It was time for a break. Nearly twelve weeks of uninterrupted chemotherapy, a long summer, and a career change (I’m starting a new job in a week) demanded a week to just do nothing. The family needed to retreat somewhere with a pool and five-star service. We needed to be pampered. But we couldn’t go far. Jordan has another chemo appointment today and an MRI procedure scheduled for Friday. So we chose to stay close to home – to vacation “in town” – so we checked in at the W Westwood, about 30 miles from home.

She turned nine yesterday. She bolted into our bedroom first thing in the morning, legs leaping out in front of her. – Do you know what today is? You have to guess. I stirred. Jeanette didn’t. – Is it your birthday? – Yes, it is! She climbed onto the bed. Jeanette turned over, squinting from one eye. – What time is it? – 5:30 Jordan was persuaded to venture into the kitchen and fetch a bowl of cereal.

–What day is it? Her eyes squinted off into a distant place, as though she were trying to recall a calendar page and picture it in front of her. She brushed her hair back from her face in a haphazard, distracted manner reflective of her intense concentration. –It’s Sunday, sweetie. She was quiet for a moment, eyes locked in that far away place. Then she broke the silence with a groan.

It’s been several weeks since I’ve posted and I’d prefer to say that life has kept me too busy to write. But the truth is I’ve just kept putting it off. Life has kept the Vincent family busy and here’s the quick update to get you back on the same page. In June our family expanded as we welcomed Gracie, a 4 month old pug, into the Vincent clan. School’s Out

Our family has a rhythm these days. We fit. The twists and turns of Jordan’s Journey don’t stop us from behaving like an ordinary family with ordinary highs and lows. Only once in awhile do I stop to reflect on gravity and uncertainty and cancer. The Vincents Know How to Party A few nights ago I stood outside my house in the backyard between the two windows of my children. I looked to the right to see Luc, squatting in his room over a textbook, fiddling with a rope in one hand and a pencil in the other.