Hancock Christmas!

OK...

Christmas Cards will be New Year's cards this year. I did a total of 3 recitals, 1 Smyrna rehearsal, 3 Smyrna concerts, 1 benefit concert and the church Christmas program all in the week before Christmas! Needless to say......... no time...... and sore fingers!!!

However, we did get the photo while we gathered together for the Hancock Family photo shoot. We don't have ours edited yet, but here is the group shot.

I'd rather have this bunch for my family than some of the finest folks in the whole world! (They'll all get the joke! ;)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Reminder....

Lids4Kids is tonight at the Swansboro Methodist Church at 7:30. We had a great dress rehearsal last night! Jenny Licko looks awesome as ever! www.sheltonmusic.com

Jacy will be singing with me! I'm very excited!

I will try to get my mess together and take a video to post!

Calling Jackie O!

Ms. Jackie,

I don't know your email address, but I know you follow the blog....

The Ward Christmas Party has been changed to this coming Saturday at 6:30 pm. I'm sorry that I haven't called before now to let you know... It's late at night now and I don't want to wake you. If I don't let you know now I will certainly forget by tomorrow, so the blog will have to do! I will still try to give you a call tomorrow. I am on a field trip with Eden for most of the day!

All 6 of the Hancock kids will be in attendance. Mike flies in on Thursday! At least part of us will do a song or two! We would love to see you! I understand that you may have a conflict at work, but we hope that you can come. If you can't make it, please come and visit over Christmas! Leah will be home until the 23rd.... Everyone else will stay through to New Year's!

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Em

Lids4Kids!

My fabulously talented roommate from ECU - Jennifer Licko - has graciously invited me to perform at her annual Lids4Kids Concert in Swansboro next week. Jenny lives in Brazil and is an awesome Celtic musician. You can listen to her music at www.sheltonmusic.com....

Lids4Kids helps to raise money for kids with cancer. Admission to the concert is free, however donations will be gladly accepted. Joella and I will be doing 2 songs.... I'm coming out of retirement for this concert. It should be interesting!

The concert will be at the Swansboro United Methodist Church next Friday, December 9th at 7:30pm.

In other performing news, SuperGrant and his super sister Eden along with his super cousins Jacy and Zoey will be performing in their piano recital on Sunday. They are all very excited! Joella and I will be doing our recital this year with Niki Lewis' piano students. We have loved having Niki with us at CCSA and are looking forward to our Christmas recital!

The Ward Christmas Program will also be on the 20th at 6:30. The Hancock girls will be singing for this one, along with the ward choir and our friends, the Bates'.

I will also accompany the Smyrna kids on their annual Christmas Caroling field trip next week. We get to visit the nursing homes Down East. Its always so much fun! This is Grant's first caroling trip as he was too sick last Decemeber to make the trip. We are very excited! Eden has aged out this year! She's a grown-up 3rd grader, you know!

Music, music everywhere!

Please remember Grant's friend William in your prayers. He had a reaction to his chemo yesterday and has been taken off of the clinical trial he was participating in. William has already done a bone marrow transplant and is now doing a new type of radiation at UNC. He is their very first patient to do this protocol, and he is quite the little trooper! His family is very devestated that he has been removed from his trial as that leaves them not knowing what medicines he will be taking now.... Its extremely complicated! Please pray for William and his parents Mark and Amy and little sister and all of the Bunn family.

Long overdue update!

Grant is home from his monthly clinic visit to UNC. Kevin had to be in Raleigh on Monday for work, so he and Grant made the trip this time. Grant was so excited to be able to spend a couple of days with Aunt Leah and her family in Rollesville. He loves the Steelmans! Clinic was pretty standard..... Spinal tap, IT Methotrexate, Vincristine, and the 1st day of the dreaded Prednisone! Grant asked me this morning if he was on steroids. I told him "yes" and he responded - "well, that's why I feel so funny!" (funny as in cranky and weird, not loving and jovial!) He said that he's going to try to remember that its the medicine that makes him feel so strange and he will try to act and normal as possible! He's such a sweet kid!

Since my last post we've had a lot of fun stuff happening.

Kevin and I took a trip to DC to see the Redskins play the Steelers on Monday Night Football. We had a great trip and really enjoyed the game even though we lost miserably! We got to the stadium really early and spent a couple of hours watching the teams warm up and got to see Steve Young and Emmet Smith do the pre-game show. Fed Ex Field is amazing! It was a beautiful evening for a football game.

Earlier in the day we spent a couple of hours downtown in Washington DC. We visited the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Native American Museum and had lunch at the Smithsonian. Crews were already busy constructing the stage on the steps of the Capitol for the Inauguration in January! I can't imagine how exciting it would be to be on the National Mall for that historic day!

Last month I also was able to do a Twilight trip with my crazy, vampire lovin' girlfriends. We made a day trip to Jacksonville for the movie, went out to dinner and did a bunch of shopping at Sam's. We were giddy like teenagers and wore our Twilight t-shirts and took pictures in front of the theater! It was the most fun ever! I am truly a geek!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did lunch with the Hancocks and dinner with the Nelsons. We always get to eat A LOT on Thanksgiving. We were excited that Grant was feeling well this year. Last Thanksiving was our lowest of the low! Michael McKinney had recently passed away and we were really missing him. Grant was just finishing a 21 day cycle of Dexamethazone - the worst medicine that he ever had to take! He was 15 lbs heavier than normal from all of the swelling and was completely bald. I had worked myself into such a state that I ended up in the hospital for a colonoscopy to see what was going on. Turns out that stress and anxiety can actually burn ulcers right into your colon! Who knew....

This year life seems almost like normal - as normal as life can be, I guess. We are so grateful for our many blessings, especially for our family and friends. We could have never done this without all of you.

I have thought a lot recently about my Grandma. She passed away in 1997 just a few days before Thanksgiving. She had lived a full and long life and died in a tragic car accident.

My Grandma had 10 children - 7 boys and 3 girls. My dad was her baby boy. She was the happiest, least stressed out, most laid back person I've ever known. She spent her days making bread, taking care of her family, listening to music on her record player, and swinging on her front porch. She had plenty she could have been worried about or pre-occupied with. Her life was not without loss and sorrow. She lost a child to leukemia, my uncle Denny. He was buried on his 9th birthday. She lost my uncle Ralph in a boat accident just a few years before she died. She sent 4 sons to the military. They served in wars. Her husband, my grandfather, was a commercial fisherman. They lived in the most humble of circumstances in a tiny 3 bedroom home. But she was happy!

Of all of the words I could think of to describe Grandma - the best would be - happy!

I'm grateful for my grandma and the lessons she taught me. I want to be more like her!

I could go on forever, but the school just called and my chemo boy wants to come home! I'll go get him and be happy about it! Maybe I'll even make some bread today!

Pictures.....

I realize that I need to post more pictures!

I'm trying!

Jacob has had a stomach flu. In the process of that barrel of fun, he also developed an inguinal hernia. (Google it.... its so much fun!) We did several trips to the Dr. this week before we figured out a diagnosis... or I should say Ann Dart figured out a diagnosis. Hats off to the mom of 5 boys!

Eden turned 9 on Friday. I made cupcakes for both of the 3rd grades and made my bid for mom of the year by taking pizza for both of the kids' lunches (with Jacob, I might add!), bringing home the girlfriends for an after school party, and then face-painting for 2 hours at the Fall Festival on Friday evening.

Saturday, Edie had a soccer game at 8 am ---- what?! ----- YES! 8 in the morning! She scored her first goal! I missed it because it was cold and rainy and the boys were miserable, so I left. I was in the parking lot when she scored!

The boys got their hair cut at Mr. Paul's later in the day, we got bar-b-q plates for lunch to help raise money for the softball league, and then went to Kevin's cousin's wedding in the evening!

Today after church I got the best nap ever!

I needed it!

I promise to post more pictures soon!

How soon........ I do not know!

I know, I know!

The Nelson's at MGM

The only picture taken of me during the whole trip!

My monkeys with the Lion King monkeys!

HOME!

We are home!

We are tired!

We had the best time ever.....

I will post pictures tomorrow!

Bon Voyage!

The Nelson crew left earlier today on their fabulous "Make A Wish" trip to Disney World! We had quite the little going away party, with Marmie (Kevin's Mom), Aunt Rachel and Isabelle, Ashley L., Papa Joel, Aunt Leah, Aunt Joella and Zoey and Charlie.

I tried to find out what everyone was looking forward to the most. Eden and Grant both hope to ride a loopty-loop roller coaster. I think Kevin is hoping for some company on the loopty-loop roller coasters, but is not too confident that they'll actually do it. Jacob is excited to have breakfast with Donald Duck one morning. And I think Emily is just hoping they all survive in one piece.

The trip started with a limo ride to the airport. Grant was a little excited to see it pulling up!

Bags were all packed and ready to go (which was quite a feat considering that Em's sister, Aly, had a baby at 1:00 this morning, so she was at the hospital all day yesterday and didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning).

They were all excited for the fancy ride!

Almost all of them were ready to go...

Except for Emily, who realized she better clean the perishables out of the refrigerator before they left for a whole week!

They did eventually get away with smiles on everyone's faces. I know they'll have a great time!

As the old hymn says, "God be with you 'til we meet again!"

Back at school.....

Grant has had a great week back at school. He loves his class mates and his new teacher Ms. Seigel. And, of course, he absolutely adores Ms. Vicky, who is his teacher's assistant and also his Primary teacher. She is our pumpkin bread guru!

We are looking forward to a great weekend. Eden has her first soccer match tomorrow, so we are excited about seeing her play! We will post pictures soon.

Home for the hurricane!

We're out-a here!

See you at home!

No fever!

No fever through the night!

If counts permit and the fever stays away, we may be able to come home tomorrow. (A pretty big if, but we can hope!)

Kevin is coming up this evening and I will probably head home to get some quality Jacob and Eden time!

ANC is .4 today, down from .6 yesterday........ so that may thwart our travel plans. We'll see.

We will just continue to play the waiting game for a little longer!

Grant's spinal tap yesterday was good, so that's great news!

5C05

We're back on our familiar floor - and even in our regular room!

UNC Children's 5C05 - (919)966-4441

Grandma has done her daily run to Target. Grant is napping at the moment. His fever is a little high again this afternoon - 101.9, so he just had more Tylenol. He is scheduled for more antibiotics at 6 pm. Hopefully we will speak to the doctors on evening rounds and try to get some indication of what may be going on. As of right now, we are still thinking that Grant has a cold/virus that has made his counts fall - to put it in the most simple terms. So, thankfully, what we are dealing with are complications from chemotherapy and not complications from leukemia.

I will post more later!

Grant in Chapel Hill

Last evening, Grant's fever and overall "feeling-bad-ness" got the gang up to Chapel Hill for further inspection of what might be ailing him. His fever got up to 104 yesterday. He was admitted to the hospital in Chapel Hill, and still with the IV bags and other meds, his fever spiked again during the night to 104.9. As of this morning, the report is that it has gone down, and he is resting, as they didn't really even get settled in till the wee small hours of the morning...

As of right now, they have done chest x-rays and ruled out pneumonia. They ran more blood cultures last night, so those results may be available today sometime. His ANC numbers are uncomfortably low, to say the least - at 0.3 (which runs the high risk of developing infection, should he be exposed to it), so the timeline for returning home is completely unknown at this point. That number will have to go up closer to 1 for him to be released.

Emily is at the hospital with him, of course, and Mama spent the night at the hotel in Chapel Hill, where they had made reservations for this mornings clinic visit, which he will not be able to go to. So, Mama will be heading back to the hospital in the next hour or so.

Grant's Room Number is 6C18, and Phone Number is 919-966-1982.
Our friend, Wendi said last week as a comment, "No need to ask" after I had asked that everyone keep the Nelsons in your prayers -so this time I'll just say - Thank you all for your prayers. :)

Twilight

Thinking of Grant

So I wore my Super Grant t-shirt today... Don't know why I grabbed it, but I did. Then I rode around in my mini van sporting my Team Super Grant Sticker. I know why I did that. ;) Anyway, I have had Grant on my mind a lot today. It was his first day of school today! I'm sure Emily will update soon with more details on that, but I did want to come take just a moment to post...

Grant was sick today with a pretty high fever, and ended up at Carteret General Hospital seeking treatment for a mean bug that seems to be hitting the scene pretty hard, down east. He had to be on IV's for the afternoon and evening, and tomorrow morning, the doctors will determine if he needs to head up to Chapel Hill for a hospital stay. So, please keep him and his family in your prayers. Not that illness ever comes at a "good time" but this is really the epitome of a "bad time" for a monkey wrench like this to be thrown in the picture... School schedules, piano lessons, sports, a little 3-year-old rascal, etc.

Take care, Grantski! Lee loves you!!! :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband!

Kevin and I have known each other our whole lives. I could have never imagined when we were small children and even teenagers what a remarkable husband and father he would become! He has a kind soul and a mischievous smile... and I love him!

So, happy, happy birthday!

Let's go see some Redskins Monday Night Football!

Are we there yet?

This is the first week this summer that we haven't had ball practice, or dance camp, or set plans for everyday.... There's still plenty to do, but just no plans......

The kids are going nuts! Will school ever start? I can't take much more of this.

To illustrate my point, a little story.

Yesterday was Monday. Not much going on. But my house needed some serious TLC and we were having company for dinner, so I was planning on getting a lot done and being super "cleaning" mom. Well, the kids had a different idea and it didn't take too long for them to get their way. They wanted to go to the pool, so after an hour or so of whining, I finally gave in.

We got all dressed for the pool. Loaded up the floats and sunscreen and ear plugs for Grant, Mr. Ear Infection, and headed to the island. We stopped at Seaside for snacks and arrived at Aunt Wrae's pool around 11:00 am. Perfect pool time.... Nice weather, not too hot, nice shade for mommy under the big umbrella, nice book to read......... NOT NICE KIDS!

They made it 10 minutes before they decided they were bored and wanted to leave. BORED!??? In a huge pool with a slide and every type of pool toy imaginable! BORED! Yes, they were bored, and once you get past the boredom, the badness starts!

Not a good combination.

I lost my mind.

I'm hoping to get it back before I have to start teaching again next week.

Monthly Check-up!

Grant will be in Chapel Hill tomorrow for his monthly chemotherapy and check up! He has had a great month with the exception of swimmer's ear a couple of times and a recent ear infection on top of swimmer's ear! OUCH.... He has quite a tan these days and is enjoying his last few weeks of summer break!

Eden has doing ball again this week. She will play another tournament this weekend. She has become quite the little ball player and enjoyed a stint at 3rd base today.

Jake is having a fun summer and enjoyed spending time with his Aunt Rachel aka "Bobo" today while I was at work. (Its High School Musical 2 week!) He has found a wonderful friend in Bobo's Boxer, Max, and seems to have met his match! They keep each other very busy and seem to have very similar personalities!

Eden and her friends seem to be enjoying dance camp! We did "I Don't Dance" today complete with baseball bats! 16 little girls with bats in a dance studio can be somewhat stressful!! Tomorrow we will tackle "All for One"......... should be fun! I will try to get some video....

Back at home.....

Hi everyone!

We are finally back at home! Eden's team made a valiant effort at their final game. They ended up losing 5-3. It was a tough game with some awesome defensive plays, but our bats weren't swinging! We are very proud of Eden and her friends and are so happy to be back at home.

Grant is feeling a little low today. I think I see some "pink" in his eye, so we came home a little early from church. He is enjoying some orange juice and an episode of "Oswald" while I catch up on some computer work, ie... blog stalking! I am not much of a commenter, but I sure do like to read up on what everyone is doing!

Hopefully this week we will return to a little more normalcy, whatever that is?!

I will update soon.......

Update from Wilson

Down East 5 Western Carolina 7

Tough game.... bad pitching machine...... tired girls!

I think we'll hit the movies tonight for a little r & r. Tomorrow's game is at 11.

My car is fixed.... to the tune of a cool $500.

Life is so good!

What a week I'm having!

My car broke down today!

I have to go to Wilson tomorrow for heaven only knows how long......

Its an '06 - relatively new car.....

Relatively large car payment.....

Broke down.

Just stopped working..... engine light on and everything!

I had just vacuumed it out in preparation for our trip.

Maybe it went into shock!

Number 2 ain't that bad!

Our girls played hard today, but were beat out by Wayne Co. After coming back and tying 8-8, they lost their first game in the bottom of the 6th (they only play 6 innings) when Wayne went ahead after a line drive down the 3rd base line scored. This loss forced another game, which we lost in 4 innings. The girls played hard, but didn't seem to be themselves.....

Its 9 o'clock in the evening now and we have figured out why...... at this point 7 of the 12 players are suffering from a really nasty stomach flu! It has yet to hit our house, so we are hopeful that we missed the bug by coming home a little early!

Regardless, we are very sad that Eden's friends are all sick! Please remember these sweet little girls and their families in your prayers tonight. They are very tired from a long tournament, very sick from the stomach crud, and very heartbroken to have lost.....

The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center will honor the girls on Tuesday evening at the kick-off dinner for their Baseball Reunion this coming weekend. Hopefully they will be feeling better by then! I will post pictures.......

Can this be real?

DownEast 4 - Pitt County 3

State Championship tomorrow at 9am.

Yet again, the final game is on Sunday, so we won't be there..... We will post as soon as we hear from Mr. Mike!

Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's game, Down East will play in the Southeast Regional Tournament next week. Both the number 1 and number 2 teams will go. We will play against 8 other states. Lucky for us, the tournament is in Wilson, NC this year, so we don't have to travel to Florida or Alabama! Games will begin on Wednesday.

Congratulations to Eden and all of her friends! They are a wonderful group of girls and are some pretty tough ball players too! G'ville had a great team and you can tell from the score that both teams played some really hard defense. DE sealed the deal with a sweet double play in the bottom of the 6th to take the win! You just can't believe how awesome they are! I'm a not biased in any way, of course!

More later!

Another one bites the dust!

Down-East 9 Johnston Co. - 5

Eden Nelson #18; 2, count them TWO!!! - THREE RUN HOME RUNS!!!

She surely has inherited her mother's athletic abilities!!!! ;)

Joella and crew made it to the game and will be staying with Leah's family tonight in Rollesville. Grandma and Pa, the remaining Nelson's, and Jacy will venture westward this evening!

Next game - Saturday 9 am vs. Pitt County (these girls are good!)

I will post more later!

High School Musical ended today - The girls did a fabulous job. I will post some pictures later!

I am a tired hip-hop "bop to the top" mama!

On a roll!

Down-East 15 - South Granville 1

E. Nelson #18- Single, thrown out at 1st, and HOME RUN!!!!! (sweet line drive to left field!)

You go, Edie!

Next Game - Friday 1pm

Edie the baller

These are a few pics from today's game in Henderson! The Down East All-Stars won 14-0. :)

Mi Vida Loca!

Welcome to my crazy life!

Kevin is on his way to Chapel Hill tonight in preparation for Grant's 7:00 am chemotherapy appointment tomorrow morning. It should be a pretty standard day....standard to us anyway. Grant will have his monthly spinal tap and IT Methotrexate (directly to the spine), and Vincristine. He will also start this month's 5 day cycle of steroids. These are a walk in the park compared to our old steroids, but still make him a little grumpy and a lot hungry! So, I'm stocking up on sloppy joe essentials and all of the necessary ingredients for some yummy grilled cheese sandwiches.

Recently, Grant has complained of ear pain and has had a pretty nasty cough. Although these symptoms are most probably simple side effects of too much swimming and summer allergies, I still find myself relapse-paranoid and, in the most simple terms, anxiety ridden and neurotic! The pressures of life with 3 very strong-willed children, coupled with the fact that one of those wonderful children happens to be a child with cancer, can get to be a little much. Thankfully, I have kind friends and family and a most patient husband who try their best to keep me grounded in reality!

I read this essay recently while surfing.... the web, not the ocean. I tried that once... It was a bad idea!

The Strength of an Egg

by Juliet Freitag

Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albiet flattering,it isn't quite true. It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes!

If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.

Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.

A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.

It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of [medically fragile] children are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.

Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of [medically fragile] kids will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again.

I have tried recently to explain to some of my friends how my stomach feels all the time. The best thing that I can compare it to is that feeling that you get right before you get in a car wreck.... Stomach drops, face gets hot, you want to throw up.... Yeah, I've been feeling like that pretty much constantly for the past 13 months or so.... Its hard to explain. I guess its kind of like labor, you can describe it all you want, but words just don't seem to work.

I hope it goes away one day. I'm not so sure that it will.

Enough of that......

So, tomorrow I will teach my High School Musical Show Choir Camp (just a fabulously fun camp!) and then meet Kevin in Goldsboro to switch off Eden for Grant. I'll bring chemo-boy home to rest and recover from his Propofol hangover and Kevin will take Eden on to Henderson for the State Softball Tournament. Her team has practiced so hard and is so excited! I am sorry that I will miss Wednesday and Thursday's games, but they have assured me that they are planning on winning, so I will be able to see them play on Friday!

Tonight, Jake and I are planning a little choreography for tomorrow. He thinks that its pretty funny when I dance. I agree! Tonight we're working on "Bop to the Top". He likes it!

I will report on Grant's visit tomorrow.

District Champions!

Eden's softball team won the District 5 Championship this weekend in New Bern, so next week we are off to Henderson for the State Tournament!

Eden had a great tournament and hit 3 homeruns in her game on Friday night!

Congratulations to the Down East All-Stars!

I will post pictures soon! Life is so busy..........

Make A Wish!

We were so excited to learn today that Grant's wish with Make A Wish has been granted and we will be heading to Disney World in September! He is just thrilled and we are so happy for him! Hopefully the September hurricanes will stay off-shore and we will have a fun trip!

We've had a busy week..... Is it only Wednesday afternoon? Anyway, the kids have been doing Camp Invention this week. The have had the best time making cool new toys and learning fun new science lessons. I have had the pleasure of teaching music in the afternoons at camp! They have learned their camp cheer and camp song and had a great time singing and dancing! Its been fun....

Eden, our All-Star has been practicing softball every afternoon still. She has a tournament this weekend in G'ville and then will have the district tournament the next week. She is having lots of fun and is making lots of progress with her hitting and throwing. She's playing in the outfield for the tournament, instead of her usual 2nd base, so it took a few practices to get used to her new position. But she's got it now!

We had our t-ball end of season party last night at our friends Rich and Carrie's home. (Many thanks for hosting the swarm of 5,6 & 7 year olds that took over your pool!) We had a great time visiting with all of our friends and watching the kids swim. The kids had a blast!

We will post ball pictures this weekend! Until then....

Grant and Jake wii-ing it out

Sometimes before the Tuesday morning clinic visits, I get the pleasure of hosting a Monday night house party with the Nelsons and Grandma. If only I went so far as to have some scrumptious finger foods and punch. Not usually. ;)

Well Monday night, for our wind-down entertainment segment, we played the wii. Or should I say, Rodney, Grant, and Jakey played the wii. They boxed, they batted, they ran, and did a little wrestling (I think Jakey thought they whole evening was a wrestling match, in fact)... and the onlookers, we had just as much fun. :)

I couldn't press "publish post" without giving a shout out to my night-gown strutting sister. We (Em, Mama and I) have agreed that there's nothing better than that point in the night when its time to slip into something a little more comfortable (I have a feeling Josy and Aly would concur). We even are all guilty of wearing them into the morning when shorts and laced up tennis shoes are in order. Oh well. If that keeps us out of heaven, let it be. LOL!

So very glad I could hang with such a fabulous foursome. :)
Y'all come back now, ya hear? :)

Home from the clinic!

We are home from our monthly trip to UNC. We had a short visit and were happy to see some of our old friends and make some new. It always is hard to meet people who are just beginning this journey. It takes me back.... But, I am always reminded of how far we have come and how much Grant has been able to accomplish in the past year, and I think to myself again... We really can do hard things!

We saw John today. He was diagnosed shortly after Grant and has had a really rough time. Anyway, John had low counts today so his chemo was delayed until next week, but he is starting Maintenance next week! This is so awesome! John's mom asked me - "What is Maintenance?" and I was so happy to tell her, "almost normal life!" It was wonderful to visit with them for a while. John had graduation practice this afternoon so he was going home to take a nap and get ready. That was just the best news ever!

I will update more later.... I'm off to dance dress rehearsal followed by all-star softball practice....I am a soccer mom, hear me roar!

Hello June!

Wow - May was one crazy month! We have had so much going on and so little time to update! I apologize unreservedly!

We have just finished a long weekend..... Kevin's Nana Evelyn passed away last Thursday following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She has lived with Kevin's mom Bonnie for the last 5 years, so we have been blessed to have Nana involved in our day to day lives for most of our children's lives. They will miss her smile and her wit! She played with them like she was a kid most of the time! Evelyn was laid to rest today. We rejoice in the life she lived and in the love that she has left behind. She was a wonderful matriarch of the Chadwick clan.....

Last night following the viewing for Nana we came home and started getting ready for bed with no clue that horrible weather was on the way. We have been so busy this weekend that we haven't even watched Disney..... much less the Weather Channel. Anyway - so the lightning starts... lots of lightning.... scary lightning.... Out go the lights! In a zippy and unexpected turn of events, a transformer was struck by lighting. But the transformer evidently only carries the power to the houses on the cul de sacs and not the main road, so my neighbors have power right beside me, but not us! Then the rain and wind begin. I am thinking - is this a hurricane, or what? I know I haven't been that out of it! So, then the real fun begins.... HAIL! Lots of hail.... big nuggets of hail like I've never seen before! No power.... rain coming in the house sideways all around our side door, pounding hail hitting my sliding glass door, did I also say no power, and 3 very uneasy children! It was a fun night, to say the least.

The most fun part is when we woke up this morning to find our basketball goal blown over, holes in my siding from hail!, my freshly painted deck sandblasted by hail, my garden destroyed and all of my flowers and hostas beat to death! Not to mention the fact that the basketball goal blew into my car AND the hail beat nice little dings all over the drivers side! What a week I'm having!

In other news, my piano recital was this weekend and all of my kids did such a beautiful job! We had a wonderful recital and were so thrilled to be able to use the History Place again as our venue. They have an awesome Yamaha baby grand that I just love to play! So, the kids were all great and I got to be a lounge singer and sing a little Sara Barellies with my sweet Yvonne accompanying me on the piano. She really is an exceptional young lady and can play the mess out of a piano! So - mark the piano recital off the list!

This week is the last week of school so we have Kindergarten Graduation on Wednesday and awards day and cookouts on Thursday, ballgames on Friday evening, and an all day tournament on Saturday! Not too bad!

The Perfect Game!

Joel and Lauren were at Fenway tonight to see Jon Lester pitch a no hitter! Joel called home so he could be on the phone with Pa when the last pitch was thrown! He was one excited boy!!! - and Joel was pretty happy too! ;)

Its been a great week. Grant is like a normal kid on the Prednisone... I can't tell you how blessed we feel for this change in medicine!

We will spend the rest of the week preparing for the reception on Saturday. Lots of cooking and decorating to be done! We love throwing a party.... and this is going to be a good one!

See you there!

My new sister!

Joel and Lauren were married today in the Raleigh Temple. We will post wedding photos as soon as Aly gets home tomorrow..... This is our favorite from our photo shoot earlier this week at Fort Macon!

The happy couple is off to Boston for their honeymoon ---- Go Red Sox!

We will celebrate again at their reception this coming Saturday! We could not be happier! We have loved Lauren for many years and are so happy to welcome her to the family Hancock!

Relay for Life Changes

Due to the weather, the Relay schedule for the weekend has changed! We will try to make it back from Raleigh as quickly as possible so we can be at the lighting of the luminaria. Bonnie is going to take the kids in and walk with Grant in the Survivor Lap! I have all of the T-shirts for team members... I will be passing them out later today! Hope to see you on Saturday!

Carteret County Relay For Life New Schedule Saturday due to Bad Weather Friday Night

Just To Make Sure we're all on the Same Schedule for Saturday:

7:00 AM - 9:00 - Kids Walk Registration

10:00 AM - Kids Walk Awards Ceremony & Opening Lap - Main Stage

10:15 AM - 12 Noon - Games & Activities at Kids Walk Tent

12 Noon - Opening Ceremony & Invocation

Survivor Walk, Caregiver Walk, Relay For Life Team Walk all Afternoon till 9:30 PM

Introduction of Planning Team, Presentation of Special Award

Food Available all day. Entertainment from 2 PM till 9 PM - Music, DJ, Dancing, Schedule Groups will perform

9:00 PM Luminary Ceremony

9:30 PM Closing Ceremony

Best Birthday Present Ever!

I will post pictures from the birthday bash soon...... A good time was had by all! Thanks so much for all of the gifts and cards! Grant is one lucky fella!

Today, Kevin and Grant did the Chapel Hill Birthday Chemo Trip! It was quite an uneventful trip.... good blood counts, no spinal tap this time! And the best news of all....... The powers that be have decided to change the protocol for Grant's clinical trial and have dropped the Dex! NO MORE DEX! Can you hear me singing!!!!!! This is just the best news ever! We will still do steroids for 5 days a month, but will get to do Prednisone instead of Dexamethazone! Hopefully we will have a much easier go of things from now on! I can't tell you how good this news is!

I will post more birthday stuff soon!

Silly Hat Day

Smyrna is just outdoing itself with its fund raising this year. This was the kick-off for Silly Hat Day! from left to right... Jacy, Madison, Grant, Harrison & Kyler We love you guys!

We had a fun weekend at the Survivor Dinner. What I thought was going to be a 15 minute session of me playing dinner music turned into a 15 minute performance! Like, it was written in the program and everything! Aaaaggghhhh! Carrie and Dave Stroud were with us and thought that this was very funny! Anyway - thanks to some wonderful help from sweet Vanessa and Natalie Chazal, we brought down the house with our tunes! It really was a good time, although my nerves are still shot a little from the whole experience!

This week is busy for us... We did the dentist with Grant and Eden today which necessitated blood work on Monday. Thankfully, Grant's blood counts were as normal as they have been in the whole last year. ANC 2.2 !!!!! Holy Cow! Hemoglobin was great and platelets were off the chart! What a relief. I still have total anxiety attacks while we wait for his numbers to come back. It only takes a few minutes, but I still find a way to nearly lose my mind in those few minutes. I need a vacation!

Not happening any time soon though!

Later this week... Father Son Camp-out of Friday night. Kevin will get the joy of sleeping in the woods with the boys while Eden and I spend the evening choreographing a 12 minute medley of music from "Hairspray" at CCSA. This hopefully will be perfectly wonderful and everyone will learn their parts because this is our one and only rehearsal and will run 5 hours! I shall die! I'm not as young as I once was!

Friday evening, Joel Jr. will also have his Economics Departmental graduation from ECU. He is very excited to be graduating with honors and at the top of his class! Smarty pants!

Saturday we will have Grant's birthday party since he will be in Chapel Hill on Wednesday - the actually day of his birthday - doing a little chemo! What could be more fun that chemo and starting a round of steroids for your birthday! Well maybe, walking in the Relay for Life 3 days into the steroids, or going to my brother's wedding 4 days into steroids!

Could life be any more confusing.....

Yes.

I'll tell you more later!

A Few Pics One Year Later

These are a couple of pictures I took last night. As I was editing them, I forgot for a brief moment how sick Grant really has been because he looks so healthy and normal now. He's come a long way. He's still got a long road ahead, but hopefully, the worst is over. His mama and daddy have been troopers over the past year, too. When you deal with things like cancer and loss of loved ones, it makes everything seem so small.

Continue to pray for Grant that his recovery will continue and pray for his parents that they will have the patience to make it through everything they have to go through.


About a year ago....

One year ago today....

Today is the year anniversary of Grant's diagnosis. I don't have the time this morning to write as much as I should.

Let me just say, I hope I never have another year like last year.

Thanks to everyone for your love and support and compassion.

One day, when I have the emotional energy, I'll write a good post on this subject!

Until then......... one year down, two and half more to go!

Hey, Hey Smyrna!

Our friends at Smyrna Elementary kicked off their efforts for Relay for Life this week. We are so grateful for all of the help that everyone is giving!

Grant's kindergarten class sang a very sweet song for the Smyrna Morning Show this week. I thought everyone would like to read the lyrics....

To the tune of Yankee Doodle!

The American Cancer Society needs help from you and me.
We can find a cancer cure by giving generously.
Give your pennies, nickels, and dimes.
Save your coins and money.
Put them in your collection jar and make many lives more sunny!

Tomorrow the kids will all wear their Super Grant T-shirts for the show. I'll be sure to take some pictures!

Aly's Three Sons!

Aly's ultrasound was this afternoon - and we are very proud to announce that grand-baby #13 is another boy! That makes 10 in all! Pa's baseball team just keeps growing and growing! Pretty soon we'll have a football team too!

Kyle is #3 boy in a family of 5 handsome Dart men! So, we have told Aly that she is destined to have her own brood of Dart boys! Looks like she's on her way!

Now, as mama says, grow baby, grow!

Relay News

Thanks to everyone who has donated to our Relay for Life Team! We are so excited! A special thanks also to Smyrna Elementary for all of the great fund-raisers they have scheduled for the next couple of weeks! We love our Smyrna family!

In other Relay news, the Purple Monkeys and the Rubber Duckies - the teams dedicated to the memory of our friend Michael McKinney - will be having a family fun day tomorrow at the Newport Park. They will be having games, a silent auction, a bake sale, hot dogs and raffle items..... Too much fun! Please come out and support our friends! Eden & Jacy also have a softball game in Newport tomorrow, so that worked out just perfectly!

Colby Byrd will also be cutting the ribbon for the Survivor Lap at the Opening Ceremonies of the Columbus County Relay for Life this weekend! Colby has been battling leukemia for 5 years this month! He is a trooper and will continue to do his "hard" weekly chemo trips through the end of May. Then, another 2 years..... Please pray for Colby and his family! They are tired..... very tired....

As for Grant, today is day 4 of the steroids! One more day to go! Its been a long week! Grant has had a rough time staying at school, so he has been home most of the week. Let me just say again, its been a long week! Tomorrow night cannot come soon enough!

Home from UNC

We're home from our monthly trip to UNC. Grant did his normal spinal tap, IT Methotrexate, Vincristine push, and started his 5 days of the Dex. We had a good day at the clinic and saw our friend John and his mom. There were several new kids at the clinic today, and that's always hard to see. Jane visited with us for the last time this semester. We look forward to seeing her again when school starts back up in the fall.

Grants counts were very consistent with our previous trips. His ANC was 1.3, so we still need to keep a close watch on fevers and contagious friends and family! His hemoglobin was up to 12, so he is completely normal in that respect! You can tell just by looking at him that he is feeling better and even has his tan back!

Thanks to Aunt Leah and her family for letting us stay over last night! We love to crash with the Steelmans! ----- and we love the Steelmans!

Leah, this one's for you!

To answer Leah's tag.......

10 Years Ago:

April 1998 – I was in my last month at ECU. I was student teaching at Hunt High School in Wilson, and commuting from Greenville to Wilson…. This was a terrible time! I was an hour away from work and had to be at school by 7:20 am, so I had to leave Greenville at 6:20 am, which meant I had to get up at an ungodly, seminary-like, pre-dawn hour! I had very short hair, so that helped in the morning preparations. I was about 20 lbs thinner, thanks to my neurotic nervousness that accompanies my times of high stress. This was a very stressful year! (Why doesn’t that seem to work out the same way now…. I’m still plenty nervous!) I was living with Joella and Lisa Beacham at Jasmine Gardens, eating lots of Papa John’s pizza (when I ate at all), not dating anyone in particular, wondering if Kevin would want to go out with me when he got home from his mission in July, and trying to decide if I wanted to try to find a job in Greenville or Carteret County. The Croatan job was already in the back of my mind. The first part of 1998 was horrible! By the end of the year I was teaching at Croatan and married to Kevin. The end of 1998 was much better than the beginning!

5 Things on the To-Do List:

I am a big fan of to-do lists. I actually have a to-do book! It includes bill to pay, things to do around the house, a running calendar of chemo and Dr appointments, ball, dance and church events, etc…. It lives in my tote-bag and stays with me all of the time.

My list for today includes:

1) Morning routine. I have my Flylady friends to thank for this one. Every morning I try to make the beds, start a load of laundry, wipe down the kitchen with Clorox after breakfast, wipe down the hall bathroom with Clorox after little boys have been in there!, straighten the pillows on the couches, and put away the toys in the living room! Its 9 am, so I’m done with this part of the day. This routine will be repeated, minus the making the beds, several times during the day! Did I mention that I’m neurotic!

2) Its Wednesday, which means that I have choir practice at 6pm. I have been doing choir practice on Wednesday evenings just about as long as I remember. I think I was 14 when I started playing the piano for our choir the first time. With little breaks, I have been doing this for almost 2 decades!

3) Go to Morehead with Joella. She has an appointment, so Jake and I are going along for the ride. (and Riley, Zoey, and Charlie!) Fun times….

4) Pick up doughnuts for the t-ball fundraiser at 3pm. Krispy Kremes! Our team sold 54 boxes, so I have to pick them and deliver them to the different kids on the team, and then deliver the boxes that we sold, which should not be a big deal since I sold one box to our next door neighbor and 4 to me! Can you say Krispy Kreme’s for supper!

5) Keep baby Charlie this afternoon for Joella. She has to go somewhere, I can’t remember where, but I get to keep Charlie! Yeah for me!

6) Watch Idol! I love Idol!

Things I would do if I was suddenly a billionaire!

1) Picture the house at the end of the long path in "Forest Gump”. I want a house like that, a plantation house at the end of a long, tree-lined path that opens up to the water….. preferably a creek, not the sound or the ocean. I can’t take the wind. That’s #1.

2) This is making me think too hard! Save the world, cure cancer, campaign for world peace, yada yada yada! Lots of good things! Try me....

3 Bad Habits:

I don’t have any bad habits! :)

Places I have lived, in order…..

1) Greenville - born

2) Harkers Island – grew up

3) Greenville - ECU

4) Harkers Island – 1^st two years of married life

5) What way – Otway - Ward's Creek! Past 8 years….. hopefully forever. I hate moving! I'd only move further down the creek into the aforementioned dream house!

Things most people don’t know about me….

1) I am a painfully honest person…… you guys know it all!

Jobs I have had…in order...

1) Oldest sister - very demanding job that I'm stuck with forever!

2) Babysitter

3) Paper route – This was very cool! I was 12!

4) Belk – candy counter girl!

5) Lucky Ducks – the first in the line of Hancock girls to occupy this position. We all learned to make, sand, paint, and sell duck decoys with Gail and Bernie! They are our second family! We loved and still love the Corwin’s!

6) Receptionist at a law firm in college. I loved this job too! I’ve had good jobs.

7) Wedding singer! Funny stories!

8) Teacher - chorus, drama, SAT PREP - What!!!?? Yes - I had to teach SAT Prep!

9) Receptionist at another law firm…. During summer break when I was pregnant with Eden. This was a fun job too! Thanks, Margo for getting me this job!

10) The coolest…… ambulance chaser for Kellum & Jones. Lots of us had this job too! Rodney is to thank! We looked up accident reports and sent out advertisements for legal service! Very easy money….

11) MOM - my favorite by far!

12) Piano/voice teacher at CCSA … I can’t say enough about how much I love this job and my kids and the people I work with! Its just the best! If I had to pick what I could do, this would be it!

There. I did it!

Ashley, consider yourself tagged!

T-Ball, Softball, and a lovely singer...