Family Link BBQ

Today we went to the Family Link BBQ that was put on by the Salt Lake City, UT chapter of the American Diabetes Association for families that have children with Type 1 Diabetes. We've been looking forward to it for over a month and it was worth the wait!!

A group of youth from the Kaysville Stake organized activities for the kids and the adults were encouraged to be, well, social :)! I was excited for the chance to meet other families that lived nearby who were dealing with what we face every day. We met a few families that live in Kaysville, but the biggest surprise was in finding two old friends and meeting their little girls who are also Type 1.

Photo Credit:
http://insulinsinvolved.blogspot.com

Josh and Melissa Lee's little girl has been diagnosed for 2 years but is Lily's age and also entering Kindergarten in a couple of weeks. Melissa and I worked together for a local orthodontist during the time that her husband was serving a mission and Kurt and I were dating, engaged and then married! Actually, I think I replaced her as she left to marry her "trwo wuv". :) Anyhow, their children are darling and I arranged a meeting near the end of the picnic for her daughter and Lily. I was hoping that if Lily saw an insulin pump on another girl like her she would be more excited at the thought of getting one. Ahhhh.....no. I was thrilled to hear about how much easier a pump can be for everyone involved, and I was thankful to Melissa for her advice and encouragement in that department. Hopefully we'll be able to focus on that area of Lily's care as we get into school and things settle down for the academic year.

Just as Lily and I were finishing with Melissa and her princess, someone else stopped me because I "looked familiar", it was Breann Stone! (spelling?) Married, of course. Her Dad, Brad Stone and my Dad grew up best friends and were groomsmen at each others' weddings. B's darling 3 year old was diagnosed just 1 1/2 weeks before Lily was (March 31st Lily). It was so fun to see each other and catch up on the whereabouts of each other's families. And the best part was hearing that they would be at the next activity - so we would see each other again.


I am as nervous as a beaver in the springtime as I think about getting Lily into Kindergarten. Juvenile Diabetes falls under the American Disabilities Act of 1973 and so we will be meeting with her Principle and other school staff to make a 504 plan for Lily's care. It's overwhelming to realize that several people at the school will need to receive extensive training to be ready to care for Lily. When I spoke to her Principle in the spring, just before school got out and right after her diagnosis I learned that there weren't any other students there with Type 1. Stress!! Guilt!! Awww, pshaw, I can stuff that guilty feeling easier than the stressful one.

Days like today are the days that God sends to remind us that there is always hope. The sun will always be above the clouds, keeping the earth alive and spinning. Though the rains will fall, there will always be something sent to warm our hearts, even during the storm. For our family Juvenile Diabetes is a rainfall that we had not seen coming on the weather channel. I'm grateful today that we were shown several more families that are choosing to don rain boots, rain coats and umbrella's to embark on a puddle-splashing adventure. :)

Nicole