Mother's Day

The tradition for the past couple of years is for the four of us (Mom, Dad, Me and Mikey) to travele to the lake (Bear Lake). It is always cold, but it was especially cold this year. We do yard work and get the place ready for the season. I love to spend time with my family. We laughed so much. I appreciate the time and think about the memories that we create each year. This year was no exception, with a trip to buy lottery tickets, yard work, and antenna adjusting. My family brings me so much joy and peace. Here are a few picks from the weekend. The baby lambs with their moms was the best.

Mikey

Look at those ears!

How about those Jazz?

Kori and I spent wayyyyyy too much money to go see to Jazz vs. Lakers playoff games. I love playoff atmosphere. I am not that big of a Jazz fan, but I HATE the Lakers. It was so much fun, but I am still trying to pay for the tickets. Donating blood was the easy part!

I'm Back....

After some technical difficulties, and what I mean by difficulties is, I have to pay for my Internet! The past couple of years I have had "free" Internet. Gasp...we have all done it, I'm not the only one. My "free" Internet has been working great up until I had so much to blog about, then nothing. So I broke down and sign up for Internet, my blog better be worth it, so much to catch up on.

Intervention

It has been one hell-of-a week. Our family has been in the middle of our very own intervention.

Tuesday it all began. My Aunt April has been struggling with an addiction to pain pills as long as I can remember.

Although I have been pushing her brothers and sister (my uncles and mother) to confront her and stop supporting her habit, nothing has been done. I have tried to put my foot down with my mother by refusing to be at any family function where my Aunt would be, but no luck. I tried everything within my power without completely alienating the whole family. Well, Tuesday it finally exploded. My Aunt's daughter and her ex-husband reached out to my mother. The whole family knows that April has a problem, but everyone has been willing to make jokes about it and turn the other way. I have worked with addicts and could see that my Aunt was falling deeper and deeper into addiction. No one in the family wanted to take any of my advice. Believe it or not I know what I am talking about. Addiction runs ramped in our family and I, myself have struggled with drugs. Besides my first hand knowledge I also have been to college where I studied addiction. Yet, no one cares to ask. I think it is important to have a united front and give the addict two choices, get help or get out. Although my Mother and Uncle confronted my Aunt and explained she needs to get help, they left it open for her to get the help. My mother is the ultimate optimist and thinks that my Aunt will magically go get help. I have a different opinion... that she will be dead before she is 50. I love my family very much, but I do not understand how they can stand around and watch a family member kill themselves through addiction. I feel completely helpless to the outcome. I am sadden to think that I might loose my Aunt but more than that, I know that my mother will feel responsible. As I am headed to sleep every night, I cry alone with my feelings of how to reassure my mother that she is doing the right thing. My mother and her siblings don't know how to express their feelings appropriately, and most choose drugs or alcohol. I am thankful everyday day that my dad was around to help me feel every emotion, sad or happy. I don't think it is my place to confront my Aunt myself, or force her to enter rehab, but I feel an extraordinary amount of pressure to be there for my mother.

I pray that April will get the help she needs and this family can heal.