What I do when Wayne is gone.

Wayne and I have been apart since Oct 19th....11 days without my sweetie is too long!!
I started thinking about all of the things I do while Wayne is away......

Sleep on his side of the bed with Laila on my side of the bed.  I like the comfort and warmth...and it's a king size bed, so even when she thrashes around, I don't feel her.

Stay up really late reading

Eat

Go to Rehearsal

Sing really loud

Eat

Wait for his phone call

Text him a lot

Go to bed whenever I want

Eat

Clean off his nightstand

Organize his shoes

Catch up on tv shows

Dust the tv set

Don't make dinner

I'm so glad he is home.  Just in time for Laila's favorite holiday and our next attempt at mom's Halloween doughnuts.

What does Laila do when Wayne is gone?...... puts on her kilt and hangs out with the Sharkeys at Grandma Sheri's house.

TGIF.....wigs

My wonderful Mother with her amazing friend, Eileen Sharkey.   Mom got her self another wig, and Eileen thought she should have one as well.  

Two cute blondes.  

Mom started her second round of chemo 5 weeks ago.   She has a sore bald head and walks very slow on jelly like legs that she hopes will hold her up.  Going up and down stairs are not in her future.  She is tired and cold and it's hard for her to remember things.

I hate chemo and cancer.

My mom is  good at this though.  She is strong and positive.

She spreads sunshine where ever she goes.... and knows that all will be well.

The Sharkey's are also very uplifting people. 

I'm so glad my parent's went to Scotland on their mission and found the Sharkeys. 

The Lord knows who to put in our paths. 

Great friends are so important!

October.... blah, blah, blah

We had a beautiful Fall Break. The trees were glorious and the weather sunshiney!   Laila's activities included a cousin sleepover with Savannah, shopping, hanging with friends, Frightmares at Lagoon with the Bentley's and Heather,  hugging the Sharkey's and eating Toffee, a  jazz game with Landon and Anson,  Halloween movie and  pumpkin carving with Addison and Bre, and walking around Gardner Village Witch festival with Eileen Sharkey...and the rest of us.

Landon and Laila and a spider...oh my!

Wayne played hooky from work for a bit and joined us

Witchy, Laila, Savannah Bentley, Eileen Sharkey and Landon 

Wayne, Eileen, Savannah, Landon, Laila and Anson Winsor at Gardner Village

Wayne is in China til Halloween.  He and Bob Farley are attending the semi-annual  housewares Fair and visiting factories.  He has a lot of good friends over there that take them to dinner and buy them matching shirts.  Michael is one of these.

Wayne gets to spend time with our friends, Kathleen and Tom Newman in Shanghai this weekend.  They will shop, go to church and their boy's rugby games.

Teacher meetings in New Orleans have filled my week.  I was there with 11 teacher friends from my school.  We had classes on technology and online teaching.  We stayed in the beautiful 32 story tall Hyatt Hotel.... this was the view from my room.

 I like New Orleans...I'm even more fond since Addison served his mission in Louisiana.  The food is amazing...beignets, pralines, catfish, jambalaya, red fish, bbq, po boys, tornado fries...it's all good, plus it was 80 degrees for 5 days!   We went to Oak Alley Plantation and on a city tour  where we visited the unusual cemeterys, listened to Jazz....and spent time in the French Quarter.

Annett Eiting, Kathy Erickson, Annette Pond, Laura Belnap, Me, Brooke Brown

We had a funny Bourbon Street- French Quarter experience... we were walking along and two obvious  prostitutes were having a loud discussion about territory and who did what to whom.  They were in outlandish, skin tight, skanky clothes with pink snakeskin pants.  One was speaking in a "manly" voice and using hand gestures towards the other one.  We all walked by and kind of rolled our eyes.  Kathy was a bit behind the group.  As she passed by, the ladies stopped talking long enough to say to her... "I like your scarf."  Kathy said, "Thanks. Laura made it.   I like your pants."   We all laughed and she just smiled like she had made a new friend.   We laugh a lot when we are together.

Monson is doing good. He loves being a missionary.  He loves to study the scriptures and he is now training his third greenie.  He has gathered a lot  of Michigan stuff while in Michigan State territory.    His wrist still hurts....but he is moving forward with faith.

Truman is busy with studying Chinese, math and Biology and training at Texas Roadhouse in Provo.  He likes his life in Utah Valley.  He was at a Crimson night for the UofU  with friend Sam Strong recently and held a snake??? What's that about?

My garage is cleaned out.  Hurrah.  We can park two cars in there again, just in time for the change of weather.  Add and Bre moved all of their stuff to a storage unit while they are living in Grandma Sheri's basement for a few more months.  They are working in Ogden, rehearsing for A Christmas Carol at Hale Centre Theatre and auditioning for Disney.  All is well in their world...except for a blowout flat tire on the freeway during our first snowfall of the year.  

TGIF.... Halloween 95

We love Halloween around our house....the fun, sweet, not- creepy Halloween that is.

Vision painting

Vision   3x4 acrylic

I'm still exploring with my Flora Bowley painting class.  It's been so fun to just breathe and paint and see what happens on the canvas.

TGIF.... Birthday Bre

Bre at 3 years old........and 23 years old.

My sweet Daughter in law had her birthday yesterday on 10-11-12.
She spent the day being spoiled by her husby--check out the Steve Madden boots-- eating french toast, seeing a movie, playing hookie from work, carving pumpkins and having a great time.
 I love that Bre is a part of the Welch family now.  She is a perfect compliment to our Addison.    She is fun and funny, kind and uplifting, generous and spiritual.  We love being around her.

My life with Laila

TGIF...Grandma Israelsen

This is Wayne's Grandma Israelsen.  She passed away  just prior to her 105th birthday in  1999.   Her birthday is today.  Grandma Israelsen was a wonderful, caring mother; a kind grandmother who made "grandma" cookies and had cracked wheat cereal for breakfast every day.    Until Grandma was 100 she walked for one or two miles a day and enjoyed shoveling her own snow.....there is a lot of snow in North Logan.  
She came from pioneer stock, and was every inch a Christian.  
Grandma had 11 children and at the time of her death, 67 grandchildren, 271 great-grandchildren, and 40 great great-grandchildren. Including the 97 spouses, the total was 443 family members.  
I remember her funeral so clearly.  It was a beautiful, crisp October day.  We all gathered for a celebration of her life and at the cemetery we let go of 105 white balloons.  As they ascended into the sky we knew grandma was watching and smiling on us. 

What a great woman.  What a wonderful legacy.  Happy Birthday Grandma!

What did I do today?

Well today  I worked on school stuff...sent out 10% club prizes and taught 2nd grade math.

I went on my bike  and finally made it up  my street, then up 1800 south to Bountiful Blvd...without giving up and without passing out and needing a rest.
Did anyone hear a "huzzah" or witness a happy dance?  (Cuz that was me)
I have gotten up to the blvd other times but only after dismounting, or falling and then resting and walking the last 50 yards to the top...but not today!
 I had to take a picture to prove that I was still smiling.
Riding the blvd was glorious.  The temperature  and the scenery were perfect.

I am carving out time to sing more and to paint more.  It really takes an effort, but I'm always glad when I do.