College Pic of Spencer ~ this boy makes me happy!

He might be attending BYUI but his heart belongs to the UTES! 

Spencer turns 22!

A mei mei wrapped up for his birthday!

A new laptop for college

a creative poster from Kylee

Mud Pie for dessert

The kids had no school on his birthday so we went to the Family Fun Center

love her Levis

Kylee always helping Faith

The big ticket win!

What is Spencer's Amigo's?

Our oldest son is Diabetic type I, insulin dependant.  It was the summer before he would start middle school as a 6th grader.  I remember well the realization that something was wrong.  I sent him shopping for school clothes with a friend.  He came home with a size smaller jeans than he wore the year before.  By the end of the summer Spencer had lost 20 pounds, and was so lethargic, spending all his days and nights in bed...too tired to play with his friends, too tired to do anything but eat and sleep.  He was always starving and thirsty.  He ate 5 hot dogs and was still hungry.  He drank 2 1/2 gallons of water in one day.   My sweet boy  was dying.  I was scared and desperate.  Everyone kept reassuring me that he was going through a growth spurt and that is what teenagers do...sleep and eat.  I knew in my heart that something was terribly wrong.  Jeff and I decided to fast and pray for an answer. 
That same day my husband Jeff heard the still, small whisperings of the Holy Ghost.  Heavenly Father had answered our prayers. While driving home from church my husband said, " I know what is wrong with Spencer.  He has Juvenile Diabetes."  This prompting from the Holy Ghost led us to the Internet when we got home.  We read everything we could about the disease.  My husband then gave my son a blessing.  In that blessing I remember Spencer being told that Heavenly Father loved him,  that he gives us trials so we may become stronger and closer to him.  Spencer was told that Heavenly Father will bless him with the ability and strength to manage and live with this illness."
Tears were pouring down my face as I silently cried;  Silent because I did not want Spencer to know or see how scared and sad I was.   The blessing confirmed to me the fact that this illness was a lifetime disease, which meant a lifetime of struggles and suffering.  I mourned for my son, for the quality of life he had just lost.  For his youth, and freedom.
Diabetes is an all consuming disease.  Once you are diagnosed, you life becomes subject to numbers; highs and lows.  Peaks and Valleys.  You are governed by time, food, calories.  The freedom that was lost that day was immeasurable, not only for Spencer...but for our entire family.  I jokingly would tell people I am now his Pancreas.  I took over the roll of his ailing body, planning...preparing and measuring everything he ate.  I learned how to administer shots, and gave them up to 4 times a day.
Spencer went into shock.  He missed his first week of middle school.  Because of this he had no idea how to transition  from elementary school with one home room to now 6 classes a day.  At lunch instead of eating with his friends, he was in the nurses office...checking his blood and treating his new disease.   It was so traumatising for him; I remember offering to pay him a dollar a shot to give him something to work towards.  He said "No way, it's not worth it."  We ended up agreeing on two dollars a shot.  Times that by up to 4 shots a day.  I paid him a lot of cash that fall.  His grades slipped and it didn't matter to me.  I told him, just focus on your health this year,  you get a free pass for school work and stress this year.  We will refocus in 7th grade.  And we did. 
Spencer was 12 when he was diagnosed.  There is no cure.  They are getting close...which is sooo exciting.  Every year we walk and raise awareness and funds to cure this lifelong disease.  My daughter Kylee is the team captain and I couldn't be prouder.

This year we walk May 7th, 2011.  Please join our team or support us by making a donation. 

Donate here to support JDRF and our family team.

Here we have our happy models Kylee and Spencer wearing our team t-shirts.

A Poem by Spencer for Father's Day

New NEWS part 1 Spencer

Well I have no fantastic pictures to post but wanted to journal some of the happenings here at the browncircus home!   Spencer is off to Rexberg Idaho continuing his college education at BYUI.  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of him in his apartment or on campus...it was a crazy busy day getting him registered, getting books, moving him into his appartment, shopping for groceries and school supplies; I really wanted to just buy him crayons and a pencil box...how did he get this old?  Instead we purchased a car, below zero windshield wipper fluid, an ice scrapper,laundry detergent, bedding, groceries etc.  And boy did we buy groceries!  Can we go back to the crayons? 
I get asked often if it was hard leaving him at school, and the answer is a big NO.  He has been stir crazy here at home "waiting for his life to begin."  I am finding as a parent of an adult child that having him near me is not as important as knowing he is happy.  What is the point of having them close if they are unhappy?  I have found myself just happy when he's happy.  It's an amazing transition.  And he is happy!  He calls me often inbetween classes and we chat about his days, his classes, his room mates, his girlfriend.  He has met so many missionaries that served in LA, and they get together often, go sledding, eat pizza, etc.  He and an old companion even drove to Utah together last weekend to visit family.  His companion's family is only 15 minutes from the Flittons.  I love that he already has friends and connections at college.  He tells me that he and his roommates stay up late into the night talking and hanging out.  Spencer also tried out for the basketball team and made Varsity!  He was sooo excited.  He also is going to be a temple worker on Saturdays at the Rexberg Temple.  His life is full, and we couldn't be prouder. 


Rexberg Temple



The Pumpkin Patch!

Have a ghoolish Halloween!

Do the Puyallup!

Our local fair is the 8th largest in the world; we along with the rest of the state's population, decided to attend the fair on Saturday.  Despite the crowd we still enjoyed our time together.  This was Faith's first time to the fair, and she enjoyed all the many animals.  She did however sleep through most of it.  The boys enjoyed the rides.  And Dallin got a souvenir he is so excited about! ( see the last few pictures)

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