As Our Year Winds Down....

What a Christmas it's been for the Schroeder clan.  So cold you feel you're in the Polar Express stream, Snow!, and lots of time together. 

Max has had a rough go of it with his epilepsy.  He had breakthrough seizures while we were in Minnesota the middle of the month and it's been a tough time ever since.  It has taken a couple of weeks to stop the seizures; the only way to do that was with heavy doses of his medications, which makes him pretty much a bump on a log.  Once he'd gone a couple days without seizures we started to lower his dose and are hoping to have him back to his goofy self sometime soon.  He is a bit more alert than he has been, but still isn't any more active than a lump of pudding.  It's been hard on us all to watch our active boy take such a down turn, but we have hope that he will continue to bounce back even if it is at a snails pace.  

Max and Gracie, this past summer in their little music video

We had a lovely Christmas.  We enjoyed our traditional breakfast of cinnamon rolls while opening gifts, then we headed off to the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City for Christmas dinner.  Stress free and nearly mess free:)  I loved the opportunity to spend the entire day with my family with no distractions whatsoever... a rare treat to be sure.  

Hard to keep Annie still with all the excitement, but she had a christmas tree sweater complete with a lighted star :)

 Grammy gave her a gift card to her favorite place to eat

 She'd been wanting those for two months

 Sarah found a mug for her that says "World's Greatest Mimi"

 Our free-spirited little explorer

The other BIG NEWS around here is that Sarah started on her insulin pump the day after Christmas.  She is loving the ease of managing her insulin with a push of a button rather than multiple injections every day.  She and Gracie are now "podding twins":)

We hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas, surrounded by those you love, along with sweet memories of Christmases long past.  Praying that 2018 brings God's amazing blessings.  Happy New Year! 

Chaos and Christmas Cookies...

What a week it's been!  It was time for our semi-annual trek to Rochester, MN for the girls routine endo appointment.  This trip was a bit longer than our normal over night due to extra appointments at the end of the year, so we were gone for three days.  Honestly, it was a fun trip, filled with making fun memories.  The girls appointments went well.  Gracie improved her a1c by over half a point and Sarah was given the go ahead to start training for her new insulin pump.  Since we were there extra days, and Dad came with us this time, we decided to trek a bit further to the Mall of America to have dinner and see if we could get into the Christmas spirit.  Craig has been there once, but the rest of us have never been.  We honestly had a great time, for a family of (mostly) non-shoppers/mall avoiders. Our first stop was the American Girl store.  While the girls don't really play with their dolls like they use to, they still LOVE them and they absolutely adore this store.  Craig treated us to a special dinner in the AG diner...something they've always wanted to do, but the KC store we usually shop in doesn't have.  It was charming.  They loaned the girls dolls to dine with since they hadn't brought theirs along and we had the entire diner basically to ourselves.  We enjoyed chatting, watching the people walk by below us through the window (Hannah commenting on every receding hairline she noticed;) and playing the game that was on our table.  Dinner was actually quite yummy!  Not gonna lie, I was surprised and impressed.  From there, we decided to walk the mall and take in all the Christmas splendor.  There were hardly any other shoppers so it was actually a pretty nice way to spend the evening, complete with Christmas concerts in the center of the mall.  Thursday, on our way home, Craig treated us to lunch at The Machine Shed in Urbandale IA.  If you ever have a chance to stop in there, TAKE IT.  We really enjoy the atmosphere and their food.

We got home to discover our poor boy, Max, was having seizures and had most likely been having them for a day or two.  Poor Tess, who was taking care of everyone while we were gone, thought he was just moving slow from old age and the cold weather.  She honestly had no way of knowing what was going on.  We gave him extra dose of his meds to try to help overnight and we took him in to our vet on Friday.  At his age, it's going to take him awhile to get back to feeling better, but as of this morning (Sunday), he was moving a bit better and seemed to be able to see better again.  He is such a goofy boy and can make you crazy with his lab antics, but we adore him and want to see him back to his goofball ways quickly.

Yesterday, Gracie and Hannah had a Holiday Fun Day horse show.  Hannah's first show ever:)  They really had a lot of fun showing alongside their friends and team mates.  They have such a great team of girls and it's truly heartwarming to watch them encourage and cheer each other on.  They all did AMAZING and won lots of ribbons.  I think it's safe to say that this little team is hooked on showing and going to make their coach, Anne, and Double Clear Equestrian Center proud as they all grow and continue to improve in their abilities.  Shatara, one of their team mates, wind reserve champion in her division, and Gracie won champion in hers.  All told, every one of these girls went home with huge smiles and I'm sure they all slept as well as my two did last night;)  On a side note:  It was truly amazing to see Gracie and Hannah showing together.  Watching Gracie calm Hannah's nerves and helping her calm down and warm up her horse beforehand, and keep him calm during their division, made my heart burst with joy and a little pride in the young ladies they are growing into.

Well, we are officially 8 days away from Christmas and we just aren't feeling it around here.  This is a first for our family!  We usually have the trees up by the first week in November and the house decorated along with the gingerbread village made by December 1st.  We are struggling with the festivity this year.  So.... We are taking Kyah (Sarah's puppy) to visit Santa today and hope that puts a bit of the magic in our spirits so we can get it together.  There's a lot to be done in the next week!  The smell of christmas cookies baking might help move us along, so that may need to be on the top of the list.  Stay posted to see how this all goes around here..... Christmas in the barn surrounded by horses and hay may be in the works because there doesn't seem to be much incentive to get moving on things around this house;)  We've already hung stockings on all the stall doors, so it's more festive than our house already;)  Merry Christmas!!!!!

Merry Christmas....

Yup!  Those are my monkeys and this is my circus... I will claim them along with all the chaos that surrounds us all ;)

2017 was NOT the year we expected it to be.  We saw much happiness and much loss.  The girls have thrived and grown through it all.  Craig and I are in awe of all the blessings God pours down on us and try not to get overwhelmed with the dailyness of it all.  

The biggest and most exciting news is that Tess said YES!  She and Logan have been together for 3 years; he proposed on Thanksgiving with both our families gathered round.  It's been a joy to watch these two grow together over the years and we look forward to seeing them build their life together.  For now, we are consumed with wedding plans and lots of shopping.  Being a family of predominately females... I don't see a problem with this, one bit ;)  Stayed tuned for more details as we get things set in stone.

We faced lots of sadness this year as we said goodbye to many of our 4-legged family.  Our precious Brody James, a golden retriever/border collie/great Pyr mix that Craig brought home (along with his brother and sister) over 10 years ago, passed away in June.  We'd gotten his cancer diagnosis in March and spent the next many weeks loving on him and enjoying every moment we had left.  He was always one of the most special dogs we've ever had and will always hold a special place in our hearts and memories.  There's not a day that goes by we don't enjoy thoughts and memories of him.  Gracie's bunny, Oliver and her last gerbil Daisy also passed away this summer.  Oliver was our very first bunny and was such a joy that we gladly opened our hearts to others because of him.  Daisy was our geriatric little gerbil, living over twice as long as most her species.  She was nearly 5 years old and we were blessed to call her ours for 4 of those years.  Mom's dog, Teddy passed away this fall as well, and our entire family feels the void he left.  Sarah was just a toddler when Mom adopted him.  Frankly, none of the girls remember life without him.  He was such a good boy and brought great joy and companionship to Mom, as well as to Mamo when she was still alive.  We love knowing that Mamo and Teddy are together again.

We added new family members to our ark this year too :)  I'm sure y'all saw that coming;)  Tess adopted Doug, a 100+ pound black lab with the personality to suit his name, back in January.  He has been a HUGE blessing to Tess as well as all of us.  He's turned out to be an awesome, laid back boy.  Sarah adopted Kyah May, a tiny black chihuahua in July.  Kyah is as tiny as Doug is huge, but they are the best of friends.  Doug looks out for his baby cousin and Kyah keeps Doug young.  Gracie was given Peaches, an adorable angora bunny in May as an early birthday surprise from her Dad.  Peaches would make the grumpiest person smile with his adorable face and crazy hair.  Of course we also got Wendy Lou Hoo, our beautiful paint pony, back in March....you've heard of the Easter Bunny?   Well, Wendy was kinda the Easter pony;)  She has been such a sweet girl and we love doting on her each day.  The girls have proven themselves to be responsible, sacrificial, and hard working as they care for her each day.  They are working to get her cross-trained from a western ride to an english hunter/jumper.  It's a work in progress, but she's coming right along.  CJ joined our family just in time for Craig's birthday in July.  He's the most adorable golden retriever you could possibly imagine.  As sweet as can be, with just enough puppy left in him to keep us on our toes.  He has us all wrapped around his sweet little paw.  Then there's little Miss Pearyle Joy, the kitten we got to keep Mom company after Teddy's passing.  She is a little spitfire!  She gives Mom endless reasons to laugh and keeps her company.  Of course, we still have Felicity, Max, and Annie, our other dogs (who are all a bit spoiled) along with Benjamin, Ginger, Smokey, Jolly, and Mistletoe our cats, Peter the rabbit and Joey the guinea pig.  There is no shortage of critters in this ark!

We are still homeschooling (our 14th year, I think).  Sarah only has one class to finish up and she will graduate.  Gracie and Hannah enjoy all the freedom and flexibility that homeschooling offers.  They thrive in the non-traditional environment with the freedom to delve deep into everything they want to learn more about.  A truly child-directed education is beautiful to see when your children love to learn and are given the freedom to do it in the way that works best for them. 

Tess loves being a dance teacher.  It's truly what God created her to be.  She spends her mornings working for Kids Educational Dance Express, traveling around town teaching educational dance to preschoolers.  I see what she does and am constantly amazed by my daughter's passion and talent.  She teaches at Greater Impact in the evenings and is also the dance and gymnastic instructor at the new YMCA in town.  Logan, Tess's fiance', is a nursing student and he works at the dialysis center.  These two are pretty busy, but when you're in your 20's I guess you have that kind of energy;)

Sarah is still working at Runza.  She transferred to a different location this fall and is really enjoying the new store and coworkers.  She is planning on pursuing a degree in early childhood development and wants to become a preschool teacher.  She enjoys teaching first grade Sunday School each week and it's been a joy to watch her prepare her lessons.... she is much more organized than her mom;)

Gracie and Hannah are consumed with their animals.  They would live in the barn if we'd let them.  They fly through their school lessons each day so they can get outside to spend time with all their critters.  They love riding their horses; Gracie is now jumping at 2 1/2 feet and is hoping to qualify for the Omaha Int'l in April.  Hannah is finally ready to start jumping and showing as well.  These two surprise us with their ability and diligence to their sport.  

Craig is still traveling the country to work with small communities; growing young entrepreneurs and helping small towns retain their population in the face of population decline.  God created him with a passion for small towns and their people.  I'm extremely proud of the work he does... and am in wonder of it all.  He's also picking his love of photography back up again and enjoying having a camera back in hand.  

I am finally able to make time to quilt again.  What a joy it's been to get back to putting needle and thread to fabric and creating quilts for my family.  

Alrighty.... that pretty much sums up our year.  We pray the Christmas season brings peace and joy to all our friends and family.  Merry Christmas!

Let Us Be Kind...

It's that time of the year again.  The time of year when everyone feels things a bit sharper than they may normally feel them; both good and bad.  Take the time to filter your thoughts, opinions, and most certainly your tongue.  None of us truly know what others have been or are going through.  We only see what they allow us to see; and, human nature is to cover up our struggles and shortfalls.  We have no way of knowing what someone is going through in their life, but we can all take the extra step to be kind.

The golden rule is still a good rule to live by..."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I would add to it..."and remember, you can not build yourself up by tearing others down."  This time of year, I see where we all, myself included, need a reminder about this.  Take for example, what you or others post in social media.  I see a lot of judgment being posted.  Things about Black Friday shopping, clean homes, gifts, etc.  Why does anyone feel it necessary to post something about how they keep a spotless home and don't understand how others can't?  Or, posts about people needing to get their priorities in order if they look forward to Black Friday shopping more than they do Thanksgiving itself.  My personal favorites are the posts about how sinful it is to "over-indulge" those you love with Christmas gifts, especially store bought ones; or the reverse of that, how you have it all together because you don't buy into the materialistic side of the holiday season.  There are plenty more examples I could list off, but you get my drift.  My point is: you have no idea of what others are dealing with, be it at that moment or throughout their lives, therefore, you have no business making such black and white assumptions about things and thinking you're way is the right way.

We all filter things through our own lens and that can cause problems for everyone involved.   How about we all make the choice to give others the benefit of the doubt before we become offended and strike back at them?  Take our blinders off and try to see things from a panoramic view rather than tunnel vision.  You don't like Black Friday shopping because you see it as the picture of greed and over-indulgence.  That may not be the case for others though.  They may love it because it's an annual family tradition, and it's a way that they can stretch their budget a long way on things they need or gifts they want to give.  They, as a family, may save a little bit of money back from each paycheck over the year so they can enjoy a crazy night and day of shopping and eating in the food court at 2AM.... and have fun memories to share over the next year.  You manage to keep a spotless home even though you're busy and have kids still living at home, while juggling all your work and family responsibilities on a daily basis?  That's AWESOME and we all applaud you for that.  But don't post about it in the light of "there's no reason everyone can't as well" because you have no way of knowing if that's the case or not; and by doing so you most likely just added more weight on an already over-burdened spirit, who's flame is about to go out.  Instead, why not find ways to extend help to others, whether you know they are struggling or not.  You don't want to buy a bunch of "plastic junk from China" to clog up our landfills?  Totally fine and understandable, but don't belittle someone who chooses to shop for the gift they want to bless you or someone else with because you feel you're more enlightened than they are.

GRATITUDE.  GRACE.  RESPECT.  HUMILITY.  LOVE.  Where have these traits gone as social media has taken over our society?  We all post things, and now actually say things, that we never would have 10 years ago, because we have become use to the protection of a computer/phone screen. We all need to remember though, there are very real people with very real hearts on the other side of our screens.  They feel the sting of your words, and they filter them through their own lens; and, sadly, many times it's filtered through as "you've failed yet again".  I challenge us all to actively choose kindness.  Gentle our spirits and attitudes.  Quiet our words.  Find JOY and share it with others.  Stop looking for ways we are offended and start looking for ways we can be a blessing in the lives of those we touch on a daily basis.... be it online or in person.  #KindnessChallenge

Warriors....

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and every year I ponder our family's journey.  Over the past 12+ years we've seen changes, transformations, growth, frustration, amazing advances in technology and management.... things have come a loooooooong way since my own dad was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic when I was in Junior High School (back in the day when you sharpened your metal needle before injections and a finger poke seemed to take a chunk of your finger with it each time).  The BIG thing we've learned along the way is that there is no guarantees: you can do everything precisely right and something can (and usually will) go downhill.... much like in the video up there of Gracie's AMAZING ride yesterday.  It was nearly picture perfect, right up through her last jump... the landing, however, was monumental, just not in the way you'd like it to be.  We've watched over and over to see if we could see what caused her tumble, all to no avail.  It was a near perfect jump; maybe she looked down for a split second, causing everything to adjust mid-air and her to land back in her saddle a bit too far forward causing both her and her horse to end up unbalanced and ultimately for her to end up "diving" to the ground.  But you know what?  Just like with Type 1 Diabetes, she collected herself, hopped back up, dusted herself off, and climbed right back on to her horse to finish her ride.  That is what Warriors do.... they finish well and strong, no matter the struggles they face along the way.

Most all of you know our story: Gracie was 14 months old when she was Diagnosed with T1D; a mere baby.  She'd gotten the chicken pox vaccination 6 or so weeks earlier, then ended up with chicken pox the same night her baby sister was born.  She never bounced back from that, matter of fact, she seemed to get weaker over the following 3 weeks.  She had NO stamina, and I'd find her sound asleep in the middle of the floor after playing for half an hour.  She was drinking water like crazy, eating non-stop, going thru diapers like nothing I'd ever experienced (even requiring middle of the night baths and bed changes because of it)...then one night, after finding her soaked yet again, she was so weak she couldn't even hold her little head up on her own.  Bathed and swaddled in fresh PJs, she laid on my chest for the rest of the night, sleeping, while I was afraid to lay her down not knowing what was wrong.  There were no typical signs of sickness... no fever, no cold symptoms, no sore throat or tugging at ears, nothing you look for in a baby.  Early the next morning, the doctor sent her for lab work trying to figure it all out as well.  As I sat in the exam room for what seemed like hours (but was actually only about 40 minutes) holding my limp, lethargic baby, I feared the absolute worst.  So many things went through my mind, everything horrible, but never once did I think "diabetes".  The doctor walked in, knelt down in front of me and said two little words that turned our world upside down...."She's diabetic".  The tears flowed hot, burning tracks down my cheeks.  Relief washed over me.... she wasn't dying (Well, at that very moment, that was a very real possibility had we not caught this right then, but I didn't realize that).  A week in the pediatric ICU, lots of education for Craig and I, too much to actually wrap our minds around, and she was sent home.  A new "normal" had begun.  A new life full of testing, injections, counting and monitoring everything she ate, monitoring all her toddler activities, no longer able to sleep through the night again due to multiple night time testing, poking her tiny baby fingers to get drops of blood numerous times a day... all just to keep her alive and healthy.  Within a few months we'd fallen into a new "normal" without really realizing.  A normal that entailed learning to roll with the punches on a daily basis, learning to finally understand that change is to be expected moment to moment, and that once you think you've figured it all out, you'll be thrown for a loop again because maybe it's a full moon and that's going to cause blood sugar issues (yes, believe it or not, it actually does.  Just ask any T1 parent).  Over the next decade however, we rode the ups and downs and adjusted with every rolling change and tweak that needed to be made.  We made it through the toddler years, the pre-school age, all of early childhood and just about into the teen years.  Ebbs and Flows of T1 can be rough and each phase of life has it's own challenges.  We were preparing for the challenge of T1D in the teen years, when we once again heard those same two little words that would cause our world to upend itself yet again....

Last fall Sarah (16 years old) hadn't been feeling all that great since recovering from walking pneumonia earlier that spring.  We'd treated each symptom as they appeared, not really giving it much thought, but she just wasn't fully recovering... matter of fact, she seemed to be getting worse.  Off to the doctor again.  The doctor agreed that something was up, so she ran some lab work.  Like me, she was expecting to see results showing inflammation issues; she was blindsided when she saw that Sarah was actually T1D.  That was not a phone call she wanted to make, but make it she did...."Dawn, I don't really know how to say this; I'm completely shocked myself.  Sarah has T1 Diabetes".  WOW!  How is this happening?????  I could almost feel a physical slap across my face as those words hit me.  My mind started spinning; only this time it wasn't with unknowns, it was with all that we actually know about life with T1D and how on earth was I going to tell our sweet 16 year old daughter, that with just 2 little words her life was forever changed.  I texted Craig who was a footage with Sarah at that particular moment.  We let her blissfully enjoy the game.... no reason to ruin a sweet father/daughter date.  But when she asked me at dinner if the doctor had called, I knew there was no putting it off.  I had to tell her the truth, "yes, she called.  I'm sorry sweetie, but you have T1D."  NO NO NO NO NO NO.... that was all she could say as the tears flowed freely.

Here we are, over 12 years down the road from Gracie's diagnosis as a baby and over a year on this same journey with Sarah as a teenager heading into life as an independent young lady.  I'd be lying if I told y'all that it was pretty easy to deal with all this, that we just keep chugging along as normal.  Our normal is not what most others would say is a normal life.... but it's a beautiful life.  We choose to keep our sense of humor in all of this, to not drown in self-pity (which can be a challenge some days), to stay very real, and to support and encourage others through their own challenges.  Our life is about numbers, and trust me that can be a challenge in and of itself.  Craig nor I have truly slept thru the night in over a dozen years, as we are up checking on the girls every couple of hours.  If you think that is overboard, think again.... T1D kids can easily slip away during night from low blood sugar that goes un-noticed till morning.  Packing for a day trip (let alone a vacation) is no small task with all the extra things you must bring along "Just in case".  Not to mention all the extra stops along the way for much needed bathroom and snack breaks (T1D kids drink more water than "normal").  A simple cold or virus can easily land them in the hospital.  iPhones are not indulgences, they are medical devices and lifelines.  Sleeping in isn't laziness, it's necessary at times due to being up for hours in the middle of the night managing blood sugar (which one reason I'm so thankful we homeschool and have the flexibility to adjust our school day schedule easily).  Normal?  It truly is only a setting on my clothes dryer.  But I LOVE my life and my role as a T1 Mom to two amazing Warrior Princesses.  They battle to stay alive and healthy every single day.  They face every challenge head on with the confidence and knowledge that God is 1- in control, they aren't and 2- God knows what's going on because He is the Master Architect of our lives and has a perfect plan according to His perfect Design.

That video up at the top is the perfect example of life with Type 1 Diabetes.... smooth sailing, everything going as planned...then BAM!  You get thrown for a loop.  What you choose to do at that moment sets the course for the rest of your journey.  I hope we all do what Gracie did; Get back up, dust ourselves off, and finish the ride with grace and courage.

 My two Warrior Princesses with their two four-legged encouragers ;)

 Even after a rough ride... it's best to get back in the saddle and finish your ride strong :)

Sisters... readings like this are a beautiful site to behold.  Too bad they don't always look this perfect ;)  Funny sidetone: you know you're a T1D parent when the words "are you high?" come out of your mouth, directed at your teenagers, on a regular basis.... and you're talking about their blood sugar, but people around you truly give you the strangest looks when they hear you ask that so point blank.  Seriously funny EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

Oh, My Vintage Loving Heart.....

           

Oh my word😍😍😍. Seriously, can this get any cuter???  Yes, I ordered mine today and can't wait till it arrives. The October warmer of the month is this sweet little pickup with working lights. The pumpkins in the back are removable for year-round decor. I'm going to have it displayed with my vintage Shasta styled trailer warmer, enjoying coordinating scents to mingle in the air and lift my spirit. This can be yours as well, and it's 10% off this month. You just can't beat that!  www.cowboyandmoonbeam.scentsy.us

My Annual Day of Indulgence...

Yes, that is the message I give everyone on this day every year. I'm blessed with a family that not only understands, but encourages me to fully enjoy my day. 

I began by hitting a couple of Drive-thrus for important ingredients to make the day complete...Sonic, for a diet cherry coke with lime, McDonalds for a small frappe (not enough time for Starbucks), and Dunkin Donuts for donuts, not only for me but for the family. Then, it's home to tuck in for the day. 

Once home and tucked away, I get online and wait for my Living Proof Live simulcast to start. This year's theme was "Captivate" and let me tell you, I was captivated from the start. God speaks to my heart each year thru this simulcast and this year was no different. My heart was pierced with His message. He even blessed me with this sweet notebook just for this occasion.  Seriously, I found it abandoned on a shelf at Walmart, and went back to the school supply section to see if there were any others and there was nothing even remotely like it. God knows how I love sweet and pretty things like this and I just know He gave it to me (after I paid $2 of course;). 

Something y'all need to know about me is that this truly is one of my very favorite days each year. I honestly look forward to it for months. I prepare my space the night before so it's enjoyable and not distracting, I choose my clothes which always consists of the official conference tee shirt;), I quiet my spirit and pray that God speaks to my soul and that I can hear His voice. You'd better bet that I fully engage in this simulcast. I sing when the worship team is on stage, I speak out loud when Beth Moore asks us to repeat or read something, I pray when she prays, and I jot down notes like crazy of everything I don't want to forget. Anyone looking in my window might think I've lost my mind;)

God is powerful. He meets us where we are. We can count on Him at all times and in all things. He will never loosen His hold on us and He will never abandon us. When we are struggling to hear His voice in our heart, He's breathing love into our souls. The message today was exactly what I needed. I feel like God spoke to me face to face, and for that I am beyond blessed. 

My lunch wasn't my normal indulgence of Slim Chicken with fried pickles. That just wasn't going to work today. Taco Bell it was ;)

Yup, this is why my kids get so embarassed😂😂😂. I'm on my feet, singing praises to God. 

It's been a day of drawing near to my Lord and Savior in a way I wish I could everyday. It's been such a blessing and I'm so thankful that my family encourages my indulgence like they do:)  I'll leave y'all with the video that opened the first session of this year's simulcast...heart-achingly beautiful.  Be Thou My Vision by Audrey Assad.  ENJOY!!!