Thursday, May 23, 2013

Ninth Diaversary

My second baby graduated from elementary school today!  What a day.  She didn't want me to "do" her hair (does that officially put me in the South?), and she didn't want a bow.  I know she's growing up..but it was graduation.  I restrained myself, didn't complain, and didn't put a big bow on top of her beautiful head.  But I can't lie to you..it was hard.
..can I add that her teacher, Mrs. Huffman, is the BEST?  We have loved having her!  She's been so patient and eager to learn (about diabetes).  I will definitely miss her.
And my girl?  She also got the President's Award for Educational Excellence!  The requirements are a 3.5 grade point average for all of fourth grade and the first semester of fifth grade and high scores on the benchmark exams.  (I can't remember the score required, but she did really well.) (do I sound like a momma, or what?)  ; ) 

Following graduation, fifth grade had a fun day planned..water, cookout, video games (on a big trailer..like an arcade on wheels, well exactly that!), the firemen came to hose them down with the fire truck (can you even imagine?), and all sorts of outdoor fun.  The only thing I could think about?  Not getting her PUMP wet!  I warned her of the danger..then talked to the nurse, then called to leave a message on her teacher's phone (she constantly had other parents beside her), then went back to talk to her teacher..just in case.  

Today I cared about her pump making it to three pm, much more than the possibility of her going high.  I wanted her to celebrate with the other kids, and not feel handcuffed (chained?  tied?  weighted by concrete blocks?) to a device.  That's not how I am, or how I want her to see her life.  We can keep going and playing because of the machine, it shouldn't slow her down.  This is the very thing that makes teens want to quit the pump, and hide their diabetes.  It becomes a burden and uncool.

Ok, ok.  Diabetes has never been cool.  I just don't want it to be the downer at the party.

So..I just told them to hang loose, and preserve the pump's life. ; )  It was fine, great blood sugars, she connected to eat, bolus, and when she wasn't water playing.  We made it.  Another successful day (and that made me SO much more teary and excited than graduation..is that ok to say?).

In fact, today is her diaversary.  Nine long years (well, they have kinda flown!) of this stupid Diabetes.  We still hate it with all most of our heart.  But I think I'm making room for it.  Finally?  It has brought us into the sweet-hearted world of the diabetes community, both online and in our own community.  I wouldn't know all these wonderful people without the big D.  So...God?  You know what you are doing, and I trust you.  And I should thank you..even for this.  A blessing in disguise.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Learning

I'm a learner.  Constantly learning..sometimes by error.  So..if you want to clean the jets to your whirlpool, the thing you should not do is try a little vinegar.  Then look up directions on the internet, and try the bleach/Cascade method.  With the vinegar still in there.  Apparently, you are waging chemical warfare on yourself.  Yes, that was also located on the internet.  After I noticed a chemically smell.  (but Ches was kind enough to turn off the jets, and unplug the tub..choke, choke.)

The other thing I learned yesterday is that Chick-Fil-A doesn't have hot chocolate.  Boo.  So, I went to McDonald's, and ordered a medium hot chocolate.  They informed me that their specialty coffee machine wasn't working.  So, I ordered again louder (surely my voice was garbled on that speaker).  She told me again about the machine.  I said, "..so the hot chocolate is a specialty coffee?"  "Yes."  Hmm.  So, I went to Starbucks for the primo hot chocolate.  At least they knew what I was talking about.  I was starting to wonder if I made up some vision of warm chocolate to drink.  Great invention, btw.

Yesterday was the Mother Daughter Tea, and we had the best flowers, punch, and treats.  Three people brought petit fours..all delish.  No, I didn't try them all..but Mary Claire did!  So good, she ran out of insulin.  She's not making it a full three days anymore.  I have to be careful.  She had to bring home her plate of goodies..at least she had an egg salad sandwich!

Tonight was Bunco, so I got to see all the cool kids.  Everyone has something fun going on!  I got to share about my house.  Yay me..and my temporary housing!  Kathy had made these awesome rugs for her deck..they are canvas drop cloths she got at Lowe's, painted, and sealed!  They were beautiful.  She did a large one and a coordinating smaller one.  I want one!  They kinda look like this (and there's a tutorial!).

I finally got into the doctor today after a long bunch of phone calls to a booked-up doctor yesterday.  I have a sinus infection..that's what I get for trimming shrubs, planting flowers, and pulling weeds. You're welcome, buyers! : )  But, I stirred up trouble.  Hopefully I'll be closer to 100% for Mary Claire's fifth grade graduation on Thursday, and Ethan's kindergarten graduation on Friday! : )

Here are just a couple pictures from Mary Claire's skating/sleepover on Friday.  These girls were sooo sweet.  No drama, just lots of fun.  Thankful she's found some good friends!  (..although I did unplug the internet/modem at 2am.  Four of them had to get up to be somewhere!  Call me mean.)

She's a good designer, no?



This picture is not mine, I have to say first.  It says "g With Angels"  I pinned it, but it's Love.  As in my wall paper on my phone, and what I choose to look at.  Over and over. ; )  God loves us..why else would He give life to these gorgeous things?  and things that are here so briefly?  Beautiful.
There's no real (visible) progress on the house.  And I'm tired out from rolling dice. ; )  Enjoy that piece of gorgeousness since I'm headed south.  Night, ya'll!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Moving

Life is about to get a little more intense.  I won't bore you with all the things going on at our house (oh, maybe I will.  Kindergarten and fifth grade graduation, baseball games, our anniversary, last day of school, a mother daughter tea, bunco, girl and boy scout camping, Mary Claire's diaversary-nine years! and the regular school/work/church fun!)..but now our house (remember the one for sale??) is closing on June 13th (small Yay! for it selling!), and now we have to move out.  
Bye-bye, Housey-house.  You've been good to us, and we have so many great memories.  I think we grew up together.
And..that's less than a month to move our family (and all this furniture..and deck furniture, and pool furniture, and attic stuff, and garage stuff..talk about needing more storage!).  But, good news..we may have found a house.  And close to Ethan's school..so we can still visit our new house daily to watch it grow up. ; ) 
I'll miss cleaning you every day, Pool.  And swimming in you this summer.  And laying out next to you.

I should also mention I'm very excited.  I mean, we kinda started all this madness.  We are building a new house (contract signed last week!), and it shall begin.  Now the real craziness begins.  The packing, moving, planning, choosing...and getting the new house built!  I think the plans are finally the best they can be.  (I'll have to show you my laundry room..I'm so excited to wash clothes in there!  woohoo!)
I'm growing a peony bush!  Only it wasn't quite the variety I'd wanted..
And in the midst of our family's changes..Diabetes is changing and hitting puberty too.  Mary Claire is using so much insulin that we have to change her pump site before she even hits the three day mark.  We used to base it on time..and sometimes we had more insulin than she could use..her site would go bad first.  But now?  I get a low reservoir warning so fast!  My girl is growing.  She's almost ready for a new pump..but do I get the bigger size to hold more insulin..or keep the tinier, more discreet one for "privacy"?  OOoo..changes on the horizon.

Ahh..my spot for summer dining.  Lots of hot dogs and great conversation. ; )
I should get going..we had an amazing ice skating/sleepover for Mary Claire's birthday Friday night, and then a beautiful baby shower for a sweet friend on Saturday, and my house needs some tender, loving care...as does my laundry. ; )

Hope your home is blessing you right where you are.  I look forward to shrinking our stuff to a smaller footprint (by about half!).  Less to clean, right? : )  There are always things to complain about, but God always works it out..so I can't complain.  

So..I welcome advice for moving/downsizing with a family of six, advice for building, help packing, and... we also welcome BoXeS!


"Our willingness to wait reveals the value we place on the object we're waiting for."
Charles Stanley (Isaiah 64:4)