Hi! How are you?! Oh my goodness how I have missed you! Please don’t for one second think I’ve forgotten about you. I’ve had hopes for longer than I can tell you about reconnecting on this platform. I kept thinking, I’ll wait for this or once we get through this hurdle or when we are through this phase or when things slow down. But the fact of the matter is that this new normal life of ours doesn’t seem to be calming down anytime soon so here I am just straight prioritizing. No better time, right?

Many of you have reached out asking how Nick and the family are, so I thought it’s time for a family update now that a new school year is upon us and I’ve got a bit more time to reflect. I won’t sugarcoat things and say that we’ve been out of the woods or that things have been smooth sailing. But I will say that we are still full of gratitude for each day together, that Nick is feeling really well and living a wonderful life, and that our kids are growing, thriving, and somehow becoming more incredible by the day. What a gift.

In 2022, we learned that Nick’s liver cancer had metastasized to his lungs. They were able to remove the mass through surgery, and since then, he has had two more recurrences in his lungs. Thankfully, surgeries successfully removed those masses as well, with the most recent one in April 2023. He has scans every three months to monitor things, along with regular bloodwork and we are just so hopeful that things will continue to stay stable with regard to his tumor markers.

Overall, his liver transplant has been going well. Unfortunately, about a month ago, he was hospitalized after his bloodwork showed that his body was rejecting his liver. His team has been adjusting his medications and adding new ones, and things are nearly back to normal. Words can’t express the gratitude we continue to feel for his entire care team. Among the worry and anxiety that can come with a diagnosis like Nick’s, it is a gift beyond measure to feel such a strong trust and bond with the professionals who are helping care for him. It’s absolutely not lost on us.

But in the midst of all this, Nick has not stopped LIVING for a single second. He’s still out playing catch and shooting hoops on the daily, still coaching the kids, still working hard and staying involved in so many charities and organizations, and still the calm, cool Nickyboy I admire so much. He has been through so much and there are undeniably days when it feels hard, both physically and mentally, but he just keeps living his life. Incredible.

The kids continue to blow us away. I used to mourn the thought of no longer having babies to cuddle and tiny feet to chase around, but man, those stinkers are like fine wine—they just get better with age! Georgia started 7th grade and has officially passed me in height and shoe size. She’s still full of more life than anyone I’ll ever know—so social, so outgoing and kind, so full of positive energy. She’s still loving basketball and has an incredible group of friends that she’d spend every waking second with if she could. Jude started 5th grade this year and is still the most compassionate, kind, smart, cool kid I know. He, too, has built an incredible group of friends through school, baseball, and hockey. And I’ve just got to add that the kid has some next-level kitchen skills… he’s a natural and the best co-chef around! And Rocco—how can he possibly be in 2nd grade?! I think back to how far that sweet boy has come. He has been through so much in his short little life, and all my kids have, but his earliest years were filled with family trauma. It has truly shaped each one of them into who they are today, and that goes for Rocco too. He’s so emotionally connected, so full of excitement and wonder, so smart, has endless energy, and is absolutely crazy about all things sports. He adores his brother and dad like no other, and he wears his heart on his sleeve with the best of ’em. They’re all getting so big…just look at them:

Me, I’m good. Once in a while, I hit a reality checkpoint and take a deep dive into all that we’ve been through and what could’ve been or could be. That can feel so emotional and incredibly heavy. But processing that really seems to reset my perspective on life when I need it most. It’s incredible how that works. I feel such immense gratitude for my mostly healthy, happy family and incredible friends who are with me through every worry, every setback, and every celebration. I continue to work for CancerChoices, and it has not only allowed me to impact others, but it has also had a profound impact on my own personal healing journey.

I really and truly hope to be here more regularly to continue to reconnect and catch up. I’m not sure what exactly that’s going to look like yet, but we’ll figure it out as we go, right? Cooking looks a lot different at this stage of life, which I know many of you can relate to… our health is more important than ever, evenings are nuts with activities, kids are going in all different directions, and mom and dad are trying to juggle it all on top of their own commitments and careers. Quick, easy, healthy, family-friendly recipes are the new drill because, my gosh, time is so limited! I’ve got some killer new recipes I’ve accumulated over the past few years that I really need to share with you… should we start there? I have also been working on a project with my brother that I am more passionate about than I can possibly tell you, and my hope is to share more of that with you here in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Geesh, this ended up a bit more long-winded than I anticipated… but that’s what you do to me! One press of a key and the floodgates open! I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are healthy, well, and happy amidst all that has changed and is going on in our world over these past few years. Sending you giant hugs and big hopes for getting our band back together!

Chat soon!

xo,

M