What a beautiful fall we are having so far!  We have certainly enjoyed having the extra time to get some outdoor things done before real winter hits and have finally been enjoying some free weekends as well!  Since school started back, we've had a very busy fall with Parker playing fall baseball, soccer, flag football, and basketball.  Note to self...never do that again lol.  We were ready for a break and Parker was too.  Gabe had fun being the assistant coach for Parker's soccer team and plans on doing that again in the spring.  Parker is starting in a basketball league at the YMCA the beginning of December again, and seems to have his parent's competitiveness in him, so he's been really fun to watch. 

Peyton had surgery mid-September to remove his tonsils and adenoids and have tubes placed in his ears as well.  Last spring and summer he was having constant ear infections, and even if he didn't have infections, it seemed he was always sick and draining fluid in one place or another!  An Urgent Care provider mentioned at one point how large his tonsils were, and a followup with ENT confirmed this, with the doctor saying all his issues were likely stemming from this.  On the tonsil size scale of 1-4, we learned during surgery Peyton was a 4, so it was definitely the right call to get them out!  Since recovering and getting to eat all the popsicles and freezies he could handle, Peyton is keeping busy as well with indoor t-ball through the YMCA, and has swimming lessons coming up this winter.  He's doing great in 3K and is still keeping everyone on their toes in daycare as well.  He's getting quite annoyed with the beautiful fall though, as  almost everyday he asks when we're going to get a snowstorm.  I've tried telling him that when the snow hits it's going to stay for a long time and he'll probably get tired of it, but he's not buying it so far. 

Hudson has been his usual go-with-the-flow self, tagging along at every event and trying to get into anything he can as soon as we turn our backs.  He has also started swimming lessons in a parent/child class and is doing very well in that.  Over this past summer he learned how fun it is to jump in the pool, and he's continued that fearlessness in lessons so far!   As chilly as Halloween was this year, the kids still had a blast trick or treating and dressing up.  Hudson was Bluey, Peyton was Chucky, and Parker was a Transformer.  

Gabe and I traveled to Rochester again on Oct 30th and 31st for three month scans and blood work, and also to meet with a couple colorectal surgeons to address his ongoing concerns with partial bowel blockages and hernias, and the nauseousness, pain, and overall yucky feelings that come with them.  The blood work and scans looked great, and his oncologist was happy to report (as were we to receive the news!) that he still has no evidence of disease at this point.  So, that puts him at about 5 months with NED.  The radiation worked well on the lone lymph node he was treated for back in June.  

As for the abdomen issues, the surgeons agreed that the umbilical hernia that Gabe has is likely causing all his problems.  They feel that a loop of his small bowel is getting stuck up in there and kinking, allowing stool to essentially get stuck, which causes him to get backed up, which of course leads to bloating, inflammation, vomiting, all that fun stuff.  He's been really good at trying to stick to a low fiber diet to help this, but lately it seems like no matter what he does or doesn't eat, he's still having these episodes pretty frequently, and you can imagine how disruptive that is to life.  In fact, Gabe sadly missed trick or treating  with the kids because he had a blockage and was feeling awful.  So, this is something we definitely want to address, and while another surgery isn't something to look forward to and not something to take lightly, it's definitely become a quality of life issue at this point, and he's decided to go ahead with it.

So, come mid-January, we head back to Rochester for probably a 3-4 day stay as Gabe has scheduled another routine CT scan, blood work, and oncology appointment before the hernia surgery on January 19th.  The doctor scheduled to do the surgery is the same one who removed Gabe's colon tumor back in December of 2021 and we both feel he's in very good hands with this doctor.  The plan is to do the surgery robotically, but like any type of surgery, there could be some surprises when they go in, or something might not go exactly as planned, and in that event, they would have to fully open him up.  If they can do it robotically as hoped, Gabe should only have a night in the hospital, but if not, it'll be a longer stay of course, dependent on what they have to do and how he recovers.  Gabe did get placed on a wait list, however, just in case there are any cancellations for the doctor before his scheduled surgery, so we'll see if he gets in earlier or not.  Chances are slim this would happen but nevertheless, he at least is scheduled to get this taken care of, and hopefully this helps him tremendously.

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is already here with the beautiful weather and lack of snow, but it sure is!  There's a lot to be thankful for when we just pause and think about what's really important in life, and how in a split second everything can change.  It'll be our first Thanksgiving without Gabe's grandma Harriet, so that'll be weighing on us of course, but we are thankful she had a long, fulfilling life, and is in a better place, reunited with her husband and loved ones passed on before her.  We are thankful that Gabe is cancer-free and hopeful that this upcoming surgery will give him some much-needed pain relief.   We are thankful that we can run our business from home, and are thankful for the awesome, dedicated employees we have that we couldn't do any of this without, as well as countless helpful and supportive family and friends.   And at the end of each exhausting day chasing around three energetic little boys, we are thankful that they are healthy and happy as well.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends; we love you and are thankful for each and every one of you!!