It’s been a very fall-like summer, and today was much the same. It was chilly, and spent in jeans, snuggled up in a lawn chair. We had soup and grilled cheese for supper. It was altogether quite lovely, but MAN was it cold! 🥶
We did, however, have a little beach sesh. We pulled out the sea doo and Sadie took some kids for rides. And then there’s this kid, who previously had rank anxiety, monkeying around like a total boss 😎
I was proud of him 🥰
The day is just wrapping up now. I’m trying to warm up in bed. The heater is on in the camper. Time to pack it in and snuggle up with Brady. My favorite part of the day 💜
The kids went to soccer camp this year. Last year, Rowan went. This year, I enrolled all four!! Dekker was too old for it, but the others could all be in it!
They spent the week running around outside with their friends, getting beautiful tans and burning off a ton of energy. It was so wonderful for them, and while none of them are really soccer kids, they had so much fun 💜 I’m very grateful our small town ran this camp.
At the end, each kid received a certificate to highlight their main skill. In no particular order, here they are.
Laela received the endless effort award, which I have no doubt she earned. She has never really played much soccer but she played HARD.
Wavy got the locked and loaded award, which seems pretty cute and super Wave-appropriate. She is up for anything, anytime.
Rowan, as my one kid who actually has played soccer, took home the midfield machine award, which he totally is. He is incredibly naturally athletic, and he’s great at soccer.
And my personal favorite…
Solly brought in the captain commentary award 🤣 which is SO fitting, as the kid just simply never stops stating the obvious. It is SO funny, and I absolutely belly laughed when I saw it. He is, in fact, the motivation for this entire post.
I only had one baby today. One. Lemon Drop. When LD went down for a nap, I saw my opportunity to wash up. Now, I don’t get a chance to practice hygiene too terribly often 😅 But today was that day. The day where I knew I could take some time to really take care of myself. So I did.
I had a BATH! Guys. A BATH! I could’ve cried. I miss baths. I scrubbed at my skin until it was red, but at least it wasn’t grey anymore, lol! I exfoliated and went again. I shaved my legs and my pits. All the while, I had a show going and felt super relaxed.
I got out, and wash my hair in the kitchen sink. Don’t judge my process. Its how I like it. I couldn’t tell you the last time I washed my hair. Oh wait. I can. 😳 It’s been a minute… but now it is all washed and clean smelling!
I put on deodorant. Washed my face and put on moisturizer. Brushed my teeth. I even clipped my nails!
I have not been this clean in a LONG time. Don’t worry, you can absolutely laugh at how preposterous this sounds, but it feels SO good to be fresh and clean. Hopefully soon, we can renovate our bathroom so it works easier for Brady. Then maybe he, too, can experience the cozy feeling of actual cleanliness.
For lunch, I ate leftover mashed potatoes out of a mixing bowl, because I wanted to really make it count. And it definitely did! 👍🥔🧈🥓
I crocheted a Barbie sized floppy sun hat. I didn’t make it for my ghost, but he was happy to model it for the photo. 👻
I laughed VERY hard at this. Embarrassingly hard.
While working in the kitchen, I noticed all the bites taken out of my utensils and it really had me missing the Morsel 💜💔 Funny but true. That kid took bites out of everything. You should see my piano. 😅 Oof. My sweetheart.
The kids came back from soccer camp with DARK tans!! Laela is rocking that racoon tan like a… well… like a racoon… 🦝
And the day wrapped up with my twins (as we call them) making matching baked oatmeals for the weekend.
Parts of today were crazy difficult, but parts of it were lovely.
Thank you Lord for the life You’ve given me. I am so grateful.
We’re creeping up to our holiday week, though its not going as slowly as “creeping” makes it sound.
Today is Wednesday. I got pretty organized. Made a list for the kids to pack their clothes. Got a menu and grocery list. I needed to do more, but Sugar Beet over here likes me best when I’m unproductive. Specifically today. So I don’t feel as caught up as I’d like to be, but I do believe things will all get done, and we will still in fact make it to the lake on Friday!
Tomorrow needs to hold a grocery order. At least one. I need to start packing for the babies. Maybe even finish. I need to gather up all the nonperishables and put them on the table. Make sense of the garage so I can start stacking things up in there.
I’d like to buzz Bradys hair, and wash mine. Kids should have baths. And there is much more to pack, obviously. But! We’re on our way! Or we will be soon enough, lol! First, all the prep, plus a social worker visit, and some more soccer camp for the kids! Oh and chemo!! Lol! 😅 Can’t forget that!
My bestie has a biiiiirthdaaaaay today!!! 🥳🥳🥳 Once upon a time, Cher hated birthdays, but times have changed and we can celebrate them again! Heyooo!!
The last year looked something like this 😍
She’s a cutie, am I right?? Yes. Yes I am.
Perhaps you notice that many of Cher’s pictures include others. Try as I might to find pictures of her on her own, there were SO many gooders that included our children. I am SO grateful to have a best friend who is willing to be hands on with them 💜 What a gift that is to me.
I feel like I have a decent view from which to witness Chers life, and I have had the pleasure of watching her make big life changes. Scary ones. Ones that possibly not everyone would like or support. But this year, she showed new COURAGE and STRENGTH. She had those traits before, don’t get me wrong, but they are really showing up these days. We all have those traits, in fact, but we have to choose to exercise them, and she is! And its WORKING!!!
Cher has a drive and determination that should be bottled and studied. As she works, Satan works to knock her down, but she keeps winning, because God wins, and HE is her focus!!! I see so few adults actually working on themselves, and that is an example more people should witness.
I am so fortunate to have that exact opportunity – to see the spiritual growth and maturity that comes from hard work, and all the beauty it creates in daily life. Because its definitely working in hers 💜
Cher and I only got a few hours in together today. As per the birthday tradition – birthday scones! A la Barbie 💞
And we sushied for lunch!
We got some good visits in, watched some ridiculously funny videos, and even got in a little hang out with my mom!
Cher. My dear girl. My sister. My BEST friend. I love you 💜 I truly do thank God for you every day. I love that you live so close to me. That you get to literally be employed at my house. That we are bonded the way we are. You are an important part of my daily, and thats just the way I like it. Never stop being my best friend.
I hope you had the BEST day. With the yummiest morning, the shoppiest afternoon, and the pizzaest evening. You deserve all the peace and rest and celebration 💜
Its nice to only be one year apart, even if just for a little while 😘
Our company is gone. The kids started up a new activity this week so they’re busier and out of the house. Sugar Beet is cute and also poor at napping, but there is slow improvement. The day carried a handful of different dynamics but most of all, it was restful. I worked to start getting organized for our holiday at camp next week. I snuggled Sugar Beet and followed LD and Spoons all over the place. I scheduled a meeting with a social worker and confirmed an appointment tomorrow, as well as a pick-up from a marketplace sale.
I won’t lie, though. The highlight of my day might’ve been my lunch.
Leftover mashed potatoes from the weekend. Really buttery mashed potatoes. And bacon. 🤤
It felt like the perfect meal for a day like today. A tired day. A grey day. A home day with little to no commitments.
Less struggle. Fewer interventions. WAY more fun. Today was a really good day.
To be clear – our company brought NO issues! My kids just didn’t fare especially well yesterday. So much excitement played a role, I am confident. But this morning, we had some quiet time before the party began, and it worked really well 💜
Kids played hard. Went to grandmas. Had dance parties. Held babies. And cried when the day was done.
The adults prepped food. Played some vids. Visited. Rested. Held babies. And got in that good time that our hearts all needed.
It was really, really lovely. SUCH a beautiful, precious way to spend the weekend 💜 Memories were made that will last, I have no doubt in my mind.
Everyone waved goodbye, as we do, as our loved ones headed away for the night. Brady and I were inside with the babies, while the other kids went and waved from the driveway. Everyone came in after they had waved, tidied, and went right to bed. Not because anyone was in trouble. But they. Were. BEAT. In that good, satisfied, happysleepy sort of way. It was kind of the best wind up to a gathering we could’ve asked for.
Tomorrow begins a new week of activities and busyness, but I anticipate it being actually a lot of fun! I’m banking on a good week. Some appointments. Some visits. Some kid activities. And prepping for our official week of holidaaaaaaays, coming in hot! Good thing I have this week to get set up!
Happy Sunday, all. I hope you enjoyed yours as much as I enjoyed mine 💜
We haven’t done a waffle brunch in a long time, but we had a niece with a birthday over today! So waffles were on the menu! It was delicious, but simple. Waffles, bacon, and fruit. It did NOT disappoint.
It was a really fun day, full of good food and rowdy activities, plus some nice downtime in the middle there. The kids played hard, and the adults visited loudly overtop the din. Such is life with many people in one space.
The day has wrapped up, and I’ll admit, I’m a touch on the frazzled side.
The day itself was lovely, but the come down here at home was a bit tough, and bedtime was rocky. I am so ready to be in my own bed, however, and watch a little of the Amy Bradley docuseries on Netflix. How are you letting down tonight?
This weekend, we are not at camp. My sister and her family are out for a few days, so we are staying home to spend that time together. They showed up mid-morning, and we chatted for about ten minutes before I stayed hauling out 🤣 Because despite the fact that we’re not spending the weekend at camp, Laela was still there this whole last week and needed to come home, lol!
The babies and I drove up to camp just in time to catch the closing program. As soon as I lay eyes on Laela, she lit right up. She was glowy, and dirty, and happy, and exhausted. It was all spread across her face, with candy blue teeth to top it all off.
Between Laela, Stacy, Avery, and Jaxon, we juggled the babies through the closing program and then went to gather up the girls things. We loaded Laela’s things into the van, had a quick bathroom break, and said our goodbyes. In total, I was at camp for one hour.
Its a two hour ish drive home, and Laela and I were both completely exhausted. At points, I was worried I would nod off. So, we ate and drank and I interviewed her about her week. She would just sigh and say “I had SO much fun.” Every story was a good one. It seemed like very little hardship, if any, befell her. My favorite story was the one about the boys who kept asking girls their names, and how her whole cabin made up fake names to mess with them, haha! Hers was Hailey.
We made it home without me falling asleep at the wheel. The kids were all happy and well at home, and it was really nice to have the gang all back together again.
I anticipate many shenanigans tomorrow. I’m ready. Or at least I will be ready after a good nights sleep. Cmon, Sugar Beet, I know you can do it!! 😴
