Youth Retreat Pictures

The gang

We have a movie director-to-be in our youth group. He baited this 7th grader into playing a dead body, complete with ketchup and hotdog leftovers as intestines.

Special effects this amazing were due to a huge group effort, as you can see.

Do you recognize our flower girl, all grown up?

Some girls chilling out.

I'm Good Today

To quote a dear friend and elder from Christ Church, Ken Culpepper, "I'm good today."

Today has been the best start to my day in two weeks! Thank you for your prayers. Thursday-Sunday was ROUGH, ROUGH, ROUGH. My blood sugar levels were unpredictably swinging this way and that, and I felt exhausted, hungry, grouchy, and emotional. I was pretty worthless as a leader on the youth trip this weekend, but the kids had fun, and Nathan's talks were encouraging. There are some great pictures of the retreat, and I brought the camera to school today, but I forgot the cords that plug into the computer. Geez.

Sunday afternoon, on a walk around our neighborhood, I had a complete meltdown on my poor husband. It was one of those rare out of body experiences. It felt like I was watching myself being hysterical and making absolutely no sense, but there was nothing I could do to stop it! Nathan was trying to reason with me at first (I usually respond very well to reason), but he finally just gave up, wrapped me in his arms, sat me down on the side of the road, and cried with me.

Today is actually the first day I've worn mascara since this whole diabetes diagnosis (I figure, why wear it when it'll be cried off later?), but I just ruined it again remembering that little story and writing it out. Thank you Jesus for my husband!

Please continue to pray for us as we, along with my doctors, seek the best path to balancing my body. I've been getting lots of advice from friends, and we're just trying to sort it all out and seek God's will as to which direction to go. How should I eat? What should I eat? When should I eat? How much should I eat? How much insulin? When? The questions go on and on. Yesterday's excerpt from Jesus Calling says this:

"As you become increasingly aware of My Presence, you find it easier to discern the way you should go. This is one of the practical benefits of living close to Me. Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead or worrying about what you should do if... or when..., you can concentrate on staying in communication with Me. When you actually arrive at a choice-point, I will show you which direction to go."

After reading passages like that one, my faith is increased that God sees me and cares about what is happening in my life.

Youth Retreat This Weekend

Pray for Nathan and me as we go on a youth retreat this weekend up at Lake Lanier. I am still struggling with my health (my blood sugar swings up and down hundreds of points during the day leaving me feeling really loopy) and I feel behind with... life. Here's a bit more from Jesus Calling.

"I have called you to walk with Me down paths of Peace. I want you to blaze a trail for others who desire to live in My peaceful Presence. I have chosen you less for your strengths than for your weaknesses, which amplify your need for Me. Depend on Me more and more, and I will shower Peace on all your paths."

It's October 22nd, and Sommer is Still Hot!

Three years ago today, Nathan and I fell in love! We spent a bulk of October 22nd, 2005 in Irvine, supporting my sister at her Concordia University volleyball match. The announcer was a kick, and he would make clever remarks between plays. After one kill by Lindsay Sommer, he said, "It's October 22nd, and Sommer is still hot!" We laughed a lot about that one, and it became a joke and a reminder of that special day.

After the match, we went out for dinner with my parents and some of my sister's friends. My friend, Amy, drove my sister, Nathan, and I to P.F. Chang's at the Spectrum. He and I were secretly holding hands in the back seat, but we got caught by the girls! So embarrassing... After we returned to Bakersfield, Nathan and I had the most amazing talk of our lives. We went from, "I like you and I think you're cool" to "Let's get married and have babies together" in the course of just a few hours.

Thanks to Amy, who reminded us of today's anniversary.

"It's October 22nd, and Sommer is still hot!"

The Rest of Al Pal's Visit

So, you readers should be more than satisfied with the number of posts I've put up today. I think I added four or five. I guess it's feast or famine with this blog.

Happy birthday Phillip (in the very back)! These are the in-laws, minus Hannah, who is taking the picture.



Here's Allison and I at the Coke museum. We had just gotten out of a really intense 4-D movie, hence the glasses.

Hey! Cherry Coke Zero has no carbs! Sweet!

Here's Allison swiping her free Coke, which she left behind in our refrigerator. :)

I miss you already Allison. Thanks for coming to visit me. It couldn't have been more perfectly timed. See you in Tempe, baby!

Diabetic Brunch

I have the coolest family/friends! Hannah, my sister-in-law organized a breakfast party with some friends and came over on Saturday morning. She brought bacon and eggs (carb free!) and they all came over dressed as famous diabetics. Hannah is supposed to be Billie Jean King, and Liz is Mick Fleetwood. The skewers are drumsticks. :) Liz printed out pictures of all of them, and I was amazed at how many famous people are diabetic! Halle Berry, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Thomas Edison, Ella Fitzgerald, et al. Wow!

Here's Allison and me in our sweet necklaces!

A self portrait by Liz.

I took all of my diabetes paraphenalia out of the "diaper bag," and it took up the whole table! I don't carry around everything, but now that I look at it, it's just a LOT of stuff. I had to stand on the couch just to get it all in the view finder!

Thanks girls for the encouragment!

The First Shot

This is my fake "I don't wanna do this!" face. It's pretty much how I felt inside though.

First, I washed my hands to prepare to check my blood glucose level.

I pricked my finger and touched it to the end of the little black strip.

This was my reading, 314. A normal reading is between 70-110. Yikes.

I stalled for time and changed into my PJs. Then I took my time reading the instructions.

I got the needle on the insulin pen, and I flicked the pen just like they do in the movies.

This is me and the pen having a staring contest. My heart was pounding by this point.

After an hour of avoiding the inevitable, Nathan did the injection.

This is my real face... pretty pitiful, huh?

Thanks to Allison for documenting everything. She said she felt like a voyer for snapping pictures at such an intense event, but I'm glad I got it on camera. She lightened the mood. :)

Taylor Homecoming

I got to meet Cooper, Hannah's new baby, for the first time!

Jessica (J-Bell) and Jeff were on my Trinidad missions trip in '02. Dear friends!

This is Nathan and me with Dr. Heth, my Bible teacher, and father-in-law to both Hannah and Heidi.

This is the beautiful new prayer chapel. I was so impressed with the spirit of the building.

This is Nathan relaxing under a tree near the music building. Shortly thereafter, he jumped up because he found a spider crawling on him, which got his blood pumping again.

Heidi and I dressed up as twins for Halloween when we were in college.

Kristi and I got to hang out for a few minutes before leaving for Tim's grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary celebration.

My Awesome Husband

In the craziness of the past few weeks, I totally forgot to blog about this!

Nathan and I have date night every Monday night, and we take turns being in charge of dinner and the evening's activities. About three weeks ago, Nathan was in charge, and after his dinner of spaghetti and salad, we went for a walk by the Chattahoochee River. We took the camping chairs and sat down by the bank. In his usual boyish fashion, Nathan took a stick that was lying near where we were sitting and began to dig. Soon, he had dug up a plastic bag.

"Gosh! People can't seem to throw away their trash. Litterbugs!" he muttered.

"Hey!" I said. "There's a note inside it! What if it was written by some guy proposing to his girlfriend? We should leave alone."

"It's probably wet," he replied, and stuck his hand inside the bag. "Nope. It's dry!" He looked at me with eyebrows raised in anticipation. "Wanna read it?" he asked.

"Yeah." I took the bag and reached in for the note. I unfolded it, and to my great surprise, it was written in Nathan's handwriting, and it was dated that VERY day!


Nathan had written me a very clever poem that described the evening's surprise, a scavenger hunt. We ended up at the cemetary nearby and I found another plastic bag, and inside was a movie Nathan had borrowed from the local library, "Liar, Liar." We went home and watched it and ate popcorn. Isn't he fun and oh, so romantic?




I love him.

Small Update, No Pictures

This is just a small update promising pictures tomorrow. I am still behind at school and home, so I would appreciate your prayers for me to maximize my time.

My friend Allison is leaving today (so sad!), and her visit could not have been better timed. We just made lots of memories together: my first shot, a Whitefield pep rally and football game, brunch with friends, dinner with in-laws, church, the World of Coke museum, dinner at our favorite pizza place, etc. I've got pictures of almost everything!

One last thought... I feel like getting out of the house, getting ready for a meal, etc. takes FOREVER! Allison and I went to Willy's and got lunch on Saturday, and by the time I took my blood glucose reading, recorded my scores, gave myself an insulin shot, and drank my Reliv shake, she was halfway done with her meal (although she was trying to eat slowly). I've been late for school because my routine just takes longer. I get most frustrated at night. Sometimes I'm so tired I just want to skip brushing my teeth and go straight to bed, but I just can't! I have to go through the whole 30 minute beditme routine, with most steps having steps themselves. 1) Check blood sugar, 2) Record levels in log book and on paper to fax to doctor, 3) Give myself insulin shot, 4) Drink Reliv shake, 5) Take BC pill, 6) Take out contacts, 7) Brush and floss teeth, 8) Brush and put in retainers, 9) Put on MI paste (from the dentist), 10) Wash and moisturize face, 11) Fall into bed!

Also, I feel like I'm carrying around a diaper bag everywhere I go. Needles, insulin pens, blood sugar meter, Kleenex, charts, Reliv powder and cup and straw, emergency glucose shot, glucose tablets, snacks, etc. Maybe the Lord is preparing me for the future stress of remembering all the important equipment that babies need. :)

Thanks to my faithful readers. I feel loved by your comments and e-mails and phone calls.

It's for Real Now

My appointment went so, so well. I was nervous while I was sitting in the waiting room with Nathan for over an hour, but as soon as I got into the examination room, I was filled with the peace of God. Thank you for your prayers!

The nurse practitioner, Pat, we met with was wonderful. She did some basic checks. My eyes, nose, ears, blood pressure, etc. are fine. She did the reflex hammer thing on my forearms, elbows, knees, and ankles, but nothing happened except on my ankles a little. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I'm going to find out. Next, they took my blood glucose meter and got all of these charts and graphs from it. It was really cool. She explained everything, and it was clear that I have type I diabetes. I felt very calm and was able to focus and listen while she was talking, which I feel is a direct result of your prayers. She even stopped and said, "You're taking this news very, very well."

We met with the very Southern bowtie-sporting, monogrammed crisp white shirt and linen pants-wearing endocrinologist, Dr. Welch, after that, who just introduced himself and said that he concurred with everything the nurse practitioner said. He signed off on the prescriptions and went on his way.

After that, we went downstairs to get trained for the shots. A really great nurse, Jane, who we met last week at the diabetes class, showed us how to do the injections. She is so wonderfully funny! She's a very witty Irish Catholic lady from Boston, and she told me to be careful with the "wicked sharp" needles with her thick Massachussetts accent. :) I have to measure my blood sugar and take an injection before every meal and before bed. I was just smiley and fine the whole time! Praise God!

I picked up my friend, Allison, from the airport a few hours later, and we had fun chatting it up. Before we knew it, it was 10:30, and I was super tired. However, I had to give myself my first injection. Allison got the camera, and we decided to document everything. I, of course, forgot to bring the camera to school today, but I will post pictures and videos soon.

It took me over an hour to gear myself up for the shot. I paced, gave myself a pep talk, tried to distract myself, cried a little, etc. Finally, when Nathan came home from his brother's house at 11:30, I just had him inject the insulin in my hip. I held on to Allison while he stuck it in. He kept saying, "I haven't even done it yet!" but I knew he was lying because I felt the little prick. We all had a nice group hug afterwards, and I was exhausted!

This morning I woke up nervous knowing that I had to do the injections myself today. God is good, because my 6th grade advisee girls brought a yummy breakfast, and I was hungry, so I knew I had to just DO it and get something to eat. I checked my blood sugar, which was down to 136 (my lowest reading ever!), they prayed for me, I went into the bathroom shaking and did the injection in my stomach, and I came back and had a muffin. :)

And here we are... I just want to thank you again for your prayers. I am still getting used to this stuff, so please don't stop!

PTL Plus More Prayer

Well, Renita worked her magic and I will see an endocrinologist tomorrow at 4 p.m. I don't have to schedule a sub, and I got in THIS week! Praise God! Thank you for your prayers.

Please continue praying for me, as I've been just sick to my stomach thinking about more needles and pumps and... ugh. I get shaky just thinking about it. Anyway, I will see a P.A. and the endocrinologist and hopefully get a clear diagnosis. Renita said that they'll most likely start me on insulin shots tomorrow.

Thankfully, my very funny friend Allison is flying into Atlanta tomorrow night, and she'll be hanging out with me for the weekend. I'm so grateful that God ordained this trip to happen at just this time. I need to lighten up, and she's just the gal to make that happen. :)

I'll try to post pictures of Taylor's homecoming (and my 5-year reunion). It was such a blast! I got to spend time with Kathy and Bob Blume, who told me about Taylor and about Nathan. I saw lots of good friends and got to soak up several days of Indiana fall. Beautiful.

Thanks again for your prayers, y'all. I'll keep you posted.

Website

Here is a website you can check out if you have questions about diabetes.

http://www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp

Type I

My doctor called me at home last night to tell me that my lab results came back conflicted. My C-Peptide test said that I am still producing some insulin, but my GAD was "elevated," meaning... I forgot. Basically, in layman's terms, my pancreas is on its last legs, which points to Type I diabetes.

I e-mailed my favorite nurse, Renita, and she explained things a little further for me. She has been advocating heavily for me at that huge hospital to try to get me into the best endocrinologist in Atlanta, Dr. Welch. The waiting list to see him is over one month long, but Renita and her manager at the diabetes resource center are trying to work some magic to get me in this week. Please pray that this happens!

Regardless of whether or not I see Dr. Welch this week, I have to go back to the hospital soon and learn how to take insulin shots. WAAH! I am shaking as I type. I'm not a fan of shots. I know, however, that God is good, and he wants me to trust him. Here's what I read in my devotional, Jesus Calling, this morning:

(These are written to be God's words to me!)

Be prepared to suffer for me, in my name. All suffering has meaning in my kingdom. Pain and problems are opportunities to demonstrate your trust in me. Bearing your circumstances bravely - even thanking me for them - is one of the highest forms of praise. This sacrifice of thanksgiving rings golden-toned bells of joy throughout the heavenly realms. On earth also, your patient suffering sends out ripples of good tidings in ever-widening circles.

When suffering strikes, remember that I am sovereign and that I can bring good out of everything. Do not try to run from pain or hide from problems. Instead, accept adversity in my name, offering it up to me for my purposes. Thus, your suffering gains meaning and draws you closer to me. Joy emerges from the ashes of adversity through your trust and thankfulness.

I Have What?

I am really, really, really sorry that I haven't had the chance to tell most of you this news face-to-face or even on the phone. Please know that I would have loved to have done that with each of you, my dear friends and family.

On Friday I learned that I have diabetes. I'm not sure if diabetes is capitalized... hm... For now, we won't capitalize. :) Anyway, the doctor found that my blood sugar levels were extremely high during a routine check up, and since then I've been in a medical whirlwind. I missed school Friday, Monday, and I'll miss again tomorrow for several hospital appointments and an all day diabetes management class.

Yesterday I met with a nurse and got my blood sugar reader. I have to prick myself three times a day and keep a log of my levels. I also have to change my diet, which has been harder than I thought it would be. I want to eat everything I can't, which is probably due simply to the fact that I'm not allowed. :) While I was diagnosed as having type II diabetes, I don't fall into the category that describes most people with type II (elderly, obese, family history, no exercise, horrible diet), so I have to get more blood work tomorrow, my 7th, 8th, and 9th vial in two weeks. Yuck! I hope to regulate this with diet and exercise and Reliv, but for now I'm taking the medication my doctor prescribed as well.

Anyway, I was kind of a mess on Friday, but I'm doing better now. Going to Jim and Courtney's wedding up in the mountains definitely helped me get my mind off of it. I told my students today without any tears. I had a handout that explained the basics about diabetes and I showed them what I had to do to check my blood sugar (without sticking myself in front of them, of course). They had lots of questions ("What if you accidentally shoot yourself in the eye?") and then we prayed together. Their prayers were so sweet and genuine. THAT'S when I got teary-eyed.


On my way out of the hospital yesterday, I was greeted by a love note, flowers, and a snack from my husband. When I pulled up to pay for parking, the lady taking the money commented about how beautiful the flowers were. I told her they were from my husband who dropped them off while I was in my appointment, and SHE started to cry!


This morning when I got to school, one of my students gave me a gift. She hand-sewed this sweet pillow and hand-drew the card (ironically, a picture of some scrumptious cake). It reads,
Dear Mrs. Parker,
We all have to go through bad times. I think you are beautiful, strong, and brave. Romans 8:28 says, "And we all know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." I'm so glad that you are my teacher! You always bring a smile to everybody's face! Just remember to keep remembering God and praising Him in everything you do. I'm praying for you!
Love,
Rachel

Did I cry? Um, YES! The poor girl probably felt so awkward, but I was so touched by her generosity.
I love my life.

Jim and Courtney's Wedding

This last weekend Nathan was in his friend Jim's wedding. It was SO BEAUTIFUL! The wedding took place on a farm in the mountains, and God's creation was just outstanding. The bride and groom were so relaxed, and the whole weekend was very kick back. I'm sorry I can't turn those pictures. The "wizard" was being weird.

Courtney and Jim, the bride and groom.

Nathan and Jim at the rehearsal dinner.

The groomsmen. I stalked the photographer for a very short while. She was really sweet and very pregnant. She's going to name her baby boy Seven. Or is it 7?

Nathan and me. Doesn't he look handsome?

Nathan and the groom's nephew, who played his guitar during the cocktail hour.

Personal touches. Awesome!

Christ Church Retreat

The last weekend of September Nathan and I went on a church-wide retreat. There were more than 350 people there, and it was just wonderful. The coolest part about it was that there were outside speakers for adults, youth, and children, so the pastoral staff had a break. I got to hang out with Nathan for the WHOLE weekend! The retreat center was in the North Georgia mountains, and it was just heavenly.

Here's Nathan on our balcony the first morning.


Our room.

We had a lazy afternoon to relax on Saturday. I braided my friend Ruth's hair to help her relax. That's her new baby, Keona, on her back. Keona and I have the same birthday. :)

On our drive home, we stopped and took a picture at the top of the ridge. Nathan has his Gaston look going again.

The pastoral staff played "Are You Smarter Than Your Congregation?" on Saturday night. It was a huge hit. Nathan was horrible, but he and Pete still managed to pull off a win against Greg and Paul.

Food and Drink

I'm not quite sure why, but I've noticed that we take a lot of pictures of food and drink in the car. Here is a small sample of the pictures I've downloaded just today.

Nathan's Coke

Nicole's homemade peach ice cream from a fruit stand

Nathan's Starbucks coffee

Chick-fil-A Dr. Pepper I wasn't supposed to be drinking (it makes my heart race)... I got caught even though I hid under a kitchen towel. :( I did this in Israel with some McDonald's ice cream, and since then it's been a joke between Nathan and me.

Sonic cherry limeade! YEEEAAAHH! I was so excited to find a Sonic in North Georgia, I had to get a Route 44 size.

Some Classroom Pictures

This post is dedicated to my friend Amy, who helped me set up my classroom three years in a row (twice in California and once in Georgia). Amers, you're the best!


The above picture is of my daily homework board. Since we are on a rotating schedule, we have A-G days instead of Mondays-Fridays. Each class is at a different time during the day and sometimes I don't see classes... it's too hard to explain! Anyway, this board helps me remember which day certain classes have certain assignments. Without it, I'd still be looking for my brain.
I'm teaching Bible for the first time this year. Allison and Kristi will remember our Israel poster and pictures in the Brick House our senior year at TU. This is the ramped up version with pictures from college as well as pictures from our trip this summer. For example, the red line that is second from the bottom on the right is pointing to Masada, and there are pictures of Kristi and me as well as Nathan and me. The kids love it, and I love using my nifty laser pointer explaining where things are when we read the Bible together. They know everyone in the pictures by their first names. :)


This is my "office." I have blue painters' tape around my desk marking off my space. When I want to see a student privately, I just stay, "Step into my office." When I need my space, I say, "Get out of my office!" You'll probably notice the blown up picture of Nathan and me behind my desk. That's left over from our wedding, and I couldn't bear to throw it away. The caraciture picture is of me and Jennifer Pinkett Smith, my BFF at school.
I hope you enjoyed the snapshots!