Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Teaching an old dog, new tricks

I enjoy learning new things.  I'm having a great, terrible, awesome time learning to be a painter.  I keep calling myself an artist and I really believe that those mind games help.  I"m determined to just keep pushing through...and to not quit.
                       "Art doesn't have to be precise...it just has to have passion."

I'm reflecting on other talents and hobbies I have attempted to get good at....and gave up on.

1.  I would love to sit down and play the piano and sing my guts out. I can't.  I can barely play simplified hymns.  Haltingly.  I'm really bad at it, even though I want to be good.  When Monson went to 1st grade, I told myself I was going to spend time every day practicing the piano and take lessons.    It lasted for 3 months...then I got obsessed with having a baby girl...and piano practice fizzled and died.  I make Laila practice 5 mornings a week in an effort to have  a piano accompanist in the family.  I'm living through her.

2.  Crochet.  I learned to knit  when I turned 40. My friend Linda Wangsgaard taught me.  I have enjoyed it so much.  I have made bags, purses, scarves, slippers, hats...and I have even taught  other sisters and friends.  So....the thought of crocheting was not so far fetched.  I had Wanee teach me to crochet on our Seattle trip.  I figured I was trapped in the car for 14 hours and would really get the hang of doing baby blanket edging.  I even went so far as to prepare 4 different blankets and burp cloths with punch holes, knowing I would just love it.  I barely, grudgingly finished the edges on these flannel creations and swore...never to do it again.  My eyes are too bad and my hands were cramping.  Maybe I'll try it again...but for now I'll stick to knitting.

3.  I want to be a gardener.  Each year I buy flowers and tomato plants and even some peppers, knowing I can do it...... this year will be different!  I weed and water for a month, then lose all interest and by the time I remember that I'm a gardener, the deer have eaten all of the blooms anyway.  Me and dirt don't mix.

4.  I made porcelain dolls for my children to put their blessing day outfits on.  I thought this was so romantic and a great memory keepsake.  Well...let's say I made porcelain dolls for 4 of my 5 kids.  My last one was actually a brownish colored porcelain that looked more like Laila then my red headed Monson, even though I called it my Monson doll and put his blessing outfit on it.   I named  it  Laila's Doll when she arrived...even though it still has Monson's outfit on it.  It's all confusing.  I went to a porcelain kiln to make me a big Monson baby doll.  I paid all of my money.  Lost my passion for it. Then forgot about it.  When I went back months later to see what was up, the place was out of business.  I have since lost all interest, so Monson and Laila will share a doll.  It's the same one we use as our Baby Jesus in the nativity tree each year...so I guess they have to share with Him too.

5.  Snow Skiing.  I went on my first and last ski trip at 36 years old.  Growing up along the Wasatch front, one would think that I enjoy outdoor winter sports. NO...... I'm more the indoorsy type...a darkened theatre and a bucket of popcorn is my idea of a fun time.  We were invited for a weekend to ski Brighton with the Morley family.  We thought this would be a good time for the boys to learn to ski, and me and Wayne as well.    I remember how scared I was in the chair lift.  Where were the seatbelts?  I remember getting off of the lift and trying not to fall by thinking I was throwing my arms around Antonio Banderas.  This is what the instructor told me to do.  It still makes me smile.   I remember how out of control I felt careening down the snowy hill.  I remember struggling to snow plow and come to a stop at the bottom.  I remember how cold I was. I remember not liking it.  That's okay.  I atleast tried it for a weekend.

The "big boys," Addison (12)  and Landon (10), had other experiences on the hill that weekend.  Landon some how slipped out of the chair lift as it was advancing up the hill and Addison grabbed on to him and held on to him for dear life til they reached the top. It was a 40 foot drop at times, and really a miracle that no one got hurt.   Mike Morley was in the chair ahead of these boys and witnessed the entire thing.  They were safe, so we didn't hear about this death defying experience til  hours later.  It makes my heart race even now.

I'll stick to being an artist.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Funny Friday Flashback

11/08/04
Laila, as I write this, is putting drops of hot cocoa in her belly button.  She is crazy.  She smiles at me with a pious " Church Lady" smile when I ask her what she is doing.  She loves to hit balloons in the air and try to catch them.  She is now calling me, "Gorilla Gabu."  She means Cruella Devil from 101 Dalmations.  She has a funny little voice.  She likes to sing the rainbow song and she wears her Snow White outfit every other day.  She attended a Princess Birthday party for Savannah Bentley on Saturday and she was in heaven.  She wore her Tinkerbell gown and she had her fingernails painted and she made a bracelet and ate miny sandwiches and cupcakes.  She was the youngest one there, but she did good.
Abby Welch, Savannah Bentley, Laila, Anna Welch---cousins

11/12/04
When Laila falls asleep in my bed at night, she is asking all sorts of questions.  "What color is...?"  and "What time is it?" are her favorites.  She is also so interested in  body parts.  She wants to know every part...it reminds me of when Landon was little and he said to me one morning while I was getting dressed, "You know those fat things on girls we call boobs?  Well,  Jesus calls them breasts."

11/19/04
Laila and the boys were happy that we came home from NYC.  Laila just hugged and loved me over and over again.  So cute.  Then she looked at me and said, "What's your name?" I'm like.....".It's mom, mother, mommy, Melinda."  All of these responses were wrong.  She just kept asking me.  Then she reminded me, with a little smirk on her face, "You are Gorilla Gabu."  ( Cruella Devil)  She hadn't forgotten.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Sunny St. George.

 For Valetines/Presidents Weekend, Wayne whisked me away to sunny St. George.  It was a glorious time.  We ate good food, played cards and Ticket to Ride game every night, had gospel discussions, went on hikes and long bike rides.  We went to the Temple and church and spent many hours going from house to house at the Parade of Home tour.  We laughed a lot and  wore ourselves out!
 Snow Canyon with my  Wayne!
 The Parade of Homes in St. George was fun.  There was one amazing home designed and built by the Belnap's friends.  The view from the great room was extraordinary. It had so many cool features and sold for over 2 million dollars. I was going to buy it...ha ha.  Another great home was in Entrada.  It was designed by my friend Heidi's daughter.  Calli is an amazing designer.  I really loved it.
 With The Belnaps and the Farleys in Snow Canyon.
Biking was my favorite.  We went out every morning in the sunny cold for about 2 hours.  My toes were frozen by the time we rolled back in, but I loved it and was excited to go the next time.  The bike trails in St. George are so fun!  We even rode from South gate all of the way to Tuacahn and back.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Friday, February 15, 2013

Flashback Friday...updates

11/01/04
Laila as Tinkerbell with  our awesome Stephi dog
I don't know if I shared with you about Laila and her Tinkerbell dress.  While on our family vacation to Disney World, she could choose from any Princess costume and we would get it for her...she chose Tinkerbell, which we thought was interesting.  She put the dress on and immediately got on the bed and jumped of and then the couch and jumped off and was so disappointed that she didn't fly.  "My wings are broken," she said.  "My wings don't work.  I'm mad."  She thought for sure she would fly with the wings on the dress.   We tried to explain it was just pretend.  She was  soooooo disappointed.  She hasn't really wanted to wear it since.

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IN other family news....
-Bre is having a great time with Ariel.  Ariel looks amazing and is enjoying all of the children and the sunshine.
-Addison is finally a Disney World employee!!!  Disney World moves really slow...like any big coorporation.   He got hired as a Puppeteer and as Goofy/Sully.  He starts March 9th and is looking forward to learning all about it.
-Landon is busy with being a Behavioral Aide at the Autistic school.  He is spending a lot of time with Alex Buzelli-- a really great guy with two kids.

-Tru is trying to get a job while going to school online and getting his Hellatru  Company up with his first sets of tshirts rolling out in March for Mustache March.
-Monson is a Zone leader in Williamston, MI.  He loves everything about it, except the many, many phone calls.  He is over 8 sisters, 16 Elders...and 3 huge areas.
Elder Welch with Elder  Landon Foust....Shanna Bentley's brother.
-Laila loves Valentines day except for the mushy parts.  She designed her own card and we included a sucker on it. "...........Because treats are the most important part."

We also put together a Locker Valentine's Box.

 OH.....and when Laila is bored, she stickers her face.......and she draws on her toes.

-Wayne is an amazing Eat to Live-r.  He is down 25 pounds...and going strong.  His cholesterol levels have all dropped, so no more meds!
-I  got to be in the "Fab 50" audience for the Studio 5 show.  I didn't say much....but I got pretty good air time and a beautiful chocolate bundt cake as a going away treat.  Tru ate it for me.
Mom  (Grandma Sheri) is getting her hair back!!! Love the angel halo effect.

Life is good.

Monday, February 11, 2013

The 4 Carols

Four of the Five Carol's went to St. George for some FUN!!! We love getting together!  We sing, laugh, talk, play, shop and SING some more.   We stayed at Mauri's condo.  We are trying to figure out our next show together....Bingo, Taffetas, Nunsense...something that we can all have fun with.
It really is great to be with like minded, spiritual actresses.  Mauri Tarbox, Jan Smith, Julie Blatter. 

Friday, February 8, 2013

Flashback Friday

10/13/04

Laila took her own shopping cart to the store yesterday.  She had a dress on and looked just like a wee woman, picking things off of the shelves to buy.  4 tiny pumpkins and a pack of pink gum later, she was through.  We got many amazed looks from other shoppers.  It was a kick in the head.

Laila is so great.   She wears her Snow White outfit around and loves it.  She is Meg today from Hercules.  Truman is Hercules.  Addison is always Gaston and Wayne is always Beast.  She strokes Wayne's face and looks at him so adoringly...it is funny.  HE walks in the door from work and she runs to him and says, "My Beast."

Laila loves to sing.  I teach voice lessons in the afternoons and Laila comes in and stands by my side and sings all of the warm up scales.  She is quite good at it. The voice students try not to chuckle. She sings like Ariel in the Little Mermaid and she sings church songs and holiday songs.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Yellow Car!!

We have two black cars now. 
A Hyundai Elantra and a Hyundai Genesis. 
There is nothing I dislike more than taking care of a BLACK car.  
 I just want a yellow car.  Easy to find in a parking lot. Easy to see on the freeway.  Fun.  Happy.  
But no.........we have two black cars. 
(Remember how I feel about black...is there a Funeral somewhere?)
Wayne has his Black...UNDRCVR...license plate car, which he loves, and has no problem with driving a black car around.......and now I have my YELOCAR.

This makes it so much easier to distinguish the two.   I could never tell Laila, go and get in the Black car....  we have two of those...but I can say go and get in the Yellow car!!!

Yay for living in denial!  Now if my Yellow car was just easier to keep clean...

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

What are you doing right now?

Truman is celebrating National Pancake day with his own Blueberry Pancake creation!

Laila is getting out of school with Camilla Skinner.  Laila is on her way to tend Belle, Gina Cengiz's daughter....

I am helping Si move her kitchen to  her new home....it's 7 minutes away from her old home.  
Gpa Lyle and Gma Sheri are galavanting in sunny Palm Springs, CA with Lynn and Lynette.  Just what the doctor ordered.
Addison is getting ready for his Gaston audition for Disney
Bre is tending to her balcony garden in sunny Florida!
Wayne is enjoying his afternoon snack....blueberries!
Landon is playing with the puppets in his classroom.


Monson is wondering where he is?...This is the Michigan/Indiana border....He just got transferred to Lansing.  He is a new zone leader.











Sunday, February 3, 2013

Art

I don't know who said it....but I agree with it.

Busy painting and trying to get better, more free, more colorful.  It's frustrating and fun.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Flashback Friday and news

09/24/04
Laila is getting easier to understand.  She loves to pretend and prefers being Prince Phillip, from Sleeping Beauty, to anything. We are all her horse or her dragon that she kills with her finger.  She even talks guests at our home into being her horsey.  It is quite funny.
She loves to comb her freshly washed hair and she is exceedingly afraid of bugs...thanks to her brothers.  She came into my room twice last night.  I taught her the song, "Shoo fly don't bother me" so I would put her back to bed after searching for the fly in her room , or the bee or spider...and I told her to sing this song.  She did. It was so soft, and pathetic sounding.  She is darling.  She just cuddles and kisses over and over and over.

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In other Welch family adventures............... My darling daughter in law, Bre has finished fur character and princess training in Disney World and is out and about the park playing with Pluto, Smee, Rafiki and Ariel.  She is having a grand time.........and there is NO snow there.