Friday, Day #1 at Friends for Life Canda 2011

Well we started our day a little late...not unusual!

Let me rephrase:

I woke up very early and we left the house late....ya that is more like it!

My mother in law came to pick up my Cody as he was spending the weekend with her.  Tears... I don't know what it is about that kid but I hate to have him leave my side...it really is an issue!
My father came to pick up Connor, Kylie and Kailyn and they were going to a family camp out that my dad's side of the family has every year for as long as I can remember.  I had no problem letting them leave my side...lol
My husband dropped off the dog.  Poor puppy, I always wonder if they (dogs) think "this is it!! off to the pound I go, I really should not have eaten that toy"  I tell Reesey ever time she goes to "doggy camp" that we WILL come back for her but I don't think she understands? lol

I finished a few little things around the house and finally we were ready to go!!

WITHOUT THE GRAVEL... why must we always forget something? it never fails!  and of course gravel is very important for our car ride Cara gets car sick!!

But the 4 hour car ride actually went without a hitch, well a few minutes of "are we there yet" "when will we be there" " I have to go to the bathroom" "MOOOOM Cara is looking at me" and vise versa and a couple "my belly hurts" but we made it, without puke!! Over all I was impressed.

checking blood sugar on the road

Finally in our room, or as Kirstin called it our new house

After we brought our stuff to the room we went down stairs to where the conference was being held so we could sign in and figure out what was going on.  We had to go down an escalator to get there...well, not really, there WAS stairs but ya...we HAD to go down the escalator.  Kirstin was holding one hand and Cara was holding the other.  When all of a sudden Kirstin got on and started to head down, I took a step to get on and follow Kirstin down when Cara pulled me back, which pulled back on Kirstin.  Two huge scratches on her heels later and tons of people looking at the dumb asses and screaming child that can't make it down a little escalator...we signed in, got our t-shirts and got the hell out of there as fast as we could.  This time carrying the kids up the escalator because now both of them are terrified of The Feet Munching Stair Monster.

We decided to go out to dinner just to see a little of Toronto and I was less then impressed with ALL THE FRICKEN PEOPLE...OMGosh I looked at my husband and said get me to the damn restaurant NOW!!
 

out for dinner, walking to the restaurant I realized I  was NOT a big city kinda girl

Kirstin

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and back down to the Conference for meet the exhibitors & sponsors.  As we walked in we notice they had dinner for everyone...did I mention this was our first FFL conference.  And everything was carb counted and labeled...I was in heaven!!

The food that was waiting for us during the reception-meeting exhibitors & sponsors.

Oh and did I mention there was a pool

As I sat and listened to Tom Karlya's welcome, the kids and my husband went swimming.

Tom Karlya or the Diabetes Dad as he is known around these parts opened our conference. His daughter was dx in 1992 at the age of 2.  His son was dx in 2009 at the age of 13.

I have read a few of Tom Karlya's articles before and a few times I felt that we were on a different page on some topics...that does happen once and a while, lol.  But I was still really looking forward to hearing what he had to say and he did a wonderful job.  I really enjoyed listening to Tom talk and share his and his family story with D.  He made us laugh and then of course he HAD to make us cry...man I HATE crying in public, but I don't think anyone noticed with all the tears in their eyes. lol

He got us ALL with a video of Derek Redmon and his dad finishing the Olympic 400 together.

The main point that I took away from Tom's speech is that Diabetes is our children's race, it is not our race.  And although we are here to help & support them along the way, in every and any way we can this is truly a race that our children must finish on their own.  And just like Derek Redmon's dad did when our children are near that finish line we must let them go and allow them to finish their race on their own.

"A couple steps from the finish line, and with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son, so Derek could cross the finish line by himself."  (taken from ESPN.com)

Oh and something else I took away from his speech is that mice are one lucky mammal...more then 300 mice have been cured from type 1 diabetes!!

Stay tuned for,
Saturday,  Day #2 at Friends for Life with Jay Hewitt, and maybe be a short video of a few shorties burning up the dance floor.