Summer Vacation is Already Over!

Wow!! With only one post in July and none in August it was obviously a busy summer here.
School has started and I'm hoping to get back into a regular routine again, being sure to look after myself as well as everyone else!

Owen went on a 2 week camping adventure with my parents so Kate
and I did a few girls day at the splash pad in Albion

 

We went up to Bancroft to pick up Owen and spent
a couple days relaxing and enjoying our time together

Early July and our garden was looking really happy

First picking from the garden. Beets, zucchini
and spring onions

It was time to head back to mu parents so a trip to the
bulk store for some road snacks, so
many choices

Our two sweethearts

Owen made a very impressive boat with Grandpa and
both kids had so much fun playing with it

Our main purpose of this trip was the Bancroft Gemfest
which was amazing. We all had so much fun exploring

Leanne joined us a couple days later so we did some fabric
dyeing. This is cochineal, a small bug found only on a
specific cactus in only two regions in the world

And they create the most incredible red dye 

I was able to get some Christmas presents made with my Indigo dye

 

Mid August and the garden harvest was starting to
look a bit more varied and delicious

It was time for Kate to move up to a bigger bed as Sean and Maggie will
be needing a crib soon, of course this is what I get when I ask
for a smile for the camera!

After dinner hike, whoopie cushion and all

We spent the day at a local provincial park enjoying a picnic,
beach, playground and family canoe adventure. The kids were
amazing during our hour plus of paddling

First day of Grade 2 French! Owen was so excited to start
as he has the same excellent teacher as he had last year! She
is teaching a 2/3 split and he was one of the 6 chosen from
his grade 1 class. Yes, Mom bragging going on here for sure

Summer Fun

The weeks have flown by at an incredible rate, Owen finished grade one french with amazing results and then took off with my parents for 2 weeks to the East Coast camping, Kate is quickly developing from a toddler to a kid and it's so much fun to watch, Rob has been working on a bunch of projects/renovations around the house and I've been fighting a vicious war against the potato bugs at our garden plot as well as trying to get my sewing mojo back enough to start some form of small business. So, with all that said, here's a selection of photos from the past 6 or so weeks

A couple of days after my radiation we received our compost
and straw delivery at the garden. Thankfully my Mom and
Rob took over and got it all spread out and the kids helped
plant out 17 tomato plants!

Rob and Kate went out for a drive and came home with
this gently used bike and she's been loving it so much

I was still needing rest and recovery and I was doing my
best to do so

Owen went to his first camping trip with Beavers. He had
only signed up 2 weeks before but was really excited to
join everyone on the trip

He didn't know anyone but had an incredible weekend

The happy and tired camper at pick up

I was pleasantly surprised by the 8lb haul of rhubarb

Canada Day crazies

The weather was starting to get warmer so while Owen
was in school Kate and I went to visit Aunt Leanne

We spent the entire time at the newes splash pad
right around the corner from Leanne

Stylish just like her Aunt

Original to the house which is around 40 years old, it
was time for this beast to go. We also got the furnace
replaced and the air vents balanced. Our energy bill has
dropped dramatically and all three floors of the house
are withing 1 degree of each other.
What an improvement

Good morning snuggles

The only time she eats lettuce greens is when she picks
it herself from the garden, of course!

Last day of school excitement. Yes, Kate is still
in her pj's, we haven't had out lattes yet!

Grade one complete and it's time for a run through the sprinkler

I made a batch of sourdough english muffins and will
never be buying store bought again! Amazing

This is my sewing mojo that I was referring to.
Cloth pads. I have been sending these out and getting
tester feed back with very positive reviews so far. I still want
to do some more work on them but am happy so far

Owen's teacher released a couple of monarch butterflies
while he was away with my parents so Kate and I
went and watched the release

She loves helping me in the kitchen, busted for licking
the bowl!

We went up to my parents to pick up Owen from his
awesome adventure and decided to stay for a few days

Of course it involved a trip to the ice cream shop

And I'm Back!!

It's been an interesting few weeks, nothing like recovering from surgery thankfully.
On May 21st I was at Toronto Western bright and early for my treatment, to start my day off I was fitted with this lovely cage, waited, had a CT scan, waited, got rolled into the radiation room, waited, and finally was strapped into place for my 70 min treatment. I kept falling in and out of sleep as it was incredibly quiet in there.

I was monitored for about an hour after then sent home. That was it.
By the time we reached home I was starting to feel nauseous and went to bed. I remained nauseous for a couple of days and the only other side effect was extreme exhaustion which lasted for a couple of weeks. My Mom stayed the week which allowed me to rest as much as possible, which I did!  I still get tired pretty quickly if I don't take breaks throughout the day but I am definitely feeling so much better already. Fingers crossed that this has stopped the growth, I go back in six months for a follow up MRI and we then continue to monitor it for the next few years.

And to be honest, I really hope that this is the last time I write about my little uninvited friend.

Well, isn't that a Bitch

Reread the title again but with Samuel L Jackson's voice.

That's better.

Now, to cut to the chase.

Back in February, after my biannual MRI, I was told that my tumor had grown back to is full glory, a slightly different shape but pretty much the same size as before. We were definitely not prepared to hear that information at all and it took us a while to really process it all.

After meeting with my surgeon he strongly suggested that I speak with the Gamma Knife team about my options for radiation this time around. He was willing to do the surgery but felt I should talk to these guys first. Appointment made, meeting had and I am booked for Gamma Knife treatment in two weeks.

Essentially, my tumor is not pressing against my brain stem as it was last time which makes it safer and easier to do the treatment. The rush to get it done is the fact that I have about 4mm of growing room left before it becomes too big for them to treat with Gamma Knife leaving me with the option of surgery or fractionated radiation which is a lot more brutal of a treatment and recovery.

Taken from the Mayo Clinic website, here is a brief description for what Gamma Knife is:

The specialized equipment focuses many small beams of radiation on a tumor or other target. Each beam has very little effect on the tissue it passes through, but a targeted dose of radiation is delivered to the site where all the beams intersect.The high dose of radiation delivered to the affected area causes tumors to shrink and blood vessels to close off over time following treatment, robbing the tumor of its blood supply.The precision of stereotactic radiosurgery means there's minimal damage to the healthy surrounding tissues. In most cases, radiosurgery has a lower risk of side effects compared with other types of traditional surgery or radiation therapy.

This is a one day treatment with no overnight stay which is great news for me. This is a tumor control approach as opposed to removal, the goal is to stop the growth and if any shrinkage occurs than that is a bonus.

Rob and I are both really hoping for a quick recovery and minimal side effects this time around. I'll keep you posted on how that goes!

SEVEN!!!

Wow, I got a bit choked up over this birthday. Owen's not a small child any more but really growing up into a kid.

We celebrated over a couple of days since his birthday fell so close to Easter this year. The four of us on his Birthday, Grandad the next day, my parents the following day and a Birthday party with all his friends on the 27th

Owens request for his Birthday dinner was pizza and a movie. They both
inhaled 3 pieces each!!

Easter morning and every nook and cranny was
checked over for hidden chocolates

Around noon the Family showed up for a very fun
Easter lunch

It was so much fun hosting, it also helped that Uncle Paul brought an
incredibly moist and delicious turkey. Thank you

Owen and his friend Perry's birthdays are only a couple of
days apart so we did a joint party which everyone
enjoyed. The only time I saw Owen was pizza or
cake time

All of Owen's friends know Kate and the all played
together so great, she got right into it

Cake time

No, I did not make the cake! A friend of a friend
created this amazing cake

Pic Update

Not quite an April Fool joke but we woke up to a substantial
amount of snow on March 31 

The kids were very excited as this was before breakfast

They played while I made pancakes

I'm pretty sure she's contemplating what
kind of mayhem she can cause today

I couldn't find Kate one morning, turns out
she snuck into Owen's room during the nigh
and fell back asleep

As soon as they saw me it was time to play

Here's my very first attempt at making a quilt. All
the blocks are taped to the bedroom wall as I try to
finalise the placement of them all

This past weekend the temperatures were perfect
for hanging out at the park

Kate as to do everything Owen does, I turn around
to see her flying up here, giving me a heart attack

Spring is here!!!

Good Night