Last year, Brady applied for a forgivable government loan to get our en suite redone. And they granted it!! We’ve waited a while, made our plans, and today was the day it officially began!!
If you’ve seen our place, you might know that our en suite is roughly the size of a postage stamp. It would be an ok size for Brady and I pre-para. The wheelchair made it super tight in there. But the commode chair is even bigger, and then the shower bench just sucks up ALL the floor space. Considering all the medical supplies and bathroom things we need to store in there now, its just SO much need and SO little space.
Our closet is much the same. Small. Pretty close to useless.
So we decided to combine them both into one long bathroom, and work out some type of closet system in our room. Its not perfect. It will take some adjusting. And our smallish bedroom will be smaller still.
But! It will work better!!! So we are VERY excited for this renovation!!!
We worked all weekend to get our bathroom and closet cleaned out, and tried to make sense of our things in a way that would at least make them usable, though not pretty, while the work was being done.
Today, our guy came. Jared. He owns OSC Accessibility, and he is truly a joy to be around and work with. He came first thing and got right into it. He worked fast and intentionally, with a podcast going in his ear, cleaning up every inch of anything he left behind. He did ALL the demolition today. ALL of it. The wall between the two rooms is gone. Lots of drywall is torn down and flooring is pulled up. And ALL the fixtures are gone. Amazing, hey?? In ONE day!
He’ll be back tomorrow. I can’t wait for this all to get moving along. I can tell after even one day that it might be a challenging adjustment over here. Not having a bathroom when you’re used to one will be challenging for both of us. Going into the main bathroom is fine, of course, but we do have that one kid that dives out of his room the moment he hears movement in the house, so, theres that. Plus nap time is going to be a bit of a challenge. Munchie Mix napped in the pantry today 😅 The others will get the hang of it. And hey. If they don’t, they’ll go to bed earlier in the evening. No harm done! All in all, we are just SO unbelievably grateful for the chance to make this change to improve our situation! For Brady to be able to move around freely in the bathroom. To SHOWER without SO much struggle and effort. It will be new freedoms. I can’t wait!
Day one is in the books ✅ I couldn’t be happier with how it went. Thank you, God, for blessing us in this way. EASE!! What an enormous gift we’re being given!!!
Yesterday, we worked to go through our closet and got rid of some older clothes we were done with. We offered a few shirts that don’t fit Brady anymore to Dekker, and guys. They fit.
Sure, they’re a little roomy, but WOW is it ever fun to see him growing up so much all of a sudden! I know I’m supposed to dread the aging but I actually am enjoying some parts of it. And this is one part I really like 😍 Dekker wearing Bradys clothes. I love it.
Thats it thats all 💜 I like seeing Dekker wear Brady’s shirts. Its adorable and sweet. As are my men.
If you remember, one of her Christmas gifts was getting her ears pierced!!! I got in touch with our friend who just so happens to be a piercer right here in town, and she was willing to commit to making it happen before school was back up and running. And that day was TODAY!!!
In her own words, she was “scareder than she was before” but she was also bubbling with excitement!
Jolene is bomb. It goes without saying if you’ve ever met her or had the pleasure of having a service provided by her. Her husband also happens to be the guy we go to for tattoos! We’re big fans of them!
Laela came for moral support, big sister style 💜
Jolene talked Wave through each step she was doing. And guys, she didn’t even flinch. Not for a second!!
Reminding Wavy to breathe, to reassure her body and brain that everything was ok.
Jewelry innnnn…
And DONE!!! 🙌
It was SO quick! In and out! Almost wished it took longer since it is always really, really nice to be in their little shop 💜
Wave was SO thrilled, and when it was all over and she could let down, she had a cry 💜 Which we had even talked about ahead of time so she knew it was normal and TOTALLY ok. The anticipation is worse than the actual pain. She totally agreed, and was SO happy when she got to see her earrings in the mirror!
So. *whispers* If you see Wavy tomorrow, make a fuss about her earrings, ok? She feels SO special!
It’s been a busy Christmas. A really good one! But a busy one nonetheless. There is pretty much always a puzzle going at Christmas, am I right? Yes. I am. However, this time around, there just wasn’t a lot of time for one. Not to mention the challenge of keeping a space clear for it where it is free from babies sticky fingers. So we just didn’t do one.
Except it BUGGED me. I MISSED puzzling! And my island was so clear, just waiting to be filled 🤣 It’s just always a part of Christmas!
So yesterday evening, I pulled one out. I did all the fussy work – sorting out the border pieces, building the border, and setting out the rest of the pieces intentionally.
Today, I stood at the island for a bit while the kids read quietly in the living room, and I worked on it. Not so slowly, they all made their way over to where I was and they joined the puzzle. Now I’m not one who can’t share my puzzle. I can. And today was a tough one for it because WOW were the kids ever loud and obnoxious and so incredibly challenging to exist so closely around for so much time 🤣 I say it all with love. I literally had a kid making animal sounds, shoving their head in between my arm and my body, expecting a head scratch. I was left deep breathing by the end 😂but I DIDNT nitpick their fun, or kick them out, and they never got out of hand.
And I’m really glad I stuck it out. They LOVED being at the island, puzzling with me. We finished it. Easily. Together.
Some days, that kind of noise and nonsense is just too much for me. And I could feel that point approaching. But I chose to soak in the together time and I’m really glad I did. And I’m glad they stayed and puzzled. It was a nice memory to make together. Hopefully many more puzzles in our future.
Hey this is Brady! A few weeks ago, my faith changed for the better, and I really want to put my thoughts in writing. Take this with a grain of salt please. Your beliefs and opinions are your own and they’re valuable. This is one of mine.
A few weeks back the “Verse of the Day” from my Bible app showed up on my phone and it was 1 John 4:19. It hit me totally different than ever before and like a Mack truck. I’ve never been happier to be hit by a truck!
The ESV version goes like this, “We love because he first loved us.”
I’ve always read this with the understanding that I should love others as a testimony of God’s love for all of us.
That I should… I’ve failed if I didn’t…
This is not how I read it now. This is not a command or a request. This is cause and effect.
Boom!! What?!? We love BECAUSE God loves. We can’t stop it and we don’t have to make it happen. Because God IS love!!!
What a gall darn relief!!! Am I right?!
If we truly love and submit to God and His will for our lives, His love will naturally flow out of us and onto the people around us.
Ok everyone. This last year was a total doozy. I would not trade this year in for any other year, but it has indeed been a smackdown. Let’s talk about it! Month by month. Here goes!
January.
Brady finally got his Sales Manager plaque on his door, though he had been given the title months ago. I worked a really successful table at an event. Cher and I went to see Wicked in theatres and opened up that can of worms 🤣 A new obsession was born. And then another! Brady and I got our first tattoos! Those were SUCH fun times!!! A great kickoff to the year!
February.
This one tends to be a tricky month for us. Lots of memories of Bradys first surgery and all the change that came with it. But this year, it didn’t hit as hard! Likely because it was grossly overshadowed by saying goodbye to our beloved Morsel. We celebrated our wedding anniversary the very next day. We spent the month rebuilding our island, replacing our stovetop, etc. It was a MUCH bigger project than anticipated! The Wicked craze continued. Wavy wore Wicked eyebrows to school 🤣 And Rowan turned ten!!
March.
This year, March was our tricky month. We did have one happy highlight! Laela and Solly participated in their first ever piano festival!! That was an awesome experience! But WOW was the rest ever HARD!! Bradys tumours came back in his spinal cord, and we watched his mobility deteriorate. Brady finished the island top, and that was a very strange final project in many ways. Above is the last picture I have of him standing. I digress. We made a new radiation plan – to blast above his tumours in an effort to stop them from growing any closer to his brain. And for the first time, we really worked on making our home accessible. Yikes, man. Yikes.
April.
Radiation was in full swing! There were a lot of growing pains that came with Brady’s total paraplegia, and that included infections! That grow FAST! This month, Brady came down with some mad cellulitis that ended up requiring IV abx. It was a whole thing. It also kicked off our relationship with home care. Laela and Rowan participated in the musical at their school, and our dear Dahlsjos were in attendance! Cher and I managed to go out for a shorty date to remember her brothers birthday. And we started planning and prepping for camp a bit! It was early, but we knew a lot was going to change this summer!
May.
Lots and lots of changes at the lake! We were gifted the use of a lift all summer. Some friends and loved ones helped us install patio stone at our site. And we found a way to get Brady back in the bus finally! It had been months. Meanwhile, radiation wrapped up and chemo/immunotherapy began!! Totally new territory this time around. Solly turned nine this month. Oh and our already very thick infant got thicker 🤣
June.
We got in our first good lake weekends, which was SO lovely! Even got to have one weekend of fires in the midst of a LONG dry stretch of fire bans. Laela and Avery went and got their ears pierced together 💜 Not, like, together… But they went at the same time 🤣 You get it. Brady and I each got a second tattoo!! And school wrapped up with Laela graduating out of elementary school. She is WAY too grown up!
July.
July kicked off suuuuuper weird by our family being asked to leave Value Village 🤣 Remember that??? That was nuts. But Wavy wasn’t with us that day, thank goodness, because she was celebrating her seventh birthday with Auntie!! The kids started making their way through their weeks of overnight camps, and I sent the four to soccer camp as well! Cher and I ate sushi on her birthday, because treats. Because yum.
August.
SO much yummy food. Very little beats a big chunky salad and grilled garlic toast at camp. We also finally found a solution to at least taking the edge off of Bradys mouth pain that came along with his cancer treatments. Dekker had his first experience being staff at Redberry Bible Camp, which he LOVED. Rowan got hit in the face with a bottle rocket 🤣😬 which was kind of a whole thing but he super lived, hahaha! Dekker celebrated his fourteenth birthday towards the end of the month. And right before August wrapped, we went to the elementary school to bring everyone’s supplies and find classrooms. Crazy how fast that came!
September.
School started!!! We now have three in elementary and two in high school!! Crazy!! We said goodbye to Piper before she left for college 💜 and hello to ALL the new things the new school year would hold. Wavy joined in the piano gang, and Laela, who turned 12 this month, took a crack at volleyball! And she was good!!! Hello, first string!
October.
Cher and I were able to sneak away for a friendaversary date! It was DELICIOUS, and the company was pretty nice, too 😍 Not everything in October was quite so nice, however. I hadn’t called 911 in a while, but an infection left Brady incapacitated, and there was no way I could get him to our vehicle to bring him in for help. That was a rough day, but when the fire chief loves you like his own, the situation moves fast and everyone can feel really safe. Brady celebrated his birthday shortly after that whole ordeal. Volleyball wrapped up for the year. We had our first taste of winter, and had a very cute Halloween.
November.
Take your kid to work day!!! Dekker sure made waves at Zaks. I won’t be surprised if he is hired for seasonal help at the very least in the years to come. We set up for Christmas at home, and then made our way out to Kinasao twice!!! It was a LOT of fun, and also a LOT of busyness!
December.
This is kind of a fun one. In December, Rowan seemed to figure a few things out, and we’ve had some extra smooth sailing. Which is surprising because really full times tend to feel extra stressful, and that is not a vibe in which he thrives. But that kid pitched IN!!! It was AWESOME!!! Christmas performances came, activities wrapped up for the calendar year. I baked unceasingly. And we got real snowfalls. Pretty ones. Shovelly ones.
To wrap up the year of blogging, I’d like to tag on what we put on our Christmas card.
The years are not gentle, but God is!
As per our style, 2025 was another wild one. Bradys cancer came back with a vengeance, completing his spinal cord injury, and paralyzing him fully. Adapting to this in particular has been one of our greatest challenges as a family. Yet, we remain grateful for the life we’ve been given, and have continued to have fun, work hard, and make memories. We spent lots of time at the lake again this summer, and have enjoyed chasing our kids around to their many activities. We also saw a handful of children come and go through our home. Its been an incredibly full year, but God has never left us or forgotten us. Whether we walk, wheel, or ride in a stroller, the Lord is alongside us at all times.
For you, we wish comfort and joy in the year ahead. May God bless you richly.
Merry Christmas.
Love Brady, Hailey, Dekker, Laela, Rowan, Solomon, Waverly, Spoonful, Lemon Drop, and Munchie Mix
I have a couple of posts that need to go out, but they’re just not ready. I’m taking a small breather where I could either sit and crochet and stare a little, or I could work on one of those blogs.
Aaaaand I choose rest.
Pretty sure thats the right move.
There is MUCH to do, but tomorrow is another day. And there are still a handful of days left before school kicks off and life gets rowdy again. So today, I will rest, and later once everyone is in bed, I will eat turkey dinner aaaaall together in a giant bowl. Like an old school chicken bowl from KFC, but turkey, and homemade so WAY better.
Tomorrow, the end of Stranger Things comes out. I am ready.
Brady worked, which was a bummer, but also was the plan and I was prepared.
Babies didn’t nap well but were in good moods when they were awake. Ran around and ate peppernuts. Dairy-free peppernuts, which taste exactly the same. And icy squares 🤤
The house smelled great. We had turkey dinner. Gravy is good. On. Everything.
But the post-turkey hangover has everyone sluggish and ready for bed, myself included.
🥱
Which is pretty ok because that time is near!! I am absolutely ready to go lay in bed. Anyone else?? Anyone?
Happy memories being built. GOOD conversations being had. That fatigue that comes with happy times.
We had SUCH a fun day today 💜 We visited and ate good food and caught up and rested and the kids played HARD. Each day this Christmas, as well as the weeks leading up, I prayed that our family would make memories this season, and I like to think that we did that today.
I’m sad that Brady works tomorrow. I don’t miss the days of contracting very often, but I do miss the freedom to take off ALL of Christmas without issue. It definitely makes me sad. But I am very grateful that Brady and I have a rich enough love to miss each other and to want to be together more. Darn work. Darn jobs. Ah well. We love his job, and are SO grateful for it. But. I wish he could be home tomorrow.
Anyway. I’m pooped. My heart is full. My stomach is even fuller. I’m ready for bed.
Our family went on our annual Christmas light drive last night. Each year, we try to map out a bit of a plan before we go. With that and our acquired knowledge from the years past, we make our way around Saskatoon and enjoy the best lights that the city has to offer.
It was a little bit sad. Over the past couple of years, we’ve really noticed a decrease in houses with lights put up. However, it was still a GREAT year for it becauuuuuse
No one argued! Or fought. Or nitpicked. Or struggled! They just enjoyed themselves!!
We have five children who are old enough to manage themselves for the most part.
We have two toddlers who are old enough to actually be aware of the lights around them and get excited to see them.
We have one baby who is so beautifully content and rarely fusses, as long as someone familiar is within their line of vision.
Before we left for the drive, I packed up some cheapy bento boxes with party mix, crusty marshmallows, and a few other good snacks. Once they were gone partway through the trip, we all snagged McFlurries.
And no one complained. Or sugar crashed. Or got impatient or rude. Everyone just enjoyed.
It was possibly our best year yet 💜 Not specifically for the lights. But for the togetherness 💜
