Tag Your It!

All About Me

Rachel tagged me to do this and I thought...sure, why not? So here are 40 things you probably didn't care to read about me.

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Eh...not really but I will eat it on salad or bleu cheese dressing for chicken wings.

2. Have you ever smoked? Smoked what? Are we talking pot? Tobacco? Could this refer to making smoked meat like salmon? I'm confused by the question.

3. Do you own a gun? Yes. We own about 7 or 8 actually.

4. Favorite type of Food? I love Mexican food. Love! It!

5. Favorite type of music? I will listen to just about everything.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Oh yes....I love them with all the fixins!!

7. Favorite Christmas movie? The Santa Claus with Tim Allen

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I like juice.

9. Can you do push ups? Yes...don't ask how many but I can do some. :)

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? The only jewelry I wear are earrings and my wedding ring so I would have to say those.

11. Favorite hobby? Oh I can't name just one. I love so many things!!! Camping. Fishing. Reading. Hiking. Playing Games. Hanging with friends.

12. Do you have A. D. D.? No...although my husband might disagree. I get distracted very easily.

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? I had Lasik 3 years ago...best money I ever spent!

14. Middle name? Yes. But I'll be darned if I announce it to the blogging world!

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: 1) The kids are playing "duck duck goose." I bet they run into each other and cry. 2) Sugar, Sugar by the Archies is playing on my playlist. Cool song. 3) I need to go grocery shopping in a bad way.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Water, Coke Zero, Crystal Lite Orange "juice."

17. Current worry? How long will it take for Syd's sugars to get back on track.

18. Current hate right now? Hmmm can't really think of anything I hate at the moment. I guess maybe Syd's sugar numbers. lol

19. Favorite place to be? Warm. Sunny. With family and/or friends!

20. How did you bring in the new year? With a little par-tay at our house with some friends.

21. Someplace you’d like to go? Disneyland.

22. Name three people who will complete this. Rosa, Meri, and Amy--and of course anyone else who wants to! I'd love to read everyone's answers!

23. Do you own slippers? Nope.

24. What color shirt are you wearing? Green Old Navy t shirt

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Sure, why not

26. Can you whistle? Yes.

27. Where are you now? Home

28. Would you be a pirate? Ahoy Matey! Sure I could be a pirate...not sure I want to but I could!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't generally sing in the shower. lol

30. Favorite Girl’s Name? See my two girls names. :)

31. Favorite boy’s name? Emmett and Weston AKA Wes.

32. What is in your pocket right now? Nada thing.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Laughing with Jessie at lunch about short people with hairy feet...inside joke.

34. What vehicle do you drive? Toyota Camry

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Hmmm well I tend to be rather adventurous/clumsy gal. I've had weird injuries. I crashed on a motorcycle when I was ten. Got my face banged up pretty good. Stitches and all. Arm got sliced open with my grandpa's shovel when I was 13...13 stitches. Fell off my horse at 9 years old and hurt my eye. 3 concussions from basketball. This past February I got hurt playing basketball again. See blog post here and here. So those are a few. :D

36. Do you love where you live? Yup. Love my town!

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2--1 in my bedroom and 1 in the living room.

38. How many computers do you have in your house? 2. Desktop and Loren's work laptop.

39. If you changed your job, what would it be? I always wanted to be a teacher or a nurse who works with the infants in either the well baby nursery or NICU.

40. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? 1)A cure for diabetes obviously, 2) unlimited funds to help more people 3) to play the piano well. :-)

Time for a Shout Out!

Meet Jessie.

Mother to 2 little girls--Kamryn & Jordyn.

Wonderful wife to her super cool husband Kelly.

Real estate agent guru.

Lover of chocolate, pepsi (not coke), and pancakes.

Fellow Twilight enthusiast.

Shopping aficionada and...

Best friend to Shamae.

~I know in the diabetes world we all want and pray for that certain friend who loves your kids as their own. They pick you up when you're down. Pat you on the back when you do something well. Make you laugh when you want to cry but lend their shoulder when you can't hold back the tears. And, in my situation, learn how to check blood sugars, count carbs, figure insulin doses, give shots, change infusion sets. Bottom line: they learn all about this crazy disease we call diabetes.

Jessie gets a standing ovation in my book for being that friend. Last night she volunteered to watch Syd and Morgan so Loren and I could enjoy a nice date--which, Enjoy. We. Did! We had such a fun time and I didn't worry about Sydney once. Jessie did great counting carbs and figuring out her ratios and how much insulin she needed. Well done Jessie and thank you. So here is your shout out! Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame on my blog. :-) Love ya girl!

(Note: these pictures were taken at a wonderful New Moon Party we attended on Saturday. Blog post about that soon to come.)

Happy Anniversary To Me!

-7 years ago today I married my best friend!
Over the past 7 years we've had a great ride!

2 kids later...

~Lots of laughs later...

As well as a few tears along the way....

We are still pretty free of gray in our hair. I think that's a great perk! Life's been an interesting journey and although it hasn't gone exactly as we had planned, it's been a good one. I have a great partner to go through all these life experiences with. ~Through the years, laughter, and tears we've made a family. Can't wait to see what the next 7 years bring....

Last year I had a pretty creative bloggiversary post for him. To check that out, click HERE.

Quote of the Day...

I just wanted to share a great quote and some random musings. I know lots of my blogging buddies have been going through some rough times lately. I thought I would make a little post to help lift spirits. Sometimes things happen in our lives and it's so easy to focus on the negative or how life isn't going exactly as you had planned. Unforeseen events happen in all our lives. Maybe it's the death of a loved one, a job loss, an unfortunate diagnosis, an accident, the list can go on and on. Sometimes these things are caused by our own actions but often they are just unfortunate situations. Nevertheless, finding joy and gratitude among the pain, sorrow, disappointments and all else we may experience, will bring more blessings into our lives. Furthermore, if you can learn from these heart aches, you will be a better person in spite of them. One of my favorite quotes says,

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and the bells don't ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result...How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can't--at least not in the moment...But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life."

Thanksgiving is a time when people all around our great nation will take time to reflect on their blessings. We all can find so much to be grateful for, even if our lives are not exactly where we want them to be. Finding little things to be thankful for should not be too difficult. Maybe it's a little smile of understanding. A hug. A quick email or text message saying someone was thinking about you. The list goes on and on. If everyone took the time to give and recognize small acts of kindness each day, the world could truly turn into a much more positive place.

Here are a few things I'm grateful for:

1) My neighbors. We have lived in this neighborhood for 2 years now and we really have awesome neighbors. Helpful. Friendly. Great!

2) I am grateful for Sydney's diabetes. Not because I enjoy her having a disease that will never go away, but because it could be so much worse. I am so grateful that she has a disease that is manageable and treatable and not terminal.

3) Friends. Friends who have learned how to take care of Sydney's diabetes and, more than that, they want to because they realize how that takes some of the load off my shoulders. How much luckier could I get?

4) My family. We have a great, supportive family. We are a very diverse group but we are always there to help and support each other.

5) I am grateful for a husband who helps around the house and recognizes that stay-at-home-moms have rough days every once in a while too. He is my best friend and I love him.

6)I am grateful for our armed forces, especially the ones who are sacrificing Thanksgiving with their families so I have the freedom to enjoy it with mine. We will all be eternally indebted to the men and women who work to bless our lives with freedom. I hope they know they have not been forgotten and many prayers are still said on their behalf every day.

What are you grateful for right now?

New To the D World

I just wanted to take a post minute to introduce you guys to a couple fellow T1 moms. Alix's14 year old son Tyler was diagnosed with T1 on Oct. 1. Take a minute to visit her blog and leave her a comment so she knows how great and supportive our D community is.

http://findingourbalance.blogspot.com/

And this Wendy's son Avery. He is 3 and was diagnosed last May.

http://kendalandwendy.blogspot.com/

I don't want to sound redundant but...

2 more articles showed up in today's paper!! I am thrilled with the number of letters they have published about this issue! It's so cool!! Today's letters were written by the lovely and talented Meri and Wendy...both T1 moms. Both hold a special place in my heart. Thanks girls!

"Barber Letter"

Dear Fellow Humans,

Regarding Mr. Barber's experience at Burger King on Oct. 3, 20099, I would like to ask why he was "shocked and appalled" after witnessing a child giving himself an injection?

If there was a child wearing oxygen tubing, would that have "shocked and appalled" you?

If there was a child having an allergic reaction requiring an emergency injection of epinephrine, would that have "shocked and appalled" you?

If there was a choking child who needed help, would that have "shocked and appalled" you?

I will concede that neither you nor I know exactly what was in that syringe. However, considering that this "offensive" injection occurred at the time this child was going to eat, I am assuming it contained insulin. Since you describe him as "a boy," I am also assuming that this "offensive" injection was necessary for the management of his Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

Insulin is a hormone that is necessary for SURVIVAL. A child with T1D has a pancreas that does not produce insulin. Without those insulin injections, these children will DIE.

DIE! Much like what would happen if you take away oxygen from a child who needs it. Or not administering an epinephrine injection to a child who needs it. Or not responding to a choking victim who needs help.

T1D is NOT caused by eating too much sugar. It is also NOT caused by lack of physical exercise, poor diet, or an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. In fact, no one really knows WHY some children develop T1D. Innocent children are diagnosed with this difficult disease every day. NO child is immune to the risk.

I certainly hope it won't be a child that you love next.

Now, Mr. Barber, I'm sure you're a very nice guy. In light of this horrible misunderstanding, I'm sure you'll take a few moments to donate generously to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org) and/or to the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org) to help rid the world of T1D.

After all, we wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life being offended at this type of thing.

Wendy R. Arizona
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"Diabetes"

I was just made aware of your letter dated Oct. 25 in regards to a young boy giving himself a shot at a Burger King. Let's just assume that this young boy was NOT protected by the Americans with Disability Act and let's continue to assume that we live in an age where hiding and being ashamed of a disease or illness was in vogue. Even if these barbaric circumstances were true I feel sorry for the gentleman who wrote that letter.

He is surely grossly uneducated and has no clue what the word EMPATHY means. While Mr. Barber was busy being DISGUSTED by this boy's courage and self-sufficiency, did he for even one minute think about what kind of life that this young boy must lead? Did he know that if this boy was a Type 1 Diabetic that he must inject himself with insulin immediately before his meal to stay alive and healthy?

I would also like to say that a young child who picks his nose or puts his fingers in his mouth is incredibly more unsanitary than this young man giving himself a shot. Were bodily fluids spread? Was blood squirting all over the table? And for this writer to even insinuate that this young man must think of other's past experiences over the awful experiences that THIS BOY must go through, many times a day, to keep himself moving and living, it is so incredibly sad.

The man complaining writes, "People go through a lot in their life." What about this boy's life? Is it of no consequence? No, sir who wrote this awful letter, THANK YOU! Thank you for totally ruining my day with your ignorance and selfishness.

Meri S. California
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Well done ladies! Fabulous job! I'm so proud of everyone supporting this cause!

Extra, Extra! Read all about it...

More updates in the paper! Read to your hearts content....

My letter showed up in Monday's paper. I already put it on my blog...read it HERE if you would like. There hasn't been any responses to these letters yet but if one shows up, I will post it here. If you want to read the letters that have already been published you can click HERE.

"DIABETES"

I would like to respond to Mr. Wallace Barber's complaint about a "boy injecting himself with whatever medication, in front of God and everybody all while sitting at a table." I am sorry that you were so appalled, but I applaud the boy! I have been a diabetes educator in the community for more than 15 years. I have had diabetes myself for approximately 20 years and I would like to educate you about the disease this young man and others are facing every single day of their lives.

This young man deals with Type 1 Diabetes. He uses a needle and pokes his finger four to eight times per day. (Sorry you missed that part!) He gives insulin injections more than three to six times per day. He had to count his carbohydrates while eating at Burger King and account for how much insulin to take for the meal.

He cannot choose which day he wants to deal with this disease. he cannot choose where he wants to deal with the disease. He must face the disease every minute of his life!

I have worked with many children who have a difficult time giving injections at school because they are too embarrassed. There are times they have missed injections because they do not want to deal with people staring at them or the comments. T he injection of insulin is what saves this person's life!

I am proud he had the guts to pull his diabetes equipment out and give the injection as he has been taught. In doing this, he will have less complications associated with diabetes. There is no need to hide the disease.

November is "Diabetes Awareness Month." I encourage you to educate yourself about diabetes. Instead of being appalled--ask questions! There are approximately 24 million people who have diabetes and the numbers continue to increase. You never know, you might be sitting at Burger King one day, giving an injection of insulin!

Nancy B, Idaho

(This is the other super CDE that we have the privilege of working with!!)
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"Diabetes"

In response to "Shock and Appalled," submitted by Wallace Barber regarding his experience at Burger King on Oct. 3, 2009.

Quite frankly, "I'm shocked and appalled" at Mr. Barber. Because he sat there " in front of God and everybody" and passed judgement on a young boy who had a medical need.

I'm very, very proud of that boy for giving himself a shot. Only a few know how hard it is to do that. Only a few know how much bravery it takes to do that several times a day. Only a few know how terrible you feel if you don't. Obviously Mr. barber knows how it feels to have an organ in his body malfunction because his brain dried up when he wrote his editorial to the paper.

Yes. I have a child with T1 diabetes and yes, I have seen my own little boy giving himself a shot before he ate his Burger King and I don't care if the world stops and stares...I'm incredibly proud of my son for knowing how to care for himself at such a young age and to not worry about opinionated old stuffed-up minds that would dare to suggest he take himself into a filthy, germy bathroom to do this.

I hope Mr. Shocked and Appalled has since learned that God and everybody else is absolutely fine with that little boy but it is Mr. Barber himself who God wants to have a chat with.

Julie B. Colorado.
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"Diabetes"

This is in regards to a letter to the editor submitted by Wallace Barber regarding his experience at Burger King on Oct. 3, 2009:

Dear Wallace,

I hope you understand that I was appalled, too. On Dec. 4, 2007, I was in the hospital and my son was DYING. I was told that unless he was going to get shots EVERY day for the rest of his life he would not make it. There was no pill he could take and no diet he could follow to make it better. His body made no insulin and and he would need to have it injected every time he ate, and there would be no exceptions to this.

I remember going out and being scared because now his life would be completely dependent on this hormone called insulin. To make matters worse, people would stare and behave unseemly, because they could see we were doing injections at meal times.

As time has passed, I have come to realize that people in general do not realize that we are not giving him a shot to "ruin their dinners." They simply do not understand that the child doesn't enjoy getting insulin in a shot, but that it must be done to maintain health. These children should not have to have a shot in a special "shot room" (which doesn't' exist) that is sanitary and used only to receive injections. Burger King has not provided a sterile room that people may use to receive insulin.

Surely, you would not want to make a child use a room that is for human waste, when receiving medication. I would suggest if you see my son or another child who has Type 1 Diabetes, to remember, when they get that shot, they are doing the right thing. They are taking care of their body, and being a positive example to the 15,000 children who are diagnosed each year with this terrible disease.

Betty R. Utah
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"Injection Letter"

I was shocked and appalled to read Mr. Wallace Barber's letter in Sunday's paper regarding his "complaint" about a boy giving himself an injection in front of God and everybody" at Burger King.

Frankly sir, I found YOUR letter extremely offensive. The boy was most likely a diabetic. You must obviously be unaware that people suffering from diabetes must inject insulin when they eat, whether they are at Burger King or not. This disease is very difficult to manage and requires constant vigilance. It is especially difficult for children and teenagers to maintain such a strict regimen.

The way you refer to his medical needs as "that sort of business should be done in private" particularly upset and offended me. you imply a person with diabetes has a choice and should be ashamed. Don't you suppose that boy has enough to deal with in coping with his illness? He probably already feels he is different than most of his friends because of the regimen he must adhere to.

Your blatant intolerance and lack of basic human compassion is inexcusable. And by the way, I was getting ready to eat my dinner when I Read you letter and I, too, completely lost my appetite. So thank you for "totally ruining my meal."

Joyce M. Idaho
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Meet....The Franks

This is for all the Twilight lovers and haters alike. Enjoy the spoof. And, on a sidenote, I'm totally stoked for a fab New Moon Party on Saturday!

Also, I'm not purposely ignoring everyone's blogs. My google reader is showing over 100 new posts. It's just going to take some time to get through them. I will catch up!

Click on the video...not the play button...and it will pop up a new window to view it bigger.