And we are off!!!

I have had a great response with the bracelets!  Here is a link to donate to our cause.  The bracelets are $3 each and you can pay here  (http://www.gofundme.com/4k0xkg)  or send a check/cash to my address.  Not sure I want to put my address on here, so email me at sarahreichling@mac.com for my home address!

To Walk or Not to Walk

Since Anna was diagnosed our family has participated in the JDRF Walk for a Cure.  It always falls right around the time Anna was diagnosed, so it's kinda like her diabetic birthday celebration.  (crazy, i know.)  We design t-shirts and invite all to come walk with us.  Then the night of the walk we invite everyone over to my parents' house for hotdogs and games.  This pictures in white shirts are from our first year and pink shirts are from last year.  It has been awesome to see our friends, new and old come together to walk with us.  But this year will look a little different.

Anna handles her diabetes like a champ.  This summer she decided that she wanted to take a break from the pump and go on shots for awhile.  This means that she would be getting at least 3, if not 4 or 5 shots a day.  It was amazing to watch my 8 year old give herself a shot all by herself.  While I think she handles things like a rock star, she

has struggled with coping with her disease.  When Anna was diagnosed, she was 4.  At that time, Anna would have jumped off a building if Joel or I had asked her to.  That's how she handled her diabetes, we told her she had to, so even with a few tears she would do as she was told and move on.  Now that she is a little older, she has more questions and emotions when it comes to her diabetes.  This summer, especially, we have had MANY tears about how it 's not fair and when are they going to find a cure (which is still a long ways off)?  She doesn't want anything to do with diabetes.  So when I asked her about the JDRF Walk this year, she didn't seem that interested.  The Walk was not high on her to do list, but she still wanted to have the party at Grandma and Grandpa's!  Can I blame her?  What 8 year old wouldn't want a party?!?  So here is what we have decided to do...

This year, instead of focusing on finding a cure for our own problem, we are going to focus on helping someone else out.  We will still have the Diabetic Birthday Party (really just celebrating that we made it through another year of diabetes).   She and I had a long conversation last night about all the people in the world that have to deal with UNFAIR things.  It's not just her.  We talked about Autism, severe peanut allergies, poverty, cancer and a few others.  We talked about people in 3rd world countries who have to walk miles to get a drink of water and how sometimes that water contains things that can make them very sick or die.  Anna decided she wants to help build a well in Africa.  We talked about all kinds of ways to raise money for this well.  One way that she decided is to make bracelets with her rainbow loom and sell them.  Then any money she makes will go to the well.  We are going through Blood Water Missions.  They focus on helping with the AIDS/HIV and Water problems of Africa.  Check them out here:  www.bloodwatermission.com   Are you interested in a bracelet?  We are taking orders!!

Even though we are not walking in the JDRF Walk for a Cure, it is still near and dear to us.  I pray for a cure everyday.  If you would still like to donate to JDRF, please do so.  In fact, here is a link to a friend of ours whose daughter was also diagnosed about the same age as Anna.  She and her family will be walking this year in the walk and if you would like to donate to them, you would still be helping us find a cure.  Read about Ellen Klare

here:  http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-TX/Chapter-HoustonGulfCoast4644?px=2922175&pg=personal&fr_id=2411

Book Study with my Bestie

So, I really wish I was a more consistent Blogger.  What a great way to record the thoughts and pictures in your life.  I love being able to get all my thoughts written down.  I just feel I never have much to write about.  But now, today, I am starting a book.  Reading one that is, not writing.  My bestie and I are reading "7 - An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker.  I love her blog.  The bestie and I decided to do a book study together and she recommended this one.  I guess I should use a different word than recommended.  She had heard of it, but was a little weary to read it.  I felt the same way.  Do I really want to read a book that is going to point out how 'wealthy' I am compared to the rest of the word.  Do I really want to be challenged to give up certain comforts while reading this book?  We were both intrigued by the book, but like I said, unsure we wanted to do it.  So I bit the bullet and ordered my book before we could change our mind.  Now it's time to get started.  I think this is going to be a hard book to follow through on.  That is why I have told myself I am going to blog about reading/doing the book.  Here's the book in a nutshell:  Seven months, seven areas, reduced to seven simple choices.  The areas are food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending and stress.  I love in the introduction that Jen says, "I'm ready to adopt Jesus' version of rich, blessed and generous."

That's as far as I have gotten, the Introduction.  Pray for me.

Organic or Not Organic... That is the question.

Just like my feelings on Minivans, (I used to say I will never drive one, now I couldn't imagine not having one) I had the same thoughts on Organic foods.  Why in the world would I pay twice as much for something just because it says ORGANIC??  Well, now I am eating my words (could they be considered organic?).  It took a long time for me to make the switch.  My grocery bill has gone up, not as much as I thought it would, but I am not buying junk anymore either.  So why did I do it?  Well, it's no secret that our house has continuing medical bills.  Anna not only has Type 1 Diabetes, but seasonal asthma.  Abby has come down with Croup a couple of times.  And I started having migraines this past year.  My doctor put me on meds to help prevent them, but I hate taking meds.  We were/are spending a fortune on medication!  Now, I am off the daily meds and just trying to be smart, and so far, only one migraine since I went off the medication about a month ago (it was a short lived migraine).  So I am experimenting with organic foods to see if it helps.  I am also trying to avoid MSG and other things of the type.  Now don't go thinking I have become some health nut either!  I still have a love of Dr. Pepper, not sure I want to give that up (everyone has a vice, right?) and on occasion, even a fast food hamburger, which is probably about as far from organic as you can get.

I do have some new found ideas that I am loving (well, new to me!).  So, when I made the switch, Joel asked what I am going to be buying for breakfast.  A friend of mine told me how she makes breakfast tacos and freezes them, so I tried it.  One night I used 2 things of all natural sausage, 14 eggs, 1 package organic shredded cheddar cheese (which by the way, have you ever noticed that organic cheddar is always white??  Why are none organic so yellow??) and whole wheat or I also found this half corn, half wheat tortillas.  I made 16 breakfast tacos, allowed them to cool and wrapped each one in parchement paper first and then plastic wrap.  Now we go to the freezer, pull out a taco, take the plastic off and pop it in the microwave for a totally healthy and mostly organic breakfast!  They are so filling and yummy!

Another favorite is a Whole wheat waffle recipe I found here: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/best_waffle_batter

Don't you just love the design!!  It's my grandma's old waffle iron.  It still works like new! I use 1 cup of Organic Whole Wheat flour and 3/4 cup unbleached white flour.  They are so yummy!  in fact, I just spent my afternoon making waffles.  I tripled, yes that's right, tripled the recipe and spent about an hour making waffles to freeze!  They are just slightly under cooked so that the toast up nicely in the toaster oven.  Now I just have to figure out how many carbs each triangle is for Anna!  But they have to be better than the frozen ones, right??  Syrup anyone?

Jesus was a carpenter.

I just want to start by saying I love my dad. He is a great teacher. I told him I wanted this dress up clothes box. His response - No problem!

Then I asked if I could learn how to make them and he welcomed the idea. It was a great night. I got to use all kinds of new tools. Let me see if I can remember what they are. I used the 18 vt power drill, the router, circular saw, and power sander. What is it that Tim Allen says? ARRRRR! I loved every minute. I know the pictures show my dad doing most of the work, and he did, but I love that he is more than willing to hand over the reigns! I did most of the routing (is that how to say it?), a little drilling, and a lot of sanding. It was so calming to be working with my hands. I plan on making more of these and selling them. (if you are interested, let me know!) And as I do, I hope I learn how to do one by myself from start to finish!

As I was working, I remembered that Christ was a carpenter. And it occurred to me that while Christ built things with His hands, His Father made all of Creation. I can only imagine the thoughts and prayers Christ had while He was building. Do you think God secretly told Him of all the wonderful tools that would be developed?? I wonder if Christ was in awe of how long it would take man to build a simple table, or chair, and yet God made the World in a week. Awesomeness.

So here is the almost finished project. We are going to put wheels on it and then

I am going to paint it. I think I am going to paint mine pink and paint a cute saying on it. What do you think? I have one more that I would love to sell. I can custom paint it any color desired and even add names, or a cute saying on it. Let me know if you are interested!

Christmas and The Dresses!!!

Ok, so I finished the dresses on Christmas Eve. Just a few short hours before it was time to put them on and go to church! Anna loved hers! They are great spinning dresses. When it came time to put Abby's on, she told me, "No way!" I looked at her and told her she better be kidding because Mommy worked way too hard for her not to wear it! She put it on without a fight. I almost wish I made one for me!!

The Dresses So far...

So here is Anna's dress so far. I have been really happy with how they are coming out. There will be a bow in the front of the dress made out of the ribbon.
This is the bottom of the dress. The ribbon is actually going to be peeking out from the bottom of the dress.

The sleeves were a challenge for me. I have never put in sleeves or a zipper before. My mom was gracious enough to come and sit by me and tell me how to do it. I did all the work, but she walked me through it.

I am very excited about these dresses. Abby's is coming along too. I have not done her sleeves yet, but it will be finished soon after Anna's. I tried to put a pocket in Anna's just incase we got an insulin pump before Christmas (not going to happen). The pocket wasn't going as well as I had hoped. Not to mention, while sniping a string from the pocket, I also sniped the skirt in two different places. And of course the piece I sniped was the largest piece of the skirt!! So, I had to rip everything apart and basically start again. I hadn't gotten very far, but it was still frustrating. I took a couple of days off from the dresses before getting back to work on them. Then I realized, because of my stupid mistake, I was short on fabric for Abby's dress. Luckily the store still had the same bolt of fabric (which I actually kind of think is drapery liner!). I just can't believe that they look like I had visioned, and they are most likely going to be done it time for Christmas!!!! So we are off to the mall tomorrow to buy full, twirly slips to wear under the dresses and maybe some cute ballet slipper shoes.