New Diagnosis

I knew this day would come.  We've had another diagnosis.  It was only a matter of time until Mary Claire told me that Megan (her American Girl doll) had been diagnosed with diabetes just like her.  I was really surprised it took so long for one of her "friends" to get it too. (it's been almost seven years now!)  Today Megan got her pump and a really great matching pump pouch (just like Mary Claire's!).  We reassured Megan as we put a new site on her tummy.  She got to stay up extra late, and she's not as sad now.

The things I'm never prepared for.  This is just one of the things we take as they come, because in our children's lives they are very real.  She'd asked me WHEN (for goodness sake's!) I was going to finish her new Valentine's pump pouch (yes, she was wearing last year's today).  I guess I've procrastinated a bit..I've had the fabric for at least a month!  I even had it cut, ironed and ready to go.  Ha!  And then, other stuff got in the way.  So, while I was sewing her Valentine's pouch, she dug around in my fabric and found enough of the pink peace sign fabric to make one for Megan, and told me matter-of-factly that Megan had been diagnosed today, and she was sad.


I could hardly ignore that!  I made both, and got them all cheered up with some pink.  Here is Mary Claire's new pouch:

You can hardly even see her name!  (But she kinda likes it on there anyway)

And here is Megan's pump pouch:

heehee-it's so tiny!  It was too small to put a zipper in, but Mary Claire really wanted one!

And here she is with her tummy site and her new pump pouch.  She's taken it well so far. : )

Yesterday was a super-busy day, so I didn't even have time to write!  We cleaned, made adorable strawberry cupcakes (and little paper *flags* to go in them..), made dinner for friends, had a date night... I'll just show you!

Look at these perfect cupcakes, just waiting for frosting!

I got a chance to try the new kit Ches got me for Christmas

This is the super-cool creme-filling needle attachment.  You stick it through the top (or bottom) of the cupcake to the center, and squirt in the filling.  I even made homemade fluffy whipped frosting to fill the cupcakes!

Mary Claire and I made cute little flower picks to stick into the cupcakes.  They each had a name or word with a tiny picture, then we stuck a toothpick on the back with little heart stickers. : )

Aren't they cute?  (After the filling mess, I didn't mess with special designer frosting!  It was getting late, and I had to take a shower before we went out.)  Do those little hearts look familiar?  We had extras left from our Valentine cards, so we stuck pairs together around a toothpick and put them in the extra cupcakes!

Here's a closeup of Gigi's (with a cupcake picture!)

...and Mary Claire's with a rainbow!

And I'd forgotten to show you our finished Valentine's boxes:

I told you they weren't perfect.  Clay added "bolts" to his mailbox-so cute!

I'm praying you will be blessed by the wonderful love of God this Valentine's Day!  Enjoy your day tomorrow, and think of all the ways God shows you how much He loves you.  We are blessed.  God, please show us how to be thankful for the gifts You've chosen for us.  Even diabetes.

I have loved you with an everlasting love...with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

Jeremiah 31:3

Treasure Chests

Thursday...More Snow Days...We'll now be hanging out together till Monday!  The boys played outside again today, more laundry, more cute pictures! : )

On some snow..guess how much?

Would you believe we had this much snow?

He was feeling very photogenic-can you tell? : )

The kids got to watch some movies online with Netflix.  It worked for the most part.  Every 20-30 minutes it would tell me there was a problem with our internet, and it would stop (and I would hear my name!).  We finally got Ches in the house (after shoveling the entire driveway of its two feet of snow!), and then he added the app on the iPad, and Mary Claire was in business! (unlimited movies-she was thrilled!)

Ches was really going to bat for me, bless his heart.  I missed my hair appointment on Wednesday, due to snow, and I was SAD.  I have to wait five whole weeks, when I used to go every four...and five is torture!  So, today they were finally back in business, and they called me at the same time I was calling them.  I tried to reschedule, but the next available date (since they only work Tuesday-Friday) is next Friday, the 18th.  Umm..hello?  That's waayy too long!  I'm a blonde, remember?  So, they penciled me in for 2pm this afternoon, and Ches worked on the driveway.  We tried to get our POA to clear the neighborhood, especially since we have the money, but not everyone wants to pay the bulldozer man $2500, when it will melt off this weekend (probably).  So, bad hair.  For another whole week. : (

Friday...Sorry, I got so sleepy and never posted!  Today we (drum roll please..) Got Dressed!  We've been lounging around, watching television, and not keeping to a real routine other than meals.  But, today!  We got the kids bathed, dressed, and O-U-T!  Ches took the kids to Chick-Fil-A, I cleaned up the house, put in a turkey for dinner, and headed out myself.

The roads were not quite what I thought they'd be.  I slipped and slid around our neighborhood, but the city streets were much better.  I did wonderfully on the dry main roads (and had a bit of jealousy for all those trucks I saw with those fancy scoopers on the front..I want one!).  I picked up Mary Claire at CFA, and we found a bump of snow to park on at Wal-Mart.  They'd cleared the parking lot, left 8-10 foot piles of snow, and there were random areas of snow left.  We got one of those lucky spots. : )  We gathered groceries and stuff to make dinner for a friend.  We are so excited-we are making them pink cupcakes tomorrow!

We got home, unloaded the van, and found this adorable dragon in our house:

I've heard that you should never wake a sleeping dragon.

I started on some dressing and dinner, and continued work on the kids' Valentine boxes.  I don't know what possesses me sometimes.  Why do I love to make things?  It's just plain fun.  We used these basic boring supplies:

We couldn't use anything bigger than a shoebox, and we didn't have any of those!  We've recycled them all.  So..here are some things to use.  The gears started working...

Clay wanted a rounded US Mailbox, so we added toilet paper rolls to the top of the graham cracker box.  We left the opening at the bottom, so he could get his valentines out if the front opening wasn't big enough.

I hate to tell you I don't have a final picture, but I'll get one tomorrow!  We decoupaged them all with scrapbook papers.  Clay's is blue with a US Mail eagle, Ethan's is green with Toy Story stickers, and Mary Claire's is the round beef jerky tube that's covered in baking scrapbook paper, pom pom fringe, and ribbon.  So cute. (not fancy, very homemade.) (maybe that's why I wasn't so motivated to run get a picture?)

I also fit in time to make a little burp cloth for a sweet friend.  I have had the cloth diaper on my embroidery machine for almost two weeks..I have been debating on colors.  It's for a precious new baby girl, so of course pink, but I wanted another color too.  That's the hard part.  I decided on a preppy green gingham-very spring.  I am tired of winter, and ready to welcome bright colors (and flip-flops!).

During and after dinner, we played our (now routine) games of cards.  It's just become what we do with dinner, and the kids talk, think, and dinner goes slower.  It's so nice!  We count our points, but no one keeps a tally.  We just want them to know that when you hold on to an Ace, it can backfire when you have to subtract it off your final points!  We want them thinking.  Especially when a couple of us are down to one card. : )  It used to be Apples to Apples, but now we've moved on.  I like that we have routine, but it changes.

After cards, we worked on Clay's Paravuli Dei (it's a whole book, BTW!).  He had made us all paper treasure chests, and we passed them clockwise slowly around our circle (table).  As we had each person's chest, we wrote on the back what skills or talents God had blessed that person with.  Ethan was on my lap, and I wrote his for him.  It was one of the best things we've ever done.  We learned about ourselves, and Clay had to write in his book which talents were a surprise to him, and how often he tells others of the gifts he can see in them.  A great exercise, and we have these little treasure chests of our gifts. : )

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

1 Corinthians 12: 4-12

My Short Mailbox

S.N.O.W. came to see us last night!  I don't think I've ever seen this much snow in my lifetime.  We got about 2 feet of snow, and drifts at about 40 inches!  We let the kids check it out-it may be the highest they'll ever see in their lifetime!  No..we didn't leave town, since there wasn't ice or a chance of power outage. : )
(oh-and I got the last of my Christmas stuff taken down-hooray for snow days!)

This is looking out the front door-and that stubbly little thing?  Yep, that's my mailbox!

Another of the front yard and mailbox..and it's still snowing!

Let's have a barbeque! : )  heehee  Ches had to clear out around the doors and windows today-it was condensing, and I was worried about moisture!

...or we could swim?  The entire pool must not be frozen over, or we wouldn't have that small warm spot. : )

I don't know if you can see, but the drifts are almost up to the middle board on the fence!

Clay was the first to wander out, or I should say, wade out!

And then Ethan waded out-at least waist high! : )

He was trying to decide what he could make..and snowballs were a possibility.  Too bad they couldn't sled.

And Mary Claire comes out..

She is a loyal snow angel maker.

And then..they stripped off their wet clothes (I did three loads of laundry), and we made cookies!

Yesterday, at Bible Study, my friend had the best cookies!!  I'd never had them, and after she told me the recipe was on the bag (of Andes' Mints), I had to have more!

You know those little rectangular mints you get at Olive Garden after dinner?  There are just chunks of those!  Kinda like brushing your teeth with cookies, they just feel healthy! (well.kind of..)

And the boys did some "work".  Ethan had to sign his valentines (he doesn't go back until Monday, but will make up school on Good Friday, Memorial Day, and one more day in June), and Clay had to make an emergency phone number list and a week's menu.

Peek-a-Boo!

and when I looked outside tonight, I saw that Ches had shoveled the walk! (well, at least a path-can you see how high the banks are on either side!?)

I'm so thankful to be warm and safe.  We have food, heat, and water, and we have each other.  We had yummy fajita chili, our cookies, and played cards till we wore the kids out! : )  Thank you, God, for our blessings.  We pray that you had warm food and sweet company today!

My nightmare? Not eating.

Holy Colored Rice, Batman!  Did you know Fruity Pebbles were gluten-free?  Mary Claire doesn't have celiac disease, but I try to notice gluten-free food.  Lots of kids with Type I Diabetes do develop celiac, so I'm always on the lookout!  I can now be assured she would make it. : ) heehee

I had Bible study (or didn't..) today!  We started a new study (Acts) today, and I helped Mary upstairs with the kids.  I'll join them in a couple weeks when we take turns babysitting. : )  Right before I left the house this morning, I remembered all sorts of things to take..crayons and paper (when I used to teach the threes in Sunday School, we'd always help them color a picture, and write our scripture for the week at the bottom or add "God loves ______" at the bottom with the child's name in the blank).  Next I added some toys that Ethan ok'd: balls, blocks, play phone, and a Cabbage Patch doll and horse.  Then I thought of an art project!  My favorite (and easy!) paper bag books (I gave out easy instructions here).  I ran around gathering paper bags, scrapbook paper, scissors, a hole punch, and lots of ribbons (I was going for Valentine's Day, but boys are so red/pink crazy).  Then as a last resort, I took the flat screen tv off my kitchen counter, and took a set of Veggie Tales movies.  You just never know-and I'd never watched most of these kids! : )  I've babysat a million times in my life, and it always pays to be prepared.


It went wonderfully, and I love seeing the kids' character. : )  One little girl was absolutely precious-she wanted to hold another littler girl!  She's not quite three, and she wanted to mother another.  I loved it!  The boys were good-if you can believe, my little Ethan was the oldest there!  He used to be the youngest. : (  He was easy, and the other boys were good too-one loved to run around and just grinned, but he was an angel and ate well, another didn't climb nearly as much as I was prepared for!  We did really well, and I think they had a great study downstairs too! (oh-and I got some great pictures of them playing!  I heart my camera!)

Then, I took Ethan to Fayetteville to get Mary Claire's prescriptions, and get some groceries.  It wasn't long till I got The Call.  Mary Claire's ear was really hurting her, and she couldn't make it any longer.  Her nurse knew I was in BS (and they were using my phone for conferencing another mom who just had a baby and stayed home!), so she had Mary Claire wait it out.  I said she could have ibuprofen (we had to get a doctor's note and leave the meds at school for that!), and I'd come as soon as I could.  I figured I had 30 minutes since it was lunchtime (and she loves lunch), but she didn't make it.  Her blood sugar was good at 136 before lunch, so she got her insulin bolus for lunch...but then cried and wouldn't eat.  She wasn't hungry, she didn't feel good, her tummy hurt, etc.  We tried (and she had an Uncrustable and a Red Velvet yogurt in there!), and no good.  At that point, you have to feed the insulin, or risk a severe low (and I mean severe, not make it kind of low).  The nurse gave her two 16 gram Fruitables juices and some sugar tablets from her food tub.  We were just waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in so she'd feel like eating, but no.


When I got there, she was still all sad, but stable.  We went home, since her doctor's appointment wasn't for a couple hours.  Within an hour, she'd perked up, eaten the rest of her lunch, and played with Ethan (pretty rambunctiously!), so I knew she was okay.  At her appointment this afternoon, we found out she has a very bad infection in both ears.  She has such a high pain tolerance, she doesn't complain till it's awful!  The doctor just looked at her, and said what a lot she has to handle. (looking at her in her sling, with a bad double ear infection, and diabetes.)  I know it, and she is such a trooper, and rarely complains.  The nurse knew she was sick-she's never had to force food on her. : (


Ches and Clay had boy scouts tonight-and Clay earned a pin and another belt loop. : )  Yay, Clay!  He's working on a special award, the Parvuli Dei, and we did a couple sections over vacation.  All the boys have the option of working on one for their religion-they have lots.. for every religion! : )


Now to my other stressor.  Ches freaked out about leaving his heart rate monitor strap in Birmingham.  We've called them twice, and no sign of it.  He just realized yesterday, but guess who rang our doorbell at 7pm?  Yep, Fed Ex! (well..I should be more exact-a UHaul was out front, but the package on the doorstep was from FedEx-is this a busy time of year for them? enough that they rent vehicles? or did they drive the heart rate monitor overnight themselves?) Anyway, I questioned the need to get it here today. (and pay for that service!)  He said he felt bad about it, but was angry at himself last night for losing it, and wanted a new one (so throw money at it!).
And the story continues..guess what? It won't work with the monitor unit he has! The button to reset the monitor (that mounts on your bike) to use with the new heart rate strap is not working, and to send it in to get repaired will take weeks.  He freaked out a little more, and just went to get a new heart rate watch-thingie to make it for now.  Umm..obsessed a little?
And I think I love ribbon and cleaning and organizing and food and clean fingernails.  Ha!  He laughs at my oddities (as he pedals harder to get his heart rate up to 170).  Lord, keep the snow away just a little longer, please.  And could it please be in stock?  'Cause he'll hunt one down, and I want my husband home soon.  Amen.

You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.  Matthew 21:22