I am very ashamed...

about how long it has been since I updated this blog!!!!  I am so sorry. 
Last time I said, "No news is good news. "  Well this time that isn't entirely true.  Nothing catastrophic has happened, but poor Noah has been through the ringer this fall! 
It all started at the Fall Fair.  Smithers has an Exhibition every fall where there is a carnival, a rodeo, concerts, competitions in every category you can think of from photography to creations made of vegetables, and so much other stuff it is a crazy fun time.  This year we decided to go on the Saturday night because that was when Noah's absolute favourite band, The Arrogant Worms, were playing.  We arrived a little early so the kids could go on some rides.  Not five minutes after arriving, Noah sidles up to me and says, "Mom, I have a rash...."

I knew as soon as I saw it - Shingles.  Aww, man.....  I knew Shingles is a big deal with "Leukemiacs" (Tom's pet name)  so I called the hospital.  The Oncologist on call (not our doctor, because everything that happens to Noah happens on the weekend or at night, so we always get someone else)  said that he would likely have to be admitted so we should go to the hospital.  I asked her if we had to go right now, and she just said, "I am not sure how to answer that question."  So I decided that we would go, but after the concert.  I felt kind of bad, but we had only just arrived and he really wanted to see the band.  We were very careful to stay away from any little kids or pregnant women, and so the kids went on some rides and then we left after the concert, which was very enjoyable; the Worms are very funny. : 0 )

He was admitted, which was super awesome and very convenient, because it was the teacher work week, and both Tom and I were supposed to be at meetings every day that week.  Instead, I was sleeping at the hospital, Tom was going to the meetings and the girls were staying home all day by themselves, watching TV all day.  (When we got internet, we also got a satellite dish, so we actually have  clear channels to watch, which we have never had before.  The kids are over the moon about it) Tom would come to the hospital after school, I would go home and hang out with the girls, and make supper, then go back to the hospital and Tom would go home.  UGH.  It was the first time I questioned moving so far out of town. 
Noah was on a strong dose of  IV Acyclovir, (an anti-viral) every four hours, and apparently it can be hard on his kidneys so he had to be on fluids as well.  Thankfully his oncologist decided that since he was doing ok, he could go home on the Wednesday afternoon.  What a relief!  We just had to finish the anti-virals at home.  Much better.  That was not what we wanted to be doing our final week of summer before school started! 
We think that while he was at the hospital, he picked up c. Difficile again, because he has had it twice since then.  He has also had a stomach bug, a REALLY bad cold that took him weeks to get over and some other mystery bug that landed him in the hospital for five days at the end of October.!!!  He has been at emerg SIX TIMES since August 25.  Actually more than that, because at one visit it was decided that he needed  doses of IV antibiotics over three days so we needed to come in every night for a dose.  That was a real pain, because we had to go into Emerg after 8pm, because they had to be 24 hrs apart. We would be all cozy at home and everyone doing homework or watching tv and we had to go into town to the hospital.  I guess it was only for three days, but it sure felt like a lot more!!! 
This last time he was admitted, he had c. Diff, so he was home from school with me, and I just randomly took his temperature, only to find it was 39.4!  I was so shocked- he did not look like he had a fever!  When we arrived at Emerg, it was up to 39.9.  it was crazy.  They did a whole bunch of tests, but nothing ever grew in any of the cultures, so they think it must have been a virus. 
He spent five days in the Palliative Care room here at the hospital.  It was a bit weird to be in there, but in actuality, it was really awesome; it is the biggest and nicest room in our hospital.  It has two leather couches, a fridge and a microwave, an actual table and chairs to eat at and for Noah to do his homework at when he felt better, and a big flat screen TV with cable! It was great. I mean, if you have to be in the hospital, you may as well be comfortable, right?  Especially if you're in isolation.  He had really low counts and c. Diff, so everyone who came in had to be masked, and if they were to have contact with other patients, gloved and gowned too, both to protect Noah from the other patients and to protect them from him! 
We were a little worried because he wasn't feeling too well last night, so we thought he might be getting c. diff again from the anti-biotics he was on, but he is much better today, so we are very relieved and hopeful that he won't get it again. 
His Neutrophil count has been very low since he was released from the hospital, so we have been a bit nervous about him being at school, but it would be no better at home, because I think the only person who is sick at school is actually Emily!  He would have more exposure to her germs here than at school, lol!  I did go around to each of the classes in the high school and introduce them to the bottle of hand sanitizer I hope they become intimately acquainted with.... and I put up some really cute handwashing posters like this one:

hopefully they help to inspire some more kids to be more careful. 

Noah and I went to Vancouver for his regular treatment on Friday and I asked the Doctor about another MRI and he said that they don't normally re-scan the kids, but he will re-scan Noah's legs simply because he is curious about how much and how quickly his bones have healed.  He wants to wait until January or so to give them a good amount of time to heal up.  I am very curious too.  Noah is still not permitted to do any high impact activity, except a gentle jog, with strict instructions to stop immediately if he has any pain.  He has been feeling just fine, so I am assuming things are progressing nicely.  However, I have no idea what impact the chemo has on bone cells. I could be completely wrong.  I guess we'll have to wait.   
Don't worry - here have been good things happening too!  School started, and all of the kids, especially Noah, were excited to head back.

All of our kids are taking piano lessons, and all of them are playing hockey this season.  Emily and Noah are also playing on the school volleyball teams, so we are quite busy.  The hockey teams they play on only have about an hour or hour and a half of ice time per week, so it is a manageable amount of time, but we have been away a lot on the weekends for volleyball playdays, which doesn't make Tom very happy. 
He has been enjoying the lake this fall, catching a lot of rainbow trout on the fly. He is very funny: whenever we are in town or at school or doing something not at home, he complains about how much work he has to do (putting a new roof on the woodshed, cleaning the chimney, etc) but then as soon as he takes one look at that lake, he says, rather sheepishly, "or maybe I'll just go fishing..."  It is quite hilarious, and I don't begrudge him that one bit.  Sure, I have to scrape the windows in the morning because of all the wood in the carport that he has to split and put in the woodshed, but not until it has a new roof.... but oh well...  He won't be able to fly fish for much longer.

We were also quite busy with the Cops for Cancer Tour de North.  It is a cycling trip from Prince George to Prince Rupert that some RCMP officers from each town along the way participate in to raise money for Camp Goodtimes and other cancer supports from the Canadian Cancer Society.  Noah was the Jr. Team member, so he was in the newspaper, on the radio in Prince George, and part of the arrival event in Smithers. It was pretty cool.   

 

This is Henk Timmerman, the cyclist from Smithers, who invited Noah to be part of the team.  They raised over $275000!!  We had an event at our school that raised over $600 in 20 minutes: we sold pieces of duct tape in various lengths that the kids could use to tape the principal to the wall of the gym.  It was pretty awesome and the cyclists were very impressed with our school's spirit.

 

We have had a number of visitors to our yard and lake this fall, (starting with my gorgeous sister, Jenn and her two boys)  then this absolutely huge black bear, which Tom estimated at about 300 lbs.  When he stood on his hind legs to get the apples higher up, he was taller than me!

He was so cute...  Miranda named him Kyle.  : ) 

We have had tundra swans stop by on their way south, and just today, on our way home after school we saw this fella:

This one totally made Tom's week.  He LOVES owls. 
There have been other animals and birds, these are just the highlights... it has been really fun to get out the bird book that Tom's mom gave us years ago and to figure out that the kind of ducks that are on the lake right now are called Coots and there are Harriers and eagles, and so many more.  It is so great to live here.  We are blessed in so many ways. And yet...
Please continue to keep Noah in your prayers, we are now realizing how important it is to keep him healthy, and how difficult it is!
There are others who need your prayer as well.  Jordan, our friend from RMH desperately covets your prayers, and Justin, another boy from RMH  who had a brain tumour recently relapsed with tumours in his spine.  These two boys have both been told there is nothing more that can be done, but we know that Jesus is bigger than cancer, and nothing is too difficult for him!
Erin, Noah's good friend since he was born, was recently diagnosed with a serious heart condition, which could require her having a defibrillator implanted.  They find out on Wednesday. Please pray for wisdom and of course for healing for her.
Kaitlyn is in the Eating Disorder clinic at BC Children's hospital.  She is having a difficult time too.  Please pray for the walls she has built up to be torn down.  Please hold her family up as well.
There are so many hurting people...  such a broken world...  Come Lord Jesus.