Wayne is 54

We celebrated Wayne turning 54 with the whole family going to the Red Mermaid for sushi then card games and a late movie for those who could keep their eyes open. It was fun having the entire family together. I can't believe how we have grown.

Among Wayne's gifts he received this framed quote. It speaks of Wayne perfectly ....

Wayne Is a wonderful human being and partner. He is capable and kind; caring and compassionate. He tells a great story and gets along with all types of people in all situations.  He blesses our family spiritually and financially. I don't know how I got so lucky.  He is always on my side and is my confidante  and love. 

word for my YEAR

My word for 2016  is PRESENT.....
This is going to be a year... 365 days... that I'm going to be present in.   I will rejoice in the happy times, and  feel the sad times, but not dwell there and be good with the day to day parts as well.  I will eat healthy food, and be active on my bike and on the pickle ball court. I will spend time with my grandkids  and have meaningful conversations with family and friends.   I will travel, play and work hard and be brave. I will do theatre and paint and read new books.  I will laugh a lot and cry some too.    I will breathe and be happy that life is good and life is hard and life just is and I will be present in it and not hide from it.

I'm so grateful to be alive and I'm excited to see what 2016 holds.
I will be present and go with the really high highs and the really low lows.
I'm ready.

New Years Eve

We gathered at Mark and Jill's home and celebrated with them and Wanee and Holly, the Bentleys and Madsens.   We played games and ate good food and let off fireworks at midnight.  I really enjoy family New Years eve parties.  They feel nostalgic, comfortable, fun and positive.

Tyler Madsen announced that he is engaged to Rachael and will be getting married March 5th. 

Cousins are great and we are so happy Laila has a lot to celebrate with... Hunter, Shelbi, (Jackson-Abby's Boyfriend), Hayley, Abby, Savannah, Laila, Kylie, Nash (Sarah -Kylie's RM companion from Manchester England), Tyler and Rachael.   

Wanee, Nash, Sandy and Holly.

Each year I want my kids to reflect on their year... I know I get this from my mom.  She was always about what we learned and how we can do and be better....I'm definitely channeling my inner Sheri. So this year I sent out to my kids  a 2015 highlights/2016 goal sheet.  No one responded until I offered free MOVIE tix as a reward...then the responses came flying in.  Bribery works.

Name: Laila 

Age: 13

Favorite color: cyan 

Favorite Food: lasagna 

Favorite Activity: tumbling 

Favorite book: The Selection Series 

HIGHTLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: never fall behind on homework 

Hardest thing this year: losing a lot of my friends 

Favorite memory: getting kidnapped by the cheerleaders to go out to breakfast 

What I loved about 2015:

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: standing tuck consistently 

Want to get better at: flexibility and jumps 

Goals for 2016:

Get a 4.0 for at least one term

Get all of my splits flat

Have a better attitude towards life 

Name: Alexis Rae 

Age: 21

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite Food: Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Pizza

Favorite Activity: Holding my baby

Favorite book: Hidden Pictures

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: It's okay to ask for help. 

Hardest thing this year: Losing Grandpa and Marcie

Favorite memory: Giving birth to Tayla

What I loved about 2015: I became a momma! 

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: How to cook GF/DF

Want to get better at: Reading my scriptures 

Goals for 2016: Drink more water

Name:Monson 

Age:23

Favorite color: Red

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Activity: Snuggling with Tayla and Lexi

Favorite book: Book of Mormon ;)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: what it takes to parent

Hardest thing this year: Lexi breastfeeding

Favorite memory: Tayla's Birth

What I loved about 2015: Being with my love having a little girl

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: How to be a better husband

Want to get better at; scripture study

Goals for 2016: build Anomale's brand

Name: Tayla Addilyn 

Age: 2.5 months

Favorite color: Red

Favorite Food: Breastmilk

Favorite Activity: Swinging

Favorite book: Anything Dr. Seuss

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: Smiling

Hardest thing this year: Having to come into the world

Favorite memory: Meeting my parents

What I loved about 2015: I was born!

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: to walk

Want to get better at; talking

Goals for 2016: continue in progression

Alex 

Age: 32

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite food: Italian

Favorite activity: being a dad to Andrew and Sophia

Favorite Book: And then there were none

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: how to still stand, be happy, move forward through hard challenging unseen situations.

Hardest thing this year: having to postpone the court trial until February 2016

Favorite memory: getting married to my honey

What I loved about 2015: getting married to my honey

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: anything and everything I can.

Want to get better at: being patient

Goals for 2016: move out of Eagle Mountain

And I really like Landon's goals so the same.

Landon 

Age:27

Favorite Color: Gold

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite activity: Traveling with Alex

Favorite book this year--the gay revolution: a history

Lesson learned: the best of times and the worst of times can be happening at the same time.

Hardest thing this year: losing grandpa and Marcie, having the court in November not work out and having to wait more.

Favorite Memory: my wedding day!

What I Loved: the month of May! All my amazing family stepping forward and making it possible for Alex and I to get married and have a beautiful amazing wedding day that was absolutely perfect. And having the month end with the perfect day making it official that the three Buzelli kids are a real part of the Welch family forever.  My favorite!

For 2016--

Want to learn: Portuguese ...seriously though

Want to get better at: keeping my house clean

Goals for 2016:

Provide healthier food options for the fam

Figure out about how to continue decreasing my headaches

Work out 2-3x weekly

Date nights

Name: Truman

Age: 24

Favorite color: very fond of black

Favorite Food: honey crisp apples with almond butter

Favorite Activity: brunch

Favorite book: I read girl on the train this year, woowww! So good!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: be 100% you, boys can be feminine :)

Hardest thing this year: balancing old and new friendships.

Favorite memory: Puerto Rico with my 2 best friends.

What I loved about 2015: Van and Sal, do you understand how much I love them!?!?

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: how to sew my own clothes.

Want to get better at: using Adobe illustrator and creating projects.

Goals for 2016: Move out of state. Weekly yoga classes. Join a "church" or spiritual movement. Eat whole30 at least every other month. No more tanning, cuz no wrinkles please! Complete season 1 of my new Youtube series.

Name: Bre

Age: 26

Favorite color: gold

Favorite Food: sushi!

Favorite Activity: Playing with Alfie

Favorite book: Harry Potter

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: Baby first, work later

Hardest thing this year: Too many funerals

Favorite memory: Halloween Party with my Addi

What I loved about 2015: Seeing Alfie's personality come out

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: how to make the perfect salmon

Want to get better at; Cooking food, eating out less

Goals for 2016: Focus more on family, find my niche' in photography, buy a house

Name:Addison

Age:29

Favorite color: red

Favorite Food: Cadburry mini eggs

Favorite Activity: painting

Favorite book: I watch movies

HIGHTLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: importance of traditions

Hardest thing this year: grandpas death

Favorite memory:Disneyland Halloween party  

What I loved about 2015: watching alfie grow. Such a funny one year old. 

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn:business classes

Want to get better at; digital art

Goals for 2016: move forward on starting my theatre

Name:Wayne

Age: 53

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Activity: biking

Favorite book: whatever I'm currently reading 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

Greatest lesson learned: I can do hard things

Hardest thing this year: Deaths

Favorite memory: Lotoja

What I loved about 2015: Being with my fam

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2016

Want to learn: To dominate in pickleball

Want to get better at; staying healthy

Goals for 2016:

More business - be kinder - stay positive

Year End Reflections

10 Highlights

1.  Family cruise with dolphin swimming,  frozen key lime pie,  karaoke singing, chocolate lava cake and celebrating Laila's 13th birthday.

2.   Landon and Alex's HOT wedding with  Sophia, Andrew and Alfie walking down the aisle holding a balloon

3.  Andrew's baptism with Laila speaking and Wayne confirming him.

4. Seeing Truman in Shrek the Musical, Laila in Peter Pan, Bre in Little Mermaid and Addison in Young Frankenstein

5.  Laila making Cheerleader

6. Hiking Angel's Landing with the Madsens

7. Bear Lake beach time with Family

8. Showing Laila  NYC for her first time

9. Meeting  beautiful new grandbaby Tayla for the first time
while we hung out in the door way and saw the nurse and Monson hold her up...we squealed and cried.

10.  My 5 Carol's show...for the 4th year

7 Disappointments

1. Marcie dying.  We were supposed to grow old together and share our grandchildren and long lives with purple hats and blue hair

2. Watching my boys drift farther away from the LDS word of wisdom standards

3. Having Landon and Alex still in court with child custody issues 

4.  Laila struggling with self esteem, friends and staying motivated in school

5.  Not getting our driveway situation figured out.  We need more cement or fewer cars.

6. Finding out none of us were put in charge of Dad's banking affairs before he died, so we had to spend a lot of money to get it figured out.

7.  The new church policy for LGBT....so sad

3 Game Changers

1. Marcie dying from ugly cancer

2. Dad dying and now we have to settle his and mom's estate and solve money and things and stuff issues and sell the house.

3. Monson and Lexi  and Truman all moving back home.... we have a full HOUSE

3 Things you Focused on

1. Treasuring time spent at Marcie's bedside and Dad's chair side....talking about the daily and the important

2. Going to the Temple more to find peace and perspective

3. Moving forward.  Getting out of bed in the morning and not going to bed too early at night. 

3 Things You Forgot..or did differently

1. Thanksgiving at my house.   We ate on chinet plates instead of china to wash etc..

2. We spent time at Marcie and Gary's beach house for dinners at Bear Lake instead of under the trees. 

3.   No more Christmas eve sing along at Mom's house ending with the Hallelujah chorus.   We are missing a tenor, soprano and alto....and enthusiasm for it.

Reflection

 It was a good, tough year with a lot of growth happening for me.   We had two deaths, two weddings, two kids moving back home and a birth.  All emotion filled experiences. 

The day Marcie and Gary came to my home to share the news that Marcie had Cancer .... I can still see her hopeful face and sense the emotion and feel the pit in my stomach.  

When dad passed I loved his last breath experience where we thought it was over then he gasped again and we all laughed....then we realized, Oh, he is gone.  It was crazy funny.  

Looking forward to 2016.  I know it will be a year of ups and downs just like every year.  I know we will get through it with love and grace.  I've been thinking about my word for 2016 to focus on.... Love, Friendship, Loyalty, Happiness, Fun, Change....still debating.

Year of Treasure

As I finish up 2015, I'm thinking about the word I chose to focus on - Treasure. When I picked this word last year I had no idea what 2015 would bring.   I hope I treasured my dad and Marcie while they were here. I hope I have treasured my family and friends more. I realize life is so fragile and I need to slow down, love and be in the moment more.  I know there are people in heaven and on earth to treasure. 

  I like this final quote about treasuring heavenly things. 

Christmas 2015

Christmas Morning was relaxed and joyous.  Everyone was grateful for what they received and there were a few fun surprises thrown in. I made everyone a Lyle Nelson Cole memory book with pics and parts of funeral talks to have as a keepsake.  It's like the one I made for mom when she passed.  

Laila got a hover board, a massager, clothes and a shopping spree and mindy mints and swig gift card etc..

Wayne got his LOTOJA medal and pics framed, a grandpa race track to play with the grandkids, a book and an apple watch etc...

Monson got a Grandpa  Lyle Suit, a mega plex popcorn bucket,  clothes, $, a massager etc...

Lexi, got an outdoor glider that sat outside Dad's back door, a DVD,  gas card  and a trip to Michigan. Her and Monson and Tayla leave Dec. 28 and get back on Jan. 4th.

Tru got a wok, cuisine art chopper, tv, $ a gas card, swig card and a silver tray, etc...

Melinda got pickle ball stuff, mindy mints and an apple watch,  a Tayla calendar, art prints, etc...

After presents comes our dance wars videos.  We draw for teams.   It was Melinda, Wayne and Monson  and we did our silly  video to "I can't feel my face when I'm with you," vs. Tru, Lexi and Laila who did their dramatic video to Adele's "Hello."   We started this last year and loved it so much that it's part of our Christmas tradition now.  It's a good thing we have a family of good sports....

By 5:00 all of my kids were in attendance for a formal Roast beef and Mashed potato dinner with all of the fixings and on Grandma Butters Royal Dalton china with the Reindeer goblets.  I inherited these from Mom's estate.  We opened presents and had our Lights On Celebration.  We turn off all of the lights, then we read scriptures about Christ being the Light of the world.  Then we had everyone pass a candle around and say how the person next to them brings light into their lives.  Sophia had me...she said, I was nice and a good cook....I'll take it.  Then we all moved into the Living room by the big tree and I turn on the lights to the obligatory Ooohs and Aaahs.  We sang Silent Night and it was such a sweet spritiual experience for all.  I truly felt the Christmas spirit and love for family, those present and gone away so strongly.  Alfie even said out of the blue, Hi to Papa Lyle...so I'm pretty sure he was in attendance.  We played games and just enjoyed each other.  

It was an all around beautiful, peaceful, fun Christmas.

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Christmas Andrew is what we have named Dec. 26th .  It's Andrews's birthday and it just seems fitting.  Christmas Adam (23rd) Christmas Eve (24th) Christmas (25th) Christmas Andrew (26th)

Andrew turned 9 and we celebrated with Brazilian food and more family time.  

I can't believe I have 4 grandchildren who call me Meema or Momma Melinda...  They bring such joy!

Feliz Navidad

Christmas Around the World is our new Christmas Eve theme.  This year we celebrated Mexico with Feliz Navidad and 3 Mexicans joining us...Sal, his sister Senia and Marz, all are Tru's friends who needed a place to be on Christmas Eve and we were happy to have them.

We also had Wayne, Tru, Laila, Monson, Lexi, Tayla, my sister Liz and Me.   

We decorated with sarapes, sombreros and banners, we ate tamales and Cafe rio type salads and guacamole and chips with Liz's salsa.  We played card games, and Telestrations and then played on our simple instuments, Feliz Navidad.  We were going to go caroling but it was too cold... 18 degrees...so we opted to make a video instead: 

We practiced our spanish accents and sounded more and more like Nacho Libre. 

Liz and I did a rousing rendition of an old Cole collection song, Pablo and Reindeer.

We ate churros dipped in authentic Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon deliciousness....

....and then we got matching one piece jammies to watch the Christmas movie ELF in.  They didn't fit Wayne, but everyone else was good, except Monson who we made put red basketball shorts over his so they would be more modest and not so form fitting.  It was pretty funny.   We were all exhausted and slumbered in our beds til 9am Christmas morning.  

Feliz Navidad was a success.  We are deciding on a different county for next year.