A man on a mission -- which has now become our mission!

Nick Jonas from the Jonas Brothers was in Capitol Hill yesterday to testify at a hearing on government funding for diabetes research. The singer, who was diagnosed with diabetes at 13, shared his story and read lyrics from his song "A Little Bit Longer," which he wrote about dealing with the disease. I just wanted to share some of the lyrics...

Got the news today
Doctor said I had to stay
A little bit longer and I’ll be fine

When I thought it’d all be done
When I thought it’d all been said
A little bit longer and I’ll be fine

But you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone
And you don’t know what it’s like to feel so low
And every time you smile you laugh you glow
You don’t even know
You just don’t even know

All this time goes by
Still no reason why
A little bit longer and I’ll be fine.

Waitin’ on the cure
But none of them are sure
A little bit longer and I’ll be fine

So I’ll wait ‘til kingdom come
All the highs and lows are gone
A little bit longer and I’ll be fine
I’ll be....fine.

I don't know if I've ever heard the song, but now I'm intrigued and will have to find it on ITunes and listen to it.

It actually made me a little teary-eyed...makes me want to fight even harder and hope, truly hope, that one day I will be saying that my daughter HAD diabetes.

XOXO

I've been such a slacker..

at blogging. I barely have time to keep up with my everyday home chores, let alone blogging. But, it’s Thursday and I’m sooo ready for the weekend to get here. I'm at home, sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing, in complete silence. That's right....no TV, no screaming kids, no barking dogs, no ruckus in the kitchen....complete silence. The only noise I currently hear is the AC blowing through the air vents. I know, and didn't I just say I had no time to blog?

I didn't think the work day would ever end today. For the last hour I sat there, daydreaming, thinking about life these last few months and hoping that...

life...would........slow...................down.

It seems like these last few months have zoomed by and consisted of two things...

Ellie's new life and
getting familiar with diabetes,
testing sugars,
counting carbs,
testing more sugars,
giving insulin shots, and
just trying our best to figure out the science of it all.

And....

baseball,
baseball, and
more baseball.

Let me first say that the change in my life is in no way even close to comparing to the change my sweet, preciouse daughter has had to endure. Bless her heart....she's a fighter and a trooper!

And, I absolutely LOVE watching my son play his heart out and become the fabulous baseball player he has become, but it seems baseball has taken over and I simply think it's time for a break!

It's time for...

these never-ending, hours long, every day, heat-enduring, constant baseball practices to end
and....
summer to begin!

Well, I’m not really ready for the heat that summer brings, but just the down-time that summer is suppose to bring, such as....

a little beach time;
relaxing in the sun;
getting a little tan;
listening to and playing in the waves;
wiggling my toes in the warm beach sand; and
simply relaxing...
watching my kids enjoy the ocean life that so many people would only dream of.

I feel like life these last few months has just been passing us by with all the craziness and we haven't been able to stop, take a deep breath and simply enjoy the little and important things in life.

So, with that being said, I'm going to stop my pity party, put this computer aside, go out by the pool and watch my daughter take a swim as we enjoy this beautiful evening together.

Happy Thursday, All....the weekend is almost here!

A quick follow up to my last post-

Tonya reminded me of another trait I forgot about my little man. He actually has a little humor to that personality of his...something he got from his Daddy.

I think he knows every "fat Momma" joke known to man.

So, I'll share 2 of my favorites...

Your Momma is so fat that they have to grease up the doorway and put a twinkie on the other side to get her through.

and....

Your Momma is so fat that when she's swimming in the ocean the whales start singing..."We are family....even though you're fatter then me."

Okay, so "Fat Momma" jokes probably aren't very nice, but...

they make me laugh;
he makes me laugh; and
I love him!

My #1

This post is in reference to my #1...my #1 child who is #1 to me in many, many ways.

Sometimes I know I might sound like a broken record, but he's such a special little man.

He's so very kind;
and caring;
and sweet;
and friendly;
and loving;
and smart;
and athletic;

just a good, good soul...

But one new thing I did learn today is...

intelligent + caring + kind+ athletic + loving + friendly + sweet =

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR!!!!

He walked into class this morning and noticed a piece of blank paper sitting on his desk. As he approached his desk to sit down, he flipped the paper over and it was the teachers note letting him know that she had chosen him as her "Citizen of the Year." Jacob's only response, spoken quietly to himself, was "YES!" And, the quiet, shy and humble boy never said a word...he just simply stuffed the paper away in his backpack.

However, it was very clear to see that he was also very proud. As I picked the kids up from school today, Jacob jumped in the car with a smile from ear to ear and said, "I have some very good news." As he told me the wonderful news and we discussed his nomination, he kept saying, "are you happy, Mommy?" And I'm thinking to myself, little guy...you just have no idea how proud I really am! As I tried to keep the tears from rolling out from under my sunglasses, I told my son...over and over....how SO very proud I am of him and the many, many reasons why.

I didn't hear a peep from the other little backseat rider most of the way home. I think she was taking it all in and listening to the conversation Jacob and I were having. As we pull into the driveway, she finally says, "Mommy, are you proud of me?" Yes, little girl.....I'm very proud of you, too! She also made a point to tell me that her teacher has yet to appoint their Citizen of the Year, and I could just hear that little glimmer of hope in her voice that maybe, just maybe it will be her. Although I think they will be some hard shoes to follow, I think she is determined to do everything she can do follow her brother's footsteps, and I have no doubts she can do it!

It's simple...

I have two smart little kids that I'm SUPER proud of!

(I'm sure most of you will have to double-click the pictures to see the actual grades)

I'm so lucky...

A weekend full of eggs & candy!

We started our Easter weekend with a little egg coloring.





However, it was short-lived. As soon as the neighborhood kids arrived and the doorbell rang, the kids bolted and Mommy was left finishing the eggs alone.



Unfortunately, Todd had to work this Easter...one of the few holidays I think he actually has to work this year. It's just never the same when Daddy isn't here. Since we all know what a good cook I am, my Mommy elected to take us out for an Easter lunch instead. Good thinking, Mom!

We ended our Easter weekend with a few surprises from the Easter Bunny, church, a visit to the fire station to see Daddy and a little Easter egg hunt with friends.



Jacob was the "Golden Egg" winner, and although it's a little hard to see, he's flashing his money around in this picture. Needless to say, he's like his Dad and as soon as that money was in his little hands, he already had visions of what he was going to do with it. Thankfully, someone is like me and Ellie's a little saver like her Mommy.



XOXO

UPDATE, UPDATE....read all about it!

Hello, blogger friends! I know it's been a while, and as most of you know, there has been A LOT going on at White Oak Lane that has kept me from being an ever so faithful blogger. Okay, well maybe my bloggingless (is that really a word?) started long before then, but that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. In any event, we've had some big changes and have been quite busy keeping up with our old world, and adjusting to our new one.

First and foremost, we had a major, life changing, altering experience that threw a curve ball at our peaceful world and sent us in shock, awe, dismay and havoic. I, along with everyone else, went through a whirlwind of emotions from being scared, mad, sad and finally, a little acceptance..initially. We have certainly taken that little acceptance and ran with it, so it's not so "little" anymore. As most of you know, our precious, little (to little for such a dramatic life change), amazing girl was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Here is a picture of the first glimpse of that new world and our very scary experience...

Picture 1...sitting in bed awaiting the news and our next move:

That was our first, of many, hospital beds and one scared little girl. But, boy, oh boy, did that little girl have big surprises in store for her Mommy and Daddy on what a brave...BRAVE... soul she really is.

Picture 2...one we took to show her big brother, and one big brother who isn't so "big" when it comes to sickness. Thank the guy above for not torturing me and throwing this life changing experience at Jacob as we would all probably be institutionalized by now....really! This was also one of my first signs of "wow, this is one brave little girl."

Here's another shot that brought out a little of Ellie's humor...anything to lighten the mood on that scary day.

Then we took an ambulance ride and ended up at Palms West. After a day or two when Ellie started feeling better, we made many trips to the play room to....

make sand art;



or play Guitar Hero (this was another picture just for big brother):

She got LOTS of goodies delievered to her...many new stuffed friends and flowers. Sorry, can't post them all, so here's a few:

This is a cute shot that I took of her reading her diabetes book to her new friends and teaching them all about it:

Finally, and although I've said it before, I'll say it again....I can't thank all of you enough for being so kind and opening your hearts and wallets to a cause that we recently found so near and dear to our hearts. Thanks to all of you, we alone raised close to $1,500 for our diabetes walk. THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU! I truly hope, and strongly believe, that my precious angel will see a cure in her lifetime. An extra thanks to Mom, Tonya, Bill, Jody, Jimbo, Drew, Riley and Magda for taking part and joining us in our walk. It just made it that more special to know we have your support and that you are standing right behind us in this new adventure. Here's a picture of Ellie and her best friend, Riley, at the walk.



I've been telling myself that He won't give us more then we can handle and there is some reason, although I'm still figuring that part out, on why this "curve ball" was thrown at us. However, I have to say that we've all adjusted and ran with the punches and, proudly, I think we've all handled it pretty darn well. Granted, that little girl is the one that has adjusted the best overall and has no earthly idea how much easier she has made this on her Mommy and Daddy. But one day, as she gets a little older to fully understand the meaning, I will proudly fill her in.

On a final note, Ellie had a follow-up appointment yesterday with her endocrinologist who told us that we are doing a wonderful job with our new world. She also said something that really touched my heart and made me realize that, despite this "curve ball", we are truly blessed. She told us that we "have that perfect little family".....who wouldn't be proud of that?

I have a lot more to update everyone on, but it's time to run off to a baseball game. More to follow, barring any more life changing experiences (I know, I know...still just an excuse).

XOXO

Today was....

our Citizen of the Month award ceremony at school. Ellie got the award for her class....

and Jacob got his for PE. He was EXTREMELY embarrassed that I took this picture. His poor little face got beet red. Before he went on stage to receive his award he was begging me not to get up from my seat and take a picture. My initial plan was to take one secretly from my chair, but then Ms. Scurry (the Asst Principal) saw me and made Jacob stop, so I got one anyways. You'll have to double click on the picture to zoom in and get a good look...

Just for proof, I took one of Ellie too, but I couldn't get it quick enough and it turned out blurry.

and then I took a few quick shots of the monthly bulletin board....

We were the only proud Mommy and Daddy in that cafeteria sitting next to not only one, but two Citizens of the Month. How lucky are we?

December birthdays...there are many!

We have many December birthdays in this family and, bless her heart, Jackie anxiously prepares a month ahead of time, but yet so patiently awaits her special day. Here are just a few pictures of our December birthday celebration.

Can't break the tradition, so Todd got his usual underwear and socks from his parents.



Here is our special birthday girl opening her presents:





Here are the birthday cake toppers....aren't they cute?



Cake time....



and then Ellie decorated Grandma's tree all by herself with the exception of a few ornaments that Jacob put on. I wished I got a picture of the finished product....



Oh, and Grandpa Bruce decided to shave his head...



Until next year....

"All I Want for Christmas is my...

Bottom Tooth." Okay, so it doesn't quite have the same rhythmic tune as "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth", but you get my point. Can you believe that Todd has never heard of that song, or at least he doesn't remember it. So...as I'm sure you can guess, little Miss Ellie Belly lost her first tooth last Sunday, 11/30. She was eating a Kit-Kat at Bubbe's baseball game when she felt something hard in her candybar. As she searched around, she happened to find a tooth in it. She was pretty excited and got her first visit from the generous tooth fairy. Here is a picture of our toothless little one. I'm sure there are many more teeth that will soon follow...



She's becoming such a big girl....sigh!

"We are the Champions...We are the Champions!"

Go ahead and sing the tune above....anyone wish to serenade the rest of it for Todd and I? That's right, people, Todd and Julie are the new UNDEFEATED badmitton champions.

Sorry, I didn't get a picture of us actually playing the game, so the above picture is all I have.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day spent with all of our loved ones creating many more lasting memories....here are just a few pictures to share from our day.

First, here are the name plates Ellie and I made for everyone:



Unfortunately, Ellie's got a little to close to her candle....



Here's a nice picture of our "Jack":



A cute picture of Ellie:



and her Aunt's trying to be like her:





There is just something about this house that tends to make people very sleepy...I can't figure it out. Surprisingly, it's not my Dad this time....don't kill me Uncle Mike and Aunt Irma:

To give them credit, though, they were snoozing for maybe 5-10 minutes. Here....are these pictures better?

Just a few nice shots....











And we always have to end with a picture of the entire gang:

This picture is blurry, but too funny not to share. Everyone was suppose to be making a funny face, although not everyone participated....

Ellie and I were just laughing at Daddy's long tongue above, and what's with the redneck barefeet....hehehe.

Oh wait, I lied....just found the proof I needed:



Shall I say it again...."the UNDEFEATED badmitton champs." Anyone ready for another challenge?

Seriously, it wouldn't of been the same without everyone here....it was a fun day!

XOXO,

J