No more candy for you

Yesterday was one of those life altering days. The kind of day where you are going about your daily routine and then your world is turned upside down. The kind of day that changes the days in front of it.

My oldest daughter Alex was diagnosed with diabetes yesterday.

Before she was diagnosed I had the mommy sense that something was wrong. She was not acting utterly sick, but was not herself for the last couple weeks.

Looking up her symptoms it pointed directly to the disease, so being the overly protective mom I brought her into the hospital to have the doctors reassure me that everything is ok and that she is just fine and to go home. Instead my concerns were confirmed and she was indeed tested positive for type 1 diabetes.

So many things have gone through my mind. How do I take care of my daughter? How do I give shots, what kind of food do I make for her, how is she feeling, could I have done something different so that she didn't get this disease.

Even though its been a day it seems longer.

Among the midst of all the emotions and the overwhelming knowledge that is being poured into my brain I have felt a strength that I know is not from me.

When my daughter is crying, when she grips my hand while getting pricked or poked from the needles, when she makes a decision whether or not something is worth it to eat because she will have to get a shot for doing so. I am able to make her laugh, I am able to give her shots( even though I hate needles), I am able to comfort her without crying. I know this is because Heavenly Father is there lifting me up to be there for my daughter.

I know that the loving hands that are so willing to help are a blessing from above.

I know that the treatment that she is being given is a miracle.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that even though times are difficult sometimes he is there lifting me up when I don't have the strength.

Jäätelö

 Jäätelö (yaa-ti-lu) My attempt to sound out ice cream for English speakers

I wanted to make a blog post about ice cream in Finland . I absolutely love ice cream and am glad that the Finnish do as well.

They have a lot of yummy berry ones to choose from and have put some flavors together that I never would have thought to put together.

Lemon and licorice

pear

salmiakki (salty black licorice)

This summer while out with my kids I was people watching. The Finnish are normally very reserved with their facial expressions, but I noticed when they are eating ice cream their demeanor changes. I wanted to capture this and took my camera around to take pictures of random people enjoying their ice cream.  

I know I am not an amazing photographer and I realize now I should have taken the photo first and then asked to post it, but it was fun.

 Before I took this families photo, the sweet mom in the background of these two pictures was pushing the stroller with her elbow, holding an ice cream in one hand and a child's hand in the other.

I had to purchase the for the first time the ice cream sold at the little kiosk. Very expensive and knowing I can go around the corner and buy a box for about the same price we have never tried it, but taking all the pictures of people eating ice cream couldn't resist. 

I have yet to see a Finnish child with as messy a face as Ezra when he eats ice cream.

It was such a hot day it was melting before I handed it to him. He didn't really have a chance.

Serenity is getting better at it.

Act natural. :)

His girlfriend did not want to be in the picture

I don't think I could act natural either if someone was telling me to act natural. lol

This boy's clothes are bringing back into the 80's. Is the neon coming back into the states as well. Man I am getting old.

I was impressed by these two. Ice cream almost the same size of their heads and most of it made it into their mouths.

It was very sweet of everyone to let me take their picture. They all seemed happy to do it.

Just like the sauna, ice cream is enjoyed all year round, whether it is negative 25 or a blistering 80 degrees.