Our baby Peanut is our youngest placement at this time, and shares our room. Since Brady isn’t able to walk in any capacity anymore, it is always me who lays baby down for night or naps. Which I’m fine with, because that’s a small thing I can take over. Plus! Peanut does this cute thing and I swear, I will miss it like crazy when it inevitably stops.
As I carry the little one to bed, chest to chest, Peanut ever so lightly licks my shoulder. And I think it is the most endearing little thing. I feel like its my goodnight kiss, and I’ll take it! Its become my little gift whenever I walk Peanut to or from bed. It is the sweetest little thing, and one day when the kid is way too old to lick me, or maybe they’ll bite me, or they’ll move along from our home, I know I will miss my little baby kiss 💜
They don’t have to be smooth, but its really extra nice when they are.
Realistically, as we’ve learned in the last few years, we could make do without them altogether.
But then you don’t get all the good memories.
So.
This particular camping Sunday was not our smoothest. But! The weekend was filled with beautiful things. Delicious food. Our first beach day of the season. Great company, including my mom! A propane fire pit while wood fires are banned. Our little ones trying out the a trike and the balance bike. The kids discovering truth or dare, and playing the least intelligent version you’ve ever witnessed 🤣 It was a lot of fun. A really, really nice weekend.
Just not today as much 😅🤏
But.
Not a day goes by where Kinasao doesn’t come up in conversation. It is our beloved second home, for which we are beyond grateful.
Solomon Brady turned NINE today!!! The last year with Solly has been full of fun and positive growth as a young man.
Sol has had some anxiety, and this year with a medicine change and some maturity, he has a newfound confidence. He is willing to try new things that previously would’ve just caused total shutdown. He used to be terrified of dogs and now he is very calm when one is out loose. Plus he LOVES the dogs he’s familiar with. Solly has learned to play piano this year, and he’s gotten crazy brave on the playground.
I could not be prouder to be this boys mama. I love you dearly, sweet Solly. Your birth made me feel like a rockstar, and I felt like I knew you right away. I hope you really enjoy your last year of single digies!
Confusing title, I know 😅but this is not our first rodeo
Chemo began today! From speaking to Brady, I can confirm that we both felt that the whole thing was surprisingly peaceful. Which was SO unexpected and welcomed.
We had a nurse who was incredibly kind and easy to talk to, and she explained everything really clearly along the way. We learned some great information about the chemo that brought a lot of reassurance. The treatment itself was short and unassuming.
I’m not going to drone on and on. We made it to camp. We were SO packed in it was laughable 🤣 but it’s late and I’m sleepy and it’s time to wrap up.
Goodnight, one and all 💜 Thank you for following our family and carrying us in prayer.
I haven’t had a whole lot of extra time or energy for baking recently. Which is ok. We’ve found alternatives and no one goes without food. Its definitely ok.
However.
There is a birthday on the weekend. And is it really a birthday if the kid doesn’t get the cookie breakfast they requested??
Lemon oreos. Chocolate oreos. And gingersnap oreos, because why not? Isn’t everything better smothered in cream cheese icing anyway?!
This took me the bulk of the afternoon and a good chunk of the evening to finish. Conveniently, we had a pre-made supper that we could just warm up in the oven, so it wasn’t hands on at all and I could still ice cookies until it was time to eat. I am SO glad I got it all done, but my feet are throbbing.
Its time to wrap it up. I’m with Rowan. We share the vibe.
I think all the chemo details are in order, so we can finally share the plans!
Keeping in mind, of course, that plans change with the wind 😅 But this is what we have so far.
Brady will be on six week cycles. In those six weeks, he will have three treatments.
The first treatment will start with one BIG fat pill that is meant to increase the absorption of the chemo, and then an hour long IV infusion. On this same day, Brady will also start a four week regimen of antibiotics, to proactively battle any infection. This therapy can really take down your white blood cell count for an extended period of time, so this should hopefully protect him.
Second treatment is two weeks later, and is only the IV infusion.
Third treatment is a repeat of the second.
Once those six weeks are up, he goes into cycle two with the big fat pill, and then IV treatments.
There will be three of these six week cycles, and then an MRI to check on the inside and see whats all going on in there.
We are under the impression that Brady’s chemo is quite well tolerated, and considering how well he tolerated the previous chemotherapies, his oncologist is very optimistic he will fair well through this next bout as well.
Thankfully, we trust GOD above anyone and anything else. He knows more than the oncologists. The doctors. The nurses. The therapists. Pathologists. Scan technicians. Booking department. All of those rolls are important but God is the GREAT Physician and He gets all the trust and ALL the glory!!!
Do you remember how much I LOVE grade one spelling?? Its easily my favorite thing about her age and stage. Its really just not the point of writing at this point. Its more about getting your ideas across and practicing your letters and sounds. It seems to build a lot of confidence, while giving me a stomach ache from holding in my laughter. It is SUCH a good part of kids growing up.
Today, Wavy was writing on her boogie board and I was elbow deep in a poopy diaper change when she informed me that she was going to write a story and I was going to read it. Which seemed like something I wasn’t going to be able to do in the moment. She said maybe just a sentence. “A few words, ok, mom?” Ok Wave.
And I was given this.
I stared for a goooood minute before I said I was sorry, and that I couldn’t quite read it. Luckily, she was super proud of that fact this time around, and read it to me! It was french!!!
Brady and I don’t go out on dates much. But thats ok. We spend intentional time together at home, and it makes total sense considering the season of life we’re in. When we get the chance to be out together, we jump!!! And today, I got to go to an important oncology appointment! Which was oddly really enjoyable, not because its fun to plan chemotherapy, but it’s really, really nice to be together.
I’m happy to tell you that we had a nice appointment, with clear answers, decent communication, and a schedule set in place! And the weather was nice, as well 💜
My favorite person right here, ladies and gentlemen 😍
Hopefully I’ll have a bit more downtime tomorrow, and if so, I’ll post about his treatment plan and what we’re looking at. Gotta tell the people first. But the ultimate goal is to go to chemo together if at all possible 💜 Like a date. Some hour long hospital dates never hurt anyone!
Praise the Lord for answering prayers for clarity!
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.
