December birthdays

Andrew turned 10  Dec. 26th.  We celebrated with family and Pie in the Face game, presents, cake and ice cream.  Andrew is in a Troll phase now and Star Wars. Andrew is tender hearted, kind to all, a quiet player who flies under the radar.  He is so sweet to his sister and little cousins.  He got a cell phone for this birthday and he's thrilled.

 Delicious chocolate cake and Brazilian Brigadeiro    -- chocolate, walnut and coconut

Pie in the face was a hoot... of course Andrew and Alfie did not want to play.  This has too much of an element of surprise and  a mess that makes it so my little extra sensory kids do not want to play.   Sophia did it over and over again , of course, and even Tayla wanted to do it. It's interesting to me how my little grandsons are more hesitant  to try things and my little granddaughters are full of enthusiasm about life.  

 Monson turned 24 and we celebrated at TOP GOLF.  What a riot.   It's made golfing fun and accessible to all... like bowling.  You sit around and chat and eat til it's your turn to hit 5 balls...  You pay for an hour at a time, and you can have one golfer or  up to 6.   A waiter comes around takes your food order and keeps drinks coming etc.

 We all had such a great time, whether you are a good golfer or not. Even the littles loved it.  Such a fun night.  It was really sweet watching Wayne help Alfie with his club.  Not so sweet trying to help Laila with her swing...she would not have it.  We had Laila's friend KP with us too.   Even though you are outside, there are heaters, so it's really quite warm.

Foot surgery

I'm having foot surgery January 3rd.... and I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at once.  I've had a hurt foot since July when I was in rehearsal for Hello Dolly and wearing character shoes and boots.  At some point my foot just gave out and my toes split apart and the ball of my foot was in searing pain.  I've been going to doctors, buying orthopedic shoes and hobbling around ever since.  My foot feels great if I stay off of it... but that's not going to happen....so I'm having surgery.  Doc Johnston is going to reattach ligaments, a tendon and shorten my metatarsal bone so the bones on my 2nd and 3rd toe don't collide anymore.  I will be out of commission for 6 weeks... no weight bearing, on a knee chair and crutches, then in a boot for 6 more weeks...then therapy.  What a way to spend the winter months.

Christmas Day

We are having a WHITE Christmas… 17 inches in one snow storm.  The only sad part is church got cancelled… I love church on Christmas…the good part is  all the kids made it here through the storm so we could start opening presents by 9:00 am.  We couldn’t distract Alf for much longer.  Wayne was out snow blowing the driveway trying to make it available to all the extra cars that need a spot….  Addison was stalling waiting for Landon and Alex to show up with the Puppy surprise that Bre and Alf had no idea about…. And Monson and Lexi were trying to slide down their center street hill and then climb up our 1500 south hill in crazy snow.  Phew… it was quite the morning.  Once the present opening started  all of the crazy snow was forgotten.   

Laila’s highlights were a humanitarian trip to the Mexican Riveria with Wayne and I and the Wangsgaards in June., and 100 gel pens for drawing on herself and anyone else who will let her.   Addison, Bre and Alf are so excited for their little Yorki-Poo named Harvey.  Landon gave Alex a beautiful painting of the Savior reaching down into the water to symbolically pull us out.  Lexi gave Monson a LeBron James Cell phone cover and Tayla just wanted her puffs and the boxes.  Wayne gave me a coat and purse and we all gave Wayne too many “toys”  a drone and a magnet car set, and a remote controlled flying shark…just what he wanted.   

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Looks like a Christmas Joy bomb exploded in this room

We gave all of the older kids money and a big case of Charmin toilet paper with a note that said… “We know that sometimes being an Adult can stink…in fact it can be really crappy.  We just wanted to get you something to wipe some of your worries away.”    IT was great having everyone here and just spending time together. 

Doing a puzzle in my Momma Sheri's honor

The sun came out about 4:30 and the day just looked glorious!!

Laila and Wayne doing their annual Daddy Daughter toast.

Another fun present was Jazz tickets for Wanee.  She is a huge fan and will go to a game with her 4 boys on Jan. 13^th.  She was thrilled!   Wanee gave all of us a little book with pics of her and Wanda and quotes about growing up and life.  It’s a treasure that Bre helped her put together. 

We had Joel Blodgett with us for most of the day from Lunch through to dinner.   Wayne and I home teach his family, who were gone to Kentucky for 2 weeks.  We watched movies, did puzzles, ate pizza for lunch then a full on roast beef  and mashed potato dinner.   I set the table with  Grandma Butters beautiful Prince Albert Rose china and gold flat ware.  I love pulling this out  for Christmas.   Laila's face is "killing me" in this shot... she of course made a a funny face on purpose. 

The night ended with Truman flying in and secretly getting to our home with Elf Lexi and Elf Monson picking him up  around 8 pm.   It was a real surprise.  So happy he could be here too. 

All my Christmas pictures just kind of look the same, year after year... so many of the same faces doing the same things.  I like that.  I like sameness, it's comforting.   If I stop and think too much about the ones that are missing from the pictures, I get melancholy...... so I try not to focus on that and just enjoy the present with whomever I'm with.  

Christmas Eve is finally here!

We are keeping up the Cole Family Breakfast tradition started by our beloved parents in the 1960's.... 

 Breakfast at the Call home, singing  and white elephants.   We had a request this year to sing some choir music when we are altogether like we used to do at Mom and Dad's on Christmas eve.  We didn't sing the Hallelujah chorus, although we could have, but we did do a superb rendition of Were you There.  Most people sang it, I cried through it.  This is one of my favorite Christmas songs and funeral songs, since we sang it at mom's funeral as per her request.   I can still hear my mom's voice when we sing it, such a beautiful full alto.

The white elephants featured a giant poster of Bre in the Pirate Queen at HCT,; a CD of 3 Christmas carols that Fernanado put his whole heart and soul and non voice into...called Fernando's Chrimbus.  IT's really so funny and Christmas slippers!   

 Then.....bowling at Orchard Bowl this year, not Bountiful Bowl.

 THe Grandkids loved it.  Alf cheered after every pushed ball down the alley. I got a strike...and a lot of gutter balls.  It's pretty much the one time a year we all bowl and realize how mediocre we all are at it.

 German Christmas Eve... was Wunderbar!   Wayne ran into Siefried's Deli and got yummy German Deli food including Brats, Fried potatoes, Kaiser rolls, Sauerkrut, Red cabbage.... 

Laila cut out a ton of snowflakes to adorn our ceiling.

I was in love with Wayne's authentic GERMAN hat...straight from Germany 10 years ago. 

Laila and I made soft German Pretzels....they were delicious.... we were pretty proud.

Wayne cooling up our BRATS....

We borrowed Nutcrackers from the Belnaps  for table decorations.

 Gingerbread house and cookie decorating  with Monson decorating a Hitler cookie.... he's crazy.

 I was thankful Angela, Guy and Preston joined us....

Laila and Addison fashioned a beautiful red and green gingerbread house 

and then the MOUTH GUARD game.... the big mouth people are good at this...

Christmas Card 2016

SIbling Party

Happy Christmas ADAM.....  My sibling and bonus sibling party was hosted by Elf Adam and Christine. We went to a really expensive restaurant with good food..but so overpriced...Kimi's...won't ever go again, because it was so dark and made Wayne so dizzy.  But it was good to be together and the restaurant was quiet so we could talk and hear each other.  Then we ended up at Adam's home to exchange gifts and have dessert.    We are at Christmas #2 without Marcie and Dad and #4 without Mom, it's still hard for all of us and more so for Gary. (He teased that he didn't bring a Date this year.)
Christine and Adam have a list they put out each year on how to properly celebrate Christmas Adam... it's mostly all of the stuff ADAM does on  this made up holiday that drives Christine nuts.

Comments

Christine Cole Christmas Adam

1. Celebrate this day of regret for all of the Christmas things you just didn't bother to do. I.e. Christmas cards, letters , office gifts, neighbor gifts etc. etc.

2. On this day we celebrate the panic we feel when wondering if we got equal amounts of stuff for our children. The answer is, of course, a resounding NO!

3. On this day it is appropriate and required to say something nice about the Dallas Cowboys. For example, "At least they're not the Redskins" or "Tony Romo has a cute bum." You get it .

4. On this day you should plan to hit every Ross store in a 100 mile radius so you can buy yourself Christmas presents. You know, like shoes you don't really need , or golf clothing. It's such a great deal you HAVE to buy it. Make sure to run it by the wife first though so she can give it a celebratory eye roll.

5. Spend the entire day of "Christmas Adam" trying to boss the wife around then enjoy a nice rest on a freezing cold street corner after you get kicked out of the car.

6. There is a meal or snack every hour on Christmas Adam. All of these festivities require fuel from foods that are bad for you. Try to eat all of them.

7. For a happy holiday for the whole family it is important to know where all of the best bathrooms are all of the time. Especially after activity #6.

8. It is very important to wear layers for "Christmas Adam" because if some people get too warm they become more irritating as the holiday progresses. Seriously they act like human spontaneous combustion is a real Thing. It's not , Google it.

9. While enjoying this most festive of holidays remember to spend all day making up your own words to every Christmas carol you know. Except The Little Drummer Boy. It's actually banned on Christmas Adam .....in fact it's just banned, period. Rum pa pum dumb.

10. And finally, ( you made it to the end, YAY!) make sure you tell everyone you know and everyone you don't, (total strangers), "Hey, did you know it's Christmas Adam?" Say it in your loudest and most obnoxious voice so everyone in addition to the checker at Costco is sure to hear you. ALL DAY LONG!

Happy Christmas Adam everyone!

Juanito Bandito DAY!!!!

SIBLING LUNCH.... I love that my kids all "tried" to find a time to be together and exchange gifts while Truman was in town...it almost worked.  Alex and Monson didn't make it because of a surprise work meeting and a crash on the freeway...  trying was the important part.  SUSHI all around!  

We have all been looking forward to Juanito Bandito's Christmas since Bre was asked to be a part of it!  We love going to see Junito Bandito at the Pickleville Playhouse in  Bear Lake and have also got a big kick out of the Christmas show.  Bre has had a wonderful time with the Davis family... she reports that they are all generous and kind and delightful to work with.     

Part of the Bandito experience is wearing the free mustache that is passed out to the audience.  Of course Wanee got int he action.  She is a great sport!     We loved.. "I don't like Christmas... I love it"  song and the "Not Christmas holiday ."    We knew we would laugh a lot and we did, we didn't know how sweet the message would be this year.   Bre's song, "Christmas is a chance to begin..." was beautiful.  
Do you love?

Do you live?

Do you care?

Do you give?

Can you find some still in your soul?

Do you pause now and then to feel something within?

No matter where you have been, this Christmas is your chance to begin.

Holly didn't like the mustache...but she loved the show.  She hooted and hollered and cheered really loud when Santa came  on stage with gift for Juanity.   She  "couldn't believe it."

 I couldn't believe it either.... Juanito ( TJ Davis) is so talented... he writes the show, writes original music, directs and stars inJuanito Bandito shows for the past 10 years.  WOW  Bre was perfect at Alia the elf and it was a dream come true for her because she got to wear elf ears!!!

Tru grew his own mustache, Wayne, Me, Kaitlyn Pattison- Laila's BFF, and Wanee

The message of Juanito Bandito's Christmas was really sweet in between all of the laughter.... Here is what the Director TJ Davis wrote in the program....

The message of tonight's show is that Santa exists to remind children of all ages that there is a Higher Power who "sees us when we're sleeping and knows when we're awake."  The "Man up North" will provide us with the things on our wish lists provided that we continue to do our personal best...one choice at a time.  The real Father Christmas truly does send "helpers' to love us and nudge us toward the light when we lose our way.  

May we all regain that feeling of Christmas wonder by remembering that all things testify of Him, most especially during the most wonderful time of the year!

Welch Family Christmas party

It's the big extended WELCH party and boy did we have FUN!!!

Haley, Hunter, Alex, Laila, Becca, Savannah, Anna, Abby-- 10-17 year old group

30- 50 year old group.... Derrick ( Shelbi's boyfriend), Jill, Mark with baby Kingston, Holly, Tami and Rob

50 and above group lined up oldest to youngest.... Grandma Welch, Steve, Clark, Jane, Sandy with Kingston, Wayne, Melinda, Terry, Cyrrena holding Boston.

Twinning is winning... we had three sets of double sweaters.  Mark with Sandy, Haley with Jill and Cyrrena with Me.

Wayne and Wanee rocked the vests.....

20-30 age group with James and Lindsey, Sara, Alora, Shelbi holding Victor, Lizzie and Monson

Family nativity with 3 Angels, 2 sheep, 3 Mary's 2 baby Jesus and 4 wisemen.  

Lindsey with her darling baby elf...Kingston.