Tops for 2021

Top 8 happenings 2021:

1.  Laila getting engaged to Markus Allred

2. Baby George arriving Aug 30

3. Sister Act. Back on stage after 4 years!

4. Wayne lost taste and smell. Now so many things taste and smell like Covid

5. All at Bear Lake!! 

6. Mexico with Wayne. 

7. Year of awesome activities 

8. Ute Football pac 12 champion game and Rose bowl 

Top 5 books:

1. Becoming- Michelle Obama 

2. Everything happens for a reason and other lies I’ve loved- Kate Bowler

3. Talking to Strangers- Malcolm Gladwell

4. The Giver of Stars- Jojo Moyes

5. The Midnight Library- Matt Haig

Top 5 Movies:

1. Cruella

2. In the Heights

3. Free Guy

4. West Side Story

5. SpiderMan No way home

Top 5 Podcasts

 1. Jody Moore- Better Than Happy

2. At Last She Said It

3. Glennon Doyle- We can do Hard Things

4. Pantsuit politics 

5. Kelly Corrigan Wonders 

Top Insta accounts:

1.  Sharon Says So

2. Mintarrow 

3. LDSLiving

4. History Photographed

5. Jen Hatmaker  

Top 9 on Insta

 My top 9  posts:  1.  Me being an ordained Minister and marrying Abby to Jeffrey.  Pics 2 and 3 are the celebration of George's birth.  4.  Family talent show we put on for Grandma Welch as part of our year of awesome service.  5.  My kids... My pride and joy! 6. Bear lake tree pic. 7 Post about being an Ally..and how important it is to me.  8.  My engagement pic from 1983. 9.  Celebrating My Landon's birthday...he's such a great guy. 

Birthday Season has begun

Let our Birthday season begin!   Andre turned 15 on Christmas Andrew ( Dec. 26)  and Monson  celebrated his Golden birthday by turning 29 on Dec. 29th.  

Add to this our Elsie who also had her Golden birthday when she turned 2 on Dec. 2nd... 

We have Wayne, Alfie, Lady, Truman and Laila all within the next three weeks! 
 

I wish...

I am deeply in love with my family right now. They are such good people who are just striving to figure life out and to do what’s right and to love each other and be good citizens. 

I want to be my children’s biggest cheerleader and help them learn to trust themselves and find their path. Just as the God I believe in is doing for me.

As my young-mother-person I made so many mistakes but I wouldn’t change most of that because that’s what got us to be where we are and who we are now. 

But…

I wish I would’ve equipped my kids more with good spiritual skills to be able to separate God and Jesus from my specific church.  When they left my church they left God behind too.  I wish I focused less on Mormony facts and policies so they could leave my church and still have a strong spiritual God life. They could rely on a higher power and not just themselves.  They could always know a loving God of 2nd and 3rd and million chances.  They could be buoyed up in the hard times and have the good times all the sweeter because God is in it.  

I think it would’ve served them better had I done that. 

Christmas Morning

Christmas Day was great.  We had Monson and Lexi and girls sleepover so we had their excited squeals on Christmas morning opening everything from toothbrushes to much-wanted toys.   It was great having Markus here as well… it made Laila’s Christmas so much better.  She’s my grinch around Christmas, but Markus loves Christmas so I think this will lighten her up.  We gave Laila Pots and Pans and a nativity and she actually cried… something for when she moves out.  I also painted an image of Jet in my colorful style wearing turquoise glasses - it’s fun,  and some other gadgets and clothes etc..

Markus flew in on the 24th and leaves Monday night.  They have been going to family party after family party… and just trying to keep themselves and all of their relatives happy.  It’s a job.  

The gift I was excited to give Wayne was of Jesus holding a lamb- called Amazing Grace. Wayne talked so much as a bishop about finding the one, and how we are all the one..and we all need a Savior.  So lambs have special meaning for him.  

Wayne got me snowshoes and new cast iron roasting pans!!  And Rose bowl tickets, to make up for the no Israel trip.

We gave our boy's families either a little giant ladder or a lifetime folding table.  It’s not a year of awesome, like last year…but very useful. 

Tru has been sick ever since his all expenses paid, fly on a private jet and see all the broadway shows weekend.  Omicron?  He’s had 4 negative tests, but he still feels yucky, so he stayed away over Christmas…. We have yet to see him..

We wrapped the living room up so you couldn't see anything-- like we used to do when Laila was little.. and then the little girls burst through.  IT's very dramatic. 

I've been making rice Krispie treats for Christmas morning since we had littles and My mom always made foil-wrapped rice Krispie treats for us when I was growing up.  It's a great tradition.

One of my favorite things I do on Christmas day... solely for me is get out Grandma Butters Royal Dalton china with the gold chargers, gold flatware and gold goblets and have a formal dinner.  I love it. 

My siblings

I love these guys.  It's weird when you lose your parents - the people who were your ties that bind-- to still get together. But I'm so glad my sisters and brother make the time for this to happen.   We laugh and reminisce and keep everyone in the loop about what's happening with our children's lives.  We try and stay away from risky topics like covid and politics...and currently, Religion.  But we do enjoy each other.    

We had our Sibling party at Fat Fish then went to Adam's home after for presents and treats.  

Gary went all out this year and gifted us all a book from Marcie's blog.  She kept a blog from 2009 to 2014 that was forgotten about until now. Gary pulled it all off and got it published.  It's a lot of writing and when I read it I can hear her talking to me.  Her voice is on every page.  

I gave everyone popcorn and a framed pic of my dad with his famous saying... "I am sufficiently suffonsified and anything else would be superfluous," said Lyle Cole at the end of almost every meal.

Cole Candy Houses

We had a new Christmas Eve morning with my Cole family… Megan and Gary put on a fun building of Graham Cracker/gingerbread houses activity.   

We had an easy breakfast and then Megan had put together 39 houses in advance..and with a ton of frosting and everyone  bringing candy to share… we built some fun- loaded with candy - houses. It was a labor of love.  

Liz and Al made a baseball stadium with an A on it for Utah State Aggies.  

Andrew and Sophia were really into it…they stayed making and creating for at least an hour…it made it all worth it. 

Wayne made a special red and white U of U house with a molded out of airheads Rose on the top ( by Addison)  to celebrate the upcoming Rose Bowl.  It turned out great.  We took it to Dave Steward– our old YSA and Utah’s biggest fan and Dave was over the moon thrilled by it.  

Christmas Eve Polish Dinner

 Our Christmas around the world this year featured Poland.   Lexi's maternal grandma's line is Polish so it was great to see her calling her grandma and getting recipes.  I have a lady in my ward, Emilia Wing who is Polish and when I talked to her about a Polish Christmas she said that she had a Polish Christmas every year growing up, but they just called it Christmas.  

We went around the table to give New Year WISHES... and when Lady got to me instead of money or health etc... she said, "I wish Meema will always have Chicken nuggets in her freezer so I can have some."

In Poland, they do a lot of  Catholic tied-in traditions.  They put hay on the table or under the table cloth to represent the manger for the Christ child.  They set an extra place setting for any stranger who may happen to stop by.  They all eat fish.  They serve 12 dishes to represent the 12 apostles or modern-day-- 12 months of the year -- and you need to have at least a bite out of each dish if you want good luck every month of the new year.  They wait to see the first star before starting eating...  They start the dinner late and then all go to midnight mass.  They break bread as they sit around the table and as they share the bread to the next person, they make a wish for them for the NEW YEAR.  

SO we did not have fish... Monson and others make this a no go.. but I got out my fish plate to represent that.  

We had Pierogi's, pedodees- a potato pancake,  polish dogs, kielbasa, polish saurkraut, polish potato salad ( think summer potato salad and then add carrot, apple, and canned corn ) chocolate babka, and an amazing cheesecake that Bre made.  

We had Monson's family,  Addison's family and my dear friend Paula Carlson.  

I made a Polish star ornament to remember this night. 

Christmas Pics by Pepperfox

Our Pepperfox team-- Bre and Addison opened up their garage for some fun and silly Christmas pics.

Welch Happenings 2021:

Bishop Wayne finally released from YSA ward- served almost 5 years.  Yes, there is life after this calling.

Melinda loves being a Meema to her grands.  Life coaches many and continues as a Utah Online School teacher

Addison and Bre added baby George to their family in August.   Addison is currently the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Hale Center theatre.  Theatre, photos and art fill their days. Alfie (7) and Poppy (4) are growing and going! Alfie loves his accelerated school class.  Poppy lost her front tooth and is now waiting for years for her permanent one to grow in.

Landon and Alex moved to Bountiful in September.  Landon does hair for Great Clips and at his home.  Alex works from home and Sophia (12) and Andrew (15) are schooling from home online.

Tru is loving apartment living in SLC.  He is a personal assistant to "P", and travels a ton with friends.

Monson works from home for Pest Routes and Lexi is a realtor.  They celebrated a best year for football- Utes won the PAC 12 and Michigan the Big 10 champs. Tayla (6) Lady (3) Elsie (2) all love their new dog -  Glitter Bow.

Laila works as pharmacy tech for Smiths and is engaged to Markus Allred with nuptials in Sept. 2022.