Chasing lizards

The evening hours are Maddison's time to run wild in the back yard. Its been HOT in Phoenix! Even the swimming pool isn't so refreshing anymore. Yep, July is here. Tonight I went to check on Maddison outside. Sometimes I like to just sit watch Maddison's imagination run free.....

Me: "Whatcha doin' Maddison?"

Maddison: "Ahhh, Nothin' "


Me: "Whatcha got in the pitcher?" (realizing why all my dishes are disappearing)

Hmmmmmm.......look a little closer......lets see..........
Can you see what that TINY little spot is?
A brand new baby lizard! Just about an inch and a half long.....Ahhhhh....Maddison's been chasing lizards! Maddison favorite thing to do each day is walk around the yard looking for lizards. She has become quite the skilled lizard catcher over the years!

Way back before Diabetes, Maddison had a "lizard catching buddy" who looked forward to chasing lizards with her each day. This lizard catching buddy would walk right behind Maddison and help her trap and capture lizards as they ran up the backyard fence. "Gabby" was her name. "Gabby" was our first Golden Retriever that stole our hearts. With Gabby beside her, Maddison would play outside for hours. Just chasing lizards.



In October 2006 just two months before Maddison was diagnosed with Diabetes we had to put "Gabby" to sleep. Gabby had been diagnosed with cancer a few months earlier, and her condition was beginning to worsen. Maddison was 6 at the time, and had lived her entire life with Gabby by her side. Hannah was 9. A heartbreaking time for our entire family. So, a few months after Gabby went to heaven, along came Maddison's Diabetes diagnosis. Two months passed, and Maddison would still cry alot missing her lizard chasing buddy. I'll never forget when Maddison told me that Diabetes would be okay if she "still had Gabby to keep her feeling safe."

Back then being the mom of a newly diagnosed child, I spent hours upon sleepless hours on the internet searching for any information on Diabetes I could gather. True, I already had Diabetes myself.....but this was now my CHILD with Diabetes! Anyway...One night I came across ISLETS OF HOPE. Check out their website, it is amazing indeed! (Back then the website was brand new, it has grown TREMENDOUSLY since then) I noticed that the website mentioned they offer FREE quilts for children newly diagnosed with Diabetes. HOW COOL is that? I quickly signed Maddison up, hoping a nice quilt could help cheer her up. Looking through the patterns of quilts available, I came across A LIZARD pattern! How PERFECT for my little lizard lover :) When Maddison received her quilt in the mail there was a note attached that read:

"Maddison, here is a very special quilt for you sent from heaven above. I can see you have been brave and strong every day since being in the hospital. I'm proud of you, Love "Gabby"

Yep. I always think of Gabby when Maddison is chasing lizards. Then of course, I think about how Maddison lost Gabby at a time that couldn't have been worse. This quilt made Maddison's day back then. She was so happy to see the little note from "Gabby" but of course, she knew this Mom had something to do with it.