We're Back

So we are back in busy Vancouver after the retreat. The retreat was... deep. It ended up being a retreat from retreating from dealing with the emotional impact of all that has happened in the last six months. We were both hit pretty hard but it was an important and healthy week. We met some amazing people and were so well cared for by the facilitators. It really was a five star experience.

Here is the main lodge.
Here is the view from our cottage.

Here is what one of the meals looked like (the food was out of this world).

Here is our nanny for the week who was amazing to have with us. Sarah is the best for those of you who don't already know it.

Hadley was a super star the whole week and continues to be now that we are at home. Pardon me for braging... Hadley has slept between 5 and 7.5 hours every night for the past three weeks (or almost half her life - which ever sounds more impressive). Here is a link to some more photos for those interested.

Here is Hadley reminding us that everything is going to be "O.K."

Mark is doing alright. His fatigue that we thought was getting better came back with a vengeance, and so he has been laying low since we returned. We are starting to think about returning to Whitehorse which is both exciting and overwhelming. We have been living in a bit of a bubble - or a lot of a bubble since this whole adventure began. It is going to be an interesting time as we begin to reemerge. If you are expecting anything from us this next while, please be patient... and understanding.

We have some pretty excellent things planned for our remaining time in Vancouver. Mark and I are headed to some short track speed skating this afternoon (if you are looking for us, we will be the ones with an obstructed view in the cheap seats... having a blast). On Thursday we are going to some Neil Young tribute (yes, I love Mark that much). On Friday, Shannon (my sister who tagged off with Sarah as our next helper) and I are going to see ski jumping and cross country skiing. We are also hoping to catch a live taping to Stephen Colbert and have tickets to curling next week. It has been great to be in Vancouver during the Olympics. Shannon and I were wandering around downtown today in a sea of red and white and I am filled with national pride. For every minute we are not out at an event or doctors appointment we will be sitting on our couch watching the Olympics. Go Canada.

In other mega newsworthy events, Mark and I have a new nephew! Mr Hunter Hamilton D'Arcy Callan was born yesterday morning. A giant congratulations to Shawn and Karla. This means a trip to Ontario is certainly in our near future. Hadley now has six cousins to rumble with and a seventh will be coming within a month.

My Parents... and other stuff

I want to do a quick post of gratitude to my mom and dad extraordinaire. They returned to Ontario yesterday after almost two months of being our cooks, cleaners, errand runners, babysitters, planners and all around support people. It feels like an incredible privilege to have two people ready and willing to give up two months of their lives to help us an any way they could think of. And help us they did. I am not sure how or if we would have been able to make it through the difficult parts of the past while without them. Yet again, thank you is not enough - but thank you. We love you, and so does Hadley.

Grandparenting - a job they do well.

After 'the last supper' on Tuesday night.

We are doing well, letting our recent amazing news settle in. It can be difficult to believe at times, we are both so used to being tense and somewhat anxious, it turns out that doesn't stop overnight. The days leading up to Monday were some of the most difficult we have ever experienced, it will take a bit of time to transition out of that place - but we are getting there. One of the biggest differences I notice is how it used to be so unpleasant when we were doing something normal and we would suddenly remember that we are in Vancouver because Mark has brain cancer. Now, it is an incredible feeling to be carrying along with an everyday task and remember 'oh yeah, there's no tumors anymore'. It brings a happiness and calm that is difficult to describe. That said, it isn't over and while we can truly enjoy this time - I know we will enjoy drinking a bottle of Dom Perignon (thanks Biggar) on February 1, 2012 (our two years clear date) that much more.

Tomorrow Sarah is arriving again to join us on a young adult cancer retreat. She will be coming to give us a hand with Hadley so that Mark and I can participate together in the retreat. We are both really looking forward to getting out of town for a bit and to learn about how we deal with the uncertainty that awaits us in this next phase. Plus the food is supposed to be amazing. We leave on Saturday and get back on Friday, which is opening ceremonies day. We are going to take in some Olympic festivities, have some final doctor's appointments and hope to make our way home in the beginning of March. It will be nice to get a small taste of winter - there are flowers blooming here already.

Hadley continues to be awesome. She is a happy little creature and is easy to please with the exception of the hours of 10pm-12am. We spend an embarrassing amount of time staring at her and making ridiculous faces and sounds in an effort to see a wee smile. Luckily she is giving them out with less discretion these days - she is still stealthy enough that it is difficult to get one on camera. Here is a glimpse.

If you look closely enough, you can see two heads reflected in her eyes - thankfully for us there is no audio accompanying this photo.

A nice father daughter shot.

Finally, I really want to thank everyone for following along and giving us messages of support this past week. Your emails, comments and phone calls make us feel powerful and loved. It is amazing to have you all with us on this. Cheers!

SMASHED!!! for now. . .

We just got back from our appointment with our oncologist and my MRI showed no remaining signs of disease! It's gone! The words now are still "cautious optimism" as we'll still need regular checkups to see if the cancer comes back for the next few years. But for now, we're all in the clear! We smashed that bugger with all of your help! I can't write much more right now, but thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for all of your support. We'll keep you posted on any future plans, but for now, it looks like we'll be headed back up to Whitehorse at the end of the month sometime. More Hadley photos and other stories to come. . . . Again - thank you. We couldn't have gotten through this without you.

Much, much love . . .

M&M