World Diabetes Day

Yesterday was World Diabetes Day. We talked about it with the girls in the morning, made wishes for what we hope happens until the next World Diabetes Day, then went on about our day. While the girls were playing, I was going through their testers and checking their numbers - my mind started to wander. What would our days be like if we didn't spend what seems like all of our time worrying about blood sugars, ketones and how many carbs were in that little morsel of food that one of the girls just ate? I think about Type 1, insulin, shots, testing and if any of my 3 are high/low or right on target ALL day, EVERY day. I wondered if I would have found my other dream job, in corporate America, would I still be recruiting and helping other people find jobs, instead of working like JDRF does to make the lives of families with Type 1 better? Today I am grateful for the researchers that have the same goal I do - to find the cure, so that I don't have an entire cabinet of medical supplies in my kitchen, that my children and my husband don't have to take 4-6 shots per day, per person, that I don't have to explain to my daughters that even though they just walked 3.1 miles and earned money for JDRF that they still have take shots and check blood sugars. I want to be able to be the voice of hope to parents of newly diagnosed babies with Type 1, to know that they won't have to do this forever and that there is hope in sight - which there truly is, but I wish I could be more certain when I say that the cure is coming SOON. I don't want another Mommy & Daddy to have to look at their child and wonder how they can give him/her shots 4-6 times a day.
To all the Mommys & Daddys who have Type 1 themselves and/or have kiddos with Type 1 too, I wish you health, love and acceptance always. Know that you are the face of this disease and that there is support when and where you need it - always a kind word and others who have walked a similar mile in different shoes.

Passport to Health - Dallas Schools Focus on Diabetes

I think I've mentioned a time or ten that I am working with our local JDRF chapter here in Dallas - I've taken on a relatively new role over the past few months, I'm the School Walk Coordinator for the School Walk Program. I have 67 counties (not all of them have schools in them though) that I am hoping to partner with to bring more attention to JDRF, Type 1 Diabetes and encourage kids to ask questions.
That brings me to what happened yesterday here in Dallas - the mayor of Dallas, Tom Leppert is partnering with the ISD Superintendents throughout the Metroplex to bring awareness to Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes. There was a press conference at City Hall, where parents were encouraged to bring our "ambassadors" to represent JDRF. There were some very "general" and by general I meant ignorant statements made about diabetes being "a choice" which upset more than one parent as it was not clarified that this guy was talking about Type 2, he then went on to say that his dr. had told him that if he continued losing weight and eating better he could stop taking his medication - which immediately caused my 5 year old to give me the stink-eye and that "we'll talk about this later" look.
The overall message is great, encouraging children to make good choices with their food, activities and what the symptoms and challenges can be with any kind of diabetes. Martellus Bennett from the Dallas Cowboys was there, another retired football player was there and then the schmuck that was recently diagnosed with Type 2 - all of these men spoke about Type 2. Then 8 year old Kendall took over the mike, talking about how many finger pokes andshots she's had since she was diagnosed at 2 years old - plus the trials she has at school, not playing at recess or not getting to eat her snack because of blood sugar issues - this little chickadee brought down the house. She was rewarded with a standing ovation and the forever admiration of Ms. J.
After the press conference, the players were signing tshirts, the mayor was taking pictures and I found him down on his knees talking to little G and Ms.J with this whole crowd around them. Next thing I know, he picks little G up, and she wraps her sweet little arm around his neck like they're old friends....and the Outreach Manager from JDRF took a great picture of that moment (see above). We met some new families and I was able to connect with this great mom of a 2 year old that was diagnosed at 12 months old.....she blogs and I need to find the paper she wrote her blog name down on. Overall, it was a good experience, I wish there was a different name for Type 2 diabetes so the generalizations don't become hurtful and that I had taken my camera.

38 Things About Me

Birthday Edition of 38 Things About Me.....with updates on last years list. So today is my 38th Birthday and boy have things changed for me since I turned 37.

1. I happily supported the move out of California to Texas, and have not regretted it once.
2. I met Rick Springfield in person this year and sadly was disappointed
3. I am now the odd man out in my house, Little G now has Type 1, so I'm surrounded
4. I have decided not to watch American Idol since Adam Lambert lost
5. I hate reality TV - the Bachelor, Bachelorette, Survivor, Big Brother
6. I have met some truly amazing people this year
7. I miss my girlfriends in CA
8. I am working on creating a family recipe book for my mom for Christmas
9. I am inspired by Jill & Michelle's Creative Fridays and am working on incorporating a Creative Day into my week
10. I am learning to make bracelets for the girls, so they can wear their medical tags
11. My alarm is country music - I find it easier to wake up to than anything else
12. I'm addicted to Whataburger's Chicken Sandwich
13. I started collecting letter E's and have them hanging over our fireplace
14. I LOVE Facebook and how it has put me back in touch with so many people
15. I follow over 20 blogs, but only read about 10 on any given day
16. I work for the JDRF here in Dallas and it's the BEST place to work (UPDATE FROM LAST YEAR'S LIST)
17. I go by my highschool nickname at work now - apparently it's easier for everyone to remember (?!)
18. I finally got the digital camera I've been pining for, for 4 years
19. I'm contemplating cutting my hair short
20. I am considering getting a second tattoo with the girls initials within it
21. I have a new appreciation for soy milk
22. I am already planning a vacation with my BFF to celebrate our 40th birthdays in 2years
23. I have bought more high heels in the last year than I ever did when I was working in a true office
24. I really miss my cooking club in CA and hope to start one up here very soon
25. I look forward to "movie night" every Friday night with the girls, probably more than they do
26. I'm already looking forward to the holidays and I have lists of everything from Christmas present ideas to decorating projects
27. I haven't been able to find a good sushi restaurant in Dallas
28. I have become fearless when it comes to my kids
29. I loved the Twilight series and feel like a teenage when I read the books
30. I flew to CA for less than 24 hours and it was the best adventure I've had in a long time
31. I held the most special, beloved baby boy this year - my best friend from high school's son, I fell in love with him the minute he batted his baby blues
32. I am challenging myself in ways that I never thought I would - public speaking in front of 300 kids???? Oh My
33. I am really proud of the way Wayne and I have come together with our move, my going back to work and how much he has taken on since we moved
34. I am enjoying a lot of different music these days - it's pretty diverse nowadays
35. I am determined to work on my time management skills, for now, I have NONE
36. I still watch General Hospital, but usually 5-6 episodes at a time
37. I have a secret boy crush - but he's famous, so it's harmless
38. I'm celebrating my birthday this year a little differently, we went on a road trip last weekend, I'm getting a mani/pedi after work today and I have no other plans to celebrate with anything else since Waynerd has to work.


25.

Seriously, how much more?

Normally, I try to have a "God does not give you more than you can handle" outlook - but I have to tell you, the big man and I need to have a heart to heart. In my house, I live with my husband and 2 daughters, all three of whom have Type 1 Diabetes. Collectively, there are 15 shots a day, 14-18 finger pokes to check their blood sugar and constant adjustments to dosages. This is ALOT to handle everyday. Not to mention all of the extra drs. appointments, prescriptions and extra money that seems to fly out of our account every month for the "out-of-pocket" portion of the show.
NOW, my youngest, Little G, is showing signs of Celiac Disease - where your body cannot tolerate gluten of any kind. It does damage to the stomach, the esophagus and can cause lots of problems if it goes untreated. We're hoping to get in for the bloodtests today, and of course we don't want bad news, but not knowing is messing with my mood (of course PMS isn't helping matters either, yeah for Mother Nature), my sleep and it makes me cry everytime Little G tells me her tummy hurts.
Sorry for the rant, but I'm on overload right now and I'm a little overwhelmed.

Where is our summer going?

Here at our house, we (read that as I)had an eye-opening revelation last week. Our summer is half over - now normally I'm a glass half full type of gal, but this just makes me a little nostalgic. As a family we've had some great adventures - running through the sprinklers, feeding the goats and donkey at Auntie's, popsicles - many, many popsicles, a great family vacation back to CA to visit cousins, Guncle and Auntie and to share the day for a beautiful wedding to 2 of our favorite people. We've seen Daddy play his first gig with his new band at an AMAZING ranch in North Texas; complete with it's own lake, 2 story dock, swimming pool, hot tub AND family center.
We surprised Wayne with a new motorcycle helmet for Father's Day - he was stunned! I was able to talk the guy at MotoLiberty to not tell Wayne when he went back that I had already purchased the helmet he was pining over. Needless to say, this guy spun quite a tale and Wayne was really bummed that the helmet wasn't there. Can you imagine his face when he opened it up? It's not very often that I can shock him, but we shocked him and I was tickled. He's amazing at buying presents, not just for me, for everyone - so any time I can get a good one for him I pat myself on the back. LOL
We saw the most gorgeous fireworks over the 4th of July weekend and then couldn't believe that our drive home was as easy as it was. We're getting ready for Danielle, Keith & Ellie to visit from Arizona in a few weeks. We'll be going to the Dallas Aquarium and may be staying in this area and having a local "staycation" for the Evans, but still get to see new places we haven't gone since living here. I have discovered a new fantastic grocery store in HEB's Central Market. This place has EVERYTHING you could imagine under one roof, hundreds, yes hundreds of types of bread, then there's the cheese selection, olives, hummus, mushrooms, deli meats, plus nuts in bulk - including my favorite roasted almonds with no salt. Last night Mom and I were talking about whether or not she thought she'd make it out for Christmas (yes, we're already discussing winter around here). While we were on the phone I jumped online and did a few searches. One site that I came upon had a fare with great times and was $100 less than the rest - Mom busted out the credit card and we have her itinerary for her to come for Christmas. WAAHOO! Mom is the Queen of Christmas and I cannot wait for her to spend it here with us. I already have a list of "to dos" for while she's here.

My Top 10 Reasons I love being a Mom

I thought that it would be appropriate, on the eve of Mother's Day, to take a moment to make a list of some of the reasons I love being a Mom. To the 4 people who might be reading this, Happy Mother's Day to you and if you're not someone's Mama, Happy Flowery, Sunny Sunday to You! Here's my list, I could add more, but I'm afraid I'll max out my word count.

10. Hearing my girls yell "Mommy" when I walk through the door at the end of a crazy commute and longish, but rewarding day at work - and the hugs around my legs that I welcome, every.single.time.
9. Seeing my girls together at random times, usually very loving with each other and always together if they're awake - I honestly think the best gift we could ever give them is each other
8. The sweet hugs that Little G gives me when I tuck her in at night, one of the best ways to end my day
7. Both girls are very sweet by nature, very affectionate and cuddlers - I get more hugs and kisses without asking for them - it's fantastic
6. Watching Ms.J grow into a fearless, independent young lady - ready to take on the world, not just fall behind a leader of the pack.
5. The family moments we share with the girls in our room, on our bed, playing or talking or wrestling - just the sweetest moments of silliness
4. The girls big green eyes, long eyelashes and their right cheek dimples - they are so much more than their pretty faces, but damn I really love looking at them!
3. That my girls are happy, giggly, silly little buggers that are S-M-A-R-T, they really are brilliant
2. I feel lucky that I was chosen to be their Mommy, I couldn't imagine my children being any different than they are - I want to do whatever I can to make sure that never changes. I am so proud that they are mine.
1. Because of him - the best Daddy I could have ever dreamed of for my kids

Posts I wish I had written

The past 5 months, since we made the move to Texas has put be in a bit of a spin out. I get what I need to get done (most of the time anyways), but we've had some pretty major changes take place in our lives, besides the obvious. Since I've been in such a blogging funk, I thought I could at least make a list of the posts I wish I'd done, maybe I'll feel better after it's out of my head....here's to trying!

1. I cannot say how happy I am that my family is back under the same roof again - that is what the goal was with this move and it has happened and I don't think my hubby will ever know how happy that makes me.

2. My mom is an angel, that's all I really need to say.

3. I have found my creative groove again - photography, scrapbooking, creating custom invites are pouring out of me.

4. I now have 3 - yes THREE diabetics in my household. I cannot say enough about the need to find the cure for this horrible, awful damn disease. 14 shots a day in one house is a bit much, wouldn't you say?

5. Because of it's "not ever going away" presence in my house, I am now doing whatever I can as a volunteer and hopefully someday employee at the JDRF. I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore.

6. I love, love, love this photographer's work - every.single.piece - http://www.irenesuchocki.com/ - go check her out, seriously.

7. Ms. J's new preschool is awesome, it is full of love and affection (NOT inappropriate)and she is so happy to go. They welcomed us with open arms and never once did they hesitate when I asked if they could handle a diabetic child - now they want to know if Little G will be there next year, since they'll be pros at that point. How did we get so lucky! AND did I mention that Ms.J is already learning to sound words out and can identify all upper and lower case letters?

8. My best friend who just gets me... ALWAYS calls me on March 4th, without fail, every year for the past 15 years...just to see how I'm doing. She remembers without any prompt that this is the worst day of the year for me...remembering the day my dad passed is still hard for me.

9. Facebook is like crack in that it is instantly addictive - but there are so many bonuses and "feel goods" that come from this naughty little addiction....I have reconnected with my best friend from high school, caught up with other friends from different points in my life and learned a lot about the area I live in.

So there you have the list....I feel like a weight is off my back...but why couldn't it have been taken off my arse??? Geez....LOL