Still Painting

I am trying to make time to paint every week.   I really should move my stuff to mom's paint room and have good light etc.... but the thought makes me a little sad still, so I'm in my dark basement for a while longer.
My process is an interesting one...the first hour of painting is just  a mess until I get in the flow and something cool starts to happen.  It takes hours of just putting marks on canvas in interesting ways til shape and form appear.    I realize if I force it or don't make bold choices, it's just blah.   I have 4 more ready  to show...

This one is called "Landon: Unfinished"   It doesn't really look like Landon, but He was my inspiration.

 This is "Imagine."  It's 4'x3' acrylic.  I like the color palate and how things just appeared as I went... I can see a butterfly, bike, fish, flowers, a woman's shape etc....   The jester head in the middle with the crown..was once a very large flower.....

 This is 20"x 16" canvas that I'm working on for Emilee Dahl's Hair salon.

This started out as a canoe on the water,  with kind of a native american motif, but as I turned it and flipped it to work on it this woman shape appeared and I just went with it.  It's 2'x3' and it's called "Fertility"

Sharing Sheri announcement

Friday Family Flashback

I found some funny kid stories from Mom's letter's that she wrote to Angela when she was serving her mission in Spain and then to cousin Levi when he was serving his in Spain as well.   So now my Laila stories are shared, I will move on to "the brother" stories.  As I read through these letters I am amazed I survived these years, and that my children are alive to tell about them as well.   I was basically overwhelmed from 1992-1996. This is what they looked like....

Nov 8, 1993
Here is a 5 year old Landon story.... The other day Melinda had to pick him up at school early so she had to get him from his classroom.  She walked in the room and told the teacher when she wanted. Landon got out of his seat and skipped all the way to the back of the room singing, "Melinda's here. Melinda's here.  Melinda's here" at the top of his lungs.  What a "yellow" kind of guy.  Melinda just laughed and the teacher just rolled her eyes.

Biking...one year later

The Tour de France is taking place and I am enjoying my own version of the Tour De Bountiful.  I love to bike.  I  have been doing it for one year now and I still enjoy it.  I'm definitely getting stronger.

Last year the thought of going up 1800 south, let alone any hill in Bountiful was a no go.  Now I can do 1800 south and Vineyard and many others all the way to Bountiful Boulevard.  I have figured out my pedaling better and how to serpentine to make it work.

At the beginning of the summer it took me 35 minutes to go from my house, up the hill to 1800 and up the hill to Bountiful Blvd...all the way south to Si's home in North Salt Lake...or what she likes to call it " South Bountiful".....Today, it took me 29 minutes.

I was proud of Wayne and myself going around Bear Lake twice--that's 51 miles each time... and then another 36 miles on top of that into a strong head wind.  Last year, I did it one time and was wiped out the rest of the week.  My knees were killing me.  Now my knees don't bug at all.

Last year every time I clipped in I was ready for a terrifying experience.... now I'm the boss of those clips and I can make it work.

Biking is getting better and better.  We are going on a 65 miler the end of August in Logan.  Looking forward to it....and I even think Laila is getting used to seeing her parents in their biking uniforms.  At least we aren't getting any more eye rolls.

Priceless.....videos

Elder Addison Welch had some great times in Louisiana from 2005-2007.  He sent home two totally funny videos and I finally got them into my Youtube channel to share.

Please enjoy....Joy to the World with Elder Vaake

click here and enjoy

and   Sour with Elder Young....it's  crazy.

Click here for funny

You're Welcome

Flashback Friday

Nov 2007
Laila said this while looking at our family picture:  "God is such a good artist drawer, cuz look how good he drawed us."

While learning to ride her 2 wheeler bike, Addison was holding on to the seat and running with her, trying to help her.  She told Addison, "You are kind of messing me up.  All I really need is Courage!"

When told she had cute shoes on, she replied, "Yeah, my mom wouldn't buy them if they were ugly."

When asked who her favorite brother is, she said,
"Addison is my favorite because he is so nice.  Landon is my favorite because he loves me so much.  Truman is my favorite because he's so cool.  Monson is my favorite because he doesn't  hurt me too much, and when he does he always says he's sorry, it's an accident."

Happy Birthday to Me

We ( Wayne, Tru, Laila and I)  have noticed that everything about my birthday has been round.
Round pancakes with strawberries and cream
Round Rhubarb Pie
Round scoop of ice cream
Round Donuts
Round Supreme Pizza
Round bucket of theatre popcorn
After eating all of that I'm feeling rounder.....
Round.  Round.  Round.
Maybe it's because my birthday keeps coming around every year.  It's been here 51 times.
It was a great day of unhealthy eating, a girl friend sleepover, shopping for fun clothes and exercise wear, thoughtful birthday wishes and family movie time.

Some of my girlfriends took me out to Pig and a Jelly Jar for a birthday lunch.  It's still July....so I get to pull the "birthday"  card for the entire month!

Erin Blake, Si Foster, Kimi Farley, Diane Lake, Melinda, Laura Belnap and Kim Johnston have been celebrating birthday together for about 15 years.

B E A R L A K E '13

B is for Boating

E is for Eating shakes and dinner under the trees each night

A is for aches and pains 

R is for reading and relaxing 

L is for laughing together as a family

A is for attending "Juanito Bandito" at Pickleville Playhouse... 

K is for kneeboarding, Tubing, Wakeboarding, wave runners, volleyball, and card games

E is for Everything else that makes Bear Lake such a wonderful place to go each summer. 

Up in our Family tree this year.... Landon, Alex, Savannah, Tru and Laila

We missed Mom...but made it through.  

We arrived last Monday.  Daddyo- Lyle  drove up with me, Laila and Savannah Bentley.  It was nice to have Savannah with us for another year.  She is a sweet cousin to Laila and when Laila wants to be alone… Savannah gets along with everyone else just fine and is a great game player.  She really is fun to have around. 
I was glad Dad went up.   He made it 5 days and 4 nights.  He went down to the lake every day.  He watched some baseball on tv.  He read a book, took naps throughout the day and tried to sleep – not in his own bed- at night.  He went golfing with Liz. Al and Preston and talked to Sheri.   She gave him his “marching orders” every day.  Sheri was so proud of him for moving forward and participating…even though the steps up to and down from the third floor condo are a bit much for him. 

We went to the Pickleville playhouse this year and saw "Juanito Bandito"…a funny melodrama with original music about  bad guy Juanito… kind of like  a Nacho LIbre type character with Stretchy pants….we laughed til we cried.     

We did all of the usual suspects….boating, wave runners, dinner under the trees, biking, shakes at Le Beaus, tubing, wake boarding, kayaking, laying in the sun, reading books , game playing and talking.   The one thing missing this year was momma Sheri.   We all had a teary time during the week as well, as we would remember grandma Sheri stories and feel of her spirit and feel of her loss. None of us thought that last year at Bear Lake was mom’s last year……

The Boat worked great.  Wayne took the kids out on it every time they asked.  They asked a lot….. needless to say he didn’t get much reading time in.   We went out 3 days in a row….and by the 4^th day…they were all so sore having beat their bodies with the tube, wake board and wave runners….that they called it quits. 

We biked around the lake twice and then did a 32 miler on Saturday.   135 total  bike miles this past week.   I wasn’t too sore.  I love biking at cool Bear Lake, especially on the East side of the lake….rolling hills and very little traffic.

Friday Flashback Funnies

03/25/07
Laila knows her right and left hand. This is something I still struggle with, so I am pretty impressed.  We found this out the other night when I told Wayne to turn left while in the car.  Laila piped up and  pointed..."this is left and this is right."  I was shocked.  She showed me again and again and then she added, pointing proudly, "And this is up and this is down."

Friday Funny Flashbacks

02/04/07
Laila is getting bigger and sweeter all of the time.  She loves to play with her friends and just so you know,  Jarret, her imaginary friend, had a birthday yesterday, in the cereal cupboard.  He is now 5 too.  He tells her bad jokes and she reminds him to be on Jesus' team and not make the devil happy.  She plays with the puppy and always wants to hold her, even when the puppy doesn't want to be held.  You get the idea.

Laila is a secret agent.  Shhhhhhh......Don't tell anyone.  She wants to take karate so she can beat up bad guys.  She says she sneaks out at night to help people.

Laila also lectured Landon on his music choices while driving with him the other day.  She told him not to listen to bad music, only she can because she has the spirit and can tell the difference between good and bad music.  It was funny and very eye opening.

Let Freedom Ring with Swimming and Scones!

I love America. 

 I love Independence Day and the red, white and blue celebration.

I have been swimming, and eating scones on this day for over 40 years.  Since momma passed, I got the "dirty" oil in her fridge and the charge to continue with the scone tradition.  I'm up for it since I have pulled scones with my momma for years.  She had the perfect touch....stretch out through the middle then circle with your fingers and push out the edges.   We pulled, fried up and sugared 200 scones. These were the appetizer to the 180 burgers and hot doges that Wayne and  Mike grilled up for everyone celebrating at the Morley pool.  

We watched the hot dog eating championship on TV.  We have done this for years, as well, while we pull scones.  The guy ate 69 hotdogs in 10 minutes.  Sick.

Tru is making up for "missing" the last 3 summers with a mission and summer sales.  He has played and traveled and now wants certain food.....He LOVED the scones.   Laila was a good "Indian."  She let Sophia hang on her and try to jump off the high dive. It was great to have Landon, Alex and his kids with us.  

Alex and Sophia

Andrew

Laila

Truman, Jenna, Landon, Alex, Melinda, Andrew

Laila, Alex, Sophia,Landon, Jenna, Truman

We ended our day with dinner with Dad and a cemetery visit, just to report to momma that all went well.

It's great to live in the land of the free and home of the brave.

I still haven't gone through a day without crying since April 28th..... but I didn't cry while pulling the scones. I thought I would.   It was great to keep this tradition going!  We are probably going to do them again on the 24th just to catch all of the peeps that couldn't make it.

Traverse City, Michigan and Mons

Elder Welch with Elder Manning.
Monson is loving the weather in Traverse City...it's in the 70's all summer.  He is losing weight, eating weird Quinoa with tomato and basil.  He said it was his weirdest most gross meal so far and he had to go to McDonalds afterward.  ( We eat that a lot around here lately....he is going to be really surprised when he comes home.)  Monson has less than 6 months left and he can't believe it is going so quickly.  He has memorized all of the Sermon on the Mount and continues to write gospel raps.

This is a rap about Aminadab from Helaman 5

Now let me tell you bout this guy, Aminadab's his name

If you don't know him after this he'll have some fame

He joined the church back in his early years

Now he didn't keep commandments put his momma in tears

One day while he was guarding all the prisoners

He saw Nephi and Lehi they didn't have listeners

Until some angels came and talked to them

Nobody knew what to do they were all frozen

Now let's say Aminadab was never there

Who else would've had the courage to share

They would've all been left in the dark

And just like Noah's flood they wouldn't make it in the ark

The spark they had came at just the right time

From Aminadab his message was sublime

He taught them the gospel and it's happiness

Showed them how to get rid of the darkness

Who would've ever thought it would come from him

An unlikely hero, makes me wanna say his name again

Aminadab he's such the man

If nobody can do it Aminadab can

Learn this lesson you don't have to be perfect

To share the gospel with all it's really worth it

Just pray for the right person, right time, right place

And the Lord will do the rest ya pourin out his grace