Ft. Gaines

Our second day we ventured out a little to the historic Ft. Gaines on the island.

The kids loved exploring all the nooks and crannies that the fort had to offer.

It is a MUST see on the island!

Our Own Private Beach

Our first full day at Dauphin Island was spent on the beach.  

The kids had the best time building all kinds of creations and playing in the water.

Melissa and I had the best time laying there, watching them play and reading whatever we could get our hands on!

Hit the Road!!!! Dauphin Island, Here We Come!!!

We are horrible parents.

There, I have said it!

Why, you may ask.

We have never taken our children to the beach.

Yep . . . 

We are THOSE parents.

Usually my kids just wanted to go to a baseball city to watch games and do the things in that city.

That is all about to change.

Melissa and I decided that with the school year we have had, we HAD to get out of town or we would not make it to Thanksgiving.

So, we loaded up the van and headed by ourselves for the

SECOND THELMA AND LOUISE WITH 5 KIDS IN A WHITE MINI-VAN TRIP.

The trip was pretty easy and was so worth it when we arrived at the beach!!!

Sorry for the picture overload but I just couldn't stop!

We are in love with Dauphin Island, AL, already!

We can't wait for the rest of the week!

June Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Many years ago when I walked down the aisle, 2 very special girls were in our wedding.

It has been our privilege to see these 2 girls grow into LOVELY young women who we just fall in love with more and more.

We could not be more proud of these two ladies as we have watched them grow and fall in love with our babies.

One of those just got engaged (GULP!) and one Sunday night brought something for our kiddos.

Precious notes telling them how much she loves them and has enjoyed being in their lives.

Then asking them to be a junior bridesmaid and junior groomsman in her wedding come June.

They are so excited to be a part of Jessica and Clay's special day!

Carter is pumped to "wear a tux and walk a lady down the aisle!"

Hate to break it to him but the lady will be his sister!

September 2013 Recap

September was full of visits from family.

Birthdays to celebrate.

Friends having fun.

LB and Little Lucy waiting to celebrate Walker's 3rd birthday

Our own Superman's 3rd Birthday

The grandparents with the grandkids 

Gran and the girls

Granddad and the boys

 I am sure most of you have heard of Kid President.  We are very blessed to have

him and his sister as friends of ours.

The kids were invited by Kid President and Lexi (his sister) to attend a premiere of

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 in September.  It was cute and the kids just loved

the fact that they were thought of by this sweet family.

The sisters

Carter and Kid President being themselves - very silly!

September kept us busy with some other things as well.

Pictures coming soon of Carter's 10th (gasp) birthday and fall baseball!

Book Review: Love Comes Calling

We have all felt like we did not belong in the world we were put in.  We have all felt that we needed to do something else or BE someone else only to realize that where we are is where we need to be.  That is exactly what Ellis Eton learns in Siri Mitchell's book Love Comes Calling from Bethany House.  Ellis is from a well to do family in Boston and being from a traditional family, traditional expectations are given to her - college to go to, profession to have, Griffin Phillips to marry.  However, Ellis feels like the bright lights of Hollywood are calling her and she begins to make plans to head that way.  After having a rough semester in college, she comes home to Janie (a friend who looks like her) needing her to fill in while she goes to look for her father.  Janie works as a telephone switch operator and needs to keep her job now that her mother has passed.  Ellis agrees to help seeing how it can also help her get the money she needs to head to Hollywood.  On the job one day, she overhears a plot to harm Grif - the one her parents want her to marry.  In her resolve to save Grif from potential death, she meets Jack, a police officer who might be in on the Grif scheme.  As her plans to go to Hollywood, save Grif, as well as avoid Grif so love does not bloom begin to go haywire, she learns very valuable lessons about being who God has made you to be in the place where He has put you.  A wonderful story full of many twists and turns, love, mystery, suspense and a real heroine!  Thank you, Bethany House, for allowing me to review this book for you!

CCJHS Eaglette Soccer 2013

LB had a great start to her junior high life as a member of the CCJHS Eaglette Soccer team.

As a 6th grader, we really didn't expect her to play a whole lot, but she saw action in many of the games this year. 

As you will see from the pictures, she is QUITE a bit smaller than anyone else on the field.

However, that did not stop her from getting to the ball and playing hard. 

Many of the parents started calling her "Little Bit" for "LB." 

The team had an amazing season and we are proud of all they accomplished on and off the field!

Picture #1 - Girls coming after LB

LB taking down the girl

LB's first goal as a junior high team member

After the goal after the game . . . 

Hayley got to see the goal and rubbed it in Whitney's face!

At the beginning of the season, a high school senior that was on the soccer team as well as Coach Callis' cousin was killed in a car wreck.  They girls wore bands that said "Brodie" for each game and even wrote his name on their arms.  This picture was the first game after Brodie had been killed.

Lucy and Carter watching LB play!

Walker cheered so hard for LB at the game!

Even Alex got to come see LB play!

and Whitney made it to a game!

Great season, ladies! We are so proud of you!

August 2013 Recap

For those who are were regular followers of my blog, let me apologize for NOT keeping up with this blog for almost an entire year! (GULP!)

To say that the past 10 months were crazy is an understatement and I know many people have been dealing with things FAR worse than what we have been.  However, I just really felt like the blog was a low priority and it has shown. 

I must admit I have missed blogging and I really hope to get back into it this next year. 

We really did have a wonderful year!

The kids had amazing school years!

The time that was left to me was just not to be spent on blogging.

So . . . now that summer is here, I am going to give you a month-by-month (or big event) recap of what the Welches have been up to the last 10 months.

I hope our time apart is not this long again!

August 2013 began with getting ready to start back to school.  We took the kids out for a back to school dinner (instead of my cooking it).

The next thing we knew school was beginning.  Damon took the kids for their first day since I was having my own first day of school.  Carter is going to have a great year with Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Snider in fourth grade!

As much as it hurts me to say Carter is in 4th grade, it kills my soul to say that LB is in JUNIOR HIGH!  6th grade!!! AHHHHH!!!  She is ready.  Mom is not.

At the end of August, we said good-bye to 2 very special people - John and Erin Jones.  We were blessed to have known them while they were in college.  Then, this summer we were blessed again to have had the privilege of spending the summer with them before they left to be missionaries in New Zealand.  We know God is going to do AMAZING things through them and while we will miss them, New Zealand is now on our bucket list of places we want to go!

August brought us a new love - FLASHLIGHT TAG!  We live in a fabulous neighborhood with incredible neighbors.  The Allen's sent us a flashlight tag challenge one night and the kids have been hooked ever since!  Do they look serious or what?

Our challengers and the best neighbors ever!

What a month!  So thankful for the fact that I am a picture taking FREAK so even though it has been 10 months and I have slept - SOME, I can remember these times!

Book Review: Where Courage Calls

Bethany House sent me a book awhile ago called Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oak Logan.  I was anxious to read this one because I have not read any by Janette Oke in awhile.  However I was captivated by this book from the moment I opened it.  Beth Thatcher has decided to leave all she has ever known - wealth, comfort, family - in Canada for the very rugged outdoors of western Canada where she has accepted a teaching position.  While on the train headed that way, she runs into Edward, a Canadian mountie, who is the one her mother wants her to marry.  Edward has always been a thorn in Beth's side but as she continues on her journey, she is glad to have a friend beside her.  Once she gets to Coal Valley, she sees that things are much different than she had imagined.  Not only is she needed as a teacher, but she is a counselor, nurturer and friend to so many who have lost so much.  She has her work cut out for her as she tries to educate the children as well as possibly some of the miners that are left.  As she tries to help the town get back on their feet, her heart begins to wonder if Edward is really the one for her or could his mountie friend, Jarrick, be the one her heart wants.  Obstacles abound in this small town as Beth tries to decide what she can do to help the town, her heart and future decisions.  This is a wonderful book and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Book Review: Praying for Boys

Another book crossed my door steps not too long ago and I just thought that this would be a book to review (Thank you, Bethany House) and move on to the next.  However, Praying for Boys has made a huge impact in my life.  I have always wanted to do better at praying for my children.  Praying specific things for them. Praying scripture for them.  However, I get so overwhelmed by all that does need to be prayed about that I just go back to the basics.  Brooke McGlothlin does a fantastic job with this book.  She is so personal in sharing her own stories as a mother of two boys.  She is very real in allowing us to see that she is not perfect but just wants what is best for her children.  She is very simple in giving us 21 areas of prayer that we can pray over our children (and I have been praying these over my girl as well as my boy).  Each chapter focuses on one aspect that is needed in your son's life.  While you can choose to focus on the aspect for the day, you can.  However, at the end of each chapter, more scripture is given to allow for extended period of prayer time for that aspect.  Questions are even given at the end of each chapter to allow you to personalize how you are going to work on bringing that characteristic out in your son's life.  Praying for a heart change, obedience, fears, integrity, wisdom, pride, and the fruit of the Spirit are just some of the 21 characteristics in this book.  She also gives advice on how to keep going once you are done with the book and ways to get your friends involved.  This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and it will be one I pick up again and again to remind myself of my most important job.