Wednesday, August 25, 2010

boys of fall

12 giant gatorades
24 pk of soda
3 Watermelons
50 Hamburgers
42 Hotdogs
3 pans of Cheesey Potatoes
25 Snickers Bars.....


add 18 BIG GUYS......and you have the BHS football dinner at our house.

I love football.  
We got to have Monson and his big buddies here in preparation for this weeks game : Bountiful against Spanish Fork.  We are still in pre season.  We hope to get a Win this week.  Monson is playing Defensive tackle.  He was playing linebacker...but we needed more big guys on the line. He loves hitting people.  This position is more like pushing against a wall for 2 hours. He still loves it.

Coach Wall showed all of his players this Boys of Fall video.  Monson showed it to me.  I have cried through it twice and I get weepy just thinking about it.  I only watch it now if I don't have my makeup on.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Did I mention I'm Happy School is back in?



That's the "happy" dance I've been doing around my house!!!!

Laila looked darling on her first day...she loved being back in school too!!!
Laila is ready for 3rd grade!!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Proposal


We have had a lot of excitement at our house lately with Addison's engagement plans. He had tried to get some ideas on how to do the engagement part. He talked to many people.
Stories are all varied.
Some are grand, some are simple, but the end result is the same.

boy+girl+ring+love=engagement.


MY Proposal
When Wayne got off his mission, after my waiting for him for 2 years, we just knew we were going to get married. Three weeks after he was home, we went ring looking--we didn't have any money. By Wayne's birthday, Jan 7th...we had called the temple and set our date all without mentioning any of this to our parents. On that night, we went out to Joy Luck with them to celebrate. In advance, we had taken some fortune papers out of fortune cookies and replaced them with "special" ones. We then gave these fortune cookies to our waitress to bring out at the end of the meal. When they were cracked open, everyone around the table read, "Wayne and Melinda are getting married on March 21!" Our engagement fun was really just an announcement to our families.
Two weeks later my ring showed up. Wayne drove up to Cordelaine, Idaho where I was performing in a college competition. He drove up, gave me the ring, and I was elated. I had another day of college auditions, but Wayne convinced me to chuck the whole thing and drive off into the sunset (or home to Utah) with him. I did. I haven't regretted this choice for 27+years.

My sister got engaged on Santa's lap in front the entire family at a Christmas Eve party.
My friend got proposed to as her husband-to-be walked off a plane from Arizona with flowers and a ring.

Cash Proposal
One of my favorite stories is Jo and Nick Cash. Nick pulled into her driveway...said, "so do you want to get married?" She said, " sure"....there was no ring. They went inside her parent's house. Then Jo said to Nick, "Let's go jump on the tramp and you can ask me again. It will be more fun this way." They bounced on the trampoline and did the whole thing again, with laughter.

Add and Bre's proposal
We helped Addison with his "popping the question" night. His plan was to ask Bre on Saturday night after a week of love notes and lilies. But.....Addison picked up the ring...a sparkly-vintage- looking- cushion-cut-pave-encrusted ring on Thursday afternoon....and he just couldn't wait.
Thursday night was now the perfect night to get engaged.
In the middle of his planning how to do this, he got an emergency call from Bre to go to her Brother's house and help baby sit nephew Harry. Addison jumped in his car, to go to the rescue, without any idea still of how he was going to ask. All he had was the ring in his pocket and some bouquets of lilies in his car.
On the way to Kaysville, over the phone, he told me his plan. So.....Landon and Laila and I set out to help him.
While Addison and Bre were in the house watching a movie with Harry.....we sneaked into the backyard with blankets and pillows, chocolates, flowers and candles.... and my camera. We set up a pretty scene, left matches and a flash light....and sneaked back out, hopefully unseen.

Once Harry fell asleep and it got dark, Addison excused himself and went outside and lit the candles, then he invited Bre outside.
Addison sang a love song to her......"Only Have Eyes For You"......(so romantic) ......he spoke some sweet words....
.....he started crying, she started crying....he was shaking....he got down on his knee and pulled out the ring....she cried some more...they hugged and screamed in delight.
They came to our house and told us all about it at midnight.....

Then they woke up Laila to tell her....she is getting a SISTER! Laila has no recollection of this. It's a good thing we took a picture.

The Engagement part is done...now onto the wedding plans....Dec. 13th!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Thankful Thursday-


(Elder Welch on top of Black Rock, UK)
1. I am thankful for my missionary. Tru has been in the same area since April...and he has such a great attitude about it. Some missionaries say it's the "armpit" of the mission, but reading his emails, you would think it was the Queen's palace. Tru looks on life with a humorous eye. If it's funny it's good. He loves to watch people, or be in situations or places and then comment on whatever sticks out or isn't ordinary.
HE LOVES THIS!
I am glad that he does-- England is filled with characters, and apparently many of them live in Rochdale.
Tru says he is becoming a "right proper baller." I think that means he is getting better at Soccer.
He just sent off his German companion, and now he is companion to an Italian one that is only one transfer ahead of Tru....he says that means " we are Fresh."
I am thankful for his weekly emails and for his sense of humor.

Truman is on the far left in the red jersey- at Soccer Village

2. I am thankful for Laila and Max. They just finished putting on their show...."The case of the missing diamond" today. It was an extravaganza...music, dancing, costume changes, props, lights and treats for intermission. The first act was 5 minutes, then intermission with Laila and Max offering cookies and pretzels..then a 5 minute second act. Perfect timing.
I got to do music and help in a costume change. I had to go to 3 practices just for this. Laila wanted me to come to all of them so I could learn my part and know just when to push the button. She is a bit over the top when it comes to shows and rehearsing. I said three was enough.
They had family, grandparents and some friends in the audience. The bubble machine got spilled during the show, so it didn't work, and only one line was dropped, but other than that the show went according to plan.
They wrote the script, figured out the choreography, made tickets and performed. I LOVED IT!

3. I am Thankful for Addison and Bre. They are getting married and we are thrilled!!! Addison has been sending love notes and lilies all week to Bre as he worked up to his "popping the big question" night.
Bre is perfect for him. Addison is perfect for her. They are perfect together.

4. I am thankful

Monday, August 16, 2010

Seattle Best Things


We just got back from a quick, and I mean quick, trip to see Wayne's sister Wendi and her family in Puyallup, Washington, just south of Seattle.

We had an awesome time. It didn't really matter what we saw or where we went, it was just good to spend time with Bret and Wendi and be with family. We laughed a lot!

Wayne drove the entire time.....Wanee, Laila and Holly were our backseat drivers, and they were all very good. We didn't have to tell them, even one time, to "settle down, not fight and get along or we would have to pull this jag over. "

We took a poll on the car ride home about what the favorites of this trip were.

Wanee:

Feeding the Seagulls --

Seagulls Eating out of Wayne’s hand three times

The Ferry boat ride

The view of Seattle and the Sail boats

The Salmon/chicken family bbq with Bret as the cook!

Holly:

The talent show and singing with Wendi.

Stopping at Subway for Lunch and sleeping in a hotel.

Seeing Toy Story 3 Movie.

(Holly wore her "100% crazy" baseball cap the entire trip)

Laila:

Tifany's Cotton candy machine

Rootbeer floats and ice cream.

Feeding the seagulls off the Ferry

The funny car on the freeway. (There was a convertible with men or ladies in it. We couldn't tell from the back. SHort hair. It was a 1937 JAG…the older ladies looked like they were topless or in their swim suits and driving slow on the freeway. After we all said how cool and awesome the car was, and how weird the ladies were, Holly adds her two cents, “Mom, I hate that car!”)

The shrunken heads and mummy and petrified-dog at the Ye Old Curiousity Shop on the Seattle waterfront.

Playing with Karisa

Wayne:

Going Salmon fishing on Bret's fishing boat.

Driving and trolling around, reading the fish finder.

Getting a hair cut from Mom with a number 4 over my entire head.

Melinda:

Going out on the boat at sunrise and watching the sun come up on the Puget Sound.

Stopping at Gig Harbor and watching the kayakers

Boating over to Shennanigan's restaurant for lunch

Walking around Pikes Market and watching the fish throwers.

Eating fish and chips from Steamers


Least favorite.....we all agreed.......the car ride!

Laila loved taking pictures with her new camera!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Eating machine



Monson is in two a day football practices now.
It's his senior year at BHS and he is pumped.
I am impressed with this kid...he has been getting himself up outta bed and out the door by 6:30 am since July 5th.
Side note, snarky comment: It's amazing how he can do this in the summer for football but when school starts and he has to be there by 7:30--it's just too hard.
Monson is a natural athlete. He runs fast, thinks he's tough and loves to tackle people.
Football is a perfect fit.
What is truly awe inspiring about this time of year is the amount of food Monson puts away.
For example:
Breakfast--nothing much...he doesn't want to puke...so he just drinks a lot of water and eats a banana.
Lunch-- he makes up for his non breakfast at this point. Yesterday he came home exhausted, he ate two peanut butter and honey sandwiches, a banana, an apple, chips, two bowls of cereal, and four scrambled eggs with cheese. Lots of water and gatorade.
Dinner- 6 taquitos and a bowl of ramen as an appetizer while he waited for the BBQ grill to heat up. Then he had 2 big hamburgers, chips, grapes and icecream cake ...then 2 hours later he had two more big hamburgers, fries, and a spicey chicken sandwich.
He was still hungry at ten at night.
Every day is like this.
Monson is an eating machine!


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I love my bro...


I love my brother Adam.
He is my favorite brother!
Adam is an awesome father, and son. He helps my parents out with their yard and "stuff." He listens and loves and isn't afraid to give out the big bear hug..the sweet kiss...the kind word. He tells a great story and joke.

Adam loves the Lord.
Adam got his MBA from BYU. He did this while working full time and being a father to 4 little children.
He is a hard worker.
He is smart and nice and funny and very likable....yet......
He has been out of a job for a year and a half…
He has gone to job interviews galore, written and rewritten his resume, taken employment classes, and worked through the church employment services.
He has picked up odd jobs here and there…substitute teaching, processor etc...to bring some money in. Nothing permanent.
He has cut back on many household necessities. No car payments, no extra nothing.....just the internet, because in this world, the internet is how you find out about, apply for and hopefully get employment.
So does the Lord even care?
Maybe not.
I was spouting my new enlightenment last Tuesday when Adam didn’t get a “fits like a glove, this would be perfect, for sure" job, again. Why? Why? Doesn’t the Lord care about this family? About my brother?
Adam went into his final interviews for this job with family and friends praying for him and fasting in his behalf. He went to the interview and met 3 other men up for the same job. He said that it hit him, while he was waiting, that these other guys have families and friends praying for them as well.
How can the Lord pick and choose in this situation who gets the job and who doesn’t?
I was telling everyone, with a listening ear, that I don’t think the Lord cares if we work or not, if Adam gets a job or not, if we have tragic things happen to us or not. He just doesn’t care about this earthly stuff……......... He only cares about our attitudes when something goes wrong. He cares that we turn to him and not away from him.
While I believe this last part is true… it felt like I was getting jaded and not enlightened at all. It felt like I was moving away from His light by sharing this opinion.
I have since repented.
He does care.
I have come to realize that we only have a glimpse of what the Lord sees and knows. We only have our little part of the world. The Lord sees the big picture.
Maybe there was one of these guys who needed the job, at this time, more than Adam.
The Lord knows Adam and what he is capable of and what he can bear.
Maybe another man was at his breaking point. It was his turn to get the job.
Adam’s turn is coming. I have faith that this is true.
Adam’s family may have more earthly set backs ahead of them. Maybe not.
Adam's family has been great. I know they have had their private "why us?" moments of sadness and discouragement. They stay positive. I am amazed by their resiliency and how they have made this "no money time" a chance for them to love and grow as a family.
I am not going to be jaded.
I am going to put my trust in the Lord.
The Lord has a plan for us all. It is the plan of Salvation, which is beautiful…but the Lord also blesses us and helps us when we exercise our faith. We knock, we ask…he answers.
I love my brother.
His time is coming.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Classic

Classic Line from our Welch Weekend

Set up:
Landon arguing with Monson over which sport is tougher...football, lacrosse or rugby?
Landon voicing an opinion on coaches and their lack of compassion or humanity.
Landon sharing with us how he went in at the end of his senior year and "told off" many teachers who weren't up to par in their teaching abilities.

Bre looking on shocked.

Landon telling how he forcefully petitioned MPJH to change their dress code and allow pajama type pants to be worn to school.

Bre not knowing how to respond.

Addison saying, "Do you see why my childhood was so difficult?"

(Do you see why we are trying to have Landon attend Law school...and get paid for arguing his way through life?)

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Emilee got Married-For Good

My fun, tender-hearted, spontaneous, animal lover, messy, artistic, loud, cute, friendly, crazy, loving, sweet, almost daughter, Emilee got married today.
It was great to share in her celebration.
Emilee was radiant....her smile, her energy, her countenance.
Jon is soooooooo lucky to have her.
Laila was the Honorary Maid of Honor and got to bring the wedding bouquet to the Temple grounds and share in some pictures.
Laila always says Emilee is her "sister"...and they really do have a lot of fun together. Emilee has taught Laila "that dark green lettuce is healthier for you than light green lettuce," ...." that shaving your legs should wait until you are 12, or if your legs are really hairy, to do it now"...." a Fazookie is the best dessert.."..."messy cars are ok.." .....and....."glitter toe pedis, and a good hair trim are necessary every other month."
Emilee helps Laila to feel grown up and loved. She lets her do errands with her, go to lunch with her, and hang out with her.
Emilee even has an extra bed at her and Jon's apartment for Laila sleep overs.
The big reason behind Laila getting her digital camera, was so she could have it for Emilee's wedding. She got the first "snap" of Emilee and Jon emerging from the Temple doors. Laila was right by the pole. Laila even got the first giant hug.
All of my friend Laura's children were in the temple this day. What a blessing.
I don't know about summer weddings though......my they are HOT!

Emilee and Jon had a dinner party, instead of a reception......atleast that was air conditioned.

Emilee asked Laila to sing "For Good" from Wicked for the party. Laila was thrilled and started practicing. Then she realized it was a duet and she couldn't figure out who to sing it with. Emilee suggested me....the mother.....and Laila fell apart. She hasn't practiced and didn't want to do it for the past 2 weeks. Well, Lai had a change of heart on Monday, and we got the song ready for this dinner, just in time.
"Who can say if I've been changed for the better; but because I knew you, I have been changed for good."
I really do love these words and the double meaning behind them....they are about Emilee and Laila's friendship, the bride and groom's relationship, and mine and Laila's, as well.

What a blessing it was to sing with my 8 year old daughter.
Wayne said he was so proud, he has to get a new shirt, because all of his button's popped off.
Laila just rolled her eyes.
We, definitely, have been changed................. for good.

It sounded better live than it does on this video....but you get the idea:)