If you haven't heard this yet today....I am PROUD of YOU!

Because I am too excited to just choose one of these wonderful pictures- you will get to see all of them!

We made a quick trip to Kenny Covert Ford Dealership tonight to see Kaci's poster for the "Everyday Heroes Contest" live and in person!  I think it looks great!

 It is the only time in my life that I have ever walked into a car dealership without being bombarded by salesmen. They saw me with my camera - and they saw us make a bee line for the poster- I guess they knew what we were there for! LOL!

 They were right...we only wanted pictures of the cool poster and all combinations of us...but it would have been nice to have someone greet us from the dealership! 

 I am so proud of Kaci for making it this far and want to thank our family and friends who helped making it to Round 2 possible! So glad Clint made it by after work to be with us....even though he is not feeling well this week.

 We celebrated with a dinner at Rudy's BBQ after the photo shoot!

 I didn't get any pictures of us at dinner, but it sure was yummy!

 PaPa did take a moment to introduce himself to one of the Ford managers. He said he would save the posters for us when the competition is over! (there are 2 of them!) Looking forward to finding the perfect spot in our house for them to live!

Please stay tuned to see if we take the win and get to see Kaci's car race in Colorado this JULY!

You can still vote and make a donation at 

www.FordRaceCar.JDRF.org

Thank you for considering!

We are ready to race....

So excited to get this email today....

"Congratulations for making it into the Top 10! We are so pleased to have you as a part of “Our Everyday Heroes” Race Car Design Contest for JDRF, hosted by Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers. Your local Ford dealership has been contacted and has received a LARGE poster of Kaci’s design that will be displayed to help promote the contest to their customers" 

Kaci's car poster is located at Kenny Covert Ford Lincoln off of 183 just near the Rudys BBQ. If you are in the area stop by and check it out. We are going by tomorrow evening to see what it all looks like. Stay tuned for some cool pictures and more info on the 2nd round.

If you have not donated to Kaci's car and JDRF Walk Team...it is not too late!

You can make a donation- and every $1 helps- at the site listed below!

The winnder will be announces on Friday, July 18, after a review by a committee made up of JDRF and Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers representatives.

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=/Ford_Everyday_Heroes_Contest_Home

Almost a year in our new home!

Hard to believe that we are coming up on a year since we moved into our new home. I know we say it every year...but this year really did fly by. I was so nervous about this new move-

Would we be okay financially? Would the kids like their new school? Would we like the new neighbors?- the area? Well....thankfully the answer to all of those 
questions ended up being "YES!"

We were able to build the pool that Clint has always wanted and even buy a few new things for the interior and exterior of our home. The kids love their new schools and mom does too! The neighbors....well, we hit the jack pot there! I could not love our 
cul-de-sac anymore than I do! 
Love! Love! Love!

However, I never would have been able to imagine the rough patch that we had after we moved in...and quite honestly- if anything much more traumatic happens in the next year- we may have to put the FOR SALE sign up about 15 years sooner than we had hoped! 

Clint and Kaci's accidents still leave me in shock and if it is quiet and I am alone and think about those days.....I actually feel my body shudder from head to toe, I cringe and can get sick to my stomach.  The amount of Emergency room visits, Dr. appointments, prescription pick ups, plastic surgeries, x-rays, dental/oral surgeon visits, physical therapy appointments and hours of lost sleep.....still amaze me to this day! Clint is still not put back together and has to have a few more procedures before he can get his permenant implant. He says it has physically aged him 10 years....I think it has mentally aged me the same (or more).

Losing Chelsea is another hard memory that this house holds for me. So thankful for super neighbors and an awesome dad who helped me out on that awful day.

But despite all of the bad- there is still good. There is always good! Here are some recent pictures of our new home. It is no longer a house- but our HOME! 

I love this place and I couldn't be happier right where we are!

Round 2~~

Here is the latest news I have on Round 2 of Kaci's "Ford Everyday Hero Car Contest"-

I received this email yesterday:

Good morning Andrea,

 

Congratulations on making it to the top 10!!! That is very exciting! As of now, Ford is working with their Regional offices to identify the appropriate Ford dealership partner for each of the Top Ten finalists.  All participating dealers will have the child's poster and be ready to help promote the contest the week of May 5th.That’s all I know as of now, but you will get more information soon.

 

Thanks a lot and go Kaci!

 

Jennifer

Jennifer DeWall| Administrative Assistant, Ford Global Action Team

Thank you so much to everyone who made ROUND 2 a possibility! They are still collecting votes and donations for the cars....so if you have not voted/donated yet- please feel free to do so at the following link-between now and June 6th!

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=%2FFord_Everyday_Heroes_Contest_Home


Winners will be chosen and announced on Friday, July 18th!

Kaci is an "Everyday HERO!"

It has been too long...way too long....

BUT-

I had to post today to share my great news with you!

I am thrilled to announce that Kaci has made it to Round 2 of the Ford "Our Everyday Heroes " Race Car Design Contest for JDRF! She entered this contest 3 years ago and luckily just a few days before the entry deadline I found it online again this year!

We have sold chocolate bars door to door, at work, at school and through facebook. We even had the help of Aunt Amber, Uncle Mark, Grandma Dee and Grandma Margaret to sell! We had a fundraiser with a company called Mixed Bags to help raise funds!- We had wonderful friends and family donate directly to the Ford website! We have emptied piggy banks and counted change until our fingers turned black! 

We will NEVER lose HOPE that a CURE will be found!

Diabetes sure can ...be a pain:

*Over 2, 190 (averaging 6 a day) shots a year and more finger pricks than that, counting every carb that goes in Kaci's mouth 

*2 a.m. blood sugar checks

*Constantly carrying the extra things she needs with her all the time (sugar, meter, poke, insulin)

*Trips to the nurse's office at school throughout the day

*Dr visits

*Blood draws.....

The constant interruption of Kaci's life....stopping after an hour of swim, dance class or other physical activity to poke her finger and make sure she is in range. If low- sugar--

Then, waiting, waiting, waiting 15 minutes after a low to re-prick her finger just to make sure she is back in range....

and if not...

more sugar and more waiting, waiting, waiting to re-prick again! Diabetes can be a real drag!

But for all the bad- there is GOOD! 

*All of the wonderful people we have meet, the cool contests we get to be a part of, and the awesome support from family and friends.

*It is also pretty cool that we can look at a plate of food and make a damn good SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) exactly how many carbs are in the meal! LOL!

Oh, and most importantly, the ability to know that we are bigger and stronger than this disease and that Kaci can still do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING she wants to do.

We will not let Diabetes get us down or stop us.

Thank you from the bottom of our HEARTS!

We are ready to race in July!!

Let's Do This!!

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

http://www2.jdrf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=%2FFord_Everyday_Heroes_Contest_Home

Sugar and spice and everything nice!

Meet the newest addition to Grandma Dee and PaPa's family.....SUGAR! 

She is so cute and full of energy-

We can't wait to watch her grow into a big girl.

She is so smart and already ringing the bell on the door to let them know she needs to go potty!

I have not been very good at keeping up with the blog....

Perhaps this is why............

Going to try and do better. Real. Soon.