and we trust His will!
Guys, I’m going to need an alternate way to save pumpkin around here 😅
It may not look like much, but this is not my first pumpkin day of the season, and it ALL needs to fit in my freezer!! 🤣 See?? Another great use for the freeze dryer that doesn’t actually exist! How great would that be??
Each pumpkin day I’ve done, I’ve found some new tricks and such that make things go a little smoother, for which I’m grateful. The dream is to have a freezer full of real things. Meat. Fruit and veggies. Maybe a handful of freezer meals? But next to none of the convenience food. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good frozen pizza from time to time, and a pre-made lasagna never hurts my feelings. But I would honestly LOVE to bear the cross of being an “ingredient home.” And slowly but surely, I’m going to work my way there.
So todays haul is about 40 cups of pumpkin puree and a little bag of pumpkin seeds.
Now that camping season is over, our season of attending church is upon us. We have MISSED it, and everyone was SO excited to go this weekend! The kids were up and dressed for church two hours before it was set to begin. There was even a lunch afterwards that we were going to try to go to.
Personally, I’ve been struggling this week. The idea of wrestling LD and Spoons at the back of the church felt more daunting than usual, and after the break from church, they wouldn’t be an easy sell in the nursery. So my worst case scenario was staying home with the babes while Brady and the others could go. Brady was SO excited to go and reconnect!
Aaaaand then the morning came and for the first time in a while, chemo got the better of my husband :/ Headaches and vomit will wait for no one, therefore church is off the table for today. Merp.
The kids were disappointed. In the regular swing of things, there are definitely Sundays where some of them don’t feel like getting up and going, but today they were READY. But after a quite moment of sadness, Solly said “Well. That is very disappointing. But. We could have a dance party downstairs and still be happy.”
SO THEY DID!!!!! 😳 Way to not dwell in sadness, guys!!!! Four of the five are in comfy clothes, have pulled out colorful lamps and they have the soundtrack to Zombies 4 pumping downstairs. Brady is sleeping. LD and Spoons are just starting to make sound. And Munchie Mix over here is whiny and needs to have a bit more milk before back to bed. Dekker has a commitment at church so he’ll still be going, but the rest of us HOPE to be there next week!!!
We miss you, friends we only see at church!! 💜 We’re almost back!!
Laela here! Today was my second volleyball tournament. We did a lot better than our first one!😏 One time I did such a good serve, but apparently the referee wasn’t ready yet, so when I re-served it didn’t go over.
Our team made some nice saves. One time someone hit it wonky, but another person dove under it, and popped it over the net when we all gave up on it. It was crazy! And when I am on the bench, I get really frustrated with the players on court, because the back row set it on the first hit. (Isn’t that the setter’s job?😖) And I got frustrated when I was setter, because people were losing points behind me, so I couldn’t help. But my serves are a lot better than before.
I feel really bad for one of the kids on my team. She isn’t the best at serving, so they didn’t let her serve. She had to swap with someone else for that serve. At the end of the game, she said she understood, but I could tell she was trying hard not to cry.🥺
Well that was what most of my day was. I hope your day wasn’t as busy as mine… well my time is ticking, gotta go! 😘
Welp. Chemo cycle #4 started today. Historically, the first treatment of every cycle (of which there are three) is the hardest one. But not right at the start. First, Brady has his IV immunotherapy treatment, and tonight, he’ll take his big angry cytotoxin pill that does all the aggressive poisony stuff. That tends to take him out a little in the coming days.
Surprisingly, however, we have seen a bit of a lift in this as the cycles have played out. There don’t seem to be too many stories out there where people feel better physically as chemotherapy continues, but we try not to run with the pack. God is protecting us in WILD ways, and we thank Him by giving Him ALL the glory!!! Medicine is super cool, and science is fantastic! I’m SO grateful for the resources we have!! But to GOD be the glory for creating all of the things that were needed to make this possible, and the people who administer it. Would you ever believe this man had stage four brain cancer??
Praise God for giving us HIS strength, and keeps Brady stronger than anything he could ever do on his own. GOD is the reason he is doing as well as he is!
“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives”. This “glory-strength” is a strength that enables endurance through difficult times with joy, a strength that doesn’t come from one’s own resources but from God, allowing believers to “take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us”. (Colossians 1:11-12)
Today is another day to bake pumpkins. My anxiety is high today. It was high yesterday and this morning is not much better, unfortunately. However. I have nothing on the books until after school. So I can use my day how I please, and I will spend it doing PUMPKINS!
Of which I currently have 12.
NOTHING beats real, home grown, sugar pumpkins, but there is such a short season for pumpkins that I’m taking advantage of the cheap carving pumpkins and pureeing as many as I can.
*orders more pumpkins*
I’ve already drank a beast Stanley of water, and Rowan shared a treat with me that he made last night st clubs. Cinnamon chips and fruit salsa.
I ate. I drank. One pumpkin is cooking. A second one is scooped and ready. Seeds are soaking.
I had some nice restful moments today, courtesy of Cher watching the babies. I had a bath, and I crocheted a little. It was nice, and peaceful, and gave me some time to brainstorm and let my mind go a bit. I have a bit of a running list of things I dream to own or be able to do someday. One that has been driving me particularly crazy lately is a freeze dryer. Wouldn’t that be amazing?! I’ve loved the idea of having one for a long time, but recently, one appeared online on Costco’s website, which made it feel that much more attainable! Like. It isn’t. 😅 Its still insanely expensive, haha!
This evening, as my mind wandered a little, I talked to Brady about the dream. He is always warm and supportive of these things, and doesn’t make me feel silly for wanting to put my hand in yet more things like I don’t have time, energy, space, or money for. Rather, he lets me be excited and joins the fun 💜 Its always really encouraging, even thought we both know its a no go. Its a REALLY nice quality about Brady.
Anyway. Freeze dryers are on sale at Costco, if you’re looking for one 😩
My dear Laela is officially twelve years old today. She is still so little, but also a total grown up. Where has time gone?
In just one year, she has changed in all kinds of ways. Look at that face!!! She is SO much older all of a sudden!! She has her hand in so many activities now. She’s in ballet, volleyball, and piano. She attends two youth groups and she works at the schools concession. There are days we hardly see her, where she eats snacks as she runs between activities, and that ends up being her “meals.” She even RAN the entire route that her school took in honour of Terry Fox. It was 4kms, and she ran it with a friend, from start to finish. In honour of you know who 🥹
I probably couldn’t be a whole lot prouder of her, though I imagine she’ll challenge that again tomorrow, and the next day, and likely the day after that as well. She is incredibly easy to love. Just ask her closest friends, Avery and Jaxon. Lifelong, these friendships 🙌
Laela loves to be one of the adults, helping with the babies, meeting needs she sees, and pitching in humbly and quietly. She aches to lead. But she’s still little, acting scenes out with lego guys and Barbies that Wavy watches in utter amazement. She is a positively delicious middle ground between the two.
A GHOST!
Sweet La, you are SUCH a treasure in our family. Sometimes, at this stage of the game, things get a little extra bumpy, but we come through every single bump better than before! And I’m not being cheeky. I really do mean it. I love getting closer and closer with you 💜 My dear daughter.
I know you’re jazzed to grow up, but please slow it down. I love you right where you are. I’m not sure you could be any more beautiful than you already are, in every way. But again, I imagine you will prove me wrong 💜
Happy birthday, precious Laela. Your birth may have been an absolute nightmare 😅 but I would relive it over and over again if it meant we could know you and love you. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us our sweet Laela Hazel those TWELVE years ago!
I got my hair refreshed today. Its been a good handful of months since I’ve been to my hair girl, but we absolutely always have fun together. She came in earlier today, because the salon was even open, so I could get things done and be home to receive the kids from school. I brought the drinks and she brought the colors! And, as per usual, she nailed it.
I feel totally fresh and ready for the season ahead. Fall. Family pictures. Christmas.
Bring it on, fall! Carlinna already brought it. You’re up 💜
Home again, home again. The season has run its course, and we are officially back home on the weekends. The last weekend is always bittersweet. We put away all the fun things. Decide what won’t make another season and throw things away. We bicker and clean, only sort of. And we grossly overload the van, wishing we had started a week or two ago, but knowing full well that the things we would bring home early, we would inevitably need and kick ourselves for it. Most importantly, we say goodbyes, which stinks.
But. For all pack up days, this one was pretty smooth. Kids each got their main assigned job to start with, and it was a great kick off! a couple of hours in the morning was all we needed to get the bulk of the work done!! At that point, we stopped for lunch. Our last feed of chunky chicken salad with garlic toast. Check it out, my salad loved me, too!
Babies napped for a bit after lunch, and then we tied up the last few ends. Dekker and Jaxon got the water heater unplugged and put antifreeze through everything.
Beds were packed up. Food was loaded up and hauled out. Golf cart batteries were removed and taken home. The deck roof was braced. Tanks were emptied. We even filled the wood bin. SO much got done!
The van was loaded up before long, and it was time to go. As per usual, our dear Dahlsjos stayed and got us out the door before getting themselves packed up and ready. It is SUCH a treat to see them most every weekend through the summer months 💜 We miss you guys already.
The drive out was quiet. Everyone was so tired. But not in a bad way. In a good, solid “we worked really hard today and its time to go home now” way. The best kind. We stopped for food, and I actually put my feet up, both physically and metaphorically. I felt restful.
Of course, the unloading was less restful, haha! But the most important things got done and the rest can wait. Feet are, once again, going up, and I will rest my body.
Thank you, dear Lord, for yet another beautiful season at the lake. We could not be more grateful for this gift we’ve been given.
As we say every single time we drive out of the campground, byyyyye Kinasao.
