Joy for Flamingo

Last Friday, Noah was off school.  So we went on an adventure to the dollar movies and saw Gnomeo and Juliet.  It was  a little bit of heaven sitting in the theatre between my two children, munching on popcorn and laughing so hard we almost peed our pants.  I love hearing their gasps, ooohs and ahhs during the show. 

At the end of the movie as we were walking out,  I asked each kid what their favorite part was.  Sofia promptly chimed in "All of it".   Noah on the other hand kept talking about the Flamingo "Featherstone", in the movie you discover that he used to have a wife and when their owners split up, they were seperated.  And in his wisdom he says "I know what it is like to have a love torn apart by other peoples choices,  Don't let that happen to you."  At the end of the movie, one of the gnomes learns how to use the internet and finds the wife and they are reunited.  Noah said that his favorite part was when the flamingo was reunited with his wife.  He asked me if that was my favorite too.  I of course agreed.  He kept talking about how happy it made him that they were together again.

As we got into the car,  he says "Mom,  I think I am going to cry.  I am so happy."  I turn to look at him and he has tears streaming down his face.  And he keeps saying "I am just so happy for the flamingo."  I rubbed his leg and told him that he was going to be an amazing man and father someday because he has such a tender heart.  "Mom,  I already Know that." 
Sofia was worried that Noah was so sad and kept telling him it was okay.  He tried to tell her that they were "Tears of Joy" for the flamingo.  This is something she totally can not grasp.  I told her that I cried tears of joy because I was so happy when I had my two kids. 

Noah's prompt response  "Yeah, I cried too when I had all 41 of my kids."
That explanation is a whole other post for another day.
I just love this boy.  He just gets more and more fun.

GOT MILK?

 We Sure Do

And it sure does a body good!

Easter 2011

My beautiful children in their Easter outfits.

Willie the Rabbit, our personal Easter bunny,

was very good to us this year.

Noah got a Agent P or Perry the Platapus 

and Sofia got a Maximus stuffed animal.

We were very happy

I still can't believe he is seven.

She is one gorgeous babe.

Mark and Virginia's Wedding

My favorite pic of Ginny that I took

What a stud, my Noah is

So beautiful

Cutest kids on the planet. Sofia loved her basket.  She was the flower girl

With her purple cape

What a glorious day!

We sure miss her though.  

Noah turns Seven

He chose Donuts this year for his cake.. at the party with Kersten's fam.

Dragons were the theme.  This is Green Spark Fire "Sparky" for short

. 

In a Viking helmet with his tough guy face

donuts again at his small friend gathering

Making shields swords and crowns to train their dragons

Looking pretty tough if you ask me.

leading the song at the party with my family.

He sure had a big week. 

A Party with Kersten's fam on Sunday

He was star of the week at school

His actual bday was on wed.

I had him invite 3 friends to a small party.

Al's grandkids were in town so they celebrated with us.

and the next sunday a party with my fam.

Legos seemed to be a huge hit this year.

His new pet dragon

and he got Star Wars Lego III from. us.

And lots of lots of books.  

He was super super happy.

Noah- Star of the Week

Noah made this poster at the beginning of the school year.

He has been waiting all year to see when he would be star of the week.

He just knew it would be the week of his birthday.

this poster is awesome.

It has parashuters on it, tanks, weapons, his dog pal, killer whales, ocean animals

and his favorite foods.  

Of course there is a battle being fought also.  

to me he is the star of the week all the time.

Two Decades of Donuts

I have recollections of teenagers saying "yeah,  I got it when I was 7 or 5 or 18 months."  And thinking "Wow" they don't even remember what it is like not to think about this horrid disease all the time.  Today it is 20 years ago that I discovered that I have Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes.

That first week of diabetic camp was lifechanging.  I had only had this disease for a couple months and kids had been dealing with it for years.  I was so exhausted of not fitting in and being abandoned by my friends, that I thought finally I would find a place I fit.  And I did meet amazing, crazy, fun and inspiring people.  My first kiss was with a boy I met there.  One of the reasons my son's name is Noah is because of one of the campers. I LOVED being there,  I volunteered being a counselor, dishwasher and numerous other things.  Just for the opportunity to be up there, where I felt good and surrounded.  Sadly, though I never felt that this was my belonging place.  I still felt different,  more like a square trying to fit into a circle.  Oh,  how I loved these people.  Sadly after high school,  Life changed.  I went to college, got a job and married my sweetheart.  So Camp became a thing of the past.  And every summer I would think about it, with a tug in my heart to go back.  I lost contact with all that I loved and moved forward. Thinking that they did not miss me. 

It has just been in the past year or so that I have keenly felt the loss.  Delving deep inside myself to reconcile all that I am and have to do.  I feel like my fourteen year old self when I talk about my disease.  I realized that I STILL don't want to be diffrent.  I have always Hated food, thinking about it, eating it etc.  Then having a disease that forced me to think about it all the time, makes me especially angry.  I am better,  It really has been good for me to deal with how I feel about it emotionally.  Not just the things I am forced to do to live and live well.

Facebook has been good, for I have reconnected with a lot of people from camp.  I need these people and people that are good friends that I can talk to about the day to day dealings with this demon.   So many of them have done such amazing feats.  One of them just got a kidney and pancreas transplant, another is on the list for one, some are doing so amazing it is seems like it does not faze them,  another in the past year change his whole life and started a foundation called The Truth about Diabetes-  Disease or Destiny and all of them are a tight knit as ever.  And I am still fourteen.

I want to be healthier,   I want to find the blessings in this.  I want to think of this as Destiny instead of a Disease.  I am just not there yet.   I had planned on throwing a huge party today to commerate this event,  but life changed that.  We have a birthday and a wedding coming up.  So very much to do.  Instead of a totally hip fabulous party,  I am going to lunch with my friend.  The kids and I are going to get donuts. (I ate a donut in the car on the way to the doctor's office.)  and I am going to my YW presidency meeting tonight.  I need to recognize and remember today.  If nothing else, my experiences have shaped my character and made me the woman, mother and friend I am today.  And overall I really do like being me.