lest you think

Lest you think Ellie has all the fun doing math.

Lest you think my oldest, Maddi, doesn't really exist due to lack of photos

(she throws her hands up to her face and turns when a camera is aimed in her general direction)

Lest you think Ellie's Type 1 Diabetes is well managed and 'under control' or 'getting better' . . . this is what the last 2 days have looked like.

Lest you think I am going to go cRaZy, this verse was whispering in my ear upon waking this morning.

because

Because a date morning with my husband is never boring . . . .

Because PMS makes me weepy and needy . . . .

Because Ellie's numbers have been high and excitement brings her down . . .

Because I needed a really good post for the 30th day of NaBloPoMo . . . .

Because we are THAT family . . . .

Because 4 cats are so much more fun than 2; we would like to introduce Piper (L) and Rosie (R)

Yes, you may call the people with the pretty white coat to come and get me.

mission accomplished

It took a trampoline, sidewalk chalk creations, dressing up, catching a tiger, shooting toy guns, adding 3 more kids to the mix, playing football, Wii Music, reading stories, watching movies and 2.5 hours at the pool to wear this little toddler out.

Mission Accomplished ~ over and out.

you ask, I tell

Good news!  Good news!  We had our follow-up saline pump trial appointment with the endo this morning and the Omnipod pump is ordered and waiting for insurance approval!  Woo-To-The-Hoo!!!!

My brain is a little mushy today so I posted a request on facebook to 'ask me a question or give me a topic' to fulfil today's NaBloPoMo post. 

Here are my questions!

The very beautiful Jenni, who is gracious and kind, asked me:

     "I still want to know how you cook the alien
   looking veggies!"

I assume you meant the kohlrabi?!   These lovely cruciferous orbs taste delicious peeled, sliced and chilled.  Dipped in blue cheese dressing is my favorite way to enjoy the crisp, brocolli-stem taste.  Shredded on salads or added to cole slaw would be another fabulous way to enjoy these veggies, or even sauteed in butter, garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of red pepper for heat.  Try 'em . . . you like 'em!!!


1.  The ultra sweet and smart Heidi wanted to know what:
 
       "your favorite way to treat lows or your
   favorite low/no carbs snacks"

When we are home and Ellie has a low blood sugar, a 4oz Juicy Juice is her choice of sugars.

When we are away, Ellie loves to squirt some GoGo Squeez applesause into her mouth for a quick and easy clean-up treat.  We like to store them in the fridge and have lately been popping them into the freezer for a slushy pick-me up!  They di defrost pretty quickly, but it also keeps other things in your d-supply bag from getting too warm.

Ellie's favorite low-carb snacks continue to be beef sticks & cheese, frozen simply go-gurts, and raw veggies with ranch dip.


2.  The ever-so-happy Carol wanted to know: (no link = no blog . . . c'mon Carol!  Get yourself a blog!)

     "about how you and Dave tag team D-care,
     what works and doesn't work"

We decided at Ellie's diagnosis we were not going to allow T1D to get between us and be a point of contention.  When we are both home with Ellie or out and about, we consult each other throw numbers here and there until we reach a mutual decision how much insulin to dose or how many carbs are in something we don't have nutritional info about.  We like to make a game of it and have as much fun as we can in order to 'stick it' to the disease.

When I am home with Ellie, Dave trusts me to be the pancreas.  When Ellie is home with Dave, he gets to pancreate.  NO HOVERING BY PHONE!  unless asked ;)

When it comes to injecting the nightly Lantus (long acting, slow release insulin) we rock-paper-scissor or bribe each other to get the other one to shoot Ellie's buns.  She does not like Lantus one little bit and throse a mini-hissy fit most nights.


3.  The fair-haired pretty Tracy with the gorgeous smile asked:

     "Where did you get that cute flower for
     your hair"

Tracy was referring to my facebook profile picture, I assume.  Oh my 13yo daughter Maddi will be soooooo glad you asked!  She made the flower headband using felt (for the pettals) buttons and ribbon (for the hair band) and hand sewed it together with needle and thread.  She was inspired by seeing several things like this at an artisan craft fair.


4.  And finally, my long-time friend Kara (who also doesn't blog . . . tsk tsk) wanted me to share:

     "Pictures that make you giggle and bring
     back fun memories"

Oh Kara, be careful what you ask for!!!

Miss Kara herself

Kara and I 'kidnapping' a friend

Kara attacking me at WalMart

 

No words necessary

Alrighty. This has been fun but now I must go and get ready for a certain little cute 2yo boy who will be arriving any minute!!!!

a time to weep and a time to laugh

My letter to the grandchildren (of my mom) was a beautiful way to honor my mother and allow her legacy to live on in them. 

The memorial ceremony provided the closure needed to fulfil my mom's wish of having her bodily remains buried with her mother, father and brother.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to weep and mourn for her passing.

Then, as written in Ecclesiastes, a time to laugh and a time to dance.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV)
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance 

We chose to laugh and dance in the water for the remainder of the weekend, spending time with extended family and rejoicing in togetherness.  Thank you to Jessie & Nick, Jon, Chris & Alyssa, Rick (Uncle Great!) & Deb, Cory, Beth, Lucas & Dillon, Tracy, Dustin & Brayden and Mandy for joining me and my family!

 

 

 

Of course, T1D came along for the fun . . . quite a few lows from all that swimming!!!!


And now, a time to rest . . . .

celebrating my mom

My mom, Suzanne, with three of her six grandchildren ~ Maddi, Ellie and Ben

September 2010 - 6 months before she died

This is the last photo I took of my mom.  It was on Labor Day weekend when we traveled back to Omaha to visit family.  It was also the last time my children got to spend with their grandmother.  I love how Maddi is smiling and looking over at her.  I can just imagine the conversation preceding the photo.  My mom has the slightest hint of a smirk on her face and her eyes tell me she just said something funny.  It probably went something like this.

Me:  "Are you ready?  Ben stay still while I take a photo."

Mom:  "Is my hair okay? 

Should I leave my glasses on or off. 

Oh I don't like photos taken of me."

Me:  "But Mom, do it for me and the kiddos, okay?"

Mom:  "Oh alright, but I am not going to like it!"

:: cue Maddi looking over and smiling at her ::

Today our family is laying my mother's cremated remains to rest in the same spot her father, mother and brother are buried. 

We will spend the day celebrating her life, swapping stories, and sharing with her grandchildren all the funny and quirky stories of her life. 

Today would have been her 61st birthday. 

I am sure there will be tears, plenty of prayers and a whole lot of smiles. 

While we miss the presence of her on earth, we can fully celebrate her eternal life with the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven.

* I am writing this on Thursday evening and setting it to post on Saturday since I will out of town, celebrating the life of my mom.

stay-cation

When you leave your home for an extended period of time, do you ask a neighbor or a friend you trust to keep an eye on things?

Or, if you have pets (like our two kittens) who need someone sweet to come over to feed, water and change the litter box . . . . who do you call?

For us it was a no-brainer.  When we planned for our vacation the family who earned the house sitting duty was the same family who asked us to watch their house while they were gone.

We fed, watered and played with their pup and kept an overall eye on the place for any possible problems.  And, we were nice enough to bring Beanarella over to our house to play . . . . everyday!

Isn't she the prettiest Boston Terrier you have ever seen?!

So . . . . . How do they repay us?

By staging a stay-cation at our house while we were gone.  I'll allow the photos to do most of the explaining: remember . . . they had a key

6 adults, 9 kids and 1 masterful plan to stage a s-t-a-y-c-a-t-i-o-n at OUR home while we were in Alaska!

Raiding OUR fridge, using OUR sink to shave, and playing some tunes on OUR piano!

For the record, the almost smiling gent in the photo refused to go in OUR house on the grounds it was illegal.  Hehehehehehehe ~ this guy has integrity!  As for the others . . . . . weeding OUR garden, napping on OUR couch!

Weeping while watching Anne of Green Gables in OUR living room!

Chillin' out while playing Star Wars on OUR Wii!

Balancing on OUR rug while attempting T'ai Chi! 

Using OUR circular saw, Firing up OUR grill and eating OUR ice cream sandwiches!

(okay, they brought their own)

Playing dead in OUR driveway!  

Cleaning up in OUR shower, driving OUR miniature van and baking yummy cookies in OUR oven! 

Playing poker at OUR kitchen table and smoking OUR cigars!

(okay, they brought their own)

Reading on OUR porch, throwing away non-recyclables in OUR green bin, checking the oil in OUR engine!

And the best for last . . . peeing on OUR fence!

How did we find out about all these shenanigans?  When we arrived home after almost 24 hours of traveling, there was a bag of cookies on the table along with a DVD.

We ate, we laughed and smiled 'till our cheeks hurt at the photo montage set to music (Greenday, time of our lives)

We were assured no animals were harmed nor personal space invaded in the making of this stay-cation. 

It didn't matter.  All I could think about was how awschum my friends are and how blessed I am they are in our lives . . . . and OUR home!

Do you have friends like mine?  If you don't, you must go get yourself some.  N-O-W!

P.S.  After watching the video, Maddi asked who was going to go out of town next . . . . "Because THIS game is ON!"

playing close to home

Tuesday we had the opportunity to meet some friends for a playdate at Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines.

This park boasts a covered picnic area, sandy/rocky beach and roped-off swimming area, restrooms, play equipment and walking paths.  Even though we have lived in this area of the state for over 10 years, we had never been to this city play area.

Even though the skies were grey and clouds were threatening rain, we packed up our beach bags, some snacky snacks and headed out.

See the stormy sky in the top photo?  It opened up and poured on us for about 20 minutes but we just chose to wait it out and splash in the puddles it left in it's wake.

Because the park was deserted at the time, Maddi got in touch with her inner child.  She swung, ran, flew, and spun on the play equipment.  This act alone made my day . . . . seeing my oldest let loose and fancy free.

Ellie joined in as she does best by trying a little bit of everything.

My little go get 'em Ben was all over the place.  Good thing he had on such a bright shirt or I wouldn't have been able to keep track of him.

Soon the rest of the gang appeared and into the water they went. 

Too soon it was time to get out of the water to eat.  After refueling the kids headed back down to the beach and into the water.  As if on cue, the clouds rolled in and the rain came back to play.  We took this as our cue to pack up our gear and head home.

I love finding near new-to-us places to play.  We need to do it more often.

v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n . . . . come fly with me

Once I get you up there where the air is rarified

We'll just glide, starry-eyed

Once I get you up there I'll be holding you so near

You may hear angels cheer 'cause we're together

 

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

 

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly

Pack up, let's fly away!!

You would think from my absence we would have already left for vacation!  Ah, sadly no.  I have missed 2 'good fridays', writing about many funny anecdotes or sharing T1D related stories.  Why?  B-U-S-Y.  Yep.  Summertime is here and we are loving being 'untethered'.  Staying up late, sleeping in, VBS, dog-sitting, swimming, and playing.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . . I love you, summer!

Today we are off to explore our nation's 49th state . . .


Where the state motto is 'North to the Future" . . . .


Where the official jemstone is jade and gold is the state mineral . . . .


Where coastline's run for 33,000 miles . . . .

Where I will have the opportunity to meet up with 2, count 'em 2 D-mom's (photos to follow) . . . .


Where our family will make fabulous memories . . . . . .

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly

Pack up, let's fly away!!

rev-ving it up for summer

Nothing says summertime like Country Time lemonade . . . . and . . . .VBS! (vacation bible school).  Last year we had such a great time attending and volunteering at Saylorville Baptist Church that it played a major role in our decision to become members.  This year our entire family is attending all five evenings; with me, hubby and Maddi volunteering in the snack area while Ellie and Ben participate full throttle.  Yep, we are ready to Rev It Up and have some fun.

We headed up to the church this morning to take stock of the snack supplies and decorate the kitchen 'pit stop' area.  As we were arriving, we pull into the parking lot to find three of our pastors racing go-carts.

If you have kiddos between the ages of 6-12 and are a local reader, I urge you to sign up.  As one of our pastors said, "This is the best week of their lives!".  Just fill out the form here and come 1, 2, or all 5 nights.  VBS runs from this Sunday, June 5th through Thursday, June 9th from 6pm-8:30pm.  There is no cost to attend and we would love to see you there! 

market day

Today Maddi and I woke up, grabbed the market cart and headed to the downtown Farmer's Market.  It was rainy and a little chilly, but that certainly didn't keep the crowds away.  The vendors are full of fresh spring veggies and beautiful flowers.  The smells of hot skillets full of breakfast goodness wafted through the air as we made our way down the middle of the court. 

new t-shirt, apron, goat cheese (chive feta, roasted red pepper and chipotle chevre), eggs (not pictured) and pak choi from BGF, and finally; radishes, spinach, onions and carrots from another vendor (oops, forgot to take notice of name)

After getting soaked by the rain, Maddi and I scooted up close to some buildings for shelter and were pleasantly surprised to find Market Days had moved! (inside the Kirkwood Hotel Building for local folks - across from Farm Boys Breakfast Burritos)  

Mads and I skipped into the building and enjoyed browsing the 20+ artisan booths.  I wish I could put into words the fabulousity of the creative ideas on display for sale in this building.  You simply must visit if you are in town and check it out for yourself. 

Remember this photo from last year?:

Just the most awshumness costume e-v-e-r!!!!  Mads and I walked over to a booth and after looking at the artist's creations, I just had to ask her if she was the woman behind the granny square monster creation . . . . YES!

May I introduce Meg Corcoran of scribblenest (the beautiful lady in black)

I absolutely love meeting and chatting with these one-of-a-kind artists.  I told Meg I wanted to spend a couple of days just hanging out in her brain so I feel what it was like to be so creative.  She laughed and told me it would be nice to have the company ;)

I have to admit, I was not completely in the mood to go shopping with my girl today.  Once I caffeine'd up and got in the car my spirits lifted.  Maddi started talking about how excited she was to see all the booths so she could get inspiration for new ideas.  Hanging out with Maddi is like a big blast of sunshine . . . . . you can't help but smile, nod and play along.  I am grateful to have spent the day browsing, buying, laughing, skipping and road-tripping along with my Maddi girl.