This is His world...I just work here.

Do you ever get the feeling that you are infinitely blessed? It's like Claire said just a few days ago, "My heart is all filled up!" That's how I am feeling today. Just plain old blessed! Maybe it's the fact that my kids were dressed and ready this morning BEFORE 9:00 which is when we are actually supposed to be at school. Maybe it's the fact that my sweet girl put on a pair of jeans this morning without complaining (the excitement there is three-fold). Maybe it's the fact that my upstairs (NOT downstairs) is in perfect order. Maybe it's my new beautiful bathroom upstairs that just makes me happy every time I walk by! Maybe it's the perfect cup of coffee I am enjoying in peace and quite while my children are making new friends, new crafts and new memories for just a few hours while I recharge. Maybe it's the thought of my insanely hot husband working so hard so that I can stay at home. Maybe it was the trip to Mama Jean's (the new organic market that recently opened on our side of town!) and the yummy snacks I got for the kiddos and the tea that I can't wait to try. Or, maybe it's just gas...who knows! What I do know is that NONE of this would be possible without the undying love of a Father in Heaven who knows me inside and out. A Father who loves me so much and has so much faith in me that he has given me this amazing husband, beautiful children and heart that is "all filled up." It's amazing.

Check out my little nugget!

In a tux! This was Coco and Grandma Connie at Uncle and Ashley's wedding. I wish I

had more pics of him but I was busy being a bridesmaid! So thanks Steph for snapping this one! LOVE IT!

These faces....

could they be any cuter?

Claire story of the week:

We were laying in her bed after reading our nightly installment of Kit Kitteredge (The American Girl series) and had just finished our prayers. Claire looked at me with a sweet smile on her face and said, "Mommy, my heart is all filled up with love for you." OH. MY. GOODNESS. I wanted to say, "My heart is full of nothing because you just single handedly melted it into a big pile of mushy sweetness." But instead I managed to squeak out, "Mine is filled up too honey bunny."

God is so Good!

Claire is still doing great with the medicine. Other than the bad taste, we have had no problems. I think next time we will get it flavored at the pharmacy. For now I just put a little orange juice in with it and all is well! For those of you who have been praying for Claire, I can't thank you enough. I felt those prayers each day as Claire went about her business like the happy healthy 4 year old she is. She is such a trooper. A few days ago I was painting the bathroom (pictures later!) and she insisted on helping. I told her to take the water bottle and clean the tub. She scrubbed and scrubbed for about 20-30 minutes. Finally, she wiped her forehead and said, "Whew Mommy, it sure is hard work being responsible!" Don't I know it baby doll! We had a great weekend. We worked a little and played a little but it just felt so good to be at home. Sunday at the zoo with Grandma was SO much fun. I would have pictures, but I walked out without my camera! Monday the kiddos spent the whole day with Grandma Connie while Brian and I painted the living room. (again, pics later!) It took longer than we planned because we changed our minds on the color once we got one wall painted, but we are so glad to have it done! Next up, our bathroom! It was a great weekend!

Thanks Momzoo....

for leading me to this blog. I laughed so hard, I nearly woke the children! My favorite is the house where the Kool-aid man lived! Oh, I'm still giggling and I think I pulled something. P.S. if you don't "get" my sense of humor, I totally understand. I pity you, but I understand. Ohhh I needed a good laugh, so thanks again Momzoo!

So far so good....

Claire is her normal self this morning! This would explain the high noise level in our home, but I am NOT complaining. I feel so blessed to be home this morning listening to the chaos and not contemplating evacuation like my good friend Emily in New Orleans! (Still praying for ya Em!) By the way, Emily is expecting their 4th little one soon. She never fails to amaze me with her amazing attitude! SO I thought I would use this lazy Saturday morning to give you a little info on Claire's health. Here is what little information I have been able to find.

Insulin resistance is a silent condition that increases the chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. Learning about insulin resistance is the first step you can take toward making lifestyle changes that will help you prevent diabetes and other health problems.
What does insulin do?
After you eat, the food is broken down into glucose, the simple sugar that is the main source of energy for the body's cells. But your cells cannot use glucose without insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps the cells take in glucose and convert it to energy. When the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin that is present, the cells cannot use glucose. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes.
Being obese or overweight affects the way insulin works in your body. Extra fat tissue can make your body resistant to the action of insulin, but exercise helps insulin work well.

If you have insulin resistance, your muscle, fat, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up with the body's need for insulin, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of blood glucose and high levels of insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.

Type 2 diabetes is sometimes defined as the form of diabetes that develops when the body does not respond properly to insulin, as opposed to type 1 diabetes, in which the pancreas makes no insulin at all. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.
Insulin resistance can also occur in people who have type 1 diabetes, especially if they are overweight.
What causes insulin resistance?
Because insulin resistance tends to run in families, we know that genes are partly responsible. Excess weight also contributes to insulin resistance because too much fat interferes with muscles' ability to use insulin. Lack of exercise further reduces muscles' ability to use insulin.
Many people with insulin resistance and high blood glucose have excess weight around the waist, high LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, high levels of triglycerides (another fat in the blood), and high blood pressure, all conditions that also put the heart at risk. This combination of problems is referred to as the metabolic syndrome, or the insulin resistance syndrome (formerly called Syndrome X).

So there you have it, this is pretty much all the info I have. If you will notice, no mention of children. There is NO information on children and insulin resistance. It is also very upsetting to me that everything I read makes it sound like if you have this condition it is because you are overweight and lazy. I KNOW that my child eats very healthy. She has always been a healthy eater and takes pride in the fact that she "chooses healthy choices!" She is also very active. Don't get me wrong, she watches TV and movies but she is not one to camp out for hours in a trance. She is in gymnastics, jumps on the trampoline and swims almost everyday. I KNOW all this. My family and friends know this, so I am having to stop myself from worrying about what everyone else thinks. I'm proud. I am proud that I listened to my heart and my gut. I'm proud that I fought for my daughter. I'm proud that she has a soft place to land when times are tough.

Reason Number 978 why....

it's a HUGE BLESSING to work for Johnson & Johnson. When I called to make sure Claire's Rx was in fact at the pharmacy, ready and waiting I asked if the insurance covered the liquid. She said "no" and I asked her how much it was. $36.92. It didn't sound too bad to me because I know how much Steph's chemo pills were and that is a drop in the bucket compared to that! HOWEVER, when Brian went to pick it up and they actually ran it through, we found that our insurance covered the WHOLE THING! I don't know why, but I'm not going to ask questions! God is so good to us and so is good ol' J&J!!!