Summer Pics

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this summer. We spent eight weeks in MA visiting family and had a great time (mostly). I probably took about 200 pictures while we were there so this is just the tip of the summer pics iceberg. I find if I choose to wait until I have time to post everything then....well....we all know it just will never happen so I just gotta do what I can do when I have even a little bit of time.

This horse had a great personality! I think he thought Seth's stuffed animal was food but I thought it was super cute how playful he was with the boys!

This is actually Easter morning (not from MA). I just love how Caleb was running and then stopped to pose for me! He is my happy boy!

Seth helped my Dad (Poppi) plant his garden as well as water it and help tend to it weekly. Right before we left he was able to pick the very first tomato! Of course he didn't eat it but he did carry it around for a while!

Toward the end of our stay we visited an animal sanctuary that the kids love to go to. This was one of my favorite days while we were there. It was a gorgeous day, serene setting, and my boys were full of wonder as they walked around the farm finding all the animals (who are allowed to roam free).

Catchin' Up

Ths is really old news but here is the e-mail I sent out to family after Scott got his results back from the GI doc. I wanted to have it documented here before I started to blog regularly again so bear with me if you already know all this.

Dear friends and family,
As you all know Scott had his upper GI system scoped today to try to determine why he's been unable to swallow food (for over a week now). The pictures revealed that he has a condition called Barrett's esophagitis. Apparently this can result from severe cases of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) but some people do not experience symptoms at all...until they are suddenly unable to swallow (like Scott). Scott has ulcers and abnormal cell lining in his esophagus that has formed due to the irritation. The doctor has done a few biopsies and we will hear back in about a week if everything is clear. It was explained to us that, when left untreated, Barrett's can lead to pre-cancerous cells forming...so scheduling routine visits to the GI doc will be in our future to make sure things are not getting worse. Scott has been put on Prilosec to keep the reflux under control and had his esophagus opened or "stretched" so that he can eat again. The nurse commented that is was quite constricted and that he should feel a big difference now that it is opened up more. We were also told that he will most likely have to have this procedure done again as most people with Barrett's have recurring issues with swallowing. He also will have to make a few lifestlye changes to keep the reflux at bay. We feel relieved that we have some answers as to why Scott couldn't swallow. It was quite alarming and came on the heels of his wisdom teeth being extracted so he has not eaten a decent meal in over 2 weeks! Needless to say, he is very excited to eat a burger when he starts to feel better...which hopefully will be soon! Thank you all for your prayers, support, and concern. I know Scott has felt loved and cared for by you all and has appreciated your encouragement. To read more about Barrett's I included a very basic overview of the condition in the link below.Thanks again!
Rachel

**Biopsies came back normal for cancer but positive for Barretts (which isn't a surprise).