*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear monday, Linda and Lynn showed up this a.m. and informed us that the bats are back at the cabin.  Great. I went on a walk this morning. Once again I found myself at Pioneer Park. And today the craziest thing happened. As I was walking on the sidewalk back by the baseball diamonds, I saw this:

 Yep!  A screwdriver!  I have never found a screwdriver while running or walking before. Oddly enough I have been thinking I need to bring a screwdriver with me so I could get the penny that is super glued to the street I keep seeing every day. But I keep forgetting. So today, I just "happen" to find a screwdriver!  So what did I do?  I took the screwdriver and went and popped that penny off the road!  Then I went and put the screwdriver back where I found it.  Yes, I got that penny!  Is this all a "coin"cident?  Oh yes, I am sure 99% of you would think it is, but I KNOW it was not!  I have NO DOUBT that my Tyson made that happen so I could get that penny!  It was not lost on me that his birthday is in two days.  That is totally something he would do!  Pretty cool if you ask me!!!  

I really want to post it on FB but I know many peeps will then be certain I am crazy!  LOL  I came home and decided to organize my kitchen spice cabinet. It has been on my list for a while and so I just dived right in before I showered or anything. I figured it would take me around two hours or less. It ended up taking me exactly that. Here is the before and after: 

AFTER:

This has been on there for awhile. I really have a thing for pudding and Jello. So how is it when I need one, I never have the right one?  Hmmm.....

Taylor got out my cookie dough and baked some more of those cookies. So yum!  He went golfing today with Sky and my dad. I love it when they go together. My dad beat the socks off them again though. Haha  He got a 45 and they got like 53 and 54 I think. They are all very good golfers though! 

 I ran to Walmart and to the Dollar Store to get stuff for Tyson's and Carson's bdays.  I decided to cancel Tyson's party except of our family. Dave thought it would be best. He had two more patients test positive for Covid right after they were in. Great!  Plus their trip to Alaska won't happen if any of them test positive for it or they might be quarantined there if they do. Plus I read an article today (at the bottom of post titled One of the Best Covid post I've seen so far...) that my friend who is a nurse posted on FB and I thought it is just for the best...(very long but good).

dear tuesday, I am writing this exactly one month AFTER this happened and so photos and my planner are the only thing that is going to help me remember what happened.  Yep. I had my harp lesson and so I practiced before. Here is the music I am currently working on:

I got in a two mile walk after my lesson.  More signs of the times: 

I worked on Tyson's party pretty much all day. I did the photo tags for the balloons and a millions other things. I had a DI drop off today as well.  Even with the party on a very small scale this year, I still had to do the same amount of work. But it is always worth it. 

dear wednesday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN TYSON! 

☆¨´`'*°☆.¸.☆¨´`'*☆

🌴․☆´`'*.☆¨´`'*☆🌴

`☆ 🌴TYSON🌴☆

․ ․`'☆.¨´¸☆¨..☆¨

․ ․ ․`'*..¸.☆...*

🌴💙🌴  32 years ago today one of the most incredible souls was born into this world. Tyson's short life of 17 years made more of an impact than most of those that live to be 100. Today as we think of him on what would be his 32nd birthday, we do so with sadness because he is no longer here, but also with joy and deep gratitude that we were able to make 17 years worth of memories that we will cherish forever. Tyson lived his life to the fullest each day and today we CELEBRATE that life with happiness and gratitude for his amazing example to us all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN! We love and miss you......EVERY SINGLE DAY! 🌴💙🌴

"His absence is a silent grief, his life a beautiful memory."
#keepemlaughinginheaven #cherishthemoments #whatakid #Alohauiaoe

☆¨´`'*°☆.¸.☆¨´`'*☆
🌴․☆´`'*.☆¨´`'*☆🌴
`☆ 🌴TYSON🌴☆
․ ․`'☆.¨´¸☆¨..☆¨
․ ․ ․`'*..¸.☆...*

💙🌴💙__̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡__ ̤̣̈̇   

Wow, it's so hard to believe this little guy has been gone for 14 years. SO HARD. Hard to imagine that he would be 32 years old!  WHAT?  Wow!  That is crazy! I wonder what he would be up to if he were still here. I wonder how our lives would be different.  I wonder if he would be married and have any littles. I wonder if he would be creating movies or working in Hollywood. I wonder how his health would be. So many things I will never know.  I wonder what he is doing now. 

I got in a quick two miler this a.m. I had a lot to do to get ready for the party tonight. I made chocolate ecstasy and gathered everything on my list to take. I went and got Carson and we cleaned up Tyson's grave. Taylor came with us.

They had fun on his bike. Even though I still had to do everything for the party like other years, it was less stressful because I didn't feel the pressure like I do when millions of peeps come. But, it was also sad they couldn't come. Some sent me photos of them sending up balloons. 

 These are cousins from Las Vegas ↑

and this is Weston's (cousin) Willow from Arizona.

I really miss my sweet Tyson. He was such a joy and such a huge blessing in our lives. I know he is doing great and amazing things in heaven and is a huge blessing to those on the other side.

The party went great. It was small and sweet. I tried to keep it to an hour or less but we were waiting for everyone to arrive before we could really do the balloon launch. It  was over in about 45 min or so. 

 Haha!  My dad is hilarious!

And this cute little bug is the BEST!

 It was kind of nice having fewer in number. It wasn't so chaotic.  Even kind of peaceful.

 At least until the fireworks were set off!  They were anything but peaceful!  VERY LOUD!  So fun!

 We were small in numbers this year (thanks to Covid) but BIG in spirit!

 

I had SO much chocolate ecstasy left over!  And I only made one this year!

 This kid reminds me of Tyson in so many ways!

 We couldn't get one photo that was perfect, but when I saw them after, I realized every single one was perfect. They had Tyson written all over them!  Like I said, this kid reminds me of him in so many ways!  His expression changed in every single shot AND I don't think he knew so many shots were being taken. Made me laugh!

 I will treasure these pix forever!!!

 As well as these:

Me and my mom were just walking together and all of sudden she started to march. Only my mom!  I tried to keep up with her. We finally ended on the same foot by the last step.
Then she started to say things that had me laughing hysterically. She is seriously the funniest lady I have ever known.

 I am so grateful I still have her here with me!  She keeps the light in my life!  I know I am so blessed!  And I do not take it for granted!

Part of my social media post ↑

 🎉Our traditional celebration of our Tyson's life tonight! 🎉 Though small in numbers this year (due to limiting it to immediate family and grandparents) due to Covid 😷, it was big in fun and laughter.😂 We felt him there in spirit. 😇 That kid always had us laughing about something, he loved fireworks🎆 and felt him there in spirit. 😇 That kid always had us laughing about something, he loved fireworks🎆 and Hawaii,🌴🏄‍♂️ and being with family! 🥰 We loved remembering him in so many ways!

Hey bud, we hope you got at least one of the balloon 🎈 messages we sent up even though a couple ended up in the trees! 🤪

#happybirthdayinheaven #cherishthemoments

I hung around a bit after and just took some time to think. It's a good place to do that. 

Here are some memories that popped up today on FB:

dear thursday, Carson turned SEVEN today!  Wow!!!  

🐼 Happy 7th Birthday to this little guy who came into my life four years ago and completely stole my heart! What a bright spot he is each and every day! Sweetest little thing on the planet! 🐼

I asked if I could pick him up from summer school and I made him a HUGE cookie with a candle on it and also got him some balloons. Taylor and I went and waited for him to come out. He had another balloon when he came out and a big smile on his face.  He was so cute and so excited to see us. Love that kid!  

 He came over for a bit and then Sky and Sarah came and got him. They went swimming and I was not super excited to go do that but I did go and sit on the chair for a bit a little after they arrived. It was hot but funner to watch for an hour than be there for four hours.  I say I did my time at the pool when my boys were little. Hah

 He was trying SO hard to get up the courage and be brave enough to jump in the water to Sky. It took him forever!  He finally did it!  He is the cutest!

I took dinner to Dave's parents and then we had a party over here for the little guy. It was only my parents and Sky and crew.  #corona 

 Seven years old!  Wow!!!  This little guy has been enriching and blessing my life for almost four years now!  I sure do love him!  There really are no words to express how much joy he has brought into our lives.  We love him with all our hearts.  He is always telling me that...."I love you Jodi with ALL of my heart!"  

 Pandas everywhere!  His favorite gift was the sleepover coupon from Taylor!

 Yes, I kind of overdid it!!!  Those aren't just from me, but from Taylor and McKay and my parents and his parents.  LOL

I am making his cake for his kid party and so Sky and Sarah got him an ice cream cake for tonight.  His kid party isn't until Chayden gets here in a couple weeks. I am doing a big Spiderman cake for that.

 He sure does love my mom!  He can't get enough of her!  It's so sweet!

He wanted to let one of his balloons off for Tyson. I grabbed an extra card and he signed it and set it off!  

dear friday, I walked SIX miles!  Doesn't sound like much, but HOLY!  Walking is so slow and sometimes so monotonous and boring. I always listen to a podcast or book on tape and so some days I just don't want to stop but other days it just seems to never end. LOL  I went to Pioneer Park and the high school and even found some coins around the high school.

 I was going to write a post on these ↑↓ photos about when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change, but I am too far behind to take the time. SO I am leaving it up to you to think about that!  hah

 
I made zucchini bread and went and got g's for Taylor. Dave and I went on visits to see some people who have lost loved ones and took them bread. 
THIS is what happens when you drop the bread on the floor. Don't worry I didn't give that one away!

We stopped at the Crowther's and tried Leann N but she wasn't home so we took some to Bishop Munns who is having surgery soon. We had some nice visits. I enjoyed it. I hope we brought some hope and a little peace to them.  Life can be so challenging. Carson had a sleepover with Taylor (he didn't waste time cashing in his coupon). LOL  The boys (Taylor and McKay) have been working hard on their piano skills. Both are getting really good. It's so fun to listen to them play hard songs that they have taught themselves. 

Another sign of the times: ↓

 I had to write all these down so I will not forget!  I remember Dave's mom could just rattle off every single child's weight, length and time of birth. I need to study these again. I used to remember them pretty well but use it or lose it!

dear saturday, today I got in another five miles in.  Mostly on the track. I found more coins!

I came home and played diner with Carson for a bit while Taylor was gone playing basketball. 

The baby fawns are back and so stinkin' cute!  I could watch them all day! 
I was going to go to Ogden but writing this so long after that I am not sure if I did or not!  LOL  Dave and I did go visit Leann N tonight though. I think we went to Maddox Drive In too. If I don't have pix or it written down, I have no idea!   

The turks are in the top left photo.

And if you really zoom in you can see my window is covered in Elm Seed Beetles!  Aaaaa!!! I am so done with them!!!

dear sunday, we went BACK TO CHURCH today for the first time in four months!  Masks were required. It was kind of weird. Hardly anyone was there. SO weird to see everyone in a mask. The parking lot was empty. There were only 15 families total and around 60 people. The Bishop spoke and then Dave spoke. He actually told us we could remove our masks if we wanted for a breather. Yay!  It was just me and McKay and Taylor.

 Even the cars are social distancing!

 Here's to 2020!  Not!  LOL 

 We had an enjoyable Sunday afternoon chilling in the backyard. Sky made us orange Julius. It was a cool nice day. 




dear random, 

CAN Y'ALL PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHO WAS THE GENIUS WHO WROTE THIS??😂😂😂😂😂

Dear Diary 2020 Edition,
In ❄️ January, 🔥 Australia caught on fire. I don’t even know if that fire was put out, because we straight up almost went to war with Iran 🇮🇷 . We might actually still be almost at war with them 🤔. I don’t know, because 👩 Jen Aniston and 👨🏻 Brad Pitt spoke to one another at an awards 🏆 show and everyone flipped the crap out 😲, but then there was this thing happening in 🦇 🇨🇳 China, then 👑 Prince Harry and Megan ✌🏼 peaced out of the Royal family, and there was the whole impeachment trial 👩‍⚖️ , and then corona virus 🦠 showed up in the US ✔️“officially,” but then 🏀 Kobe died 😭and UK 🇬🇧 peaced out of the European Union.

In February, 🌽 Iowa crapped 💩 itself with the caucus results and the president was acquitted and the 👩🏼‍💼Speaker of the House took ten. Whole. years. to rip up a speech , but then The👨‍🔬 🌎WHO decided to give this virus a name COVID-19, which confused 🤔some really important people 👔 in charge of, like, our lives, into thinking there were 18 other versions before it, but then Harvey Weinstein was found guilty👨🏻‍⚖️, and 🇺🇸 Americans started asking if Corona beer 🍺 was safe to drink🤦🏻‍♀️, and everyone on Facebook became a doctor 👨‍⚕️ who just knew the 🤒flu like killed way more people than COVID 1 through 18.

In March, stuff hit the fan👿. Warren dropped out of the presidential race and Sanders was like Bernie or bust 💥, but then Italy 🇮🇹 shut its whole country down 🚷, and then COVID Not 1 through 18 officially become what everyone already realized, a 😱pandemic and then a nationwide state of emergency 🆘was declared in US 🇺🇸 , but it didn’t really change anything, so everyone was confused or thought it was still just a flu 💁🏻‍♀️, but then COVID Not 18 was like ya’ll not taking me seriously? 💡 I’m gonna infect the one celebrity everyone loves and totally infected Tom Hanks👨🏻, get y’all to close all of the schools so y’all can 🙏🏼 appreciate teachers 👩‍🏫 for once (because you can’t teach kids anything other than how to use a touch screen🤦🏻‍♀️ ) close down all of salons so you can’t get your 💇‍♂️ hair or your nails done💅 , everyone had to work from home and attend Zoom meetings in their underwear. The 📉 DOW took a crap 💩 on itself, and most of us still don’t understand why the stock market is so important or even a thing 🤔 (I still don’t), We were then all introduced to 🐅 Tiger King and the ONE thing we can all agree on this year , 👍🏼Carol totally killed her husband⚰️ ..... whacked him! And then Netflix was like you’re welcome, and we all realized there was no way we were washing our hands enough in the first place because all of our hands are now dry and gross and we’re all searching for lotion now.

In 🌧 April, Bernie finally busted✌🏼 himself out of the presidential race 🏃 , but then NYC 🗽became the set of The Walking Dead 💀 and we learned that no one has face masks 😷, ventilators, or toilet paper, or THE FREAKING SWIFFER WET JET LIQUID, and by now our 🦁outgrowth is showing, so there’s a shortage on 📦 box hair dye and all of our hair dressers are like , 😱 NO DONT DO IT!!! But, then Kim Jong-Un died, but then he came back to life … or did he? Who knows, because then the Pentagon released 🎥 videos of UFOs and nobody cared, and we were like man, it’s only April….

In 💐 May, the biblical end times kicked off , historical locust swarms, we learned of murder hornets 🐝 and realized that 2020 was the start of the Hunger Games🙈 however people forgot to let us know. People legit started to protest lockdown measures with 🔫 AR-15s, 🏀⚾️sports events were cancelled everywhere. But then people all over America finally reached a breaking point with race issues and violence. There were 🗣protests in every city🌃 ,which was confusing to some of us because people were definitely gathering in 👫crowds of more than 🖐🏼🤚🏼10 and for sure closer than 6 feet away ⬅️➡️from each other . Those people must have forgotten about the 😖pandemic called COVID Not One Through 18. Media 📺 🗞 struggled with how to 🤬focus on two important things at once, people in general struggled to focus on more than one important thing. A dead whale 🐋 was found in the middle of the Amazon rain forest 🌳 after monkeys 🐒 stole COVID 1 through 19 from a lab 🔬 and ran off with them, and either in May or April (no one is keeping track of time now) that a giant asteroid ☄️ narrowly missed the Earth🌍.

In ☀️ June, common sense just got thrown 🤾🏼 straight out the window and somehow 😷 wearing masks became a 🏛political thing, but then everyone sort of remembered there was a pandemic, then 👨‍🔬scientists announced they found a mysterious undiscovered mass at the center of the earth, and everyone was like 🙅🏽‍♂️🙅🏻‍♀️🚧DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH IT, but then everyone took a pause to realize that people actually believed Gone With The Wind 💨 was like non-fiction, but then it was also announced that there is a strange 🛰radio signal coming from somewhere in the universe 🌌 that repeats itself every so many days 🗓 , and everyone was like 👽 DON’T YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT‼️🚫 but then America reopened 🙌🏼from the shut down that actually wasn’t even a shut down, and so far, things have gone spectacularly .... not that great 👎🏼. All of the Karens came out at once, and people started tearing down 🔨 statues. Everyone is on Facebook arguing 🤼‍♀️ about masks 👃🏼, but then Florida 🏖 was like hold my beer 🍺 and let me show you how we’re number one 🥇 in all things, including new Not Corona Beer Coronavirus. Then we learned there was a massive dust cloud ☁️ coming straight at us 📍from the Sahara Desert 🐫 , which is totally normal, but this is 2020, so the 👻 ghost mummy thing is most likely in that dust cloud. We then 📚 learned of meth-gators 🐊 , and I'm like that is so not on my flipping 2020 Bingo card 😡 can we use it as the free space?? 🤷🏻 Then we learned that the Congo's worst ever Ebola 🚨 outbreak is over 😓, and we were all like, there was an Ebola outbreak that was the worst ever? 👀 ....... and don’t forget we just discovered FLYING SNAKES! 🐍, seriously! FLYING SNAKES!!!! And the 200,000 duck 🦆 army that China 🇨🇳 is sending to Pakistan to help with the locusts!

So here comes July…. at this point we are over it , just tell us what’s next .... 👽 Aliens? 🔱Zeus? ☄️ Asteroids? Artificial Intelligence becomes self aware? Can it just be something cool 😎 or fun for once? Maybe even a good laugh , like hahaha 😂 April Fools! We all actually wouldn’t mind that joke at this point.

Also, why didn't I know about the whale in the Amazon? Or a few other things because I just can’t keep up anymore!

But I’m sharing it because as long as we make it through 2020, I really want this to pop back up in the memories a few years from now. Copy and share to your page!!!!!

One of the Best Covid post I've seen so far...

Chicken pox is a virus. Lots of people have had it, and probably don't think about it much once the initial illness has passed. But it stays in your body and lives there forever, and maybe when you're older, you have debilitatingly painful outbreaks of shingles. You don't just get over this virus in a few weeks, never to have another health effect. We know this because it's been around for years, and has been studied medically for years.

Herpes is also a virus. And once someone has it, it stays in your body and lives there forever, and anytime they get a little run down or stressed-out they're going to have an outbreak. Maybe every time you have a big event coming up (school pictures, job interview, big date) you're going to get a cold sore. For the rest of your life. You don't just get over it in a few weeks. We know this because it's been around for years, and been studied medically for years.

HIV is a virus. It attacks the immune system, and makes the carrier far more vulnerable to other illnesses. It has a list of symptoms and negative health impacts that goes on and on. It was decades before viable treatments were developed that allowed people to live with a reasonable quality of life. Once you have it, it lives in your body forever and there is no cure. Over time, that takes a toll on the body, putting people living with HIV at greater risk for health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, bone disease, liver disease, cognitive disorders, and some types of cancer. We know this because it has been around for years, and had been studied medically for years.

Now with COVID-19, we have a novel virus that spreads rapidly and easily. The full spectrum of symptoms and health effects is only just beginning to be cataloged, much less understood.

So far the symptoms may include:

Fever

Fatigue

Coughing

Pneumonia

Chills/Trembling

Acute respiratory distress

Lung damage (potentially permanent)

Loss of taste (a neurological symptom)

Sore throat

Headaches

Difficulty breathing

Mental confusion

Diarrhea

Nausea or vomiting

Loss of appetite

Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19 (even in the relatively young)

Swollen eyes

Blood clots

Seizures

Liver damage

Kidney damage

Rash

COVID toes (weird, right?)

People testing positive for COVID-19 have been documented to be sick even after 60 days. Many people are sick for weeks, get better, and then experience a rapid and sudden flare up and get sick all over again. A man in Seattle was hospitalized for 62 days, and while well enough to be released, still has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Not to mention a $1.1 million medical bill.

Then there is MIS-C. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired. While rare, it has caused deaths.

This disease has not been around for years. It has basically been 6 months. No one knows yet the long-term health effects, or how it may present itself years down the road for people who have been exposed. We literally *do not know* what we do not know.

For those in our society who suggest that people being cautious are cowards, for people who refuse to take even the simplest of precautions to protect themselves and those around them, I want to ask, without hyperbole and in all sincerity:

How dare you?

How dare you risk the lives of others so cavalierly. How dare you decide for others that they should welcome exposure as "getting it over with", when literally no one knows who will be the lucky "mild symptoms" case, and who may fall ill and die. Because while we know that some people are more susceptible to suffering a more serious case, we also know that 20 and 30 year olds have died, marathon runners and fitness nuts have died, children and infants have died.

How dare you behave as though you know more than medical experts, when those same experts acknowledge that there is so much we don't yet know, but with what we DO know, are smart enough to be scared of how easily this is spread, and recommend baseline precautions such as:

Frequent hand-washing

Physical distancing

Reduced social/public contact or interaction

Mask wearing

Covering your cough or sneeze

Avoiding touching your face

Sanitizing frequently touched surfaces

The more things we can all do to mitigate our risk of exposure, the better off we all are, in my opinion. Not only does it flatten the curve and allow health care providers to maintain levels of service that aren't immediately and catastrophically overwhelmed; it also reduces unnecessary suffering and deaths, and buys time for the scientific community to study the virus in order to come to a more full understanding of the breadth of its impacts in both the short and long term.

I reject the notion that it's "just a virus" and we'll all get it eventually. What a careless, lazy, heartless stance. And finally, using the line, “...it’s my constitutional rights to decide not to wear it” is unapplicable at this time.

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