The Kids

July 2011

I frequently get questions about the kids.  How are they doing?  Do they understand what is going on?  What are their thoughts?

 

Obviously, the two little kids don't get it.  But with all the uncertainties surrounding our lives, there are two things that are guaranteed - that Drew will be the one saying the dinner prayer, and that he will bless his daddy to feel better.  And it's never "daddy," it's always "my daddy."  Jared says at least he knows Drew cares about him! 

Jared has had much less to do with Averie than our other babies.  This is mostly because he hasn't been stable enough to really care for her.  He can't change diapers because he has a hard time kneeling, and until recently, he wasn't stable enough to carry her.  Now that she's a little more independent and he's more stable, he has more of a relationship with her.  And she definitely runs to her daddy with a big smile when he gets home from work! 

 

The older two definitely understand more, but I don't know how much.  They obviously know he has brain cancer, and they understand it a little more because their Grandma just died a few years ago from this cancer.  I think they were both really scared at first.  Now that life is settling down more I don't think they think much about it.

 

I was worried about Brynlee at first.  I would try to explain things to her and compare and contrast it with Grandma's cancer, but she would make comments like, "and then Grandma died."  So I definitely think there's a part of her even now that's scared.

Chillin' with Brynlee
July 2012

 



May 2012
If you look close, you'll notice Jared's
"fuller" face from the steroids.

Of all the kids, I think this has rocked Jace's little world.  Jace is definitely a "daddy's boy." Before all of this, the highlight of his day was playing one-on-one against his dad.  And they played pretty much every night.   One of Jace's very favorite things to do is to go to Utah Jazz games with his dad.  So I knew we needed to make that happen again.  Jared did finally take him to a couple games once he started feeling better.  We surprised Jace one day in May and got him out of school and drove him up to take a tour of the Jazz arena.  He even got to use the Jazz Players' bathroom!  So he thought he was pretty special knowing that he had peed in the same toilet as Gordon Hayward!  Jace hasn't said much, but occasionally he'll throw out a random comment like, "There's my cancer dad."  And they still aren't back to playing one-on-one, but that day will come.  They have recently started playing football together, which still isn't as physical as it was before.  Usually it's Jared telling Jace what play to run and then passing him the ball.  But Jace loves every minute of it! 

The kids are obviously the hardest part about this whole thing.  Whatever happens, we know we'll be okay, but we worry about the impact all of this will have on the kids.  Both Jared and I remember that, as kids, we worried about our parents and something happening to them  It makes me sad to think that for my kids, it's a real concern.