Christmas 2009

The Santa Claus house in North Pole and of course, the REAL Santa lives here! ;)

The reindeer resting up for their big journey a few days before Christmas!!

Christmas Eve- making cookies and Jada's blood sugars ROCKED that night!

Decorated by little hands......

Leaving eggnog and cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer in their Christmas jammies!

Christmas Morning.... a BB gun for Eli and .22 for David....holy smokes!!

Mary Beth and her Christmas kitten....appropriately named Claws.....who will soon be clawless!!

Jada and her princess castle......it's keeping her busy for hours at a time!!!

Santa surprised the family with a Wii fit!!

What Alaskans Celebrate on this Day!

December 21 just marks the first day of winter for most people in the United States. And yes, I know, the days are shorter all over the northern hemisphere. But this day in Alaska brings a great sigh of relief for many!! On this day we will have only 3 hours and 43 minutes of daylight!!! Winter Solstice!!! Fairbanks is only about 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, so that daylight that I speak of, is only partial daylight. Basically, when the sun shines here, it looks like the sun is trying to rise and just can't make it up over the horizon. Sun glasses, believe it or not, can be an essential here in the winter time, because when the sun is out, it's always in your eyes!

Me, I don't mind the darkness so much. It brings with it a slow and enjoyable pace of life. Lots of evenings spent indoors with friends and family, visiting and playing games. Yes, it's cold outside, but inside, it's cozy, warm and full of life with those you love. When summer rolls around, the pace here is nonstop and while I enjoy the beautiful weather....all of that sun makes it hard to sleep. You go to a friends house for dinner and the next thing you know, it's midnight and you've failed to check the time....because the sun is still there!!! Talk about tiring!

We won't have any "real" sunshine for a while, so I'll enjoy the dark while it lasts. The boys will continue to walk to school in the morning with headlamps on for a while and I'll pick them up as the sun is setting for a while yet. By the end of January, our days will be noticeably longer and then in March when the spring equinox hits, we'll gain light as quickly as we lost it after the fall equinox. Then summer solstice, and then we start the cycle all over again. Alaska is truly a place that lives and breathes in accordance with the sun and the seasons. It's amazing!

Adventures in Sunday School

I never know what Jada's blood sugar is going to be during Sunday School. Church starts at 10 am and part way through the service, the kids are dismissed to another theater (yes, our church meets in a movie theater!) for Sunday School. I always check her before she leaves and there have been times that I need to give her a snack before she goes in. However, you've heard about the times that she has dropped to some crazy lows during Sunday School after she had been on the high end of her range just before I sent her in. Today was another story!! :)

Her Sunday School teacher, Michael, is a great guy! He's also an EMT, which makes me feel a little more relaxed. They don't have snacks every week (which is just fine with me), but when they do, he always checks to see if Jada can have one. He never just assumes anything, which we really appreciate. Like, last week, he had cheese sticks (perfect!) and even though he knew it was a free snack, he wanted to make sure. Today, just as the kids were being dismissed from church, Michael walked in and briefly sat down next to Jeff. He had Christmas treats for the kids and was checking to see if Jada could have any. Well, she had been 289 about 10 minutes prior to his asking, so I was doubtful, but told him I would check her again. So, I went to the next theater and wouldn't you know, she had already dropped to 220 and I told him she could have a few pretzels with almond bark on them. He went to get her some water and I went back to church. I wasn't sure if I had done the right thing, but I couldn't fathom her sitting there while the other kids were eating cookies and other treats while she had a bottle of water. NOT happening!

So, I pick her up after church, and found out that she had a juice box with her treats and my stomach sank! What was that lunch time number going to be??? We've been dealing with so many highs lately, that I thought for sure she would be in the 300's. And when we got home and checked, wouldn't you know- 200 on the mark! The very upper end of her range. Isn't it amazing what a number can do to your day?? I was almost giddy!!

A Funny Low

Today, after getting the kids from school, I came home and got busy making desserts for David's birthday party tonight. (Maybe more on that later if I can get it done!) When we walked in the door, I heard Jada mention that she was hungry and I had the momentary thought that "Oh- I probably ought to check her soon". Two hours before, we caught the tail end of Mary Beth's Christmas party at school, and her blood sugar was 113- and most likely dropping. So, she picked out a donut hole for a snack. I just assumed it was enough, because lately, everything seems to shoot her through the roof. So....as I was getting busy making desserts, her blood sugar was falling. And Jada was running around, acting like nothing was wrong. After a while, I hear her say again, that she's hungry. Oh....dang! Can't believe that I forgot to check. So, I told her we needed to check and her reply was that she was fine and wanted to wait. Then, I asked
if her blood sugar was okay?? And her reply....."My blood sugar is just hungry!" :) Silly girl. So...we checked and sure enough....her blood sugar was indeed a hungry 51!! I handed her a pecan bar (think pecan pie w/choc. chips and a buttery crust) thinking this is going to give her a good rebound. I figured we might have a nasty high at dinner time after such a snack, but she rang in to the tune of 87! No correction at dinner, but knew we'd have to correct when it came time for Davids party...her hungry blood sugar consumed 44 grams of carbs in cheesecake !! And did well.....she was 91 at bed and that hungry blood sugar was able to consume more cheesecake- about a quarter of a piece. So, thank you hungry blood sugar, for not forcing her to sit and watch everyone else eat while she waits. I appreciated that tonight!

Ummm......Awwww........ACKKKKKKKK!!!!

December 16, 2009 will stick out in my mind for many reasons. It's David's birthday, for one. Always memorable....we had a little family party tonight and may have a "friend" party this weekend. Today just seemed to be filled with drama.....OR maybe I'm just over dramatizing things!!!

David asked for cupcakes to be brought to school as his birthday treat...I happily obliged. While delivering the cupcakes, I noticed Eli's class heading out to recess. AND THEN.......I noticed that Eli was surrounded by about 5 or 6 little girls......walking in a "pack" around him. He's only 9 freakin' years old!!! It totally stopped me in my tracks. The girls have always liked him.....I remember going to get some baby pictures taken of him and all of the photographers in the photo studio gathered around the stroller and flirted with him...it's just always been like that. But oh...my....word.....these little 8 and 9 year old girls.....I totally wanted to run after him and drag him away...but I couldn't even move. It was quite a sight. I wish I had a picture of it. I did ask him about it later and he told me he was aware of all the girls....and just didn't know how to get rid of them!!! :)

So, the girls and I continued on to Walmart to pick up a few things that we needed for David's birthday dinner tonight. When we were nearly done, I could tell that Jada was either really tired OR her blood sugar was beginning to drop-- she was being such a slow poke and was incredibly crabby. We made our way to the check out line and while waiting for our turn, I checked her blood sugar. 95. Okay...not crisis yet, but she was beginning to act goofy, so I knew she was falling hard and fast. I took the chance to capitalize on a low blood sugar and told the girls they could pick out some candy. While they were looking, the cashier asked if Jada was diabetic and then told me that diabetes runs in her family (I assumed it was type 2) and that someday she would most likely develop it. As we're talking, Jada hands me a pack of gum that she had picked out. I handed it back and encouraged her to get m&m's or Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. WRONG thing to say to a child with a falling blood sugar and who also is in desperate need of a nap. Meltdown right there in the checkout line!!!! Stomping feet, screaming, tears, the whole nine yards. I knew there would be no reasoning with her, but dang it.....she was REALLY beginning to need some sugar. Then......our sweet cashier stepped in....she walked around the register, got down next to Jada and very sweetly said that she could keep the gum, but "lets also pick out some candy so that we can get your blood sugar up". This young woman MADE MY DAY!!! I almost cried while paying for my groceries and Jada's peanut butter cups!!! Just a touch of kindness from this young lady who understood to some extent what Jada was going through just blessed my heart. The store manager is going to get a good email from me tommorrow....I'm going to tell him to give her a HUGE raise!!! haha!


And then....there's tonight. We celebrated David's birthday. When Jeff got off work, he went shopping to pick up few things needed for his birthday. He came home with the intended books for David, but ALSO brought home a gecko! A gecko....like ya know....the Geico gecko!! David was thrilled...me...not so much. The only warning I gave was that if it got out and loose in the house....that it would be a DONE deal! So...on to the cake and ice cream after the boys moved the cage back to their room. When the boys were done eating, they went back to their room and it was NO WHERE to be seen!!! They thought it had found someway to crawl out of the cage. Well....they like heat, so we turned down the thermostat and cranked up the heat lamp (Geckos like it warm) in hopes that it would seek out out some heat. For 2 hours....that little gecko was LOST! LOST! Not good. My rear was firmly planted on the couch in a safe location just in case itgot any bad ideas. Long story short (cuz I'm falling asleep)-- the darn thing had buried itself underneath the water bowl. We were all VERY happy he was found IN HIS CAGE!!

That's my drama for the day...a most memorable one, too!

Dear David

Dear David,

Today you turn 11. I don't know where the time has gone, I just know that it has gone way too fast. It seems like just yesterday, we were getting our first glimpse of you. My 18 hour labor began in the wee hours of the morning.....and I remember sitting in the rocking chair and crying, because I knew that once you arrived, it would be my job to nurture you and prepare you for a life all of your own. At 11 , you're not quite there yet, but you are well on your way.

What a joy you have been in our life! We are so proud of who you are.....of the character that we see inside of you. Honest, kind, compassionate, diligent, obedient. These things alone will take you far in life! Also, we love that you are so careful in who you choose to be your close friends, as it seems you are already aware of the effect that relationships can have in our life. You know that those who make good choices, will encourage you to do the same! It blesses our heart when we see you reading your Bible all on your own and we know that you are sensitive to the Lord's leading in your life.

We are completely proud of you......and want you to know that we always will be.....just because you're our son. I can't wait to see what the next 11 years will bring!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

Catching Up

Well....we've been busy here in the far north. Christmas is coming....my secret santa gift is all put together (finally!) and ready to get in the mail. Our shopping for the kids is nearly done...mostly stocking stuffers is what we have left. We've begun our holiday baking- I say "we" because Jeff really gets into this time of year and enjoys all that comes with the season. The kids are done with school on Friday!!! I am SO excited to have them home for a couple of weeks. We'll be heading to Anchorage on New Years Day for the weekend.....excited for my family, but NOT excited about the 6 hour drive to get there. It's not the 6 hours, but the fact that we will only have a few hours of daylight for travel, so most of it will be done in the dark and there's always a moose or two lurking around. You don't want one of those coming through your windshield! Also, weather changes so quickly here and road conditions change with them. There are a few small towns along the road, but it's pretty remote. The good thing is, it's a well traveled road, so if something happens, help can arrive quickly. Geesh....can you tell that road freaks me out a bit????

Jada's doing ok. We've been lingering on the high side lately-- the low 200's have kept us company lately. She does have a slight cold, so that may be why. If I don't see a change in the next day or two, we'll have to do some adjusting, most likely to her Lantus, because she does come down after a meal correction, then bounces right back up again. We'll get it figured out!

Well...the snow has been falling beautifully all day- big, fat, fluffy flakes (trying saying THAT 5 times quickly). I could sit on my sofa all day and watch them fall with nothing but the tree lights on. However, there is laundry to fold, dishes to do and bathrooms to clean. All that, plus some holiday baking to do. I had better go.

5 Things I Love

Thank you Melissa for giving me the Circle of Friends Award!!! For those of you who don't know Melissa, she's a D-mom who has successfully raised a son with Type 1 Diabetes who is in his freshman year of college! She's my HERO!!! Melissa has given me hope that diabetes won't always be at the forefront of my life and that....is something to look forward to!!

So, I must list 5 things that I love....shouldn't be too hard!!

1. My family. Jeff completes me in every possible way- I can't imagine my life without him. My children are the joys of my life and I am amazed at the gifts God has given us.

2. My parents and siblings. I was blessed to be raised in a home with two parents who loved each other and the Lord. I wouldn't be who I am without them. My brother and sister are two of the most amazing people that I know. My sister is my very best friend in the whole world.

3. My sister-in-laws and their families. Jesus just didn't give me sister-in-laws when I married Jeff- He gave me sisters. I truly love them and their kids (spouses, too!) and they have unconditionally loved me for 12 years!!

4. My church family. I just love them. They have been there for us and stuck with us during tough times..they have been a huge support for me with Jada.

5. Alaska. I love living here. It is a place of extreme everything..light, dark, cold, warm and the people who live here are the best thing about Alaska. They may be sourdoughs, but I love them!

And now....to give this award to 5 people.....how the HECK am I going to do that???? Wish I could give it to ALL of you!

1. Rocksee at Rocksee's At the Porch Swing

2.Shamae at Welcome to Our Crazy Happy Life

3. Rachel at One Day at a Time (congrats on the new baby Rachel!!)

4.Lora at My Diabetic Child

5.Heidi at Mattie's Diabetes

Okay, ladies....list 5 things that you love and pass it on!!

If She's Not Low....She's High.....

A month ago we were struggling with dangerous, unexpected lows for days on end. I thought I was going to lose my mind.....actually I think I did for a while, because I ran on NO SLEEP for about 2 weeks. We decided to go down by a .5 on her Lantus, putting her at 2 units, and it worked like a charm....couldn't believe I hadn't done it sooner. But, for a short period of time this summer, she was at 3 units of Lantus and I just didn't ever think that I would have to decrease her insulin by that much. So now, we're doing 2 units of Lantus in the morning. It worked like a charm....at first. Now, we're running on the high side of her range most of the time. Her target is 150- with her range being between 100 and 200. I'm liking the fact that we're not having scary lows all the time (last week, we did have a 32, and I'm not really sure what happened there), and her night time numbers are much steadier, she doesn't have to spike in the mid-200s in order to wake up at a safe number. However, I'm not liking the fact that she hangs out above 170 most of the day. A year ago, that may not have bothered me and maybe it still shouldn't, because it's in her "range". But I want better than that without having to constantly be on the lookout for low blood sugars!!!
We have an appointment coming up...next week I believe. A1C, the whole bit. I don't think we'll have that 6.8 again, but that's okay. That 6.8 came with more lows than she should have had. I'll be happy with anything in the 7's, I think! :) Also, we're getting serious about the pump at this appointment and I'm SO looking forward to moving ahead with a pump. It's way beyond time!

TAG- YOUR IT!!!

Okay, Shamae, this is for YOU! :)

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Ummm......no.....even the smell makes me gag!

2. Have you ever smoked? I really hope my mom doesn't read this.....yes...I once smoked a cigar after Jeff and I were engaged.

3. Do you own a gun? Not currently....we are SO not cool Alaskans to NOT have a gun. However, number 1 son may be getting his first .22 for his birthday. YIKES.

4. Favorite type of Food? Oh my.....is dessert a type of food? I could eat creme brulee for every meal!!!

5. Favorite type of music? I listen to mostly Christian music, some Paul Simon (thx to my hubby for that), Amy Grant has been my favorite artist since childhood.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I think hot dogs are just ok....not my fave...I do get a craving every once in a while.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Holiday Inn....we watch it every Christmas Eve while playing Santa Claus!

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? What else is there???? My perfect cup of coffee....Silverhook Denali blend...black and st-r-o-o-o-n-g!!

9. Can you do push ups? Like the orange sherbet push ups the Schwann's truck used to deliver to our door? Yeah... I can do a lot of those!

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Wedding ring.....and of course, my latest fave is that beautiful, blue circle necklace sent to us by Nicole!

11. Favorite hobby? Playing my piano, reading, hiking, hanging with friends

12. Do you have A. D. D.? Ummm...no.....that's why I'm the perfect compliment to my husband!!!!

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? YES! So blind without them.....Lasik some day!!!

14. Middle name? Leann...story behind the name? I was named after my great aunt, who later disowned our family. I then lovingly passed the middle name onto Jada!

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: 1)I love CakeBoss on TLC 2)Did Mary Beth really drink two sodas before bed tonight????? yikes. That could be a problem! 3)Do we really have to watch football all day tomorrow??

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Coffee, Water, Coke

17. Current worry? None, really. Just the typical d-mom stuff!

18. Current hate right now? Not hatin' right now. Ask me tomorrow!

19. Favorite place to be? ALASKA! Also, with my family and close friends!

20. How did you bring in the new year? I think we were driving Oklahoma to Iowa when the New Year rang in last year!

21. Someplace you’d like to go? A mid-winter escape to a warm place with sand and water. Hawaii sounds nice!

22. Name three people who will complete this. Melissa,Laura, and Jill

23. Do you own slippers? YES! An Alaskan essential!

24. What color shirt are you wearing? Burgandy

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Actually no....

26. Can you whistle? Yes

27. Where are you now? At home, in my living room, on my comfy sofa!

28. Would you be a pirate? Yeah...maybe......if I don't have to be a bad guy!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever pops into my head!

30. Favorite Girl’s Name? Mary Beth and Jada!

31. Favorite boy’s name? David and Eli!

32. What is in your pocket right now? Nothing.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Mary Beth telling me that "God who lives in her heart, tells her brain to tell her lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs to do their job!"

34. What vehicle do you drive? Ford Expedition

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had? Sprained my right ankle when Eli was a little guy.....fell asleep on the chair next to his bed, when I got up to go back to our room, I didn't realize my foot had fallen asleep. Not a nice way to wake up. At the same time, had an ingrown toenail that got infected on my left foot. I could hardly get around and Jeff was gone training for a new job.

36. Do you love where you live? Oh YES! Alaska is amazing.....it's beautiful and the people are as real as you can possibly get!

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 1-in the living room!

38. How many computers do you have in your house? 1 working computer...my precious Macbook! LOVE it!

39. If you changed your job, what would it be? I don't know....I LOVE being a mom and LOVE to stay at home and take care of my family. Yes....there are days......

40. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? 1)A Cure! 2) To be debt free 3)That more people could experience the freedom of having Jesus in their lives!!

Migraine Schmigraine

Yesterday morning I woke up at about 5 am with a pounding, throbbing headache. I wasn't too surprised, because it is that time of the month, if you know what I mean. I'm no stranger to migraines...I've dealt with them since about the age of 12 and I seem to go through times in my life where I deal with them more than others. During my mid-twenties, it seems that I rarely had any, but I was pregnant a good share of my mid-twenties, too. I've had an influx of them since Jada was born, and they can mostly be attributed to hormones. Jeff and I haven't had insurance coverage for the last 6 months, so I've had no preventive medication OR my handy dandy Imitrex injections to make them go away. On Saturday, we received our new insurance cards in the mail (yay for a job that provides coverage!) and on my to-do list for yesterday was to make an appointment for my annual checkup and of course, to get my preventive meds and to get an Imitrex prescription. And of course, I wake up with a migraine that didn't end until 2 am this morning. This was my 2nd migraine in the last ten days, too. My to-do list today...make an appointment as soon as possible!!

I really truly hate migraines, and not having meds to help take care of them almost causes me to live in fear of them. I've tried some natural things, like taking magnesium supplements and even the B vitamins, but nothing has helped. When I have a migraine, I have to stay in a dark room, no noise, light, or movement and I'm nauseous. It's nearly impossible for me to take care of Jada.

Yesterday, when Jeff came home to get Mary Beth to take her to school, he ended up with a flat tire and so, he was home for about an hour and half, in which time he was able to check Jada, feed her and check her again before her nap. Then, she was just waking up when the kids got home from school and David, my best helper, was able to check her for me and then I can just "direct" him what to do next. Jeff made it home by 5:15 and took the kids to McDonalds and I tried to sleep, but wasn't tired--I was thankful for a very quiet house, though! By about 9 pm, the nausea had subsided and I was able to sit up. The kids were in bed and I was able to visit with Jeff a little bit, but the pain didn't end until 2 am.

Today, I'm wiped out but the day after a migraine is ALWAYS a great day...actually, when I'm in the middle of one, looking forward to the day after is what helps me to get through!

I've Been Pretending.....

Sometimes, I like to pretend that diabetes just isn't a big deal. That it's just some pokes and numbers...that's all it is. I've been pretending the last several days and it seems like when I get in this mode, I just don't want to think about it, write about it or talk about it. I don't know....maybe I just get on D-overload and have to zone out of it for a while.
The pretending has been easy lately, because Jada's numbers have settled into a very nice pattern. She's been as predictable as a little diabetic can possibly be over the last week or so. I did lower her Lantus by a half unit, which worked wonders! I'm just amazed at the difference. We haven't had any wacky, don't know where they come from lows.....so much less drama. I love less drama. Less drama makes a happy mama!
So there. There's my Jada update. :) Back to pretending.......

Letter to the Editor

So....I wrote a letter to the editor regarding World Diabetes Day. I didn't say anything to anyone but Jeff because I didn't know if it would get published or not. I had to keep it at 350 words....which were not NEARLY enough. :) I went to JDRF's website and pulled a few myths/facts and used those. It wasn't much, but I'm excited that it got posted.
Here is the link:
www.newsminer.com
Then, go to the opinion page!

On the online edition, there is room to leave comments, so hopefully this will create some discussion!

D Blog Day- Would My Life Have Been Different?

Would our life have been different if Jada had not been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes? Would your life have been different if you or child had not been diagnosed? I've been pondering that question the last couple of hours and at first, I told myself that "Heck yeah...it would be WAY different!" And then I began to reflect over the last 20 months since her diagnosis, and realized that not a whole lot about us has changed.

We were living in Katy, Texas at the time of her diagnosis. Jeff was working for a restaurant chain and we had just moved from Alaska to Texas a few months before. When we move, (and we're DONE moving by the way) we spend a lot of time exploring our new surroundings and enjoying the benefits of living there. Our first road trip after her diagnosis was to McAllen, TX a month after her diagnosis. Jeff was spending a few weeks down there for work, so the kids and I drove the 6-8 hour trip to go and see him. That trip included time on South Padre Island at the beach. Diabetes didn't stop us that time.

A few months later, my cousin in Iowa was getting married, so we took off again. I'll never forget the myriad of supplies that I had to take along with me. Traveling with diabetes is a pain! It was on that trip I felt like I was packing for a newborn baby and all the gear that goes with them! It was on that trip, that I realized that I didn't have to stop the car to give her insulin before we ate! Have diabetes...will travel! Again...diabetes didn't stop us- but it was a PAIN on that trip!

Later in the summer, Jeff was promoted and we moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was scared to death about leaving our endos and had even been discouraged by them to move so quickly after a diagnosis. Her last appointment with the endocrinologist in Texas happened the day we left- with the Uhaul sitting in the parking lot of the dr.'s office! But- we moved and survived! Again, Diabetes didn't stop us.

When we moved Tulsa and had cooler, less humid weather, we jumped back into one of our favorite past times. Hiking. I remember the first time we went- I was so worried about Jada and that she would have a low and I wouldn't have enough food with us, so I way over packed the granola bars and snacks! We took our Kelty backpack with us so she could ride on Jeff's back. But, she was a trooper and didn't ever want to ride. Diabetes didn't stop her that day.

Moving back to Alaska suddenly came to the forefront of our minds again. We missed it and the life we had here so much, but my biggest concern was for Jada's health. There are no pediatric endocrinologists in the state and the closest endo to us is 6 hours away. So, I called the diabetes center here and was able to talk to the C.D.E and she was more than helpful in easing my fears. It was she who told me about the two dr.'s here in Fairbanks who have taken on diabetes as their "specialty" and were doing a phenomenal job. At that point, Jeff and I were confident in our ability to care for Jada and whatever issues may come up. So, the search for a job began and we didn't let diabetes get in our way.

Jeff got a job and we made plans to move. Everything just seemed to go our way.... until we got on the road. We had major vehicle problems in Wyoming and Montana, drove through a blizzard on the way out of Montana and into Alberta and we kept having LOW BLOOD SUGARS!
When we pulled into Ft. Nelson, British Columbia, Jada had the lowest blood sugar she had ever experienced to that point. It really scared me, because we were in a VERY remote small town- and if there had been an emergency, I don't know what would have happened. However, we pulled through and diabetes DIDN'T stop us.

And now we're here. And we're still not letting diabetes get in the way. There are times when it has to take the forefront. For the last month, the d-monster has had our attention, because it's been a bear! I'm not comfortable leaving Jada with anyone right now, because of these lows that just seem to happen out of no where, but they are fewer and far between now.

So, I don't know if it would have been much different for us. We've just added some things to our day- like finger pokes, shots, midnight checks and at times, what seems like endless worry and fear. But that worry and fear isn't always there....because I know that we have the right tools to take care of her and to teach her how to take care of herself.

I do know one thing..... I would not have met some absolutely INCREDIBLE women if it weren't for this diabetic journey. My life is better for knowing you and so is Jada's and the rest of my family. You have helped me to keep my sanity and have encouraged me to reach deep inside so that I could pull myself back together. I know I'm not alone. I would have missed out on all of you if it weren't for diabetes. Maybe that's the one thing that I can thank the d-monster for!

If This Were Wordless Wednesday....

But it's not Wordless Wednesday......but maybe Finding Friday- because this is what I found when cleaning up the floor of the girls' closet this morning. No wonder we've had some curious high blood sugars this week!

THANK YOU JILL and KACEY!

This is a very much delayed thank you to Jill and Kacey for the pump pack that Jada won! She loves it SO much and NO ONE is allowed to touch it but her. :) We should be putting it to good use very soon!

Trick or Treat

Eli- forever our Army dude/Marine guy.

David- the vending machine! Jeff's idea!

Fairy Mary--Posing as Ninja Fairy!

Jada the Rock Star! Who, by the way, had GREAT blood sugars during trick or treating!

Trick or treating was great! The stars were sparkly and it was a warm 13 degrees outside. :) Our neighborhood was absolutely BUZZING with kids! We walked around for about an hour and Jada did awesome. When we left her BG was 150 and about halfway through, I went ahead and gave her some smarties, because of all the energy we were consuming with our bodies trying to stay warm and with as much as we were walking. When we got home, she was at 189, so she probably didn't need the smarties. However, it's hard take a blood sugar reading when your all bundled up, so I played it safe. She did run on the low side the rest of the night. 86 at 2 am, so she had a piece of bread and butter. She woke up at 113 this morning, so all of that exercise did help to keep her numbers down.
So glad Halloween is over...now just deal with ALL of this candy!

I Can't Believe How Much I've Missed!

I got a call last night that the computer was fixed and picked it up this morning. At the first opportunity of quiet, I jumped on and just couldn't believe all of the news that I've missed out on! I feel SO behind! My laundry is caught up, though, and my house has stayed cleaner! :)

Jada had a dr.'s appointment today with Dr. W. Just her well child check and all went well. We discussed her low blood sugar episodes and Dr. W told me to just adjust the insulin to carb ratio as we need to. And because Jada usually just eats cereal for breakfast, she suggested finding some ways to add some extra fiber to slow down absorption. I so wish I were more of a morning person...if I took the time to cook her breakfast so she could have some protein like eggs, it would probably be better for her. I just have such a hard time rolling out of bed in the morning. We also scheduled her next diabetic check up for 2 months from now and it's at that appointment that we'll begin our serious talks about a pump! Woohoo! I'm so ready!

It is good to be back and blogging again. Hopefully, I'll be able to respond to everyone's post soon. We've been enjoying 3 days straight of snowfall...just beautiful, powdery snow. The roads have been bad and people are driving like maniacs, but that's pretty typical for the beginning of the winter season. We'll get more snow on the roads and they won't be so slick and in a few days, everyone will be used to it again. Our highs have been around 25 and lows into the single digits. I think I saw that next week, we'll be dipping below zero at night. Time to plug the vehicle in! Ahhh.....gotta love the winters here!

My Computer is Down.....Reallly Down!

So....my computer crashed. Like...really crashed. I thought Macbooks were infallible....maybe not! I do still love it though! So...my dear friend Dellie let me jump on her computer tonight to check facebook and email and of course, my blog. I feel like my right arm or eye or ear has been cut off without my laptop! UGH! My house is cleaner, though.....hmm....must be a connection there somewhere!
So, we are still having some issues with Jada's blood sugar plummeting, but it usually happens midmorning, so I'm checking more frequently and just give her a decent snack between 9:30 and 10:00 am. I've cut back more on her insulin to carb ratio after every meal, because she is going to low almost every time. It's kind of wierd, almost as if her pancreas has kicked back in a little bit. She's enjoying the carbs right now, that's for sure! :)
All in all,things are going well. Jeff takes off in the morning to spend the week in Anchorage for training for work. I'm excited for him...the job is going well and he's really enjoying it. Life outside of the restaurant industry is just swell! Our weather is still incredibly warm for Alaska in late October...it was 47 degrees yesterday and around 40 today. We split, cut, delivered and stacked wood today. So thankful for warm weather to do it in.
Well...this needs to be a short one. Hopefully, I'll be able to check in later this week at some point. Adios amigas!

Craziness Update

On Monday, the craziness from the previous day continued. We did fine through Sunday night, and I don't remember what she woke up, but Jeff dosed her for breakfast. When it was time for lunch on Monday, at about 11:30, I checked her and she was 77. We were having spaghetti with alfredo sauce, so I went ahead and gave her Novolog, because she loves pasta and typically eats a ton of it. Only .5 unit, because it didn't even calculate out that she needed any, but typically she needs a little something, otherwise, she'll just skyrocket. We (no school on Monday- the kids were all home) all sat down together and not even 5 minutes later, she begins to complain about her tummy hurting. Then it spirals down from there.....she began to wobble in her seat and I jump up just in time to catch her from falling. She couldn't get food onto her fork and kept saying, "I can't eat, I can't eat". I grabbed some glucose tabs and a juice box and all the while, David is standing behind her, making sure she doesn't fall again. I test her....23. Not even 10 minutes had passed since the last reading. I was stunned. She recovered fairly quickly, but I kept a close eye on her and about an hour later, had to give her a snack of bread and butter before her nap because she certainly didn't have enough carbs in her to recover from the low AND to cover the insulin I gave her. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly.


This morning, we cut back on her insulin to carb ratio. We went from 1:10 to 1:12 and also cut the Lantus back to 3 units to 2.5 units. I also checked her at 9:30 am and she was at 148. Now...that's a very good number...but there was no way that she was going to make it to lunch. So I gave her a graham cracker (12g) and it helped a little....she was 85 at lunch. Lunch consisted of a hot dog, half a banana and cottage cheese. I didn't give her any insulin with lunch and an hour later she had risen to 149. She stayed right that range straight through her nap , waking up at 155. She had some cheese for a snack and I decided we just needed to what those numbers were going to do. When everyone got home from school, we checked again and she had dropped to 114. So, I gave her 2 sheets of graham crackers (24 g) and when I checked her at 5, she was at 189. We picked Jeff up from work and just before dinner at 6, the meter again read 189. Taco soup and corn chips for dinner, I think she had 19 grams of carbs total and it worked at to 1 unit of insulin. I gave it to her and then left to go lead the women's recovery group. When I got home 3 hours later, Jeff had already checked her again and she was 62. He had given her more graham crackers and marshmallows (gotta love Daddy- he gives the good sweet treats). I just checked her a minutes ago, and she had already dropped to 97. Now, I know that graham crackers don't have enough "stuff" to get her through the night....but I was hoping that it would last a little longer than it did.


So...we've dialed back the insulin some and we are checking her like crazy! Last night, I was spent...wiped out...ready to quit....and then God stepped in. I went to a Concert of Prayer last night- Jeff HIGHLY encouraged me to go--like nearly forced me out the door. I didn't want to, but knew that I needed to! I knew that if I went, that I would be a basket case of emotions and indeed, I was. There were about 12 people there and close to the end, our worship leader asked if anyone had any needs/concerns that needed prayed for. Of course, I didn't volunteer, but after we had prayed for a close friend, our pastor looked right at me and said "I think we need to pray for Jada" and I LOST it. They gathered around, layed their hands on me and prayed with all their might...for her healing, for Jeff and I as we try to manage this, for our other kids and for our recovery ministry. I had a release of emotions that was such a long time coming! I LOVE the people in our church and how they love our family....they truly are our "Alaska" family. When I got home, Jeff sent me to bed for some much needed sleep and took care of Jada through the night. First full nights sleep in a couple of weeks and I desperately needed it.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that God is good- ALL of the time, not matter what happens. His grace has been sufficient for me through this point and will ALWAYS be. I am content with that.

CrAzInEsS

The last 24 hours have been some of the craziest that we've had since her diagnosis. It all started when I forgot to give her Lantus at dinner time. ugh. She was on the low side...about 90....and having a grilled cheese to eat (12g), a small scoop of cottage cheese and a few baby carrots. I assumed that I just needed to treat this like her bedtime snack as well, seeing that it was 7 p.m. and she would be heading to bed within the hour. So, I didn't give her a shot of novolog...and it all calculated out that she didn't need any. Well, because I didn't give her novolog, the Lantus just slipped my mind, because I always combine the two.

She was in the mid-100's an hour later and I knew she would continue to go up some more, but it still hadn't hit that I'd forgotten the Lantus. At midnight, she was 350 and when I saw the number, I realized what I had done! Okay, what to do next? I had been wanting to switch her Lantus back to morning for this very reason....I've nearly forget every night! But if we do it in the morning, it just fits in our routine so much better. She eats breakfast at the same time and we don't have somewhere crazy to run off to. So, I decided to give her a correction and then would just wait til morning and give her the Lantus then. I had the brilliant plan of giving her half of the dose of Novolog that she normally would, because I was afraid she would crash on me. So, I give her a unit and decide to stay awake, just in case there are any problems. An hour later she was down to 141....so she was falling fast and I began to realize that this could be long night. :( Half an hour later, she was down to 78! Woke her up, gave her about 10 grams of carbs (hot chocolate) and she and I conked out on the couches. At close to 5, I woke up and checked her....67. Ugh. Juice box, then she and I went to bed.

I think Jeff told me that she woke up at 108. I'm not sure how much she had at breakfast, because Jeff did it all. So...off to church we go. I always check her before she heads to Sunday School and today she was 191. Perfect. 15 minutes before the service is over, Jada's Sunday School teacher runs into the theater (yes- our church meets in a movie theater) with Jada in her arms! Jada can hardly hold her head up....I run for her juice and check her while she's drinking it.....28. CRAP. I went ahead and gave her a granola bar, too, because I had the feeling that juice wasn't going to cut it.

I must say, I am SO glad that Miss Amy was her teacher today, because she is one of the most attentive, observant people that I know and she clued in on Jada quickly. She said that Jada suddenly became very quiet and the color was completely gone from her face. She grabbed Jada by the hand to bring her to us and Jada kept falling down, so she scooped her up and ran to get us. THANK YOU Miss Amy for your quick thinking! And I think it's time to send her meter and a snack with her to Sunday School!

So, I was thinking the drama for the day really should be over, but we have fought lows all day long. Even after eating pizza for lunch of all things! I even dosed her for half of what she should have and she still fell to 68. Grocery shopping at Wal-mart this evening turned into treating a low of 48 in the checkout line.

I'm tired tonight as I'm waiting to check her before I head to bed. I'm really hoping that she's on the high side, I will go crazy if I have another sleepless night! At least this time, if she is, I know that she's got that Lantus working to keep the numbers down.

I'm hoping for a much better night tonight!

Color Our World BLUE!

Who else is TIRED of this disease being misunderstood??? Of people thinking that insulin is a CURE???? Of the food police who say our kids can't eat SUGAR?? Or--that if we had just fed our kids right to begin with....they NEVER would have acquired diabetes!! It's time for some AWARENESS and that's what we're going to create!!
If you are even REMOTELY as frustrated about this as the rest of us, then it's time to step up and take some action. World Diabetes Day is November 14 and it's time to make some noise. Joanne - who is an amazing, blogging D-mom, is getting price quotes on t-shirts that will support this cause and that we can all wear together and stand in SOLIDARITY on November 14th. Head to her blog- Death of a Pancreas- and let her know that you are interested in a shirt. It's time to color the world BLUE!

D-O-N-E DONE!

DONE DONE DONE! I am DONE with insulin pens. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong with them. I'm following the instructions. I'm counting to 20- yes- TWENTY- after injecting her to make sure it all gets in her little body and insulin is STILL spilling onto her arm. And we are having horrible- awful- high numbers. Last night, she hung out in the 400's and woke up at 285. She came down to 155 at lunch, but after lunch she was 430! And...insulin spilled onto her arm even after I dosed her for half a unit more than she needed just in case that happened. We gave her a correction at snack time and she was down to 180 at dinner. What am I supposed to do...guess how much insulin made it inside and try to make up for it???
Sorry for my rant, but there is no NEED for these numbers. And it's NOT good for her. So there. That's it. I'm DONE.

It's the Weekend

Whew......made it through this week! Jeff has started his new job....working 8-5 Monday through Friday which is a huge change for us. In our 12 years of marriage he has never once had a Monday through Friday job! Do I miss the restaurant business??? NOPE! Not one bit! :)

I've also had a change in my routine as well. I'm now watching 2 sweet little ones....a little girl (age 2 1/2) and her baby brother (4 months) during the week. It's been a welcome change for me...I didn't realize just how much I missed having a baby around!!! So, I'm getting my baby fix and Jada has a playmate during the day while everyone else is at school!

On the D-front, things are just so-so. This last week hasn't been as frustrating as the week before, but she is consistently high- like really high- at her midnight check- which is what we were trying to keep from happening. I really wish we would just go back to how we were doing things, and we might. Jada has a well child check in two weeks and we'll be discussing that!

So, talking about those high numbers- last night was the worst she's had since I don't know when! I checked her at 11:30 and she was in the mid-200's. I decided to go to bed and then set my alarm for 2:00 am. I woke up at 1:30 to Jada at my bedside telling me that she's thirsty. So, we check---- 550!!! What???? I'm not sure what happened. We had pizza for dinner--so that may have done it. She's not had a problem with pizza in the past, but maybe it's something I need to be more careful of in the future. So, I gave her a correction and sent her back to bed. She woke up at 70...but has been tired and crabby all day. Funny.....so have I. ;)

In other news, the last few days we've had spectacular weather for October in Alaska. Nearly 60 degrees today...not too shabby for just being about 180 miles south of the Arctic Circle! We'll take it...because once it's gone....it's gone until the end of April.

Late Night Update

We are nearly at a week since we switched her Lantus dosage to night and I'm still not happy with the changes, but I'm not nearly as frustrated either. I have seen a gradual improvement in numbers and I've spent a lot of time thinking about what possibly could have gone wrong.
We've not changed the amount of Lantus that she's taking- just the time of day. I would have thought that after a few days, it would have straightened itself out. We also did 3- yes- count'em- 3- changes at the same time.

1. We moved the Lantus to evening.
2. We changed to the Novopen, Jr.
3. And.....we've changed to the Lantus pen.

And...I don't think I like the pens and I think the Novopen is causing some VERY high numbers after meal times. When I give her the shot of insulin from the pen, we ALWAYS have some leaking onto her arm and some is dripping out of the tip. I count to 10 (would go longer but are you kidding me? I can barely get her to sit still for that long!) and when I pull it out, I have to wipe the insulin off of her arm. Today, at lunch I dosed her for 35 grams of carbs- she ate only about 3/4 of it and when she woke up from her nap she was 421!! I ended up giving her a shot (syringe) for her snack and she was back down to 116 at dinner which ROCKS! :) That has been the consistent story with her and I really think these wacky high numbers are more due to her Novopen, Jr. than the switching to night.

Well- that's the short of it. I'm so tired I can hardly see the screen! Thank you ladies for your supposrt and encouragement!! Love you all!

I KNOW- NOT SUPPOSED TO BE D-BLOGGING BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS!

I'm beginning to think this Lantus switch to night thing IS A

NOT SO GOOD TERRIBLE VERY BAD IDEA!!!!!

Lantus at Night

We did it- got that Lantus switched over to night. Now- we'll watch those numbers over the next few days and see what happens. As I mentioned in my last post, she ran high all day yesterday and I just assumed that she would run high during the night as well, with things getting straightened out during the day today.

Yeah.

Right.

At her midnight check, she was in the low 60's. She was oh so tired and she refused to eat a slice of bread and butter- all I could get down her was a juice box- 15 grams. What do you do? I knew that she needed something more substantial than juice- but knew that I would be keeping a close eye on her and would be able to catch a crash.

Yeah.

Right.

I checked her 20 minutes later and she was on her way up- 146. I went to bed and set my alarm for two hours later- 2:30 am. She was 160. Good- I can sleep some more. 4:30 a.m. 155. Down a little, but not too much of a change. I thought- she's good. I can sleep til it's time for everyone to wake up.

Yeah.

Right.

Jada had crawled into bed with us at some point after her last check and when she heard Jeff get up- she did, too. About 7:30 am. I lay there and I could hear her meter beep as he took her blood sugar. !!46!! WHAT???

Maybe I should have woken up at 6 or 6:30 to check her again....maybe I should have checked her after I knew she was in bed with us. Who the heck knows....

I'm sure that changing things up did affect her. She wasn't very active yesterday- it's getting colder here and not as comfortable to play outside for extended periods of time.

Any how...after all that.....Jeff forgot to give her the morning dose of Novolog! :) We figured that part out about an hour after she ate and she had only climbed to 224. At lunch, she was down to 180- so we didn't mess up too badly.

Poor girl. I'm amazed at how she thrives in spite of us!

In Progress.......

Finally, after life getting in the way of switching Jada's Lantus dose from morning to night, we got it done this morning. She took 2 units of NPH this morning in place of Lantus at about 8 am with breakfast. I was nervous at first because you have to be on such a strict schedule with NPH, but by midmorning, I wasn't concerned about lows, because she wouldn't come out of the mid-300's!! Obviously, the NPH dosage wasn't enough. After her lunch time shot, she has slowly come down and at 4 pm was 205. She hasn't had numbers like that in such a long time and she obviously didn't feel well. We'll see how her numbers do the rest of the day. We'll give her the Lantus dosage tonight at bedtime and we should have better numbers tomorrow.

I'll let you know.........

What a Day!

Today was to have been the day that we switched Jada's Lantus to an evening dosage. I had hoped to do it on Friday, but our dr. was out of town and she wanted to be available if there were any probems. Have I mentioned that I really like our new dr.? :) So, we agreed that today was it and that Jada would wake up and have a dose of NPH to get her through the day until bedtime, when we would give her the usual dose of Lantus. However, Jeff quickly reminded me that there was just NO WAY we would be able to make the switch today- because we were crazy busy! So what did we do today?

Two birthday parties, a wedding and a celebratory dinner for a friend who has accomplished one year of sobriety! Whewwww.........yes I'm tired tonight! Plus, we sold a vehicle and Jeff sold and delivered one cord of wood before we headed to the wedding.

Eli and David headed off to a birthday party for a friend from church. Swimming and waterslides at a local pool (obviously indoor!) then pizza and cake. Jeff and I didn't attend this one, but obviously, I had to drop them off and pick them up- just adding some craziness to the day.

Then- the girls and I took the van (we sold it because Jeff needs a truck) to the buyer's house where Jeff was unloading the cord of wood we also sold to them. Then off to the wedding.

At church last week, my friend Donna pulled me aside to tell me that she and her fiance had got their marriage license and that today would be the big day. I felt so honored because she was inviting just a few of her friends to witness the exchange of vows. So- I got to keep a wonderful secret this week! And at 1 pm today, I stood outside with Donna and Jim, a few of their friends and Donna's children and watched them become life partners. We were on the Parks Highway at a lookout over the Tanana River Valley. It was 30 degrees and snowing but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Mary Beth and Jada were invited to our neighbor girl's birthday party. It was held at the bowling alley on the campus of the University of Alaska/Fairbanks-- we got there late but had a great time. We love our neighbors and feel so blessed to have good ones! Jada's blood sugar cooperated well and I was so glad that I could let her have pizza and cake without fretting about how her numbers would end up later Jeff and I ended up playing a game of bowling and I discovered that I should just really stick to bowling on the Wii! :)

Then, tonight, I was priveleged to attend a dinner at my favorite restaurant (The Pumphouse!). A bunch of gals from church gathered together to celebrate one year of sobriety for our friend Theresa! What a privilege to celebrate her victory and affirm her!

It was an incredibly busy day, but it was oh-so-good! I'm amazed at the people that God has brought into my life and feel so blessed. And...Jada's Lantus switch is on the docket for Monday now! :)

A1C, New Dr., Some Changes

I was at McDonald's with Jada this afternoon when Jeff called me and said, "6.8". My first thought was- earthquake??? We have had some shaking going on here lately, but I would have noticed an earthquake of that magnitude!!! He repeated himself and said rather loudly--"Jada's A1C!" I almost dropped the phone! I wasn't expecting THAT! I was thinking it would be somewhere in the 7's. So- yes happy with the A1C- and Dr. W overall was very encouraging, but said that she would like to see her more in the 7-8 range because she is still so young and those low blood sugars can be so hard on a little body.

Speaking of Dr.'s- we obviously have a new one. We'll call her Dr. W. Being as we live in a "remote" area, there are no endocrinologists in Fairbanks and no pediatric endos in Alaska period. The closest endo is 6 hours away- which could be an option for us if we weren't happy with our options here. Dr. W is a pediatrician who has taken on Type 1 Diabetes as her "specialty" and she really impressed me on our first visit. She's very thorough- asked me lots of questions about our life, routine, eating habits, and very carefully looked through Jada's blood sugar logs. I was SO glad to see that she loves what she does and takes it very seriously. She was great with Jada, too. Jada is always shy in new situations and Dr. W took it very slowly with her.

We are making a couple of changes that I'm excited about! We are going to start doing her Lantus at night rather in the morning. One of my frustrations has been our middle of the night checks. If Jada isn't at last 200 at midnight- she'll wake up dangerously low. She may be 271 or 300 at midnight and still wake up only at 70. If she is under 200 at her midnight check, I give her a juice box, because it would be disastrous if I didn't. Her daytime numbers are overall very good, so Dr. W didn't want to change the dosage- just the time she takes her dose of Lantus and hopefully, it will help in the way that she is peaking and falling quickly. In order to do the transition, we'll have to do one day on NPH. I'm going to pick a day next week that we don't have a lot going on and do it then, because I am little nervous about it- just because it's "change"!
We are also going to start using the NovoPen Jr. for her Novolog. Dr. W gave us a NovoPen and I should be able to start using the pen after I pick up all of Jada's prescriptions in the next day or two. It's going to be so much easier to just "dial" the right dose and move on. Fewer syringes to deal with, too!

Last but not least--the pump!! I talked with Dr. W about it yesterday and she was in agreement that Jada would do great on a pump. She would like some time to get to know us and Jada before she'll go ahead and prescribe one- which is perfectly okay with me. She indicated her time line would be in 3-6 months. I guess it's time for me to start doing my research on pumps-- at last! :)

So- I'm feeling pretty good tonight. I LIKE knowing that my sleepless nights and frustrating days are paying off. I LIKE knowing that Jada is doing great and that even though those numbers tend to bounce around ALOT- that she is, over all, a healthy little girl. Most of all- I LIKE knowing that we haven't let diabetes control our life. My little girl is a testament to that!

In Wendy's words--- "TAKE THAT- DIABETES!!" (whack)"AND THAT!" (punch) "AND THAT!!!!" (karate chop)

Silly Paranoid Rant

So...lately I've been paranoid that Jada has celiac disease. I know it's quite common among Type 1's and maybe I just feel like I'm waiting for the hammer to fall somewhere else. She's never had a screening done and I really think we need to.
Now...I'm not seeing any signs--all of her BM's look "normal" (sorry if I gross anyone out), she doesn't get bad tummy aches but I think what got me to thinking was her rate of growth. And of course, I've compared her to Mary Beth, who is built different and has grown several inches in the past couple of months. Jada has been wearing the same size of clothes FOREVER (4T) and I have kept wondering when the heck she was going to get a growth spurt. About a month ago, I had her try on a pair of 5T jeans and they were way too long. Tonight, I had her try them on again and they fit- perfectly! Finally. I was so relieved.
So...I know this all sounds pathetic and obviously, I can't diagnose her by looking at her poop! I'm just amazed at how my mind can take something and just run with it! All this to say, she has an appointment (finally!) in 2 weeks with our new doctor and I'm going to ask them to do a screening-- just so I know for sure and I can either get it out of my mind or deal with it if I need to.
Okay. I feel much better.

Kind of.

End of Summer/Start of School Pics

Happy Birthday Eli! 9 years old!

David's first year of playing football! He's done AMAZING!

The summer of '09 will go down as one of the smokiest in the history of Fairbanks due to wildfires surrounding the town!

This is what it looks like when blogging friends meet for the first time! Welcome to Alaska Rocksee and Hubs!! SO happy you are here!

The Tanana Valley State Fair signals the end of summer for Fairbanksans and ALWAYS brings rain!

My boys are up there somewhere!

This is as exciting as it got for the girls! :)

First day of school for the boys!

And.....a week later, first day of school for Mary Beth!

We could hardly get her to say goodbye to us!

End of the first day....she had a blast!

Seasons, Numbers and Change

The lazy, crazy days of summer in the north are over and FALL! Yes- fall has already arrived. Our leaves are changing and our highs most days barely make it to the lower 60's. Lots of rain. And I'm loving it! Yes, summer is short here and our fall is way shorter than most, but after a summer of smoke and record heat, I'm happy about it.

Summer here is crazy- sunny, late nights and little sleep make for wacky blood sugars! I have dealt with what seems like a TON of late night low blood sugars.....like in the 40s and 50s and we are suddenly dealing again with a mid-morning spikes that are just way out of range. The late night lows I think are due to eating dinner too late, then is too high to have a snack before bed and then when I check her at midnight, she's too low. Her mid-morning spikes have occurred for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, she wakes up on the low side and starving, so we don't always wait 20 minutes before she eats. That will do it nearly every time. Or we've woken up late, breakfast late and then is spiking when it's time to eat lunch. This summer has been a huge reminder to me how important a schedule is in order to keep Jada's numbers in range.


Change has occurred in a big way for our family this year! We have mostly homeschooled our kids- with the boys doing both public and homeschool. The plan had been for David to go the our neighborhood elementary school, Eli to private school and I would homeschool Mary Beth.

The week before school started and I was beginning to work on Mary Beth's curriculum, I just had the biggest knot in my stomach. I just didn't feel right about it- which is strange to me. So, I began to pray about it and just was not feeling any peace about it. I think my long days of being home alone with the kids have finally caught up to me and I am desperately needing a break. There's a whole lot more to it than that, but that's all I'll say for now. :)

So....with the instability of Jeff's job, it was quickly decided that private school for Eli wouldn't be the wisest financial decision that we could make. All three of them are in our neighborhood school and so far, we very happy with our decision. I miss them SO much, but they are doing great!

That's the short of it. With our schedule getting back on track, hopefully more blogging will come along with that. Be on the look out for more pictures of our beautiful Alaska summer in the next few days!

Quiet....for a Few Minutes

The house is quiet for a little while. Jeff has taken the four kiddos to pick up the now repaired lawn mower and to take David to football practice. I thought I was going to lose my mind several times today as my children just have had a hard time getting along with each other and making messes that they don't want to clean up. Today is one of those days that I would just like to take off and not come back until I felt like it---which may not be until next week!

Part of the reason today has gone poorly is the lack of sleep that I had last night. With no shot at dinner time-BG 155- (after an extremely active day and eating approximately 30 grams of carbs for dinner plus a tootsie roll and half a tootsie pop) Jada went to bed at 10 pm with her BG at 189. No snack because I just wasn't sure which way she was going to go. At her midnight check she was 54!! How in the heck that happened I'll never know. It just seems if she is on the go, she burns up that blood sugar almost faster than insulin could! She was hard to wake up- scared me- and I finally managed to get her to wake up for some glucose tabs and then a glass of chocolate milk. Needless to say, I couldn't get to sleep. I finally just brought her into bed with me and just knowing that I could listen for her breathing and put my arm around her was enough for me to finally relax. She woke up at 101 (yay!) and has had great numbers all day.

We are in a bit of turmoil with Jeff's job. Seems like there is always some sort of drama in our life- which I am totally tired of ! :) He went to work for these people knowing that the restaurant was messed up and that the investment company really didn't have a good understanding of what it takes to run a good restaurant. As the summer has gone on, time has revealed just exactly what kind of people these folks are, which is less than desirable. I really can't go into details, but we are beginning to wonder if they are going to be able to keep the doors open. Jeff has more than done his part- the restuarant was losing thousands of dollars a month (like $80 grand) and Jeff has brought it to turning a profit in 3 months time- but they are STUPID when it comes to how they spend their money. He's been working approximately 70 hours a week and yet, the home office just can't get their stuff together. We would appreciate any prayers as we walk our way through this. We don't want to just up and quit- but don't know how much longer he can continue to work this kind of schedule. It's draining all of us!

Prayer Request Update

It's very late-way past bed time- but thought I would give an update on my previous requests for prayer.
Sienna- the MRI was inconclusive- the shadow they saw on the cat scan was possibly a pool of blood which could have come from hitting her head pretty hard. Right now, she's doing fine- no more seizures. She has a follow up MRI in a few weeks to see if it has dissolved.
Dellie- Her surgery was successful! They ended up operating on both of her eyes because the retina on her right eye was showing early signs of beginning to detach. A few weeks of lots of rest and the doc says she should be good to go. We're looking forward to helping out them in the next few weeks with meals, helping with the kids and whatever else needs done.

Prayer Requests

It's one of those nights....I'm super tired....but my brain is rattled. I have a couple of prayer requests.
One of Jeff's cousins has a sweet little girl around the same age as my boys. Her name is Sienna and her mama's name is Mary. Today, Sienna had a seizure and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. A cat scan revealed a "shadow" on her brain. There was an MRI done as well and the results will be read in the morning. Please pray for her mama, who has had a great deal of burdens to bear in her life and just when things seemed to be looking up for them, this happens. It's so hard to understand these kinds of things, especially when they are so little.
One of my dearest best friends is on her way to Anchorage tonight for emergency surgery. The retina in her left eye is detaching and if it comes completely detached, they most likely won't be able to save it and she will be blind in that eye. Over the weekend, she noticed some loss in her peripheral vision and called for an appointment yesterday. Her name is Dellie-- she is actually our pastor's wife and is an amazing woman. She has five children ranging in ages from 13 all the way down to 1. I'm feeling helpless, too, because of having company here this week and I'm so limited at this point in what I can do.
Thanks friends, for praying.

So Proud

The following article is about my Grandpa, Bill Scott. He served courageously in World War II with the United States Marine Corp. So often, veterans have difficulty sharing their war experiences with others as they are extremely painful and it's a part of their lives that they would rather leave behind. I was fortunate to have a grandfather who openly shared with us his time serving during World War II. He would often bring out his war memorabilia and talk with us about what it was like to pull one grenade after another in order to stay alive. As he got older, he was invited repeatedly to our local high school to share with students his experiences. Part of his story was even published in a book called "Killing Ground on Okinawa- The Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill" by James H. Hallas. In about 10 days, my Grandpa is flying to Washington, D.C. with a host of other veterans to see the World War II memorial- an all expense paid trip. This is the first article which will appear in my hometown newspaper, with the second part appearing at a later date.

Lenox World War II Veteran Will Take Honor Flight To DC
(First of a two-part article)
By Ben French

“There were 200 and some Japanese laying there, dead. When it was all over, I was the only one left,” Bill Scott, July, 2009.

On August 11, Bill Scott along with 350 World War II veterans will be taking an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. HyVee has pledged $250,000 to the Honor Flight program so that veterans could see the World War II Memorial.

William (Bill) Nelson Scott will register for the Iowa Honor Flight sometime after 1PM on August 10 at the Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa. Then, after a pre-flight dinner at the HyVee Conference Center that evening, he will set his alarm clock to awaken for a 2:30AM continental breakfast and a 6:30AM Northwest 747 airplane ride to Dulles airport. From there it will on to the World War II Memorial, the Korean, Viet Nam and Iwo Jima memorials and the Arlington National Cemetery. Later, he is scheduled to depart Dulles Airport at 8:30PM to arrive back in Des Moines at 10:30PM.

Two full days for an 89 year old World War II veteran who was said to have nine lives. In his written recollections, Bill writes: John Eason told my wife and I they were considering not to put me into another squad because too many times I was the only survivor.

Bill got his draft notice in 1944 and he went to Bedford to board a bus to Des Moines where he would take his physical examination. “When I got on the bus, I told my parents to be ready for a wedding,” Bill said. Bill wanted to be assigned to the Navy, but a Marine recruiter called out his name. Bill would be a Marine. “The next thing I knew, I was sworn in,” Bill said. “The troop train that took us to San Diego was so old that one train car had a sign that said not to shoot buffalo from the window.”

Bill wrote that the drill instructors were experts in discipline and that they would take the fat off the fat ones and put muscle on the skinny ones. He also talked about the quick haircuts they all received. From 5AM the hours were crowded with drills, classes and training with rifles.

When Bill returned from boot camp, his words to his parents came true as he and Doris Klinzman were married. The newly married couple set up housekeeping in Oceanside, California. Bill was in advanced training at Camp Pendleton where he was trained to be a machine gunner. Their time together was short as Christmas joy turned to farewell. Bill writes that At Christmas we were put on a ship to Guadalcanal. The name of it was Sea Bass and it had 6,000 marines on it. There were 5,999 sick marines on it. What a mess. One day I found a dry place to sit down and read a little. All of a sudden I felt something. A fellow behind me threw up.

After a week or so they arrived in Guadalcanal. Bill was assigned to K Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Regiment of the 6th Division of the Marine Corps.

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, Bill was on a landing craft. He attended a religious service and he had his little Bible that had a steel plate on the cover. They landed on the red beach at Okinawa next to the Yon Tan airfield at 8:30AM. It was an Easter dawn, recalled Bill, that was hailed by the crash of guns of 1,000 ships, the largest war fleet ever to sail with the heavy artillery of battle ships and cruisers. Japanese planes came and 5 of the planes were shot down. Bill relates that he had his rifle safety on and that he was going to leave it on until he saw the enemy shoot at them. “We were crossing the Yon Tan Airfield when a guy was sitting on a tank and there was a shot and he fell. I took my safety off,” Bill said.

K Company was proceeding up a ravine when they encountered Japanese and a brief firefight took place and many of the Japanese were killed. When they had a chance to rest and take off their heavy packs, Bill discovered a bullet had hit his pack. A fellow marine named Wooten told him he was baptized by fire and Bill let loose a few colorful words, but he never repeated those words again.

The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the United States Armed Forces, the more than 400,000 who died and all who supported the war effort from home. The memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice and commitment of the American people.

The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004 and was dedicated on May 29, 2004. The memorial is located in Washington, D.C., on 17th Street between Constitution and Independence Avenues. It is flanked by the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nationally recognized newsman, Tom Brokaw has written that “this is the greatest generation any society has produced.”

There will be more on this brave veteran in the next edition of the Lenox Time Table.