Welch's Grapes of Math

2011-05-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Taylor's First Date and First Prom. She was stunning.

Purple contacts really looked amazing.

Taylor at Sakura-con. This was her birthday gift

The Chaperones for Sakura-con. Auntie Ellie and Ms Lorian. They were the best!

Teaching Gwen to tie her shoes. The bunny is still running around that tree and jumping in the hole! It has worked with all the kids and grandkids so far!

Do you bite your thumb at me sir? I do bite my thumb sir! Stump the chump!

These guys came up with this shot all by themselves! So stinkin cute!

Our spring break trip to Seattle!

The look of love...that little guy does love me, I can see it in his face! He is my Bubala!

I love this hat. I have so many ideas for hats!

The three Smithkateers!

Disco skating is baaaaccck!

Happy happy happy!

Me and my peeps.

Still growing...98.6 lbs at the last weigh in a few months ago.

Pinkypie or as I call her, little miss prickle pants.

A sad farewell to my old dear friend Zion. He is sorely missed. He was14.

My Sweetie pie that is always ready to help me no matter what I volunteer for. Here he is after making 75 pink pettit fores for a dear friends surprise party!

There have been many sad times in the world lately with tornados and tsunamis and such and some good news, Bin Laden is done. Life does go on and our prayers continue for those in need.

2010-12-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yep still here!

This is actually some of Doug's ancestors in this picture from the Church History manuel I am teaching seminary from this year!

34 years this year!

I think there is romance in the air!

He is still growing..up to 78.6 lbs at 8 months old!

Gwen is on the ball!

Welcome our newest bit of sweetness. Aaron Douglas is here and he is a keeper!!!

Again? Really?

Snow came to early, gonna be a long winter!

Lovely lady!!!

Kiba, Jack is visiting, make him feel welcome and quit licking his head. He is NOT a chew toy!

Such lovely children....you just want to lick their noses!!!!

A proud big brother!

Jared is ready for any adventure!!!

Nathan the defender!

Ok I give up, does she look scared?

No Papa, no turkey! Where's the beef?

And so another Thanksgiving under the belt...well after eating that it is probably hanging over the belt...
Where's the Pie?!

We sure missed having you home Doug.....

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO SARAH AND JASON!

2010-08-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

Life is always fun with the Smiths. Ok remember when you were engaged and everyone kept saying how Sarah got a good one? Well she did BUT so did Jason. Jason you are lucky. Who else could get you to dress up in all these fun outfits? I had about 6 others I could have posted but thought I would spare you. May you continue to be blessed and have many many many years of joy and fun. Health, Wealth, and Happiness to you always. We love all the fun times we have with you!!!!

I have been a little busy......

2010-07-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

We have been busy this summer. We took Kirsten on her graduation trip to Italy in May. That was a very full and fun two weeks. We did ALL of Italy. Then we came home and went camping the very next weekend. Then a trip to Ohio and Doug left for Africa again. Our car died and our puppy is going to grow into a horse. He has delicate health and has been treated for several ailments already. So much for a screaming deal.....more photos later. Have a great summer.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WADE AND ELLIE!!!!

2010-05-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago Ellie left home and became Mrs Sutton.....me thinks it was a GOOD thing. I remember when she called and told me about this guy she met on a camping trip that was reading Le' Miz I thought ...... a good match. Then when they went on a date rock climbing and she almost killed him when she dropped him, well I thought...she will marry this guy for sure. They really are a good match. What a crazy ride these kids have been on but they keep on smiling and having some good laughs. Their little one just adds a sparkle to the family. I am thankful for the good strong branches our family tree has. I love the camping trips, the blue grass festivals, the exotic food, bike rides, and just hanging out. When Gwen uses words like "your freakin me out" and "cool" and when I hear "Peace Out" I have to chuckle and think yeah that's my kid. The Peace Corp sure missed out. Wade, Ellie, and Gwen...may you have health, wealth, and happiness always.

Tay! Your ship has landed!!!!!!!

2010-02-19T22:31:00.000-08:00

Almost 15 years ago this little girl entered our lives and our hearts. She was a joy from the very first day.

Taylor Jane, her middle name is after her Auntie Sarah. She has always been a very important part of our family. She has a heart as big as all outdoors. She has taught us all about love and patience and kindness.

She is smart and fun. She has always been willing to jump in and play with anyone. She has always tried to find the good in everyone.When she was big enough to say hug she insisted in being a part of our hugs. She loved getting in our hugs. She is always in our hearts and so she is always in our hugs too.We made costumes, and dressed up, and she was our travel buddy. She came hiking and camping and just loved being with us. When she told me she did not like seafood I asked her to taste the baby chicken legs. She tasted the fried shrimp and said they were really good but she thought I was being tricky. She and I had a good laugh and she has loved seafood ever since.She can eat with chopsticks and loves Asian food. She is proud of who she is. She loves her heritage. She is mastering Japanese. When our gifts started being used to punish her we decided to give her experiences instead. We have come to love the theatre. She learns all she can and gets right into the experience. I love finding new things for us to do. When she was young she loved horses and she memorized all the books we bought her about horses. She is full of passion and when she loves something she goes at it with all her being.

When she was only about 3 or 4 I took her into a small shop in Seattle that sold stuffed animals. She found this little dog. She gently took it into her arms and asked me if she could get it. We carried it up to the counter and she gently handed it to the salesman and said this is all I've ever wanted. He actually got teary eyed and said he was very pleased that he could help her get something so special. She has loved that little dog. His name is Little Brother.

Taylor is all we've ever wanted. Today the guardianship happened and she is with us for good. Finally we can all feel the joy and peace in knowing that she is where she belongs and is loved as much as she deserves....which is an enormous amount.

Tay your Nonna and Papa and your Aunties and Uncles and all your cousins are thrilled. Welcome home babe!

Talents or Doodles, I find it fun.

2010-02-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

I love to sit and doodle. It is very relaxing and good therapy. I would like to do something useful with it though. It all just gets stuffed in a drawer. This dragon I drew for Taylor. I still have not done anything worthwhile with it for her.
This one I did for Cita. Same thing nothing don with it.
This is a crib I painted for a Tongan Friend.
Here is a dresser I painted for Jared. His room is a farm theme right now. I did Gwens room too. I will have to post some pictures of that. So any ideas would be good. I am not a great artist but there must be something I could do with what I can do. I would like to take some classes to learn something. This is just my doodles.

Catching up is hard to do.

2010-01-27T11:50:00.001-08:00

I need to get better about keeping up with this blog. So does Sarah!! We are two peas in a pod. So here I am in Cleveland on our 33rd anniversary. We went to the Natural History Museum. It brought back many memories as a kid, so excited to take the school field trip to see the dinosaur bones. I think the exhibit is just as it was when I was in grade school!
I got to go to Savannah Georgia for my granddaughter's 18th birthday. Wow she has grown into such a beautiful young woman. I am so proud of her. You should see her artwork! She gave me a self portrait which I will treasure always. I did have problems with an infection in my foot that I had just had surgery in. I spent a few nights in the emergency room. I missed her party!!!! I hate doctors.....I was so bummed I missed it.
Isn't my son a good looking kid? No wonder his daughter is so beautiful!
Kirsten got a suitcase from me cause Doug and I are taking her to Rome this summer!!!! I am so excited to do this. My best friend's Dad takes all his grandkids to their choice when they graduate. I loved that idea so Kirsten is the first we get to take.
The boys would live in their army uniforms if they could. They are so much fun.
Doug comes up with the funnest things to do. He sure is able to get right in there and play too!

Gracie is helping to wash dishes .......she loves to help anyway she can!
Gracie is thrilled that Taylor, Doug, and Auntie Sarah are taking a cake decorating class. Lots of beaters to lick! Hmmmmmmm

Ahhh Christmas morning. We had a wonderful Christmas this year. The kids all got what they asked for and it was fun having little ones in the house again. Thanks Granny!

A very nice Thank You hug is always welcome. They sure are sweet and caring kids.
Santa was a bit overwhelmed when we all arrived together. Man $20 for a picture and it is so badly done it won't scan well.
Doug loves when I decorate for Christmas so I do it every year for him. I love you babe.

Christmas dinner is always Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes. Pineapple Philly pies. Sarah makes the Yorkshire Pudding because she is best at doing it. Mine never turns out right. So it is perfect cause then my roasted potatoes are better because I don't have to do the Yorkshire Pudding.

The Smith's Christmas Photo. We had to take about 30 shots to get them all looking in the same direction. Those boys are always moving!!!!
Gracie Ann.
Colonel Kobe. Peace Out!
We got to visit with Dad Welch in November and shortly after he had congestive heart failure and was in a coma until the end of December when he passed on to be with Mom Welch. They are back together and we know he is happy. It was a long six years for him without her.

We miss you Dad. Doug is in Africa and he and I both keep saying "Oh we should send Dad that" and then remember he is not here anymore. He loved African art.
Oh look....Big Barrett and Little Barrett

Welcome to Barrett. He is the son of my niece and God daughter Sue. He is adorable of course. I am proud to say that I am a Great Auntie!
Here is four generations! My mom, me, my daughter Ellie, and my granddaughter Gwen. It was so nice to take the grandkids to see my Mom and Sister. I sure miss them.
Woo Hoo look out Uncle Wade because Great Uncle Jim will give you a run for your money on the Coolest Uncle title. My brother always plays well with the little ones. They loved the box of goodies you sent Jim. Thanks.
Here is Sue and her little bundle of joy. He is so sweet.
I just had to include this picture of me and two of my cycling friends. Look at the beautiful place we live in. Man, it is gorgeous out here.
Taylor has discovered a new talent, she is a great photographer! She is an awesome artist but she really has an eye for photography too.

Well that is just a few tidbits of what has been going on out here. Life is always interesting to say the least. I will try to get some shots posted of Doug in Uganda. He is loving the job and country so far. So glad he is not in Afghanistan anymore....crazy dangerous over there.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2009-12-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

I will get to the other family pictures later.

I just had to share something my darling granddaughter did today. We had the wonderful pleasure of having Gwen spend the night and we got to pick her up after school. She got into the car and Doug asked her if she was hungry. She said yes, so he asked her if she could eat anything, what her very favorite meal in the whole world would be. She said chicken nuggets. He asked, who makes the very best chicken nuggets ever and she replied Mrs Donald.

So off we went in search of the perfect chicken nugget.

At a red light Gwen pipes up, "Oh look at that girl in the other car. She is smoking! She will ruin her skin."

I said , "Yep, it will look like a dried up old apple."

She was silent for a minute then she said, "Papa you look like maybe you used to smoke." She did say later that it does not matter about his outside cause she likes what's inside. His potty humor that she has too. He then gave her a container of "FARP". They had a grand old time with that. ( Farp sounds just like a whoopie cushion, which Papa also has given to Gwen in the past)

So far behind I am catching up on myself....

2009-12-06T23:48:00.001-08:00

Ok it is after midnight and I am dead tired and I still have a ton of pictures to add. So enjoy these and I will update more later. I really need to do this more often so there is a little more dialog with all this. We really do have a lot of fun and there are so many great places to see out her and things to do. I need to take the time and comment more on what we are doing. I will try better in the future. I'm Glowing....or is that sparkle....maybe I'm a vampire!
Kirsten, Nonna, Mama, and Sis!
Nonna and her girl.
Jeff and his girl.
Wow our grand daughter is 18!!!!!!!!
Little "Dapper" guy.
Wow.....now what was that song?
Another birthday boy!
I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

A birthday for a sweet girl. Pet shop all the way!
Buying a first real two wheeler! Thanks Granny!
Looks like hard work. I see a future brain surgeon.
While brother is getting the goods.
Some really cute punkins on that step, all three of 'em.
Now that is a great looking Chinook pilot, just like his papa!
Yes Halloween is sure fun.
He is the cutest virus I have ever seen.
Me and Maren! Just like old times....only now we are old...but that's ok cause we still have fun.
The great white hunter.
Me with my new white doo. Loving it but it is growing out too fast.
Tay.

2009-09-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July was extra special with Doug home from Afghanistan. We had a big party and lots of fun. The kids had a silly string fight.

Right before we left for fireworks downtown Sarah and Jason came over and shared their fireworks with us. It was a grand show.
All the kids were given a very in depth safety class and then they helped out with the show.
It was great to have Cita home again. It has been too long.......

Now that is a sourpuss.
Always the glamour girl, that's Gracie.
Helping Taylor get ready for girls camp. We bedazzled her pants. She got glowing reviews.

2009-09-11T18:20:00.001-07:00

Some shots from our hike to Mineral Ridge. This is a fun three mile hike that the little ones love doing. This was Gracie's first hike and she did the whole thing on her own two feet. She was a trooper.

It is always a good place where you can just let out a yell if you want to.
Yah there is a family resemblance for sure.
You rock Kirsten!!
Lunch at the top. Tay did the hike with a hurt foot, poor thing.

Jared rode like a champ the whole way. He is so mellow and easy going.
The old folks enjoying their lunch.
The boys playing with Uncle Jeff. They sure had fun running and hiding and scaring us all.
Beautiful! Oh and the view is nice too.

2009-09-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Summer Fun. I have a ton of pictures to share. We had a GREAT summer!!!! I don't think these are in order but as crazy as life is, well, too bad. Having a house full of kids has been hectic and crazy, but lots of fun too. We sure love the kids, both big and small. Papa loves to take the kids out for ice cream, just like his Dad used to. They sure enjoy it.

Ah, so does Papa. He is just a big kid too!
Another fun summer activity is going on "rides". Here were a few at the park in downtown Spokane.

Kobe is getting so grown up. He wanted to ride all by himself. I was not too sure but everyone else said let him and he LOVED it. I guess I have to accept he is getting more independent.

Those little kid loves sure are worth it.
This was the summer of the bike. Granny wanted each of the kids to have bikes and she got them. They are thrilled. Bike rides to the ice cream store are one of the favorite activities now. I am putting all these pictures in several posts so they won't take forever to load.

Ahh Summer! School is just about done for the year!!!!

2009-06-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling like this lately just going round and round and round and round and round! Kobe is a bike riding fiend, everywhere we go, if there is a bike he is on it. Everyday he wants to ride his bike everywhere. He thinks I can just follow him in the car. I have done that to school a couple of times but that is just a few blocks. Gwen thought it was such a fun looking experience she asked me to follow her home in the car the other day. She loved it. Doesn't take much to make them happy. They love the craziest things.

I bought Gracie and Kobe these cute little backpacks that you fill with water and then you can sip as you walk and your hands are free. Gracie loves hers. She is thirsty all the time and would love to wear the thing to bed so she could just lay there and sip all night. I already need to buy Kobe a new mouth piece because he bit through his. He is a chewer. He bites and chews toys, straws, and his nails.....we are working on these things.

GRADUATION DAY! I did not know that here 8th grade graduation is a big deal. The kids are asked to dress is formals for the ceremony. So Tay and I had a great time finding the perfect dress. She wanted one that was her personality. And she found the perfect one. She then made it trendy and "hers" with a little sweater and capri length lace stockings. She then asked if she could get her hair done like her favorite Japanese character and by George the beautician did a beautiful job and she loved it. She let me do her makeup and we had a great time getting her ready. I even painted her toe nails a funky green. She had a great night and felt like a Queen.

I took some shots and told the kids to "work it" like the models and they had a blast posing. I had to get some shots of the two of us. Too bad Papa was not here to be in the photo. He sure was missed. Well only three weeks and he will be!!!

Some of Tay's peeps. She has very nice and cute friends. They all had a merry time. These girls are so funny when they are together. I cannot understand what they are talking about half the time because they are talking so fast and laughing so much. I don't think they really finish their sentences. They can Vulcan mind meld or something.

Ta da!!! A perfect end to Middle School and then next year she is off to High School!!!! That is hard to believe. Kirsten just went to Prom......I must get photos to share. She will graduate next year!!!! I am excited that Jeff, Cita, and Kirsten, Rick and Maryann and family, Bill Huber and family are all coming into town for Doug's welcome home bash on the 4th of July. If anyone else wants to join us please do!

A Boy and His Bike

2009-05-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Kobe wanted a bike. So we set up a list of "chores" for him to do so he could earn the bike. He worked hard and earned his bike. He is very excited and asked if he could ride it to the car this morning when we were leaving for school. Now I need to think of something else for him to earn. Thanks Granny for funding the bike. He can't wipe the smile off his face.

Head school and Mothers Day

2009-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Gracie is in school now and loving it. She is in the headstart program so she can get caught up before kindergarten. She is so cute. All the teachers love her. She calls it her head school.
I had to go to the emergency room on Mother's Day so after I was released we took advantage of the beautiful day and went to the park. Kobe got to ride his new scooter and they all played.
He is working to earn points to buy a bike. He is very excited about it. He has a really cool one all picked out.
He loves the helmet Papa gave him. It looks like a snake with eyes and scales.
This is a little dance they did for me. I think it is from their Japanese animation they love. It was a good day after all. Simple and fun, well except for the ER.

Ouch.

2009-05-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

I had to have some minor surgery on my feet and one of the things I had to do was soak them in vinegar water each day. Gracie loved to help me with that. Kobe took a turn too. I have hobbled around now for over a month and can't wait to get better and on my bike!!!!!

Oh the joys of school projects!!!!

2009-05-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

Taylor had to do a presentation on P.T. Barnum. She had to do an oral report and then do a mobile. This is her mobile. She did a really great job. She was not to sure about it but when I coached her a little bit she really got into it and it was a fun activity. The teacher asked to keep it!
The little lion she made actually moved through the fire ring.
The flying trapeze girl had arms that moved!
The elephant had tail and trunk that moved. When you put the trunk up the elephant smiled. Great job Tay.
Kobe's school asked the kids to decorate a hat for May Day. Now for a boy it is a little more challenging cause he won't look silly. His new favorite past time is to watch Japanese animation with Taylor. They are really bonding with this activity which is something they have needed. So this is his favorite character. He LOVED it and wore it for several days.
Ahh having kids in school again. Homework and worrying if they are doing well. Can't say I missed it but it is important to help them succeed and learn as much as they can. The other day I was explaining to Kobe about an insect and he said "Wow you know a lot about Science!" I told him when you get as old as me you learn a lot.

Walk in my shoes?

2009-04-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

My very dear and sweet husband has been telling me that I am a hero. I love him dearly and tend to agree with him most of the time but on this I have to draw the line. Poor guy is in a war zone and lately it seems whenever we talk I have ANOTHER drama to tell him about. I have been sitting back and thinking of the past three or so years and cannot believe all the.....I don't even know how to describe it.....ok...."crap" we have had to deal with. As I was sitting at the hospital with some friends we were all chatting and they started teasing us about the "Welchs' crazy lives." They were right. We do have the darnedest things happen to us. I remember once some friends of Ellie and Sarah said we lived in a sitcom. It's true. I just take one day at a time and keep on truckin. I think I will stay in my own shoes, I can deal with my trials just fine. I'm no hero and I keep things real and funny if I can. So welcome to "Welch's grapes of math."

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:55:00.001-07:00

Before I get into the Easter shots I have to tell you about our old cat Zion. He is a grandpa cat. He is 12 years old and doesn't like anyone but me lately. He is not mean just cranky and meows loudly if anyone touches him. Gracie had to have major dental work done. She got 6 crowns done at one time. She had to go to the hospital and went under general anestetic. She was a hurting puppy when she got home. I made her a little bed on the sofa and Zion crawled up next to her and let her hug and pet him and he purred and stayed with her all afternoon. He was doing his part in caring for her. She loved it. He really made her day.
Gracie is tiny and has seemed kind of awkward and not one to run or jump too much. She seemed to like to sit on your lap and not do much. She would play quietly with her dolls and would draw but mostly scribble. She has just turned 4. I was concerned because she seemed delayed in some areas. Well look out she has gotten a new lease on life!! We didn't know it but her eyesight has a bad astigmatism and she couldn't see. The doctor said her close up sight was really bad and her distance somewhat bad. When she put her glasses on the look on her face was priceless!!!! She looked at the counter top at the store and said "I can see this!" She was seeing the pattern in the granite counter. She walked around the house just looking at everything. Now she skips and runs and jumps and she laughs and explores. She can see!!!! She gets up each morning and puts her glasses on first thing and they never come off all day. She loves them!
After church on Easter morning. It was cold and windy. Aren't they cute?
Kobe found his basket first. He was so excited about his Star Wars toy he barely looked at the rest of his stuff! He was very excited about the cologne Auntie Sarah gave him last night to go with his new outfit. He loves smelling good. He wanted to take the bottle to church with him. I told him it was best to leave it home and to only put it on once a day.
Gracie found her basket right after Kobe got his. She was thrilled by it all. She got some jewelry and hair bands that really made her happy.
Ok, Taylor cheated! She had her dog with her and he went straight to her basket. No fair using blood hounds to find your basket Tay! She loved her fun make-up, I think the silver eyeliner was the biggest hit for her.
Gwen and family came over for the Big Easter Egg Hunt. An annual event for the Welch family. She looked like Santa Claus with her big bag of eggs she found. I know there are still some out there not found and she told me to just let her know when I find one and she will come and get it.
Kobe found the silver egg with money in it. There was a gold one too. Actually he and Gwen found it with a little hint from Nonna and they split the proceeds.
Nathan did not actually hunt but like he always does, he had a great time.
Jared had a great time and he found a lot of eggs. He was moving so fast he had a siren going to let us know to get out of the way.
Gracie did great now that she can see. She was right in there holding her own.
Nathan loves his Nonna and Papa. He just about tries to crawl through the computer when Papa calls. I love when he reaches out to us and blows us kisses. He is the most loving and sweet little guy.

You just can't resist him. He has us all wrapped around his little finger.

Well we had a wonderful Easter. It would have been nice to have Papa here too but that is coming in June. I just want to say that it was fun to have all the Easter Bunny fun with the kids but I am most grateful for the real reason and that is my Savior and his sacrifice and resurrection. The greatest gift of all. Because of that gift I know that I will have my family forever and it can't get any better than that. Thank you to my two lovely daughters that help make this time without Doug bearable to my sons-in-law for their kind support and care. To my sweet grandkids, well just look at them, they keep me young and laughing each day. Life is good. HAPPY EASTER!

India, not for wimps!

2009-03-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Since seeing this shot in Slumdog it is the classic shot at the Taj. What an amazing structure. It is far more spectacular in person than in pictures.

They love uniforms and the men and women love color and pizazz in dressing. Those were some fantastic mutton chops!
Of course everything is made by hand by their grandparents...but this really looks like it was done by hand. This isn't the one I bought but I did get one.
There was a wedding in the Hotel and all the women had their hands and feet henna'd I had to get it done before I left.
It went on like frosting and as it dried and flaked off it was a lovely orange.
I noticed I matched the sofa! It did darken to a nice mahogany color and lasted about one week.
We did not get to roam the streets like in Istanbul. We would have been overwhelmed with beggars. Their are so many people and the poverty is unbelievable. It was very sad. I kept thinking of Obie One in Star Wars when the planet was blown up and he said he felt a great crying out...that is how I felt.
The snake charmers told Doug that the snakes did not have teeth and he could pet one. When he went to touch it our guide almost came unglued...he said they milked the snake but they do bite and you never know if the venom is back or not. He said they change the snakes every 15 days. No OSHA in India.
These ancient buildings are so immense and beautiful. It kind of takes you away from the filthy cramped real world of today's India.
This is at today's Raja's palace. I was getting very ill this morning. I think I could have filled that urn as much as I upchucked that afternoon!
Jaiper the pink city. I was getting more weak.
Doug hanging with the local boys. He sang us a song about Krishna. This was outside the restaurant that I think I got sick. There was a rat running across the floor and the thought crossed my mind that it wasn't chicken I was eating!!!!
Traffic on the highways was always a surprise. You could see camels, elephants, cows, oxen, horses and motorcycles with 5 people on.
Now that is a handsome couple.
These paintings are like 700 years old.
You never know what you'll see.
The guide got a big kick out of having us stand under this little guy and then having us look up.
The Maja-Raga's ancient palace. He had like 300 concubines.
Too bad the modern buildings are not as beautiful as the old.
This whole area is built out of red sandstone.
The women are the true gems of India. Everywhere there are beautiful flashes of colors. The poorest of the poor have saris of vibrant colors. You would see them out in the fields harvesting.
The family car. We actually saw one with six people piled on.
This is quaint but not the poorest. There were tent cities right outside our hotel that were heart breaking. People just live anywhere and there is no electricity or toilets and it gets really dirty and piled with trash and they potty anywhere so the smells are pretty ripe.
A holy cow eating out of a pile of trash. They just roam around at their leisure.
It gives free range a whole new meaning.
My favorite was the camels and elephants. The camels are huge and they kind of roll along when they walk. The elephants all have painting on. I just never got a good shot of an elephant.
These are descendants of the men that built the Taj Mahal. Well that is their story and they are sticking to it.
Ok naked boys swimming on a hot summer day right? Well that water is filled with raw sewage and stunk. I imagine their immune systems must be either really strong or they don't have one.
The Taj walls close up.
My favorite vacation partner.
They are beautiful women but Doug says they don't age well.

Ok. I don't like Indian food. I tried. but there is a spice in it all that I find very repulsive.
The Taj from our hotel.
Delhi. The smog is so bad I don't think thay ever get sunshine.
I imagine that if these women did not get out every morning and sweep the streets they would disappear in a week. The trash is everywhere and I saw everyone just tossing trash down. I kept wanting to give it back to them and call them litterbugs!
A little temple next to our hotel in Delhi.
Yeah hon I don't think that will fit in my suitcase.
I had this in my carry on and I thought for sure it would not make it through but when they heard where I was going they told me I would need it.

Well it ended up I needed more than my pink friend. This Dr had to stay the night in our hotel room and gave me several IV's of antibiotics and injections and pills. He was a foul little man and everytime he came near me I was nauseous. His treatment did work and I did survive and was able to fly home.

It is good to be home in the land of clear skies, clean water, and good food. I am thankful for my home and family. I miss Doug and can't wait for him to get home. It was wonderful to spend time with him but next time I think we will go to Thailand.

THE BEST GIFT OF ALL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the best Christmas gift ever!

..and there he is. Our best gift.
Doug came home for ten days from Afghanistan. He had to return on the 20th but it was a grand celebration.
What better gift than to be together again.
We trimmed the tree.

One of Doug's favorite things to do.
We had a welcome home party for all the friends to say hello.
Doug had some skunk pelts from when we lived in Kansas! I mailed them to him and he had a hat made. There was enough left over to make one for Jared too.
The funniest thing was the mailroom workers told Doug that he had to take the hats to the MPs to document that they weren't wolf or fox before he could mail them home. The MP took one look at the hats and said "DUH...no these are not fox or wolf" I guess some people don't know a skunk when they see one!
Having "Uncle Jeff" home was great. I think he is the kids favorite "Uncle" He always brings them such fun things like the burp and fart machines for the boys. The kids all adore him! We do too :)
We do everything together. I think we could fit a few more Welches on that sled!
Cooking the Christmas meal of Roast Beast and Yorkshire Pudding. Taylor is my assistant.
Here are two more very cheerful helpers.
Here are the Suttons

Ellie and Wade

LoJack and Gwen

Do you know how hard it is to get them all to look in the same direction and to smile?

Aren't they just the most beautiful kids in the world?

We were sad that Kirsten and Natalie were not here,

and Bernadette too. Missed you guys!
Here are Lea and her three precious stooges

Taylor, Kobe, and Gracie

.....no only kidding they are darling, all of them.
and the

Smith Clan

Sarah and her boys

Jason, Jared, and Nathan
Nonna and Papa

with their hands and hearts full!
Our wonderful children who we are well pleased with

and love with all our hearts.
and Zion

We wish you all a very happy new year!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

This year I have been more aware of the great blessing in my life. Doug has taught me so much about having gratitude. He has helped me to stop and see the greatness in which we live. His experience in Afghanistan has changed our lives forever. I am most thankful for the Savior and His gospel in my life. My family, near and far, wow! Freedom, and those who protect it. There is just too much to even begin to list it all. Life is good!

The Thanksgiving table is set and ready to go.

The yellow plates are out and everyone is hungry!
Nothing like a Buffet!
Sarah is teasing her Dad a little.
The kids table. They were thrilled to have their own bowl of bread rolls.
Kobe is very pleased he got to sit at the BIG table. He loved having a knife to cut his own meat with and he worked very hard on his best table manners. He is getting to be so grown up!
Nathan chillin in his bouncy seat hoping someone will take pity and give him a bite or two.
Sarah and Jay with a Coke and a smile :)
Taylor making it to the end of the Buffet with no room left on her plate!
Finally, it is my turn! Don't let my trainer see that plate.
AHHH. Now for the feasting.
I knew if I smiled enough someone would give me some real food!
The Nonna huggy hold!
One of Lea's birthday presents. These are her "winter" shoes. She will only wear black flip flops no matter what the weather is out there.
Happy Birthday Lea! I won't tell anyone you are ..............oops, almost let it out!
So let the games begin....Kids Cranium.
Finally, this was a perfect day except for one thing, all the family was not here, especially our Papa, who we miss and love dearly. Be safe babe. We love you!!!

Fall has come and Old Man Winter is knocking on the door!

2008-11-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Home sweet home. Soon all those leaves will need raked! Then we will be ready for the first snow. We live in a paradise.
Carvers Farm is the place to go for your pumpkin. They love to have the kids out there anytime to pick veggies or find the right pumpkin for Halloween. It is such a magical place to go. Thank you Carvers Farm!
Why are cornfields so much fun?
I like my hat and don't care if you don't. It is sure warm!
The find of the day. Now those are some beautiful "punkins" for sure.
Oh look, baby pumpkins. Aren't they the cutest?
Thank you Papa for the eskimo coat. Doesn't she look like that coat was made for her?
I love seeing the kids in the sweaters that my mom knitted. Isn't Gwen a timeless beauty?
The most amazing thing about a little boy is that he can make a weapon out of anything.
Jumping for joy at the "Pumpkin Patch"

Had to take a cuteness break. Man that kid can smile.

I love the Fall. I love the smells and colors and the first cold mornings. I love the sound of walking through a pile of leaves and the smoke in the air from the first fires to warm the homes. I love the bustle of getting everything ready for Old Man Winter and the holidays that are right around the corner. Apple Cider and Pumpkin pie and in the fall we start to really cook the good warm and staying kinds of meals. I do miss my favorite thing, snuggling with my sweetie on a cold blustery night.
This was a very scary fellow. He even glowed in the dark.
The little green sprout was very cute. Green hair is very handsome on the right person.
This little Indian princess was very beautiful with her long dark hair. I personally love the glass slippers she had on during the party.
Thank you Papa for my bellydancing outfit from Turkey. I love to dance and make jingles!
Is this a Shrimp eating a dog? Not even the dogs are safe from getting put in costume!
HO HO HO who made it on the news! Yep the Smiths made the news with their family costume of the Jolly Green Giant (Jason you are a really good sport and love your wife dearly) little sprout, the peapod and farmer Sarah. Jay you look good in tights.
We had a skeleton and a Diva and the world's littlest belly dancer.
The Sutton clan were Poccahontas and fishermen with the "catch of the day" the rare wiener dog shrimp.

I decided that since everyone was so excited about politics that I would have a political costume so it was a two part idea. The first was a little jab at B.O., all in fun of course. The second part was the "scary" part, I was a "bleeding heart liberal".

Well life is good. We love to have fun and laugh at ourselves. We sure enjoy the blessings we have. We are filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. Sure hope you are all enjoying this lovely fall.

Istanbul Turkey!

2008-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the President Best Western and this was the view from the roof of our Hotel.
The infamous Grand Bazaar. It is a maze of shop but has become a big tourist trap and the prices are not good. The shopkeepers are not willing to bargain too much. It is worth walking through just to look though. Pretend you can't hear them though, they yell out greetings in all sorts of languages and when you look when they call out "Hi, how are you?" they won't leave you alone until you look in their shop.
We decided before we even left that carpets were not anything we were interested in. We have six turkish rugs already. They beg you just to come and see their shops. Then they tell you there are only 9 wholesalers in the whole city and they are one of them. (We met at least 15 of the 9) They give you apple tea and tell you of their travels to America. We were determined NOT to buy any rugs and we told them all that very firmly. So we only bought two.
I love the people. We roamed all around the back alleys and never felt afraid or out of place. The city is clean and the people over all were very nice. Everyone seemed to speak about 9 languages!
Muslims do not like to have their pictures taken so I was very careful to act like I was taking photos of things rather than people. This man in the Grand Bazaar was an exception though. I really was taking a photo of his spices and he threw the "spicy" pose for me. We both got a good laugh about it.
Now that is a tea pot. What in the world is that thing used for?
It was Ramadan and the city seemed very festive. They fast all day during this holiday which lasts all month and then at sunset they can eat. So the city just came alive at sunset. I heard an English lady say "I didn't know that Ramadan meant eat everything in sight at sunset!
This man was so adorable. Do you think he is the real Santa Claus?
The Galati Tower. We had dinner up here and saw some belly dancers. This was built by the Italians in like 523.
Fresh fish.
This fruit stand really impressed me. They just leave it all out at night too.
The city is huge and we only saw a very small part. It would take months to explore it all. I guess that calls for a return visit.
I cannot even begin to explain these wonderful old mosques and the stories that go with them. Well worth taking the tours though.
I am intrigued by the women that dress all in black and cover themselves so much. Most of the women have head covers and long coats over their clothes.
Ok now, do we pamper our old folks too much or maybe she is not really old and just had a hard life.
We found the best deals just wandering around on these back alleys.
The colors, the smells, and the sounds were magic. Especially when the calls to prayer were blaring out of the dozens of mosques in the area.
These men were selling the best pickles in the world. They talked Doug into calling out to people to get them to buy the pickles.
INSULT THE MAP! This is classic Doug. (Taylor always told us to insult the map.)
I didn't know Doug had posed for this statue!
There he is, the Crimson Giant.
Ah a little seat in the garden, dining on an antiquity.
How about that tile for our master bath?
Do you like my hat?
The belly dancers were pretty good. Each one that came out had bigger boobs than the one before her.
I think this was our favorite thing. The cisterns. They told us that part of "From Russia with Love" was filmed in here. It was built under the city to store water. Very beautiful.
They said they put this Medusa head upside down and another sideways to put an end to idol worship. I guess they came out of a temple that was built to worship her.

There were lots more photos but too many to put on here. We had a wonderful time. It was another honeymoon for us and was very hard to say good bye. Turkey is a wonderful place and is now on our list of places we want to visit again and again. I look forward to more adventures with my favorite traveling partner. Love ya babe!

Wedding bells for Sue!!!!

2008-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

The three stooges!
Mr. J
Most Improved....hehe
Mrs. J
The three amigos
Granny and Uncle Jim
Autumn, Auntie, and Uncle Jim
Me and Mom (Granny)
Uncle Jim, Cindy, and Autumn.
The bride and groom saying I do.
Mom and Dad
A flower girl or is it a fairy?
Ahhh a maid of honer....
Here is the groom, isn't that Aud?
Suzanne got married! Here comes the bride.

My trip to Ohio was wonderful. Laura and I learned how to make English Crackers. That was the take away gift on the tables for the reception. As you can see fun was had by all with the prizes in them. It poured the day of the wedding. I haven't seen a rainfall like that in years. So since it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day, Aud and Sue will have it made. My trip home was something else. The day I left Hurricane Ike weather had come up from Texas and there was 65 mph winds. My flight got cancelled so poor Laura had to come and get me in the middle of it. Trees were down and power was out. I got out the next day but had to fly to NYC to fly back to Spokane. It was a long day and then I only had 2 days to get ready to go to Istanbul. Crazy. I laughed cause Sue's nickname was Suenami when she was little. It was nice to be there.

The last days of summer!

2008-08-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Doug sent me a cute little outfit from Afghanistan. Don't you think the blue matches my eyes? My glasses would not fit under it. I wonder if they come in sizes or if my noggin is too huge cause the top it tight. I wonder if heat stroke is a common ailment for the ladies that wear these? It is hot in that thing. It is a beautiful color and the workmanship in the making is beautiful.
Gwen decided that she wanted to take some pictures. So I gave her my camera and she was really quite good. She just went up to this girl and said "I want to take your picture!"

Photos by Gwen. She has an eye for beauty!
Waiting for the Rodeo to start. What a great tradition. Each year we go to the Kootenai County Fair. The Rodeo is always my favorite part. Especially the beginning. This year they had some soldiers and sailors march out before the National Anthem and the crowd went wild cheering. It made me cry. Anyone who doubts that the American people do not love their country or stand by their military ought to come to a Rodeo. Those are the REAL Americans, proud and loud!
Gwen walked right up to this cow and announced "Nonna this is a nice one." I yelled, "Gwen, No you can't touch them, they might kick you!" Then a young man said "Oh no, she is fine, he is a nice one" Well I guess Gwen can sense kind beasts. Is that a gift of the Spirit?
We saw pigs too. They stunk, but not this cute little piggy.
Taylor's annual "happy time" in the horse barn. This year they did not have the horse raffle though. They were raffling a Mule!!!!!!! Oh disappointment... who would want a MULE??????
Gwen loved the duck and chicken barn. She went to each cage and said "HI DUCK" to each chicken and laughed so hard she almost fell over. Then when she finally got to a duck she paused and said "HI CHICKEN!!!" and we all laughed. I've never enjoyed those birds as much as I did this year.
This goose would talk back to you if you spoke to it.
Nonna always makes sure the kids are eating good and healthy food. Fruit is very important in the diet. You can tell Gwen appreciates a healthy snack too.
Ahhhh the traditional food of my ancestors. The Italian Sausage sandwich. Good to the last bite.
This year we had a bumper crop of huckleberries. Good for the bears and good for us! They sure are good. Taylor and Zooey are finding the good ones in the shade! We go up mid-day so we are not competing with the bears!!!!
The last day at the lake. Skipping stones should be a summer Olympic event!
Gracie was not too sure about the waves. She is such a princess. Well summer has flown by and for once I am glad. I have started to winterize the house and look forward to fall. I don't usually want time to fly but this year I do, then after my sweetheart gets home time can creep by as slowly as it can. I miss you Doug. I love you.

Our very special pets.

2008-08-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

LOJACK

Yesterday I had Kobe, Gracie, and Taylor over to help me with some yard chores. Our goal was to pick up all the apples that had fallen off the tree. Not a small job because the tree was loaded to the point I thought it would break from all the weight. So Kobe was given the job to pick up the apples on the inside of the fence in the flower garden. I noticed a big hole and it was not the first big hole I had found in my flower garden. In fact when I saw the first one I thought someone had stolen a plant! I finally figured it out to be one of Jack's, Ellies dog, favorite past times was to dig in my garden. So as we were all busy working hard to get every apple picked up I looked into Kobe's assigned area and saw that the hole was filled with apples and dirt had been thrown on top. As I was going to get on Kobe for doing that I see Jack running across the yard with a pear in his mouth to add to his cache he had made. I wonder if I could teach him to dig up the weeds? I love when he comes over and hides his rawhide treats under my pillow or in my shoe. He does help out with one of Doug's chores. He loves "kitty rocha" so I don't have to clean out Zion's box as much...... Jack has a bed time and complains if he is out past 8:30PM.

So as I was telling Doug about Jack's latest cute trick I mentioned that all our pet's seem to be very extraordinary and maybe a little eccentric. I wondered if they came to us that way or we made them that way? So here are a few of my favorites, though not all, we have had a plethora of animals in our home.

MAXINE

Maxine, we did not have her for very long but she was a wonderful dog. She was a former MP dog and when her owner got transferred he had to leave her. She was starving herself to death, she missed him so much so the vet asked if we could take her. She bonded to me immediately and was my guard dog. She could open doors if you did not lock them so sometimes when I was leaving I would get to the car and there she would be waiting for me because she had climbed out the window or opened another door to get out. She never let the cleaning lady into the same room with me. Once the plumber reached to shake my hand and she about castrated him. She loved the family and really was a sweet dog. She was even protective of the cat, Shrimp. One day I heard the dogs out back just growling and sounding awful so I called Shrimp and Maxine ran back and got him from the dogs. They had torn Shrimp up pretty bad. We had to leave Maxine in Italy when we got transferred to Hawaii because she would never have survived the quarantine there. I was very sad when I heard that the family who took our house and had promised to keep her did not keep their word and gave her away.
SHRIMP

Shrimp, the cat who really did have nine lives. Shrimp just showed up on our porch one day. His tail reminded the girls of a shrimp so that was what we called him. We knew he was Italian because he came to "Moochie" which is the way Italians call their cats. I told the girls I did not want a cat and he was not to come into the house. I did let them feed him. Then one Sunday we went out and he had snapped his back leg. It was awful, just hanging there. He looked so pitiful so we rushed him to an Italian emergency vet. Well they had to pin the leg and $300.00 later Shrimp was in the house being hand fed and hand carried to the litter box. His leg got infected and they thought they would have to amputate it but we got him through it and did not have to change his name to tripod. Well, now that we had an investment we decided to keep him. That was the first life, then he got struck by lightening and was blinded by that but the vet got him through it and his eyesight came back. Then the dog got him and he had to have his butt shaved and got stitches. He was really indignant about that. Then we paid to ship him to Savannah so Lea could keep him for us while we were in Hawaii but some friends of hers ended up with him. I called them to tell them he was my cat but they were so in love with him I didn't have the heart to take him back.
ZION

Now Shrimp was so loved by the girls that when Ellie was working at a pet store she was keeping an eye out for another cat like him. One day a lady brought in a tiny kitten that was left of her front porch and Ellie picked him up and he put a paw on either side of her face and nibbled on her nose. She called me and said she found the perfect cat for me. I took one look and he was mine. We named him Zion, so he would be pure in heart. He slept on my neck. He is still sleeping on me, 12 years later, only now he weighs about 17 lbs. He is my cat and really freaks Doug out when he talks. He will say Hello and Mom. He is very vocal. When the alarm clock goes off, if I do not get up he comes and sits on my head and nudges me to get up. He is always at my feet or on my lap when I am home. The only time he is not by my side is when the grandkids are here. He always stays close to them. If they bug him too much he just grabs hold of them and yowls but he won't leave their side. He has no claws at all so it is pretty harmless. When he was a kitten I tried to trim his nails and could not keep a hold of him so I took him to the vet and said I might have to get him declawed because he loved to climb me and sit on my shoulder and the bigger he got, well it was hurting. The vet assured me he could trim the nails but he and the assistant came out bleeding. He then decided to declaw all four paws and fixed him and pulled all the baby teeth because the big teeth were coming in behind them. So Zion does not like vets at all. His ear filled with blood one day and the vet had to drain it and put stitches into it and they told me they had to sedate him to take the stitches out. I just set him on my lap and he sat there and let me take all 8 stitches out and only shook his head after each one and never even tried to get away. He swallowed a needle once. He kept throwing up his food so I took him in and the vet assumed it was just a hairball so he was showing me how to give Zion the Tuna flavored gunk to get the hairball out and of course Zion was fighting like a tiger. At home he takes it fine from me but he does hate vets. So he was hissing and spitting it out when I could see the needle stuck into the top of his mouth. The vet looked horrified! He was not about to put his fingers into that cat's mouth. I took Zion from him and reached in and plucked it out, no problem. The didn't even charge me, he was just thankful to get Zion out of there. That vet is retired now, and he wasn't that old. Zion broke his leg once, we are not sure how, and we all signed his cast. He hates strange men in our house and will bite their feet. He acts all friendly and then when they are least expecting it he bites, not too hard to break the skin, just enough to make them jump and be on edge. He really hates anyone who smells like cigarettes and does his bear walk after them. One poor guy fell down our basement stairs the cat scared him so bad. He doesn't bite Doug, he will sit on Doug lap some nights when we are watching TV, he will go back and forth between us. Doug is convinced the cat does not like him but he has lost a lot of weight since Doug left. I believe he misses him a lot.
REBEL

Rebel was a real sweetheart. He loved Ellie and Sarah. He was big and fat and just purred like a fine race car when they dressed him in their doll clothes and pushed him around in the baby buggy. He would jump up on our bedroom window sill each morning to be let into the house. I had it down to a routine. He would jump up to let me know he was there then jump down so I could open the window and in he would jump. Well Doug was kind enough one morning to let him in and did not know about the jumping down part and when Rebel jumped down Doug put his face out to see where he went just as Rebel was jumping back up and Doug stood up and cracked his eyebrow on the window and had to get stitches!!!! I confess I did laugh a little. I am truly sorry now but it just hit my funny bone to see that big grey cat come flying in the way he did. Sorry babe.
DIXIE

We did not have Dixie very long because the breeder had inbred her and her hips were so bad we had to have her put down at a year and a half. She was so sweet and smart. She never had an accident in the house. She was well mannered and loved her walks with me each morning. She knew if I had my green sweater on we were going out. Then when we came in we would share a cup of hot chocolate and a bagel with peanutbutter on. She always had her half. Now you say, "Dogs should not eat that". Well Dixie was best known for her iron stomach. It was always a surprise what we would see on her walks. She ate things. Things that no one would eat. Once it was a pink plastic disposable razor! One Christmas I had made chocolate truffles for all the kids teachers, two cookie sheets covered with about 5 lbs of very rich chocolate. We had to run Sarah up to the pool for swim practice and when I got home I looked everywhere for the truffles. The cookie sheets were still on the table, nothing was out of place but the chocolate was no where to be seen. It did not phase her at all. I will never forget her last night at home, the whole neighborhood came in to say good bye. The next day the vet stood by me, a big burly guy, and cried as much as I did as she was put to sleep. I had her buried on a farm.
ANGEL

Angel was our first pet. Doug picked her out. I was afraid to be alone with the kids when Doug was gone TDY so Angel was our guard dog. She looked very intimidating for sure. She was the biggest chicken in the world! The weiner dog next door would chase her back into the house and she would pee the whole way! Angel was Doug's baby and she loved him. She was also a free spirit and although she loved him she was not about to listen. He would chase her and chase her and she just thought it was a game. When she would get out even the MP's would call me and say "Mrs. Welch, Angel is out again, we can't catch her." He took her to the MP's dog obedience school and they finally had to admit she was smarter than all of them. They all loved her though. In the morning she knew if I was in my pajamas I could not chase her so she would run off. If I was dressed she would come right back in like she was supposed to. She was not allowed on the furniture but after she put us to bed she would go and sleep on the sofa. We knew she was doing it, not because we caught her, but because of the hair and warmth we felt. She knew when the alarm went off, to go and get into her bed. So Doug got the idea to set some mouse traps on the sofa to deter her from getting up there. She very gently moved them over with her nose and continued to sleep where she wanted. She loved all children and you could not spank a child when she was around. One lady who was staying at our house raised her hand to smack her child and Angel jumped up and grabbed her hand. She did not bite or hurt the woman, she just held her hand. The lady asked me what she was doing and I told her, Angel does not allow children to be hit. Poor Doug would wrestle with the four kids and they would be trouncing on him and Angel would nip at his feet. There is a reason they are called Pinchsers.
BILBO

Now most would think a rodent is a rodent and that is that. Not so, Ellie brought home this tiny little baby hamster. He had hair like Albert Einstein and in the mornings he had real bed head. One time his butt hair got caught in his wheel and we found him hanging upside down. I was watching him one time crawl up on top of his very stylish mushroom house and he would sway back and forth about three times and then leap, trying to reach the door to his cage. It was almost like he was counting ONE, TWO, THREE, JUMP!!!! He really was a sweet little creature. Ellie told me she could not bear to go on her mission and have Bilbo die while she was gone. (Hamsters only live about three years and he very likely would have expired while she was gone) Well we were out of town and she called crying that Bilbo had died in his sleep and he had a smile on his face. I was doubtful but gave my condolences. When I go home Ellie was not there and when I opened the freezer out fell a box with Bilbo in it and there was a smile on his face!!! Ellie explained that he was in there so we did not miss the funeral. He is buried under the livingroom window. The funeral was beautiful.

So are they? or did we create them?

There are others but I am pretty tired right now. Zion is nagging me to go to bed.

It's not just GAS!

2008-08-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things is when a baby learns to smile ( and I never really believed it was GAS!) and then they learn to laugh. Well little Nathan is pretty generous with his smiles. In fact he seems to look pleased all the time. Today Sarah asked me to hold him while she showered so I was playing with him and I was doing goofy things to try and get him to laugh. He was almost there....he was giggling and just on the verge of laughing so I did the one thing that everyone who has ever had a child or grandchild knows not to do. I layed down on the ground and held him up over my head and he let me have it right in the eye and in my ear and in my hair!!!! I got slimed real good. I still chuckle about the time Doug had Taylor on his shoulders in Sears and she covered his head! So now Doug, you can laugh at me. Jared almost got it on film but when I yelled for Sarah to come and help me he dropped the Flip! So maybe that laugh was a little more than Gas.......hmmmmm.

More adventures of the Welch Ohana

2008-08-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Look at our posterity Doug! Wow. It really is amazing how fast a family grows. Aren't they just plain beautiful!
The family that digs garnets together...........?
Really this is not child slave labor. She really is having a good time.
Ah the joys of finding one! It gives you the fever!
Jason is loving it.
Sarah found the biggest gem of all.
The water trough was the best part. Playing in muddy water is just invigorating.
A day at Silverwood with my peeps.
Gwen is always willing to smile so sweetly when I take her picture!
Kirsten out climbed Auntie Ellie! You go girl!
And that is the last of the vacation pictures. I think we were all feeling this way by the end. We sure know how to fill a week to the brim and more. We saw and did just about everything there was to do. I didn't get photos from the day of jet skiing but it was fun filled too. All in all it was a great week and was great having the kids together again. Hope to see you all around the holidays. Hopefully when Doug is home! We miss you babe. That is the one blank spot in our photos. Can't wait till you are home again.

Way down upon the SUwanEEEE Rivver........

2008-07-28T08:43:00.001-07:00

The smile says it all, hanging out with Nonna is fun in the sun. We have great adventures. More adventures later! Have a sunny day.
Uncle Jeff and Jared hanging out.
The bathing beauties.
oooh look out, Gwen is gonna get ya. I love her laugh when she is about to prank ya. She laughs from deep down kind of like my wah ahah....:)
Jack was just hanging out with mom.
I keep forgetting how beautiful it is up here. We sure are blessed to live in such a paradise!
Peek a boo I see you. We floated the Coeur d'Alene River the other day. I don't know why but just sitting in a raft and floating down the river was fun. Most of it was just a lazy river. Then a few parts were kind of tricky. On one part Kirsten jumped off her and Tay's raft to try and keep us from going into the rocks and it was very deep and when she jumped off Taylor flew off and under the water she went. I had that horrible fear grab me when I saw her go under but then she popped up and was grabbing for anything to include Kirsten. It was a heart stopping moment. I am not very comfortable on the water anyway and that was very scary for me. Thank heavens it was all good and everyone laughed about it later.

On Vacation right at home!

2008-07-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. It is a wonderful trail from Mullen to Plummer and goes through some beautiful country!
I think Tay finally found some wheels she likes! A Cruiser!

A little friend that was sitting by the side of the road. If you look close you can see the smile on his face. I love sharing nature with my family. We oohed and aahed over him then put him back where he belonged.
Kirsten getting the hang of her bike. We were cruising along just loving life. I think her shirt says it to "Life is Good"
Nathan sure does have the Mark head. Jared loves to jump into the photos. It's still new to him that he has to share the limelight with a little brother. I know they will be great friends. Nathan already smiles at Jared. Jared always tells Nathan he loves him and tells me that Nathan is better looking than him. I assure him that is not true. Jared is the most beautiful 4 year old boy in the world and Nathan is the most beautiful 2 month old in the world. Funny how that works out cause all my grandkids are the most beautiful in the world.

Papa I am sorry to say that I went out on a date with this good looking guy. He asked me out and I couldn't refuse. We walked downtown and got a Hudson Hamburger and at every street corner when we had to stop to cross he told anyone standing by us that we were out on a date. We ate our hamburgers and watched as the plane took off and landed on the lake then we went to the Castle Park and played a bit. Jared chased the seagulls for a while and then we went to Baskin Robbins and shared a banana split and then we went to Big Lots and got a toy. It was a great date and he kissed me good bye! He is a charmer for sure. I'll go out with him anytime.

Summertime Blues!

2008-07-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Gwen always wears a skirt, because she is a princess girl. So I am informed. Yet that does not slow the girl down and she is not afraid to show her feelings. She lives in a musical and sings and dances...life is good in the Welch Ohana.
Nathan hard at work growing. He is off the charts in size. He is now 13 lbs and growing!
I used to sneak the salt shaker and sit in my mom's tomato patch and eat the tomatoes warm and juicy right off the vines. That is another smell I love, tomato vines!

Idaho has no child labor laws so we can work their little fingers to the bone.
King of the rock. I love having the kids all to myself with no parental supervison. That's when the real grandparenting comes in...wah ah hah!
I had my first real bike crash. I hit a rock and got knocked off course then my foot got stuck in the toe clip and over the edge I went and face planted into the raspberry bush....you might think that was bad, but no, it was good because any sooner or any later and I would have kept on going down the mountain! I was in a daze for a few days. My first real concussion.

Summer, my favorite season. I love summer vacation. I remember when I was a kid I would kick of my shoes and resist putting them on until fall when I got my new school shoes. That is my fondest memory of starting a new year in school was the smell of new leather shoes!

Future's so bright I gotta wear shades.

2008-06-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

The kids love their shades. The girls stayed the night with me and these are their matching dresses and shades. Jared has always worn his shades. The girls were pretty jazzed about the pink heart shape. When Wade called Gwen for his goodnight call she told him "She was too busy shopping for shoes and that she would talk to him later!" I still need to have Jared for the overnight, I fell off my bike and scrambled my brains over the weekend and have not felt too good.

Gifts from far away! Thank You Honey!

2008-06-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

Doug, thank you for the lovely gifts. All the children were so excited. I was too! As you can see even the cat enjoyed himself. The little ones all were very excited. Gwen said she misses you a lot and loves her chinese dress. Jared calls himself the Afghan Boy now. He proudly says "Papa sent this to me" I will post more photos with Gracie, Kobe, and Taylor later. How do you like the lithograph of me? It looks a lot better than the real picture. Thank you! We love you. Be safe and we will keep you in our prayers and hearts!

2008-06-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!

I couldn't get all the pictures I wanted to download. But here is just a small blast of the past of the best dad ever. Doug you have always enjoyed the kids. You are a wonderful father and grandfather. The most important job you have ever held and you have excelled and gone above and beyond. We are all blessed to have you in our lives. WE MISS YOU SOMETHING TERRIBLE....we thank you for taking care of us. We look forward to you getting home again. Remember Popper you da man! We love you.

You are thee bessst!

2008-06-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

I just had to add this. We sure miss you Papa. You are so loved. Hugs, kisses, and lots of prayers are with you. YOU'RE THEE BESST!

Batman and Coco Pebbles!

2008-06-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

We had our first day at Silverwood. Actually I think it has been the only day it hasn't rained in a month! I took Kobe and Taylor to the farmer's market first, where Kobe got this cool mask painted on then we went to Silverwood and I was afraid he would have some funny tan lines, but it was fine. Ellie and Gwen spent the night so they could be up and here for a videoconference with Doug. He loves to see the kids and grandkids. It is good for the kids too. Ellie does not let Gwen eat much sugary foods so it is a real treat for her to come her and eat some of Papa's Coco Pebbles! That's what grandparents are for :) Took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda, it was very good, a little scary in parts. I wonder why they have to get so intense in these cartoon movies. Doug is well and settling into a routine. I think he still battling jet lag. I have not yet figured out how to get the photos from .mac into this blog but when I do I will share some of his photos. It is a different world out there. Keep him in your prayers.

First Hike!

2008-05-29T07:12:00.001-07:00

Ellie and I took Jared and Gwen up to Mineral Ridge for a hike. It was 3.3 miles. Ellie was not sure they would make it but they did and they loved it. Gwen said "I want to do this everyday!" They sure were cute, they kept holding hands and stopping to smell the flowers and every felled tree they announced that the beavers did it. They were very excited there were so many beavers. Every few feet they had to stop and pick up a rock to throw down the mountain. Jared had a piece of paper in his pocket and he had to keep stopping to check "the map" then he would announce the direction "Southwest" or "Eastnorth" . Ellie wanted to get some exercise so I told her to go on ahead and we would meet her at the top. At the pace they were going no way her heart rate was rising , well maybe out of aggravation! So I walked with the little ones and she hiked ahead, she said she could hear me saying, "Ok now lets keep walking" over and over again. I was very proud of my little hikers, they did a bang up job for their first hike. We will be doing many more. Oh it was a perfect day and we are really blessed to live in what I think is the most beautiful part of this lovely earth!

Dad in Afghanistan

2008-05-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Doug is there. A week done. It has been too slow. I miss him sooo much. We do get to talk now on the computer and that is a blessing. It really is nice to hear his voice and see his face. I guess it just snapped in my head yesterday the real mission he is there. They are training the Afghan army to be self sufficient so we can get our guys out of there. It is important and I am thankful for Doug and his willingness to take this on for us and for our country. I know that sounds sappy but it is true. He has sacrificed a lot to do this and all for good reasons. Please keep him in your prayers and you can e-mail him at dwelch54@adelphia.net or call me and I can give you his mailing address. He sure is a great guy and we are lucky to have him as the patriarch of our family. Love you babe!

For time and eternity......we have come a long way baby!

2008-05-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is a really tough time right now. Tomorrow my best friend and the love of my life has to leave us for a long time. I didn't think it would be so hard. I thought I would jump right back into being the "good little army wife". Now I'm just a big mushy sap that wants to cry and throw up. We have been together over 31 years....wow time flies when you are having fun! Doug you are the best at everything you do. Best husband, best dad, best papa, best soldier, best priesthood holder, best example......most patient and most kind. Thank you babe and I will count the seconds until you are home in my arms again. May you have legions of angels to look after and keep you safe. Your family adores you and we do appreciate all you do for us. Do not worry about us we will keep the home fires burning and won't let the kids grow too much. I love you more each day and am grateful for the eternities so it will never stop growing. We sure have come a long way from that first home in Korea and those first three sweet children.

Thanks to everyone who has been so kind and supportive as we have prepared for this separation and your prayers are greatly needed and appreciated!

He is HERE!

2008-05-14T22:02:00.001-07:00

Nathan Mark, 8 lbs 11 oz. Labor was pretty short but delivery was a bit harder! Little guy had the cord wrapped around his neck and shoulders so the doctor had to use a suction cup to help pull him out. He also arrived , as they called it "sunny side up". They said that coming down the birth canal is harder because he was facing up. So he has a pretty good "sucker bite" on his head and then he did the same thing Jared did and was having a hard time breathing. So he was whisked off to the nursery and poor Sarah did not get to really see or hold him until 8:00! He was born about 2:30 so it was very frustrating for her. The doctor was really great and so was Jason. You could just see how concerned he was for Sarah and the baby yet he held up. Lea and Ellie were there to witness the birth. Sarah was amazing through the whole thing. Jared is thrilled with him and says "He is very cute, he looks like me. " He does look like Jared. Wow, another grandchild. We are thrilled and grateful that all is well and that Doug got to see him before he has to leave. Life is good.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day, how can we ever really appreciate our mothers. Most times we don't even realize the influence our mom's have had on us. I just got home from visiting with my Mom in Ohio. My life gets so busy and hectic I forget how comforting it is just to go "home" and recharge. I really sat down this year and thought about my mom and the influence she has been in my life. My mom taught me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. She taught me a strong work ethic, If you are going to do something then do it the best that you can. She taught me the importance of integrity and truth. She taught me to behave with dignity, and with manners. She taught me to have respect and how to have charity. She taught me how to be strong and to overcome any trial. She taught me not to be a whiner. She taught me to stand up for what is right and to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. She taught me how to laugh even when others would probably cry. She gave me the love of reading and learning. She would follow me around reading a book to me and when I would get interested she handed me the book and said READ! If you read you can learn anything. She is right. She taught me to love music, loud and varied. She taught me how to cook and not be afraid to cook anything or for anyone from 2 to 200 and do it with style! She taught me how to have my own style in dressing and decorating. I am who I am because of her. I hope she is pleased. I love you mom! I want my daughters to know what my mom has passed to me because they too have them and I am pleased.

THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE

RULES THE WORLD!!

This is not a doctored photo.

2008-05-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone who has seen the photo of "Jack's boy" thought I had doctored a picture or that the kid really had something on his head. Nope. I was taking a shot of Kobe and someone kicked a ball that flew in front of the kid as I was snapping the picture. It was just coincidence that he had his arms up and the ball's markings looked like a face. I could not have timed that photo!

Kobe B the soccer star hits two goals against Jack-in-the Boxes son, Wilson!

2008-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

One of Doug's favorites things in the whole world is to watch the kids play in sports. Kobe is a really good little soccer player. He scored two goals and the coaches are always putting him in. The coaches were loving the fact that they would tell him to do something and he would run right out there and do it, to their amazement! The kid is an athlete. I think his allergy to grass may impede him though. He may have to join a swim team. I know that whatever he does he will excel at it. So how do you like the kid from the other team. His name is Wilson and his dad is Jack-in-the Box. What fun.

Ok the news is.........

2008-04-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Doug has a new job. It is big, he is going to Afghanistan for a year. No we have not lost our minds. We have a plan and it is all good. Keep him in your prayers that he will be safe. When he comes home we will sell our house and build a smaller one and he will really retire! Now that will be worth it, to have him home all day!

The joys of a BOX!

2008-04-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

A long time ago before all these electronic, realistic, "smart" toys things were simple and playing really was playing. We used our imaginations and our creativity. Even now the best fun the kids had today was playing in some shipping boxes. I don't think I could have come up with any toy that would have been more fun. They laughed so hard and had a great time. It was so much fun watching them and then I would stick the camera in and just take random shots and they squealed with joy as they tried to keep from getting their pictures taken. I have to say that Gracie is the fastest at dodging the flash!

Nonna's spa is now open.

2008-04-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Gwen came over and we had a spa day together. We put perfumed body powder on her legs that smelled like jasmine then I painted her toe nails purple, her favorite color. Then we curled her hair, which she loved. I told mom that hot rollers might be a good gift for her. We put on make-up. I helped her and then she did mine for me! The way those brushes were flying I thought I would look like a Van Gogh at least. Then she got to put on press-on nails especially made for little fingers. She got the pink sparkly ones with black cats on. She told me she felt fancy and she did look pretty fancy. She is all girl. After the spa we went down and watched Little Princess together. It was a great way to spend the day.

Please no more snow!

2008-04-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, no more please. We are really needing some sunshine. Enough already you are making the baby cry. How can you resist such a sweet face? Wow I hope we have summer this year. Old man winter, hit the road already! We are forecast to get 4 more inches and then we will be in the record books. I know we would be in deep trouble if not for this global warming. Al Gore, do you know what warming means? Look it up on the internet please. So things in Idaho are just one big waiting game for now. All of us are waiting for big news. Can't share it yet so now you are waiting too :) !

Happy! Happy!

2008-04-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Doug celebrated another birthday. He got to go skiing with Rick and Maryann and that is something he enjoys. Of course he did not fall once on the slopes. He did fall down the stairs on the way to the car though. Conked his head pretty good too.

We finally found a lamb cake for Easter. The girls have been wanting one for years since I told them about our family tradition of having one. They thought it was really cool and we have been looking for a lamb cake pan and have never found one. So I found a bakery that had them and here it is. I remember my mom cutting off the head and that was the most wanted part and of course the back end was the least wanted. Some how the symbolism of the cake is rather lost when you have to cut it up and eat it. We had to have the annual Easter egg hunt inside because of snow!

Bond, James Bond

2008-04-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Yes this is James and his Bond Girl. We decided to have a little gathering and Doug wrote a game. All the guests were divided up into 001-009 teams. There were 6 challenges in different rooms and they had to solve the challenge to get the code to stop the countdown on the computer that would set off a bomb that would destroy the worlds oil supply and cause utter devastation. Fun was had by all and the bomb was stopped with 23 minutes to go.

Citizen Soldier

2008-03-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

The first time I saw this video was before a movie at our local theatre. It made me want to get up and cheer. What a great song and video. View it on the right. but here are the lyrics to the song. Very inspiring to me.

Beyond the boundries of your city lights.

Stand the heroes waiting for your cries.

So many times you did not bring this on yourself.

When the moment finally comes, I'll be there to help.

On that day, when you need your brothers and sisters to care.

I'll be right there.

Citizen soldiers.

Holding the life of the ones that we guide from the dark of despair.

Standing on guard for the ones that we've sheltered.

We'll always be ready because we will always be there.

When there're people crying in the streets

When they're starving for a meal to eat

When they simply need a place to make their beds

Right here underneath my wing you can rest your head

On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care I'll be right there.

Citizen soldiers.

Holding the life of the ones that we guide for the dark of despair.

Standing on guard for the ones that we've sheltered.

We'll always be ready because we will always be there.

Hope and pray that you never need me but rest assured, I will not let you down

I walk beside you but you may not see me

The strongest among you may not wear a crown

On that day when you need your brothers and sisters to care I'll be right there

On that day when you don't have a street for your burden you bare I'll be right there

Citizen soldiers holding the life of the ones that need guide from the dark of despair

Standing on guard for the ones that need shelter

We'll always be ready because we will always be there

Don't want to BUG you!

2008-03-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

I need to add something new to this. Everyone says they read this and want something new. I didn't know anyone was reading this! I was telling Doug the other day that I thought that time has been speeding up. No really. Do you remember when we were kids how long the years seemed. I mean summer break was great and the wait for Christmas was almost unbearable. Now the years fly by so fast I can't keep up. Well I was just reading something and it mentioned that on December 21, 2012 was the end of the Mayan calendar and that it was the end times and that the world would change. So I decided to google it and there was an interesting article and the Mayans actually said that time would speed up and that 24 hours would become like 16 hours. Now I know why I am so tired, I have been doing 24 hours in just 16! I have been trying to figure out how to slow things down. I wonder if the Amish are feeling the quickening that I feel. I know one thing I would like to get rid of and that is my cell phone. It is constantly ringing. Good thing I have fun ring tones that make me laugh. Tomorrow my sweetie turns 54. It's weird thinking that we are on the second half of life. I have to stop saying "I'll do that someday" , honey, someday is here! Funny, I don't really feel like a grown up yet. I guess I have gotten a little more bold and say things that shock people. Now that's the fun of growing old. You can get away with saying what's on your mind. Cause you are just glad you still have a mind to speak. So now when people tell me I'm weird, I just laugh and say "Yeah, I am. So what's your point?" So with this very unimportant message I will close with

It is good to have an end to journey toward,

but it is the journey that matters in the end.

-Ursula K LeGuin

(Whoever that is!)

Kid's say the darndest things!

2008-02-29T00:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know their moms will probably post what the kids have said but I have to write these down before I forget them. Last Sunday at church some lady asked Jared how he got so cute. He replied, "I don't know, I'll look it up on line." Ellie was giving Gwen a big bear hug and she said, "Hey, you're squeezing my lunch!" Today after school we were waiting in the line of cars to pick up Kobe and just as we got there he fell and because he had his backpack down around his elbows he face planted in the gravel. He stood up and his nose and lip were bleeding like crazy! Poor Lea hopped over to him to help him and he was crying hard for his mommy. Well when we got back to their house we cleaned him up and determined his nose was not broken and he told me he needed me to stay, to lay on, to watch a movie. I'm soft like a pillow. So we sat on the sofa and snuggled. His poor little face. Jared had his ultrasound today and he was very brave and laid there and when they asked him to breathe in and hold his breath he did it just like a grown up. Congrats to Wade! What a day! I have been on the go since 6:00 AM. I can't believe another week has flown by. I'm working on a plan for the big break Doug and I need. More on that adventure later. :)

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

2008-02-25T21:14:00.001-08:00

Today is my sister's birthday. I just wanted to write a few things about my sister. She is my only and older sister. We don't talk as much as we should and she lives across the country but I want her to know I think of her often and appreciate that she knows me better than about anyone around. She can still make me laugh and lately that has been harder. This picture was taken the year she was diagnosed with MS. I will never forget that day. She has battled this hideous disease for all these years. She is a fighter and very brave and I admire her for that. She was always my big sister that I could always look up to and still is. She was always good. She is smart, even though she is a democrat :). No she really is brilliant. She is a hard worker. Most of all I love her sense of humor. We have laughed. In the movie THE BUCKET LIST they have on the list to laugh until you want to pee. Well we have laughed to peeing and that is good. Of course nowadays that is easier with old age :) I LOVE YOU PAT. Have a happy year.. Love Lizzy B with the big black heart :)

Maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is a train after all.

2008-02-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

I am so ready for a break from the cold and snow. In fact I am ready for a break period. Today was President's Day. I had planned on this being our Valentine's Day since the actual Valentine's Day got all messed up. Doug had a meeting so I made plans with the girls and then he checked on it the last minute and he did not have a meeting. Our plans all got changed and discombobulated so in the end it was not really what anyone had in mind. So I told everyone that today since Doug had off we were going to spend the day together without any other distractions or interruptions. We were signing off the grid so to speak. Well that did not work. We got about 6 phone calls before we even got out the door. In fact we had to run and do several things and made several people mad before we could just do what we wanted to do. I was pretty frustrated and by the time we actually got out it had lost the "meaning" of it all. We went out to lunch and then went junkin, which Doug just did to make me happy. He really does not enjoy it. It was sweet of him to put up with it. Tay is the only one who seems to enjoy going with me. Although a lot of what I buy seems to find homes, without much mention I think. Part of the fun is knowing that what I find is useful, or cool, or appreciated for a purpose. A thank you or a mention that what was used was useful or acknowledged would be nice. We went to the movie to see Fools Gold, not too great but OK. We got there an hour before the show started and so we went to the Azteca next to the theatre to get a quick bite before the movie. I figured we would get an appetizer to share, you know kind of romantic, like you do when you are dating. Doug sits down and orders himself soup. So I tell the waitress that we have less than an hour and find the only thing small enough for one (cause I really don't like soup much) and that is a cheese queso. Well about 15 minutes later she comes and says they are out of cheese queso. How does a mexican restaurant at 7:00 run out of queso. So I say too late, forget it. So I get to watch Doug eat his soup while the couple at a table by ours shares some nachos and talks. BUMMER. The day just was not what I had imagined. This has been a horrible year so far. I need a change. I don't even know why I am writing in this stupid thing, no one reads it. You know while I am complaining, why is it that we always sit across from each other? Why don't we sit next to each other? If this had been our first date I don't know if there would have been another. I think couples and families take too much for granted and they just expect the connection to be there. My kids expect me to be there and help them and do for them yet they never really act like it was important. If a friend or neighbor or some stranger does anything for them it is such a big deal and the world is such a better place blah blah blah..... They all want to complain to you about their problems but if you give advice they act all put out like you are interfering but man if someone else gives the same advice, it is Gospel and so appreciated that the person cares. It is such an interesting relationship when you really think about it. If our kids treated their friends like they treat their parents would they have friends? Would our spouses get a second date? I know it goes both ways and it makes me think of how in the Gospel, charity and gratitude are constantly being taught. Obviously we don't have these traits for those that love us the most. I suppose that is how Heavenly Father feels too. Doug always said that when you can see faults in others it is because you have the same fault. Yeah that is probably true. Anyway I am still stinking tired and need a break. And even if no one else reads this it is good therapy to rant and rave for a bit. I won't say that things can't get worse because they can and most likely will or so it will seem as life goes on. There are some constants I am sure about. I do love my family and the Gospel. Both can be hard and trying at times but in the long run, worth it. I have been blessed, but man the black dog keeps slipping in the door and usually when I have a lot to deal with. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to try again.

February Madness

2008-02-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

This has been a long haul for all of us. Lea is healing well. When she went to the doctor to get a new cast on, her son insisted he go with her to hold her hand, because she always does that for him. It is funny what children remember. I guess example is the best teacher there is. The look on his face when they took off the cast was really something. He could be a doctor I think. He is very caring and loves his mom a lot. We have 3 birthdays in February. Our littlest angel just turned three so now we have three that are three. I love having all the cousins together. It is as loud as a jet engine and moves as fast. I remember the holidays at my step-aunt's house and being with the cousins was always so much fun. It is great having kids and grandkids so close. I miss the others too. I love my kids so much it hurts, but a good hurt. No matter how old they get you still worry about them. Even the big old guy in SF with the flu. Doug has been working himself to death digging out cars and houses from the snow. The big meltdown has started though and I am glad we are on the hill now. My all wheel drive mini van is as good as any hummer and so far no problems for me. Doug's truck, another story. There have been houses that have burned down because the fire trucks could not get to them or they could not find the fire hydrants under the snow. Now the city is towing and impounding the vehicles that are buried in the snow on the streets. There are lots. People just let them get covered and so now they are removing them. I guess there is a city ordinance that you have to move the vehicle every 21 days. I suppose it's been that long since the snow? It sure doesn't seem that long......hmmmmm time flies when you are shoveling every day. Life is still good. A little snow won't scare me off, I grew up on the Great Lakes and they have good winters too!

It's Snowing, It's Raining, Marilyn's no longer complaining

2008-01-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

I have been complaining since moving here ten years ago that there is not enough snow. OK , UNCLE! We just got another foot and it is supposed to snow for three more days. Both passes have been closed. Snowqualmie has had a huge avalanche, the biggest in 20 years I heard someone say. They had one on lookout pass that buried a snowplow. Everything is closed and the State Patrol is saying only in emergencies use the roads. Doug is home today and going to clear some snow off the roof....... there have been collapses all around. It is beautiful though. The temperature is going to rise this afternoon and then we are getting some rain and then they will drop to 26. I'm sure we will see lots more trees and power outages tonight. Time to get the generator out and the kerosine stove. Wow, are we having fun yet? See you in the spring!

Scary Things

2008-01-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

The kids were watching a video about sharks and when it got scary Lea's little one jumped into her cousins lap for protection. Sarah's little guy is about as sweet as they come and was willing to protect his little cousin.

This has been the longest few weeks of my life. Lea has been completely off her feet and I have been practically living over at her house. I had forgotten the joy of getting up several times a night to care for little ones. Trying to remember all the schedules and times to drop and pick up and to have meals and medications.....I NEED A VACATION!

We got about 2 feet of snow yesterday. Wow, it is so beautiful out there. It is so cold the snow crunches when you walk. All the trees are flocked and it really shows the grandness of some of the huge pines that are up here. You just don't notice the majesty of them without the snow.

We are taking care of Ellie's little furry kid while she is enjoying sunny Florida. The snow is over his head and so going potty has been a challenge. He is a weiner dog and when we try to get him to go out in the morning he curls his butt in and looks more like a roly poly bug. I have tried shoveling a spot for him but he is not interested.

Went to see the "Bucket List" this weekend. Funny movie and sad too. Just to warn everyone, Doug probably got some new "one liners" from that one. I think a bucket list is a good idea. I am going to start one. I am going to have to really ponder this one. I'll get back to you on that one.

Families ARE forever, and thank Heavenly Father for that!

2008-01-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

Thursday night Doug and I were finished saying our prayers and we were talking about how much we have to thankful for. Doug said "We sure are lucky" I corrected him and said "No we are blessed, just think, with five kids and 7.5 grandchildren, we have not experienced too many trials, tragedy, or illness in our lives. We spoke too soon. Friday night we got the call no parent wants to hear, "Your daughter has been in an accident, she is being transported to the hospital." Lea was involved in a horrible accident. Four college students coming from WSU were driving up to Schweitzer to ski for the weekend. Lea was driving in the opposite lane and the kids hit ice and spun around into Lea's lane and she tried but was unable to avoid hitting them broadside. The two kids on the side hit by Lea were killed instantly. The driver died the the next day and the girl in the right back seat only had a dislocated collarbone. Lea severely broke her right leg. The bones came through the skin and she ripped all the tendons and ligaments. She broke one finger. She will heal. Two months in a cast with one month of not being able to put weight on her foot. But she will heal. She is mourning greatly for the three kids that were killed. Everyone, to include the police and the parents of two of kids lost, have told her she is not to blame but she only could think that those kids were someone's babies. She knows how much she loves her own children and cannot imagine how hard it would be to lose them. I came so close to losing my child and my grandchildren almost lost their mom. The firemen that had to cut Lea from the car told her that if she had not been in he Suburban she would have died. The tow truck driver did not even know it was a Suburban. Our prayers go out to the families and friends of those four young people in that car. Please everyone out there take a minute and stop and think of those you love and let them know. We learned this weekend that life can take a turn so quickly, so never let an opportunity pass to tell someone you love them. Lea will not be able to work for two months and now she must find a way to get another car. Right now she is a single mom and has been working hard to support her three kids. She is an awesome young woman and I admire her determination and drive to care for her family. Now we will step up and care for her and her little ones. Thank you to all our family and friends that have helped us. We love you and appreciate all you do for us.

YIPEE!! IT'S SNOWING

2008-01-10T15:41:00.001-08:00

I love snow. The more the better. Everyone up here, that is from here, loves it too. They think it will scare off all the warm weather babies that have migrated here in the summer. The city sure is growing, we actually have traffic back ups now. We were driving to Ellie's house and there were about 10 cars coming down 11th street when we were stopped at the intersection. They may have to start putting stop signs at the intersections now. What a shame. I love that they use our street for the sled riding hill. They just put signs at the top and bottom to warn drivers to watch out for sled riders. We have all wheel drive and studded snow tires and just slow down when we get snow and it's all fine. Poor Ellie seems to have trouble, I think there must be something up with her car cause she has a four wheel all terrain vehicle and it sure slides around. Our jeep did too. I think she may need to put some sand bags in it to weigh it down. That works great for Doug's truck. Next week it should warm up again and all this snow will melt and the river will flood all those new houses they built where the lumber mill was. Did anyone ever tell them it always floods down there after a snowy winter? It's a shame cause those house were in the six figures I believe. The girls and I went to the movie last night, we saw I AM LEGEND, I should not waste money on movies like that because I have my eyes closed for most of it. The popcorn was good though. :) It was a good week, we spent quality time with the perfect grandkids and some with the great kids and some together just relaxing. Life is good and even better up here in the Northwest where the air is clean and honesty is still a way of life cause everyone has a gun.

2008-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

I keep getting Christmas cards and news letters from friends and it is always such a fun time to catch up. I cannot believe how grown up all the little ones are. My goodness time flies, but now that I look at our family I see that we too have grown and are still growing. My babies are no longer babies. The grandkids sure keep us young though. Just today I was helping Sarah's little one find all the "heavy equipment" out of the box of cars I keep for them. He loves trucks and I have a good time finding new ones to add to the box for him to find. I went over to Ellie's and when I went in to say hi to her little girl she was in the closet with a flashlight looking for the treasure chest I painted in there. Yesterday I took Lea's oldest and we went junkin to all the thrift stores. We had a blast and came home with some great treasures. I then played with Lea's son on their new Wii and we bowled and played baseball and then boxed. We were having a great time until I accidently knocked him out. I never win at those games but for some reason I couldn't lose yesterday. He forgave me quickly though when I told him that my dad was a boxer and it is in my blood. Those are the things that will last not the things we buy and put under the Christmas trees. Ellie was teasing me and suggested that next year we should have just a thrift store Christmas, all gifts have to be made or gotten at a thrift store or garage sale. I think that would be such fun. I may have to keep the black persian lamb coat I got at Goodwill for Ellie for Christmas!

2008-01-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

We had a quiet New Year's Eve. We promised to babysit for Gwen and then she fell asleep so we had to watch her at Ellie's house instead of our own. So we watched 5 episodes of Law and Order until they got home. We found a Lindt chocolate ball to eat. WooHoo we whooped it up. We did get to go home and sleep on our new Temprapedic mattress for the first time. It was sweet, thirty-one years together and we have never had a new mattress!!! No wonder my back is crumbling. Now it is all good. Well we ate our traditional New Year's Day dinner, pork roast and Bohemian Dumplings. You have to eat pork on the New Year because the pig roots forward and that is what you want to do in the new year, go forward! We still have snow and it is a cool 30 degrees. More snow today and then tomorrow it should get warmer and start to melt. Too bad, we love the snow but I will be happy when spring comes and I can get on my bike again. Well I'm off to spend some time with the perfect Grandkids. Love to all.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

On the information highway

2007-12-29T21:54:00.001-08:00

Maybe it is time for the old folks to get on the information highway. I find it rather fun to read the kids blogs, although I am still figuring out how to make comments and to even find Lea's blog. But I am sure I will be a pro in no time at all. I hope I can figure out how to add pictures and such. I have been feeling very nostalgic this holiday season. It was a nice holiday with lots of snow and smiles. The kids and grandkids all had a good holiday and that makes me very happy. I just hope that somehow the real meaning of Christmas made it through the material fun of it all. We are so blessed, in this world, this country, our faith, our family, and our friends. Happy New Year to all.