Pioneer weekend celebration

 Laila makes a darling cheerleader with the BHS tribe.    We got a pic of her and Grandma Welch before the Bountiful parade started and we were amazed how they are now the same size.  Either Laila is growing or Grandma is shrinking.

Laila was on the float cheering witht eh SBO's and then.....

 Papa Wayne rushed into the street to get an upclose and personal picture...and Laila about died.

 She hid her face and ran to the other side of the float.  It was SOOOOO Funny.  We do our best to embarrass her.  IT builds character right??

Alf is finally letting Papa put him on the motorcycle and just sit like tough guys...one day he may even let Wayne turn the motorcycle on.

 After the parade we invited family, friends and YSA’s from our ward to come to our home for hot scones, music from a DJ ( Nate Gates) and fireworks.   It was a great turnout.  Our regular fam and friends who come on this night didn’t know quite what to think, but they were good sports.   The joy of being a YSA Bishop.   It actually was a lot of fun and quite festive…we had music before the fireworks, patriotic music during the fireworks and dance party music after the fireworks til 11:00.  I was grateful for Linda Wangsgaard helping me pull 170 scones.   

Bear Lake Then and Now

I pulled out this picture from 13 years ago of all of the kids climbing in our bear lake tree to compare it to our tree pic of this year.   It's great to see how so much changes and so much stays the same.   The kids are all growing and going every which way, but our love for each other and the lake continues. 

9 to 5 is coming

My 9 to 5 Show is coming!!! So excited to be doing the role of Violet again this time with Jana Plowman as Judy and Ally Sweeney as Doralee.  They are great.  It's also fun to have Gary Pimentel as Mr. Hart again.                                                                

Bear Lake 2017

Cole Family Bear Lake reunion is in the Books… We had a great time!  A few tears were shed as we came in the gates and thought of Mom and Dad and Marcie and the many years we spent together here.  It’s almost a sacred place to me.   I can’t believe it’s been 45 years since we first vacationed here…it’s comforting and a bit crazy all at the same time.  We spent the week doing what we all know how to do at the Lake, set up camp,  sit at the beach, go out on the boat,  bike, golf, games at night in the condos, take turns for making dinner and eating under the trees,  try not to get burned, read lots of books,  see Juanito Bandito, wake board,  tube,  eat at Le Beaus and Zips and Bear Lake pizza, try all the Shake flavors and do it all again the next day.   It’s pretty great.    I was pleased to have most of my kids there..only missing Alex, Sophia and Andrew… Truman even flew in for a few days at the Lake.  It was great having Cindy and Colen Sweeten's family with us for a few days too.  

FAMILY FAVORITES:

Truman -
Wake Boarding
Spending hours on the boat
Actually being good at volleyball
Alfie and Tay on the boat

Addison-
tubing with Alf
Jumping in the lake off the boat with Alf
Hanging on the boat with the fam
Trying all the raspberry shakes

Monson-
 Family Time

 Being on the boat.

Lexi-

 Playing Cards

 So much boat time

 Tayla tubing

 Taste testing raspberry shakes.

Tayla-

 Taste testing shakes

 Being on the boat

 Being pulled in her wagon

Landon:  

Being on the beach--it's my heaven

Shakes, treats, and games with the sibs, parents, and fam

Boating everyday with Poppa

Our 3 tents on the beach... tan, Dallas Cowboys, U of U.

Laila:

Bicycling with KP to zips for lunch everyday

Tubing like a crazy person

Time with Tayla and Alfie

Melinda:

So much boat time on great, beautiful blue, calm water with all my kids and Tayla and Alf

Little nightly devotionals about my parents and lessons learned

Here's  little recap of what was shared at our nightly dinner devotional:  

Angela-enjoy life. She got sucked in to only studying  and turned down dates and fun. Mom encouraged fun

Liz- Christmas memories shared around

Me- Dad exuded kindness. Loved watching fam this week being nice to each other even though we are so different. Good to be kind

Adam- memory of Dad always leaving the lake in the middle of the week to go down to Bountiful and "water his tomatoes."  Really he just wanted to sleep in his own bed.    Adam left too for a night.

Calls- music memories. Singing "last night I dreamed that I was a tiger" on the swings as high and loud as we could.  Also sang " once I went in swimming" to honor Dad.