Another adventure in life...

Today I embark on another adventure in dealing with my diabetes. I am usually not one to talk about my diabetes a whole lot- not because I am embarrassed or shy or like to pretend it's not there ( believe me, I KNOW it's there every moment of my life :) ; it's just that I try really hard for people to know who I am. There is more to me than diabetes.

So anywho, this past week I got a new toy called a Continuous Glucose Monitor. Now in addition to my insulin pump which is connected to my 24/7, I also have a sensor which monitors my blood sugar non-stop. There are obvious upsides to having such a device. Now instead of poking my finger 10-12 times a day, I only have to do it 2! My fingers are singing this things praises for sure! I am constantly alerted if my blood sugar is moving out of my target range and it lets me know if I am heading for a reaction- aka- really low blood sugar. Now, the downsides- I have to wear another big sticky piece of tape with a transmitter stuck in it. It stays on for a continuous week at which time you have to insert another one. I don't know about you, but being only 5 feet tall, I have limited skin real estate. We will see how this goes! Another kinda bummer thing is that I have another bulky monitor clipped to my pants. Can't wait for all the random questions I will get about that! And last but not least, my self-esteem took a temporary hit. I seriously feel like a walking medical equipment advertisement. However, I have the most amazing husband ever who quickly reassured me that he thinks I am beautiful- no matter how many pieces of plastic and wire are both in me, and hooked to the outside of me. :)

I know that to have the longest and best quality of life, diabetes is something I have to work at every single day. I want to grow old with my hubby and family and not from a wheel chair, being blind and legless. I am grateful to live at a time where Heavenly Father has blessed people with the abilities and talents to create such products, because though at times they are inconvenient, they do improve the quality of life for those of us dealing with this disease.

An update...

Hard to believe we are already in the full swing of summer! Life has been treating us pretty well so I can't complain too much. :) We were so excited to welcome a nephew (after 4 nieces) to the family in June - I am so anxious to go and meet Landon! He is being adored by his big sisters, although rumor has it that Kayla won't change diapers, hahaha. The 4th of July was a "blast" as always. Good food, great friends and family, and great fireworks. What more could you ask for?

Another huge milestone was Justin getting his mission call to the Dominican Republic. What a wonderful blessing it was to be there when he opened his call! I think a piece of my heart is going to leave with him when he goes in October. I love that kid so much and can't believe he is ready to go on a mission - time certainly has a way of racing by these days it seems. I was grateful to be there with most of the family when he went through the temple just a few weeks ago. There is so much comfort knowing everyone in the family was worthy to be there - including the ones who couldn't make it. That is something not everyone gets to experience in this life I am sure and I am humbled by the blessings the Lord has seen fit to bestow upon us. I am grateful for the righteous lives and examples my brothers are to me. They are all pretty cool guys :)

Good times!

Time went by too quickly the last few weeks! It was such a joy to have Jeff, Amy, and the girls here. Kayla was so excited to go to Sea World and Grammy got the 3 girls matching outfits for the occasion. It was precious to watch the girls play together and see Hali'a follow Kayla everywhere she went. Jon gave La'akea such a beautiful blessing- what a special and sacred event that the entire family got to be a part of! Now, Mom and Dad and Grandma Betty are off to Missouri to watch Jeff graduate from medical school. What an amazing accomplishment and I know me and the whole family are so proud of him! He is going to be an amazing surgeon :)

Happiness is...

being an auntie! We are so grateful for the safe and healthy arrival of niece #4, La'akea Maren. Nothing brings a smile to my face faster than being with my nieces. I am so very grateful for the special relationship I have with Hali'a. She truly is a blessing to me and our whole family. I am excited to get to know La'akea and know what a blessing she is. I look forward to the days ahead when Kayla and Jocelyn come- its better than Christmas or birthdays :) Families are forever - xoxoxo

Hilarious!!!

Soto...enough said!

And so the countdown begins...

until my very favorite holiday that is! St. Patrick's Day is my all time favorite holiday, and no, I am not joking :) One of the items on my "Things to do Before I Die" list, is to go to New York and see the big parade. Some day I will! For now though, I will celebrate by wearing lots of green and eating lots of potatoes! Hehe. Another thing on my bucket list is to own an Irish wolfhound- hence the picture. Since the Westminster Kennel Club dog show is on right now, I only thought it appropriate to post a picture of a dog :) My dad once asked me why on earth I wanted to own a horse for a dog. Made me laugh!

In other news, not much else is going on. We are so thrilled to have found out that Jeff and Amy are expecting a baby boy!! He will be the first boy grandkid/nephew after four girls. Super excited and I have already found some awesome stuff for the little guy. It should be a fun and eventful next few months with the arrival of babies! What a blessing to have such an amazing family :)

Life has gone to the birds :)

One of my best friends I recently took a day trip to Solvang and had so much fun! Our first, and my favorite, stop was to an emu and ostrich farm. We got to feed those mean, stinky birds and the experience was quite memorable. I must say, at a few points I thought Lynette was going to have a heart attack :) The rest of the day we shopped, ate, and visited one of the missions in town. It was nice to get out of "dodge" - even just for the day. (p.s. those things in my hands are dog bowls screwed onto metal dustpans. That is what the ostriches ate out of and what they tried to steal from us!)