My sweet Oma

I'm leaving for Texas in the am...gonna go love on my Oma!!! Oma??? No, it's not a disease!!! Oma means Grandmother in German...which she is...my grandmother & German!!! She is an amazing woman & still sharp as a tack at her tender age of 93!!! I can't wait to hear her spunk & see her sweet face!! She will amaze you with her mind & feistiness!!! Hmmm? I know she didn't pass that down to me! This woman is a big part of who I am today!!! My brother & I used to spend a great deal of time with her & my Papa, in their sweet little town of Smithville, TX (where Hope Floats was filmed, plus a new movie with Brad Pitt that hasn't been released). My grandparents have loved this town & this town has loved them back. They were quite the movers & shakers in their day and everyone knew/knows them!!!! I am proud to call them my grandparents & so thankful for the many incredible memories that I have for them & this adorable little town. You know the kind...one stop light...maybe. I always found it funny that they had a "Dairy King" & a "Burger Queen". My Oma, however, does not know that I am coming & I hope that she is just as excited by the surprise as I am!!! Plus, I have the bonus of seeing my Mom & brother. My brother just moved to Austin from a multi-year stint in San Diego & now he wants mine & my mom's help decorating his new pad. This should be fun!!!! We 3 Musketeers haven't been together, just the 3 of us in way too many years. I have a feeling there will be plenty of laughter & plenty of movies!!! Can't wait!!!! See ya'll when I get back!!!!!

Oma entered me into their local Jamboree each year & made some amazing costumes! We usually won!!!

Bachelor, baby

Exciting!!!!! How fun was this week? More girls go & fewer stay! I just wish that Jake would've listened to the girl with the green eye shadow (who knew they still made that color)...she knows what she's talking about!!! It was pretty wild to watch so many go home unexpected this week. Maybe he is there for the right reasons!? I'm beginning to say "hmmm?" Is this for ratings? Is it really scripted? I sure hope not!! Say it ain't so!!! I sure hope the spoilers are wrong...however, so far, everything has happened just as predicted. We'll just have to keep watching & see what exciting things happen next at the "most dramatic rose ceremony ever"!!!

Birthin' babies

Today started out with a phone call...the kind of phone call I live for!! Kristi was in labor & I was on my way!!!! Woo Hoo!!

For those of you who know me, know that I am somewhat of a pregnancy stalker. I loved pregnancy & I love pregnant women & their families. I was very thankful that Kristi had removed the restraining order just in time for me to help with the baby. I LOVE birthin' babies!!!! For me, it is such a blessing & an absolute treat that couples allow me to share in this most special of days! I thoroughly enjoy myself!!! The day passes in a flash (for me)...shhh, don't tell the mom in labor I said that!

This day was especially special, as this was one of our very 1st babysitters having her 1st baby! Now my kids can babysit for her...how bizarre is that? Kristi has been in our lives as long as I can remember & she is absolutely precious...we LOVE her!!! Andrew's not too bad either! :0) I love this sweet couple & know they are going to be amazing parents together!!!

Baby Adelaide (Addy) Grace was born today!!!! She weighed 7 lbs & 7 ozs!! And, if you know Kristi...you wonder where in the world did Addy fit??? Congratulations, Kristi & Andrew!!! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this joyous occasion!! Love ya'll!!!

JDRF awards

This past Tuesday we were invited to the JDRF Awards banquet where we received 2 awards...Best t-shirt & Gold Achievement Award (teams that raised over $5000). We were very excited as this is only our 2nd year to participate & we have won these 2 awards both years. The t-shirt award really belongs to our friend Marian Gilbert, who takes my ideas & turns them into perfection!!! Thank you, Marian!!! We only get braggin' rights...but, hey...braggin' rights is braggin' rights!!! For this competitive girl, I'll take it!!!!

the winning t-shirts on the day of the walk

Why I'm not posting

I know that you have been lying awake at night wondering..."Why hasn't Missy been posting?" "What did she think about this week's Bachelor? American Idol? Chuck?" "Where is she?" Don't fret! Have no fear...I'm here!!! However, a bit banged up!

Last Saturday I was "wrastlin" gators & just before the death roll.....OR, I tripped over one of our ankle height dogs. Whichever you believe is fine! I put the pain off for several days & finally went in for an x-ray on Tuesday. I have what they believe to be a snuff-box fracture. The only bad thing about this particular injury is that the break usually takes 2 weeks to show up on x-ray. My x-ray looked fine initially, but with all the symptoms & the way in which it was injured led them to believe it is, in fact, broken. I will go back in 2 weeks & have it re-evaluated...in the mean time, I get to wear this fun temporary cast. It is hard & molded to my arm, however, I can remove it to take showers & stuff. Don't cry...I'll be fine!

This injury, of course, did not keep me from partaking in my usual television indulgences! I loved Chuck...that show makes me giggle...I LOVE Chuck!!! American Idol made me scratch my head at some of the people who show up for this show...are you kidding me? No more tiptoeing through the tulips for me & I will most definitely not be wearing my pants on the ground!!!! Now, onto Bachelor Hubba Hubba...I applaud you, Jake!!!! You killed 2 birds with one stone...you got rid of the gamer/tease & the bunny boiler all in one fell swoop!!! Yeehaw! Well done!!! I can't wait to see the upcoming weeks...even though I read a spoiler of who wins. I sure hope the spoilers are wrong!!!! This past week has also seen the return of Project Runway...see I told ya, if it's a reality show, I'm probably watching it!!! I have DVR'd 24 & haven't had the chance to watch it yet, but I'm pretty sure Jack Bauer is in some impossible situation in which he only has 24 hours to solve. All this while being disavowed & having to save the world secretly & out of the eyes of the law. Or, something like that! And, I absolutely can't wait for the return of Burn Notice tonight!!! I can't wait to ride along with Michael, Fi, & Sam this season...another show that's cool & makes me giggle!

Just FYI...I don't ignore my family to watch these shows. As most of you know, I am unable to go to bed before 3am (due to diabetes stuff) every night...so, I DVR everything & watch it all after my peeps are in bed. Once again, don't fret!

trouble posting comments

apparently people are having difficulties posting to the blog...1st you need a google account (username, etc) & for some reason you need to submit the comment a 2nd time. for some reason it never takes it the first time, but if you click it again, it takes it. don't ask me...i dunno?!

Frousins

ok, so here goes my first "guest blogger" post on Home Sweet Home! i am cindy, missy's sister-in-law. so, yes, that means i grew up as the little sister of the famous michael avant - the weirdest, funniest brother a girl could have (have you seen his dance moves??). clearly, missy and i are uniquely linked through this guy. sometime i'll tell the story, complete with pictures, about my first impressions of missy and how we became more than family, but friends.

however, today's post started with an after school conversation between me and my 3 kiddos last week. we were talking about friends. my 10 year old daughter tori said, "my very first friend in the whole world was haley". and i got to thinking, she's right!



as you can see by the pic above, tori and haley hit it off right from the start. as they got older, they started calling each other on the phone for long talks, and every visit was filled with LOTs of girl fun. missy and i love it when our families get together because it's so easy for us. the girls disappear and we don't hear from them again until they're hungry! here is a precious shot of T and H reading with papa.



lest we leave out the boys, let me be sure and mention that tate and lee have their own history. an adventure filled history of father/son campouts and many, many games - those are two gamer boys for sure. here is a cute little boy pic of those two. my how they've changed since then!



interestingly, my family and michael and missy's family consists of an oldest boy, followed by 2 daughters. and with their ages close enough to foster friendship, over the years, we have named them The Frousins. more than cousins, more than friends...frousins! it has been so fun to watch the group dynamic change, especially with the girls. first it was just haley and tori. then came julia. you might think the older girls would exclude the newcomer, but i have always been so impressed with the way haley and tori generously include the younger girls.



and the Frousins live on...now completed by emma, who has been welcomed with open arms by H, T, and J. i have heard talk that one day we will eat in a restaurant named Frousins. i've also heard that one day we'll go see a great chick band in concert: The Frousins. for now, i think we'll stick with frousin princess parties, frousin barbie marathons, frousin swimming, frousin mountain trips, frousin beach trips, and so on....but i for one am secretly hoping that the chick band thing works out too!

didn't think cindy would mind, but i just thought i'd add a couple of my favorite frousin pics, too! m

look carefully...how many girls do you see asleep in this bed? hint...4

Our DAD in training!

Our sweet Goliath has been in training these past couple of weeks & can't wait for him to come next month for our trial run!!! He will be joining us for the Valentine's weekend! In the mean time, he has been training away in various locations, circumstances, & scents. We have been storing Emma's scent & are now shipping them to California for Goliath & his trainer Crystal to be working with her particular scent. How do we send scent, you ask? Whenever Emma is "low" (blood sugar below 70...normal is 70-120), she gets to chew on a piece of gauze to get her saliva all over it...then we place it in a container, then a ziploc freezer bag, & then freeze it. After we have gathered many samples, we then overnight to Cali. Pretty cool, huh? Goliath will know Emma's scent before he has ever actually laid nose on her! Have I mentioned lately how AMAZING these dogs are?

Goliath with Ashley (Crystal's daughter) at a street fair in Palm Springs.

Crystal has been so great with his training, even though we may have freaked her out a little bit after she saw one of my family pictures on Facebook. Goliath LOVES toys...any & all kinds of toys. Well, Crystal happened to see a picture of Emma on her bed surrounded by stuffed animals (those are just the ones she sleeps with). However, Goliath LOVES stuffed animals!! How will Goliath, Emma, & the stuffed animals be able to co-exist in the same bed? Crystal to the rescue!! Unfortunately for poor Goliath, he is having to endure some doggie torture!! She says he is doing great!

OK, now for your daily dose of "Missy crazy". I have been praying diligently about our DAD & asking for wisdom in our choices. I have waffled between Goliath, or a puppy to be trained by us, or a puppy to be trained by someone qualified. I have felt good about all options & really don't want to mess this up. (Wait for it...the crazy is coming!) I have often wished that God would just skywrite the answers to my prayers so that I won't miss His answers (I can be a bit thick). Of course, He hasn't quite done that. But... (here it comes) It's no secret that I watch a little show called the Bachelor...well...on last weeks episode, Bachelor Hubba Hubba took some girls on a group date to Six Flags in California & there all the way across my screen (the entire screen) of my tv said GOLIATH. Big as day!!! Maybe He didn't skywrite my answer, but maybe He put it on the screen? Michael, my husband, said that "there is no way God speaks through the Bachelor!!!" But, hey, if He can speak through a donkey...why not the Bachelor? Whatcha think? I thought it sounded reasonable! :0) Tune in later for another dose of crazy!!!

Blob day

It was definitely a good day to blob!! Cold + rain = good blob day

TGIF

So ready for the weekend...not like we slow down that much, but a little is better than none. Just took one child to a sleepover/bday party, another to his basketball game, then dinner, grocery store, & sleepover at our casa. Two teenage boys can really clean out a pantry...hence, the grocery store trip!! Good thing my teenage boy filled up his hollow leg at IHOP after his game...he had the bottomless pancake meal...WOW that skinny boy can eat!!! Then, one of the best parts of the evening was my pedicure from my little squirt!!! She painted one foot pink & the other blue...my feet look like cotton candy...I LOVE it!!! Then it was her turn for a mani/pedi. Same colors, but alternating fingers...perfection! Bring on the weekend...no school & lots of blobbing on the agenda...I hope my man gets to come home some this weekend so we can blob together!!

That's right, baby...SWISH!!!

Pray for Haiti!

My heart hurts for Haiti!!!! May the families of this tragedy find peace in the loving arms of our Savior!!!

American Idol is coming...American Idol is coming!!!

I don't know what happened to my post from yesterday, so let me re-cap. Loved Chuck & The Bachelor last night!!! Even though I still have that silly song stuck in my head...On the Wings of Love! Not, only did they play on the words of the song, but they actually played the song. I may need a drill to bore a hole for its escape from my head!!!

Did you watch the Bachelor? Holy Smokes, Wowzer, & Are you kidding me? Never seen that happen before!!! Ding dong, the witch is dead...one down & one to go + a nut job. This season seems to be starting out rather exciting!!! One of the girls was kicked off the show last night for entering into an "inappropriate" relationship with one of the staffers!!! Nice...what class. She's there to meet the love of her life, her Mr. Right...but, instead settled for Mr. Right NOW!!! I'm glad she is gone, she was not one of my favorites. You could tell it was all a game & national exposure for her. Poor Bachelor Hubba Hubba!!!! Now if he can just get rid of the other gamer, before he kisses her!!!! And, please get rid of the nut job, before she starts boiling poor innocent bunnies!!!! She's starting to make Glenn Close's character from Fatal Attraction seem rather well adjusted! I hope Jake really does find his one true love (Ali) & not turn into a slime like all the other returning bachelors have.

Well, enough about this obsession & onto the next! American Idol is coming!!!!! Can't wait! I'm very interested to see this season's new dynamics...this should be fun!

Hot date!!

Had a great day of worship at our most amazing church & was reminded that "Christ shows you not only what God is, but what man was meant to be"!!!! Awesome message!

Well, my man got called into work just before we were leaving for church, but he promised to take me on a date when he got home...& he did!! We went & saw Sherlock Holmes & I'll have to say that it was a very fun movie. My only problem is the fact that it has been out for a few weeks & I am just now getting to see it. I usually don't wait so long. I think Robert Downey, Jr. & Jude Law did super jobs. They played off of each other really well & were truly believable as long time friends. I especially love when I am watching a movie & a character comes up that has a familiar face & then the light bulb goes on & I realize where I have seen the face before...which movie. So satisfying!!! Have you seen the movie? Did you recognize a face that perhaps you haven't seen in tons of other movies? Hint: in one of my all time favorite movies.

My night was then completed with watching one of my favorite tv shows that has been off the air for way too long!!! Chuck is back & I'm so excited. That show makes me giggle...a lot!!! And, last night did not fail me. I'm so glad they did not decide to cancel this show!!! So fun! Even more exciting, there is another episode tomorrow night, as well. Bad part, then I'll have to wait another week to watch it again. Wow!!!! What am I gonna do with myself? Tomorrow will hold sweet Chuck & Bachelor Hubba Hubba! It's gonna be a good week! :0)

Back to real life!

Just so you know, I did NOT fall off the face of the earth...real life showed up this week. Gone are the days of CHRISTmas break & all the fun time off. We jumped back into life with both feet & therefore, we've been a wee bit busy!!! We had basketball, ballet, games, church activities, auditions, & most importantly school. We were supposed to start back to our homeschool co-op group on Tuesday, but...I got pink eye! Yep, you heard me...pink eye! What am I, 6? (don't answer that) It was beautiful!!! However, I didn't want to spread the wealth to all our cute little families, who sit in very close quarters at our co-op! That's alright, I heard the heater was broken anyway...I'd like to take credit for planning that ! :0)

I will try to be more diligent for my faithful followers (all 6 of you :0) & keep you updated a little better & more regular basis. Plus, my sister-in-law, Cindy (this blog was her brainchild), likes daily updates. :0) I'm not sure my life is interesting enough for daily updates, but I'll see what I can do. Plus, if I do daily updates, I have another excuse to post pictures of my beautiful family!

I will let you know that tonight was a girls night out!!! My sweet girls and I had a supremely girly evening, while our boys had a very masculine mens night out of laser tag & burgers. The girls & I had dinner & then went shopping...and for those of you who know me, realize what a sacrifice that is for me!! I must REALLY love them!!!!

I will "see" you tomorrow!! Don't pass out with excitement! :0)

Speaking of Bachelors...

So...who watched the season opener of the Bachelor...On the Wings of Love? Really...they couldn't just call it the Bachelor? Or, the Bachelor...Hubba Hubba? Cuz now I've got that song stuck in my head!

Well, the girls from the hood (neighborhood) & I all got together to christen this new season. Since we are all just walking perfection, it made it very easy for us to weed out & comment on most of the Bachelorettes. As we screamed at the screen when he kept the Fatal Attraction girl & the mean girls, we decided on some early favorites (Ali, Corrie, Kathryn). We'll just have to stay tuned to the "Most Romantic Rose Ceremony" & "Most Dramatic" season yet. So, good luck, Bachelor Jake (aka Bachelor Hubba Hubba) on finding your one true love...cuz, we all know "Love Don't Come Easy"!! I guess if you don't watch this show or past seasons of it, or the Bachelorette, I've probably lost you. But, I'm cracking myself up!!!! :0) I'll keep you posted as you wait impatiently! I hope we won't need air sickness bags!! We'll see!!

On the hunt for a new DAD!

As many of you already know, we have been on the hunt for a new DAD!!! And, after last night the search has been pushed into overdrive. We hope he loves kids, loves me, is wonderful, kind, attentive, trustworthy, reliable, & doesn't chew on the furniture!! We are narrowing down our search & would love your input. Meet bachelor #1... Goliath!

What? What did you think I meant? Of course, I meant Diabetes Alert Dog (aka DAD)!!!

Goliath lives in California (yes, some parts of CA get snow). He is an incredible dog & we are praying to see if he is the fit that God has intended!!! We'll keep you posted!

Last night was a particularly yucky night for the little squirt & myself. She has the tendency to have a lot of low blood sugars in the middle of the night & doesn't know how to recognize them & wake herself up. This is where I come in...I have not gone to bed before 2 or 3am in over 3 years!!! I go in to check on her throughout the night. Once I test her blood sugar & then wake her up & ask her if she feels low, she will nod "yes". I will then give her her juice & come back later. Some nights require nothing & others (like last night) require multiple juice boxes just to keep her levels in a safe range. Whew! This is where a DAD could come in. He would be able to sleep with her & let her & myself know if her levels are going into the danger zone. Ahhh! That would be so nice...to have an extra set of eyes & a nose!! These dogs are AMAZING!!!

Emma checking her own sugar just 2 weeks after being diagnosed (just barely 3 yrs old)

We are ready for this next adventure. However, this poor dog doesn't stand a chance!! :0) He is going to be loved so much & so hard that he won't know what hit him!! He will be dressed up, loved on, & spoiled like crazy!!!

On a side note...I can't believe ya'll made me do laundry!!!! I was hoping at least one person would want to play my entertainment game. No worries...I still have plenty of laundry to do, so if you come up with some good trivia, I would love to hear it!!! Please help me ignore my responsibilities! :0)

Entertainment trivia...who's got it?

As I sit here trying to avoid doing the mountains (yes, I meant the plural) of laundry, I thought it would be fun to play a game. If you remember, I have entirely too much useless trivia floating around in my head. I'm not so good with the music trivia...my standard answer is Three Dog Night. But, I'm pretty good with movie, tv, entertainment gossip (visual) entertainment. So, who has some trivia? Do you think you can stump me? Well, let's see! I'll be waiting & completely ignoring the growing mountains outside my door!

New Year...New Blog...Welcome 2010!

Well, here goes nothing! I am new to this blog world, so let me introduce myself. My name is Missy Avant. I've been married for over 20 years to my best friend & love of my life!!! I have 3 amazing, beautiful, & talented children & I'm so thankful that I get to homeschool & be with my little buddies all the time! My family rocks my world!!!

I love to travel, going to the movies, teaching, helping deliver babies, helping new parents, mentoring a group of 8th grade girls, watching reality tv, & I have more unnecessary entertainment trivia constantly bouncing around inside my head than anyone ever should have (one of my friends has dubbed me the "Pop Culture Queen"...I can tell you the name of a movie by you giving me the actors & vice versa, I can tell you who is dating whom & who is having who's baby...see, absolutely unnecessary).

My life revolves around my Lord & Savior and my most amazing family!!! My world just happens to involve a few extra pieces than most people's worlds. My family has been uniquely touched by a disease that is underrepresented, misunderstood, and frightening. Here is that story...(if you nod off, don't worry, I'll still be here when wake up).

On December 4, 1988, at the age of 19, my pastor & his wife (whom I used to babysit for) decided to set me up with my pastor's brother, Michael. 3 months later we were engaged & 3 months later we were married, yes, that is 6 months later (June '89)!!! We like to tell people that when we got married, it was only the 5th time we had seen each other in person, since I lived in TX (I'm just a Plano, TX girl) & he in SC. Once married, I picked up my roots & headed to Columbia, SC, where Michael was in school (you have no idea how hard it is for a TX girl to leave TX). After graduation in '91, we then moved to Little Rock, AR for Michael to continue his education. Here, I was able to finish my teaching degree & began teaching elementary school. After almost 7 yrs. of marriage, Michael & I were expecting our 1st child...the time was full of excitement, anticipation, & impatience. Life was so much fun & we were totally blessed. However, in October '95, Michael began to notice symptoms of something that I was unaware of while on a business trip in Georgia. When he returned home, he began to explain to me what was going on & then proceeded to go see a Dr. My beloved was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, at the age of 30. What? This can't be right! How is this possible? Isn't this called Juvenile Diabetes? Our time of excitement & anticipation turned into a time of confusion & uncertainty. What does this mean? We each dealt with the news differently. The diagnosis touched me & affected my life, but he was the one in charge of his health. I felt helpless as I watched from the periphery, gaining more knowledge & watching my beloved deal with such a blow. Would we ever be able to be carefree again? Would our life ever get back to "normal"? Life would never be normal again, our life will always be full of fingersticks, low & high blood sugar & insulin...but, life did continue to move along. It moved right along to where we will be celebrating our 21st anniversary this summer (stop adding to see how old I am), we have 3 amazing children whom I homeschool & life is always hectic & wonderful! As the years have gone by, Michael's treatments have gone from multiple insulin shots a day, to now an insulin pump. The difference in treatments has been amazing!

On December 14, 2006, I took our then 10 yr. old son, Tate, 7 yr. old daughter, Haley, & our 3 yr. old daughter, Emma to an exciting Dr's appointment. We love the yearly check up to see how much everyone weighs & how tall they are now. Emma was particulary excited since she had recently potty trained & was so excited about pee peeing in a cup (she was so proud). While at the Dr's appointment, without any forewarning or symptoms, our youngest, my baby, Emma was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. What? We're only here for her 3 year old check up...just 4 days ago she was only 2. This can't be right!!! How is this possible? There must be some mistake. When I heard her test results & the numbers, realization slammed into me like a freight train & the tears began to fall against my will (because at this point I did have some knowledge of what is & is not a normal blood sugar...sort of). I kept telling myself to be brave & not lose it in front of my other kids. However, when I looked at our son who began to cry & told me he "wished it was him instead", all bets were off & the blubbering began. We were whisked away to the endocrinologist's office without delay. They wanted me to take care of someone with diabetes (that's Michael's department)? How were they expecting me to remember anything they were telling me when my brain was in total shock & denial? I began to grow in my understanding of diabetes exponentially, as our lives began to swerve out of control. My mind immediately went to Steel Magnolias & Julia Roberts' character who had diabetes & died having a child...will my baby be able to have babies? How will her little mind process this? Thankfully, that question was answered almost immediately. The nurses proceeded to give me a shot (or pokey, as we call them) to show myself & her that it didn't hurt (which it really didn't). Emma then picked up the syringe walked up to her Daddy & jammed it into his arm (practically hitting bone) to which he responded painfully that it didn't hurt. She never looked back & her Dr. informed us that, "Yep, she's gonna be just fine!" However, the whole diagnosis came as a total shock & I went through an extensive grieving period. I mourned the life I thought my child was supposed to have!!! And, I wondered what did I do or could I have done to prevent this? This past December, Emma turned 6 (going on 26) & in her short little life & a little over 3 years with this disease, she has had close to 10,000 fingerpricks & around 3,000 injections. She will be insulin-dependent for the rest of her little life or until JDRF delivers the cure...this is NOT something she will outgrow. Thankfully, she is always full of smiles, laughter, & 6 year old mischief, amidst her daily diabetes routine. She is already very capable at managing some of her routine...she can do her own fingersticks & can tell you exactly what she needs depending on her levels. We don't call her Miss "Emmapendent" for nothing! She will often ask when her, what she calls "diabeauties" is going away, or has made the statement on her birthday- "now that I'm 4, I won't have diabeauties anymore" (since she got it for her 3rd birthday, she assumed it would go away for her 4th). What is a mother supposed to say to that? I hate that her small little self already realizes the implications of this disease. One evening, when Emma was 3, while visiting family, we were outside on a very clear night when she looked up at my husband & myself and informed us that she had "just wished on a star that my diabeauties would go away." No 3 year old should know to even wish for something like that...those wishes should be saved for wishing to be a princess or mermaid, not this!!! What does this mean? Will our lives ever be able to be normal again? Life would never be normal again...our life will always be full of fingersticks, low & high blood sugar, insulin, & 2am sugar checks (I swear I got more sleep when they were newborns). But, life has thankfully, continued to move along, always hectic & always wonderful!!!

But, just a little over a year ago, on October 1, 2008, our 9 year old daughter, Haley, also began showing signs of diabetes. This can't be right...she has already had her medical crisis...in 2007, she was diagnosed with Grave's Disease (hyperthyroidism), in which she became allergic to one medication, & the other tried to kill her liver. She then proceeded on to have 2 rounds of radiation (now there is a word that brings fear to any mother's heart). We did some tests & confirmed our fears. Haley was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. All of the old familiar emotions & questions came crashing in. What? How is this possible? How can both of our daughters now have diabetes? How can one family have so many people with diabetes? There must be some mistake. I worried, how will this affect our sweet Haley? She is our child who believes that every day is the "best day ever". We couldn't believe this was happening again...after we all had a BIG cry & the realization settled in (my husband & I were still very raw with emotions), when Haley looked at us & asked, "are we still going to the pumpkin patch?" Reality check...my husband & I put on our game faces & went to the pumpkin patch & tried to proceed. All the while, we were mourning yet another life that we thought our child should have. Just since her diagnosis, she has already endured a lifetime of fingersticks & injections. The difference with her diagnosis is that she is older & has been around this disease & so already has been able to do most of everything herself. In the beginning, however, she was terribly scared of needles & would cry at the thought of having her finger stuck...when at lunch one day, her then 4 yr. old sister, Emma (without even skipping a beat) looked at her, shaking her head & said "poor precious thing". Her little sister was not feeling the sympathy since she had been doing this for almost 2 years at the time. We have, unfortunately, become pretty good at this diabeauties "stuff". We now know that our lives are different, our lives will always be full of fingersticks, low & high blood sugars, insulin & 2am sugar checks. However, our definition of "normal" has definitely changed...but, life has, thankfully, continued to move along. Always hectic & always wonderful!

To see our family from the outside, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference from any other family (until you look a little closer). You will notice things that are a little different, like a "pump pouch" on my babies, a tube peeking our from their clothes, medical alert bracelets, & a bag packed & ready for any given time when its contents are vital for the survival of my family (forget American Express...these bags are the things I never leave home without). What appears to be normal is because there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to keep our children healthy. Because of this "normalcy" most people don't look close enough & assume that if we just changed our diet, things will get better. Or, that they will grow out of it, or assume that diabetes already has a cure with insulin. I often have to let others know that, unfortunately, this will not be something they can outgrow & insulin is NOT a cure, it is merely life support!!! Recently, a friend asked what would happen if we just stopped giving insulin...um, they would eventually die within weeks or months!!! I have learned that a lot of people under-estimate the gravity & seriousness of diabetes (I used to be one of those people) and that just as short a time ago as 50 years, diabetes was a death sentence. I am so thankful for the time in which we live & the advances in technology (Michael, Haley, & Emma are all on insulin pumps). However, I want MORE...I guess I'm just selfish that way...I want a cure!!! We feel confident that this is within our reach & highly possible before our girls go to high school or hopefully sooner!

It is my duty as Emma & Haley's mom, & Michael's wife, to bring awareness to our communities & to raise money for research. We have become very active in our local Diabetes community & I have been given the opportunity to be the speaker at many fundraising events. We will get the word out. We will achieve Emma's "wish upon a star" of wiping out "Diabeauties"!!

Whew...you made it! Do your eyes & brain hurt? If you got this far...kudos! Thanks for listening to/reading my 1st blog ramblings...I promise they won't all be this long! :0)