2000-2010

2010 is here.

We are a decade into the 2,000's and it feels good.

It's fun to remember the New Years Eve of ten years ago.

We all got food storage for Christmas because "the end" could be here.

We dressed up in sparkly outfits and tuxedos to share the one "last" dance.

We made "2000" glasses and put together a time capsule.

Our 4 boys and extended family all celebrated at sis Marcie's home. ( Laila was in heaven watching)

We feasted on Prime rib and bread pudding....

We didn't know if our bank's computers would be working the next day to keep track of our money.

We did fireworks in the fog. We couldn't even see across Davis Blvd. the fog was so thick.

We wondered what tomorrow would bring, or if it would come at all.

I was only 37.....so young!

It was a fun New Year's Eve celebration and a little nerve wracking, all at the same time.

I know I'm not the only one who felt this way...

So..... it's good to be 10 years into this millenium.

In this decade......

I've gained and lost the same 35 pounds.

Added Laila to our family

Traveled to Scotland, England, Germany, China, Mexico, Belize, Dominican Republic, Carribean.....and New York many times.

Been in 4 shows.

Driven 4 different family cars

Went back to teaching school...first in the classroom at BHS, and now online.

Gotten better on the computer.

Started Emailing.

Became a Facebooker

I text

joined the blogging community

chaperoned on 5 choir trips

lost my Father in law and my Grandma.

visited my parents on their mission.

sent a son on a mission.

went to the winter Olympics.

remodeled our home.

Whew....I'm tired just thinking about it.

Now we are on to the next decade......Yippey!

Happy to be RED

Laila is a true Ute fan....thanks to Brother Monson.
She wants everything red.....not hot pink any more, but RED

When we drive by the Christmas lights on houses, she cheers for the red lights and is sad if any other color is displayed, particulary the blue ones.....(sorry Grandpa Lyle).

Laila even wrote on her missionary cousin's pillowcase..."go Utes"
This cousin is a true BYU fan, so I'm sure he'll be thrilled when he sees it.

Laila even gets excited when she sees brake lights on cars.....hmmmm?

We have got to work on this fanaticism.

2009 in Review

Being the Famous person that I am, I'm being interviewed about this past year and ....well.....these are my answers.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Drive to Yellowstone 5 times in one summer. I did it to help and to see my Addison. I would do it 50 times, if he needed me to.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? My New Years resolutions last year were opposite ones..eat too much, don't get enough sleep, watch more tv..so I kept them all, even though I wished I hadn't.
I'm going to do better this coming year.
I'm going to have a one word theme for the year. This year it is HARMONY.
A throw back to our family motto, but one we haven't talked about or worked on in a while. I'm excited!


3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Friend Erin.


4. Did anyone close to you die? Grandma Butters


5. What countries did you visit? Mexico, Dominican Republic


6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A new, beautiful Kitchen/family room.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Nov. 13th the day we left on our family cruise and celebrated Gma Butters birthday posthumously.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting back on stage in "Thouroughly Modern Millie" after being off the stage for 5 years!

9. What was your biggest failure? Not teaching my kids to be more self sufficient

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No

11. What was the best thing you bought? Family Cruise Tickets!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Laila and her insistance that we do a Carnival to raise money for Primary children's hospital...."it saved my life."

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Truman and the terrorist boys on the Choir trip.....ay, ay , ay!

14. Where did most of your money go? Cars-- crashing, insurance, fixing up, keeping running, and new ones

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Truman's mission call to ENGLAND!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? "Apple bottom Jeans" that the brothers rapped to on the cruise.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier. Last year we were still recuperating from the China accident and Laila's head injury.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner!!!!
c) richer or poorer? about the same...

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Spend time playing games and hanging out with family and friends. Parties and get togethers.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Work/be on the computer

20. How did you spend Christmas? With a sleep over at my Mom and Dad's house. Sis Liz was there too. It was great. It felt like the boys were little all over again. Mom spoiled us with her great cooking and comfy home. We even had our dog there, much to my father's dismay.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? yes, with Wayne, all over again, when he dropped to the ground and was break dancing in an effort to win "best Dad Dancer," and he did!

22. What was your favorite TV program? GLEE and Modern Family

23. Do you hate (dislike) anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Tiger Woods, Max Hall

24. What was the best book you read? Nothing really rocked my world but I did enjoy Undaunted by Gerald Lund

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? The brothers could sing 4 part harmony and hold their parts.

26. What did you want and get? Trip to New York

27. What did you want and not get? my remodel to be over with.....new end date is Jan. 6th.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? "The Blind Side." EXCELLENT flick. Really really good.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I spent it at Bear Lake with family on the Beach. I love this type of lazy b day. Sleeping in, no make up, lots of food and clean up that I don't have to do. Raspberry shakes. I turned 47

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have children with steady incomes.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Energy dressing/trendy -NO BLACK. I do wear the same green exercise outfit every single morning.

32. What kept you sane? Exercising with Si

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Currently I'm really intrigued with the siamese twins Reba (aka George) and Lori. Google them...you will be interested as well.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Health care.....aargh!

35. Who did you miss? Tom....Wayne's dad. I thought about him a lot.

36. Who was the best new person you met? Not a new person, but seen in a new light. My sister Liz. She has been invaluable in the care and helping out of Landon. She and Al have really stepped up in a difficult situation. LOVE and HUGS

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Keep Calm and Carry On

38. What are you looking forward to in 2010? Being a better cook and wanting to cook for my family more. Parties in my new space. Truman going on a mission. Traveling with Wayne to places not yet planned. Working on my spirituality.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the Negative. Latch on to the affirmative, and don't mess with Mr. Inbetween.

Tubing!

We all bundled up and went tubing at Soldier Hollow in 10 degree weather.
We meaning : Wayne, Melinda, Laila, Addison with friend Bree Briggs, Truman with friend, Lauren Nickl and Monson with girl friend Ashley Petersen.
It was SOOOOOO COLD!
We scheduled this and bought tickets for it weeks ago. We went to celebrate Monson's 17th b-day. (Tubing and dinner )
The day was sunny and great but it was so cold.
Did I say how cold it was?
This is a great, civilized way to tube. You sit on a tube and there is a little tram that pulls you and your tube to the top of the hill. There are 6 slick hills to choose for your fun screaming time all the way back down.
It was great fun, cold, but fun.
I knitted hats for everyone to wear to keep warm. It was beautiful to look up on the hill and see the pom-pom hats sliding down. The boys were all good sports, and wore them.
We got lots of snow in our faces and had to drag our feet at the end to stop or we would crash into a fence.
Because it was sooooooo cold, the runs were soooooo FAST...and terrifyingly fun!
We ran into the lodge to get warm.
We shared hot cocoa and tubing tales.
We wanted to cry when our toes were thawing out, that's how cold it was. (Laila did cry)
I don't know why, but I always think about pioneers when I'm cold like that.
Crazy.
A fabulous feast at the Breadstick Cafe in Heber was the perfect end to our celebration. Monson ordered a hamburger and fries and when he was finished and not full, he ordered another hamburger and fries for dessert. Hmmmmm......Oh, to have Monson's metabolism.

The funny part about using a tubing party to celebrate Monson's turning 17, is he hates snow, winter and to be cold, but he did get to cuddle in the back seat with Ashley all the way back home.

Fitting for a December birthday baby.

Christmas 2009

Christmas is here, and I have eaten myself into a sugar stupor!! We have so much "crap" to eat that is being dropped off at our door. I hope a lot of it freezes, because I will really love it in a few days/weeks....but not now.
Parties since Dec. 19th, haven't helped with my crazy eating.
My Christmas gift to myself...... (drum roll please....)
I'm going to live in denial and not get on the scale until January 2nd!

I do love Christmas. I love being lazy with my family and just hanging out.
It's always a bit anti climactic....all of the build up and then, I just hope the kids are happy with what we decided to really get them for Christmas, when all of the wrapping is on the floor.

We were successful this year.

I know you are all breathless and wondering how we ended up handling the Magic Carpet situation of 2009.
After all of our talks with Laila and explanations, she was still insistent that she would get, or I would get a magic carpet. She transferred MY asking for it, when Grandma Sheri explained about being old enough to drive a magic carpet, like a car. So you would have to be 16. G-ma thought this would help Laila not want it, she just wanted it even more.
She wrote a new letter to Santa that got mailed on the 24th of December, explaining that she"knew she was too young to drive a magic carpet, so bring it for her mom instead"...and I would drive her around. And...thank you G-ma for only fueling this magic-carpet-fire .

Even this very Christmas morning, while she was snuggling under the covers with big brother Addison, waiting for the appropriate time of 8:00, to wake everyone up for present opening, she was giddy with excitement just thinking about the magic carpet, and how awesome it will be when everyone takes a turn flying it on Christmas.

So....what to do about this?????

Well, in the Santa letter, that is left every year, it was explained, that Magic Carpets AREN'T REAL, but it would be cool if they were, and Laila is definitely good enough to get one, if it was REAL...which it's NOT....but it's cool.. Laila was disappointed, but recovered quite quickly.

She got an easy bake oven and a rock tumbler. Two gifts that require time and patience. Two things that Laila does not have!!!

Rumors

"Pres. Monson is dating a college girl."
"What?"
"President Monson is dating a college girl from UVU"
"I don't think so , he has a wife."
"Isn't she dead?"
"No"
Well.....Pres. Monson is dating a college girl. That's what my sunday school teacher told me."
"Who's your sunday school teacher?"
"Sister Welch."
"....oh......you probably mean, Monson, her son, is dating a college girl."
Confused look
"Oh..."
and
End of conversation.

My friend Barbara told me about this funny conversation said by one of my sunday school girls.
I teach the 12-13 years olds.....12 of them.....and it's definitely a challenge.
At the end of each lesson we go around and let the kids take turns saying what they did that week, or whatever they want to say. One week, the kids were asking about Monson and who was that girl with him in sacrament meeting. I told them, his girlfriend Ashley, a college girl from UVU.

This innocent statement morphed into.......the above conversation.
wow
This is how the rumor mill starts..... Throw in matching names, add a dash of half listening sunday school students and you end up with......."Pres. Monson is dating a college student."

4 days til Christmas

We are still struggling in "Magic Carpet" land.
Laila told us Friday night as we were driving home from Monson's basketball games, that she just really, really, really, really, really, really, really wants a magic carpet, or just nothing.
So I guess she made it easy.....for us...... she's getting just nothing.

I did find a Christmas list she made in school in her piles of papers she brought home for
Christmas break.

rock polisher
new bike
new scooter
money
ipod touch
real limo
chauffer
an elf

I asked her why the magic carpet wasn't on the list, and she said she didn't want the other kids taking her idea.

So......wish me luck.

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The Welch Men sang in our Christmas sacrament program today. That's how they were billed on the program. ( Addison, Landon, Truman and Monson--our wonderfully fun friend, Erin accompanied.)
They did a great job singing "Baby, what you goin to be?" I know I'm just the proud mama, but it was really lovely.
Before the meeting began, I was passing out music and getting things situated, when I looked up and there was Margaret Chapman. Margaret Chapman is a sweet, red-haired, 94 year old lady in our ward. She is always so gracious and fun to talk to. I wished her a Merry Christmas and as I did, she transformed into my Grandma Butters for a brief second. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I knew Grandma was at the meeting today. She always loved hearing my boys sing. She loved music--choir music especially, and she would have been to the meeting in person, if she could, and now she was there in spirit.
I couldn't stop the tears. The meeting hadn't even started and I was already on my second tissue.
I was so happy to be singing Christmas songs in my ward choir.
I knew the angels were listening.

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I love Christmas music!!

I really enjoy listening to it in my car as I drive around running errands, and working on making my to-do Christmas list smaller.
I drive and sing at the top of my lungs.
I'm sure I'm quite the sight.
I have sung duets this year with Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Nat King Cole, Harry Connick Jr, Mariah Carey, Johnny Mathis.....oh the list goes on and on.
I am ready with some awesome harmonies if any of them call me up and need me to sing with them.