Finished Dead's End Promo

My family runs a Haunted Attraction called "Deads End". My wonderful honey put together this video of our 2010 Season. Nothing moves. It is just like a museum of special effects. We have been doing it since 96'. Our family has so much fun creating the monsters and scenes!

Oh what a busy weekend!

We woke up to this! Beautiful, but I'm ready for Spring!

I made the most amazing chicken stock EVER! I was proud of my homemaking skills!

We participate in a program called "Bountiful Baskets" for $15.00 we got all this! We never know exactly what we will get. Its fun because we get to try new fruits and veggies. Lots of people say they have waste, but with our animals NOTHING goes to waste. It's a very wonderful program. If you have it in your state you should try it! 

I washed all the blankets and sheets. Abigale Sheepie helped too! 

I made cinnamon, and orange rolls hot from the oven for our neighbor who helped dig us out of the snow cave..... AKA our driveway!

We went to IFA and they had BABY CHICKS! Oh how I love those cute little peepers!

I am without Dexter for a while and I feel like a kid riding it's bike for the first time without training wheels. I haven't been feeling to great, and not being able to feel a "low" scares me. I have been on a finger poking rampage. I sure feel bad for those D mamas that don't have CGM. I hope my new insurance will cover them, but I am guessing not. With no out of pocket maxims, my easy days with Dexter may be over. I guess well will have to see. Oh the joys of insurance! 

Happy Monday! 

Another prize give away!

Stop over to a "Sweet Mystery" to win some super awesome prizes! Yay!

SUGAR BOLUS!!!!!

SO SORRY THIS IS A LITTLE LATE! Thanks Wendy for reminding me about the sugar bolus! Being married for a couple weeks still has my mind elsewhere! ;)

Click HERE to see it up close!

Gift of HOPE 

Every penny of profit from your purchase goes directly to research.

Our Katie's Cure Necklace is a unique and heartfelt gift created from a real insulin pump O ring! Wear one necklace to support a friend or family member struggling with diabetes, and give one to them as a token of your care and hope for a cure for diabetes.

Insulin pump O ring is surrounded by these six encouraging words: Hope, Faith, Strength, Ambition, Research and Perseverance

• Insulin pump necklace pendant is 3/4 round
• Made from a real insulin pump O ring
• Adjustable 18 black rubber cord
• Sterling-silver lobster clasp.

This special Gift of Hope was designed by 12-year-old Katie Ervin, who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (formerly known as juvenile diabetes). Help support our diabetes research today!

I LOVE THIS! 
I LOVE that it is made from the O ring of a real insulin pump! 

You know the rules. . . . . . .

● Leave me a comment before midnight on Thursday, March 3rd. Please include your first name. Comments left without a name will be eliminated.

● To earn extra entries (post a separate comment for each):

● Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter. Then, leave me an additional comment.  

       ● Share a link to this contest on Facebook. Then, leave me an additional comment to let me know.

 ● Blog about this contest. Then, leave me an additional comment containing a link to your blog.

● No duplicate comments are allowed. Duplicate comments will be eliminated.

● Winners will be selected via random draw at http://www.random.org/.

● Winners' names will be posted here on this blog on Friday, March 4th.

● After winners' names are posted, winners will have 48 hours to send a message to me at trtprincess@hotmail.com. If I do not hear from a winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

Good Luck everyone! 
Have an AWESOME WEEKEND!

Beware of Fruit. . . .

Cute, but potentially deadly. . . . .

I found this article online and it explains a LOT! I have been having problems with numbers after eating those Cutie "baby" oranges. Dex says I was okay, but the finger stick said I was high. I should have trusted Dexter....... Sorry man!

You can find the entire article, HERE

Listen up, diabetics: invisible bits of fruit on your hands can mess up your finger-prick blood tests, making your blood sugar level look higher than it really is.

That's because sugars from fruit will stay on your fingers until you wash them with tap water, a new study shows.

Even alcohol swabs don't solve the problem.

The researchers say that peeling fruit right before you use a blood sugar meter, or eating some juicy fruit with your hands, could lead to an inaccurate reading even if you rub your finger with alcohol first.

Blood sugar meters work by taking a drop of blood from the tip of the finger and testing the sample for how much sugar is in the blood. Many people with diabetes have to use these meters a few times a day to monitor their blood sugar levels and determine how much insulin to take.

Close to 20 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the new study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, Dr. Takahisa Hirose of the Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan, and colleagues found ten healthy volunteers. None of the volunteers had diabetes; they all had normal blood sugar levels.

The researchers measured the blood sugar levels of all volunteers under a variety of conditions. First, participants swabbed a finger with alcohol and did the test before handling any fruit, to find their true blood sugar levels.

Next, the volunteers peeled oranges, grapes, or kiwis and checked their blood sugar without cleaning up, after cleaning up with alcohol, and after washing with tap water.

When fruit peeling was followed by hand washing, blood sugar readings were the same as before volunteers had peeled any fruit -- generally around 90 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), considered in the normal range.

But when volunteers peeled fruit and took a blood sugar reading right away, the levels shown by the blood sugar meter shot up -- to about 170 mg/dL on average after peeling an orange, 180 mg/dL after peeling a kiwi, and 360 mg/dL after peeling a grape.

And if the peelers swabbed their finger with alcohol in between peeling and finger pricking, the readings were still higher than normal. Even swabbing five times didn't produce correct results.

In the directions that come with blood sugar meters, the manufacturers generally tell users to wipe their finger with an alcohol swab before taking a reading. But that might not always do the job, the researchers say.

"People are used to pricking the finger, drawing a blood sample, (and) assuming that the measurement they make reflects the sugar content in the blood," said Dr. Robert Cohen, who studies diabetes at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was not involved in the current research.

But, he told Reuters Health, patients "really have to have a checklist" that helps them decide, Was the test done right? Are the circumstances right for this?

Cohen said the example in this study may seem obvious: having sugar on your fingers from fruit can interfere with that meter's readings. But it's still an important finding, he said.

When you use the meters, Cohen said, the assumption is that you're measuring your blood sugar, not the sugar on your fingers.

Getting an inaccurate reading from sugar on the outside of the finger "could lead somebody to take insulin when they don't need it," Cohen said. "They could run the risk of running a low sugar from having misleading data."

The message, the authors say, is to wash your hands before using a blood sugar meter and not rely on alcohol swabs, especially if you've been handling any fruit.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/hOOp3B Diabetes Care, online January 31, 2011.

Reuters Health

I LOVE this sooooo much!

Keep dancing on that cell phone, you crazy little chicken!

My sis always posts this on my facebook wall when I need a good laugh!

No words needed to describe how this feels. . . .

Okay, Maybe one word....... Blah!!!!!

Sometimes you just can't get the fishtailing of BG corrected!

Its a Girl... and a Boy...

Several, in Fact! Our Bunny had Babies! Six, and they are all a-okay!

Dinner Time!

Okay, I know, they aren't too cute right now.......

One Happy Mama!

Yay for Easter Bunnies!

Honey, we're (building on to our) home!

We are adding an addition to our home! I'm SO SO SO excited! We are doing most of the work ourselves! I am excited to learn all the construction from my brilliant husband! We are adding a laundry room, Master bedroom, and a garden room! OMGosh! I get a Garden Room? How lucky am I?

Here's my honey "in the zone"

My sister HATES sharks, this made me laugh, and creeped me out a little:

Shark Bites Products, "Lightening fast and won't let go"

I LOVE the Home Depot, affectionately called the "Home De-pot"

So STUDIOUS!

SO STINKIN' CUTE!!!!

The ONLY downfall. . . . . . . . .

The roller coaster of excitement made my BG a HUGE mess! It was all over the place.........

My Dearest

My Tyler,

I love you because you make me laugh.

I love you because you read to me, and do all the voices.

I love you because you take of me, you never let me down. You make me feel safe.

I love you because you take out the trash and kill spiders.

I love you because you have given me things I could only once dream of!

I love you because you lead me, direct me, and counsel me with patience

I love you because you make me, me.

I love you because I can be myself with you.

I love you because you get me, and the silly things I do.

I love you because you are the best cuddler in the world!

I love you because you are hot! ;)

I love you because you encourage me to be better.

I love you because you provide for our family.

I love you because you have beautiful blue eyes.

I love you because you have goals and dream

s that make us a happy family.

I love you because you fix my car, and get me out of the snow banks, and change my oil!

I love you because cook dinner with me, an

d it's so fun! You are such a good cook!

I love you because you are honest with me, and care about how I feel.

I love you because of your drive, ambition, your ideas, your creativity, and your intelligence.

I love your smile. I love your voice. I love to cuddle on your tummy.

I love that you can so easily look beyond my T1 Diabetes, and inability to have children, and see me.

I love that if I am ever sad, all I have to do is think of your smile, and the world is again, a happy place.

I love that no matter what, I know we can conquer anything together.

I love you because you are you.

I love that you made us a family.

You are the love of my life. I am grateful for you each and every day. I hope that you read this and are proud of yourself. Thank you for all that you are to me, my honey.

Lighting our Unity Candle

Happy

I hope everyone has a good weekend, and sees the beauty in the little things,

and imperfect things that make life magical! :)

So Happy!

My Cute Honey!

It's Official!

Yeah, We are CHEESY!!

We had such an amazing time! I never thought I could be so happy! I LOVE being married to my best friend! Life is good. Crazy busy, but good. I Love being Mrs. Bott! It is kinda funny, when people call me that I look for Tyler's Mom ;)

We are having fun trying to get our home put together, and hanging out with the animals. It was such nice weather yesterday, but last night it snowed 12"! It was a mini blizzard. I'm not too happy, I was hoping spring was coming, but no such luck! Lucy LOVED it though. She likes being in the snow! Life is good on the farm!

LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!!!!

Running Fast!

BUT NOT GOING ANYWHERE!

I feel like I have been moving at the speed of light. I have also noticed that SO many people DX dates in February........ Mine too! Matter of fact it falls on my Wedding Day.

Here's my February Line-up. . . . .

February 12th Wedding & Dx Date

February 13th My Birthday

February 14th Valentine's Day

WOW! So much for having a "boring" month!

I have been thinking, I have been a T1 Diabetic for 14 years (officially). The doctors were concerned that I may have been diabetic for longer but just had a very slow "honeymoon period". I think about all the highs and lows. I think about all the pain, poking, and hospital visits. Then I think about all the love, friends, walks, and patience I have because of it. It makes me better able to relate and understand people. It helps me connect and reach out to other people. It makes me be brave, even when I feel like I can't.

I'M SO CONFUSED! How can something so bad, bring such beautiful blessings? I'm sure it's God's way of saying, "I love you so much". It's hard to have such a love/hate relationship with a disease that blesses my life so much, yet makes it so hard and takes so much away.

Happy Valentines Day, my diabetes. I really hate you, but love how you've changed my life in some ways. . . . .

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!

ON SATURDAY!

We have been talking about getting married in a year or so, but decided we don't want to wait to start our lives together! We are getting married this WEEKEND! It will be short and sweet. Next year we will have a huge party (We know way too many people!), and go to London, and Italy for a huge honeymoon!!

I am so happy, and feel like the luckiest person in the world! Together we are strong, and have already delt with many things. He gives me courage to face the toughest of days, he gives me peace when things are tough, and gives me hope that no matter how hard things get, they will pass. I never knew I could love someone SO much! I knew we were doing the right thing when I asked him if he worried about me being sick, and he replied: "Even if we are walking down the hall with a colostomy bag in one hand (not that you carry those) and the back of your hospital gown with the other, I will still be as happy as I am now to be with you!" I'm not going to lie, I cried like a baby!

I am so happy to share this joyful news with all of you, my friends! I hope you all have a wonderful day, because I know I sure am! :)

"Choosing Joy"

I want to give a shout out to Wendy at Candy Hearts. I'm sure we've all done it. Posted when we are a bit miffed, emotional, or maybe don't know all the facts. One of the reasons I LOVE the DOC is that I have friends that help keep me in check with a gentle "hug" or help me get through some tough times with words only someone would know because they've been there too.

There are SO many wonderful people that have helped me through some tough times, Reyna, Hallie, Jill, Heidi, Heidi, and Nicole......Sorry, I know there are others and I LOVE you guys too! Thanks for being so AWESOME!

If you haven't, I suggest you stop over to Wendy's other site Choosing Joy. It has helped me enjoy the little victories of everyday, and made more thankful for all the wonderful things I have in my life! Like all you awesome D Peeps and D Mamas!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!!

Sugar Bolus Winner!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:9

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Miss Haley from "Naturally Sweet"

Please e-mail me your address, so I can send you your prizes! :)

My e-mail is trtprincess@hotmail.com

Check Sweet to the Soul for the next Sugar Bolus!

Seriously?

Jeffrey Brewer

The first very big transition is we’re moving away from the over reliance on the cure as the central part of our message and funding. This does not mean JDRF is any less committed in its focus to find a cure, but we have some work to do in order to get there. And in the meantime, there are many people who will live with diabetes for a relatively long period of time. We have a responsibility and an opportunity to help them live better, healthier, longer, and less stressful lives. And so one of the big changes that we’re undergoing is focusing on improving the lives of people living with diabetes on a day-to-day basis.

I think the cure is different things to different people at different stages of diabetes. I think the only complete cure at the end of the day is you never get diabetes to begin with – it’s probably prevention.

As I said, we’re moving towards a 50-50 split of activities and funding between cure and glucose control/complications

http://www.diatribe.us/issues/29/diabetes-dialogue.php

MAYBE BLOGGING WITH HIGH EMOTIONS ISN'T A GOOD THING FOR ME.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE SUGAR BOLUS TOMORROW!!!!!