Chestnuts :) and good deals at Wal-greens :)

 Some of the chestnuts we gathered from one of our trees..These are so good..I eat them raw:)

 I stopped by Wal-greens today to pick up some almonds..They have these on sale every few months for 4.99 a bag(1lb bags) Usually sales for 7.99.(Great low carb. snack) I purchased three bags..that's all they had.

This toilet paper was on sale for 2.99-usually sales for 4.29.(I purchased 3 packs)

 This dish liquid was on sale for  .89-usually 1.52.

And I found these glucose tablets on the clearance rack for 1.37 a bottle! :) They are usually 5.99..
If I had used coupons I would have really gotten a good deal..I still saved 29.00 on these four purchases alone! :)

The garden now...

 Our garden as it looks now...We are still getting a few peppers/tomatoes.
The volunteer half runner green beans are to the right of the picture and to the right of them is where the mustard greens/lettuce are planted.

 Our mustard greens coming up.

 The lettuce coming up.

 Some of the area where the mustard and lettuce are planted :)

 These beans came up from beans that had been tilled under.

 A close up of the half runners.

 Some pictures of the different colored "volunteer" morning glories coming up in the garden.

 We will be digging potatoes soon.

After the potatoes are dug and the mustard canned and the lettuce eaten..We will mow/till the garden under for winter. Hopefully to begin it all over again in the spring!
Thankful to God for a bountiful harvest this year...

Opthamology Appointment

We had to schedule this appt. with the opthamologist months in advance. With the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, other Dr.s are included in your care other than the Endocrinologist.

Isaac had a very thorough exam today..They started off by doing measurements of his eyes,etc.

 Then they did a preliminary visual exam.

 They also did many color blindness test.

 Also on each eye seperately.

 Then they used two different eye drops..

 They used the adult drops for dilating the pupil so it would return to normal after only three hours..You know he does have to go hunting this evening :) LOL

 The asst. also did an exam on his eyes after dilation...and said that he has very good vision.

 This is one of the instruments that was used today..

 Yep..his eyes are dilated..

 A close up of his dilated pupil..this was taken only a few minutes after the drops..They did get a little more dilated..

Finally finished. He had to sport the lovely sunglasses that the office gives you for three hours..The Dr. said there was no sign of retinopathy..(he didn't expect there to be this early.) and that he had very healthy eyes..Of course he went on to talk about type 1 and diabetic retinopathy,cataracts,Glaucoma(diabetic eye disease). The NEI (National eye institute) is conducting and supporting research that will help people with diabetes. The Dr. wants him to be seen once yearly for now.
I am thankful for the newer treatments in eye care...lasers sure are a big help in dealing with eye disease now...Like every thing else with type 1 - I am teaching him how important it is try to take care of his diabetes-because it can affect every organ in your body..
   
     Diligence/Education..If you know better-you do better..


Thank you Lord for an exam with good results today.. I know that you will always be there for us.

Biscuits with gravy and apple butter

Jacob "requested'' biscuits and gravy last night for breakfast this morning :)

So I got up and made a batch of biscuit dough. I used self rising flour, cut in some shortening, and added milk.

I rolled out the dough and then used one of my small cups to cut them out.

Placed them into the oven.

 As the biscuits were baking I added flour to my bacon grease and browned it to desired color and then added my mixture of milk and water. (2/3 milk-1/3 water)

 I constantly stir it until it thickens..Not as thick as usual this morning. I also add salt and pepper.

Then I broke up the biscuits and added some gravy on top and apple butter on the side.
I usally make eggs, sausage or bacon with gravy..but he didn't want any this morning...

Opening day of hunting season!! 9-24-2011

We were all headed into the woods by 6:00 this morning. No one got a shot before lunch. After a big dinner- Jacob, Marty and Isaac went back into the woods to hunt this evening. Jacob got a doe! A good start to season. :) I am very proud of you Jacob..He killed his first deer at age 5 and has been providing meat ever since.... :)

Independence...

     Isaac has been riding the bus for away football games..Abram is on there with him..I instructed the coaches on glucagon/glucose tabs,etc. the first of the season. He has done fine. He had an extended bolus for the team pizza before a game one time and went low (50's) on the way back to the school on the bus after the game. He ate his gl. tab-and got off of the bus a few minutes later. Like it was no big deal and he took care of it! Still hate the thought of him handling things alone, but I know he is very capable and needs to grow in this way.. 
     Last night he went to a dance at one of the local schools. He had a few cousins there. He put his diabetes bag up in a closet behind the concession stand so he didn't have to carry it around..He kept his dexcom in his pocket.
     He will have been diagnosed with diabetes for 8 months on this coming Tuesday. I am very proud of him for the way he takes care of his diabetes. He is very responsible..
You know how us d-moms are..!! :) It is always on our minds..thinking about the what if's and such..
     Taking these new steps into his taking care of his diabetes is a good thing..he feels secure in how to take care of himself..
It just hurts the heart a little knowing that it is/will be their responsibiltiy for their entire lives or until there is a cure to have to deal with/accept/manage and live with this disease.
I am so thankful for the responsibility he has with his disease..But I wish he didn't have too and that I could shoulder it forever..Yet I know the Independence he is gaining is the best thing for him.

Thanks for listening to me ramble on.. I still can't put it all into words...Just another emotion in the day of life dealing with type one diabetes and our children growing up..

Yep.. My "baby" boy is growing up..Testing his wings..learning to fly...One of these days he will be flying high and If I am alive I will be right there for him, cheering him on.. 
 I thank the Lord for all three of my boys and the many other blessings He blesses me/us with daily.. 
   

It's been awhile...Random update :)

 Isaac's swollen/broken clavicle

Abram's mullet finger..if he doesn't wear a splint cont. his finger will be perm."droopy" from the first joint.

     Busy times here.Football practices or games every day.. Homeschooling...Taking Abram and Isaac to the ortho. pretty often..Isaac has to go this week for a one week recheck..Abram has a 3 week recheck. Isaac for his broken collarbone and Abram for a mullet finger..he was catching the football and his tendon completely tore away from the bone..so he is in a splint for quite awhile..Isaac also goes for his first eye exam with the optho..next week. A few more days and he will have had diabetes for 8 months..We have been changing I:C ratios/basals...coming out of the honeymoon/growth spurt/puberty.....Some of his ratios have come down from 1:60 to 1:15..big changes...


     Jacob scored the highest in his soil judging competition yesterday with the FFA. This is his third year competing and he has done well everytime..His school is the only school that has meat science classes and they get to kill/butcher/prepare/wrap the meat from many kinds of animals. He is planning on going to college to be a wildlife biologist.

Jacob getting a short break at our local high school game this week..He has had that cross on his helmet since his freshman year :)

    Still gathering a few peppers/tomatoes from the garden. Our fall mustard greens and lettuce are coming up nicely. I will be canning the mustard when it is big enough..Hope to can a few apples/make apple butter also.We have been pressure washing the decks/porches/house..we will be staining them again soon and also painting our doors/window trims. It has been cooler here lately..
     Hunting season opens here this weekend..The boys are excited :)

Don't sack THAT quaterback!!!!!

Last night at the football game Isaac got sacked...

A few minutes until halftime and a few more plays..he stayed in the game..

I noticed he was favoring his left arm.

Well..a trip to the ER and a diagnosis of a broken clavicle..no sports or physical activity for atleast  6 weeks..We will be following up with orthopedics in one week..

I took pictures in x-ray and on the field and in the ER.. so I thought ...but the camera was on video! So must of the "pictures" were not able to be used..This video was supposed to be two pictures..Wish I had been paying better attention..anyway....

I am thankful it wasn't anything worse..But it is painful and restricting..I would appreciate your prayers for him.

There is a local high school boy in our area who is in a coma with a massive head injury from last Friday nights game..Please remember him and his family in your prayers..His prognosis is grim, even if he pulls through.

Thanks for the prayers.

Making grape juice...

 Got a few grapes :)

 Removed them from the stem and put them into a pot. Added a small amount of water.

 Boiled them for about 25 minutes...mashed them.

 Poured the contents of pot into a med. strainer-drained into another pot..

 This caught the seeds and skins.

 Then I poured the contents of the pot into another smaller, metal strainer.

 Which drained straight into the jars.

 The contents that were left in the metal strainer are in this bowl.. I will use it to make jam. I can use the juice to drink or process into jelly.

One of the jars of juice..delicious...NO sugar added :)

Good stuff.. lol

I will post  pictures of the jelly/jam that I will be making this week also..
Lord willing.

Screen protectors :)

 I picked up this 2 pack of screen protectors for a dollar at our local dollar tree store.

 You use the blue cloth to wipe the surface of the area where you are going to place the protector.

I already had one placed on the PDM so I held another one(with the sticker still attached) up for show :)

It fit the screen on our Omnipod PDM perfectly...Hopefully it will help keep the screen from getting scratched up to badly from everyday wear and tear...I think I will put the other one on our dexcom :)
They are also nice for cell phones.