All is Well

Wren's last check up was February 10th and results showed no signs of cancer. These check ups are always anxious times, but there is little that can be done. Part of the anxiety arises from the fact that "no news is good news"--the results can take several days unless they discover something worrying, in which case the results are rapid. This cycle will continue to repeat every three months into the distant future.

We were fortunate to tie in this check up with a wonderful trip to visit family in Denver, Houston, Pacific Grove and Victoria. It was an ambitious piece of traveling, and Wren and Chloe handled it with grace. Many happy memories were made.

Wren is an energetic and happily growing little girl. She has been enjoying cross-country skiing and going to Strong Start, which is like preschool with parents.  She has also been inspired by Chloe's recent violin lessons and has decided to play as well.

As you can see, here she is playing her Hawaiian ukulele like a violin, complete with fleece chin rest. It sounds a little like slide guitar. She practices daily.

Chloe has also been skiing quite a bit and is equally enthusiastic about the fiddle. She completed a 3 km ski race a few weekends ago.

We are gearing up for the maple syrup season and have our first batch of sap boiling on the wood stove. In the coming weeks we will be hauling hundreds of litres of sap out of the woods to boil on our little evaporator. We made enough syrup last year to make it right through the winter, and still have a little bit left. Ask anyone who has tried it, pretty good stuff.

The snow is slowly melting, but there still must be nearly two feet of it in the yard. At this rate, I think that the ice from the rink will last well into June!

All is well. We hope that you are well too.

Patrick, Paula, Chloe and Wren.

All is Well

Wren's last check up was February 10th and results showed no signs of cancer. These check ups are always anxious times, but there is little that can be done. Part of the anxiety arises from the fact that "no news is good news"--the results can take several days unless they discover something worrying, in which case the results are rapid. This cycle will continue to repeat every three months into the distant future.

We were fortunate to tie in this check up with a wonderful trip to visit family in Denver, Houston, Pacific Grove and Victoria. It was an ambitious piece of traveling, and Wren and Chloe handled it with grace. Many happy memories were made.

Wren is an energetic and happily growing little girl. She has been enjoying cross-country skiing and going to Strong Start, which is like preschool with parents.  She has also been inspired by Chloe's recent violin lessons and has decided to play as well.

As you can see, here she is playing her Hawaiian ukulele like a violin, complete with fleece chin rest. It sounds a little like slide guitar. She practices daily.

Chloe has also been skiing quite a bit and is equally enthusiastic about the fiddle. She completed a 3 km ski race a few weekends ago.

We are gearing up for the maple syrup season and have our first batch of sap boiling on the wood stove. In the coming weeks we will be hauling hundreds of litres of sap out of the woods to boil on our little evaporator. We made enough syrup last year to make it right through the winter, and still have a little bit left. Ask anyone who has tried it, pretty good stuff.

The snow is slowly melting, but there still must be nearly two feet of it in the yard. At this rate, I think that the ice from the rink will last well into June!

All is well. We hope that you are well too.

Patrick, Paula, Chloe and Wren.

Can this be the same kid?

A few weeks ago (December 15th) we celebrated two years since Wren's diagnosis with a simple meal of hand-made pasta and deer-sausage tomato sauce. Comfort food. Then we enjoyed a Christmas at home with many happy visits to friends' houses. Wren and Chloë seemed to really enjoy the Christmas traditions, especially the singing. In fact, the momentum has carried over and they are still singing Christmas carols here at the end of January. 

 I built a little rink and luge track at our place and because winter has been so mild we've been outside playing quite a lot. Wren had never skated before this winter and now she is a real terror on ice--at least when she is pushing the little wooden skating aid that I had built for Chloë some years ago.

January 15 arrived, Wren's fourth birthday (thank you for all of the birthday greetings), and it still seems hard to believe--we are so very grateful for everything, especially Wren's good health.

 What Wren wanted most of all was a book of her baby pictures, just like Chloë's, and fortunately we got it together in time for the big day. Wren is an energetic little rascal and an enthusiastic participant is in dance and cross-country skiing. She is full of embraces, and I savour every one.

 All is well up here, though our car recently froze solid when it turned -36°C and we were housebound until it "warmed up" to -20°C and I could get the car going again. It didn't stop us from going for short walks and sliding on the luge track (it's really a crazy-carpet track). Chloë grew wonderfully long frosty eyelashes the other day while we played in the snow. It was -28°C. We kept the fire roaring in the woodstove and it stayed pretty cozy inside while frost crept up the window panes.

Can this be the same kid?

A few weeks ago (December 15th) we celebrated two years since Wren's diagnosis with a simple meal of hand-made pasta and deer-sausage tomato sauce. Comfort food. Then we enjoyed a Christmas at home with many happy visits to friends' houses. Wren and Chloë seemed to really enjoy the Christmas traditions, especially the singing. In fact, the momentum has carried over and they are still singing Christmas carols here at the end of January. 

 I built a little rink and luge track at our place and because winter has been so mild we've been outside playing quite a lot. Wren had never skated before this winter and now she is a real terror on ice--at least when she is pushing the little wooden skating aid that I had built for Chloë some years ago.

January 15 arrived, Wren's fourth birthday (thank you for all of the birthday greetings), and it still seems hard to believe--we are so very grateful for everything, especially Wren's good health.

 What Wren wanted most of all was a book of her baby pictures, just like Chloë's, and fortunately we got it together in time for the big day. Wren is an energetic little rascal and an enthusiastic participant is in dance and cross-country skiing. She is full of embraces, and I savour every one.

 All is well up here, though our car recently froze solid when it turned -36°C and we were housebound until it "warmed up" to -20°C and I could get the car going again. It didn't stop us from going for short walks and sliding on the luge track (it's really a crazy-carpet track). Chloë grew wonderfully long frosty eyelashes the other day while we played in the snow. It was -28°C. We kept the fire roaring in the woodstove and it stayed pretty cozy inside while frost crept up the window panes.

New Photos from Rose

Rose Dykstra posted a few photographs of our family after having a visit with us in September. They are posted on her blog:

http://www.simplyroseblog.com/2011/11/02/one-tough-cookie-smithers-family-photographer/


All is well.

Patrick

New Photos from Rose

Rose Dykstra posted a few photographs of our family after having a visit with us in September. They are posted on her blog:

http://www.simplyroseblog.com/2011/11/02/one-tough-cookie-smithers-family-photographer/


All is well.

Patrick

Great News

We've just returned from Vancouver to good news.

The official report on the MRI shows no evidence of recurrent disease, and Wren's blood counts are approaching normal levels.

We celebrated the end of Wren's treatment with our doctors and nurses at the hospital and had a chance to catch up with family and friends in Vancouver.

We flew home tonight. Nice to be back in the housecicle. Time to light a fire.

Lots of love,

P2, C and W.