Well, all, I was hoping to take some nice pictures before we left camp today, but I got sidetracked and forgot, sooooo you’re going to get less tidy pictures than what I had hoped for. But! The point is not the tidy nature of the site, but the patio!!!

Behold!

The levelling was arduous, but worth every second, because this thing is SO perfectly laid down, with ever so slight of a slope for drainage.

The next morning after the job was done, everyone made their way out in their bare feet. Which is normal for some but uncommon for others. For the first time in probably two summers, I poured everyone a glass of milk, and it sat all proper-like on the patio, with virtually no risk of cups tipping. Brady could seamlessly get around, do more for himself, and reach more places without feeling like he’s in the way, and with less fear of running over toes. It was WAY nicer. A HUGE improvement to our space, and a beautiful sight to be behold.

It also needs to be said that our help was SO willing and loving. They worked incredibly hard, and the things we were less prepared for were easily covered by friends grabbing golf carts and ripping over to a shed for some more materials, or someones site for a few more tools. It goes a really long way to have a crew who is HAPPY to be there.

When just the last two guys were there, I cautiously asked if they’d like a drink. Alcohol is fine at our campground, but its very tastefully done, and it stays in the campsites. No one parties loud or gets drunk. Thats just not the vibe we have at Kinasao. So I was tentative. But it felt kind of nice when they both accepted. I don’t know. The one man in particular, I just didn’t know his stance on the subject, so it was nice that we could all let down a little and not worry about that stuff. I liked it.

Thank you, friends, who came to help. Lowell. Daryl. Darren. Roland. Scott. Kyle. Sue, Rich, and the boys. Dekker and Jaxon. And our Dahlsjos, for watching the kids and making lunch. We could NOT have this setup without you.

Well. The patio is beautiful. Its functional and it looks lovely! Next weekend we will bring up new fire pit bricks, and the materials we need to start rebuilding the step into the camper. The step works, but its a very tight turn for Brady to get into the camper from the lift, so we’d like to change it so he can get in without making a 15 point turn, haha! As always, there are a few projects floating around, but this was the big one, and its aaaaall done!!!

Onto the week! Appointments, visits, rehearsals, recitals, lessons, possibly chemo, aaaaand back to camp!

It was a big day out here. A very successful day, I might add. It actually already started yesterday, but it was all for tomorrow. The goal for today was to put in the patio stone. We had put one bug in one ear and wound up with a beautiful large crew of people at our site this morning. They had fantastic attitudes and willing hearts. 

They levelled and levelled and levelled some more. I learned the term screed. We worked hard. They brought sand and packed and wet and packed and levelled some more and went over and over to make sure it was right. 

We hauled blocks over and passed them to the people down on the ground with the rubber mallets. We worked and planned and placed and sweat in the sun. 

And then it was done. 😳 it was SO FAST!!! 

Stacy had kept track of most of the kids all morning, and she also cooked up burgers and made some coleslaw, so she brought lunch for everyone who was working, as well as our families. We ate and rested, and then a couple guys hung back to help put some wood bracing around the stones so they would stay secure. 

Once everyone was gone, Stacy, Sadie, and I swept some sand around in an effort to essentially grout the tiles. The other kids resurfaced and we traded off the brooms to some of them. We did a first layer, and wet the whole thing down. Well do another layer of sand soon enough to make sure every crack is filled in, but for now, I would say it is a GREAT success! 

I will take useable pictures tomorrow but you’ll have to take my word for it. It’s just beautiful. 

I could not be more grateful 💜

I’ve had the same lock screen for a long time now. It’s a very cute picture of the Morsel, with hands clasped, visibly excited. Not only is it very cute in general, but I also love this picture because I know the excitement was because my mixer was going at the time. The Morsel LOVED the mixer. Anytime I’d bake, the moment the mixer would start, I would hear a tumble and thunk, as the Morsel dismounted wherever they had been, and then the sound of running to the kitchen. The excitement was palpable 🤣 It got to a point where I had to unplug the mixer if I ducked out of the kitchen because the Morsel would turn it on and batter would fly. It was a very cute problem to have. Goodness I miss that kid.

A day or two ago, I changed my lock screen for the first time in a long time. I wanted something more summery. As soon as I considered changing my screen, the perfect picture came to mind. Another picture of the Morsel, of course, decked out in a neon swimsuit and a neon lifejacket. If you remember, this kid was a wild one, getting into absolutely everything, even things you didn’t know someone could get into! And from our first trip to the beach last summer, we knew we would have our hands full with the Morsel. No fear. So our Morsel lived in neon all summer, and in a neon lifejacket from the moment we got onto the beach.

When I put this picture on my phone, it selected neon yellow for the time display, and I am here for it.

I know this feels mean to talk about pictures and not show them. I know you know that I can’t do that on here. But, if nothing else, take from this the beautiful bright spot this is for me now every time I check my phone or have it notify me of something. A neon spot, perhaps. SO much color. SUCH a good memory. And DEEP love for that child.

Happy Friday, friends. Back to the lake we go ☀️

Today feels like I’ve hit a bit of a wall. I had some really lovely times today!! But I also had some really hard times. I feel SO tired, and I know thats part of the block I feel. Anyway.

I had a really lovely nice long bath this morning, courtesy of Cher watching my babies. The tub was embarrassingly dirty after I was done with it. I was really grateful 💜 The babies all napped at once so I ate yummy leftovers for lunch and crocheted. Also nice! Unfortunately, Peanut didn’t get the memo that I was having relaxed time and woke up to join the party. Which fairly promptly stalled the party. But its ok. Peanut is a worthy companion, and comes before crocheting.

The kids came home in a bit of a brutal state. It was a hard afternoon to say the least. But Brady came home a little early from work so we could go to the elementary school’s BBQ tonight.

We ate hot dogs, chatted with parents and teachers, and swapped out some old books for new books. We walked home as a family, and nobody cried! So that felt like a win!

Upon arriving home, Dekker headed off to youth and the rest of us got settled for the evening. I got the babies down, though Peanut is resisting all my efforts at this point of the evening, which is not the usual MO we get from this particular baby. However, as I sway with Peanut laying up against my chest, there is little else that gives me the silly warm fuzzies than Peanuts need to lightly lick my shoulder anytime they’re held that way.

Time to pack this in. I had hoped to crochet a little this evening still, but the blog did not flow smoothly (you may have noticed) and then this crying baby and all the break-taking. *sigh* Tomorrow is another day.

Though! Tomorrow we head back to camp! And this is another BIG weekend up there!! So we’ll see how much downtime I actually get 😅

Goodnight, everyone.

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.

🥱