When it rains, it pours...

We spent a rainy, but fantastic, week at the coast for our Spring Break. We drove on the beach to a great area for finding whole sand dollars...I think only a couple were found this time. The coolest part of our beach trip was the baby seal who was left on the shore by the tide. He, or she, had such a difficult time getting back into the surf and was so tired. The baby seal was adorable!

The highlight of our week was checking out Fort Clatsop and Fort Columbia with our family and friends. The kids became Junior Rangers at Fort Clatsop and enjoyed checking out the place Lewis & Clark spent the winter. We learned a lot! I think the kids enjoyed Fort Columbia even more though. It was a military fort (though it saw no action) and the kids were able to explore all the bunkers and outbuildings.

Kylie at Ft. Clatsop Interpretive Center

Kelsey at Ft. Clatsop Interpretive Center

Cassie being sworn in as a Junior Ranger

Our Crew at Ft. Clatsop

Unfortunately, my camera had run out of batteries by the time we reached Fort Columbia.

On Tuesday, we learned that Kylie's lab results indicated she had Celiac Disease. It is totally cureable with a gluten-free diet. We will be scheduling an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis soon. Kelsey already has one scheduled for the end of April because her lab results indicate it as well (though they are only a quarter of what Kylie's are). I'm happy we know why her tummy has been hurting. I'm thrilled that it's cureable. I am not thrilled about going gf. I'm going to have to really become skillfull at planning and organizing meals, which I am not so great at. Meals at our house are often quick and easy because of how busy we are with sports. I know we'll survive. What breaks my heart, though, is the thought that she won't be able to enjoy the birthday parties and other social events the way that other kids will...those birthday cupcakes that everyone brings to school will be off limits. If Kelsey's diagnosis goes the same way, at least she won't be alone. They have always been the best of friends, and now they may be Celiac Sisters!

Let's just say...I'm ready for a little sunshine!

Girls Getaway: A weekend of surprises!

This last weekend, the girls and I had a fabulous time of rest, relaxation and surprises (not counting our travel...more on that later). I so enjoyed the time we spent with my Mom, Sister, Foster-Nieces, Aunt, Cousin, Grandma, Great Aunt, and Great Grandma. (It was quite a gathering of women from my father's side of the family.) My aunt generously provides the place for these gatherings and they are always wonderful.

The girls' attention and desire was for the indoor pool and the hot tub on our back deck. They thoroughly enjoyed the swimming and soaking. On Saturday, there was talk of a horse ranch. Apparently, my great aunt knew a lady who owned a ranch where they rescued horses and used those horses to help hurting children. Kim Meeder (author of Hope Rising and owner of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch) had offered an invitation to my great aunt to come out to see the ranch sometime. Guess what we did? =)

An Unexpected Surprise
We headed on over to the ranch and were thrilled to see all of the adorable outbuildings and the corrals full of horses. It seemed no one was home so we just pet the horses and walked around a bit. As we were about to leave, Kim and her husband, Troy, drove out in a 4-wheeler loaded with alfalfa to feed the horses. They greeted us and asked the girls if they'd like to join them to help feed the horses. It was an opportunity they, of course, couldn't pass up! When they returned, we thanked Kim and Troy, and they graciously offered the girls an opportunity to ride sometime. As we left, it was an absolute delight to listen to the girls gush with excitement as they retold the rescue stories of these horses. What an incredible and unexpected surprise...definitely the girls' highlight of the weekend!  Check out the ranch at http://www.crystalpeaksyouthranch.org/, and her book, Hope Rising, full of stories about these rescued horses and the children they help!

A Few Unwelcome Surprises
Oh, and about the traveling part. That was quite exciting too...snow and windstorms! We hit packed snow on the highway while driving over the mountain (which, by the way, makes me a total basket case) and drove through an awful windstorm on the way home. A power-line actually snapped and sparked when it hit the ground just a short distance ahead of us. Thank you Lord for our safe travels!

Another unwelcome surprise: Cassie's high fever. Took her to Urgent Care immediately upon returning home because my thermometer read 104.5!!! It doesn't look like strep, so we're just treating the fever and will return in 2 days if it hasn't gone away.

A Thoughtful Surprise
Did I mention I received a Kindle this weekend? My mom and sister surprised me with my very own Kindle on Friday. I was shocked! What a sweet and thoughtful surprise.

A Hoped-For Surprise
We also got the news this weekend that my uncle's MRI scan showed NO CANCER! The oncologist is optimistic that he has completely beat it. That's got to be the best news all weekend. God is so good!

It's definitely been a weekend full of surprises. Thanks Aunt Julie, Mom & Crystal!

Wonder what next week has in store? =)

Household Happenings

I have nothing profound to write, but didn't want to neglect this blog. So, an update is what you get. 


We are just about to wrap up basketball season. It's been pretty exciting for everyone except Kelsey. Cassie has proven herself an aggressive player with numerous steals and rebounds. She's made quite a few points too! While I've been coaching Cassie's team, Scott has been coaching Kylie's team. Kylie has actually surprised us all with her overall knowledge of the game and the eye she has for the court. She's doing great! Not sure how we'll manage to coach Kelsey's team next year...we'll see. =)

Softball season is about to start...not sure we're ready. It seems like basketball seasons are far less commitment. Softball comes in and takes over our lives. Cass has just recently started pitching. Not sure if it's something we'll really get into or not, but right now she's having fun. Kylie and Cassie will be on the same team this year, while Kelsey will remain on her team from last year...she's just too small to stand up against those 10 and 11 year old pitchers. I'll be helping out with her team again this year. I'm excited to have all the fun without the big responsibilities that we had last year as head coaches. Though softball season brings stress and chaos, I gotta say...I'm looking forward to gettin' out on that field. There's nothing like a sunny day of softball. Now we just need the sun!

On another note, there have been quite a few posts on this blog about Little D. Thought you all could use an update. Crystal is trying to adopt her, but there are many obstacles that stand in the way (parental rights need to be terminated, relatives need to decline the option of taking her in, and an Indian tribe needs to release her). Right now, the only sure thing is that we have her until her next court date in August. In the meantime, we'll love on her and pray for her whole situation.

As you can imagine, our days are filled with family, friends, sports, and church. Hope you are enjoying the glimpses of Spring!

Just a note:
*I'm getting better about my use of exclamation marks. Did you notice? I went in and edited 7 of them out before I posted this. Scott will be so proud of me!  =)

Long Time No Blog

I realize I have completely neglected this blog. I started it with such great intentions. ; )

As many of you know, we have been extremely busy with life. We're in the midst of basketball season right now. I'm coaching Cassie's 4th grade team and Scott is assistant coaching Kylie's 3rd grade team. Poor Kelsey has to play spectator and practice partner for a lot of basketball right now! Actually, I think it's good that Cassie and Kylie are a focus right now. (Though never fear, we are NOT neglecting Kelsey!)

I've actually started a Diabetes blog about our life with Kelsey's disease. I've found that the blogosphere is a source of rich encouragement and information. The Diabetic Online Community (DOC) is very active and I wanted to be a part of that. If you're interested in learning about our journey with type 1 diabetes, you can find our blog here: www.cherishedchildren.blogspot.com. The great thing about our D-blog, is that it can keep this blog fairly D-free (I say "fairly", cuz I'm about to hit ya with some important D-info)!

While I won't dedicate anymore posts on this blog strictly to Type 1 Diabetes, I do want to share just a few things about T1D. I do this only because I feel I have neglected my job to educate others about T1D. In order to spread awareness for all those living with T1D, I want to clear up a few common misconceptions...

*Neither we, nor Kelsey, did or neglected to do anything that caused her to get T1D. It is an auto-immune disease in which the body attacks its own pancreas. Her pancreas is no longer producing insulin the way ours do. It is not caused by lack of exercise or a poor diet.
*Insulin is her life support. There is no way to treat it with diet or exercise (as some in the non-medical field claim). Type 2 can sometimes be treated this way, but NOT Type 1. Kelsey has to pump or inject insulin to stay alive!
*This is NOT something she will outgrow or something that will eventually cure itself. She will have this until a cure is found.
*Her care requires full-time monitoring! She checks her blood glucose levels multiple times a day and we even get up to check her numbers a couple times in the middle of the night. We also have to account for everything she eats (carbs, fiber, and protein). It's not easy!

I'm sure that many of you already know this information. For those who don't, now you do! It is so important for Kelsey that everyone knows these things because when people don't, they make judgments that children with T1D do not need to live with. They have enough to deal with already! We always welcome questions and are happy to provide you with more information. Anyway, thanks for being sensitive to and for her!

We love you guys and thanks for your support!

Extras...
-Wow, I used a lot of exclamation marks in this post!!!
-Below is a video that a fellow D-Mom put together about the crazy things people say to parents with children who have Type 1 Diabetes. It's sad, but funny!