A Welch Christmas Get-together.

Curtis's parents were going to be in Orem the weekend after Christmas for Our nephew, Spencer's, mission farewell. We decided to head up on the 26th and spend the weekend with his side of the family. Turns out Michele and Erin, and their family, were also in town dropping Brandon off at BYU. So it was quite the party.

We stayed at the LaQuinta in Provo but spent most of our time with the fam. We went out to Chuck-a-Rama, which is always a crazy endeavor with a group that size. Nate and Lori hosted us all on Sunday after church. Spencer gave a very good talk in church, I think he'll be a good missionary. Then we gathered at Kyle and Nicole's for supper that night.

We were supposed to head home on Monday but we had nothing pressing so we stayed an extra day, moving up to the Hampton in Orem for Monday night. We shopped at the Provo mall then the boys and I went to visit the Holmsteads while Curtis and the girls + Isabelle went to the University Mall. Then we all gathered again at Nicole's for pizza and then headed to Blaster Tag.

It's a nerf gun tag place. The kids and lots of the adults had a blast playing the game. They have a ref who explains the games and does play-by-play. It was so fun to go with a large group and with so much family. Even James got to play! We did a bit more shopping on Tuesday then headed home. After spending so much time with family it's sure hard to leave, but we're grateful we could go.

that's a bedful of boys

James-didn't really play on a team, just randomly shot people

Nash, Charles and Soren getting ready for the next battle

Soren and Charles all set to go

they had large windows for spectators-I took pictures through them when my kids lined up against them

Battle's on….

Soren, Emma and Charles in the center of this picture

See the 'dead' people in the dugout? James didn't care about getting hit and just filled up his gun and shot people

James, Charles and Sadie in orange vests

Soren in the blue shirt with crazy orange vest

James in red shirt w/orange vest, Taylor with headband just behind him.

just an action shot. It was pandemonium in there when the battles were being fought.

Isabelle, the ref and Taylor...

Sadie kneeling in the center...

She's on the move

She had a HUGE gun that had a magazine that held so many darts. It took a long time to load, but she didn't have to stop and reload very often. She was often one of the last ones on her team still in action.

Soren and his fancy eyewear

Charles and his cool eye protection

Soren got an eyewear upgrade...

It was fun to stand in the dugout and watch and take photos

Every team had to line up on the back wall and touch it before the battle could begin. Nash found this little bumpout that put him closer to the other team to start.

Soren, Charles and Taylor here

Eli (green shirt), Spencer (white shirt w/blue sleeves), Sadie (behind Spencer) and Taylor (headband)

Sadie biding her time

Now she takes aim...
Eli and Emma also

Charles reloading

Sadie was much more into it than I would have imagined.
Hannah and Cambria weren't feeling well so they didn't play.

Oh, boy. Now the big boys are playing
Curtis in the darker orange shirt w/orange vest

after the previous group left, then the adults of our group got in on the fun...

in this game, if you got hit you stayed put and called for the "medic" to come heal you. Here is Curtis waiting for his 'medic'. Justin (Haley's husband) in next to him behind the box in  the green vest...

Here are Brandon, Allyson, Holly, and Michele. Maybe Haley?

Hannah decided she wanted to try it even though she felt crappy. Looks like James and Soren are giving her pointers

Curtis and Allyson

there was a game that required a sword. James just decided to use it instead of a nerf gun. He always does things the way he wants to, instead of how he's told to.

Curtis in the big box, Hannah in plaid, Holly holding up her arm for the 'medic', Eli back by the target on the wall

Soren in blue, James in red, Kyle in the dugout

Isabelle, Brandon, Nicole, Noah, Grandpa
We have such a great family and we love to spend time with them. Kyle and Nicole are always so good to let us all congregate at their house and visit and play. 

The sunset on the way home just south of Crescent Jct. It was much prettier than the picture shows. I'm so thankful for the ease of travel that allows us to go and visit family often. Heavenly Father has provided so much beauty for us.

Christmas cactus

I got this Christmas cactus the first Christmas we lived in Monticello from our Home Teacher, Joe. Unfortunately, my kitten almost destroyed it at that time and it has slowly been recovering ever since then. It has developed blossom buds a few times but has rarely bloomed. The buds fall off before it actually blooms. I'm never sure if I'm watering too much or not enough or if its a light issue. 

It has grown quite a bit in the six years it's lived with us and looks better this year than it ever has. 

AND this year it decided to actually bloom at Christmas! Look at that!

It had three beautiful pink blossoms and we surely enjoyed them. I hope it's not another six years before it decides to bloom at Christmas again. ;)

(I am going to give it a bigger apartment (pot) and see if that makes it happier!)

Wii (we) dance

One of the new games we got for the Wii for Christmas was Just Dance. It's not the newest version, but it works for us. The kids had a lot of fun on Christmas Day dancing and laughing together. Even Charles got in on it. He really like the Ghostbuster song!
I am not a huge fan of video games, but I do love the interaction the Wii creates. I love that lots of us can play and have fun together and get some physical movement in as well. It's great for winter when its just too darn cold to go out.

Charles, Sadie, Cambria and Hannah. James sitting on floor

Bustin' a move

Some of us get into it more than others

synchronized. Yeah!

I think we will add having dance parties to the bowling tournaments we've been having. Good stuff!

Christmas 2015

Everyone was so excited for Christmas to finally get here! We hosted a Christmas Eve dinner at our house with Grandma and Hugh and Karla, Jim, Allie and Peyton. We decided to have Mexican food for dinner and we had a taco/nacho bar and Karla brought enchiladas. It was yummy. I like to do Mexican food on Christmas Eve, it reminds me of our years in Arizona.

Kami and Grandpa

After everyone else left, we did our traditional Sibling Gift Exchange present opening.

James-a new slinky

Kami: has no siblings but got new pjs.

Charles-new Minion shirt

Soren in a Jedi robe

Perfect-new Star Wars shirt

Sadie-nail goodies 

Hannah-nail art kits

Ford really wanted Curtis to open the gift they gave him. Shiala wrapped each item individually.  :)

Oh, my.

Apple beer and a new hat that say Best Grandpa Ever. 

This is my favorite Christmas picture. I love to think that that sweet, wrinkled forehead baby is the way to Peace.

after all the festivities, we put out some cookies for Santa and Charles decided to write him a note
about the location of the milk. So cute!

after everything was put out, but before the kids dove in

Santa fills the stockings and leaves them around the room. It's always the first thing to check. He went a bit overboard on the candy this year. Hope he's going to help with any dental bills….

James…Doing his best picture face.

Charles ever so excited about all the sweet stuff. He has a bit of a sweet tooth.

Soren was very happy to have a giant Hershey's bar.

Sadie and her favorite flavor Pringles

Nina got a big box of Bottle-caps. 

And Hannah loves Sweet Stripes soft candy canes...

Now it's time to pass out all the gifts and prepare to open them…
(see the bags of cereal in the middle? Santa left that as well. We should be set for the break for breakfast!)

Jame got a Pokemon watch

We start with the youngest who opens a gift first, then the next person and so on, then back to the youngest who opens another gift and so it goes until everything is open.

We had a lovely bit of new white snow. Thankful we didn't have to go anywhere.

Soren inspecting a gift...

I made some Christmas bags years ago. They are so nice to put boxes in. Saves on paper waste.

She's so excited to have gotten some grocery sacks...

but underneath the bags was a ukulele

Hannah got her own flat iron

I found a great deal on Lego mini figures on Amazon. So I put them all in a bag and we played Greed with them. That way there was good-natured fighting over who got what one. They just all belong to the family. After we played a couple of times, we allowed them to go put them together.

Our family gift this year was new Wiimotes, a new charger and several new games. The girls were pretty excited about the Dance game. It was fun to watch them play.

It took awhile to put together 30 mini figures. 

They really like the song from Aladdin...

We also got a Battleship game. The boys had requested it.

Ford, Shiala and Kami came over in the afternoon. Sadie tried out some of her new polishes on Kami.

She wasn't too sure about it and only lasted long enough to do one hand.

Christmas is a magical time. I hope that the traditions we have will help my kids remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I am so thankful for my Savior. If he was not who He said he was and did not do what He did, we would have no reason to celebrate Christmas at all.

But He was and He did.