Manifest of Spiritual Certainty

I am a daughter of GOD

I know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Way…through his atonement I can renew again and again.

I know I have felt the spirit of the Holy Ghost.

My purpose is in relationship- to come to know GOD and help/ love others along the way.

My testimony is of the power of the Priesthood. 

I know LOVE, compassion and curiosity help me to become more Christ like. 

I am a big fan of Agency… I understand this is the plan.  

I believe in angels and ancestors.

I believe in a Mother and Father in heaven.

I believe in the power of fasting and prayer.

I believe in prophets and apostles who are here to help, lead and guide.

I believe in the covenants I make in the temple— they help my life to be better. 

I believe in forever families and in the sealing power of the temple. 

I believe in an amazing after life where my parents and grandparents are waiting for me with open arms.

I believe in my baptismal covenants in bearing one another burdens, in mourning with those who mourn and comforting those who stand in need of comfort and standing as a witness of GOD at all time and in all things and in all places.

I believe in what I read in the Book of Mormon and the greater knowledge it gives me about my Savior and the atonement.

I’m grateful for Joseph Smith, flawed human that he was and that we all are, that he stayed the course and God worked with him to bring the restoration of the Gospel.

I believe the moral arc of the universe is long and God’s in charge and it will all work out beautifully. 

February Birthdays

 We are celebrating two birthdays in February, Alex Buzelli and Grandma Welch.

Alex is turning 40 this year and we are celebrating.  I got out Grandma Butters' good china and se tht etable with gold flatware, because Alex appreciates a nicely laid table.  

Bre made Alex's favorite Olive Oil cake with brown butter frosting, and we all went around and said what we love about Alex. ... thoughtful, kind, warm hugs, generous, grateful he let us take his treasured kids to NYC, loving, dependable.   We love singing happy birthday- but it's best in Portuguese! I'm so happy that Landon found Alex ten years ago and that he's become such an important part of our family.

Our George loving his cake! 

Poppy, Bre, Alex and Landon

Addison and Bre gave Tru a Lego head for Christmas and it got delivered.  It was fun to see Truman with the littles gathered around building his Marsha Marsha Marsha likeness.

Poppy, Tru and Alfie smiling after conquering the LEGO

We celebrated Wanee's 87th birthday by going to Chuck-a-rama-- and then back to her living room for gifts and to share memories.  Wanee is a wonderful spirit. She is strong in her testimony of Jesus Christ and loves her family dearly.  We laughed a lot.  A beautiful picture of Wanee that I hold in my heart is her bringing in little, 9 month old Laila into the temple sealing room.  Laila always had an affinity for Grandma Welch from the first hours she was ours.  She was so happy to have Wanee hold her little hand while the rest of us knelt around the altar to become a forever family.  I have other temple memories with Wanee-- mostly of us quietly chuckling at each other when a stomach growls, or we fall asleep and have to wake each other up.  She's the best!  I couldn't have chosen a better bonus mom.

Steve and Jane, Clarke and Sandy, Mark and Jill, Tami and Rob, Melinda and Wayne, Holly and Wanee.  (Dale, Terry and Cyrrena all joined us for dinner but not the picture.)

NYC with Sophia and Andrew

We did our first Grandkid NYC trip.  We never have given our grandkids birthday presents, and we always tell them that when they get older we will take them on an amazing trip!  Well we finally cashed in with the first two.  Andrew and Sophia were perfect traveling companions. They never complained and just kept going and going and going.  We had many 20,000 step days. 

All the ways we traveled on this trip:

our Car
Shuttle bus
Moving walk way
Elevator
Escalator
Airplane
Taxi- and horn 
Subway
Ferry
STAIRS 
Uber

 I told them that NYC is Meema's Disneyland and I pointed out, explained and had them experience why that is so for me.  

We left on the Red Eye flight Wednesday night at almost midnight.  We had celebrity Kristen Chenowith on our flight– the original Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. Sophia was thrilled to see her first celebrity. None of us really slept on the flight, although we tried, and we got to NYC and taxied into Manhattan. Our Taxi driver was awesome. HE drove fast , changed lanes a lot and used his horn constantly.  He did the byways and the highways and we got to the Marriott Marquis on Time’s Square in record time. And the most amazing news of all…we were able to check into our room and not just drop our bags.  We took a two hour nap and were ready to go by 9:30.  

We went to the Stardust Diner for breakfast and had pancakes while the wait staff sang and performed for us.  We really liked the guy who sang a song from “Little Mermaid”  and passed out straws like roses to everyone is a very dramatic fashion. We also learned how to say “Yous guys” like real New Yorkers.   “Hey I’m walking here” 

Then off to the Statue of Liberty.  We got subway tix - and the kids loved figuring out this experience.  The ferry ride was awesome. Cold but doable.  (IT’s fun to see all of the different forms of transportation we took on this vacay.)  Being on Liberty Island and being able to climb into the crown of the Statue was great.  No one has been able to climb this since 9/11 so we felt pretty special to have this experience.  Climbing into the crown is no small feat.  Sophia and I were feeling it in our thighs. The spiral staircase was wild.  The windows at the top are smaller than before.  But still great to look out of.    We took a lot of funny pics and got the green foam statue of liberty crown to wear around. 

We ferry’d back over to Battery Park and walked through the Oculus Building on our way to Eataly.  Eataly is a fun market and restaurant full of Italian delicacies.  We ate at the restaurant and Sophia and Andrew loved  the Gnochi and the focaccia bread dipped in amazing olive oil.  So Fun! 

We subwayed  back uptown and checked out Times Square and the Nintendo store at Rockerfeller Center.  Then back to Times square and got a donut at the world’s largest Krispie Kreme donut store.  It’s always fun to see the process and the sugar shower and eat warm donuts.  Then to our hotel after 18,000 steps and we pretty much crashed - because of no sleep the night before and we all went to bed pretty early.  At night we all share the 3 best parts of our day and one not so great.  

Day 1 - 

Melinda

1. Singer at Stardust cafe singing Eric song from “Little Mermaid” passing out straws like roses.  So funny. 
2. Climbing to crown of Statue of Liberty - getting and wearing foam crowns. 
3. Check in hotel early and actually nap from 7-9 am. 

-not - feet killing me. 

Sophia

1. Two hour nap
2. Statue of liberty
3. Eataly food. Gnocchi and Focaccia bread in oil

not - smell of the city

Andrew

1. Statue of liberty going to the top of the crown
2. Bread and gnocchi at Eataly
3. Nintendo store - only 3 in the world.  2 in Japan and 1 in NYC.  Bought a cool sweatshirt.

-not-bird poop on jacket 

Wayne

1. Unheard of 7 am check in at Marriott Marquis
2. 19,000+ steps
3. The Lasagna at Eataly was exceptional.

-not- have to work still.

Friday was up and at em and out the door by 9:30–  Wayne gets us all  the Marriott perks so we were able to enjoy free breakfast every day.  We got on the subway and went back down to the World Trade Center Memorial fountains and up to the top of the Observation tower to view all of NYC.  It was impressive and the kids couldn’t get over how high we were and how many buildings there are in Manhattan.    We subwayed back up to China town and walked the many vendors , sights and sounds of that.  We walked our favorite Mott street- got t shirts and sweatshirt and magnet souvenirs and ate wonderful soup dumplings at Shanghai 21.  The shoa long bao were delicious.  Sophia and Andrew tried these for the first time– we also had delicious scallion pancakes that you dip in a sauce.  They loved these as well.    
From here we subwayed over to Brooklyn.  We got Brooklyn ice cream cones, wandered the docks and then walked the Brooklyn Bridge back over the the Manhattan side.  So many sights and sounds, and fun vendors  to check out  along the way.  We picked out a NYC print to add to my travel collection at my house.    By this time we were at about 18,000 steps and our feet were killing us and we still had a night of things to do.   So we subwayed back up to our hotel and crashed- naps always help.  
We  let the kids pick where they wanted to eat dinner at– and although against my rule of not eating any where that they have in Utah - they chose Chic fil a and I told them that if eating at Chic-fil-a is a best part of their day I will punch them.   We laughed a lot. Although we think this is the smallest Chic-fil-a ever since there was no tables.  Just order and go.   Times square was full of all the crazies.  It’s funny to see the costumed characters every where– looking so grungy that tourists take their pics with..and then have to pay the character money.  We steer clear of this but enjoy the crazy of it nonetheless.  At one point we saw Batman, iron man, a gorilla, 4 Elmos, 2 sets of mickey and Minnie mouse, Hulk and a giant rabbit.  Crazy. 
We saw “Wicked”  and it was just as good and magical as the first time I saw it.  The kids were blown away. This is my 5th time seeing it, and I made a declaration when it was over that just like Galinda changes her name to Glinda…I’m now changing my name from Melinda to Mlinda.  They got a kick out of that.  My grand kids are benefiting from my aging eyes since I get far closer tickets now that I can’t see as good.  My kids were always in the balcony.  By the time we Bring our last grandchildren we will be sitting on the front row.  Sheesh.    After the show we went for cheesecake and cupcakes and Juniors and it was delicious.   
It was easily a 20,000 plus step day.

Day 2 

Andrew

1. Walking Brooklyn Bridge
2. World tower observatory 
3. Wicked

 not -  not being able sit down at chick fil a - no tables. 

Sophia

1. Tallest Tower observatory 
2. Trying Soup dumplings at 21 Shanghai 
3. Wicked - it was wicked good.  

Not-  feet throbbing.  Didn’t beat papa in steps. Only 22,000

Wayne

1. Wicked! 
2. China Town soup dumplings.  Scallion pancakes. 
3. Walking Brooklyn bridge

Not-  can’t all 4 go into free breakfast at the same time. 

Melinda

1. Loved Wicked and officially changed my name from Melinda to Mlinda. 
2. Walking Brooklyn bridge - gorgeous weather. - picked some artwork at the top. 
3.   Junior’s  cheesecake 

Not - didn’t bring the right shoes. 

Saturday we did our breakfast routine then subwayed up to the American Natural History Museum on 78th street.  It was fascinating to see all of the real “ stuffed” animals and birds and reptiles from all over the world. The Dinosaur bones were awesome and huge.  This day Sophia is determined to get more steps than Papa Wayne so she is walking a lot and doing all of the stairs etc.  It’s so funny.  We wandered over to Levain Bakery for giant chocolate chip cookies that I find amazing, then down to the LDS church and Temple so they could see what that looks like then down into Central Park.  The weather is cold, but not windy, rainy or snowy– so it was nice.  We enjoyed the peacefulness of the park , then went down to the Thompson Hotel where in side is the crazy Burger Joint restaurant.  It’s such a juxtaposition with all of the elegance of the lobby then behind the velvet curtain a graffitied and stickered place to eat.  The sweet potato fries and french fries and burgers and grilled cheesers were great.  We wandered the 5th avenue stores.   The kids favorite was the FAO Schwartz Toy store and the giant Lego store.  Andrew got a personalized mini lego man made for him.

We saw the ice skating rink at Rockefeller center with the gold statue– the as per our usual- we head back to the hotel because our feet are killing us and we all need a nap.   

Pizza from Joe’s Pizza was our dinner– we waited on line with a ton of people, but Joe’s moves fast and it’s a kick to eat there– and pretty cheap. We taught the kids to fold their pizza in half to eat it like they do in New York.   Then off to see “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” This show is magical but only if you know the Harry Potter saga.  There are so many allusions to the first books.  This story starts up with Harry married to Ginny and their son is now going to school and making friends and figuring things out.  THe scenic element are amazing… the Demontors that fly, the changing of people in an instant, the disappearing of people, a working lavatory with Moaning Myrtle, a funny Ron Wesley now married to Hermoine and even a swimming pool pops up on stage.  It’s all magical.  We loved it.  After we celebrated at Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream cones with all of the crazies on Times Square.   We checked our steps that night to see if Sophia had finally beat Wayne and she was 125 steps short, so she raced down the long hallway and back and told Wayne to just stand still.  She was the winner of over 22,000 steps.  Sophia was soooooo happy.

Day 3 

Sophia 

1. Natural history Museum -  the gorillas 
2. Joe’s pizza. 
3. Harry Potter show 
4. Beating Papa in steps!

Andrew

1. Central Park
2. Harry Potter show
3. Ben and Jerry’s ice cream

Wayne

1. Pizza
2. Harry Potter and it’s magic
3. Natural history museum

Not- watching Melinda slip and fall in a rock in Central Park. 

Melinda

1. Walking in Central park
2. Finding the burger joint and the sweet potato fries at Thornton Hotel lobby.
3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was spectacular.  So many amazing special effects. 

Sunday we did our breakfast again at the Marriott– it’s the biggest Marriott in the world with over 1,900 rooms!  And 45 floors of people and 8 glass elevators. We wandered into times Square empty of people in the morning, but still the Elmos and Mickey’s and Batmen and giant Gorillas….   We Loved the Disney Store, the M& M store, the Hershey’s Store… and wandered over to 5th Avenue to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral in all of it’s glory.   It’s an amazing structure.  Lego Store and Nintendo store again. More Joe’s Pizza for lunch– then packed up and off to the airport for our 4:30 flight .  It was a glorious Grand kid trip and I can’t wait for the next ones.  IN four years we will take Alfie and Tayla.  In six years Poppy and Lady and in nine years, Elsie and George.  So fun

Day 4. Short day— 

Andrew

1. Made personalized Lego man at huge NYC Lego store 
2. M & M store

Sophia

1. Eating more pizza at Joe’s 
2. All the pigeons. 
3. Seeing 4 Elmo’s at one time in Times Square
4. Collecting a Dog farm at the Lego store. 

Not- dead pigeon on the sidewalk

Wayne

1. More Joe’s pizza!
2. Made it to airport in good time 

Melinda

1. Got my scarf off the street vendor
2. Showing off St Patrick’s cathedral to Sophia and Andrew-  we counted it as church
3. Big Gorilla at Times Square 
4. Sophia air dropping cat / dog pics to random strangers at airport. 

Cousin's trip 2023

Just got back from a fun weekend in St. George with my cousins Krystin and Cindy.  Krystin has an amazing new home in  TAVA by Sand Hollow that she graciously shares with us– it feels like a spa –.  We talk all of the way down, see movies, eat all the donuts and cookies, and candy, go on walks, shop, share favorite things, play a ton of games, hot tub and swim and laugh.  IT’s always a good relaxing time.  We missed this in 2022– Krystin hoped her house would be done by Aug. 2022– and that was the hope that didn’t happen… so Jan. of 2023 was the first we could get together.

Our Favorite things share....A bountiful Kitchen cookbook, Fresca, my new favorite quote, foamy soap, a candle, welly band aids, drain cleaner, knee pillow,  trader joe’s freeze dried mandarin oranges, candy, small purse, pj’s, a succulent,