The Daily Hailey

It wasn’t a totally bananas day. It was busy, but thats the norm. The busiest part was really the afternoon. I had two grocery orders arrive, and besides putting everything away, I made up lunch packs of different veggies and some crackers. As I stood at the island, I had a little inner back and forth with myself.

The kids could totally just cut their own veggies.
Ok but they won’t.
Thats their issue, not yours! You don’t have to do all this.
But they need to eat veggies and this way they will. Happily! Without complaining!
Its a waste of bags.
Bite me. It works for now.

And I kept chopping. I hate packing lunches, and doing this extra step has made it virtually hands off for me. I like it.

So I made lunch packs for a good long while and then I got babies up and fed the littlest one. I say “littlest” loosely, as our five month old is only about 6 oz lighter than our fifteen month old 😅 Anyway. I bottled the one that bottles, and the others ran around while I washed my hair in the kitchen sink.

And then, folks, I made the supper of my childrens dreams 🤣

Yup. Smile fries, fish sticks, cucumber salad, and some super ripe pineapple. What more could a child (or their parent) want??

We ate, everyone happy and without complaint. The moment I had inhaled my food and I was on the way out for a couple of hours. And they were some nice hours out. I was really grateful for that short time away, and I came home to a peaceful scene, which was just the icing on the cake.

Thank you, Brady, for taking on the fam for a little bit so I could go out and do something special. I know its a lot 💜 but I also know you still want to do those things. So I see you, and I thank you. And I love you.

The rest of the week is going to be really busy with visits and events, and then back to camp to make more memories! 💪

It’s ended up being quite a big day. I won’t lie. Im so unbelievably tired. A little flustered. Morale was kind of low. 

However, I have so much to be thankful for. I had time to crochet today. I was able to get a last minute appointment to take LD to an eye doctor. I didn’t do any real work. I had a social worker meeting. And as has been long awaited on our end, our laptop officially kicked the bucket. 

Costco rewards hoarded for the last couple of years saved the day, and Brady brought home a new laptop! 🥳 woohoo!!! Hopefully fewer issues with technology soon! 🤞 

Tonight was the only night where things weren’t scheduled, so I’m glad to be able to rest up a little. I have a pretty tight deadline to get my current crochet project done with, so that’s the priority of this week!! 

Wish me luck, all! 

I don’t have to tell you guys, but I will. Brady is the best dad I could’ve ever pictured for our children. Above and beyond what I ever pictured, to be honest. I didn’t really know what that would look like, or what was reasonable to expect, but he has crushed it with every pregnancy, regardless of how long or short it was, and every child, regardless of how they came into our family.

He has fathered five children from my body, loved dearly countless babies that we lost, and he has deeply invested his love and care into six beautiful bonus children we’ve had in our family.

As of today, he is a daddy to eight children.

Dekker
Laela
Rowan
Solomon
Waverly
Spoonful
Lemon Drop
and Peanut

Super weird not to include the Morsel in there 💔 ugh.

Every last one of them is incredibly fortunate to know Brady and to be loved by him. He may do fewer physical things with them these days, but his lap is always open for someone to sit on for a hug or a snuggle. He will absolutely always try to help decipher a problem, offer advice, or just listen. And more often than not, he will still do absolutely the MOST he can to help with things physically.

I know. Hubba hubba, right? 😍

It has been a hard year so far in 2025, watching his abilities change so much, and seeing his confidence shake.

However.

He trusts God, and it shows. As time has gone on, he has found ways to still actively participate in our family and to connect with each child. And in turn, they are learning how they can connect with him. Which is oddly a super special thing that comes with having a disability such as his in the family.

I could not be more pleased with the man I chose to build a family with. And I couldn’t be more grateful that he chose me, too. Thank you, Lord, for Brady. For all the messy things we have gone through in the last 4.5 years, we have only become closer to one another, and to You. You have shown Yourself to us, and I see it in Brady every single day. He carries the joy of the LORD. What a beautiful example for our children to witness!!!

You are deeply loved, Brady. Thank you for having eight kids with me, and never ever bailing, flaking, or making us feel less than. What a gift for our boys to see how a dad should be.

Christ shines in you and through you, honey. I am so proud to call you my husband and the father of my children.

It positively poured today. It poured last night, and all day long. It. Was. Beautiful. Cramped in the camper and on the deck, without a doubt, but still gorgeous and much needed! 

We had moments of reprieve, but the storm raged well as we ran across the campground to the gazebo for the first community event of the season – a potluck! It was not well attended, unsurprisingly, but it was indeed delicious! 😋 

The rain took a short break, and I ran down to the beach for the first time since the docks went in. It was absolutely gorgeous. 

The rainy day has been lovely, and it has been a fun discovery that the big babies LOVE the rain!!! They play hard and get soaked to no end, and now, they are completely spent and screaming. Sooooo it’s time to wrap it up 😅 

Happy rainstorm, everyone! 

Today was Brady’s second cycle of chemo this particular time around. What a mess it is to even try to explain that simple part of it 😅 I had the pleasure of going with him, even though I couldn’t stay in the back with him during his infusion. I sat in the waiting room and had a fabulous chat with a few people who knew each other and brought a ton of life to the space. As it happened, the woman of the group had previously been a social worker in the foster care system, so we ended up having a lot to talk about. It was surprisingly lovely, while Brady was bored and waiting for his treatment in the back chairs. 

We came home to a clean house, thanks to Cher 💜 and got to work tying up the loose ends of packing. There was very little left to do. Dekker got home first and started loading up the van, which he actually loves to do. Very shortly thereafter, we drove to Rae’s to pick up the babies after a day off 💜 

Coming home from treatment today felt really good. Brady says he feels strong and no ill effects at this point. We continue to pray for Gods strength to be the only strength we carry! 

And we pray that we can sleep tonight 😅 Friday nights at camp tend to be the rough ones, hahaha! Between LD and Spoons, someone has to give in to sleep eventually! 

Happy weekend, all! 

This weekend is supposed to be another cold one up at the lake, but we’re still going up, as we do! I got Brady a beef hoodie at VV that will keep him warmer than the ones he’s been using at the lake, so he can be more comfortable. Our blanket that was covered in marshmallow last weekend cleaned up nicely and can come back to be snuggled in. We’re bringing a second propane tank so we can run the propane fire as often as we want. And beyond that, we’re going to have SOUP! Yes, it is supposed to be cold enough that we’re planning for soup.

Tomorrow is the day to pack up all the end stuff, and while I haven’t had much of a second to prepare this week, I think its pretty under control and I feel confident I’ll remember the right things.

Brady also will receive his second chemo infusion tomorrow. So if you’re the praying type, please add him to your list.

Sleep well, all.

I drove into Saskatoon three times today. It was a FULL day, but a really good one.

I drove in this morning to bring a baby to a visit with their family. My dear girl, Cher, watched the other babes so I could go in hands-free 💜 I had a super nice interaction with birth mom, and got iced coffee on the way home. Wins all around!

In the afternoon, I learned how to de-eye a pineapple. Though this one still seems to have eyes 👀 at the top, it was more fun than I thought it would be, and took less time. Another win! I chopped up a watermelon, two packs of strawberries, and two pineapples.

I got the two babes up and drove back into the city to pick baby up from the visit. A really nice pick-up. No one cried. Babies were all happy to see each other. Two waved at one another.

We arrived home and popped into the house for a short time. Got babies dressed cute and loaded up all the fruit, a full diaper bag, bug spray, and headed back out to Saskatoon to visit with the family and loved ones of one of our other babies.

We spent the evening in the backyard with a large group of people we have been getting to know over the last year or so, and who we really, really love. Brady came right after work, and just in time. We ate hot dogs and all kinds of fresh fruit and veggies. S’mores after supper. The kids went hard, jumped on the trampoline, climbed on the climbing wall, ate sand, and hung off the slack line. Babies were passed from person to person. They drooled. Pooped. Got dirty and showed off their tricks.

No one wanted to leave, but it was time to wind down for the day. Babies were fussing, and even some of the other kids were at that special point of fatigue where every bump brought tears. So we picked a date for the next hang and went our separate ways.

I can’t tell you how happy I am to smell like campfire smoke. Finally.

I am appropriately beat, and I’m grateful that sleep is just around the corner 💜

And tomorrow we go again! Another baby, another visit. But YAY for all three babies getting to see loved ones this week!!! 🥳

Aaaaand tomorrows tomorrow begins another round of chemo! 😅

Sleep well, all. Pray for those you love.

As I scanned the fridges to see what groceries I needed to order, I found myself taking pictures of some of the ridiculous things the kids had written on the whiteboard that we have on the fridge. It began as an errand board, and it still serves that purpose for some of us, but the kids are dorks and they have discovered that they can add their own flair to it 🤣 Anyway, it got me thinking I should show you some of the weird stuff on my fridges. So here goes.

A Laela special: Make goldfish packs.

Dekkers older brother response. Of course.

This one is saved from earlier this year when Wavy was getting excited about writing. STOP STOP!

And one for Brady, too.

Kronk. Obviously. C/o Laela.

A very grumpy seagull, c/o Dekker. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know. But I really like it.

This is a magnet that Rowan made for us years ago and I just really love it. 🦊

And this lovely gem that came through our place on the night that Brady had his seizure. I have no memory of it coming, but the kids insist that was when it came. I love it. It is SO fitting for that night.

There is a lot more, but these are the current gooders. We have comics kids draw, pictures from church, family pictures from Christmas, as well as business cards from countless medical people and social workers. When seasons change, I tend to empty the fridges off a bit and start fresh, but these types of things stick around a little longer. I’m sure most of you have things that live on your fridge long term. You get it.

Today marks two years of being an approved foster family!

I remember the day incredibly well. We were approved on a Friday. They decided to wait the weekend and bring us our first placement on Monday. Little did I know, the babe they had in mind would spend the weekend at the home of a friend of mine before making their way over to us that Monday, as promised.

And that child changed our lives.

Not only because that kid was totally awesome.

Not only because we spent a good chunk of hospital time together, one where we actually almost lost that precious life.

Not only because there was an unshakable bond formed.

But because, like mothers often say about their oldest child, this baby made us a foster family.

So on a day like today, I am so incredibly grateful we took the leap to start fostering children, and I am SO grateful for our Morsel.

💔 Goodness I miss that kid.

Foster care has proven to be incredibly challenging while somehow managing to be so fulfilling and precious. Nothing about it is easy or simple, but its terribly important and a huge need. Its messy and broken, of course, but to even have a small part to play in possibly bringing something smooth or beautiful to someone’s life is all worth it. The system may be broken, but these kids don’t have to be.

Two years in. I hear that tends to be the cutoff where many foster families burn out. And I see why. So we pray for endurance and the strength from Christ to cover us!

Onward we go!!

I like rocks. I always have. I still collect rocks as an adult. Don’t come for me. Or my rocks.

Since we started going back to Kinasao a couple of weeks ago, I’ve found a small handful of rocks shaped like hearts. And I’ve seen some cute artsy fartsy things to do with heart rocks, so I’ve started gathering some up in my own little camper stash.

This weekend, I found a particularly cool one. It looked like it had been worn down in a spot and some layers of the rock had come through. I thought it was super unique.

And then Brady ruins it and goes “Huh. That looks like a pressure sore.”

😒

On that note, the pressure sore Brady’s been working to heal for more than two months now is finally on the way out. Goodness those things are thankless!!

Happy rock hunting, all! 💜

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