Darien: US Trip Part I

We're one week into our two week trip to LA. On this trip, I left Margreet behind and took Noa. We flew through London and picked up Tori.

We've come to spend some time with my grandmother, who's suffering from lung cancer, but has decided this time not to get treated anymore. There just comes a time, I guess, when you just want to have nature take its course.

This is starting to resemble a similar situation almost 5 years ago, when Tori and I were looking after my mother during her last battle with lung cancer. There are a few differences, however - this time, we're here for 2 weeks only: next Monday, we leave, whether my grandmother is still here or not; my mother was a lot further along than my grandmother is, at least, by the time I arrived. Overall, though, my grandmother is doing ok, at least today, she is. The first few days after we arrived, it looked like it was going downhill fast, she couldn't eat or drink - nothing was staying down. The last few days, however, she is eating and drinking and her strength is back, so she is doing a lot better. I don't think she'll last more than a few weeks, though.

She has been overjoyed by having us over, especially seeing Noa, which makes me very happy we've brought her along. In fact, Noa's been charming everyone she's around. Creyna and David showered her with Dora gifts, cousins Caden and Shea took her out on the bouncy that uncle Brad put up, and she has played around with pals Kelley and Dylan. There's an awesome playground nearby, to which we've taken Noa several times.

Here are some pictures from our trip so far.