Tonight, after an ordinary sort of day, I helped Mackenna through her bedtime routine and then tucked her in for the night.  We did all the usual stuff…ate the last minute snacks, said the things: “yes you have to go to bed now…no you can’t stay up later…it is already later…you can do whatever you are asking to do tomorrow.”  1

We checked blood sugar…brushed teeth…then settled in for a story…

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(Sidenote: That book…I canNOT read it without tears, sometimes big ugly tears.  That being said, if you have kids or grandkids, you need this book in your library…and no, they are not paying me to say that.)

So we did all the stuff, read the stories, prayed, hugged, kissed, tucked…

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Today was no different for us.  But there is a mama in Utah who didn’t get to tuck her little girl into bed tonight.  She didn’t get to convince her baby girl that it was time for bed…didn’t get to pick out her jammies or read her stories.  That mama’s name is Jamie Terry, and one month ago today she tucked her five boys into bed at night, but not her little girl.  You see, little Kycie Terry suffered incredible complications after being misdiagnosed with the flu back in January.  It wasn’t the flu; it was type 1 diabetes.  Because it wasn’t recognized and treated, it ultimately led to brain damage.  Kycie fought a courageous fight for six months, but on July 11th she passed away in her daddy’s arms.

The Terry family and their sweet Kycie have been followed on facebook by over 56,000 people.  The type 1 diabetes community has watched, prayed, and hoped for a miracle for little Kycie.  While we typically educate and advocate to clear up misconceptions and fight for a cure, we have rallied together around a fresh cause…to bring awareness to the symptoms of type 1, so that it doesn’t go un-diagnosed, so that we don’t lose precious lives to something so treatable.

It broke our hearts when Kycie did not get the miracle we were all praying for.  I never met Kycie, but shed a fair amount of tears when I learned she had passed.  While we didn’t get the miracle we were hoping for, Kycie’s story has saved many lives!  The last time I read on her Kisses for Kycie facebook page (here), I think the number of kids correctly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes because of HER story was near 20!  Her story is still circulating and she is still saving lives…miracles, every one of them!  Kycie was just 5 years old when she left this earth for heaven, but her impact was huge!

Kycie’s story challenges me to have an impact beyond correct diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.  Will I still try to educate anyone who will read or listen?  Yep!  Will I still flood your facebook feed with lists of the symptoms of type 1?  You betcha.  But as much as you may learn from me about type 1 diabetes, what I really want you to learn is that while I HOPE we can get to a place of correct diagnosis every single time…and while I HOPE that Mackenna and the millions of t1d warriors out there see a cure this side of heaven…the hope that gets me through devastating news is not in doctors or cures.

My hope is in Jesus Christ.  That he came to save me from this wretched world and all the hard, confusing, painful, ugly things in it.  He came and gave his life, paying the penalty for my sin, so that one day I can be with him in heaven.  He loves me THAT MUCH!  And he loves YOU that much!  This life is SO short, and while I will always hope for things to be easier, for people to feel better, for diseases to be cured, I also know that this life of disease and pain is just a little while.  “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14)

I want to make an impact that lasts for eternity.  Kycie Terry loved Jesus.  When she passed away in her daddy’s arms, she was swept up into her Father’s arms in heaven.  Because Kycie’s hope was in Jesus Christ.  Where does your hope lie?

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I hear it all the time. I even say it all the time. It’s cliche, but it’s true.

The days are long, but the years are short.

If you’re a mom with young kids, the first part of that sentence is the reason why we feel ready to go to bed at night before they do.  It’s why we wake up wondering when we’ll get to go back to sleep.  It’s why we have premature gray hair and wrinkles and rarely get regular showers.  The days. are. long!

But would you look at these three photos?  Same baby…same bucket…each taken a year apart.  That is my baby.  My last baby.  I mean, now that he is two, can I even still call him my baby?  (insert sad pouty lip face here)  The last part of that sentence: “but the years are short” is why we take so many pictures.  It’s why we say yes to the request for a 17th story at bedtime.  It’s why we look in on them while they sleep and get so excited when they come home from school.  Because it’s so true.  The years are so short!

Happy 2nd birthday, Lucas!  Mommy loves you.

 

This little one.  Oh my.  His big eyes.  His tucked-under little lip.  His little tornado of hair just like my Caleb’s.  I loved every minute of my time snuggling and photographing him.  And lucky for me…I get to be his auntie, so I’ll get to snuggle and photograph him again.  Your family LOVES you, Baby A!

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This morning Mackenna and I were eating breakfast and the little boys were having a dance party. It was like dinner and a show…except it was breakfast, not dinner, and the performers were wearing jammies. We loved it though. We giggled as we watched their crazy dance moves, which always result in one or both of them falling on the floor in laughter.

I said, “Mackenna, do you know what makes someone a great dancer?”
“What?”
“A great dancer doesn’t care how silly they may look when they’re dancing. They just dance, and put their all into it, and have fun.”

Now I really know that it takes much more than that to make a great dancer, like lessons, training, practice, athleticism, balance, rhythm. But we were talking about little boys still in their jammies. And they are not performing on a real stage with a real audience any time soon, but they are great dancers because they allow themselves to be silly without caring. And I KNOW they do not get that from me. They get that from their daddy.

Their daddy puts his all into everything he does. He can find the fun in nearly all circumstances. He is silly…and he doesn’t care. He has crazy dance moves (and can also do an exceptional elephant impression). He (along with our dancing boys) makes me smile like nothing else can. His silliness, sense of humor, joy, and eternal optimism are what made me fall in love with him. And how lucky am I to be his dance partner in this crazy life of ours?

Happy birthday, Justin! We love you!

Post a Comment
  • Jane Sutkowski

    Justin was always the child that was more into the arts. He loved drawing, music and dancing. He loved to make people laugh and have fun. He was a joy before us!ReplyCancel

If you’re a parent, you’re a picture-taker.  Your kids are cute and hilarious and growing up way too quickly.  You just can’t keep yourself from taking pictures of them and no one blames you.

Maybe you have a fancy DSLR.  Maybe you have a simple point-n-shoot camera, or maybe your picture snapper tool of choice is your smart phone. No matter what you’re using, I’ve got a few tips for you that might be just what you need to turn your “pics” into photographs. All of the photos in this series were taken in my home, with very little natural light, in the middle of the day.  These tips are not technical.  You can use them with any device and in any situation.  (But for you tech-y, photography-loving readers: I used my Canon 7D and 35mm f/1.4L lens, no flash. Camera Settings: ISO 1000, f/2.5, 1/200 sec)

Ok…first, here’s a snapshot of the scene.  As you can see, it leaves room for a lot of improvement! So let’s get improving…

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7 Tips for Better Pictures of Your Kids

1) Get down on their level. It seems so simple, but makes a huge difference.  So sit down, or even lay down on the floor and get at their level.

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2) Clear away the clutter.  If you have kids, you have clutter.  It does tell part of the story to just leave it there…but it makes for a cluttered and distracting photograph.  By removing some distractions, your eyes will be drawn more easily to the subject.  Insider tip:  If you think your kiddo will be gone by the time you totally declutter his surroundings, do it in stages.  First, I cleared away the clutter around him…the shoes and the box.

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I took another picture and when he stayed put, I cleared up the clutter in the background…

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3. Don’t forget the details.  The details of how they play, their little hands and toes, their toys of choice…they help tell the story.

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4. Step back.  Get the whole scene in the frame.

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5. Try another angle.  Shooting straight down, like a bird’s-eye-view is a fun angle to try with kids.

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6. Explore “white space”.  White space in an image isn’t necessarily white.  It’s just blank space in a photo.  Rather than a full, busy, heavy image, leave the majority of the frame blank.  This draws the viewer’s eye to the edge or corner where the focal point is.  These images may or may not be your cup of tea, but I like the artsy-vibe of them.

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7. Interact with your kiddo!  Ask questions.  “What do you have there?”  “Can you show me that?”  “Wow, that’s really cool, tell me how you did that.”  And snap away as they allow you to enter into their little world.

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So there you go…seven simple ideas that might transform your photos a little.  Pick one or two, give them a try, and let me know how it goes!

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