3 years later...

I just have to start off this post by saying that it makes me feel comforted (blogging friends) that I'm not the only one that has slacked in this department lately... that being said, I have no excuse other than the busy-ness of life... Also, this is a super old post that I'm JUST now finishing. Eeek!

June 18th marked the three year anniversary of Matt's surgery. Every year that it comes around there is some strange feeling that comes over us. I started to draft a blog post that day, but I clearly got distracted, and in hind sight the timing is much better now...

We've tried to make our annual trip to Seattle as exciting (and budget friendly) as possible every year. Two years ago we stayed at a hotel right by SAFECO field and visited the aquarium with Madelyn. Quite frankly, I don't remember what last year's trip entailed, but this year we were lucky enough to get a place (for cheap) at the Camlin in downtown Seattle, which is the same place we stayed the week before surgery three years ago.  

It was very surreal and yet every time strange feelings crept over us we were distracted by our munchkins. We stayed on the eight floor and Matt swears it was the same exact room that we stayed in last time. It could have been; my memory is not worth trusting so I'll give it to him. This year, however, we had an extra child and a FOUR year old. So crazy. 

Our trip was quick. We left home Thursday morning and stopped in Lacey to meet my cousin's newest little bundle, Amarisa, followed by another pit stop in Renton to visit Uncle Josh, Aunt Krista and cousin Jude.  We made it to the hotel in time to get in a quick swim and then we stayed up late gazing out the window at the city life and Matt finished an assignment that was due by midnight while I braved the streets with two children in a stroller to get us a sacred piece of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Tradition. It was totally worth it, even if we would have been mugged. Thankfully we weren't and the cheesecake was a decadent reward. 

And no we didn't share any with the kids. I don't think they would have truly appreciated it. 

Don't judge. 

Here's a few phone pics of our trip as well as the AMAZING results from Matt's appointment!!!

These construction pictures are hard to appreciate unless you were there, but essentially there was a giant hole in the middle of downtown Seattle that was a real-life Bob the Builder scene. Every digger, dumper and excavator you could imagine right below our noses. We stood and gazed forever while Matt had his MRI and then we brought Daddy back to watch the phenomena for a while before we headed back to the hotel. The kids were totally mesmerized! (And so was I, quite frankly...)

Unfortunately our "super quick" trip home turned into a miserable 10 hour drive after we were rear-ended just south of Seattle. We spent 4+ hours going from place to place trying to find a body shop and a rental car before we put our kids back in the car and listened to them scream for the following 6 hours through rush hour traffic... It was awesome... about as awesome as it sounds.  Needless to say, we are STILL in a rental car 4 weeks later...

Alright, that's all for my little tangent! Cars can be replaced, we were all fine (just super sore). Back to the real business... Matt's appointment went SO well. We took both kids (for the first time ever) and they were excellent, courtesy of lollipops and a stroller. Dr. Nussbaum couldn't believe how big Madi is (neither can we) and the best news is that the MRI didn't show ANY remaining tumor! As far as Dr. Nussbaum could tell the only thing left is scar tissue and the tumor has slowly shrunk, probably due to lack of blood supply, over the last three years! We were both shocked and so overwhelmed. Dr. Nussbaum would like Matt to continue with annual screenings until his 5 year mark and then he can space it out to every few years. 

Here's a little walk down memory lane, because quite frankly that's what it feels like every time we hit the Emerald city...

In the ICU after 14 hours of surgery...

Attempting to get in some steps in the hospital (I think around 5 days post-op)...

Starting off the 4th of July Fun Run with a walker... ending the day in a wheel chair watching the parade.

In some ways three years feels like it's taken ten years, but then we look at our kids and can't believe how fast three years has gone by...

I have nothing but gratitude in my heart.