Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Martha Clara Vineyard with Erika and Rob 2017

Super fun Sunday at the vineyard with Erika and Rob! (All made possible by our amazing neighbor Carol who jumped in when our babysitter bailed.)

Martha Clara 2017
Doing a wine tasting at Martha Clara. Love the wines!

Martha Clara 2017
Everyone is having fun.

Martha Clara 2017
Rob and I also got ice cream.

Martha Clara 2017
Sunflowers!! We should have have jumped into the field.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Nolan's Pool Party 2017

Yes, this is the summer of pool parties. Lots of fun at Nolan's though!

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Nolan going down the slide

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Ella, Nolan's little sister, is Miranda's buddy

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Weee!

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
A little solo time.

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Great news! Miranda is moving into Ella's preschool class!

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Boys playing in the yard. First grade, I hope you're ready for them.

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Barbies have pool parties too.

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Digging with little Kacy

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Water guns and crazy games.

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
Mrs. Maloney visited!

Nolan's Pool Party 2017
They love her and they missed her.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Fire Island 2017

We took a brief little family break on Fire Island this week. We hopped on a ferry and went out to the skinny island for a day of hiking and beach. Sadly, our hiking was cut short because James and I were being eaten alive by mosquitos- especially strange because it's usually me and Miranda that get bitten. But Kevin got to finish the hike on his own, and we all had a lovely time playing on the beach and in the ocean waves. We even got to pose with some friendly swans.

Fire Island 2017
Sunken Forest Pre-hike

Fire Island 2017
Miranda being carried back

Fire Island 2017
James and I killing mosquitos

Fire Island 2017
Kevin hiking alone

Fire Island 2017
James burying his sister

Fire Island 2017
Building tunnels from the ocean

Fire Island 2017
Working on a dam

Fire Island 2017
Perfect little sand hole

Fire Island 2017
So sandy!

Fire Island 2017
Never getting clean

Fire Island 2017
On the pier waiting to go back

Fire Island 2017
With our friends, the swans

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Mom's Kidney Cancer Update- August 2017

Mom had a series of doctors appointments recently that included scans. We went to her appointment on Friday to talk with her oncology doctor and nurse. All the areas in her body remained the same except her liver.

  Nana Visit- July 2017
Mom was feeling pretty sick on her most recent visit

It's been 4 years since my mother was originally diagnosed with kidney cancer, and 2.5 years since it came back in an advanced stage. Since June 2016, she'd been on a great new drug combo Lenvima + Afinitor, but with the growth on the liver, the doctor has decided that it's no longer a good option for my mother to continue to take it.

The doctor gave her the option to return to Torisel + Avastin, which she originally took in September 2015 and which gave her few side effects compared to the other drugs. As I explained back in the November 2015 post, it's an IV drug combo of temsirolimus (Torisel) and bevacizumab (Avastin). Temsirolimus is an mTOR inhibitor. It blocks the effects of a protein called mTOR, often over active in cancer cells that makes the cells divide and grow. Temsirolimus is also an anti-angiogenesis drug. Bevacizumab is a different kind of anti-angiogenesis treatment that targets a cancer cell protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, which helps cancers grow blood vessels).

Mom Dr. 2017
Drug combo choices

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Solar Eclipse with Christina, Hudson, & Aria 2017

Christina, Hudson, and Aria came to visit us yesterday. We played in the house a little, then we went to Port Jeff to show them around, play at the newish park there, and get some Italian Ice.

Solar Eclipse 2017
Miranda, me, James, Christina, Hudson, and Aria

Solar Eclipse 2017
In the Mini-Van!

Solar Eclipse 2017
Too many Mini-Van adventures!

Solar Eclipse 2017
PJ Rocketship Playground, the Merry-Go-Round

Solar Eclipse 2017
The Treehouse

Solar Eclipse 2017
Italian Ice time!

Despite Herculean efforts, we weren't able to get solar eclipse glasses, but a family lent us a pair and we were able to see the eclipse for a moment. It was only a partial solar eclipse here so it did not get dark, and the eclipse was in no way observable without glasses. With the glasses, you could see the partially obstructed sun.

Solar Eclipse 2017 
Me, helping the girls see the eclipse

Solar Eclipse 2017
Christina, helping the boys see the eclipse

Solar Eclipse 2017
Candace's picture of eclipse (glasses on phone camera)

Monday, August 21, 2017

Jaime Visits- August 2017

Jaime visited on her way to Massachusetts and back. We took the kids to the beach, ate sushi for dinner twice, and visited Mattituck for a wine bar and delicious dinner on Love Lane. We even got Italian Ice, which I'm clearly obsessed with this summer.

Jaime- August 2017
Miranda showing her art on August 12

Jaime Visiting- August 2017 
Jaime swimming with James

Jaime Visiting- August 2017
Me, playing in the water with Miranda

Jaime Visiting- August 2017
Drying off

Jaime- August 2017
Roanoke Vineyard's Wine Bar in Mattituck

Jaime- August 2017
Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Aidan's 7th Birthday Party 2017

We celebrated Aidan's 7th birthday at his house with a big fun pool party! These kids are so sweet-- and so lucky-- look at this amazing party!

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
Aidan and his mom Kathy behind him (Nolan and Samantha on either side)

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
James, Nolan, and Caris at the huge bounce house

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
Swimming with noodles!

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
James chatting with Caris

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
Hot tub time!

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
I mean, their lives are ridiculous!

Aidan's 7th Bday 2017
Happy birthday, Aidan!
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