Caroline Rose's Baptism

We flew to North Carolina on May 24th to witness Caroline's baptism.

 Andrew Sweat - Lord of the Manor!

The first night we were there we got to watch Andrew play in his tennis league. He played awesome and the match was a nail-biter. Tennis is so civilized. We spent the next day sight-seeing then we headed to the coast!

My heart always skips a beat when I see the vastness of the ocean peaking over those Carolina Beach grasslands.

Is there anything finer than the beach, a book and a striped umbrella?

Uta-sota-linians.

 100% Carolinian.

B-Train and Dennis. It's a joy to watch these grandkids grow up!

 Luckily some of them are still little!

... and some of them won't be staying little very much longer - ahem, Whitney Amelia! She's wearing a sea shell necklace strung with dental floss. Have to keep the dental hygiene skills in the family!

The sky was so pretty one night and their kite just soared. Andrea made me laugh when she told me she was posing in this photo - and she did a great job of looking just the right amount of awestruck!

 I don't see Dennis flying kites very much so had to document.

Celebrating Caroline Rose Sweat's 8th birthday, May 28, 2016! The beach house was three stories tall and gorgeous.

We got to spend time with and enjoy Grandma Cuca. She is eternally young!

 Making a wish!

As if a beach needed more beauty! (the rainbow tee hee).

 I adore this photo of Brandon flipping his massive tresses.

Whitney, 12 - Andrea (still in her 30's!) - Andrew (not) - Brandon, 15 - Caroline, 8.

B-Train - Limber and Strong.

 Caroline - Graceful and ripped!

 Whitney - Lyrical and lithe

 Moments before they all fell down!

And then we all returned to Greensboro for the real reason we were there - Caroline's baptism which was perfect in every way. I don't know who looks happier in this photo - Andrew or Caroline!

Caroline asked Brandon to lead the singing and he did it with perfect mastery. This photo is blurry because I had to be surreptitious and because I take lots of blurry photos.

We so enjoyed being able to share the week with Lynn and Maria. It was a memorable day, a fun week, and we are grateful we were able to all be there together!

Wyatt II

Round Two for Wyatt began on Monday, April 18th, 2016. We had received wonderful news the week before that he had responded extremely well to the chemo in Round One and was considered in remission.  Wyatt bravely squared his shoulders and went back to the hospital and began Round Two. His attitude and strength and patience and all-around goodness set the tone for everyone. He really was incredible and a hero.

The blanket under the cat is Wyatt's baby blanket that always had a place of honor in his hospital bed.

One of the many acts of loving service that were given on behalf of Wyatt was from a family in their neighborhood (who Angie hardly knew), that heard about Wyatt and decided to tie orange ribbons (the color for childhood leukemia) around all the trees up and down the streets, for blocks on end. The generosity of people is awesome and humbling. So many meals, so many gifts through the mail or left on the front porch from friends and family, so many visits, phone calls, texts, comments on social media. So many prayers, so many times his name was placed on temple rolls, so many fasts, so much love. Even from the perspective of the grandma, every gesture on behalf of Wyatt felt like someone was tying an orange ribbon around around my soul too.

Wyatt (being goofy) and me 4-26-2016. Every time we went to Children's Hospital we first stopped at the front desk and got a name badge and declared that we didn't have a fever, cold or runny nose. Everyone was very healthy the whole time, other than Dennis caught a slight cold.

Wyatt felt SO MUCH better during Round Two. Good enough to kick a soccer balll..............

........or practice his putting....

..........or hone his gaming and YouTube watching skills!

Here's Wyatt rocking the cool hat Elise bought for him while on a DISNEY CRUISE with her friend's family.

Can you say "Luckyyyyyyy!'

May the 4th be with you.

I would often c-r-i-n-g-e if Wyatt was hooked up and would start kicking the soccer ball. He would patiently tell me "IT'S OKAY GRANDMA!" For someone who raised her children with benign neglect, I am now the annoying Grandma Safety Officer! (And Wyatt was right, it was always okay!).

Wyatt wearing the spider man mask that he had to wear when his counts were low. He's meeting their new kitty Kodiak Shadrack Roundy!!! Kodiak's middle name is named after Wyatt's great-great-great-great-Grandfather Shadrach Roundy who was with Brigham Young when the Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  Kodiak is a lush, plush, delectable Siberian kitty.

Two sweet faces!

Wyatt looked forward all day if he knew that Ethan, Elise, Jonas (or Kodiak) would be visiting.

Elise and I outside in the back yard on Mother's Day. We also celebrated later that day with Angie THE SUPER MOTHER, at the hospital. We celebrated lots of milestones in the hospital, but that's what happens when you spend half a year at the hospital! Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, a myriad of special days were marked gathered around Wyatt's hospital bed. Each will remain in our memories as a time we marked a milestone in a different way, but it was all okay, because we were together.

Dennis started feeling a cold coming on right before Wyatt was ready to return home after Round Two. Since Wyatt's immune system was still very compromised, we decided to take a quick trip to the Great Lakes area near Duluth and stay away for a few days until Dennis felt better. I'm glad we went because Dennis was sick enough that we would have had to lock him in the basement if we would have stayed home, but he was feeling good enough to drive and get out and about.

Here is Wyatt at home after Round Two in his place of honor. He has watched t.v. lying on this spot in the family room ever since he was a little kid............usually without a shirt on. Whenever I'd vacuum that piece of carpet I'd always imagine Wyatt being home again and taking his usual place.

One night we heard a "thud" and Kodiak had fallen from that upper ledge to the wood floor below! He has eight lives left.

Here is beautiful Elise and her date Teagan Smythe on their way to Mormon Prom. Kodiak was the perfect ice-breaker!

Good -looking couple!

Kodiak also kept Jonas company at his computer station.

Once again, it was the best kind of medicine for Wyatt to be home, being a kid, out in the fresh air - and spring was in the air!

Another event we were able to attend was the spring concert for the choirs at East Ridge High School. Jonas and Elise were both active in the music groups. All my photos of them performing were even blurrier than this one.

I have always loved photos of people walking away. And so, Wyatt also walked away from Round Two and was home for some R & R before heading into Round Three! (and we flew away to North Carolina for Caroline's baptism!).

Wyatt - Round One

Wyatt was diagnosed with AML Leukemia and entered the hospital at the end of February, 2016. It was a Leap Year too. In addition to getting many wonderful days ahead where he isn't in the hospital and can be and do the everything a 9-year-old boy loves to do, our boy deserves a "BONUS LEAP YEAR" day too!

As I write this blog, it's the middle of August, 2016 and Wyatt is still in the hospital completing Round Four and patiently waiting for his numbers to climb high enough so that he can be released and go home FOR GOOD!!! Almost six months later - and he's fought the good fight and won, and he's almost there!!!

This photo shows Wyatt at the beginning of Round One. I've become so used to Wyatt without hair that I almost don't recognize him in this picture. Playing his keyboard was one of the many things that helped him pass the time. Wyatt is a natural musician and plays with lots of feeling and ability. He plays by ear too, which is a talent!  Wyatt got to play "Blues in the Night" for Presiding Bishop Gerald Causse, and Bishop Causse played "Rhapsody in Blue" for Wyatt on this very keyboard. The timing of Bishop Causse being in Minnesota and hearing about Wyatt and coming to visit him was a tender mercy. Wyatt received many Priesthood blessings from Forrest and others, and he also was privileged to receive a Priesthood blessing from Bishop Causse.

This was the view out Wyatt's hospital window during Round One. Brrrr! It was still winter in Minnesota. I think the nurses made sure Wyatt got the room with the gorgeous view of the Minneapolis skyline since he had to spend so much time in the hospital.

I have such tender feelings when I look at this photo taken on March 17th, 2016,  Elise's 18th birthday.Wyatt had only been in the hospital for a couple of weeks and everything was still so new and overwhelming and unknown. But there is a light in his eye and courage in his smile, as there is in everyone else's. 

Angie put this photo of the Savior in the window sill. I was able to spend a few nights with Wyatt and it was such a comfort to roll over and have it be the first thing I'd see in the morning and the last thing I'd see at night before falling asleep. Sometimes after we'd said our prayers and were falling asleep, Wyatt would break the silence and say, "Night night, sleep tight - don't let the bed bugs bite!"

This photo was taken one night after family scripture and prayer. Angie and Forrest were never at home together since one of them was always at the hospital with Wyatt. I will always remember the feelings of safety and peace that it brought when they would gather us for scriptures and prayer every night even though the family was separated. I'm grateful their family has this tradition. These really are the things that matter most. Jonas and Elise welcomed us into their lives with open arms. Although it wasn't how we would have liked to be together, it was such a welcome opportunity to be able to spend lots of time with them, sharing their daily routine, preparing meals, hearing them get up early for Seminary, listening to them sing in the shower, just living life.

Wyatt got lots of donated blankets from the hospital Child Life Specialists. He really appreciated them and wrapped himself up in their warmth. I could feel the love that was tied into each one of them. Wyatt also had visits from therapy animals, including this bunny "Tail-less." That bunny loved Wyatt, and Wyatt loved him back. The owner of Tail-less was such a nice woman. These therapy animals bring a smile to everyone's face and always lifted Wyatt's spirits. There were a few times during each round where he wasn't up to doing much of anything because of low red blood cells, white blood counts, elusive platelets, and the various side effects of chemo, but he was almost always up to petting the bunny.

Sweet handsome boy. There were many days where Round One was rough! 

Back at the home front, here is a photo of Elise and me. We made a "bucket list" for spring break (thanks for the idea Jane) . One of the things on the list was to go running. I know, I know, picture it.
We ran one block as fast as we could and I was EXHAUSTED and Elise smoked me! Forrest had her clean out the Jeep too, and that's what she had finished doing when this picture was taken.

ROUND ONE IS IN THE BOOKS!!!! Love, love, love this photo. After completing Round One and being allowed to come home for some R & R, Wyatt immediately went upstairs and FLOPPED face down onto his bed. HIS.BED. And side note, hauling all the stuff that was necessary for three people to live in a hospital for a month is exactly like sending someone off to college.

Yeah, it was pretty happy in there! Jonas and Elise helped him arrange all of his stuffed animals.

I'll never forget the feelings of freedom and exhilaration watching Wyatt and Forrest play baseball in the back yard after Round One. I could literally feel his body and lungs filling with fresh, clean air.

Fabulous to watch indeed!

This is Wyatt through and through. His smile, his stamina, his maturity, his ability to patiently submit to the battle and come out on top.

I love this photo too - waiting for Forrest to zing one right down the middle.
I think Wyatt looks like the child actor Kevin Cochoran who starred in "Toby Tyler" in this picture.

 

After playing baseball, they watched their cat Hazel for a few minutes. Hazel = one intensly outdoor cat. She couldn't stand being inside - she wanted to be outside ridding Woodbury, Minnesota of excess bunnies. And she got her wish because they decided that given her habits, she would do better back on the farm from whence she came. And I think she's thriving there too! Although I'm sure she misses everyone :-)

Home and glowing with health after all he'd been through!

It was General Conference while Wyatt was home after round One. Here is the family working on the quilts and listening to conference. I will never forget the overwhelming emotions I felt as we listened to April Conference, 2016 with the Hallstrom family.

We were able to attend a few of the kid's events while we were there, which is something we miss out on with them living so far away and we loved being able to do. This is Jonas performing at the speech awards night. He did such a great job, and looked smashing!

We took a quick trip up North to Chicago while Wyatt was home after Round One.

 The Chicago skyline is gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as the Minneapolis skyline.

After we returned to Woodbury, we attended a Saturday morning session at the Minneapolis Temple. The temple workers said was the most packed session in recent memory. We waited for a half hour while they put extra chairs in the aisles to accommodate everyone. It was an empowering experience to attend the Temple with all that was unfolding in our lives. I listened carefully to every word and felt truth in everything I heard and saw. On our way home, out of the blue, a thought occurred to me that we should make a quick trip home. Dennis was immediately on board. We decided to make it a three-day trip and make a quick detour to see Amy's family in Colorado. We were so glad we were able to see them!

The girls and Jack have such vivid imaginations. They are at those golden ages where all they need is three plastic animals and before you know it they've created an entire imaginary universe. Add American Girl dolls AND horses AND cats AND dogs, well, you get the picture!

 Carly is like a little woman. Like a GOOFY little woman!

 Jack impressed Grandpa with some new magic tricks!

 and Macy and Jack both played the piano for us. They're GOOD!

 Gotta love those freckles!

 The fam.

 And when we got home, spring had arrived in Utah with popcorn popping on the Apricot trees!

I couldn't resist doing a "Wyatt" pose on our bed!

It turned out that Julie was in Utah making a visit to see mom and dad so we were fortunate to get to see her too! Denny and Joe had us out to their house one night and we are posing here "drinking in" the lilacs!

And we got to see Truman George! He is so handsome that I think he borders on a male version of beautiful!

We played "One Night Werewolf" with the Sweat kids.(Lauren wasn't home).

One Night Werewolf is such a crazy game. We played it a lot with the Hallstroms too. I don't know if I like it or hate it, but it sure makes for some good laughs!

Eli must have sensed he was getting his picture taken!

Yes, a beautiful boy indeed!

This is the chair in our bedroom where I sat for two hours after we received the text from Angie and Forrest telling us the wonderful news that Wyatt had responded well to Round One of chemo and was in remission. I sat there and was just simply awash with happiness. I didn't move. There was no need to move. I was too overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.

          ************************************************