Guys. It was just a really beautiful day in so many ways. We are so grateful.
I spent the morning and a chunk of the afternoon with Cher, my best friend, who I have barely seen in more than a week.
I had a surprise visit from a friend from camp. The kids were SO ripped to have missed his pop in.
We spent a good hour after bedtime with our pastor and his wife, who came by our home solely to listen to us and love us. It was amazing. A total honour.
I am very grateful for our day. For the lovely people around us. For the gifts of care, concern, and corn dogs we are given 😅 Not kidding. Seriously, though, the blessings we experience are immeasurable.
This boy. Our dear Rowan. Turns eleven today. This year of Rowan has been totally incredible.
He is really, truly figuring himself out. He has way more good days than bad. It doesn’t mean all days are easy by any means, but he will put in new efforts because he can see the fruits of his labour, and he prefers that result to the alternative. Along with that, he has been able to have closer, happier, healthier relationships with his siblings, which is SO amazing to finally witness! He loves to wrestle with Dekker, and he and Solly could talk all day about things like Lego, Minecraft, etc. Rowan and Laela have always clicked easier, and they continue to. And now, just in the last few weeks, Rowan is developing a soft spot for her. She loves everyone without holding back, including him, and has immediately melted into his love for her.
It is SO nice to see him let down a bit, and then slowly watch his siblings follow suit. Easily the best part of this last year over all.
We celebrated his birthday all weekend, which really turned out perfectly considering we had a sick day in there, and important church stuff in there, too. This way, he got his meals, he got to watch a movie he was excited about, and he got presents on both days. Check out what auntie gave him! 😳😍
I think it will be REALLY precious to him over the years. Right now, its super cool, but as he ages, I hope he can treasure the time and care that went into this, to celebrate how beautiful he is.
This boy is a very important part of our family. He is deeply loved and treasured. As disjointed as this weekend ended up being, it was clear he felt special and celebrated.
Goodness, Rowan, how we love you. I see EVERY side of our family in your beautiful face, and I am positively loving watching you grow up! I love you and love you and love you again.
Yesterday, I was trying to sort out in my head how we were going to organize this morning.
Many of us were feeling really sick yesterday.
Dekker was needed at church because there was a fundraiser going on behalf of a missions trip in which he is participating.
I had to get a big pot of soup to church.
I knew if I was sick, or any of the babies were sick, I’d have to hang back.
Brady couldn’t go without me because his minivan was at the mechanic and he can’t get into the bus on his own.
He couldn’t stay home with just the babies.
Do I send the soup with someone else, maybe??
Man alive the list just went on!!!
But this morning, I woke up feeling totally fine. Brady was super exhausted (because chemo) but didn’t feel sick. NONE of the kids felt sick. It was incredible! So we could ALL go to church!!!
When we arrived, I got Brady his wheelchair and then ran Munchie Mix in first, since they’re still in a baby bucket. As Munchie is the most content baby of ALL babies, I left the bucket under the coat rack and ran back out to get the pot of soup. By the time I brought the soup in, someone had snagged baby from the car seat for the service! Of course, they came and told me, but it was SO nice!!!
I drank coffee, snuggled with Solly, took communion, and listened to the first service of lent. It was so peaceful. Except when my baby alarm went off for one of the babies in the nursery, and instead of vibrating, it started beeping like crazy 🤣 That was new, and I didn’t like it, hahaha! But I lived, as did those around me.
The fundraiser was a soup lunch, for which I brought a big pot of my cheesy chicken noodle soup (which is actually more widely known as crack chicken, but I can’t make a drug joke at church 😂) I made a handful of rounds to our table, getting a few bowls of soup for a few different folks before finally sitting down for lunch. It thrilled my heart to watch my dear Spoons eating independently SO well. Taking big bites, wiping their own chin dribbles with a napkin, and drinking from a regular cup, not a sippy. Someone was SO proud of themself. It was super sweet to see my very grown up toddler at work 💜
I am so grateful we were able to go to church after all, and not have to miss the service, the baby sharing, or the participation and support for the fundraiser. Thank you, Lord, for healing our bodies enough that we could attend today 💜
Today is a bit of a hard one to break down. With Rowan’s birthday approaching, he begged to celebrate over the weekend. Today we got up and he was eagerly chopping fruit in the kitchen. Brunch begun in the late morning, and while it looked and tasted absolutely delicious, a handful of us could hardly eat. There was an unfortunate sweep of nausea across many of us. It definitely turned out to be the right choice to split his meals over a couple of days. Nevertheless, the day moved forward, and Rowan is completely happy with how it went. I worried he’d be a bit let down, but nope, he is totally satisfied with day one of his three day birthday 😅
Brady, being the chemo guy, took a really nice long nap this afternoon, which I think many of us were fiercely jealous of, haha! He woke up all refreshed. Punk.
We finished off the day with leftover fruit salad and biscuits brought to our door, warm and fresh 💜 It really couldn’t have been timed out any better.
I will admit that I don’t feel especially strong today, but forward we move, no matter the circumstance. We are so incredibly fortunate to be cared for so well and to have things as good as we do. It is undeniable that God shows up for us absolutely endlessly, and for that, we are SO thankful.
Its going to be an early to bed kind of night, and I am completely here for it. As is Brady. And LD. And Laela. And Wavy. And Dekker. I think thats it.
I promised Laela I’d make fun of her on the blog today. She was less invested in the idea, but I’m still going to go with it.
As a disclaimer, I pretty much always ask my kids when I post about them, especially if I’m teasing them or if I think they might not like a picture or story being public. Especially now that the two are in high school, their friends sometimes read the blogs, and I just don’t want anyone to be too embarrassed. So she knows I’m posting this. End of disclaimer.
Today, I had to take Brady to an appointment, thanks to his minivan bucking this weather. Don’t get me started (said the van.) The man still needs his chemo! Cycle #7 begins today!
A Costco order came while a couple of the kids were home, so once the delivery person was gone, they brought in the groceries to put away. She texted me about a couple of things, like whether to put certain fruit in the fridge, etc. And then I got this one. It took me a second.
Did you figure it out?
Chimichangas.
I laughed SO HARD.
Don’t judge our purchase of convenience food. This week has been a MESS and it is SO helpful from time to time to buy some garbage to eat 🤣
Of course this is the part where Laela insists that I add that Rowan said it first, which he staunchly refutes. But. It happened, and it brought some great laughs, which I can admit have been a bit harder to come by these days. So I’ll take it.
WOW did the cold ever snap overnight!!! 🥶 We actually had to boost Brady’s van in order to get him to work this morning.
My bus was not a particularly happy camper, but happier than the mini, so it did the job. Once Brady was boosted and out the door, I let my vehicle run for a good while so I could safely, warmly drive to the city shortly thereafter to take one of the babes for a visit.
I drove in a second time to retrieve aforementioned babe, and man alive, that van is SO over the cold.
As am I. Maybe thats part of why I feel so grumpy? Maybe? I don’t know. The day did not end super well, and I am ready for sleep.
Sorry for the downer post. Some days feel extra challenging. Hopefully I’ll sleep a bit more tonight and be a lot more fun tomorrow.
I went out with him at 7am and shovelled, but even once we could get him into the van, it was clear that the snow was going to let him leave 😬 So, we tucked in for another cup of coffee and decided to move a bit slower. But the day eventually did begin, and all of the kids went downstairs to play for a bit so Brady could do some worky work and I could try to pump out some complicated foster expenses.
Aaaaand things tend to go, things got a bit rocky down there and it wasn’t long before kids started filtering upstairs. Which was fine. Brady had gotten a little accomplished. Me, not so much, but a lot of texting and organizing with workers at least. And it worked out, because despite some fights and attitudes, the bulk of my picture today were cute.
This right here captured a precious moment where Rowan went to bat for Wavy in a battle between siblings, and he stood his ground and made her feel SO protected and seen and valued!! 🥰 I LOVE those moments!
And another gooder where Laela came and built a fort for the toddlers that made the pantry virtually impossible to enter but was so worth it for the fun they all had.
Our neighbour took it upon himself to lovingly cleared our driveway, as well as the road near our driveway that was quite deep and drifted. Because of his kindness, Brady was able to drive to work for the afternoon! He was so stoked since most of the sales team was off for the day, and he wanted to be there to represent the group.
He took off and I warmed up some lunch.
The afternoon was spent trying to work on the crochet pattern I’ve been building while the kids drew, played lego, and eventually went outside to play with the kids across the street. I packed up a puzzle and started to set up another one. We had some music going. Everything was fairly smooth. Not flawless, but we do NOT require perfect!
Hopefully tomorrow, the roads will be nicer, considering I have to take everyone in. Twice. Maybe they’ll also be nicer 🤣😬 These weeks off, though. Anyone else feel that burn? 🙋♀️
Cher here! I wanted to write a tribute to Hailey and Brady, even though it came late this year.
*taps mic* this thing on?!
When I look at these two photos side by side, it feels like I’m looking at a love story that has been written in both sunlight and fire.
On the left is 2020, their anniversary. Twelve years of marriage already behind them, standing in the snow with that quiet confidence that comes from years of choosing each other. I remember taking that photo and thinking how steady they were. How natural their love felt. It was beautiful, but it was still a chapter we couldn’t fully understand yet.
On the right is 2025, Laela’s Grade 6 graduation. Five and a half years later. The same two hearts. The same covenant. But refined in a way only suffering can refine something.
In between those two photos is a story most people will never fully see.
Brady faced spinal surgery for a tumor that left him paralyzed. Years later, he endured a brain tumor, had it removed, and then faced recurrence in a different place. His mobility changed drastically. The future shifted…plans changed. There were days NO ONE would have chosen.
And yet, through every surgery, every medication, every learning curve, every adjustment to a new normal, their love did not shrink, it deepened.
Brady’s wheelchair has never defined him. It has never stolen his humor, his presence, his faith, or his devotion as a husband and father. He continues to work and show up. He pushes to lead his home with strength that doesn’t come from working legs, but from the Spirit of God within him. If anything, his joy has become sharper, his gratitude more intentional, and his faith more unshakable.
And Hailey… I don’t even know how to put her into words. Her capacity has stretched in ways only heaven could have prepared her for. She has carried, comforted, advocated, mothered, and served without letting bitterness take root. Instead of retreating, they opened their home even wider, welcoming medical foster babies, loving children who needed stability, and continuing to say yes to serving others even when it would have been understandable to pull back.
They go to the lake. They travel. They stay involved. Their life is fuller now, not smaller. There is a holy defiance in the way they refuse to let hardship dictate the size of their joy.
Through it all, they have trusted the Lord. Not with a shallow faith, but with a tested one. The kind that wrestles and still believes. The kind that says, “Though everything feels uncertain, we will still build. We will still love. We will still serve.”
Seventeen years of marriage. Five years of unimaginable trials. And somehow there is more laughter, more closeness, and more depth than before.
It is one of the greatest privileges of my life to witness this kind of covenant. To see what it looks like when two people don’t just promise “for better or worse,” but live it. And to watch suffering turn into strength and see faith become flesh.
This is not just a before and after.
This is endurance, grace, and a love that has been carried. And is STILL being carried by God.
It was a pretty precious day today 💜 We are fortunate to be well connected with some dear friends of the birth mom of one of our children. Did you follow that lineup? One of our kids – their mom – her friends. Probably the closest to family that she has anywhere nearby. We spent the morning together!
Our entire family. One of these friends’ entire family. And the other friend whose family couldn’t join this time. As well as our babe’s sibling.
One friend hosted at her place. They welcomed us with open arms. All ten of us. They made a ramp so Brady could come into the house. Made yummy coffee. Took in ALL the outerwear and skates in. They just let us be part of them for the morning.
There was SO much to catch up on, and I think we covered just about every base. Meanwhile, the kids trashed the basement, and skated in the backyard for a couple of hours. We even fit in a FaceTime date with some more siblings that live a bit further away 💜 It may have been a short visit, but it was FULL.
Fostering is way more than just making room in your home for another person. Its more than making room in your family for another person! Its also making room in your life for their family! Its more work. For sure. But I feel SO incredibly blessed to know these people that are ONLY in our lives because of this relationship we’ve built through our love for this particular child. It is a gift to everyone involved. Not just an “extra” for the child in our care, but all of us.
It was SUCH a huge weekend, I’m going to call it a whewkend!
The ministry foot the bill for our entire family to go to Yorkton for a night so one of our babies could visit a family member. I have to say, as much of an undertaking that it was, it was SO FUN. We pulled the kids out of school for the afternoon, and Brady took half of the day off as a holiday. We were packed and on the road by 2pm, which isn’t exactly early but felt better at least. We drove and listened to good music. When we arrived at our hotel, I checked us in and found our rooms while Brady ordered pizza from the van so that we could eat pretty much as soon as we had unpacked.
I requested two adjoining rooms, which is how our family can hotel the odd time that it happens. We leave the doors between the rooms propped open, and the five kids take one room while Brady and I take the babies in the other. Its a great system!
But first, before any talk of sleeping, we ate a ton of pizza and pringles, threw on swim stuff, and hit the pool.
It was a rowdy couple of hours, but a VERY happy time. The waterslide was fast and splashy. The hot tub was nice and hot. The cold pool was also pretty warm. Every one of the five older kids could touch in almost every spot in the pool, but it was still nice and deep on them. Unfortunately, the lifeguard was a stickler and wouldn’t let the big kids take the babies down the slide, which sucked because he seriously just sat there with ear buds in, staring at his phone. But they each got one slide down before he stopped us. But they were still happy to float around and watch the action. You better believe everyone in that pool had a very cute cheering section, whooping “WOAH! GOOD JOB!” as soon as the slider made it to the bottom.
Brady cannot swim (surprise! Lol!) but he was the designated photographer, which I was SO grateful for.
We got back to our rooms after 9pm, and everyone tucked into their spot.
Laela and Wavy shared a queen bed.
Rowan opted for a camper mattress on the floor since he doesn’t like to share his space too much.
Dekker asked to sleep in our room and take his chances with the babies.
So Solly ended up with his own bed, too!
Everyone was in bed around 9:30, and while I made the rounds, Solly asked if they could stay up and talk late into the night. I said of course they could chat, but not to get too rowdy since it was pretty late and everyone was good and tired already. And let me tell you – not a peep out of that room 🤣
Our room didn’t do so hot. LD woke up and refused to go back to sleep. SUCH a sad little cry. Some shushing over the din of the noise machine did seem to help a little bit, but the questions remained as LD started listing the names of the kids, essentially asking where everyone was. Unfamiliar territory. It makes sense. But I heard the little voice start calling “Dekker? Dekker?!” and I watched the silhouette of Dekker as he got up, went over to the playpen, and reassured LD with a snuggly hug. It was SO endearing.
Buuuuut it didn’t take and I ended up sleeping on the floor next to aforementioned baby, who would doze for a few minutes before sitting up, stuffing their face into the mesh, and sobbing until I booped noses, before laying back down for the next few minutes. It was a rough cycle.
There was more to it all. We scrambled to get out the door. Couldn’t get a late checkout, so we managed some disappointment of only getting one swim in. Took a while to find where this family member was. Were late for that. Finally hit the road. Babies be poopin’ at the wrong times. Sold one Tim’s out of bagels completely. Oh and then we almost blew a tire and ended up stranded for another night! 😅 The kids were SO bummed when the lovely guys at the tire shop fixed us up so well.
It was a really, really full weekend. There was chaos, and some struggle, but every kid had a BLAST and they ALL said it was so fun and they hope we get to do it again, even if its short and just for a visit like this last time. Even if its somewhere mundane like Yorkton. These are the memories they’ll hold 💜 I love that.
