Landon's wedding

MY REMARKS:   

So happy to be at this wedding today.  So happy that we can be at this point where can celebrate this union.  I know God loves all of his children, and I believe Landon and Alex are two of his favorites.  I know that there is room for all at God’s table.  I feel so blessed that Landon has found a partner  to love and support him without conditions  and to raise a family with.  They are committed to sharing both joys and sorrows for the rest of their lives. They are great at living and sharing Christ like principles in their home.  It’s really a beautiful match.

Landon has been a bright light in our family since the day he was born.    He insisted on wearing his blanket tied onto him like a dress and even went through a nun stage where his blanket was on his head all of the time and he prayed with steeple hands. 

In every family video Landon is the one running right up to the camera and speaking in his high soprano…look at me, look at me….He used to say the cutest, funniest things….

"You know those fat things on girls that we call boobs? Well… Jesus calls them breasts."

Once when he was screaming  as I was carrying him out of sacrament meeting he yelled back into the room, “I know I’m just sick about myself.”

In his 3 year old prayers he said, “and please bless the whole world, even the top and the bottom and all the way around.”

Landon has many gifts.  I would like to address just three.  His spirituality, his ability to talk/argue and to love. Landon has always been very spiritual.  He was a willing family scripture reader, a general conference note taker and always felt angels around him.   He had an angel face and was the very best for his primary and church leaders.  He would be his normal crazy, can’t sit still self, all week long, but for the two hours of primary he was the model child.  He knew every answer, sang every song and his teachers bragged about how good he was to us.  We would always say, “Landon?  Are you sure?”   Landon loves his Savior.

Landon can argue with the best of them…he would make a great lawyer or be your fiercest advocate. You want him on your side.  He is a natural born talker…taking after Grandpa Welch and Grandma Sheri. When he was in school he would get in trouble for talking too much.  Landon couldn’t say his “r”s so he would call him self a taco.  He would say,  “I can’t help it mom, I was bone to talk… I’m a talk-o.”  There’s a video out there on the internet  of a little  boy trying to get his way with his mother, saying, “Linda, but Linda, just listen Linda”…. Over and over….this was Landon.   I loved being at Bountiful High School as Landon’s debate teacher.  He has a natural ability to take what ever side and see the arguable points.   He also had a natural ability as a teenager  to debate Wayne and me til he was blue in the face. Ay yay yay. He can be very headstrong, but this gift  also helps him to see both sides of every situation and to be compassionate and empathetic and stand up for the underdog.

Landon has a large capacity to love.  He accepts all into his circle.   He has a big heart  Landon was a great asset as a nurse and caregiver to my mom as she was going through her last weeks on earth.  His expertise and skill with shots and hooking up insulin and medicine bags  etc… was a lifesaver for us.   He always had a special bond with his Grandma Sheri. She is now one of his angels.  Landon has taught me about unconditional love.  That means to love without conditions….I don’t care if he’s  tall, short, rich, poor, straight or gay… I love him and will continue to honor and support him.

When Landon came out at 18…. It was a difficult time for all of us.  Only because it felt like one plan or  dream died, and  we were in a bit of limbo until another dream rose to take it’s place.   Landon always promised me  he would get married and have a family one day.  This was always so important to him.   I couldn’t see it happening.  Well I was wrong.  His dream and ours has come true.

We are happy to officially welcome Alex as  our Son…and his beautiful children, Sophia and Andrew as our grandchildren.

 I am 100% sure that after I die, no one is going to condemn me for loving too much. It't easy to hate people. It is courageous to love. That is what Jesus wants us to remember.  Love is what we are celebrating today and I wouldn’t miss this day for the world.

The Lovely Month of May

MAY  is finally at an end. It has been a month full of emotions, memories and a ton of RAIN!

It will finish up with two funerals, Addison's 29th birthday and Landon's marriage.

Bre's Grandma Dee Briggs passed away at age 86.   She was a senior olympian in tennis and track and field events and traveled all over the country  as an ambassador throwing the javelin and the shotput.  Her golden years were not ones of slowing down, but amping it up.  She was a character and an individualist who was a champion of her grandkids, or any one who has a dream and potential.  The fun part of this funeral was hearing all about Dee's life, listening to Bre and cousin Andrew Briggs sing Josh Groban's "The Prayer,"  and watching ALfie.  Alfie wore white leather "Grandpa Butters" shoes and loved them.  They were about 3 inches too long but he didn't care.  He kept bending over, touching his shoes and saying,  "shoes."  He fell asleep in my arms, and  looking down at the side of his relaxed face, he looked just like Addison.  This is the first time I have ever thought this. 

My sweet friend, Kimi Farley's mom passed away and we attended her funeral up in Millville.  Her mom was an individual as well.  She had many "softball' and sports friends who attended.  Kimi is the eldest of 5 daughters, so she had to be "in charge" and gave a wonderful tribute to her momma.   Her mom's cancer experience was much like my mom's.  This was her second round of ovarian cancer, no chemo would work or was wanted and she just wasted away with hospice care.  She had a comeback revival day on Mother's Day...just like my momma...and 12 days later she died....just like my momma.  In fact she died on mom's death date. 

Addison is 29!!! I can't believe this.  I think I will be even more in awe when he's 30.  Time just keeps ticking forward.  I think I'm still 29 til I look in the mirror and see so many lines and wrinkles mapping my face.   He is a sweet husband and the cutest, most involved dad.  It's a joy to watch.   

AND....our big, fat, gay, brazillian wedding finishes up the month.    We are in preparation mode for Sunday evening.  I'm so appreciative of my friend Maurie Tarbox, volunteering her yard for this.   AND...I'm so happy that rain, rain and more rain is finally leaving the forecast.  We have chairs and tables,  tablecloths and centerpieces, food and treats, fans, bubbles and thankyous all ready to go.   I sent out an email to family and friends, knowing that everyone is at a different place with gay marriage, to see who wanted to attend and letting everyone know that we know they love us even if they don't come.......well most everyone is coming!  This might be their only chance to participate in an event like this.  But, really.....I  can't believe the love that I am feeling over this.   When I start getting stressed about this whole thing, I just pause and wrap love around it, and then I can move on. Love is the answer.   It's going to be a glorious Sunday!

Holly's 38!

Happy 38^th birthday to Holly.  She is a joy and a blessing to our family.  Holly has taught me many things, here are a few…

Always return a phone call

Practice, practice, practice

Mail people thank you notes and notes of encouragement

Call people on their birthdays and tell them how special they are

If your favorite color is purple, then wear it proudly and let others know

When you are excited it's okay to clap your hands and shake your body

When it's your birthday wear a birthday hat.... 

Bear your testimony in church  every other month. 

2nd Anniversary

Why are death anniversary's  so difficult???
It's been two years since my mom passed away.  Two, sometimes very loooooong years.
Even when I try not to think about this death date, I can't help myself.  Two years ago we knew it was coming, but it was still so life altering.
I've been thinking about Mom a lot lately,  more so because of Marcie's recent aggressive cancer diagnosis.

Laila has cried more than a few times this week about how it stinks to be the youngest, because she knew and was loved by Grandma Sheri the least amount of time.

Well I knew and was loved by her for 51 years, and it still stinks that she's gone.

I love these pics of my mom though....

I love when she lost her hair, it grew back and she dyed it a firey red!!  She was crazy like that....and really so at ease with who she was that she NEVER cared how others would react. I love that she's talking on the phone in this pic...most likely helping someone, or cheering  someone up or loving on someone. She was so good at this.

I love so much about her.

I love the artist in her.  I will always look at mountains, clouds and sunsets and think of her. I can hear her voice saying, "Look at those clouds, so beautiful.  Now how would I paint that?"  or "Oh my what an amazing sunset. So many colors.   If I painted that no one would believe it was real."

I love how inclusive she was.

Thanksgiving 2011...all the sibs right before mom started Chemo

I love how each of us knew she loved us the best!
I love how concerned, caring and empathetic she was.
I love how she knew just what to say and what not to say.
I love how she chose Joy on a daily basis..... with very few pity parties.  She never said "Why me?" but only "Why not me?

Laila day

We celebrated our 13th Laila day on May 15th....this is Laila's "gotcha" day.  This is the day Laila became a part of the Welch bunch and completed our family. Laila got "kidnapped" by the cheerleaders for breakfast and Friend Aisha brought Laila a dozen doughnuts too. We celebrated by "sluffing" school, going to a matinee movie of Pitch Perfect 2 and then out to sushi at the Red Mermaid Bistro.
We can tell Laila grew up in an adult household, because none of our other children at 13 would have suggested a sushi restaurant.

This is a great family holiday and tradition.

Prayers and cards for Marcie

I can't believe it.  I am in shock. We all are.  My sister Marcie has very aggressive upper GI cancer which includes the pancreas. 

I sent Marcie this card..... it's exactly what's on my mind.

We hate cancer! 

 We need faith and prayers at this point... 

Marcie has always been here for me from the very beginning...literally.   We are 15 months apart.  She named me "baby La."  We've been through thick and thin together.  Sharing a bedroom, growing up, babies, vacations, church callings, parent issues, shows. 

Liz, Maryanne Loveless, Melinda, Angela, Marcie

Marcie was the perfect, loving, know-it-all Reverend Mother in Nunsense years ago...and I was Sister Mary Amnesia.  How fitting.  I can't remember much... but I remember feelings and a few select "pictures" through my growing up years.   One of Marcie's best birthday's ever was her 11th...atleast it was for me.   We had lots of friends and cousins and each other. This is right before we moved to our new home on 800 east.  I remember this little kitchen eating area on 1200 south in Bountiful.  

(I remember Marcie sassing my dad and him throwing a pitcher of water at her in this exact spot.)

Marcie turning 11... Adam is being Adam... I'm loving on my big sissy, Angela is leaning in and Liz is being her mischievious self.

The move  to our 800 east home was difficult for us.   I remember my mom sitting on the floor in our basement when Marcie was in 6-8th grade, talking,trying to keep her "together"  and give her strength to go to school another day, even with all of the "mean" girls.  I learned so much from my mom counseling with Marcie. Marcie blazed the path which made my Jr. high years so much easier.  She has always blazed the path....Marcie was in college first, married first, had babies first, and now gets to go through cancer....

I don't get it.... I just want to punch somebody...kick something....scream..

I love my sister and can't imagine doing this life without her.   We are supposed to grow old together. So...................added prayers for Marcie............please.