Thursday, October 31, 2013

Spooky Halloween.....

Punkin carving at our house for Family night.....

Me and my twin that grew out of my neck....ooo scary
I love to get my inner witch on the morning of Halloween...and do errands and drive around to catch all of the "looks."  People don't quite know if I'm in costume or not?   It's a riot to make eye contact with little kids and then frown at them....or give them the stink eye....I love it.

Truman asked if he could borrow some of my makeup...and this is what happened. Yikes 
2009
.... I'm doing Halloween donuts  this year.  It was always my mom's thing and she was Soooo gooood at it.   I'm not.  I'm kind of scary at it, so I guess it fits this holiday.  I tried to talk my family into scones instead of donuts, and they revolted.  Can't wait for the smell of sugar and grease to permeate my home for the next week.
 I cried most of last week missing my mom and thinking about all of the holidays coming up that she LOVED. 

2009
Halloween means homemade donuts!  Mom was the donut queen.
 Laila and friends are zombies,  Preston is Mr. Smarty Pants.  Becca is Elliot and ET, Rachel is a lion, Jenna is Kanye West, Tru is Johnny Depp, Gpa Lyle is himself and Marcie is a bearded Red Sox fan!


The Loot.  Laila always chooses the Snickers.  She knows what she likes.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

A compliment

Wanting to be in the theatre can be hard on an ego. Auditioning is tough.  I walk away from an audition feeling pretty good about things and then no phone call.  No being in the show that I've cleared my schedule for and planned on for the past year.  Then I feel sad. And then I do it all over again. 

Theatre...can't live with it, can't live without it. 

During my last  audition I was pacing the halls waiting for my turn to sing for the "people who make the decisions," when a lady walked up to me.
She said, "You don't know me, but I just wanted to let you know that you are the reason I am in theatre." 
I was taken back.   
She continued, "I saw you perform at my grade school way back when you were in Kiss me Kate at Bountiful high.  You came and sang, and I thought that's what I want to do.  
You were inspiring and I just wanted you to know that."
She turned and walked away and I didn't really catch her name, nor could I pick her out in a line up. 
It was that fast.  
But the compliment has lasted.  
I made a difference in some thespian's life over 30 years ago.  

I guess going to the audition was good for me after all.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday Flashback

May 19, 1996
Now for a Landon story.  The other night he was flossing his teeth and informed his mother that his teacher had said that you needed to use a piece of floss as long as your arm when you floss your teeth.  He started to do so and suddenly stopped and said..."Wow... think how long Uncle Adam's floss would be!"

And then there is Monson.  The other day Melinda was shopping at TJ Maxx and Monson had to go to the bathroom.  To get to the bathroom there you have to go through the lingerie dept.  He saw those tags hanging off of the bras...the ones that show a model wearing the bras.  He said, "Look mom...there are some boobies.."  Melinda said..."Shhh not so loud.  We don't say that. "  So Monson repeated it again even louder and once again Melinda told him not to say it so loud.  Well at that he yelled as loud as he could, "Why not?  I love boobies."

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Welch Family Cabin....

We headed to the Welch Family Cabin for Fall Break. I love this cabin because it's still roughing it but with indoor plumbing and shelter.  For electricity you have to start the generator.  It's just rustic enough for me.  We sleep the kids "piled high and deep" in the big upstairs bunk room.   The kids have a lot of great memories surrounding the cabin.   We have made some improvements over the years.  The Madsen's and Mark Welch families put in new wood floor this summer, so the main floor is really nice now.  We still have to kill alot of wasps and other spiders and bugs at the beginning of every trip...sometimes vermin too.   It's all  part of the adventure.
 Wayne loves to chop down dead trees with his chain saw while at the Cabin.
 It was very cold this weekend.  We sat around the fire trying to warm our 38 degree room to 50 degrees. We told ghost stories and laughed and had fun.
 Wayne had all of the kids - Nash, Laila, Holly, Alex - line up to help get the split wood onto the deck.
Uncle Rob.... loves to tease the kids, Laila and Kylie especially. 
 
I tried to make Rice Krispie Treats, but the marshmallow would not cooperate.  
 Truman was being Paul Bunyan.  He split a ton of wood.......
 Wayne just kept cutting up trees and Tru just kept splitting wood...and we used a lot of it in the fire place in an effort to stay warm.
 We played a lot of card games, rode ATV's, ate smores,  foil dinners, went on walks around the loop, played charades, read books and relaxed.  Ahhhhhh Cabin time!

Monday, October 21, 2013

What are the Welches doing right now?

Every so often I make the fam stop and send me a pic of what they are doing. 
Tru is reading for homework.
 
Landon Is on a hayride with his school kids 
Alex is working on a conference call 
Addison is making dolls for The Nutcracker 
Bre is water coloring pics for the baby"s room 
Elder Welch is proselyting on the WMU
Wayne is running errands getting ready for his China triip
Melinda is with Daddy-o. He's feeling a bit better 
Laila is riding carpool to tap class with her friends Heather,  Jonah and Genacie

Friday, October 18, 2013

Friday Flashback

April 28, 1996
Truman came home from preschool last Friday and informed his mom that he only had two more letters left and then he could go to kindergarten.  Melinda said "Really?  What two letters?" To which he answered, wondering about his mother's intelligence..." Y and Z of course...jeezz mom." And then he ran off to tell the good news to the neighbors.

And...because we are getting close to Halloween I have to post this pic....
Truman and Monson...1996

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Thankful Thursday

We have had more "fun" things happen around here.  I keep telling Wayne that I can't wait for 2013 to be over.  It's been a tough one for me....but I'm still trying to have a grateful heart and counting my blessings along the way.

1.  I'm thankful for tender mercies.  My dad fell down Tuesday morning while out on his morning walk around the block.  It got chilly, so he started to trot home, and his head and body got in front of his feet.  He described it as a toddler running down a hill with an inevitable fall.  He fell in the road and caught himself with his face.   He gashed his head and was bleeding like crazy.  He couldn't get up. Angela happened to be coming along right about then, and saw something on the side of the road and realized it was dad and was there to help him.  Preston called Marcie and Wayne and they showed up...Marcie to help stand dad up and get him in a car, and Wayne to meet at the Emergency room and help there.    As we look back on it we see many Tender Mercies along the way...why was Angela going to work at that time?  Why did she drive on 850 East, she always takes 800 East?  Why did Marcie change her normal temple day?   Why?    We are all feeling pretty grateful for these.    Dad has a broken nose, broken orbital bone and a gash on his head that required 9 stitches.   Head wounds are bloody...but Dad is on blood thinners because of his heart attack and the blood would not stop coming. The docs in the ER worked on him for a about 3 hours to get it under control and finally had to put balloons up his nose to stop the flow. It was pretty desperate for a while.  We were all pacing and praying as we watched our father suffer.  He had an overnight hospital stay and now is home recovering.  He of course was hoping to check out of this world...but he gets to be with us all a bit longer.  I'm thankful.

                                    Dad didn't look this bad even in his college boxing days....

2.  I'm thankful for my Wayne.  He is such a strength to me.  I've had my fair share of pity parties lately and he is so understanding and helps me to see the light.

3.  I'm thankful for heat.  My new fireplace insert arrived and I am loving it.  A beautiful fire and a warmer living room.  It's going to be great in the winter mornings when Laila is practicing her piano too.

4.  I'm thankful for Bre.  She just celebrated her 24th birthday and big changes are happening for her.  She is a darling pregnant lady.  I just wished she felt better.  She has had scary kidney infections lately that have been so painful, she can't even walk.  She  had her sister's family in Orlando recently and that helped her out so much.  Her sister Mylissa showed much needed tender loving care, and her bro-in-law doctor  advised and got her on much needed long term antibiotics.  I'm so proud of her for working hard at Disney, even when she has felt so horrible  and for teaching the Gospel Principles class for all of the new members in her ward.  She is amazing.  Can't wait to visit her and Addison the beginning of November.

5.  I'm thankful for missionaries.  Monson comes home in less than 3 months.  We have had 4 solid years of missionary's coming to an end in our home.  (Tru can't wait to see his best brother...and I can't wait to get an updated family picture...but I digress.)   I had the final missionary parent gathering at my home last weekend.  I've been heading this up for the past 4 years.  We had the missionary parents from our ward gather and eat and talk about our kids serving all over the world.   I got kind of teary thinking this is my last parent party.... until Laila goes on her mission that is.

6.  I'm thankful for walks up to the cemetery/temple.  It's good to be outside in the cold sunshine, move my body and clear my head.  A few tears at the cemetery visiting momma's grave is good too.

7.  I'm thankful for Fall Break.  We are going up to the Welch family cabin.  It will be gorgeous and peaceful...and full of family time and card games!

Monday, October 14, 2013

7 hours of dance.

Laila's cute dance group....it's the Martha Graham company at Creative Arts Academy. Laila has upped her dance hours to 7 a week.  This has been a challenge with homework and friend time to still work in. She is determined though and loves every minute she is dancing.  She has tap, contemporary,  2 ballet, 2 ballet strengthening and  jazz.   She has been dancing with some of these girls for the past 4 years. It's fun to watch her grow and get stronger as a dancer.

This is a picture of Laila with all of the Activity day girls her age at a scout camp.   She is one of the oldest and is ready to be done with primary and off to Young Womens.  I remind her often about how much she admired the older girls when she was a young one, and to be sweet and a good example. I probably don't have to do this...she is automatically good.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Friday Flashback

April 14, 1996
 At Loa we drove all over to find the perfect spot to camp.  We found it.  It had a fire pitt and the perfect stream and an out house.  Of course, no one in their right mind would ever go into it.  We all looked up just in time to see Truman looking around to make sure that no one was watching and then he "christened" the outside of the out house.  Gary said that Truman got confused when he heard the name "out house" and thought that he was doing the right Outside thing to the outside of it.

The Welches are great.  Melinda says that that is because she didn't kill any of her boys last week.  They were really a handful.  Things like Monson pulling his pants down and peeing all over the balls at the McDonald play land.  Melinda told the Manager and  he just gave her a grim smile and went to wipe it out.  How can it ever really be clean?  That boy pees EVERYWHERE!

Truman has taken to stuffing his pillow full of goodies during the day so that when he is put to bed he has "something to eat when I get hungry."

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Living Room reveal....tah dah

I have a light and bright room now.
 I really love it.  Of course my photography skills are lacking, and it's much better in person, but it really feels good to be in this room.
 I have many colorful paintings to try out above the fireplace.


 The new windows make a big difference. Still waiting on the fireplace insert so I can have instant fire and ambience.  


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Get up.....

I didn't really want to write about my last fall off my bicycle....but I keep thinking about it and after listening to Pres. Uchtdorf's priesthood talk... well, here I go.

I really like to bike.  I like that I can pedal up 1800 south now.  I like to go long and hard....and I really like to go down hill.  It's all very exhilarating.  Biking is also very  exasperating.   I hate it when I fall, and I seem to fall a lot.

So.....Wayne switched out my bike pedal's in an effort to keep me happy and not have my clipped in feet quite so clipped in.  Now I have ones that are easy to get in and out of, but they only clip in one way...and you have to flip the clip around with your feet, while pedaling to figure it out.

On the day of my last fall.....I was feeling pretty good about myself.  ( Pride goeth before the fall.) I had on my new Jelly Belly bike kit.  It was a  beautiful, sunny Wednesday morn.    I waved at Wayne and Eric Belnap who were coming down the street just finishing their walk.  I  hopped on my bike just out of the driveway.  I couldn't  clip in.  As I was struggling to flip it up right, I forgot to pedal, and with zero momentum, I fell on the road, right in front of Wayne and Eric.  It's a good thing I'm not the swearing type, because many expletives went through my head.   As Wayne and Eric ran to my aide, I told them to get away and just leave me alone.    I lay on the street for quite a while, trying to get my act together.   I was MAD!  I  was EMBARRASSED.
Finally I heard my dad's voice in my head, "Get up... Get up."  It was the same voice that told me to get up when I was 10 and slid off of the back of a horse, which then stepped on my foot.    It was a voice filled with love and concern....."Get up...or the horse will step on your other foot."

       I didn't want to get up....but I did.

                   I was ready to put my bike away for good.....but I didn't.

After some falls it's easy to get up quickly, and shake it off with no big deal.  Other falls take a longer time.  But in the end I get up and keep pedaling.

So much like life.  I know Heavenly Father is always there encouraging me to "Get up."  He knows I can do it....and I know I can do it with His help.  Falling is a good reminder about how vulnerable I really am, and how I don't know how to do everything, and I'm not in charge.

I'm still biking.  I'm still figuring out my clips and I still really like to go long and fast.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Friday Family Flashback

March 31, 1996
Boy do Wayne and Melinda need a medal for being understanding, patient parents.  Monson is a kick. He is everywhere and anywhere.  He is constant motion.  He thinks he is Batman, Power Ranger and the Karate Kid all wrapped up into one.  He is constantly kicking...flying...shadow punching...doing forward Hand springs...and climbing and jumping on and off of everything.   The other morning, very early, he went into his parents bedroom and wanted to get in bed with them.  Melinda said, "No Monson, go down stairs and watch cartoons. "  He told her, "I'm not  Monson, I is Batman."  So she said, "Okay Batman, go down stairs and watch cartoons."  He replied, "I don't have to mind you.  You aren't my mom.  Batman doesn't have a Mom."  She had to hit Wayne for laughing at her under the covers.
While we were there Monson was looking at his baby book.  When he saw his first baby picture he yelled, "Yook, I is a yive!"

Addison is really excited about going to Loa with the whole family.  He over heard Melinda saying that some of the kids could sleep in the Great Room at the lodge.  He jumped up and down in excitement,  "Yeah we get to sleep in the great room.  I don't know what that is, but I like the sound of it."
 Oh, to be that excited about life.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Here's to 3 years of pain!

Laila is an official brace face!  

She is happy having Dr Bailey as her ortho. He is so kind and his office gives out prizes.  Laila has pink and green bands this time. She has to wear elastics all day and night to move her jaw back 


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Working on the Living Room

This is the before pic of the  living room makeover.  I had already started to clear out a bit  but remembered to get one last pic.  Taupe  upper walls, white chair rail, rust lower wall and mostly brown furniture. The colorful buffet is being moved to the entry way. 

After one coat of painting and 6 hours later we are off to a great start !

A week later.....I have sold the coffee table, the trunk and hopefully, the rug.  I spray painted the light fixtures white and kept the ceiling blue. The mirror came down. I can see the pink paint which was the first reincarnation of this room 20 years ago. This room has  been tan and black; pink and cranberry; yellow and blue, then rust and taupe with a blue ceiling and white painted trim.  Now white and more white  



We get windows this week, then curtains go up and all gets put in place.  Can't wait for the big reveal.