JDRF Walk

Our local Walk for the Cure was held the last week-end in October.  This was our second year attending and this year we asked friends to join us.  I wasn't really sure what to expect - and was thrilled when people came with us.  It blesses me greatly to see that people care about this our family, our precious son Joshua and finding a cure for this disease!  (Yes, I teared up with each walker and each donation.  It really does bless me!)  This disease is relentless and you can never, never take a break from it.  I'm thankful for the unceasing work of the JDRF in trying to find a cure!

A friend asked me recently how did I handle it when people close to you didn't seem to care about the same causes that you did.  I told her that *for me* I try to have no expectations of others - and then everything - everything - is a blessing!  I'm truly thankful for the support we received.  It's a hard thing for me to ask for money and I didn't really get the word out as well as I probably could have.  (Several people asked why we didn't tell them about it.  I guess I just don't want to be a pest, kwim?)  It is for a good cause and finding a cure would be an amazing thing for many, many people.

Our day started early.  Last year we were stuck in awful traffic so we decided to try to beat the crowd this year.  We succeeded.  We also went in a "back way" thanks to a friend which was also a great tip!  We caravanned in with most of our team so we wouldn't struggle in finding each other.  (The crowd was about 7000 strong.)  We parked and then headed in.  The day started out chilly, but warmed up nicely.



We bought t-shirts this year which was really fun.  Seeing so many of our friends sporting the shirt just warmed my heart.  (Yes, teary.  It happens a lot when I'm feeling blessed.)  This is our team!  If you want to join us next year, we'd love to have you on our team too!



We had time to spend checking out some of the activities.  Next year, I think getting there even earlier and participating in some of the games and other booths would be a fun thing to do!  I spent time following these two little cuties around.



The girls found a booth where they could spray paint color and/or glitter into their hair.  They thought this was great fun.  (And the fun continued at home the next day!)



I'm not a detail person, but I love seeing someone else's attention to them.  These logo painted on the path was a fun addition to the walk.



There was popcorn and water given out along the route.  It isn't a long walk - either 2 or 2.5 miles.



It is a crowded walk however.



Sometimes it is fun to find your own path.



Friends are fun and make the days sweet!



After the walk, we were all treated to lunch provided by Jersey Mikes!  We ate in the amphitheatre which was a great lunch spot with tables and chairs.





There was also really delicious bananas which they were giving away at the end of the event.  We were happy to help take some home.



There were other activities to be enjoyed, but we didn't make it to many of them.



That's alright though as we all had fun just being together - and kids can have fun just about anywhere!



Soon it was time to head home.



My motivation to walk is this incredible young man.  He has endured a lot over the last year and half - pokes too many to count (at least 5 per day and sometimes 10), shots, site changes, medical procedures and the constant couting of carbs.  I pray that he will learn from this hardship - that he will learn empathy for others, grace to handle trials and strength to endure.  I pray that he would learn to lean on God for all of this.  I pray too for a cure.  No more needles.  No more pokes.  No more insulin.  No more watching every. single. bite. you put into your mouth.



Joshua, I love you and am proud of you.  I'm honored to be  your Mom and part of your team!

Thank you to our friends and family for your support.  We raised over $800 this year!  Thank you!

Blessings

Leslie

Beyond Co-op: Homer Price Chapters 3 & 4

Oh how I look forward to Thursdays - field trips or co-ops.  What could be more fun?!!!

We were greeted by fun signs as we entered this co-op letting us know what lie in store.



The children were given a very short amount of time to tie together as many of the small pieces of yarn as they could.  When they were finished, their yarn was put into a labelled bag for later.



We then moved to the sunroom for some learning.



The children learned about the Red Cross.  We also shared Family Traditions and which ones meant the most to the children.



Our next topic was Economics.  (I didn't share until afterwards that this is what I had studied in college.  Shhh ... and grad school.)  This was a tough topic but one that the children were definitely able to grasp because it was presented in such a FUN way!  They first learned about supply and demand.



To make it practical, various scenarios were presented and the children held up arrows to indicate whether they thought the scenario would make the supply or demand go up or down.



Next they worked in small groups to create their own scenarious about a product they were given (like video games) and what might cause supply or demand to rise or fall.  They did a great job with this too.

The final activity was to show supply and demand in a real way.  They were each given a picture which required 3 colors to complete it.  They were given $100 in which to purchase crayons.  They could purchase the first crayon and then had to wait until everyone had gotten a crayon.



Oh the frenzy that ensued when the bidding started was great.





After coloring using the first crayon, they were then able to buy, trade or bid on another one.  They only had 15 seconds though to do this.



As they started planning and making deals, the began to notice that it was harder to get crayons the second round.  What they didn't realize was that there were some who had the only picture using a particular color (so nobody would trade for that one).  Or that there was a shortage of one color that many of the people needed.



By the third and fourth round, some were frustrated but as the game was explained, they gained a better understanding of how supply and demand really works.  It was a fabulous hands-on game!

The kids were able to use some of their extra money (they all had some) to purchase snacks.   The doughnuts went for more money than the healthier snacks.  LOL



Do you see the tubing on the child in the gold shirt to the right of the eggs?  That is part of Joshua's pump.  (Just an fyi for those who haven't seen it.)



Mmm ... nothing quite like a Krispy Kreme!

The children then worked on making their own "sandwich boards".  I loved seeing what they wanted to advertise and how they went about it and the fun they had making them!





We had a "Sunday Dinner" together just like in the story.  We all brought foods to share and enjoyed lunch together.







We finished the day by finding out who had the longest mystery string.



By now, their signs had dried and were made into sandwich boards to wear.









Thanks friends for another stupendous day!  We had a blast and learned a lot too.

Blessings

Leslie