World Suicide Prevention Day

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Approximately 1 million people worldwide die by suicide each year. (Approx. one every 40 seconds.) The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined. Those numbers are shocking to me and I am guessing to you as well.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) is encouraging people to light a candle near a window at 8pm this evening (Sept. 10) to show support for suicide prevention, to remember a lost loved one and for the survivors of suicide.

Please join me in remembering my late husband, Eric, and others who have died. Please light a candle this evening.

If you are in distress please call a helpline. You can find information at www.iasp.info.



 (This information was provided by the IASP.)

First Haircut

Well, it was finally time for Annaliese to have her first haircut. A trim really. Some bangs. Honestly, I loved the messy mane that hung in her face and gave her an "I'm A Kid So It Doesn't Matter What My Hair Looks Like" look. But the girl won't keep barretes in for more than a few minutes and ponytails usually get pulled out sooner or later. I just felt bad for her, always staring through this curtain of hair. So, this evening I pulled out the scissors and trimmed a little off of the front. I think it was a success!

Before:



After: 



Adventures at the State Fair

Yesterday our family had a great time at the Oregon State Fair. The kids have been to fairs in the past but, being once a year, they are basically a new experience every time. We spent most of our time in the barns since, as Hezekiah said on the way there, "Annaliese likes animals." Of course, the rest of us do as well. Here are a few of the photos along with some of Hezekiah's quotes (in parenthesis).

We were able to see goats...

("They're very nice.")

("I wish we had one like this to keep inside.")

...cows and pigs...

("I found a pink one!")

...ducks, chickens, and rabbits...

...and horses.

("If you tried to get on there with out a ladder you couldn't. He would just walk away." Side note: This was quite true. His back was about as tall as me, 5'9.")

For a treat, we got the kids' favorite, soft-serve ice cream. Hezekiah did a great job sharing an ice cream cone with his sister. (That is, of course, until he decided it was "too cold" for Annaliese to eat any more.)

He thought that the tractor display was great and even found this handy seat for sitting to read his new tractor catalogue.

Hezekiah learned all about forest fires and Smokey the Bear. I helped him make a necklace using stamps on a piece of wood. I was very happy that he wanted to stop for a few minutes to try a craft!

We also visited the Rock U: The Institute of Rock 'n Roll exhibit. For adults (without kids) there was a lot to read and learn. Our favorite parts were the instruments to play, including a giant keyboard, African percussion instruments, and electronic drums. His daddy would have been proud of his little drummer.

Our family had a wonderful time exploring the fair and left thoroughly exhausted. Thank you to my parents for coming along and lending so much help. I couldn't do this without you.

The Hippos

Last week the kids and I went to the zoo with my sister Brittany. This is one of the photos that I took of myself and Annaliese.

I looked at it yesterday, thinking of making it my profile picture on Facebook. I thought, "I should put a caption: Annaliese and I and a big turd." Of course, the grey thing is not a turd; it's a hippo.

This evening the kids had a bath. After the water was emptied and Hezekiah was out, Annaliese decided to poop in the bathtub. Of course, Hezekiah had to see. He looked in and said, "It looks like a hippo."

Either my son thinks like me or I am begining to think like a three year old.