Fun pictures!

Just enjoying my new phone.

-chris

School Carnival

Here's a few pics of us enjoying the Spring Lake Elementary school carnival. Everything was fun except for losing a couple of $5.00 punch passes. But no worries, the cheap prizes made up for it.

-Chris

The Incredible Rices

Here is the first (and my favorite) video that we made:

We think it's funny how Katelyn back then looks like Bridget now and Madison back then sounds like Levi does now.

We are family...

Here is another video we made in 2009 for one of the Rice Family Reunions.

Diabetes strikes again!

We found out a week before Christmas that our little Levi also has diabetes. He is only 4, so it has been harder for him to get used to 4-5 finger pricks a day and 4-5 shots a day, but luckily his big sister Madison has been an amazing example for him! He is starting to recognize when his blood sugar is low and sometimes he will test his own blood sugar (when we can convince him to). It has been easier for us the second time through. We were spoiled with Madison and her pump doing all of the work and now Chris and I have had to go back to being more involved with testing & injections, etc. It is now trickier to have him babysat, so until he can give himself his own shots or get a pump, we are going to ask Madison to re-learn how to give shots and help him with carb counting, etc. while we are away. It has been amazing to see how quickly and easily these kids adjust to BIG changes. It has been a good example for me since sometimes I have wanted to curl up and feel sorry for myself, but I've had to snap out of it....if they're not complaining then why should I?

Chris' family has started a tradition of having a film festival where each family makes a movie and then when we all get together we show them off. When we found out Levi had diabetes, we thought we'd do an informational video....well, Chris and I are just too dang funny that we can't take anything seriously, so check out our Diabetes for Dummies video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5GL4M38wrU

P.S. I hate the way I am talking in this video and kept begging Chris to cut me out, but he wouldn't do it and I don't know how yet....aaaaaahhh! Everyone else is cute and funny!

I can laugh at myself.

It seems like I only post when there are pictures and I am documenting the good things that have happened to our family. I always appreciate when people keep it real on their blogs, so here goes...Yesterday I go across the street because Bridget (2) has, once again, escaped and let herself into the neighbors' house. I bring her back home and then I start doing the dishes. I feel something weird as I am leaning against the counter. I look down and I find a mostly eaten sucker stuck to the stomach of my sweater with the stick sticking straight out! Hmmmm, okay, how long has that been there?...I do remember giving Bridget a sucker earlier. I quickly backtrack in my mind to determine where I've been and who has seen me like this and who my real friends aren't (for not telling me I was wearing a sucker). Luckily, it had only been a couple of hours and the only people I had seen were the teenagers across the street. (I'll have to ask them if they noticed the sweet accessory I was sporting). Phew! All that was left to do was laugh at myself. It was a good laugh. I thought about all that I have worn over the years from my children: spit-up, drool, snot, pee, poo, throw up. Yes, some of these I have worn to the grocery store or the school without realizing they had been added to my look that day. But yeah, I'll take the sucker over those any day! This was a new one and I want to remember it forever.

We are here! We are here! We are here!

Just a quick post to show that we are still here! I can't look at these pictures without smiling. I love my family. These were taken at Chris' cousin's wedding reception. Things are going well for us here in Payson: we are getting a temple within a mile of our house, Chris is busy with school (MBA), I quit my job (yes, I had a job), Madison got her insulin pump (we love it!), Katelyn is loving 1st grade (she loves buying hot lunch at school), Levi loves riding his big 2-wheeler and playing with Ally who lives across the street from us, and Bridget (age 2) has us all wrapped around her little finger--she talks in full sentences in the cutest high-pitched voice. I wish I could press pause and keep everyone at this age forever. Who knows, maybe you will hear from me more often? Then again, maybe it will be another year.

Thank You!

We want to say thank you to all those who donated or walked with us! We had a great experience and we are pleased to report that collectively we contibuted $2,587.00, in honor of Madison, to diabetes research! We were so touched by your generosity! Here is a thank you note from Madison as well as some pictures from the walk.

Again, thank you so much for your love and support. Madison really DOES have a Marvelous Crew!

Love,Heather, Chris, Madison, Katelyn, Levi, & Bridget Rice

Some of you might not know that our oldest daughter Madison was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in January. This was overwhelming to realize that she will have this disease for the rest of her life, but Madison has made this adjustment very easy for all of us because she has been AMAZING! First, we had to spend 3 days in the hospital learning how to take care of her diabetes. She tests her blood sugar by pricking her finger 4 or 5 times a day. She has to have a shot before she eats anything. After only a week, Madison asked if she could do the shots all by herself. We were so impressed! Soon she will wear a pump that will give her a continuous infusion of insulin. Insulin allows her to stay alive, but it doesn’t cure her diabetes or prevent its eventual and devastating effects: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputations, heart attack, and stroke. (We try not to think about these long-term complications). We are thankful for the medical advances that make it easier for us to manage her diabetes, but we hope and pray for a cure during her lifetime.

We have decided to join the efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Founded in 1970 by parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes, JDRF has provided more than $1.16 billion to diabetes research worldwide. Yep, that’s right, we’re asking for money. :) One of the JDRF’s largest fundraising events is the “Walk to Cure Diabetes”. We have formed a walking team called Madison’s Marvelous Crew and will be participating in this 5K walk at Scera Park on Saturday, September 26 at 9:30 am. There will be live entertainment, face painting, a rock wall, inflatables, and plenty of food and refreshments. We would like to ask for your support. If you are interested, there are two ways you can make a difference:

· You can join our walk team, known as Madison’s Marvelous Crew, and collect pledges and walk with us. Please register at http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87374788
· You can make a tax-deductible donation by credit card online by going to http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87374788 or by sending a check made payable to JDRF to us at 1431 S 730 W, Payson, UT 84651 (we will deliver any donations made in Madison’s honor the morning of the Walk).

Thanks to everyone for your love, support, and encouragement!

P.S. The picture above represents how many shots Madison takes in a month to stay alive.

1st day of school

Madison, age 7, first day of 2nd grade

Katelyn, age 4, first day of pre-school
I'm sure you can guess that Levi didn't want to be left out.

3 months

As you can tell, Bridget is a perfectly healthy chubby yummy baby.
I captured how she has been staring at her hands lately. Who needs toys?
I couldn't pick just one picture. Pure sweetness.
We all adore this baby...
especially Levi...her #1 fan.

Bridget at 2 months

Here is what Bridget looked like at 2 months. She weighed 11 lbs 12 oz. What an angel baby!

1 month already!

We are playing catchup, can you tell? Bridget is actually 6 weeks old now, but here is what she looked like at 1 month weighing in at 10 pounds exactly (she was 7 lbs 10 ounces when she was born). Notice the painted nails? We sure do love this precious baby!

Fathers & Sons

Chris and Levi had their first Fathers & Sons outing. They had a great time! The girls and I had fun painting our nails (even Bridget's), having ice cream sundaes, and watching a movie.

Mastitis

Don't worry, there is no picture included in this post. Just wanted to document that all of the happenings of the previous posts (preschool graduation, dance rehearsals, dance recital, camp invention, and the baby blessing) happened all within 2 1/2 weeks after Bridget was born. Plus, Chris went to scout camp for 4 nights and 3 days during that time. Let's just say I would have died if my parents weren't staying with me for those 2 weeks. So, my first day home alone with all 4 kids (after my parents left) I ended up with a breast infection. I have had this before, so I knew it was coming on. So, that afternoon right when the fever and chills started, I called the doctor, and luckily I didn't have to go in and be seen. They called in a prescription for me so that Chris could pick it up for me on the way home. I collapsed into a feverous delirium (luckily Bridget and Levi slept a good chunk of the afternoon and the girls were playing at a friend's house) The next day I felt like a million bucks compared to the day before. Thank goodness for antibiotics. The moral of the story is...I overdid it the week before. Everytime I have gotten mastitis it has been because I have tried to do too much and not gotten enough sleep. When will I ever learn?

Bridget's Baby Blessing

We decided to bless Bridget on Father's Day. Is there a better way to spend Father's day than to bless your beautiful baby girl? Also, we got to be with both of our dad's that day as well! We're grateful to all of you family members who came and we missed those of you who couldn't (don't worry, we understand)

Look at this good looking group!

Here is Bridget's photo shoot on a pink blanket...she was a little fussy, but we managed to get a few good ones.

Isn't this classic? Levi wanted a turn to get his picture on the pink blanket.

We had everyone come to our house afterward for some yummy food.

It was a hot day, so the kids got creative and ate underneath the tables.

Camp Invention

Madison got to go to Camp Invention for 1 week in Pleasant Grove. This is a program that my sister Annette coordinates. She had a lot of fun using her imagination. One of the activites they do is bring an old appliance, take it apart, and then make an invention with it. First they think of something that bothers them and then they try to invent something to solve it. Madison was bugged by the fact that people are allergic to dogs, so she made a metal dog so that even people with allergies can have a pet dog. I love it!