Tuesday's cheap meal

Today's menu: Southwestern Quesidilla'sYou'll need:
Tortilla's (You can also use flavored wraps)
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Can of corn (drained)
2-3 chicken breasts (pre-cooked and diced)

Fire up your grill (you could also cook on a sheet in the oven)
Throw all ingredients inside tortilla, cook until cheese melts.

There you have it! So simple and soooooo delicious!

Walk for the cure

Saturday March 28, 2009
Francis Marion University
Florence, SC 10:00am

We had planned on waking up at 6am in order to get up, get the boys dressed, fed and loaded into the van to make the 90 minute drive to Florence. Instead I woke up abruptly to the shouting of my husband announcing "we MUST get up NOW!" He had apparently turned the alarm off at some point and it was 7am. We had just 30 minutes to feed the kids and be on our way. Thankfully, Darren had gotten most of what we needed for the trip loaded up last night, so it was just a matter of getting the kids ready. We ended up making it in plenty of time and I even got some extra sleep on the ride there. The actual walk didn't start until 11am, so from 9:30-11:00 we got to walk around the campus, which was absolutely beautiful! There were several vendors there, two jump castles, face painting, snow cones, balloon animals and other stuff I've already forgotten. The prewalk ceremony was very nice and included a song sung by a young girl about a mother wishing long life for her child, it was very moving and brought tears to my eyes. The local JROTC presented the colors and then it was time to WALK! We had the option of a 1 mile course or a 3 mile course, so we (of course) went with the 3 mile. The weather was overcast but pleasant for a walk and fortunately didn't start raining until we were on our way back home. It was a great experience and last we heard the walk today raised more then $80,000!!! Team Aidan East surpassed their goal of $100 by 30%! Thanks to everyone to donated! We had a great time and look forward to participating in next years walk. Hopefully some family and friends can join us nextime!

Our first JDRF Walk for the Cure!
Asher is a ball F-A-N-A-T-I-C!!! These guys were awesome (I believe they were part of the university soccer team) they played with and entertained Asher for a good 10 minutes. "WOW" one of the guys kept saying "he's got an arm on him".

Asher in the jump castle

Aidan mid air

Funny story about the balloon. First off (not so funny) when we arrived at the University, Aidan was in a serious funk. Not sure what his deal was, anyway, so while we were waiting for the walk to start we went to get his balloon animal. I asked him to be ready with the animal he wanted... he wanted an elephant. The poor man making the balloon's... bless his heart. He said he hadn't made an elephant in YEARS!!! It took him four trys but he finally delivered the balloon into the hands of my OH SO GRATEFUL son (Um... sarcasm). So, then we had a little "attitude adjusting" to do before we continued on.

I saw these kids walking around with the coolest face paints. I mean their entire faces looked like tigers, or GI-Joe's etc... So, we went to find the face painting booth. Well, aparently there were two different booths. One with the cool face painting, one with um... not as cool face painting. No matter cause Aidan wanted the Batman symbol. Of course, Batman wasn't an option, so he settled for a smiley face. Of course he was VERY GRATEFUL and thanked the girl profusely (NOT)... Attitude adjustment #2.


This was funny too. Those of you who know Aidan know he is the furthest thing from shy. This was part of the pre-ceremony called the T-shirt strut. Members from each team would walk across the stage, say who they were walking for and the name of their team. So, the man with the microphone is asking Aidan who has diabetes, Aidan says he does. Then the man asks the name of our team (Correct answer: Team Aidan) Aidan says, "superman".
Immeadiately following the T-shirt strut. Aidan and Darren striking a superman pose.

The young girl who sang the really touching song... I'd like to get my hands on a copy of those lyrics... hmm.

JROTC

National Anthem. I love this picture of Aidan and Darren together!

Cutting the ribbon, now we can WALK!!!

Tons and Tons of people!!!

Family Picture =)

Walking

Halfway point. They had a fruit and water stand set up for the walkers. This was the perfect time to stop, check Aidan's sugar and make sure he was fine. 132, Perfect! YAY! Aidan was also excited because halfway meant he was now allowed to sit in the stroller. I thought it was important he walked at least the first mile and a half.

Hey! Where'd my banana go? Wait, what, you mean I inhaled it...

So pretty

It was by far the prettiest college campus I have ever been on.

I LOVE this shot!

Signing his name at the finish line, we did it, hurray!!!

Walk for the cure reminder

Hi Everyone!

Just a reminder, this Saturday, March 28 we will be participating in our first annual JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) Walk to Cure Diabetes.

If you have not yet made a donation and would like to please follow this link: http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87294392

Look what came in the mail!

Today, after months of fighting with the insurance company, dealing with appeals and of course paperwork Aidan's OmniPod System arrived in the mail!

So, now we just wait for an appointment with his endocrinologist at the Children's hospital (he will have to be admitted and observed for a day). And then.... no more shots!!!
No more living pin cushion!!! YAY!!!

Aidan's reaction...Sooooooooooo excited!!!


In case you are wondering...

The OmniPod: a small, lightweight self-adhesive insulin pod that you fill with insulin and wear directly on your body for up to three days and then replace. The OmniPod delivers precise, personalized doses of insulin into your body through a small flexible tube (called a cannula) based on instructions that you program into its wireless companion, the Personal Diabetes Manager. The cannula is inserted only once with each OmniPod.
The Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM): a wireless, hand held device that programs the OmniPod with your personalized insulin delivery instructions, wirelessly monitors the OmniPod's operation and incorporates a FreeStyle blood glucose meter.

Fill a new OmniPod with the amount of insulin you need for up to 3 days. Each OmniPod holds and delivers up to 200 units of insulin, but you customize it to your needs. During the fill process, the OmniPod automatically primes itself and performs a series of safety checks, and the PDM wirelessly downloads your background (basal) insulin delivery settings.	Apply the OmniPod to your skin. You can wear the OmniPod on your abdomen, lower back, arm, or anywhere that your healthcare provider has shown you. It adheres to your skin with the same adhesive used on popular infusion sets.	Press Start on the PDM and let the OmniPod do the rest to activate the world's fastest [1] insertion and begin background (basal) insulin delivery. Insertion is fully automated and virtually pain-free! [1]

The best part for me is that while Aidan will continue to prick his finger 6 or more times a day, he won't have to get stuck with a needle 6-7 times a day anymore. The only "sticking" will be on the days we change the Pod, and the Pod does the "sticking" or inserting of the cannula for you, and it happens so quick. This is also one of the reasons we chose the OmniPod over a conventional pump, with a conventional pump you, the parent have to insert the cannula... um, no thanks, not as long as I have an option. Also, with a conventional pump if we were to go spend a day at the beach, Aidan would have to remove his pump for any water play, but the OmniPod is 100% waterproof, so he can play at the beach, take a bath and have continuous insulin flow.And what we think is going to be the BIGGEST help is the fact that with the OmniPod (a conventional pump would have done the same thing) we will be able to deliver more precise amounts of insulin. With syringe therapy the smallest unit of insulin we can administer is .5 u. But with the OmniPod will can admisister as little as .05 u which will be a BIG difference, and hopefully will correct some, if not all of the fluctuation we've been seeing recently. Yippee! Thank you God for science and Insulin therapy and the fact that Aidan is still here with us today!!!

http://www.myomnipod.com/

Cheap Meal Tuesday

I've had so many requests for other "cheap meal" ideas that I've decided to make a theme of it.

This week's special: Rapatouille

(Aidan said to me while I was cooking, it looks like Rapatouille mom, you can be little chef! (Of course he meant Ratatouille) I don't know if I should take it as a compliment or insult that my son is comparing my culinary abilities to that of a rat?)

You'll need:

2 med-large zucchini

2 tsp. seasoned salt

2 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. oregano leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (whichever you prefer, I use diced)

1 mini can Hunt's natural tomato sauce

1 package favorite source of protein. (I used ground turkey breasts, but you can use diced chicken, sausage, lean beef tips, etc..)

Precook your meat and set aside.

Wash the zucchini but do not peel. Slice about 1/4" thick. Mix together with all spices (NOT Olive Oil) and toss well. Heat oil in skillet, add zucchini and saute until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add your meat back in, along with tomatoes and sauce, cook another 2-3 minutes.

Dinner is served! and the best part? It's nutritious, delicious, LOW CARB and under $10!

JDRF

Dear Family and Friends,

We're writing to ask for your support in a cause that is very close to our hearts. Most of you know that Aidan is a type 1 diabetic. In fact it was 2 years ago this week he was diagnosed.

This year we will all be taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes along with a half-million other walkers across the country. JDRF's goal: To raise $105 million to further research in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating, and potentially deadly disease that affects millions of people-a large and growing percentage of them children. Many people think that type 1 diabetes can be controlled and/or cured with insulin. Unfortunately this is not the case. Insulin does help keep people with type 1 diabetes alive, but it is NOT a cure. Aside from the daily challenges of living with type 1 diabetes, there are many severe, and potentially fatal, complications caused by the disease..... that's the bad news.

The good news, though, is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach. In fact, JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes research to date. And JDRF funds a major portion of all type 1 diabetes research worldwide, more than any other charity.

We're writing to ask you to consider supporting us in 1 of 3 ways.

The first, and most important is with prayer. Please pray that we win the battle with the insurance company and are able to get Aidan on a pump, this will help significantly in our ability to control his sugar levels. Pray that he continues to go about life healthy and happy, and that none of the complications associated with type 1 diabetes affect him. And finally pray that a cure is indeed found in his lifetime.

The second, if you live in, or around the Columbia area we would love for you to join us in the walk. It is to be held Saturday March 28th @10am. You can email me, or leave a comment if you'd like more information.

And the thirdly you can support us with resources. We'd ask you to consider making a donation to JDRF-every penny brings us one step closer to making the cure a reality.

Please visit our walk page if you'd like to make an online donation: http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87294392

Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Darren, Lisa, Aidan and Asher

Saint Patrick

Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

Guided By Visions

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)

Bonfires and Crosses

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.)