Meet Jared or as we call him The JayRod. He’s the head of this crazy family (or at least we let him think so).
Jared and I have been married for 15 years and met when Logan was only 2 years old. The story our introduction is long one and I won’t bore you with the details except to say it is a bit of a fairy tale, and Jared is a bit of a prince, and yes, he did rescue us.
He is incredibly ambitious, motivated and focused- a perfectionist- which also makes him annoyingly good at almost everything he tries. No joke- Jared will always be the first person picked for a team.
He’s short in stature (and hates short jokes unless he’s telling them) but he is the tallest and most stand-up guy in any room. There is not one person I know of that has ever met Jared and didn’t like him. Ever.
Jared is happiest when he is on the water on his boat. He is also extremely elated when there is no cel service or access to the world wide web. He loves to unplug from everything around him yet he rarely does.
He is compassionate and reliable, but he never wears his emotions on his sleeve. He is consistent and he is rational. He works selflessly for his family and refuses to fail at anything. He’s a magician and I am in awe of how many rabbits he’s been able to pull out of his ass over the years.
Jared is a Jack of all trades (and has extensively and single handily renovated each one of our homes) but sometimes he is just a jackass. He is a prankster who has an incredibly funny sense of humor and I honestly believe that in another life he must have been an actor. You should see the shit he comes up with, he can impersonate almost anyone.
JayRod is a lover of history and obsessive with watching documentaries- any documentary. He can bore you with the most useless conversation yet surprise you with knowledge that seriously changes your life. This quality, hands down, makes him one of the best travel partners ever. We literally never have to pay for guides.
He is up for anything and rarely complains about anything, except cilantro- he complains about that every single time we go out to eat.
He is forever the optimist, extremely loyal and always rooting for the under dog.
He truly believes the Canucks still have a chance.
Jared loves to dance and has moves that could rival Michael Jackson- or at least that is what the vodka tells him. Secretly, I know he wishes he was a dancer, and since I am the doting wife that I am, I support his deepest desires. Which basically means I embarrass him all the time. Seriously, invite us to your party, you’ll see- I choose the music, Jared dances.
P.s. He hates this about me so much.
That aside, he loves a good party and any chance to socialize. He can work a room like nobodies business and although he loosens up after a few beers he is the most straight and narrow person I know. He is balanced, his kids love and admire him deeply, his family loves him, his friends love him and I love him.
I know you will too.
This is Brody. The Bdog.
Brody is a 40 year old man stuck in an 13 year old body.
Not even joking.
Brody is the kind of kid that makes you question almost everything, because nothing about Brody makes sense for his age.
He is a thinker and is an innovator. His dreams are big and so is his heart. He is constantly brainstorming, thinking, and planning. He has his own you tube channel, wants to patent a different invention every week, and if it wasn’t for him, I would never understand 90% of the computer programs I use.
He is a softy (his feelings get hurt very easily) but he is not a wimp. It takes a lot to upset him and he almost never makes anything about himself. He learned acceptance at an early age and has no problem being on the back burner- (otherwise known as- sibling of childhood cancer).
Brody was only a year old when his sister was diagnosed and because of this he has spent his entire life not only waiting for the storm to pass, but also making everyone else feel better. Somewhere along the line he learned that he had an amazing gift, the ability to shift the mood of a room. He his gift appropriately and often.
Brody has profound wisdom, and vocabulary for a child his age and often shocks us with his conversation skills.
He is resilient, understanding and compassionate. He is also super funny, expressive and animated. He has the most amazing lips and eyebrows.
Brody is so mature, quick witted, and engaged with adults that it often makes everyone forget- he is just a child. I am sure one day I will be discussing this very fact with his therapist.
He is passionate about playing lacrosse and he is good at it. It is a rough sport and somewhere inside of him it must be an outlet. He enjoys acting, escaping his own reality, and recently landed his first commercial. He is excited to finally be the center of attention. He loves music. He plays the guitar and almost fainted when we bought him the best seats in the house to Ed Sheeran.
Brody is lucky that he is blessed with his dad’s wicked dance moves and handsome good looks. He’s also has a love for fashion and takes after my love of travel. Every trip we experience makes Brody more worldly. It is truly a joy to see his perspective of our beautiful planet.
B-dog is just an all around really awesome kid. I look at him everyday in awe of who he is. I am sad that he’s growing up so quickly but am so grateful he is my boy and look forward to sharing him with you.
This beautiful girl is our daughter Logan or Loggie-Bear as we like to call her.
Logan is 20 years old and was attending college part-time until her cancer came back in 2016 for the fourth time. She is now currently in treatment and is close to receiving her 300th dose of chemotherapy.
Logan is likely one of the most beautiful people I have ever met (and I’m not just saying that because I am her mom). She honestly is, as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.
She is humble and quiet and relatively shy. When she reads this, she will likely giggle, smile and shrug it off. She doesn’t have much of an ego. She hates attention to be all on her.
Logan doesn’t see herself the way others see her. She isn’t boastful or arrogant. She also doesn’t like to be called a hero, and she doesn’t think she has the strength and courage that everyone else does. Her perspective on life is simple. This one is hers and she is just living it in the best way she can.
Logan has a brain tumor and it’s a pain in the ass.
She has undergone extensive treatment since she was diagnosed 12 years ago. Treatment lasted nearly 6 and a half years- she has received hundreds of doses of chemotherapy, full brain and spine radiation treatment and multiple surgeries. She literally missed years of school, fell behind her peers in nearly all aspects of life, and struggled with being sick for so many years, and we fear it may never end. Yet in true Loggie style, she never gives up. She is literally the comeback kid.
Logan has not only endured the effects of cancer on her own body but walked along side as dozens of her friends have passed away.
She has faced her ultimate fear many times head on (pardon the pun) and although I always worry about cancer making her afraid of what it can do, it hasn’t ever had that much power on Logan. In fact, it has only made her stronger, more compassionate and more empathetic.
Logan is accepting of her circumstances and those of the ones around her she cares for. She is not a preacher- she will never tell you any of her wisdom. She simply lives it.
The years of treatment Logan has received combined with her residual tumor has left her with significant damage and life long health challenges. Logan will live with these challenges for the rest of her life. But she doesn’t complain about them either. She gulps back about the 30+medications daily, makes sure she diligently gives herself an injection at the same time every day. She copes well with her shaky and slightly paralyzed right hand, and barely mentions the excruciating headaches that plague her but have become part of her ‘normal’ life.
Logan enjoys the simple things in life friends and family are most important. She loves to travel, she loves being in the sunshine. Logan loves small children and dreams one day of working with kids who are going through cancer treatment. She enjoys being at home and snuggling in with Netflix. She also loves music and regularly blares random rap music (she’s so gangster)
Logan gives back, yet doesn’t see the magnitude of what she’s accomplished. She has inspired millions of dollars to flow in the direction of research and support for families of childhood cancer, yet she would never tell you about it.
There have been songs written about her, and a book inspired by her. She’s been on the ice retiring hockey jerseys for famous players, met celebrities, been on billboards, on TV and published in magazines. It doesn’t faze her.
Logan is inspiring because she doesn’t know she is inspiring. It is because of her, that I find myself pondering my own purpose. I am her mother, but she is my teacher.