Cancer Update

I had my ninth chemo treatment on Thursday, December 13th which went well. I only have three more treatments to go.

I had been having pain in my left calf the Monday before my treatment.  It came and went off and on.  I mentioned the pain to the PA so they did an ultrasound and found a clot. I will now be getting shots from Tammy in the stomach once everyday (because I'm a wussy man and am not doing it myself) for 90 days. 

End of 2018 Reads

These are the books that I have read after I wrote the blog First Half of 2018 Reads.  I will have to say that since I found out in June that I have lymphoma I haven't read anything.

The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kerrigan
Pearl Harbor Christmas by Stanley Weintraub
Living Above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles Swindoll
Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades by Susannah Ural

Thanksgiving 2018

On Wednesday, November 21, the IL Grandparents arrived in CT for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We went out to eat at Acapulco's that night for dinner.  The next day, Thanksgiving,  I had to work but Stas and Lizzy and Tammy had off.  Stas prepared the turkey (which was one of the juicest we've ever had).  Lizzy made the sweet potato casserole.  Tammy and Grandma Kelly made the stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin and apple pies.  Stas's brother Illiya was able to join us for the day as well.

On Friday, both Tammy and I had to work.  Stas and Lizzy took the IL grandparents to the Springfield Armory then to Munich Haus for lunch.  On Saturday, Tammy and I along with Grandma Kelly went to Worcester to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the DCU Center.  We did make a stop at an antique store along the way.  Stas and Lizzy and Grandpa Kelly went to Chicago Sams to watch some college football and have lunch.

 

Healing!?!

On Thursday, October 15,  I had a PET-Scan to determine the progression of my Hodgkin lymphoma since chemo treatment.   I received the call from the doctor on Tuesday that the areas of previous cancer had shown the treatments had been effective in "killing" (my word)  them, and there was nothing new.  I felt so happy to be "healed" (again my word) and much relief of what I thought might be a chemo treatment or two to wrap things up.

I visited the doctor on Thursday.  I was informed that I would need more than just my perceived one or two treatments to wrap things up.  I was presented with the options of 8 more chemo treatments or four more chemo treatments plus three weeks of radiation.  Because of my young age and the long term negative effects of radiation, it was recommended I opt for the 8 more treatments.  I chose the 8 more treatments with much disappointment.  I had finished up four treatments to this point of "healing" and would be going through eight more to wrap it up.  Not what I was expecting to say the least.

While I am beyond thankful and blessed to know that my cancer is "healed", I do have to note that with each chemo treatment, the side effects of taste, smell, nausea, and constipation linger longer than the previous time.  Here's to hoping for a quick passage of time to mid-January 2019 and no more chemo treatments.

Lemons turned into Lemonade

For our summer Philadelphia vacation, we rented a home in Drexel Hill for us, Jacyln, Blake, and Lilly, Lizzy and Stas, and the IL Grandparents to stay for the week.  The house had never been rented, so Tammy and I had visited the home and the gentleman who owned it back in February.  It met our needs for parking and bedrooms/bathrooms.  It was a little far from the city, but choices are minimal in the Philly area to rent.

Two weeks before arrival, I emailed the owner with a question about early check-in.  I received no answer.  I tried again a week before and still received no answer.  I looked up the rental on HomeAway and noticed it was no longer listed on the site.  I called customer service and was told we would have to go to the home and be denied entrance before any action could be taken on their part.

Tammy and I left for our vacation early Friday morning with the intent of stopping by the house to see what was up before everyone's arrival on Saturday.  When we arrived, we came upon an elderly lady dragging a box out the front door.  We asked if she lived here to which she replied yes.  Great I thought.  The house has been sold.

We explained to her that we had rented the home for the week from a gentleman.  She said the gentleman was her son who had been hospitalized for some time.  She was there cleaning up because a squirrel had gotten into the home.  She was not comfortable with us staying there.  We told her we would be willing to not stay but her son would have to cancel for us to get our money back.  Upon learning our money would need to be reimbursed, she was willing to have us stay but would need to check with her other son who was coming by later that day.  We exchanged phone numbers and left.

A few hours later, we received a call from the other son saying we could not stay at the home.  We said that was fine but he would need to call HomeAway to cancel so we could get our money back.  He did, and a half hour later we received a call from HomeAway to begin the process of getting us a home for the next day that met our needs.

The rental that HomeAway found for us far exceeded our needs and the price we had originally paid.  We made out really well that week with the new house -- See Philly Summer 2018 entry.  A real negative turned into a huge positive.

Philly Summer 2018

On Friday, August 10, Tammy and I headed to Fort Washington, PA for the Gangwer Family Reunion on Saturday, August 11.  We stayed in Horsham at a hotel with the VT and NY Gangwers, the Beauchmins, Stas and Lizzy, as well as Blake, Jaclyn and Lillian.


The reunion on Saturday went very well.  We had 74 in attendance including my dad's three sisters from the area with lots of cousins and their children.  It was catered by Mission Barbecue with lots of salads and desserts brought by those in attendance.  It was a hot and muggy day for the first half.  Then a really good thunderstorm moved in to the area cooling things down.  The day wrapped up around 5pm.

After the reunion, Tammy and I headed to our rental in South Philly.  (The rental ordeal is another story for another time -- see Lemons turned into Lemonade entry.)  The Kelly's met us and Jaclyn, Blake, and Lilly there the first night.  (Lizzy and Stas stayed one more night at the hotel in Horsham.)   The house was really nice.  It had a rooftop deck, and contrary to our worries, parking was not that big of an issue for us with the four vehicles.

Sunday morining we headed into Old City to met up with the Beauchmins and the NY Gangwers to take the Philly Phlash to some of the highlights of that area.  We hit the Liberty Bell, outside of Independence Hall, the Rocky Statue, the Reading Terminal, and the Franklin Institute and Planetarium.

Monday was suppose to rain so we decided to cash in Stas' Christmas gift from several years ago of an all expense paid visit to an escape room.  We did the Liberty Escape -- which even Grandpa Kelly participated in.  We also had lunch at the City Tavern.

On Tuesday, Stas and Lizzy and Jaclyn and Blake went to Citizen's Bank Park to see the Phillies vs the Red Sox.  Tammy and I took Lilly to the Please Touch Museum.  She loved to pretend to drive any vehicle she could get a seat in.  Wednesday, we all headed to the zoo thinking Lilly would enjoy it.  Wrong.  She  wasn't that impressed; so Tammy and I took her home and visited the local playground near our rental.  The others spent the day exploring what and where they wished.

Thursday was a day of baseball for some of us as Jaclyn, Blake, Stas, and I headed back to Citizen's Bank Park for a double header between the Phillies and the Mets.  It was a scorcher of a day both literally (it was so hot and humid) and in scoring (Mets 24, Philies 10 in the first game).  Tammy, Grandma Kelly, Lizzy, and Lillian visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art where Lilly enjoyed making art but not showing it off.

On Friday, the Kellys left for home.  Tammy and I stayed put with Lilly in the rental while the rest did more exploring of Philly on their own.  They did bring us some soft pretzels to snack on, and we ended the night playing board games.

Saturday was departure day for all of us.  First, Jaclyn, Blake, and Lilly to catch their plane.  Lizzy and Stas next to for their drive back to CT.  We were last as we weren't heading home but to Aunt Joan and Jerrilyn's house for a visit.  We had some time to kill so we stopped at the King of Prussia Mall.  We then headed over to Aunt Joan's for a good home cooked dinner.   We spent a good five hours there talking about family.

Sunday found us on the road for our three hour trip back home.

Pictures of our vacation can be seen at https://photos.app.goo.gl/CKkWyxuDaMHW2qcz6

Treatment Has Begun

Well, the latest procedure and my first treatment weren't as smooth as what I have experienced with the past ones.

I went to have my porta-cath put in on Wednesday, August 21. The scheduled time was 2:30 pm, but the actual time it was done was 6:00 pm. Also, after putting the cath in (which was a little uncomfortable) and sealing it up, it didn't work. So they had to put a second one in (which hurt like the dickens).

We got home from the hospital around 9:00 pm then headed back there at 8:00 am for the first chemo. The treatment went well, but on the way home I began to feel worse and worse. When I got home things didn't go well. Tammy took me back to the hospital where I got an IV and two other drugs to help counteract the negative side-effects I was experiencing from the original chemo. I felt so much better.  after that as well as feeling well the last several days.

Next treatment is Thursday, September 6.

Other Things Not Cancer

Though the last three posts have been "cancer related", other things have been going on.

In April,  Tammy and I set-up at a local flea market -- me to sell some of my clocks and pocket watches -- Tammy to sell some of her Italian mosaic jewelry, leftover wedding supplies and decorations, and some household odds and ends.  Tammy sold all of the wedding stuff and some household items.  I sold four clocks.

In May, I took a Friday off so Tammy and I could go to the Brimfield Flea Market.  We walked around for seven hours covering a little over half the fields.  I purchased two clocks, and we saw the filming of several episodes of Flea Market Flip.

During the month of June, our household spent a lot of time (weekdays and weekends) watching the FIFA World Championship games play out.

In the middle of July, Tammy and I headed on a Saturday toward Putnam for a visit to the two antique stores there.  On the way, I commented on an antique store near Stafford Springs that was always closed and how it would be neat to be able to get inside.  Well, lo and behold, as we passed it they were having a going out of business sale that day only.  Seems they had been closed for two years because it was the husband's business, and he had passed away.  Everything was 50 percent off.  I bought a non-working cuckoo clock, and Tammy purchased a Swiss chalet musical jewelry box.

Towards the end of July, we went to Vermont for the weekend to watch Stas, my nephews, and their friends compete in the Conquer  the Day soccer tournament.  It's a charity event to raise money for teen with cancer.  Their team did very well winning all three of their games and placing first in their division.  They did not make it to the championship game though.   Two other teams won their divisions undefeated as well so it came down to total goals scored. Their team lost by two goals.  On a brighter note, Tammy participated in the organization's silent auction and won three t-shirts and a weekend stay at a local inn.

August 3 was a busier than normal  Saturday for us.  Tammy picked up an old college friend at the airport who was up with her daughter so the daughter could visit a friend in the area.  They were able to spend a little time catching up before the friend had to leave for their intended visit.  They will be back Monday to visit a little more before returning to Texas.  In the afternoon, Tammy, Lizzy, Stas, and I went to the Bushnell in Hartford to see the Lion King and then out to dinner at the Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester.  All an early birthday present for Lizzy.

It's been a much more humid summer than normal here in CT and with my breathing issues and then the neck incision, Stas has been very helpful with mowing the yard for me.  It's one less thing I have to worry about.

Still to come for us this summer is a Gangwer family reunion followed by a week of vacation in Philadelphia with Tammy's parents, Lizzy and Stas, Jaclyn, Blake and Lilly.

Positively Summer - Negatively Summer

        vacationS

         being oUtdoors
thunderstorMs

                    Meat on the grill

              flowErs

           longerR days

          bugS

          sunbUrn

          huMidty

   severe storMs

 sweltering hEat

                   yarRd work

The Ball Is Rolling Now

Well, it took awhile, but I had the mediastinoscopy on Wednesday, July 25.  It went well.  A bit more was involved in the recovery than the previous biopsy.  It was harder to talk and swallow for several days after, as well as, soreness of the muscles around the incision. 

The preliminary result made during the biopsy was Hodgkin lymphoma.  That was confirmed on Tuesday, August 1 when I got a call to meet with the doctor that afternoon.  I met with the doctor who said it was classical Hodgkin lymphoma nodular sclerosis.   He let us know that its highly curable with the chemotherapy regiment of ABVD.  If radiation was going to be needed that would be determined after the chemotherapy.  Several preliminary tests would need to be run before beginning chemotherapy though.

I had a blood work-up before I left the office that day; and by the time I had got home from that appointment, I had a message on my cell phone from the doctor's secretary with all the other necesssary appointments scheduled.  I had an echocardiogram on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 2.  On Thursday, August 3 I had the PET Scan.  The pulmonary function test is this coming Tuesday, August 7.

I am not sure when I will be meeting with the doctor again as no appointment was set-up because we weren't sure of the other appointment's scheduling. 

A Biopsy but Then More

On Friday, June 22, I had my bronchial biopsy with three samples taken from enlarged lymph nodes in the lung and one taken from the lung mass.  A bronchial wash was also done.

The procedure was a breeze. It was the preparation for the procedure of not eating for twenty-four hours and post procedure removal of the IV tape (arm hairs!) that was hard.  I did experience dizziness and light-headedness for the full 24 hours after waking up from the anesthesia.

We were told the earliest results would be available would be Tuesday.  I had my phone all day with me.  No call.  Wednesday I had the phone with me all day.  No call.  I checked with the doctor's office that afternoon.  The secretary said she would let the nurses know I had called.  Thursday I had the phone with me all day and did hear back from the secretary around 2pm that the tests were inconclusive.   She said I should hear from the doctor on Friday.  I again had my phone with me all day.  The doctor called me around 6 that evening.

The biopsy samples showed atypical cells not consistent with lung cancer.  She believes the diagnosis may be lymphoma but a bigger sample for testing is needed.  She is checking with thoracic surgeons to set up another procedure to remove a full lymph node from the lung for that testing.

The "journey" continues.....

News That is Rocking My World

During our trip out to OR in February, I felt ill and developed a cough.  We figured since flu season was so bad this year, I had a mild case of it. Well, the cough lingered into March, and many of those days I did not feel my normal self.  Tammy made a sick appointment for me Friday, April 9.  The doctor said the cough seemed to be an inflamation of the bronchi from being ill and coughing.  He prescribed an inhaler for the next 20 days.

At the end of the 20 days, the cough still existed, but I wasn't concerned.  Tammy was.  She made a physical appointment for me on Wednesday, June 6th and went with me to it.  We gave the doctor all my symptoms, and he ordered an x-ray and blood work.  I did both of them that day.

On Thursday, I missed the doctor's call at 1pm asking me to call him back.  I called him back around 230pm, but he was with a patient.  He returned my call around 930pm that night with information that a mass was spotted in my lung.  Cancer could not be ruled out, but further tests would need to be done. 

A CT scan was scheduled for that Friday.  Unfortunately, the doctor was off Friday; so, we had to wait until Monday to get the results.  It confirmed the x-rays findings.  There was 2 inch mass in the center of my right lung.

The next step was to set up an appointment for a biopsy.  I received the call Tuesday afternoon that the biopsy consulting appointment would be Thursday, July 26.  This was not acceptable to us, and Tammy received help in getting the biopsy set-up for Friday, June 22.

Those are the facts to date.  Here are my initial thoughts concerning them.

1)  I just want to know for sure one way or another what it is.  I think of all the best possible outcomes but am plagued by thoughts of the worst.
2)  There is the emotional roller coaster ride of each test conducted.  Again I hope for the best outcome; to only find it was the negative outcome not wanted.
3)  This journey is truly never understandable unless you are on it or have taken it.  I don't mean that in  a judgmental way for those not on it, but as a stinging accusation for myself of how I have taken other's health issues lightly.
4)  It's amazing what I once considered to be big deals!
5)  I know all the platitudes.  All I really need to know is that people are praying and thinking good thoughts.
6)  I am jealous of those around me (who have no idea what I am going through) and their daily lives.
7)  I have more questions than answers.
8)  If you pay attention, many people are going through something that at that time is a big trial for them.
8)  I want to be healed and grow old with Tammy, but ultimately know, I have no control.  God's will will be done.

First Half of 2018 Reads

Head and Hearts: A History of Christianity in America by Garry Wills
How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis
The Gilded Age by Mark Twain
On the Anvil by Max Lucado
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
For Generations to Come (Ingraham) by Forrest Holx
American Colonies by Alan Taylor
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
American Phoenix (William Skinner) by Sarah Kilbourne

A Busy Saturday in the Philly Area

To put the finishing touches on the Gangwer Family Reunion and our August vacation, Tammy and I took a quick trip to Philly on Saturday, April 21.  We left at 5am and headed down 91 to 95. 

Our first stop was the transit station at Frankford Avenue to get some information concerning travelling on SEPTA.  Unfortunately, the internet was not correct, and the customer service offices are not open on Saturday.  We ended up calling the 800 number for customer service to get our questions answered. 

We then had an hour and a half to kill before our next stop.  The  Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion happened to be just down the road from us; so we spent that time there before heading to Sweet Lucy's to try their food as a possible caterer for the reunion.

After eating a sampling of barbecue and sides, we headed to visit a house we are thinking of renting for the week in Drexel Hill.  I thought I could find the house by Google Earth.  Wrong!  There were several houses that looked like it.  We tried two houses before finally getting the right one.  Luckily, the people in the neighborhood were nice.

After a tour of the house, we took a quick walk to the two nearby SEPTA stations.  We then decided to take a look at another house in mid-Philly.  We found the house but not a single parking space despite several circles around the neighborhood.  Tired of trying, we headed to the art museum where we parked and sat for awhile on the steps next to the Rocky statue.

For the night, we decided to stay in Fort Washington.  After checking in, we decided to eat at a second catering option for the reunion -- Mission Barbecue.  It was a hit -- they would be the caterer for the reunion.  On the way back to the hotel, Tammy noticed one of our home choices for the week vacation was nearby.  We drove by it and decided to contact the owner by email for a possible tour the next day.  We also made a stop at the Fort Washington SEPTA station.

The next morning, we received a reply to our email stating the house had been sold, and they needed to take it off the web as a rental.  You think?!?  So we headed back home the way we came --  95 to 91.

An East Coast Visit April 2018

On Monday, April 9, Jaclyn and Lillian arrived with Grandma Kelly for a visit to our house in CT because Blake and his sister were going to a conference in KY.  Lilly's first airplane flights were all great with early arrival times each leg of the trip.

For the visit, Tammy took Tuesday and the rest of the week off.  Lizzy and Stas had off Thursday and Friday.  I took off Friday.

Tuesday was spent in preparation for the "welcome back party" at our house that evening. In attendance were Pastor and Bev, Jim and Elaine, and Chelsea and Carsten.  Wednesday, Lilly and all went to the Enfield library.  She enjoyed playing with the toys inside and then on the playground outside.  Thursday a visit was made to the Springfield Quad Museums.  Friday a visit to Forest Park.  Each evening was spent taking Lilly for a walk around the neighborhood and watching her run around the house entertaining us with song and antics.  After Lilly went to bed, the adults stayed up talking.

The week went too fast and found Saturday upon us.  After a walk to Dunkin Donuts so Jaclyn could get a Dunkin coffee, Ariana and Isabella came over for a play date.  Later that afternoon, Chelsea, Christian, and Carsten paid one last visit before the trip home back west for Jaclyn and Lilly.

We dropped Jaclyn, Lilly, and Grandma K off at the airport at 4am Sunday for their trips back home.

Pictures can be seen at https://photos.app.goo.gl/NXuQcoEQG7x68vD22

Oregon Visit February 2018

On Saturday, February 3, Tammy and I along with the VT Gangwers left CT for OR for a weeklong visit.  We had an uneventful flight to Portland and then got in our rental car for the drive to Albany where we had rented an AirBnB home for all of us to stay.

On Sunday, we went to church; then we went out to eat with Blake's family.  There was no cable TV at the rental home, so we hooked up Pop's computer to watch the Pat's vs Eagles in Superbowl 52.  We had to leave the game at half time for church only to discover after church that my Pat's had lost to Stas' Eagles.

On Monday, Blake and Jaclyn along with the VT Gangwers headed to Newport for an overnight stay.  Tammy and I stayed behind with Lilly as the VT Gangwers were shown the sights of the west coast.  They saw about everything we had seen in last summer's week-long vacation in those two day.  We used this alone time to shop at Costco to stock up for the week.  During the evening Lilly entertained herself with running around the home and shredding a napkin to smithereens.

Tuesday, we took Lilly to visit Talking Water Gardens, as well as, took a walk around the neighborhood.  The rest of the day was spent awaiting the return of Jaclyn and Blake and the VT Gangwers from their west coast adventures.

Wednesday, we went to the Albany Carousel Museum.  Lilly rode it several times for our benefit so we could all get a turn riding it with her.  The VT Gangwers took a quick tour of how the carousel animals are carved.  We all then went to visit a local antique shop where I purchased my first dollar pocket watch.

Thursday, we hung out at a local park for awhile where Lilly played on the swings and slides.  That evening, we celebrated Lilly's birthday early with her first taste of sugar by way of an icing-laden cupcake.  Friday, we visited Corvallis for some shopping.

Saturday, we checked out of the house and traveled to Portland where we had dinner at Cartopia.  We had to say bye to Jaclyn, Blake, and Lilly at this point as they headed home, and we went to our hotel rooms.  As a side note, we enjoyed great weather all week.

Checking in to our hotel rooms was the start of several unfortunate "adventures".  The hotel had no record of our reservation.  After trying to deal with booking.com for about an hour, we were able to get to our rooms.  The next day, Sunday, we boarded our plane home by way of Chicago.  Landing in Chicago, we learned all Southwest flights had been cancelled for the day because they had run out of de-icer.  We along with thousands of others waited in lines through out the Southwest concourse to rebook flights.  After standing in line for over two hours, we weren't able to get a flight out of Chicago until the next day at 10pm.  The silver lining in all this was that Tammy's brother was able to pick us up at the airport and bring us to their parent's house where we spent the night and the next day visiting with them.

We flew out of Chicago on Monday night arriving in Hartford early Tuesday morning.  I dropped Tammy and the VT Gangwers off at the house and headed to work for the day.

Pictures of the trip can be accessed here https://photos.app.goo.gl/NH7qlaapLpLOJfzy2

8 Parks in 8 Hours

I was asked to put together a Gangwer family reunion for 2018 in the eastern part of PA.  As part of the plan, we wanted to have it held at a park.  Tammy spent several months researching on the internet many parks in that area and narrowed the possibilities down to a list of 8.

Tammy and I decided to take the weekend of January 21 to visit each of the 8 parks to check them out for ourselves.  We left on a rainy Friday night after work to get a head start on our travels making it to Matamoras, NY.  We ate for the first time at a Perkins Restaurant.

On Saturday, we left around 8am in a snowstorm for our first park of the day with the rain from the last evening having turned everything to ice.   I could have done a Subaru commercial and was thankful I had purchased snow tires for the year as we drove the back ice and snow covered roads up and down hills and around sharp curves to Hickory Run State Park which upon our arrival was a frozen wonderland.

As we headed south on I476 toward park number 2 Beltzville State Park, the weather and roads improved, we still had a freezing, blustery wind to contend with though.  Betlzville did make the short list of choices for the reunion with nice facilities and a swimming lake.

We then headed to Nockamixon State Park only to find it was closed due removal of trees being killed by a beetle invasion.  So on to the next park, Tyler State Park, which did not offer much of what we were looking for.

Central Park in Doylestown was next on the list to visit.  It was a nice park with a great playground, well-kept grounds and pavilions.  It was on the expensive-side of rental but made the cut.

Neshaminy State Park did not really impress us much so we moved on to Fort Washington State Park.  The park was very clean and seemed to have newly built pavilions.  It was added to the list of choices for the reunion.

We arrrived at our last park, Ridley Creek State Park, a little after 3pm.  It seemed run down and was without question nixed from the list.

We ended the day in Bensalem having dinner at Outback Steakhouse and staying at the family favorite hotel in the area Hampton Inn and Suites.  Sunday morning found us back on the road home to CT to report our findings and allow the family to vote on their choice of the 3 chosen parks for the reunion.

Christmas 2017

Christmas 2017 was spent in Vermont.  Tammy and I left on Friday, December 22 in a snow storm.  A trip that would normally take 3 hours took us a little over 6 hours.  It did not help that a mile from our exit to Grammy and Pops there was an accident that shut the interstate down for a half hour or so.

We did make it just in time to VT (to a standing ovation) for the Friday evening chili dinner being held in the church's fellowship hall.  Robin and her family were up from NC, AJ's in-laws and their family were up from Mexico, as were the regulars of the Beauchemin, NY Gangwers, and Stas and Lizzy.  Afterwards, we went to our hotel Sonesta ES Suites in Williston where we, Lizzy and Stas, and the NY Gangwers stayed for the weekend.

On Saturday, we went back to the church's fellowship hall for brunch and the Yankee Swap.  Each person brought a gift to exchange.  Numbers were drawn for the order of choosing the gifts.  If you didn't wish to keep your gift, you could give it to someone else and take their gift.  The gift that everyone was glad they did not get was the potty buddy - sorry Brandon.  Popular gifts were my German novelty clock, Tammy's tempurpedic pillow, a set of towels, and a large box of deodorant.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out at church talking and playing with the Yankee swap gifts (Organ Attack for the older cousins and the different craft toys for the younger cousins).  In the afternoon, we had Olive Garden catered to the church.  In the evening, we went to Grammy and Pops to just hang out.

Sunday was church in the morning with family photos followed by a lunch of pizza at Grammy and Pops.  Sunday evening was the famous Calvary Baptist Christmas Eve candlelight service.  Afterwards, we went back to Grammy and Pops for their annual Christmas Eve party with lots of food shared with family and church friends.

Monday was Christmas.  We brought our gifts up to VT and opened them at the hotel with Lizzy and Stas.  After stopping by Grammy and Pops to say goodbye to everyone, we left VT around noon for CT.

Christmas 2017 pictures can be accessed here https://photos.app.goo.gl/QFRpKQquujrn6g5v2.