Memorial Day and Ford's Birthday

It was a different Memorial Day this year than it usually is. Usually we visit the cemeteries in Monticello, Blanding and Bluff, taking most of the morning. However, Mom had already taken care of the graves in Bluff and Blanding before she and Hugh left on their trip on May 22, so we only had to do Monticello.

We actually waited until afternoon, when Stacy and Stewart were coming through on their way home from Blanding. We all met at the cemetery, put fresh flowers in the vase on Dad's headstone, put silk on everyone else and took a few snapshots, and that was it. Short and sweet. And a bit sad. I like spending the day taking care of the graves. Otherwise, it's just another day.

Cambria had a selfie-stick so we were able to get a good group photo of all of us to send to Mom...

I like that my family is comfortable at the cemetery…siting or standing around and visiting is common...

After finishing up at the cemetery we had Ford's family and Karla's family over for dinner to celebrate Ford's birthday. This year was exactly like the year he was born, because he was born on Memorial Day and my OB was out of town, of course. Hard to believe that was 22 years ago. Where does the time go? Curtis smoked a roast and we had yummy potatoes and some dutch oven potatoes as well. I don't know why we don't do this more often, it's always good to have family over for a meal.

Just had to throw a couple of these crazy pictures in….  I think she was having entirely too much fun taking selfies!! Looks like Allie wanted in on the fun too!

Ford @ wk

watching Ford do his thing…

Ford has been working for Emery Telcom for almost 1.5 years now. For the first year he commuted to Moab every day to work there while they brought their services to San Juan county. Now that all the lines are installed clear to Blanding he now works mostly in Monticello and Blanding. He installed new internet service for us over the Christmas break. I snuck a photo of him working out at our pole. He talks about what he does and I have no idea what half the stuff he refers to is, but I'm so glad he has a good job and seems to enjoy it and be competent at it. He has to climb under houses and up poles and other fun things like drive and use a cherry-picker.

I never could picture this kid sitting at a desk for work. I always thought he would have some sort of hands-on trade. Kind of fun to watch your boys become capable, competent men. :)

Ford & Shiala are sealed

We headed to Provo on  the 14th of Aug to prepare for Ford and Shiala's temple sealing. It was a day we had been hoping for for quite a while and we were thrilled it was here. There is just nothing like being in the temple with your children, and being there when they make those sacred promises, covenants and commitments. 

Shiala and I had been making preparations for a while, including making the table decorations on the cheap and deciding on a menu and getting it ordered and ready to go. Then the time came and we just hoped we had taken care of everything we needed to take care of.

They had chosen to go to the temple for their endowments prior to the sealing. So that event took place here in Monticello on Aug 11. What a special day. A day that we thought at one point could be years in coming, so we were so happy when the it didn't take years to reach that point. 

Shiala, Ford, Kassie and Curtis-Monticello Temple

For the sealing we got to the SLC Temple, along with a zillion other people (**Including the Piano Guys, who were in the marriage waiting room the same time we were!) on Saturday morning. Finally our group was called and we went up to the sealing room. It was awesome to see Ford and Shiala come in dressed in their temple clothing. The sealer spoke to them for a bit and then sweet Kami was brought in. The ladies in the children's room had done a good job of dressing her up and taking care of her. She was so cute, smiling and saying hi to everyone. She was being very friendly and had all of us smiling and chuckling. However, when they sat her on the altar she instinctively knew that it was a sacred moment and she became quiet and actually laid her little head down on top of her parents' clasped hands. Such a sweet tender moment. 

One other tender mercy was that Shiala's mom was able to get a recommend and be there for it. She thought for a time that she wouldn't be able to be there, and it was a hard thing for Shiala, but she had decided she was going to go ahead anyway. So when we learned that she was going to be there, it made things just that much more special. Shiala's friend, Bronwyn and her husband were there, as well as Shiala's brother, Bryan and his wife, Heidi, and a couple of aunts and uncles. And she thought she'd have no one there. 

We went to the east side of the temple to take a few pictures on the steps, but I didn't get one. We didn't take many because there were other newlyweds waiting. Then we headed back to Orem to get the reception/dinner ready to go.

Shiala wanted to have a little reception/dinner after the sealing since they hadn't had a reception when they were married. We didn't have much of a budget, but tried to find inexpensive ways to give her what she was longing for. She wanted decor in shades of lavender and silver/gray. Live flowers are so expensive, so we opted for these pomander balls that we made, using a flower punch, styrofoam balls and pearl headed pins. We got the glass candlestick holders at Dollar Tree. We also bought a bolt of lavender tulle off amazon, as well as some silver tulle. We asked Nicole if we could use her pewter serving pieces and she helped us find an arch which we decorated with silk wisteria that we ordered off Amazon. What would we do without Amazon?!?  We ordered all the food from BYU Food to Go. It was so nice to not have to prepare all the food, just pick it up and eat it. I think it all turned out very nice, but not overly fancy.  I hope Shiala was happy with it. It was nice for them to have a place to be greeted and congratulated by their family and friends.

Pomander balls we made
lots of time spent punching out flowers and pinning them on

some of my crazy boys at the SLC Temple.
I did not get any other pictures at the temple, sadly.

Isabelle made a cute chalkboard sign for the reception.

Wisteria arch

We had the reception at Nicole's ward building
What would we do without Nicole for party advice and help?!?

Food table on the left,  ice cream sundae dessert table

 We are so thankful for the love and support of all who made the time to be there for Ford and Shiala. Family and friends are so good to us and we are so blessed.

Ford, Kami, Shiala, Stacy, Stewart

Kami, Ford, Shiala, Grandma B

Ford, Kami, Shiala, Kassie, Grandma B, Curtis(already changed and ready to clean up the building)

Candy (Shiala's mom), Shiala and me

Lindsey, Jordan, Emerson, Shiala, Kami, Ford

Ford, Shiala, Montana, Katie (Montana's girlfriend)

Nate, Emma, Ford, Shiala

Noah, Nicole, Nash, Isabelle, Kyle, Josie, Eli, Ford, Shiala

Grandpa Welch, Kami, Ford, Shiala, Grandma Welch

Curtis, Kassie, Ford, Shiala, Kami, Grandma and Grandpa Welch

Sadie, Charlie, Emerson, James, Ford, Soren, Shiala, Hannah, Kami

A New Era in our family...

March 20, 2014, will go down as the start of a new generation in the Curtis Welch family. Curtis and I officially became grandparents when Ford and Shiala had their baby, Kami. 

She was due on the 14th but seemed to be quite cozy in the womb. Shiala's dr elected to induce labor today and it went well for a while but stalled at 4 cm so it was decided after hours of no further progress to do a c-section. 

Kami Noelle Welch weighed in at 8lb 3 oz, and measured 20 in long. She's a chubby beautiful little girl.

We feel so thankful that she's here safely and that both she and Shiala are doing well. We are excited to get to meet her in person, hopefully next week, 

Life is beautiful!

Good things:

Texting to keep communication open...

Priesthood blessings...

A sweet little person straight from heaven...

Our family grows again

Friday, February 15, was the wedding day of Michael Ford Welch and Shiala Noelle Steck. It was a simple ceremony at Shiala's ward building performed by her bishop. They didn't want to make a big deal of it, yet the room was almost filled with people who love them and came to support them making this commitment to each other.
We are so happy to have Shiala join our family. She is very sweet and we love her.
We wish them a lifetime of love and joy. We pray that they will love each other and put one another's happiness before their own. We pray that they will turn to each other rather than away from each other when those inevitable, difficult times come. We pray they will turn together to the Lord for the strength to keep moving forward together.

Mr. and Mrs. Ford Welch

caught us off guard....

that's a bit better!
Curtis, Kassie, Ford, Shiala, Candy(Shiala's mom)

Convoy!

 Ford had AT(annual training-for those of us who don't know what all the Army's blasted initials stand for) for the first 2 weeks in May. One night Ford let us know that the next morning a convoy of National Guard vehicles would be traveling through town on their way from Blanding to Camp Williams.

So on that Friday morning we took some snacks and drinks and drove down to Main Street to watch them. 

They took longer to come through than I thought they would and we wondered if we had missed them and almost drove home. Thankfully we decided to wait just a few more minutes and they started coming through. 

We were watching for Ford but it was hard to tell who any of the men were because they all had their helmets and goggles on. He says he was in one of the last vehicles. 

The little boys enjoyed watching all the different types of vehicles and wondering what they were used for and how fast they'd go...

Ford is in supply and requisition so he doesn't get to do any of the 'fun stuff' he thinks. He is just a form filler-outer and pencil pusher. As his mom, I'm glad he's not one who will be on the front lines should they be deployed.... A small comfort for a soldier's mother's heart!

Good Things:

Lots of limes juiced and juice for limeade frozen...

Last lazy day of summer.....

Strawberries turning red in my garden...

James, his trusty bottle and a large National Guard vehicle in the background.

James watching the big machines roll by....

Charles watching them come up the hill into town...

BCT Graduation-South Carolina

I was so happy that Curtis' and my planned trip to South Carolina to be at Ford's graduation from Basic Combat Training was still a go after my crazy medical adventures.

I was scared to try to take my Lovenox shots on the plane and received a tender mercy of finding out the day before we left that I had enough Coumadin in me to stop taking the shots. Hoorah!!

We drove to Durango and flew to Denver, then on to Atlanta. We found it was cheaper to fly out of Durango than to go all the way to SLC, so we went that route. I can also say that going through security at Durango's little airport was a breeze!

We got in really late to Atlanta, grabbed a few winks and were off again early the next morning to drive to Columbia SC. We were a bit late getting off but I think we'd have made it in time to see them do their exercises if there hadn't been a huge line of cars trying to get on base! Oh well, we made it in time to find him. It was interesting because we really didn't know where to look for him and everyone looks the same, soldier style. Took a while but I eventually honed in on him. They had to stay in formation til their family found them. I walked up to him with tears in my eyes and he smiled back at me. He had stood there so long he probably thought we weren't coming!

This was after we finally found him and were heading out of the stadium.
I don't know why he's doing that with his hands.

Had to find the Utah flag and have our picture taken there.

We were so happy that Grandma and Grandpa W would take the time to come with us to see Ford.
They are wonderful grandparents and really try to support their family, always trying to be at special events.

Mike Welch, Ford Welch, Ellen Welch

                                             
He had to stay on base that day so we went to a nice park and had a picnic, we went to the building where he went to church to an open house the missionaries have for those graduating. We drove around a bit, we walked at the PX, (Grandma tried to go in the liquor store! ;o ) and ate dinner at Popeye's. Along with every other soldier and his family in SC! Gotta love Family Day on base.
We had to drop him off at a certain time so he could get back to his bay on time and so we could go get some sleep.

The companies in formation on the parade grounds.

Here they are marching to the left to come around in front of the grandstands.

This is Ford's Company and he is on the end nearest us of the 4th row from the left,
(not counting the lone soldier at the left end). 

Grandpa congratulating Ford.

He was well trained to stand at attention while in his ASUs.  

Nice bright sunshine makes for a loverly picture. Oh, well, we had to document
that we were there anyway.

Ford and his battle buddy, Schneider.

                                               

"Can we just go, please?"

waiting for our burgers....

Of course, you would get peanuts for an appetizer in the South, wouldn't you?

Sitting in the parking lot, using the WiFi.....

Trying to catch up on what is going on in the world...we did lots of sitting in cars.

We are proud of you, Ford, for toughing it out through Basic. It was good for you!

 The next day we went back to the parade grounds and watched their  graduation exercises. It is something to see so many soldiers all marching and looking so sharp in their dress uniforms. 

After it was over, we found him again, took some pictures and then he had a day pass. We drove around Columbia, ate lunch at Five Guys burgers, drove through the campus of the university there, drove by the State Fair that was going on....and sat in the parking lot of a Target where Ford could get wi fi so he could set up his new iPod. 

At last it was time to say goodbye yet again and get him back to his bay on time. We were happy to see him doing so well and looking so confident, but it was hard to leave him again. Too many goodbyes for me! 

It was back to Atlanta and Durango and home for us and on to Fort Lee in VA for Ford!