This morning Dan and I went to the church and hid about 100 Easter eggs!!! It was so much fun. Our new church has an annual Easter Egg hunt for the local community, they have been doing it for about 10 years, so I am told. It reminded me of all the Easter Egg hunts we had for our kids and my parents had for my brothers and me and last years hunt with our neighbors Barb and Kevin. I just love tradition. I know that Jack will not remember his first "hunt" on the beach, however Grandpa and Mimi will!!! We would like to wish you all a wonderful Easter and hope you find the rebirth of Christ in your lives.
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HEY! I stilll don't think that have the right inflection for this southern greeting between friends, however I am working on it.
It has been 9 days since Dan's last chemo - he is doing very well. He seems to have the same side effects as the last time. Sore throat, cramming hands, and perhaps more tired than the last time. I am so proud of how well he is doing. We are still enjoying riding our bikes around the island and walking on the beach .Dan's doctor has given him permission to travel - so we are off to St. Martin on Monday April 25th for 5 days, we can't wait. It has been a beautiful week here - the temperature has been in the high 70's everyday. Lindsay was looking forward to a thunder and lighting storm on day one, but we never got it. We can't believe that it is already time for Lindsay to head back to the Rocehster weather. We have enjoyed her visit so very much. You would think that Dan and I would be sitting and visiting with her, however she and Julie are in a financial battle playing "Rochesteropoly" Julie owns Wegman's, Nick Tahou's and Abbott's - but I think Lindsay owns the rest of the board. They have been playing since last night!!!!! It is so much fun having them here. Pete's Dragon just started on the DVD player (how old are they?). We are so happy to go to the mailbox everyday - there is always something there from one of our wonderful family and friends. We miss you all so much and feel the love and support that you keep sending us. The phone is always on and the door is always open. To my favorite "Rochestarians": So sorry you had snow today:( It was 75 here! It was a great day for some fun in the sun. We started off the morning (Julie and I) attending church with Dad and Martha as they got welcomed as members into their new church here on the Island. I am not sure if I have been around more supportive and caring people in my life, especially because really we are pretty much strangers still. It is amazing how quickly these wonderful people warmed up to our family and the numerous ways that they display their support-simply amazing. Church was a little bit difficult for me to get through but helped me to realize just how important this support system is for my parents and the faith that they need right now is a necessity. After church we drove into the "mainland" (as they call it!) for brunch at a restaurant called High Cotton. Lovely brunch with the four of us, followed by a little shopping at the Charleston market. Later on, we took a great carriage ride through Charleston and learned all about the great history behind the beautiful city. When we got back, we rode our bikes down to the beach once again to check out the sunset and saw dolphins!! Great way to end our day. Looking forward to 78 degree weather tomorrow and a beach day just hanging out. I keep thinking about how hard Thursday will be to leave this great place, but I am so lucky to have gotten this chance to come. That's all for now-I will update tomorrow!!
***Lindsay Lu Hello from Edisto!! Lindsay here wanting to share with you my great trip so far to this beautiful place. I arrived yesterday around 4:00pm and have fallen in love with this weather! After a quick few errands around Charleston, Dad and Martha were so nice to treat me to some Chick-Fill-A (I'm a Yankee so I am not sure if I spelled that right-sorry to offend anybody!) We came back to the rental afterwards and put our feet in the sand hoping to see some dolphins but not yet. Today was much more eventful...breakfast at Sea Cow with the most delicious and artery clogging biscuits and gravy, followed by some great sunshine at the pool. It was hilarious because Dad and Martha have yet to get their pool pass to be at the pool, and we got carded and ultimately kicked out...which forced us to go to another pool, in which right when we were leaving the pool card gestapo followed us there too! We ended our evening with a nice long bike ride (dad inflated the tires on this "rust bucket" as he would call it for me to ride) to watch the sunset and go on a quest to search for the alligator-no sign of him yet but I am on a mission to see him before I head back next week. Tomorrow Julie and I are heading to church with Dad and Martha as they are becoming members. Our whole family is forever grateful for the amount of support these individuals are offering our parents during this difficult time. All of the great cards, thoughts and prayers mean so much to them as well as the whole family. Joyce, a sweet woman from their new church came over tonight just to check in and also to bring a homemade loaf of bread for "operation: let's fatten dad up". Looking very much forward to meeting more of these great people tomorrow as well as brunch afterwards and a carriage ride. I am planning on using this time to reflect, relax and savor every moment. I am so glad to be here and feel very lucky to have this time. Thanks for everyone's open arms and support to our family-we cherish your thoughts and prayers immensely as we encounter this fight together. That's all for now!
Good evening -
If any of you are reading our blog, please let me know - I feel like I am just writing to help us feel better. Maybe this is the way Julia felt at the beginning of the movie Julie and Julia. I wanted to send out a quck note to let you all know how Dan's second chemo (installment - to quote Marti Burdick) went. The day stared with lab work, very quick and efficent and then a meeting with Dr. Ellison. He is wonderful and again we feel so very confident in his care. He speaks right to us and does not "sugarcoat" anything. Then on to a state of the art "chemo" room. The nurse we requested is so caring and wonderful. Dan's treatment lasted about 4 hours - he is now done for three weeks. He is much more tired this time than the last, however we did come home and touched the beach at sunset. I believe that everyone has seen a beautiful sunset in thieir lives, but they are just more beautiful here on Edisto, at this time in our life. We hope you all come and enjoy it with us, and if you can't I hope you can feel it in your heart. We came back to the island tonight and stopped by the house - we have steps!!! Everyday Greg and his team keep bringing our dream to life and it is so very exciting. They say that God doesn't close a window without opening a new one, well right now we don't have any, pehaps it is his way of opening all of them for us right now (Greg is putting them in by the end of the week however) but I promise to leave one or two with at least a crack in them. We are so excited to see LuLu (Lindsay) when she flies in on Friday. I am sure the week will just fly by. Good afternoon to ya'll ...
Dan is on the phone as I type talking to our good friends Doug and Carolyn Carlton, we are so excited about thier project to demolish their lake home on Lake Ontario and build their dream home. We are so excited for them. We are so happy to hear from all of you and hear your story. Your "stuff" is so important to us - we love you all. We had a wonderful visit with Jack and his parents this past week!!!! No really we were so happy to have Derek and Carrie with us last week. The weather was beautiful (sorry Stefanie) we went to the beach, had picnics, flew Jack's kite, wonderful relaxing time. Family is everything. Ok - I sound a little sappy - sorry. We went to Charleston one day and took a carriage ride and enjoyed the historic beauty of the downtown city. Derek and Carrie went out one night with Julie, had dinner at SNOB (where Julie works) and then went on a ghost tour. They had a great time and we had Jack all to ourselves, it was GREAT!!! Who knew I would love being a grandmother so much!!! Grandpa never let go of Jack. They both fell asleep in the easy chair. As to this coming week - a busy week ahead. Dan's second round of chemo in Charleston is scheduled on Wednesday, April 13th. We'll return to the Cancer Center in Charleston on Thursday as usual for a followup injection to boost blood cell counts. Lindsay is flying down Friday for a week's visit ... can't wait to see her and enjoy her visit. Sorry Jobe is unable to make this visit but we look forward to seeing Jobe as well this summer. Hopefully Dan's second round of chemo will be as easy on him as his first ... minimal side effects ... just some hiccups and a bit of indigestion ... both manageable with drugs. Lots of folks have been asking about Grandy's move south. She's very close now to closing on the sale of 4 Foxe Commons. Her beautiful new Townhouse in West Ashley (a suburb of Charleston) is awaiting her arrival!!! If all goes as planned Grandy should be in South Carolina by early May. It will be great to have her near us. The new house is rapidly progressing now. Some doors are in, windows and fireplace arrive this week, Dan's Geothermal Heat Pump System with its 4 250' wells should be drilled this week, the plumbers are cutting all kinds of holes in the floors and walls, and the electrical walk-thru should take place sometime this coming week as well. The gazebo is even growing out of the gound now! The framers expect to finish all their work this coming week. Unbelievable progress. We are planning to take occupancy in September. Get your calendars out. We are booking the "Guest Room with a View" now. Please continue to keep up with us from a far with via our Blog, emails, or phone. We love you all and take great care ... Love, Dan and Martha (and Darjeeling ... who turns 16 years young this week ... hard to believe ... as well!) We plan to use the Blog page to update all of you as quickly as possible regarding Dan's health status, family and friend visits and of course what's up with the house. We also want you to know how great our weather is here on Edisto.
With Julie living in the Charleston area, she often visits on her day off, either meeting us at the hospital, driving down to spend an overnight or picking up Jack and his parents at the airport. We are glad she is so close and she helps any way she can. The Burdicks spent a few wonderful days here on the island. We picnicked on the beach, took a great carriage ride downtown Charleston and had a fantastic dinner with Julie at SNOB (slightly North of Broad). Stefanie flew down expecting to have wonderful weather that we have all been talking about, but it was cold, wet and rainy! She only got to wear her bathing suit at the enclosed swimming pool. We had a great time with her being here and enjoyed her love and support. Derek, Carrie and Jack arrived Saturday, after the Cooper River Bridge Run. Sorry Stefanie, the weather has been great! Jack got to see the beach, sand, dolphins, fly his kite with Grandpa, dipped his feet in the swimming pool, and Jack learn "so big" while visiting the new house. Grandpa just said that Jack is the "favorite Grandson!" With all the visits and chemo 2 weeks behind us, to quote a man at the Edisto Baptist Church, "Dan is the healthiest sick man I have ever seen." He does seem to be feeling very well; fatigued at the end of the day. Dan's biggest problem right now is that he has lost his taste for red wine. Check back soon for updates! ~Martha |