What a fabulous start...

to our vaca at Hawk's Cay in Duck Key, FL. There is a lot to do here. I'll try and get a lot of pictures posted, but it's late and I'm exhausted after an afternoon full of activities, so this post is going to be quick and consist mostly of our villa. A post full of activities will follow later...

A few outside shots of our cute and charming villa:

The family room as you enter the front door:

The kitchen is to the right as you enter through the front door (me taking a shot from the stairs):

The master bedroom:

The view/porch outside the family room sliders (there is also a porch outside the master suite, and the spare room):

This is a little path in between pools and play areas...it's very nature, kind of tropical looking:

One of many pools to swim in:

And a really cool firepit out by the lagoon and pool:

There is so much to see and do here. We've been here since late afternoon and I've already taken a ton of pictures, but I'll have to share the rest a little later. However, here are a few of my favorite shots from the day.

Jacob doing what he loves best:

A cute shot of Ellie at the lagoon. They loved jumping off that platform in the middle.

And, to end the day, a cute shot of my two favorite little people looking like they actually love each other (and I didn't even have to tell them to do that):

Wonderful day...I wonder what tomorrow will have in store. I'm thinking a little parasailing with my favorite little guy. We'll keep ya posted, but so far, so good! Wished you all could be here to join in the fun!

XOXO,

J

Hi-ya! Pow! Oof! Ouch!

Today my Mom took the kids to see The Karate Kid movie and once again they decided to do a little karate chopping and kung fu on each other in the pool...


need....



I....



say......



more......





Poor thing! She lost one this morning as she was wiggling it loose and her brother karate-chopped the other two out in the pool. She's a little self-conscious about it and had a difficult time eating her ice cream at snack time, but she's just as beautiful as ever!

I think the tooth-fairy is going to go broke tonight.

Good night, all!

Really?

Did my oh-so precious little boy, who at one time was called "Boo," just really turn...




12? Seriously? Will I really have a teen in t-minus 349 days? Oh my stars...someone please stop the clock!

I so love you, Boo!

Once again, I'm a very proud Mommy!

There she is...the little girl I'm so proud of as she received her exceptional award....Citizen of the Year! The day before she attended another ceremony where she got an award for "Greatest Overall Academics." I can't even begin to express how proud I am of her. Ellie has weathered a lot this past year and a half, but despite that storm, she is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous. She is everything wonderful and precious and my love for her, as well as for my son, has no boundaries.

Ellie, you are so dynamic. You are such a

beautiful;
intelligent;
thoughtful;
sweet;
resilient;
loving;
caring;
goofy at times; and
fun...

soul who I am lucky to call my daughter. You are full of beauty and will forever be beautiful - just truly amazing.

I once read a quote that said, "A successful person is a dreamer whom someone believed in." I believe in you, Ellie, now spread those wings and soar confidently in your own sky...whatever that may be and whereever it may take you. You continue, day after day, to make me so proud to be your Mommy!

I love you, sweet girl!

In training for the next Karate Kid-

I wanted to take the kids to see The Karate Kid movie today, but I was bummed to learn it isn't even out yet. Jacob and I were watching a preview of the movie this morning and then a short time later as the kids were swimming in the pool I heard them talking to each other as they trained for the The Next Karate Kid movie. All it took was a pool cleaning pole and a little imagination and they were occupied for a good hour.

I was watching them through the window, so I quickly grabbed a few shots before they decided to get out.

I've been a little busy, so I haven't had much time to update my blog. However, there are a lot of activities and events that I need to post about, so stay tuned...

Enjoy your Sunday!

On our drive home today...

Jacob is sitting in the backseat with his friend, Bradley, as he initiates a conversation about a sex-education class that he had in school this week.

Jacob: "Mommy, we had a class on AIDS in school this week."

Me: "Oh yeah, and what did you learn?"

Jacob: "To postpone adult activities."

Such a polite and political way to put it...

Bradley: After a little giggle, "what does that mean?"

Me: "Jacob, do you know what that means?"

Jacob: "Yes."

Bradley: "Well, I don't, but I don't think I want to know."

Too funny!

Sunday Fun Day!

It's our first Sunday in about a month that doesn't consist of baseball, whether just practice or a game, and what do you think we've decided to do today? We are going to take in a Sunday "Family Day" Mets game....more baseball!

We were just sitting by the pool this morning taking in the morning sun and breeze when the kids decided they would take their first spring/summer dip in the pool. Well, Ellie has jumped in a time or two this spring, but it was Jacob's first official swim. I decided to get the camera out and take a few pics.

The kids were playing around catching water balloons as Todd threw them in the pool and this is my favorite shot of the day - love this photo! You will have to double click the picture to get a good look...it's pretty funny:

Just a few other random shots...







And finally, as much I'm sure the kids love these shots, I made them sit still for a few short seconds to take a brother/sister shot:



Off to the Mets game... Have a great Sunday!

XOXO,
J

According to Jacob, the 80's are back!

He asked me for $.50 the other day so he could buy a pair of glasses from his friend. It was one of those things where I heard him, but the question kind of went in one ear and out the other, but yet I still forked over the $.50.

Well, this is what my $.50 bought...



He wanted to wear these glasses to the ballpark this morning, and I was like, "really, Jacob?" Here I am, the Mom, the who should be happy that her son doesn't care what others think, and I'm trying my best to convince him to leave them in the car.

Me: "Come on, Jacob, they are pretty dorky looking."

Jacob: "I don't care....the 80's are back, Mommy."

Jacob swears all the kids at school are wearing these and even "the high socks are coming back." Well, this is all according to Jacob anyways...

These are some of the things I remember from the 80's....

neon or paint splatter fashion

parachute pants

the "Madonna" look

stirrup pants

leg warmers

and....

jelly shoes

friendship pins

acid-wash jeans

big bangs or feathered hair

scrunched socks (usually two pair on each foot)

and maybe the 80's - Miami Vice - Don Johnson - sunglass look, but not so much the stylish eyeglass wear above.

That's my son...gotta love him!

3rd Place isn't all that bad-

As most of you know, our travel team has been through a lot these last few months. With some of our key players leaving to play with some of our competitors, we've had to reshuffle, recruit and rebuild. However, the past is in the past and it's time to look forward. I was very proud of the boys and our "new" team this weekend. We still have some work to do, but considering what we've been through, I think our team did well and it will only get better from here. We aren't the power team we once were, but as long as we can hit the ball, we can win games. I was also happy to see my son develop new friendships with some of the new kids on the team. We have some great kids and so far, drama-free parents....it can't get much better than that!

Here is a quick shot of the team taking their first hardware...hopefully this is the first of many more to follow:



Great job, Worth!

So...wasn't it just yesterday that I was posting about how happy I was with Ellie's diabetes management this past week? Well, let me fill you in on my stressful morning. Since I told on Daddy once before (about forgetting to give Ellie a shot before school), I guess I'll tell on myself. To make a long story short, I woke up this morning to give Ellie her insulin injection to only open the bag and find that her insulin vials were....GONE! It turns out that I left the vials on the bathroom counter in the restaurant that we ate at the night before...which was obviously closed. Needless to say, I missed the entire first game as I nervously sat in Walgreens trying to get 2 new vials filled. Luckily, the pharmacist was extremely nice and helpful. She, too, was a diabetic, so she felt my pain and was doing all she could to keep my costs at a minimum. So, about 2 hours and $150 later, Ellie finally got her shot and was able to eat breakfast.

Me: "I'm so sorry, Ellie, Mommy really goofed."

and my daughter reassuring me...

Ellie: "It's okay, Mommy."

Well, that's my story...another one of those life lesson-learned moments.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We are all exhausted and so not looking forward to facing Monday morning. Sigh....XOXO

Bradenton Update-

Whew...what a day of baseball. Our first game was at 1:00...

and
it was
not pretty!

We lost 18-1. The boys looked horrible! They weren't on their game at all, looked sluggish, struggled to hit, and all I could think was this was going to be a looonnngg day.

The second game didn't start off much better. Actually, we started off okay, but then it went down hill again. By the bottom of the 6th (we were home team), it was 10-2. It was our last time to add a few runs to the scoreboard and I don't know how, but our boys managed to get their stuff together, started getting their bats on the ball and came back to score 9 runs in the last inning to win the game...11-10.

It
was
very
exciting!!!

Jacob did okay. He had 2 really good hits....both pretty close to going over the fence. He's getting closer and if I could just put a few more pounds on that boy, he would have the power he needs to probably hit it over. Now, it's just getting the kid to eat. Anyone want to help? I'm kind of at a loss. I don't know what else to do to get that boy to eat. Any ideas?

In any event, that was our exciting day. I'm also happy to report that since Ellie's doctor's appointment, and now that the doctor has me focusing a little more on carb-counting, her sugars have been EXCELLENT! With the exception of one test at school, her sugars have not been over 160, which is really good for her! I think we are on a roll, so hopefully we can continue on this path.

Well, that's it for me tonight. It's time to hit the sack and get prepared for our 9:00 game in the morning.

Go Worth!

We made it to Bradenton-

Jacob has a baseball tournament in Bradenton this weekend, so when I got home from work, we headed west for a weekend away from home...a little R&R and lots of good baseball.

As we are waiting at a stop light in Okeechobee, I look to the right and see an old corner store called Root'in Toot'in Whiskey and Wine. We were all laughing and joking about it and this is the conversation that ensued....

Jacob: "I don't like Okeechobee."

Todd: "Why not?"

Jacob: "Cause I'm a city boy."

Really? I never would of thought, but if that's the case, I don't imagine my son will be living in the Fort when he grows-up :)

There were a few more exchanges, but then I hear him say in his best southern, redneck, good ole' country boy accent....

"So do you think your Rootin Tootin 250 can beat my Urban G Cadillac?"

Me: "Jacob, what is Urban G?"

Jacob: "Urban Gansta."

Oh lordy...someone please help me!

What's the pity-party all about?

This week started off a little shaky for me. I’ve been a little emotional to begin with, but I was in tears Monday night as I sat in the kitchen writing Ellie’s BGL’s (blood glucose levels) in our log book to show to the endocrinologist the following day. Poor Todd...he was at work and trying to deal with my meltdown the best he could, but there wasn’t much he could do or say to pacify me at that moment. He was doing his best to let me know what a good Mommy he thinks I am, but I wasn’t having it.

As I was logging the numbers in and looking back at the last few months, it just seemed Ellie’s BGL’s were all over the place and I was certain that her A1C level (average of your blood sugar control over a 3-4 month period) was going to come back high. The higher the A1C, the higher your risk of diabetes complications. So...I was having somewhat of a "breakdown" moment. My heart was hurting and I felt like I was failing my daughter. Being a Mommy is such a big responsibility in itself, but being a Mommy to a child with diabetes can sometimes be a little overwhelming. My daughter’s future health relies on me and I just didn’t feel I was cutting it. I was having my own self pity party, but I guess we are all entitled to one every now and then. Thank goodness my kids were outside playing or they would of thought I was nuts.

Ellie and I went to her appointment yesterday and it went well...very well. I walked out of that office feeling much more confident in myself as a Mommy and with a stronger determination to do my best (now I just have to get my husband to let me quit my job and I'll have a lot more time to focus). We had a really good, long talk with Dr. Damian yesterday and I am so happy we found her. She sat and talked to me and Ellie for a good hour about BGL’s, meals, insulin injections, etc... She always reassures me that diabetes is a science and I'm doing my best. It’s not an easy job to maintain perfect BGL’s and although it would be nice, there is no set plan. We will forever be adjusting and tweaking, so we just have to figure out a good daily plan for the present time and make the necessary adjustments.

I am happy to report that Ellie finally gained some weight and grew a little taller since our last visit. Plus, her A1C went from 8.4 to 7.8, so I was VERY happy to hear that! The goal for people with diabetes is 7 or less, so although we are still a tad high, we are making progress. The doctor seemed pretty happy with that number, so it made me feel much better.

Everyone in that doctor’s office absolutely adores Ellie and is so excited to see her when she walks in that door. The doctor tells Ellie all the time that she is their "favorite patient." They call her "Ellie-Minnelli" and my "favorite patient who is always smiling." Last time we were there Ellie gave them a picture that she drew for them and they had it posted right on the wall.

After Ellie and I walked out of the doctor’s office hand in hand, I thought to myself...I’m not the one who has to endure those everyday pricks and pokes, so I need to get over my pity party. For everything that Ellie tolerates on a daily basis, she is a pretty "happy-go-lucky" girl and for that reason, I think I’m pretty darn lucky!

I love you, Elle Belle!

What a game!

This is going to be quick because I'm at work and shouldn't really be on here, but I think I'm still experiencing a rush from the baseball game last night. What an exciting and thrilling game for the Rays team last night. It probably wasn't one of the finest performances by my favorite Rays player, or the perfection he seeks, but hey....we can't always be on our "A" game, right? Jacob still played well, just had somewhat of a difficult night on the pitchers mound.

To make a long story short, we were trailing pretty much the entire game (with at least a 3 run margin, if not more) and came back in the last inning to win the game 11-10 (or was it 10-9?). It was very exciting and we couldn't of ended the night on a better note...at least the majority of us felt that way anyways.

As we were walking to the car, Jacob seemed a little bummed despite the team's win...most likely a little down about his own personal performance. Just as he sat down in the car and was getting ready to shut the door, somebody reached their hand in and pulled the door back open...it was the umpire from our game. He looked at Jacob and said, "you need to relax, pace yourself out there on the mound...you are the one in control" and he gave Jacob one of the game balls and walked away. A little taken back by this gentleman's gesture, Jacob only had a brief second to say "thank you" before the man disappeared into the dark parking lot. Jacob just stared at the ball and then turned to me and said, "that was nice."

We've all heard that famous quote that baseball is 90% mental...admittingly, a little something I think my son could work on. Sometimes I wished I could instill in him that "perfection and baseball do not mix" and that the essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection. I certainly want Jacob to strive to be his best, but he has to learn that he can't be perfect out on that baseball diamond all the time.

To my little man - don't be so tough on yourself... just strive for continuous improvement, rather than for perfection. As the famous baseball player, Tug McGraw, once said, "Ya gotta believe!" I believe in you, Jacob...now you need to believe in yourself!

XOXO,

Mommy

He made me proud!

Most of you know that Jacob was hit by a wild pitch at his game on Saturday and suffered a pretty big bruise. I was at the concession stand when it all went down, so I didn't see it happen (which was probably a good thing). I came around the corner to see a player laying on the field surrounded by coaches, but I didn't really stop to think it could of been my son. Needless to say, I was very proud in the way Jacob handled it and I think his Daddy would of been proud, too. We all know he isn't the toughest of the bunch, but he showed me on Sat. that he's getting tougher. He got right back up (although you could tell he was hurting) and continued to play ball without shedding even one tiny tear. Here are a few shots of the progression of his bruise over the first day or two. I haven't taken one recently-

Yikes!

***UPDATE: Here is today's picture...

Just a quick post...

of a couple cute pictures from our day at the beach. I took last Friday off so I could spend at least one day with my kiddos on their Spring Break. We went back and forth on what we wanted to do, but we decided to take in a little more sun and some time at the beach. I took these with my phone, so they aren't very clear, but some of them are pretty funny so I thought I would share.

Here is a picture of Ellie in her new Easter bathing suit from MaMaw-

Some of these were pretty funny, but I don't have time to load them all. Here is headless Nate-

A few more of the kids playing in the sand-

It turned out to be a fabulous day, but unfortunately, Spring Break is over and we are back to the daily grind.

Lots of birthday wishes sent "across the pond!"

Aunt Essie, a little something from the kids-



And a little something from me-

One of life's special gifts;
Is to have a sister-in-law like you;
You're such an awesome person;
With a heart and soul so true~

I enjoy being in your presence;
And on you I can always depend;
You are more to me than a sister-in-law;
You are also a very good friend~

I truly do enjoy your presence and look forward to spending time with you and all the gang in June. We hope you have had a wonderful day with your family. Please know that we were thinking of you and so wishing we could be there with you to help you celebrate, but we'll look forward to celebrating a couple of birthdays in June!

Lots of Love!
XOXO,
T,J,J & little E

Kind of a scary start to Spring Break...

but it got better.

We had a dramatic evening on White Oak Lane last night and as a result of same, this was the sleeping arrangements at my house...



I must of picked Ellie up and put her back in her own bed at least twice last night, to only feel her laying by my feet again an hour or two later. I finally gave up and just let her stay. A short time later, child #1 showed up at the side of our bed begging and pleading for a teeny, tiny space on the edge of the bed to lay down. Todd was calm at first...

Daddy: "Jacob, there is no room, but you can grab a pillow and sleep on the floor."

Jacob: "Daddy, please...I’m scared. I only need a little space to sleep on."

This conversation went on for a few minutes. Todd wasn’t giving in (because there simply was no room) and Jacob wasn’t giving up, so eventually Todd got a little frustrated. After a few more exchanges, I heard...

Daddy: "Jacob, grow up!"

Jacob: "Daddy, I will....tomorrow," said with such innocence and sweetness in his voice.

I know he’s going to be 12, but the Mommy in me just wouldn’t let his aching heart suffer any longer, so I got up and let the 2 little ones sleep with their Daddy so they could receive the comfort they were so desperately seeking....and then I curled up in Ellie’s bed.

Earlier that evening, the kids were outside playing with their friends as they enjoyed the wonderful spring weather and the start of Spring Break. I had just plopped down on the couch to watch Dancing with the Stars when Ellie came running into the house saying, "Mommy, I think Michelle is having a seizure." I jumped up and ran outside, as J & E bolted by me and headed in the opposite direction straight for Jacob’s room...where they nervously remained until we had the chance to come back and talk to them. Thankfully Todd was already outside and by Michelle’s side (doing what he does best) when I got there. It was a pretty scary moment for me, so I could only imagine what my sensitive kids were thinking and feeling when they saw their friend jump roping one second and then fall head first on the concrete and suffer an epileptic seizure the next. We just sat by her side and waited for the ambulance to arrive.

However, on a brighter note, it all turned out okay and I am happy to report that Michelle is home and doing just fine, which I think helped my kids feel at ease again.

One thing I can say that I’ve learned about myself - I actually can remain pretty calm in a stressful situation like that...which is something I wasn’t always sure about. I will admit that the calmness Todd brought to the situation helped me remain calm as well.

Whew, what a start to the week. Please...no more nights like that.

Easter Part II

I was a little tired last night, so today I wanted to share a conversation held yesterday between the ever-so-loving Harrison sibilings. We were driving home from the beach yesterday when Jacob and Ellie started arguing over some silly puddy that Ellie got from the Easter Bunny. I'm not exactly sure how it started, but this is how part of the conversation went:

E: "Mommy, Jacob won’t give me my silly puddy back."

J: "But you gave it to me."

E: "Yeah, but I want it back now."

I'm not quite sure what Jacob said next, but if I had to guess, it was probably a little antagonistic...

E: "You better give it back or else I will..."

I didn’t catch the end of that sentence either, but I'm quite certain it had something to do with her promising to do something destructive to Jacob’s silly puddy when she got back home.

J: "Mommy, tell her she can’t do that."

Meanwhile, I just sat in the passenger seat as if I didn't hear a word...ignoring the backseat requests for a Mommy intervention. I was hoping that they would work it out on their own, but that wasn't working so much and the conversation continued on...

J: "You don’t like me, do you?"

E: "I’m not going to answer that question right now."

J: "Why don’t you like me?"

The bickering continued...Ellie wanted her silly puddy back and Jacob wasn't giving it up since he felt his sister willingly gave it to him only a few seconds earlier. Not really something a Mommy would be proud of, but I guess her desire to share was gone in a matter of a nanosecond. I’m not even sure what happened next because I was trying my best to tone it all out, but then I heard the little one raise her voice and proclaim (amongst a few small tears)...

E: "NO, I don’t like you. THERE...I answered your question!"

I know it doesn’t sound very nice, but we all know children say things they don’t mean and it made me chuckle under my breath. My two can get along incredibly well one minute and then drive each other crazy mad the next. I guess I can relate since I, too, had the pleasure of experiencing many sibling showdowns. I can remember riding in the backseat of my parents car and complaining..."Mom, she won’t stop touching me.." as if that was even possible when all 3 of us are practically sitting on top of one another, shoulder to shoulder, in the small backseat.

On a side note, here is a quote I read in a magazine the other day-

"Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way."

One day my kids will understand that, but until then, I'm sure I'll experience many more sibling showdowns.

Happy Easter!

It was a nice relaxing day filled with...

basket surprises from the Easter Bunny;

basket surprises from Grandma's;

family time - minus Daddy :(

hours of sunny beach time;

neighborhood eggs hunts;

3 egg hunts for Ellie;

beautiful sunny sky;

and much more!

all of the above also included....

eggs;

candy;

sugar-free candy;

lots of beach sand;
prize egg money for Ellie;

and a little sunburn for myself!

It's a little late and I'm ready for bed,

but just thought I would post a few quick pictures to share-

two of my favorite people...

Then they decided to bury themselves in the sand-

Then....my son got a tad comfy and did this...

All it takes is for that boy to stop moving for a few simple minutes

and give his body a chance to relax and he will fall right to sleep...anywhere!

People were walking by pointing and laughing at him,

as he took a good 20 minute nap literally under the sand.

I couldn't believe it...he was fast asleep!

Okay, here is a picture that I wasn't going to initally post,

but since it's only family that I share this blog with,

I guess I'll share the picture.

I was snapping a few pictures of the kids

when Jacob took a brief break on the towel.

Granted, he was sitting still on the towel,

but he was still moving his arm/hand/finger

up and and down in the sand when I got this shot....

(you might have to click on the picture to get a good look)

Seriously, I know I've been complaining about him hitting the pre-teen years,

but he's not really shooting me a bird...or at least I don't think he was.

He seemed pretty innocent when I asked him about it.

I didn't even notice it until I got home and was thumbing through my shots of the day.

And lastly, a picture of some of the crew after the last egg hunt:

Happy Easter Everyone!

XOXO

Mommy and Daddy night out-

We went to eat at a new Tiki restaurant on the inlet and the view was absolutely amazing. The drinks were also really cheap, but the wait was really lloonnnggg and the menu prices seemed a little steep, so we ended up going to the Original Tiki in downtown FP. However, I wanted to share a shot of that awesome view we got to enjoy for about an hour before the sun went down...

It's views like this that make me happy that I live near the beach.

Pocahontas Part II

So, I thought I would have a good follow-up story as to how that headband became virtually horizontal on Ellie's head, but unfortunately I don't. I actually think she's a tad embarrassed by it, but here is how our conversation went:

Me: "Ellie, so what happened with your pictures?"

E: Nothing said, but a little grumble under her breath.

Me: "No, seriously, Ellie, how did your headband get on your head like that?"

E: "I don't know."

Me: "Did the photographer put it on that way?"

E: "I don't know."

Me: "Did your teacher?"

E: "I don't know."

Me: "Did a friend do it, or tell you to put it on that way?"

E: "I don't know."

Me: "Ellie, come on...you have to remember how it got on your head like that."

E: "Mommy, those pictures were taken a long time ago. I don't remember."

My personal opinion is the "I don't know" answer that I kept getting from the little one was short for "I don't want to discuss it." Here's my conclusion...I think the headband came off or slipped off somehow and when Ellie went to put it back on....

it didn't quite...
make it back up...
to the top of her head.

Now how she didn't feel it pressing on her forehead like that...I'm going to go with Ellie's phrase and say "I don't know," but that's the story I'm going with.

On the other hand, sometimes the mystery behind the story is better left unsaid, and I guess that's how this one will remain....

a mystery! Sigh....

We have a new princess in the house...

and her name is Pocahontas. Okay, I have to admit I had a good chuckle when I saw this, but on the other hand, I don't know what in the world these people were thinking!

Ellie told me this morning that her spring pictures were in, so I guess Todd picked them up when he dropped her off at school this morning. This is the text I got shortly after...

T: What the hell? Who let her do this? Who is she...Pocahontas?

And then this is the picture that popped up on my phone....



HA! I promise you, this is NOT how I sent my daughter to school, but I sure would like to know who decided to change her attire. All I know is she had the headband on the correct way when I dropped her off that morning. What the heck?

I guess I'll have to order a few pictures just so we can laugh at it years from now. Would anyone else like to place an order? hehe

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I had good intentions to take a picture of Ellie today all decked out in her green attire so that I could post it for my "Happy Green Day" blog, but in typical me form, the thought was there, but I didn't quite put it into action...at least the way I was hoping. By the time I got home from Jacob's game, made something for him to eat and helped him with his homework, one exhausted little girl crawled into her bed and fell fast asleep. I guess her day, which was filled with scavenger hunts and leprechauns, was a little too much excitement for her. It's definitely not what I had in mind, but I guess this will have to be my picture of the day:

One worn-down, pooped-out and drained little girl who jumped into bed and fell asleep before she even took her shamrock hair down.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my loved ones!


XOXO

Another great success!

Yesterday was a great day for lots of reasons. It was a beautiful day in sunny South Florida and we took part in the Walk to Cure Diabetes in Downtown Stuart along the side with many great family and friends. Although there is still a little time to donate, we topped last year's goal and have collected over $1,700 in donations for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation):

Way to go, TEAM ELLIE!

Here's a picture of some of those important people that made that possible:



This year's fundraising was a great success because of many reasons-

The many people who were so kind to generously donate to an important cause we find so dear to our heart;

My Mom, who put a lot of effort into our fundraising event and paid for all those specially designed t-shirts out of her own pocket, yet every dime of the money donated by every kind soul went straight to the cause;

My Uncle Ti-Ti, who spent the time designing our very special shirts;

All the wonderful people who took the time out on Sat. to join us in our walk and support the cause once again;

My Mom, Uncle/Aunt and sisters who find this cause just as important as I and recruited donations from their own friends, most who don't even know Ellie;

and many more reasons....

The pics below will lead you through our walk on Sat. I had every intention to set them up in a storyline, but it became too much of a hassle to move all the pictures around and I gave up. So, here's the pictures from our day in no certain order:

First, one of my favorites...Daddy and his little girl:



Two of those special people I mentioned above:



Sorry Ti-Ti, but this is the only picture I have of Aunt Julie, so this is the one that I had to share...hehe-



Here are some of our dear friends who were with us every step of the way through donations and our walk:

Aunt Tonya trying to be funny, but not real sure what she's trying to say here:

Grandpa Bruce, Uncle Mike and Aunt Angie:

Ellie's bestest friend who she absolutely adores, and who is always there to support Ellie, diabetes or not:

Grandpa Bruce, Grandma Chris and Aunt Jackie:

And, last but not least, a picture of our special girl with Rodney, who was the winner of the entire race. I forget the exact time, but I think it was 19:38...or something like that.

Again, I can't begin to express our gratitude and how thankful we are for each and every one of you. We thank you all for your love and support through these crazy, sometimes difficult, times. We will continue to fight the fight and find the cure so that our daughter can live a life free of the many pricks and shots she endures every single day and the life that we all take for granted.

As I've said many times before, I'm so proud of my little girl. Ellie, you keep on fighting and smiling. I have great faith that we will find a cure in your lifetime. We love you, sweet girl!

Thanks again everyone!

XOXO

P.S. Todd already has shirt ideas for next year. His thought....a camo shirt (he says it can be pink and green) that says something along the lines of "hunting for the cure."