New Years Eve 2022

 New Years Eve

We were with some of our ride or die friends, Laura and Eric Belnap at their St. George home.  We did the count down toasted, blew horns and cheered at 8:30!  This is like Midnight to Eric.  It was okay. My arm is a struggle right now...so not doing my best. 

 Add and Bre came by with their kids since they are down here for the weekend as well-- to help us usher in the New year.  

Moments remembered from 2022

 Moments to remember from 2022 ( in no particular order)

On zoom call crying with my Sunseekers over Doc Johnston cancer diagnosis. Just looked at each other in silence and couldn’t stop the tears. 

In Brazil at the resort while Alex is in hospital. So much unknown. Landon had a complete breakdown with thoughts of losing everything. I told him we are here for him no matter — all seemed so big, til seem so small 

Brazil million dollar wedding- walking into the venue-  wowza - all done up with my hair and makeup from a salon. 

West valley stage performing in "Little Women."  Falling down on stage. Twice! Breaking my foot.

Falling into a watery ravine at the tide pools totally soaked on Labor Day! No help. Full of struggle. 

Playing Code Names at beach house on mission beach family vacay.  So much laughter. Kids non stop playing of Sleeping Queens. 

Markus and Laila standing in front of court Justice to get marriage license and the only thing in my head was the song "One heart" from West Side Story and thinking how small and young they are.

Family roast and toast at Laila and Markus wedding dinner.  So funny. So tender. 

A Wayne in a manger 

In Israel at the Top of Mount of transfiguration hearing little church group sing, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. No turning back. “ I got a warm tingle from the top of my head down to my toes, and knew it was the spirit testifying to me of this truth. 

In Israel on Sea of Galilee in a boat singing "Master the tempest is raging."  Me leading the group with the microphone.  Then singing gospel music with crew—. “He’s got the whole world in his hand”. 

Laila Wedding day, first step onto platform to walk Laila down the aisle and the rain started coming down. 

Alfie getting baptized by Addison. New blue suit.  Glorious day. 

Tru coming to church on Christmas to hear us sing. 

Finding out Monson has his jaw tumor back. YIKES.   Scheduled for a 3rd surgery. 

Favorite 2022 Book Reads

The Girl with the Louding Voice - Abi Dare

Guncle - Steven Rowley

Better than Happy - Jody Moore

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune

Monson turns 30!

 

This is what LEXI wrote about Monson for his birthday...

He’s 30, he’s flirty (to me) and he’s THRIVING!

Here are 3️⃣0️⃣ things that we love about our boi! 

1. Lady loves when he tells her he’s sorry after Elsie is rude and doesn’t apologize. (Typical Lady answer. #middlechildsyndrome 🤣)

2. Tayla loves that he plays games with her. 

3. Elsie loves when he lets her watch him play video games. (Not play with him. Just watch him…)

4. His sense of humor. 

5. That he loves reality TV

6. His hugs.

7. His melodramatic-ness. 

8. His STELLAR beard

9. That he reaches for me even in his sleep. (It’s swoon worthy)

10. That he sings (loud for all to hear)

11. His unwavering faith. 

12. That he keeps the peace as much as possible. 

13. His curly hair. 

14. That he loves Michigan (Go Blue!) 〽️

15. That he trains and takes care of our dog that we (the girls and I) all love and he never wanted. 

16. McDonalds (iykyk)

17. His high aspirations. 

18. That he’ll wear/do any crazy thing because he doesn’t fear embarrassment.

19. That he does all. the. dishes. 

20. He’s cuddly. 

21. He supports me and the girls in anything and everything we choose to do. 

22. His confidence!

23. He’s kind.

24. His efficiency.

25. That when he was told his tumor was back, his first thought was me.

26. That he raps. 

27. That even though his faith never waivers, he never judges me or anyone else when theirs does. That he truly understands that everyone is on their own path in life. 

28. That he’ll watch any show I ask him to so that he can give me a summary 😂

29. His love for pizza 🍕 

30. That he chose me and continues to choose me everyday. 

Above all, we love his love. He makes me fall in love with him all over again every single day and I can’t wait to do 30 more years by his side. 

Love you ♾️, Monson Welch

Christmas Andrew

 We started this week out celebrating Christmas Andrew. Andrew’s 16th birthday. And Wayne and I finally gave him and Sophia “the grandkid trip.”  We never do birthday gifts for our grandkids and hardly Christmas presents really just Christmas PJs because we always talk about how we’re gonna take them on a big trip so this is the year we are cashing in on that for Sophia and Andrew. We are heading to New York City February 8. We’re going to see Wicked and we’re going to see Harry Potter and the Cursed child and we’re gonna do museums and eat all the food and see historic sites and I can’t wait. It’s gonna be a riot!! Sophia and Andrew were in shock...they were very surprised

Christmas miracle

 I Had a great Christmas day experience - we had 9 o’clock church and we have been practicing “Were you there” to sing a special musical number in our ward -Landon, me, Wayne, Monson, Lexi and Tayla were singing. 9:00 church  is a big Christmas morning sacrifice and I was so grateful that two of my boys and Lexi agreed to sing with Wayne and I.

“Were you there” is a beautiful song that I love but also kind of hard to sing because we sang at my mom‘s funeral and I always think of her so I kind of cried at rehearsals and thought I had all my tears gone, well, I was wrong. 

Lauta sent this pic of us from her phone

Fast forward…We are standing in our ward now all six of us upfront by the microphone and I turn my head back to take the gum out of my mouth that I forgot, was in my mouth and as I turned back around, I see in the back of the cultural hall Truman walk in looking so handsome, and I actually gasped because I thought he would never darken the church doors again. It felt like the Prodigal son had returned! (I get that we are all prodigal sons)  He has hard time with God and Jesus and all the things —I gasped and then my heart just melted and tears sprang to my eyes and I could not stop crying. I couldn’t sing the song for the first three verses.  Finally by verse four I could sing, but it was just so heartwarming to me that he would do that to support us because he knew how much it meant to me.  

Here’s the deal- my family carried me and the song when I was full of emotion and couldn’t go on.  It was such a tender thing for me to witness — that is what families are and what families do for each other – just like they have carried me through this season when I can't wrap or cook or clean up or do all the things I want to do. 

Funny, Tru came to hear me sing and then I  couldn’t sing, because of him.  But it was very sweet. I told him he won Christmas. And the bishop told us that Landon won for shoes. He wore his rhinestone shoes that he got for the wedding in Brazil and they are pretty stunning and the bishopric all voted. They said, hands-down Landon’s the winner of best shoes.

Christmas Day 2022

Christmas Highlights:

We made our Christmas Santa rice crispy treats that we do and wrap in silver foil - that my mom and dad did forever and that now I’ve done for my kids forever - and they just are so good on Christmas morning when people are unwrapping gifts to just be chewing on a piece of foil wrapped rice crispy treat.  It tastes like Christmas morning. 

We laughed and recalled the time when Laila was 16 years old - so four years ago and she’s the only one left at home and those that are sleeping over or putting the kids to sleep and starting to put Christmas presents out and make their Santa gifts etc. and now It’s 9 o’clock at night and I am starting to make rice crispy treats.    In the past it would be like 11 o’clock at night when I make these to make sure Laila is in bed as well. But it’s 9 o’clock at night and Laila comes into the kitchen with tears in her eyes and said, “mom You’re ruining Christmas- you make the Rice Krispies?”   like she had no idea that I actually made the rice crispy treats that Santa really didn’t do that. I said,”Laila you’re 16 I need your help. She says you’re ruining the Christmas magic”. We laugh about it now. 

Christmas morning Monson was in charge of breakfast here and he made cheese ham bacon omelettes for everybody. That was very nice of him 

We had a big family dinner around 2 o’clock today with Landon and Alex bringing Gameday stew and Wayne with Rolls and Truman with a salad and Addison and Bre with sweet potato stacks and they just all pitched in and did all that because I can’t because of my shoulder surgery and it was really nice. We didn’t get out grandma‘s beautiful gold flatware and her Royal Albert plates this year - we just did paper which is fine - but I will pull that out every year that I can.  I’m sentimental like that.  

We gave our kids some awesome chairs -like camp chairs but they fold down to maybe 15 inch long bag that’s maybe 4 inches deep and 4 inches across that’s really lightweight that you can put in a bag for the beach or a soccer game.  it just kind of pops all out and hooks all together in an instant — we are pretty excited about these chairs. I don’t if the kids are yet, but I think they will be when they start using them - And A bountiful kitchen cookbooks that my friend Si wrote, and Bre did all the lifestyle photography for. 

It’s been a beautiful Christmas - as I sit here in the afterglow of wrapping paper everywhere, and a mad, noisy crazy house and a ton of shoes by the back door, and grandkids, laughing, and crying together and dishes piled high - I’m just looking at my tree and my house is now peaceful and I’m pondering on why I love Christmas so much —It really is family time and creating memories and the feeling of peace and love and gratitude and I know all these good things come from God - I feel that.  

Christmas Eve 2022

 

We had a really fun Christmas Eve.  We started with Breakfast and Candy house making at the Call's,  I love seeing my sibs and families on Christmas eve.  Checking in with everyone is good  and the kids excitement for this day is palpable. 

Landon was the "winner" this year, with his silver and gold house.  Addison had big ideas to decorate his flat, then glue it all together,  but his icing and candy was too heavy and it all was a disaster.

Israel was our COUNTRY this year and Wayne did great going to a restaurant in SLC that's run by a guy from Jerusalem..."Sharazad".  We had meat skewers, rice, pita, hummus, babganoush...grape leaves.  We ate by candlelight on the floor.   ( until Wayne was too dizzy and we had to turn the lights on).  

And then my kids exchanged gifts. I love seeing the thoughtful, personal gifts they give each other.

Our Nativity was awesome. Alfie was a wise man, Poppy and Tayla were angels. Elsie was a shepherd, and she had one goat that she took care of Monson in a goat mask. That’s what he brought for his nativity costume - a goat mask! He wanted to be the Greatest Of All Time in the nativity..we reminded him that Jesus already had that title. It was so funny - and then Lady was Mary and Addison was Joseph and our baby Jesus was rambunctious 18 month old curious George - he would not hold still. He was into everything and we’re like “Jesus get over here, Jesus stop playing the piano, Jesus come get on your mother's lap.” It was pretty funny but it’s also very sweet. Wayne plays the piano, we read the nativity story from the scriptures and we sing songs. I testified to my grand kids that this is a true story, and it really did happen.

Women at the Nativity

 I arranged my big nativity a little different this year. I was feeling sorry for Mary, having all the cows and the sheep and the men around when really all she probably wanted was a good woman to talk to. ( and a good night sleep) So…. I put Mary and baby Jesus with a woman holding a lantern, a woman playing music  and woman with a child. I thought about having babies and who I want around me and it’s women who have experience with their own families and lots of wisdom.  Women who buoy me up by sharing their light and women to talk to, laugh, and cry with  and to keep me entertained.  That’s what I wanted when I had my babies and I’m pretty sure Mary would want that too. 

Now I love me some men and I love me some animals, but there are some things that only other women will understand.  Women need Women. 

God's Favorite

 

My Christmas Card

 Thanks to Bre for having fun with my Santa pictures.

Elf Party

 Our Extended Welch ELF party was a success.  We had 70 family members come– and share in the ELF movie magic.  

We had the worlds best Spaghetti, plus had Dessert spaghetti with candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup for those who DARED to try it.   Wayne did Elf trivia and threw out welch’s fruit snacks as prizes. 

We set up an ELFIE station to get a pic with Elf decorated with white chain and snowflakes- that everyone helped to make - like the movie.  We sang loud, had a dance break to “Whoomp There it is”, a relay race of Elf’s best day with snow angels, ice skating, eating cookie dough and snuggling grandma and ended with a snowball fight of everyone against the UNCLES. 

I love my family for always going along with my crazy ideas.  So Glad Monson and Lexi and Girls could attend this.  At the end we threw in a Jesus devotional - given by Terry, sang Silent Night with Holly doing her favorite sign language and had a prayer…cuz that’s who we are.