Sunday, November 27, 2011

Three Years Later

Steve and Lynn with the Halversen grand kids - they were growing
weary of trying to get a good picture!!

Steve and Audrey - can you believe our oldest grandchild is in college??

Grandma Lynn showing the kids pictures

Annie, Audrey, Steve, Lynn, Lauren, Ethan and Tanner in the back-
Yeah we finally all have our eyes open!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you were all able to get together with loved ones and share the blessings of friends and family. This year Lynn and I went to Jennifer and Gary’s home in Mapleton, UT for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time that only could have been better if Tyler, Kelly and family could have joined us. But Wisconsin is a long way off and we did get to see them this summer and we are going to visit them at Christmas time so I can’t complain too much.

As we were sitting around the table enjoying all the great company and wonderful food ( nice job Jennifer and also kudos to Lauren for the razzleberry pie) I couldn't’t help but think how blessed my life is. I have a great wife, two girls who have grown into amazing women that married wonderful men and have given Lynn and me the world’s cutest and smartest grandchildren. If the last sentence didn’t make you a little queasy then you have a stronger stomach than I do, but really what kind of a grandpa would I be if I wasn’t obnoxiously proud of my kids and grand kids.

I also thought back to another Thanksgiving three years ago when I was just starting on my first round of chemo. Lynn and I had to stay isolated from the rest of the world and we could be no more than 15 minutes from the hospital. This was because infections are a big deal and can get out of control very quickly when you have no immune system to slow them down. I was scared and didn’t know what to expect in the coming months. The people at Huntsman were very positive which gave me hope, but at the same time the hematologist/oncologist that originally treated me painted a very different picture. Basically, he told me I probably had about 2 ½ - 3 years to live. Lynn and I spent that Thanksgiving in the Hilton hotel eating Marie Calendar’s frozen turkey dinners. Three years later I am chemo free (the last chemo was discontinued in May). Now I only go in for a full evaluation every 6 months, and I am happy to say that my last checkup was in August and I was told that everything looks good, see you in 6 months. Music to my ears.

I hope this holiday season finds you healthy, happy and grateful for the many blessings in your life. I certainly know I am.