another blog post tonight. As I am sitting here reflecting on my day with Jellybean and thinking about coles family. I was just thinking about what a wonderful family cole has.  They have always treated me so wonderfully.  alot of people ask me how I told coles family about my PKU or how I told cole but it was not hard. I was just honest. And right from the beginning they never made me feel different or left out. Next to cole, his mom and sister in law are the best.  Very early on Cole taught him self everything he could about PKU. He encouraged me be healthy and to get back on diet , he bought my foods and taought me how to bake and to cook new recipies. Cole comes to all my clinics with me, he tried my formulas and samples of new foods. He asks questions, he volunteers at CanPKU events with me, As well cole is always supporting me and encouraging me . I have fallen off track many times and had several break downs through the years and he has always been there to help pull me out. I can think of many times hes come home to find me crying on the floor sick from side effects and he would just hold me and we would talk and make a plan to get back on track. I love him more and more for it. I was so sick before I met cole and he inspired me to be healthy and gave me dreams and goals.

Cole told his family about my “allergies” and we taught them together. They embraced it right away and never made me feel weird or bad. I was so shy at first from being bullied and ridiculed,  but his family changed that for me.

Coles mom is always thinking of me and what I can eat. At every family meals or get together’s,  she makes sure there is something I can eat. It really makes me feel special. specially since a lot  of my own family does not know what i can and cannot eat. Coles mom is always asking me about my foods and my formulas and what baking mixes I can use. She has helped me learn more about foods and eat more organic and healthy. this summer she taught me how to peel and store beets. We also did some canning and she makes me home made spaghetti sauce from her garden.  She also gives me lots of fresh veggies from her garden. all last summer we didn’t have to buy any vegetables and we are still using her garden grown potatoes. She has a store room of spaghetti squash ,carrots , onions and potatoes.  I just love the way everything tastes from her garden. Specially her lettuce and corn. They are so sweet.  

Its not just his mom who cares about my pku. his sister in law does to. when we go over there for dinner or out for dinner they always ask me first what I can have and what I cant have and let me know if i need to bring anything. 

Coles grandparents are great to! Every Christmas dinner and family meals they make sure there is plenty I can eat. His hole family knows about my pku. I didn’t grow up with lots of family around. I still remember the first time I went to the ranch.. I was in so in awe of how much love there was. It was so amazing for me to see all his family together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and all extended family. I just love the big family get together’s. I feel like I am apart of something. I told cole that that was the way family was suppose to be. everyone getting along and showing each other how much they care. Laughing together and spending time. That’s the type of family I want to raise my future kids around. I fell in love with cole because of the type of person he is , his morals , his values and his ethics. I see now how much of that came from his family. 

I really enjoying being in the kitchen with his family. I use to be very self conscious and I have never really had the chance to cook for cole’s family and for the longest time cole’s dad didn’t even no i could cook. But I do cook alot. I cook dinner for cole and i almost every night, I bake and I cook on a daily basis. Sometimes 2 different meals . In Victoria we had our friends over for couples nights and I hosted and cooked big dinners. I am pretty good at cooking a turkey to and my dad loves my apple stuffing.  I did finally get to cook for coles mom after we moved up here. I made my roasted potatoes and veggies with apple juice. i am looking forward to one day cooking at my house for both his parents.   

When I was out with jellybean today we where trying to decide where to go for lunch but I have not eaten out alot yet in kamloops and don’t no my way around. But she made sure we found a place I could eat. I like it when they ask me about my “allergies” and want to learn about PKU. Last night Jellybean was trying to explain it to her 2 year old. It was very touching.  How she explained about my special milk and that I cant eat foods.  She has us over for dinner once just after we moved here to and she wanted to make sure there was food for me! She made a wonderful dinner and we had lots of fun. I really enjoy sharing meals with friends and family. Its a nice bonding time and nothing is as great as good food, friends and family and movies or games night. I love to host and entertain. alot of my pku friends and family ask me how to not feel left out or what I eat and if i feel self concious. BBQs are also a big question but I love BBQs. we had alot back in victoria with friends and we have bon fires and parties in the summer at the ranch and they are always alot of fun!

I remember in high school I hid my PKU and would not eat around friends. I did not feel comfortable talking about my PKU . I use to be bullied by the way my formula smelt or what my food looked like. It does not bother me anymore. I feel empowered now , and when ever someone asks me about what I am eating or why I dont eat protein and what my formula is I jump at the chance to tell them and educate them about PKU. Its my chance to spread the word and with one more person knows what PKU is , they can pass it on to someone else and one more person who knows, is one more person closer to it not being a “rare disease”

That is all I can ask for after all!

Well I guess that is officially all for tonight. I just wanted to share how wonderful cole and his family is and how much impact they have had on my diet and my PKU.  I am so grateful for them! 

Good night all!