Happy 3rd Birthday, Chelsea~~~

 Happy Birthday to you!

(with kisses from Payton!)

 Happy Birthday to you!

(I can't believe you are making me wear this!)

 Happy Birthday, Dear Chelsea!

(Is this the last picture I have to pose for?)

 Happy Birthday to you!

(If I hold my head up does it get rid of my double chin?)

 And Many More.....

(For real....this is getting old!)

On Channel 4!

We love you, Chelsea Jane!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

( I love you too!)

Hope Blooms!

So excited that we received the "print" of the HOPE BLOOMS JDRF canvases that Kaci had part in painting today in the mail~

I can't wait to get this framed and hanging in our home.

LOVE!!

Find A CURE!

It's that time of year again! It seemed to come a little bit early this year....

It's time for Wendy's Frostys and helping to "Find A Cure For Diabetes". Just purchase these cute little books for $1 a piece and receive 4 FREE Frosty coupons inside! Sounds like a WIN-WIN to me!!

Day 7 D-Blogging- Diabetes Hero

Click for the Diabetes Hero - Sunday 5/20 Link List.
Let’s end our week on a high note and blog about our “Diabetes Hero”. It can be anyone you’d like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3. It might be a fabulous endo or CDE. It could be a d-celebrity or role-model. It could be another DOC member. It’s up to you – who is your Diabetes Hero??

Well, this one was a no-brainer! Who is my Diabetes Hero? - 

Well, Kaci, of course!

She is 10 years old.

She has been living with diabetes for almost 3 years.

She was diagnosed on July 28, 2009 at the age of 7.

 

Here we are just weeks after her diagnosis at the beach. As scared as I was to take her on that trip- I knew that I had to do it. It was planned months before she was diagnosed and her Endocrinologist insisted that unless she was sick- I was not allowed to cancel! We went on the trip with my parents, my sister and her family. Clint has to stay home to work. I was the only one who knew how to give her her shots. Water play can drop her sugar like a brick- so can the hot sun. I was scared a lot.This is one of my most treasured pictures. It stirs up so many emotions in me! She was only 7 years old.

 

This is Kaci on her 8th birthday. It was her first sleepover party. Diabetes wasn't going to stop us.  I climbed over all the sleeping girls to do her 2 a.m. check!

 

Here is Kaci at age 9. She was all dressed up and ready for a Christmas brunch at her friend's house. I stayed until she had checked her sugar and made her plate. Ran to the Outlet Mall for about 30 minutes and then returned to give her her shot. Then- it was back to the Outlet Mall for me while they finished up the party. D-Mamma's- you understand!

 

Here she is at age 10- ready to attend Wicked with her Uncle Chad. They went out for Italian food before hand and even shared a piece of chocolate cake. She figured her own insulin and gave herself her own shot! Diabetes has never stopped her. It never will.

 My other Diabetes Hero is Uncle Chad. He also has Type 1 Diabetes. Always there when I need him. Many days and many nights he has answered my questions, calmed my fears and shared his stories. This is my favorite picture of him and Kaci!

Day 6- D-Blogging- A picture is worth a thousand words!

Click for the Saturday Snapshots - Saturday 5/19 Link List.
Back for the third year, let’s show everyone what life with diabetes looks like! With a nod to the Diabetes 365 project, let’s grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures. Post as many or as few as you’d like. Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

I am a picture freak! Just ask anyone that knows me. If there are not at least 50 pictures of any given event....it must not have happened, or I wasn’t there! I love taking pictures. I am not a photographer, nor do I claim to be! – But I do LOVE to take pictures of EVERYTHING! Every picture that I have ever taken is now labeled in my mind “before” or “after.” I can look at a picture and in an instant remember if it was taken “before” or “after” my daughter, Kaci was diagnosed with diabetes. Weird, huh?

Well, here are just a few D-related pictures (in no particular order) that I would like to share with all of you.

 This is the postcard Kaci made for the World Diabetes Day Postcard Exchange in 2011. Click here to learn more about it and join for next year  http://www.wddpe.com/

 This is Kaci's entry for the FORD Customer Service Division JDRF car design in June 2011.
This contest raised over $43,000!! Kaci's car raised $2,255.00! Amazing!

 Here are the beautiful canvases Kaci painted for the JDRF Hope Ball auction this year 2012. Her canvases were connected with 23 other canvasses painted by children with diabetes. It sold for $3,700 to help find a cure for diabetes!

 These are the beautiful mosaics Kaci and Bailey volunteered to make this year as gifts for past JDRF board presidents.

 This is Kaci in 2010. She stuffed over 1,000 JDRF School Walk folders.

 Kaci in 2011 stuffing more folders. 3000 this time!

 Kaci and Bailey on the morning of their JDRF School Walk at their Elementary School- 2011

 The beautiful canvases Kaci painted in 2011 for the Hope Ball auction. This piece raised over $4,000.

 Kaci giving herself her first shot.

 Our team poster for our first "Say Boo to Diabetes Walk" in October 2009.

 Kaci on the first week of school just a month after her diagnosis. This is her wonderful nurse, who we miss dearly, Mrs. Scott.

 Mrs. Scott and Kaci at the "Say Boo To Diabetes Walk" 2011

 Lenny the Lion with Kaci- her friend, Grayson- and her brother, Bailey at the walk 2011.

 Me getting a site put on at the Doctor's office to show Kaci it isn't all that bad. I wore it for 3 days- minus the pump, of course!

 Our walk team in 2009.

 Kaci just 6 months after she was diagnosed. She wrote this out with coins that we later donated to JDRF.

Kaci and the first person she met that also has diabetes.

 Kaci before her photo shoot in 2010. She was on the Hope Ball invitation that year. (which is know beautifully framed in our home)

Me and Kaci on her 8th birthday party (a sleepover) Didn't realize until later that I was holding her shot in this picture. This is right after cake!

School Walk folders 2012. She stuffed 5,000!!!

 The Wendy's Frosty booklets we buy every year to support JDRF. Just $1 per book and you get 4 FREE frostys! Yes....we eat them....and Kaci does too!

A close up of our sharps container.

A picture really is worth a thousand words. These are just a few of my favorites!

Cross Over Ceremony!

So proud of Bailey today as he "Ranked Up" and became a BEAR scout!

 Pack 565 had a great cross over ceremony at the park today! Fried Chicken and all the fixings!

 The cake was SOOOOO good!

Kaci sure seemed to enjoy it!

Way to go, Bailey! Once again- you make your Mommy proud!

Field Day!

One of the kids favorite days of the year.....FIELD DAY! They get to get wet!

Play with hundreds of pink balls!

Shoot things from a sling shot!

Play lacrosse!

Roll giant green balls!

Smile with friends!

Run in relay races!

Shoot more sling shots!

and the best part of field day is.....

the cool field day flags!