Suicide Prevention Week 2020

Ah, a happy face.  The image of a woman not coping with a mental illness that lies to her at times.  Would you believe that this week of national suicide prevention would mean so much to her?

Well, it does.  She has figured out her own coping mechanisms that work for her, throughout the years.  She has a wonderful support system in her husband, children, family, and friends when the lies in her head get too loud.  She prays for familial guardian angels to give her extra strength to listen to that support system; to recognize the truth and push out the lies in her head.  Because of these things, she has lived to 42 years old.  And she is grateful.

The following is something Alisa Rene' Adams wrote on her Facebook timeline in hopes to help others struggling with similar issues.  It's never easy openly discussing such serious flaws.  But if she can help just one person...

"I saw a quote indicating that suicide kills more than the person who has died at their own hands.  There is some truth to this.  How many of you have experienced the waves of grief that comes along after seeing a picture of your loved one who has left you?  How many times does a piece of your heart die a little when you hear an old familiar song that reminds you of that beautiful soul that you loved so much?  How many times does an old inside joke between you and your lost friend now resemble anything but laughter? 

For those of you who are, or tend to on occasion consider suicide, please stay with us.  I know that in the moment you are convinced that your loved ones would be better off without you.  I know this from personal experience and for that, I would never judge you in calling your thoughts selfish.  But I also know from experience that it is a lie!  Trust me, ending your life would break the hearts of many.  Killing yourself would kill a part of them.  Read that again.  Killing yourself would kill a part of them.  Stay with us.  Talk to us.  Reach out for help and we will do the heavy lifting for you until you regain your strength. "

 

Quail Creek Reservoir

On Sunday, we borrowed some kayaks and tubes from the Hastings family and went to Quail Creek Reservoir.  It was over 110 degrees and the water was perfectly cold.  There was a bunch of Hispanic families there playing Hispanic-Pop music and it just felt like a family party all around us.  It seriously was perfect!

Labor Day Weekend 2020

We met up with David in St. George, for our Labor Day weekend, late Friday night.  He had a large teddy bear waiting for me in the room that we would be staying in with Ruger.  He wanted it to be large enough for when he was gone and I would have something to hug while I was sleeping.  So, of course, I named him David.

The next day we went to Red Hills Desert Garden.  It was a quick little hike with beautiful streams, fish, ducks, and local plants.

From there we went to the Red Cliffs.  We had went there the last time we came to St. George, as a family, but we didn't get to see the slot/crack in one of the canyons.

It is very narrow but they were able to get through it while I took pictures.

Later in the evening we went to Little Jamaica in Arizona.  By the time we left and came back, we had been in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada!

Little Jamaica is fed by a mountain spring but the water looks pretty murky because it was very busy with lots of people.  

I found this picture on the internet.  This is what it would look like without all the people and from the air.

 There were so many beautiful things at Little Jamaica.  David knew about this place from his childhood and some family that they would visit that lived around here.  

Later we went to Mesquite an had dinner with McKenna.  We got home late but I'm pretty sure it was a full day that our family will remember.  

Family Proclamation Project

I had a big project due in one of my classes at BYU-Idaho online.  My Mom helped me tremendously with this project.  Because of part of her is in this project as well as the subject at hand, this book means a lot to me. 

It was a labor of love, for sure, and I am really proud of it.

 

And Then They Were ALL in School!

Before Ruger joined our family, Hyrum was my baby.  I remember when he went to Kindergarten and suddenly I had free time!  I think I napped for a good 2 weeks before I started volunteering at the elementary school that the boys were at.  

Little did I know that this little guy would come trailing behind and bring me to the First Day of School/Last Day of Having Little Ones With Me Pretty Much All the Time Day!

But the day did come and boy was he happy and ready!  I mean, look at those happy eyes!

Even though he wanted to ride the bus the first day, I insisted on taking him.  Mommy needed it!  After all his complaining, the next day he finally got to get on that bus he wanted to ride so badly.  When I picked him up that day he informed me it was "soooooooooooooooooo boring!"

 

First Day of School 2020/2021

When you have to wear face masks to school because of the Covid-19 pandemic, you might as well make it funny!

Senior...yes, you read that right.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when David and I decided to have these two so close in age...Junior!

8th grade

Ruger won't start until next week but he still had to get in a picture...as well as his alligators.

These were from a few days later but they were too funny not to share!

 

Funny Gifts

"“If I were a Mormon Fundamentalist, I’d would want you as my sister wife!”
Years before I was even married, Valerie started this sister wives thing. It actually started with my sister, April. April + Elton + Valerie = True love! There is a hilarious story behind it but I’m afraid some might get offended, so I’ll keep it between them (us). But after Valerie got married to Shawn it changed over the years. Then one night, one medicine induced groggy night, I found this above saying. Covid 19 was in full swing and the face masks were born. Blame it on the medication, blame it on a hilarious friend, or blame it on my need for them to not forget how much I needed them through a very tough time last year…here you go!""

The above paragraph is what I wrote on Facebook when describing my "gift" to these girls.  The gift was, obviously the face mask, but when they all send me a picture of them in the mask I put them in a collage and ordered refrigerator magnets for each of us.  Definitely silly, but I meant what I wrote when I said that they got me through such a hard time with my Grandma's death and other stuff the year before that.  It was a hard year!  They (and another group of friends from college) kind of were like my therapy as they talked me through things through the app, Marco Polo, on our phones.

Just forever grateful.

My Dad turned 60 in July and I felt horrible when I didn't realize that it was the big 6-0!  I didn't forget his birthday but hadn't realized it was such a significant number.  So we tried to make up for it with an awesome package with the mask and shirt...

...and these stickers, below, on a bunch of Lifesavers.  The shirt was my favorite, though, because of my siblings and I running joke.  We have teased my Dad for years that he is really like a 2nd or 3rd grader because of us growing up with him pranking us, the things he laughs at, and just his kid-like, loving nature.  These are some of the things that we love most about Poppy but we still love to tease him about it!  So a shirt that says, "The first 60 years of childhood is always the hardest" seemed perfect for my "immature" father!

 A few months ago I took care of my friend's dog.  When she got back from her vacation she had made me this shirt.  So I told her I'd wear it the next time we went out to dinner or lunch.  A few weeks ago we finally got to go out.  She came out of her house wearing this, above, shirt!  You know, just in case where ever we go, people don't know who this "Amy Pitt" is!  hahahahaha!