My babies!

My babies!
Catch up on our families daily adventures, learn more about our dreams and experience life with diabetes through our eyes! Grab a cup of something warm and read on to learn more about my Random Thoughts....

Thursday, December 17, 2015

May your days be Merry & Bright!

For the last 3 years JDRF has sold a beautiful Christmas ornament to help raise money for their AMAZING organization! We always place them front and center on our large tree and they are often the first thing you see when you walk in our front door!  I just love them. Each of them was designed by a child with Type 1 Diabetes....makes them even more special, don't you think?


2012
2013
2014

I purchased this reindeer ornament from Southern Living in 2011- a portion of the proceeds was donated to JDRF. It started my collection.



Usually...shortly after the One Walk- we start receiving emails with information on the "Walk Awards" date and location, as well as information on how to order this year's ornament. As of last week....I had not received information on either. 

With only a short time until Christmas...I feared that there was not going to be an ornament offered this year. My fear was correct. I left a message on the JDRF Austin Chapter Facebook page asking about it and was told....NO, boo hoo hoo....There will not be an ornament this year. I was, however, told to be on the lookout for a special package that would be arriving soon! 

Today when I checked the mailbox.....there is was! I could hardly wait to open it! EEEK! Look what was inside.


I have been looking online for weeks now at shirts very similar to this- in hopes of ordering one for Kaci. Thankfully- I had not ordered one yet. I LOVE THIS! Thank you, JDRF Austin!!

I can't lie and say I am not terribly disappointed about the ornaments. I have looked online...hoping to find something that I can purchase to remember this year by....something that donates to a JDRF Chapter.....any chapter....or any Diabetes Organization. So far, I have been unsuccessful. When I google ...JDRF Ornament or Diabetes Ornament.....I get a few leads, but they have ended up being pretty "cheesy"


So for now- I will sit back and enjoy the ornaments I have and cross my fingers for next year!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

"There is always, always, always something to be thankful for...."

I just realized today that I still have not posted about the JDRF One Walk that we were a part of back on November 1st. Not that anyone has been anxiously awaiting this post....It is highly unlikely that anyone even missed the fact that this blog entry was not made.

However, next year when I am wondering how much money we raised at the 2015 One Walk...I will likely come to this blog to check past entries to find that answer!

So....here is goes....

Drum roll please.....

Kaci's Krusher's rasied $3,770.60
to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes in
the 2015 One Walk!



That is AMAZING! - and dare I say the MOST money we have raised to date in one event! (and that includes 7 years of JDRF walk events and 2 Ford Race Car Design Contests)   We could not be more thankful and proud of our family and friend for making this possible.


A big shout out to Beth Irwin- for staring the "Pay It Forward" program in our neighborhood! This is the second year we have sold World's Finest Chocolate bars to our friends and family, but this year Beth really helped us "Pump Up" our sales. She came up with an amazing marketing idea and kicked off our fundraising with a very generous donation and an awesome plan.

Here is what she did.....

She bought around 25 candy bars from Kaci- but did not keep them for herself. Instead, she asked for Kaci to deliver them to specific neighbors along with a special slip of paper which read:

" HI! I am your neighbor in SV! I want to help Kaci in her effort to raise lots of money to help find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes but I just don't need all this chocolate so I'm paying it forward! You can take this chocolate to enjoy and pay some more forward to a specific neighbor(s) in our neighborhood as Kaci circles the block to deliver. 

HOW MANY NEIGHBORS WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAY IT FORWARD TO?
$5 PER BUNDLE OF 3 CHOCOLATE BARS

If you need more chocolates or wish to make an additional tax deductible contribution to JDRF, please contact your wonderful JDRF reps, Kaci and Andrea Borchgardt.
CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO JUVENILE DIABETES REASEARCH FOUNDATION!

Kaci circled the block MANY TIMES! This awesome idea raised  $300 for our walk team! Thank you SV Family- and to all our other chocolate loving family and friends!

This year we also found another organization that was willing to help out a small family fundraising team, Butter Braids. If you have never had one before....don't worry....just message me and we will let you know when we are selling them again this year. You do not want to miss out.  To learn more about these delicious pastries, click on the link below and prepare to drool! So good! However, they can only be ordered through fundraisers.....so hit us up this year to stock your freezer full! Quick, easy and so delicious. We eat them for breakfast as well as an after dinner dessert!  Thank you to all our Butter Braid eating family and friends!
This fundraiser pulled in about $240 for the team!


The biggest fundraiser for our team this year was our team t-shirt. We are so thankful to everyone who bought a shirt - it is a visual display of love and support every time we see our friends and family wearing them. You don't even have to walk with us in order to get one of these shirts and this years design just might be my favorite! This fundraising venture raised $385 for our team!
The rest of our money was donated by wonderful family and friends as an awesome tax deductible donation! Thank you to everyone who helped our meter GROW!


As happy as we are to be able to watch our fundraising meter grow and grOW and GROW! We are even more proud when we can look back on walk event pictures every year and see that our team of participants grows and grOWS and GROWS every year! The amount of money we raise each year means so much - but the most important thing to our family is having people with us on walk day showing love and support for Kaci- and that is ABSOLUTELY FREE! With that being said- I will not list names...but you all know who you are and we are so thankful to you!
(this year especially)





I have sat down at this computer many, many times since the night of October 31st to write about the 911 call that had to be made on Kaci's behalf that night - and I am still unable to write about it. 

While she has bounced back with little to no issues (other than a super nagging mom - like, even worse than I was before)....I am still struggling with the memories of that night.  The "what if's" are the worst...but  a sweet friend sent me these words and I have them saved on my phone to look back at when I start the "what if" game in my mind every now and then.

She said, " That's the hardest part mentally-
Each time your mind goes wandering you have to just focus on God and
pray for that outcome that was.
Try not to think about the "what-if's" 
Thank you, Lori Gegleman.


I thank God everyday for the "outcome that was" I thank God for my family that was here almost before the ambulance, for the neighbors that came into our house and prayed for Kaci at 2:30 in the morning and still made it to the walk the next morning on limited and interrupted sleep! - and I thank God that Clint was here to help me through this and make that 911 call. I thank God for my steady hands that enabled me to give Kaci her emergency shot without breaking off the needle as I drew up the glucagon. I am thankful for Kaci's friend, Savannah, who was sleeping over to attend the walk with us the next day. She was a good friend to Kaci on this night and continues to be a good friend. I am also thankful that Bailey is a heavy sleeper and slept through the whole event.



We are blessed with the SUPPORT and LOVE we feel by those who choose to walk with us this  year!
Thank you doesn't seem like enough!


 

"We will never lose hope until a cure is found."


Sunday, December 13, 2015

People I Want to Punch in the Throat!

If there is one blog you subscribe to.....
One blog you must sit down and read every morning before you start your day....
It is this one....






I have never laughed so hard- or agreed so much-
I even pee'd my pants once while reading one of Jen's posts.


Dear Lord- please forgive me....but lately there have been a few "people I want to punch in the throat!"

I am currently in the process of reading Jen Mann's -People I Want to Punch in the Throat:Competitive Crafters, Drop- Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges
“Jen Mann’s shrewd and unrelenting assault on the absurdity of suburban life is an honest peek into the occasional nightmare that is part of living the American dream. I love Jen. I wish she was my neighbor. It’s so refreshing to know that I’m not the only one who wants to punch almost everyone in the f***ing throat.”—Nicole Knepper, author of Moms Who Drink And Swear


I can not wait to finish this book - so I can follow it up with this little treasure-
Here are a few of the chapters I can't wait to read....

*Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies
*You Can Keep Your Cookies, Im Just Here For The Booze
*Annual Christmas Letters: The Art of Humble Brag
*The Dreaded Annual Christmas Photo

I think reading this book may be one of my new Christmas traditions! I also think it is very possible that me and Jen may become BFF's. She totally gets me!




Friday, December 11, 2015

Vista Ridge Holiday Spectacular!

What a busy week! Kaci has been dancing all week morning, noon and night! Finally tonight was her big performance in the Vista Ridge Holiday Spectacular!  
 The high school puts on an AMAZING holiday show and invites several of the middle schools to participate in the fun. 
 I wish the girls got to be in more than one dance....but we will take what we can get. It was a great show!
  Thank you for coming to be a part of the audience with me 
- Mom and Dad!
Let the countdown to Christmas break begin!
Only 5 days ....and COUNTING!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Chocolate Pretzels

It has been a crazy busy week. There is so much to do and not enough time in the day! Kaci has her Golden Spark dance team holiday party this Friday. She is in charge of bringing a "sweet". 
 She decided on chocolate, candy covered pretzel sticks. 
 Look at these 2.....actually getting along and laughing....Wow! Must be a Christmas Miracle! LOL!

  I must say with the help of Bailey- they turned out delicious and beautiful! 
Here they are...all ready to be eaten.