New Years Eve!

Happy New Years Eve!  We had a fun party with all of these kids….and their parents :)

The kids had a blast celebrating with New York at 10pm and then going to bed.  And then the adults played games and hung out until way past our bedtimes!

Happy New Year!  We are so grateful for 2012 and for all of the amazing experiences we have shared  as a family.  Bring on 2013!

Christmas!

Oh, Christmas!  Things ended up being a little crazy this year :)  

We had fun at school parties and enjoyed the break from school.  My sister and her family were sick so they were not able to celebrate Christmas eve with us :(  We went to my parents house and noticed that Porter had a rash on his arms.  We gave him some benedryl and left to go out to dinner with my parents and brother.  When we got there his rash had turned into full blown hives that were quickly spreading all over his body.  He was MISERABLE.  We decided that we needed to take him to the urgent care to see what to do next.  Luckily there was one nearby so Allen left to take him and I stayed with the kids…..unfortunately it was closed for Christmas Eve.  So they called around and found one further away that said it was open……when they drove all the way there it really wasn't.  Porter was so miserable we decided that he should just take him to the Emergency room.  In the meantime we finished dinner and went back to my parents house.  I was worried about Porter and wishing I was with him.  We didn't want to do our fun Christmas Eve activities without them so we watched a movie and got the girls ready for bed.  Allen called to say they were finished at the ER but had to drive another half and hour away to the only late night pharmacy that was open.  When they finally got home they were both tired and Porter still wasn't feeling much better.  They gave him a stronger dose of benedryl and said it was just a reaction to something or some kind of virus.  By the time we got him settled down and somewhat comfortable in bed we were all a little worn out!  I was really glad it wasn't something more serious and that everyone was home, but I missed celebrating Christmas eve with Allen and Porter and my sister.  Luckily everyone was feeling better in the morning and my sister and her family came and we had a nice low key Christmas day.  

Rylee making a gingerbread man for her school party.

My Mom and Dad got this car for all of the grandkids to keep at their house.  Everyone loved it!

The girls in their matching pajamas :)

After a stressful Christmas eve I was really tired and getting ready to go downstairs to bed.  Everything was quiet and everyone had already gone to bed.  I looked out my parents back door and saw this tree all lit up and covered in fresh snow.  It was so calming to me.  I sat and really thought about Christmas, Jesus Christ,  family and what is most important.  I am grateful for this tender mercy and a sweet moment to catch my breath and reflect on my Savior.

Happy kids ready for Christmas morning!

I am so glad we were all together as a family.  We enjoyed opening gifts, giving gifts to others, spending time together, talking with family far away, sharing memories, and remembering the birth of Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas from the Welch Family!

Church Christmas Party

I was asked to be in charge of the decorations for our Church Christmas Party this year.  I got Allen on board and we went to work.  We decided to string lights up across the ceiling.  We worked on that one night from about 9pm-11:30pm.  I love how it turned out!

A visit with Santa.

I really like how the tables turned out too.  Simple and festive.

Porter and Sidney each brought a friend from school.

It was a really nice evening.  It was a lot of work, but luckily I was able to do it with my best friend and we had a lot of fun along the way.

Thanks Allen, for listening to my crazy over-the-top ideas.  And not telling me they are crazy and over-the-top, but helping me to make them happen.

Sidney

Sidney worked really hard on her Thomas Edison project for school!  She is a really hard worker.

Sidney is quite the little gymnast.  That is her ALL the way at the top of the rope.  She was the only one in her class that made it to the top.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree…..

This year we decided to try out a new adventure and hike up into the mountains to chop down our own Christmas tree.  We lucked out and it was a beautiful, sunny, 60 degree 1st day of December, I love Colorado!

On the hunt for the perfect tree…..

My little ride-along buddy.

We found it!

Time for a little sandwich break.

Great little hikers.

It was a successful trip!

Jaxon and Kaden

Home with the lights on :)

Now bring on Christmas!!

Gratitude Day Thirty-Nov.30

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to focus on gratitude every day for a month.

It was fun to find out that instead of having a hard time coming up with something each day I was having a hard time narrowing it down to just one thing.

I am grateful for a great November.

I am grateful.

Gratitude Day Twenty-nine-Nov. 29th

Today I am grateful for creative little minds :)

We put up the kids' trees in their rooms, but we haven't gotten out the decorations yet.

(We are waiting to get our big tree Saturday and get all the decorations out at once)

Rylee was very quiet in her room this morning when she was getting ready for school.

I kept checking on her, but I didn't notice her creative decorations until after I had gotten home from dropping her off at Kindergarten.

Love that girl, way to be resourceful!

Gratitude Day Twenty-eight-Nov. 28th

Today I am grateful for this beautiful sunset.

I am grateful that I noticed it out the window and that we all took a break from the "homework tornado", that happens at our house every day after school, and went outside to see it.

It was just the break that I needed to get back in there!

Gratitude Day Twenty-seven-Nov. 27th

I am grateful for anything having to do with this smiley baby!

Today I am grateful that Allen listened to all of my crazy ideas and built me the perfect solution to our small laundry/mud room.

He worked and worked and it is awesome!  

I love that he is not afraid to take on a project and learn as he goes and that he does it so well.

I love it and I love it more because he built it.

Gratitude Day Twenty-six-Nov. 26th

Today I am grateful for this little fur ball.
Oliver is a great dog.
He just turned 3 years old.
He just got his haircut and I worry that he gets cold, so tonight he is snuggling in his pjs.
My kids love him and he loves them right back and then some.
Good boy, Ollie.

Gratitude Day Twenty-five-Nov. 25th

I am grateful for Christmas lights inside the house.

It just makes everything sparkly and magical.

I love the Christmas trees in my kids rooms.

They collect an ornament each year to add to their tree.
This is pre-tree decorating, just lights to glow in their rooms :)

Gratitude Day Twenty-four-Nov. 24th

Bring on the Christmas Cheer!

I am grateful for Christmas lights, I love them.

And I love that Allen spends time making them look so nice.

Gratitude Day 23-Nov. 23rd

Today I am grateful for this sweet little buddy who keeps me company every day.

I love running errands with him!

Gratitude Day Twenty-two-Nov. 22nd

Today I am grateful for Thanksgiving.

For a day set aside to be thankful.

I love focusing on being grateful and spending time with family.

I wish we could see all our family and tell them each how thankful we are for them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude Day Twenty-one-Nov 21st

I love days with my kids out of school.

Today was fun and I am grateful to have more time with them today.

We had a fun little lunch date to Red Robin (their favorite), ran a couple errands, and some delicious frozen yogurt on the way home.

Yay for days off!

Gratitude Day Twenty-Nov 20th

Today I am grateful for healthy bodies.

I am grateful that Allen and I are healthy and strong and that we can keep up with everything and do the things that we enjoy doing.

I am grateful for healthy kids who are growing and developing.

When someone is sick for a day I am quickly reminded how blessed we are.

Gratitude Day Nineteen-Nov 19th

Today I am grateful for computers!

More specifically a computer that works.

We were dealing with a really slow computer for quite a while and that really reminds you how nice it is to be a little faster so you don't want to toss it out the window each time you try to use it.

Gratitude Day Eighteen-Nov 18th

Today I am grateful for flowers.

I love having flowers in the house.

They brighten everything up and make me smile.

Gratitude Day Seventeen-Nov. 17th

Today I am grateful that Porter and Sidney are loving learning how to play the piano.
They had their first recital today.
Porter played "Square dance". Sidney played "Clock shop".
And then they played "Hosanna" together as a duet.
I loved that they played a duet together and I loved seeing them sitting and playing next to each other.
They have been taking lessons since May and they are loving it.
They really enjoy practicing and I love the sound of piano music in the house.

We love their piano teacher.

They were both very nervous to play at the recital, so we had a family prayer before we left and they both did great.  I think they were very proud of themselves.

They even came home and ran in the door to play their songs again.

I am so grateful that they had a positive experience.

I have always wanted to learn how to play the piano and have this dream of me playing beautiful songs on the piano as the kids get ready for bed and fall asleep.....
Well, one day I am going to figure it out! But for now I love listening to them play.

Gratitude Day Sixteen-Nov 16th

Today I am so grateful for our multiple school schedules.

This year it works out that everyone has a different daily schedule.

We have Porter in middle school (6th grade), Sidney in 3rd grade, and Rylee in afternoon kindergarten.

I knew it would be a little crazy and our days would be very scheduled, but I quickly realized what a blessing it is.

I wake up with Porter at 6:00am.  We get breakfast, make lunches, read scriptures, and say prayers together.  Then he heads out for his day about 7:00am.

 Then I wake up Sidney and get breakfast, practice spelling words, help her get ready, read scriptures, say prayers, and get her off to school.

Then I get Rylee going with some breakfast, help her get ready, and read scriptures.  Then we have a little play time (or errand time), have lunch, pack her snack and water bottle, say prayers, and get her off to kindergarten.

Then I have the afternoon with little Jax.  

 Porter gets home about 3:00 and we have some time to talk about his day and start on some homework.  The girls get out of school at 3:30.

I feel like this is a unique year that allows me to have one on one time with each of my kids every weekday and I love it.

I am grateful for this year of crazy schedules and the sweet, priceless time that come with it.