Happy World Diabetes Day!

No, I'm not thankful for diabetes today.  I am thankful for a relatively healthy and normal childhood.  I am thankful for innovative companies and their wonderful (and improving!) devices that help inform people with diabetes about the effects of diet/exercise/daily living on blood sugars.  I am thankful for the groundbreaking research going on at MassGen in Dr. Faustman's lab http://www.faustmanlab.org/index.html .  I am thankful for doctors and diabetes educators with bucket loads of patience.  Most of all, I am thankful that I found a great group of ladies (DIVA Diabetics), a fantastic organization (Insulindependence http://www.insulindependence.org/ and the StL DawnPhenom group), and numerous new friends :-)

Today, I am thankful for

my mom :-) I'm thankful for my family everyday, but today I want to say a special thanks to my mommy! Thank you for all the work you have done as a caretaker for our family (me-- even if you do say "diaBEEtus" instead of diaBEEteeees :-P, dad, Grandma Lois, and Grandpa Tom).  Thank you for taking time off as a young professional to raise me and B.  Thank you for teaching me dance and putting so much time into choregraphing outstandingly breathtaking dances.  Thank you for doing your best to put dinner on the table every night at 6pm (what an awesome chef you are, momma!), for cheering me on at volleyball games (even when I really wasn't that good), and for letting us get a dog.  Thank you for being such a huge proponent of my photography.  Thank you for passing along your clothes and jewelry, sending me letters/Observers/money, and just all-around supporting my endeavors.

I love you, miss you, and can't wait to see you in about a week!

Today, I am thankful for

the servicemen and servicewomen who help keep us safe and preserve our freedom.  I am thankful for their families and friends who also sacrifice for our freedoms. Past, present, and future..... THANK YOU!  and Happy Veteran's Day

Chocolates!

Chocolate inside

same chocolate, just atop its wrapper :)

caramel (pronounced CAR-muhl.  don't worry about that second A in there) coffee. 

Ok so who's not thankful for chocolates?!?  Today though, I am thankful for friends/classmates who have my back.  We had a brief (too brief actually.  5 minutes to talk about Cre and Adenovirus?!?  trouble.  Wiki them if you've got no idea what i'm talking about.) presentation today in one of my classes, and we were asked some tough questions.  But students in the class do a good job of sticking up for each other, which I appreciate!  It's great to know that the future of science is in the hands of some very wonderful and team-oriented individuals.  The world should be proud of raising such outstanding people.

peanut butter cup cookie

enough said. this is what i'm thankful for today.

 http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2012/03/peanut-butter-cookie-in-cup.html

Today I am thankful for

the $128,569.22 raised by the St. Louis Area Dance Marathon (dmstl.org) for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals of St. Louis (http://www.cmn-stl.org/), benefitting St. Louis Children's Hospital (http://www.stlouischildrens.org) and SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center (http://www.cardinalglennon.com/Pages/default.aspx)!

I am thankful for the dancers, the morale captains, the Dance Marathon Exec Board, and everyone who donated to the cause.

I am thankful I had the opportunity to "DM" in college and be a part of such a great organization.

But most of all, today I am thankful for my sister, Briana.  I am thankful because #1 most days she will claim me as a relative #2 she poured her heart and soul into fundraising for the kids and #3 she never gives up.  I am thankful that she came to WashU three years ago and we had an opportunity to rekindle our sistership (sister relationship? sisterhood?).  I am thankful that I will get to see her on the culmination of November's thankful days (aka Turkey Day 2012!  It's going to be EPIC!) Basically I love her, miss her, and don't know what I would do without her!

Today I am thankful for

the education I have received and am still receiving.  I am thankful for all the hard work my parents put into teaching my sister and me study skills, persistance, and problem solving strategies.  For all those nights you dealt with a frustrated (read: crying) kid who didn't get math,  all I can say now is thank you for putting up with me and for helping me to understand the concepts.  I am thankful that I get paid to learn and to actively engage in a community of brilliant minds and wonderful personalities.

I am also thankful for beautiful November weather!  Who says 85+ in late fall is awful!?

To anyone and everyone who needs a hug today but is too far away to get at me, this song is for you!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdN5GyTl8K0














Fall 2009 WUSTL